Chrysler admits faults, changes plans

[Paul56]

Originally Posted By: Scdevon
Originally Posted By: Paul56


...and that person would be me.

While I will not comment that my Toyota Camry was a POS... as a brand new vehicle it did have more than its share of little issues that were irritating enough for numerous trips back to the dealer... made more irritating merely by the fact that I had to go back. The Camry for me was a disappointment... but not a complete POS.

The Neon I'm driving now is working fine and has been very reliable.

Perhaps I had higher expectations for the Camry than the Neon.


I believe everything you're saying, but your experience is anomalous given repair statistics, overall customer satisfaction, resale values and brand loyalty.
Domestics don't measure up in the big picture.


Toyota is not immune to problems... thread in this forum titled...

"Toyota's runaway-car worries may not stop at floor"

 

[rshunter]

Originally Posted By: Paul56
Toyota is not immune to problems... thread in this forum titled...

"Toyota's runaway-car worries may not stop at floor"

Bah! Everyone knows that Japanese cars are above stooping to the failings of cars of other ethnicities...


ROFL!

 

[hone eagle]

Where is the market share increase coming from? detroit news

No mini van on the horizonlike in the '80s,in fact no new models except heavy trucks so who is going to give up share? Toyoda? (maybe )but only the big stuff who else?

 

[Art_Vandelay]

Originally Posted By: Smokescreen
What does the "PT" really stand for?


PT = Poor Transmissions

 

[benjamming]

Originally Posted By: hone eagle
Where is the market share increase coming from? detroit news

No mini van on the horizonlike in the '80s,in fact no new models except heavy trucks so who is going to give up share? Toyoda? (maybe )but only the big stuff who else?


Originally Posted By: detroit news article

On the other side of the ledger are continued cost-cutting in areas such as purchasing, manufacturing and product development.
...
To get through the immediate drought, Marchionne said the company will rely on advertising and marketing, which kicked off Wednesday night. The company plans to increase the marketing budget to more than double the current advertising budget by 2011, said Richard Palmer, the chief financial officer who came from Fiat.


So, they started with a goal & made up stuff until it all worked out? That's easy to do. Every losing company in the world can be making profit (heck, make it a huge profit) by the weekend with that method.

 

[Vizzy]

Originally Posted By: rshunter
Originally Posted By: bepperb
They have a few good products. Their best product, IMO, is the Sprinter van which it looks like they will replace and that worries me.

They have to replace the Sprinter, as it is wholly a Daimler product. The plan is for select Mercedes-Benz dealers to begin selling the Sprinter, alongside the small number of Freightliner dealers who currently sell them.

I'd like to see the FIAT Ducato introduced here. It would be an excellent competitor for the Sprinter. Then again, I'm still dreaming about getting my mitts on a FIAT Grande Punto Abarth EsseEsse...


Great to see that there is quite a number of folks that appreciate the FIAT brand and Arbath as well.

I'd love to have either the Grande Punto or 500 in Abarth versions!

The European auto press kind of associates the 500 Abarth as a modern day incarnation of the MKI VW Golf GTI and that is an amazing thought to behold

 

[artificialist]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: RacerE7773
Now all they have to do is defuse those kegs of dynamite chrysler has had attached between the engine and drivelines for years (ie transmissions).


There was only ONE transmission model that was a time-bomb: the 41TE used in the minivans. And its been pretty solid for the last 10 years or so, too. The 545RFE in the rear-drive jeeps and Ram trucks is proving to be a very bulletproof replacement for the old 727-based A-518.




I have had to replace that transmission more than any other, in many cases it happens to a 2002 or later van.

 

[rshunter]

Originally Posted By: Vizzy
Originally Posted By: rshunter
Originally Posted By: bepperb
They have a few good products. Their best product, IMO, is the Sprinter van which it looks like they will replace and that worries me.

They have to replace the Sprinter, as it is wholly a Daimler product. The plan is for select Mercedes-Benz dealers to begin selling the Sprinter, alongside the small number of Freightliner dealers who currently sell them.

I'd like to see the FIAT Ducato introduced here. It would be an excellent competitor for the Sprinter. Then again, I'm still dreaming about getting my mitts on a FIAT Grande Punto Abarth EsseEsse...


Great to see that there is quite a number of folks that appreciate the FIAT brand and Arbath as well.

I'd love to have either the Grande Punto or 500 in Abarth versions!

The European auto press kind of associates the 500 Abarth as a modern day incarnation of the MKI VW Golf GTI and that is an amazing thought to behold


It turns out that the US/Canada market is going to get the FIAT Ducato! It is currently available in Latin America, being produced in Brazil. Here is the FIAT México microsite for the Ducato. It is available in as many configurations as the Sprinter is. There are also some really amazing recreational vehicles built on the Ducato cab-chassis.

The car offerings from FIAT Mexico look quite appealing, too. The FIAT 500 starts at $18,101.26 for the Classic trim and goes up to $21,568.93 for the Vintage. Meanwhile, the Grande Punto Turbo starts at a stunning $15,250.06 for the 5-door version, with the 3-door at $16,945.36. I wouldn't mind a Nueva Strada Adventure, either. Ranging from $13,862.99 to $15,250.06, it looks like an absolute steal...

 

[01rangerxl]

Is the Ducato front wheel drive?

 

[Nick R]

I do believe that time bomb transmission was pulled from the mitsubishi parts bin.

 

[rshunter]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Is the Ducato front wheel drive?

Yes, the Ducato is front-wheel-drive, regardless of configuration. I know some will say that is a detriment but I've never had an issue with my Eurovans, despite using them to carry some very, very heavy payloads. In fact, I far preferred using my '93 EV to make deliveries over using a full-size Chevy Express. The only advantage the Chevy had was in brute acceleration, and with an engine more than twice the displacement, big surprise! The EV was superior in every other performance metric, including cargo volume.

There are RV versions of the Ducato cab-chassis that use a 6x2 configuration. The units are equipped with a 3.0 liter turbo-diesel engine, 6-speed automated manual gearbox and traction control. These have shown an excellent ability to deal with wet and soft ground conditions in campsites. One such vehicle is the Trakka TRAKKAWAY 850. Considering that well known American companies like Winnebago and Jayco market Ducato-based RVs internationally, I'd expect them to introduce them here as well.