[mrobert]

What's wrong with selling the SUV?

[ohanian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('FireJack', 'I') wonder what happens to the people who torch their cars and are nailed with insurance fraud? Now they have to pay for a vehicle they could not afford and no longer have, they have to pay for another vehicle if they still want to get around.

[MacG]

What's next? Houses?

[Lighthouse]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MacG', 'W')hat's next? Houses?

[SoothSayer]

What's next? Houses?

Houses ... and people.

Yugoslavia was a modern civilised multi-cultural society ... until the SHTF.

Next time we won't have any UN or USA to stop PO triggered conflicts.

[Leanan]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mrobert', 'W')hat's wrong with selling the SUV?

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Leanan', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mrobert', 'W')hat's wrong with selling the SUV?

[Leanan]

It used to be pretty difficult to be upside down on a car loan. They required a down payment, and payments high enough to ensure that if they had to repossess the car, they wouldn't lose any money.

No more...

[mgibbons19]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Leanan', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mrobert', 'W')hat's wrong with selling the SUV?

[Tanada]

Acording to this article LINK Toyota has pulled off a coup of sorts by getting the city of Lindsay, CA to purchase 15 Highlander hybrid SUV's for the Police Department, 3 for the Fire Department and another 4 for the city administration and as city pool vehicals.
Purportedly the police love the things but that could be because Hybrids tend to have all the bells and whistle as part of the package. Is this a trend or just an isolated case of governments largess for Toyota?

[grabby]

Government largess.
It takes 2,500 gallons of oil to make a hybrid.
its cheaper to give them a honda civic.

[TommyJefferson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tanada', 'I')s this a trend or just an isolated case of governments largess for Toyota?

[KevO]

STORY HERE
US carmakers have been hit by further falls in sales, with the big names racking up double-digit declines.
Ford said sales sank 35.2% in July compared with last year, Chrysler sales fell 37% and General Motors 19.5%. Part of the fall was blamed on the fact that heavy discounts seen last year were no longer on offer. But rising fuel costs and interest rates have led consumers to opt for smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles - delivering a boost to Asian carmakers.

A 16% rise in sales at Japanese group Toyota pushed the automotive firm to the number two carmaker slot in the US - ahead of both Ford and DaimlerChrysler. Elsewhere, fellow Japanese group Honda said its sales had risen 10% while those of South Korean carmaker Hyundai were up 6%. Japan's Nissan was the only Asian firm to buck the trend, blaming weak car and truck sales for a 19.5% decline in July car sales when compared with the same time last year.

Changing demands: Ford sales highlighted the changing trends in US buying habits. So-called "gas guzzling" sports utility vehicle sales were down almost 45% while retail sales for its mid-sized saloon cars - the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr - rose 18%.[/quote]

[KevO]

does this mean a delay for the crash?
45% drop in SUV's is no small fry.

Although I think it actually speeds it up, all that NRG needed for these new replacement cars

yes?

[Jack]

While it's true that the 45% drop in SUV sales my slow the growth of U.S. energy consumption, I suspect that a few million Chinese and Indians will purchase enough cars to overwhelm the savings.

No, I don't think the crash will be delayed.

[DesertBear2]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('KevO', '
')Ford said sales sank 35.2% in July compared with last year, Chrysler sales fell 37% and General Motors 19.5%.

[Armageddon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('DesertBear2', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('KevO', '
')Ford said sales sank 35.2% in July compared with last year, Chrysler sales fell 37% and General Motors 19.5%.

[mekrob]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'd')oes this mean a delay for the crash?
45% drop in SUV's is no small fry.

[Eli]

As delaying PO Mekrob i is right, it won't make a bit of difference.

But since Ford and GM make the majority of their profit off of SUV sales it means the coming economic melt down will be on us quicker.

You have to remember too that even before Katrina and oil really went nuts GM was already in bad shape because of pensions and health care costs.

Their grand plan to save the company was to come out with an all new exciting line of friggin SUVs. Something like 5 billion was invested in retooling factories and coming up with the new models.



GM and Ford have basically run into their worst case scenario.

[JustinFrankl]

What's bad for the auto industry is bad for America.

Lower sales with Ford and GM could translate into massive job losses, adding more people to the idle workforce, adding some restraint to salary growth. However, people are still doing a lot of driving, so ancillary industries to the car culture won't be immediately hurt. But local communities will probably be devastated with plant closures.

In late November, 2005, GM announced it would layoff 30,000 workers through 2008. In January, Ford also announced layoffs of 30,000.

Oil and gas prices will continue their climb, people will put off buying a new car or get fuel-efficient foriegn models, sales for Ford and GM will continue to decline. I wouldn't be surprised if job losses end up being 60,000 each over the next few years.