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So well all know about Toyota recalling millions of vehicles. Whether it be sticky gas pedals, floor mats, brakes, power steering or whatever this is a real blemish on Toyota's once squeaky clean reputation
Then there are the big 3 American auto makers. GM and Chrysler took gov't bailouts while Ford is doing things on its own, and they seem to be turning things around
Both Ford and GM are manufacturing cars people like and actually want to buy (the redeisnged Ford Fusion, redesigned Chevy Malibu, Ford Taurus, the Camaro, Mustang, Ford Edge, Chevy Equinox, and the soon to be release Chevy Cruize)
Chrysler is cranking out the same cars they have been making since 2005 with design changes coming soon. Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger, no major changes since 05, Dodge Ram redesigned for 2010, reintroducing the Challenger in 2008, among others.
With all these good things going on with the US auto makers, do you think they will see a considerable rise in sales, or will Nissan and Honda pick up the slack for Toyota's lost sales?
First of all the poor economy overhangs everything. I do not see how the auto business as a whole, improves meaningfully over the next few years.
Cars/trucks will of course be bought, so the manufacturers are fighting for market share.
I think Ford will continue to gain market share. Ford will take share from all brands except the luxury imports since Ford has nothing that appeals to a Lexus or Mercedes buyer. GM will win some and lose some. They still have no distinctive small cars. No one who would normally buy a Honda Civic will choose a Cobalt instead.
Not one good thing is happening at Chysler. They will lose share in all of their markets, including Jeep, their best brand. No one will trust their updated models because Chrysler has 20 years of bad history.
Toyota will be stung - and some of their buyers will choose Honda, Subaru, Hyundai, Ford, and Nissan instead.
I don't think Honda will be a big winner per se. Many of their current vehicles are not special - the Pilot for example. The CRV is very good but is underpowered compared to others with equivalent fuel economy (RAV4 V6 especially). Honda doesn't have a sports car in the lineup anymore.
I think Subaru and Hyundai are on a roll and it will continue.
Yeah, Hyundai will probably pick-up whatever slack Toyota leave. Chrysler might bring this to the US to compete with Ford Transit Connects
If it comes as a turbo diesel with 6speed manual and Ford is still trying to push gas motors with a 4speed auto on people wanting transit like vehicles, then I may just get that Fiat/Dodge
I would buy a Mustang, F150, Taurus, Edge, Escape and almost everything Ford is putting out. They look good and the build quality is solid. Very strong vehicles. GM and Chrysler are making tin cans. The new Malibu may look ok, but they are very flimsy and anyone that has any knowledge on what to look for in the build of a car would see that. Honda and Nissan are continuing to grow in sales and I think they may take over the Toyota slot. They have a good track record and like it or not they don't take bail outs from us.
I predict Honda and Ford being the highest sellers this year and Nissan in close second. I see GM slowly make a recovery, but they better get their trucks back on track if they want to compete with the Ram and the F series.
What I hope is that when this whole thing blows over....Toyota will cut their prices in order get their customers back. If that happens, I'll be down at the Toyota dealer with my checkbook...even though I don't really need any new vehicles right now...
I would buy a Mustang, F150, Taurus, Edge, Escape and almost everything Ford is putting out. They look good and the build quality is solid. Very strong vehicles. GM and Chrysler are making tin cans. The new Malibu may look ok, but they are very flimsy and anyone that has any knowledge on what to look for in the build of a car would see that. Honda and Nissan are continuing to grow in sales and I think they may take over the Toyota slot. They have a good track record and like it or not they don't take bail outs from us.
I predict Honda and Ford being the highest sellers this year and Nissan in close second. I see GM slowly make a recovery, but they better get their trucks back on track if they want to compete with the Ram and the F series.
Just my opinion on it. I'm no pro
The new Malibu is very stylish, the Buick LaCrosse is nice too.
I have always had a personal preference for Chrysler myself. If I had the money I would go out and buy a new Dodge Challenger SRT-8. It would be worth the $46k to have that car
The new Malibu is very stylish, the Buick LaCrosse is nice too.
I have always had a personal preference for Chrysler myself. If I had the money I would go out and buy a new Dodge Challenger SRT-8. It would be worth the $46k to have that car
'stylish' is very low on my list of reasons to buy a car. But, considering that you want a Chrysler product, you must not care much about engineering, build quality and reliability.
'stylish' is very low on my list of reasons to buy a car. But, considering that you want a Chrysler product, you must not care much about engineering, build quality and reliability.
I do care about all those things. I own a 2003 Nissan Altima 2.5 S, the build quality is poor but the engineering and reliability are great. (Mine had the catalytic converter problem but thats because the previous owner didnt maintain it at all) I was lucky my car had a warranty and I didnt pay for the new motor
The interior seems cheap, with lots of hard plastic, and it feels flimsy and slapped together. Otherwise its an awesome car
I am aware of Chrysler's issues. They were a lot better in the 1980s when Lee Iacocca was the CEO.
In 1988 my parents purchased a 1982 Chrysler LeBaron. 9 years, 100k miles, a drive to Florida, and a blown head gasket later the car died at age 15 with 175k on the odometer!
In 1999 my parents purchased a 1988 Dodge Aries for $400, driven well over 100 miles a day due to my dads commute to work at the time. Ran like a champ until my dad was involved in an accident on I-4 in Orlando a year later totaling the car
Last edited by DavieJ89; 02-25-2010 at 11:47 PM..
Reason: change words
The new Malibu may look ok, but they are very flimsy and anyone that has any knowledge on what to look for in the build of a car would see that.
JC, I don't know what your beef is with the Malibu, but I personally compared the Malibu to the Civic and Accord at the Chicago Auto Show and came out halfway impressed with the Malibu, while slightly underwhelmed with the Civic and Accord considering how much they are hyped up. The Chevy and both vehicles from Honda have about the same quality of plastic inside (read: not soft to the touch, but thick enough that it won't rattle). Build quality is also similar, except the doors on both Hondas felt less substantial and sounded cheaper when closed. The door handles on all Hondas I sat in except the Crosstour were kind of flimsy as well. The Crosstour was the only mainstream Honda that had fairly nice materials inside; my opinion still stands that Honda threw all its money into Acura interiors and left nothing over for the Honda brand.
The Malibu's wrap-around cockpit felt sportier and didn't have a twiggy looking shifter like the Civic has. The panel gaps were also way tighter in the Malibu. You can easily see it in pictures.
Last edited by mustang84; 02-26-2010 at 12:02 AM..
The new Malibu is very stylish, the Buick LaCrosse is nice too.
I have always had a personal preference for Chrysler myself. If I had the money I would go out and buy a new Dodge Challenger SRT-8. It would be worth the $46k to have that car
YEP !!! I agree. The edge is the Mustang is built here and the challenger and camaro isn't. That was stupid on both gm and chryslers part.
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