They built them, and no one came...

[LS2JSTS]

...well, not yet anyway.

So much for those who still think that the manufacturers somehow persuade buyers with marketing and other slight of hand.

One would think that after making a 50 billion dollar investment, and marketing the snot out of these things. The manufactureres might actually want to sell a few? But the American public has a different idea of what they want, and always has.....

"Consumers are the wild card," said Gloria Bergquist, vice president of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. "Americans have mostly chosen to buy larger vehicles. Crossovers accounted for 2.9 million sales last year, compared to 2 million for subcompacts and compacts together."

Small car sales slump despite gas prices

 

[demarpaint]

I'm really not surprised. Maybe if gas approaches $5/gallon people will think differently.

 

[Cristobal]

There is still a recession going on, regardless of what "experts" report. If people do not have the jobs, the credit, and the optomism, they will not make large purchases. That is human nature.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Over-weight people don't like to be in subcompacts and compacts.

 

[hhu168]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Over-weight people don't like to be in subcompacts and compacts.


Good point. Those who think the consumers are wrong just need to wake up.

 

[A_Harman]

From the article:

"We studied the 1970s and we looked back at the last couple of oil crises, and we found that the American consumer will buy small, more fuel-efficient cars for literally three to four months," said Rebecca Lindland of IHS Automotive. "And then three or four months later, we go right back to buying big cars."

She has concluded: "The change in consumer buying behavior toward better fuel economy is not aggressive enough to meet the 35.5 m.p.g. standard."

I guess we consumer's will need to go to re-education camps to get some help with our car-buying choices in the Greenie Utopia of the future.

 

[d00df00d]

We don't want what we can afford in the long term. We want what we can get away with in the short term. Human nature...

 

[Kestas]

This information ties in directly with the volatile thread we had on CAFE regulations. I agree with all the posts above.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
She has concluded: "The change in consumer buying behavior toward better fuel economy is not aggressive enough to meet the 35.5 m.p.g. standard."

I guess we consumer's will need to go to re-education camps to get some help with our car-buying choices in the Greenie Utopia of the future.

No. It's just that the 35.5 MPG standard is an unrealistic goal given how people buy cars.

 

[Cause4Alarm]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Over-weight people don't like to be in subcompacts and compacts.


funny you say that.....up here 90lbs women like to drive 1 ton trucks and i see 500lbs people in saturns neons and metros....

 

[eljefino]

I have hope for the chevy cruze, it seems like a nicely finished and engineered compact.

But fashion-interested people buying in that segment are still getting jettas. IMO the cruze is the better car compared to the newest downgraded VWs but it still has a stigma.

So the article is actually accurate. But how are they going to market the Cruze? Product placement in "Beverly hills 90210"? Oprah gives them away?

If they cut the price to match the kia rio, is it going to become a neglected "disposable car" that tarnishes the brand?

 

[A_Harman]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
She has concluded: "The change in consumer buying behavior toward better fuel economy is not aggressive enough to meet the 35.5 m.p.g. standard."

I guess we consumer's will need to go to re-education camps to get some help with our car-buying choices in the Greenie Utopia of the future.

No. It's just that the 35.5 MPG standard is an unrealistic goal given how people buy cars.


I agree with you. Was the sarcasm not clear in my note?

 

[Cause4Alarm]

we'll see how the cruze does after a few years......so far gm's 'improved quality' hasn't gone very far.....not sure about the new jetta but i'll take an 85-99 jetta over a new cruze any day

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Over-weight people don't like to be in subcompacts and compacts.

Agreed. Plus cash-strapped idiots who feel that they "deserve" fancy/big/fast stuff. And of course nobody can safely merge onto any onramp on any highway without at least 250hp.

Biggest issue IMO is the structure of automobile insurance in this country. You can only drive one car at a time but yet you pay a LOT to own multiple cars... Lots more folks would own a high efficiency commuter/beater if it was cheaper to do.

 

[PF52]

Originally Posted By: LS2JSTS
...well, not yet anyway.

So much for those who still think that the manufacturers somehow persuade buyers with marketing and other slight of hand.

One would think that after making a 50 billion dollar investment, and marketing the snot out of these things. The manufactureres might actually want to sell a few? But the American public has a different idea of what they want, and always has.....


Your post flies in the face of those who want to blame the marketing departments of the Big 3, particularly GM, for America's love affair with the SUV.

 

[LS2JSTS]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Over-weight people don't like to be in subcompacts and compacts.

Agreed. Plus cash-strapped idiots who feel that they "deserve" fancy/big/fast stuff. And of course nobody can safely merge onto any onramp on any highway without at least 250hp.

Biggest issue IMO is the structure of automobile insurance in this country. You can only drive one car at a time but yet you pay a LOT to own multiple cars... Lots more folks would own a high efficiency commuter/beater if it was cheaper to do.


No offense intended towards you, but can we please refrain from using the descriptive adjectives that only serve to derail a valid discussion?

If you and others refrain from calling big car/truck buyers as "entitled idiots"...I will promise to not label small/hybrid buyers as "pencil necked, white knuckle, greenies".....OK?

edited to add....And for the record, I own both, enjoy both and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Government intervention not withstanding!

 

[Win]

For my lifestyle, there is no utility or value in a small car.

The cost saving is minimal, thre's not much you can do with them, and insurance companies (mine at least) discount the premiums for large cars, but not for small.

Contemporary full size cars are small, anyway. The largest car I have in active service is the Jag Xj8. When I park it next to my wife's old Sedan De Ville from '77 or so, the Jag is dinky.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
She has concluded: "The change in consumer buying behavior toward better fuel economy is not aggressive enough to meet the 35.5 m.p.g. standard."

I guess we consumer's will need to go to re-education camps to get some help with our car-buying choices in the Greenie Utopia of the future.

No. It's just that the 35.5 MPG standard is an unrealistic goal given how people buy cars.


I agree with you. Was the sarcasm not clear in my note?

Yes, but I'm not sure it made the right impression.

It seemed as though you were making fun of the idea that someone would blame the car-buying public for unsustainable practices. If that was your intention, I don't think the sarcasm was warranted. The MPG target may be completely arbitrary, but the take-home lesson is that high consumption rates are unsustainable, and we (the customers) are at fault for insisting on them.

However, if you were lampooning the inevitable anti-environmentalist response, then yes, we agree.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: LS2JSTS
No offense intended towards you, but can we please refrain from using the descriptive adjectives that only serve to derail a valid discussion?

If you and others refrain from calling big car/truck buyers as "entitled idiots"...I will promise to not label small/hybrid buyers as "pencil necked, white knuckle, greenies".....OK?

edited to add....And for the record, I own both, enjoy both and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Government intervention not withstanding!

The objection is that many people are buying large vehicles when they probably shouldn't. This is not the same thing as saying that all people who buy large vehicles are idiots.

Likewise, when people say it'd be nice if the car buying public chose smaller cars, that is not the same as calling for -- or even condoning -- government action to that effect.

That much should be painfully obvious. I don't for one second believe that you of all people can't make those distinctions.

 

[LS2JSTS]

I can and did....but you have been around here...we'll see how that "distinction" plays out, shall we?

Agreed, he wasn't referring to all truck buyers, just making an assumption about a certain percentage(unknown to to the rest of us) of them, just as you did in your comment.

Assume away, my friend.