[Revi]

Why can't Ford intorduce the Focus econetic here? They have two other models, the verve and the mondeo that would kick butt here as well.

The Econetic Focus was declared to be the greenest car by one of the green auto blogs. It gets the same mileage as the prius and emits the same amount of co2. It's 1.6 liter diesel would squeal a tire as well.

If ford can get these over here it could be the only American car company to make it.

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/09 ... duces.html

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jdmartin', '1')2,000/14mpg = 857 gallons x $2 = $1714 x 3 years = $5142. A lot of money, but truck incentives are typically that high anyway, and you're factoring it over three years.

[frankthetank]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')e certainly found the car to be miserly with fuel. For a long time, the fuel gauge needle appeared glued to full, and while we didn't manage the theoretical maximum 65.6mpg we did manage to get 55.6. That's better than the real world mpg figure of 52 that What Car? magazine found for the Prius. The economy and big fuel tank also means you can go a long way without visiting a petrol station. We got all the way from London to Cornwall and half-way back before needing a top-up.

The ECOnetic, it's clear, is greener than some of the greenest cars you can buy. It is worth pointing out, however, that its diesel engine will be creating more local air pollution (nitrous oxides and particulates) than a petrol hybrid. Whether that bothers you depends on your priorities on climate change and local air quality.

[jdmartin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jdmartin', '1')2,000/14mpg = 857 gallons x $2 = $1714 x 3 years = $5142. A lot of money, but truck incentives are typically that high anyway, and you're factoring it over three years.

[ReducedToZero]

Mad Money Jim Kramer basically explained the discorrolation between stock prices and capital assets, comparing tech companies such as Google to GM and Chrystler... It was very interesting...


He basically predicts the stocks are going to hit 0 shortly, bankrupcy, the works....


"Where goes GM goes the US"

[gunny7258]

For years american companies made complete crap and sat on their thumbs while the japanese developed some nice products. Take for example any American car made from the early 70's to late 80's and they were made to pretty much fall apart at 100,000 miles. And people ate them up just so they could say they bought America or whatever slogan they were chanting, so the big three just coasted by making junk for a stupid consumer.

I do feel that the Japanese car companies will surpass the big three very shortly. With all three so heavily into trucks and SUV's i really do not think they can retool quickly and introduce some good (reliable) products to save themselves. A merger may come between the three, thats a real possibility i think.

[frankthetank]

Some good news:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ' ')SEOUL -(Dow Jones)- GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co., the South Korean unit of General Motors Corp. (GM), Tuesday said its auto sales rose 8.6% on year to 92, 013 units in June from 84,700 units.

"Strong sales of fuel-friendly vehicles such as the mini car Matiz largely buoyed last month's sales," said a company spokesman.

Domestic sales rose to 13,633 units in June, up 18% from 11,577 units a year earlier, while exports were up 7.2% on year to 78,380 units from 73,123 units.

[frankthetank]

Over on Marketwatch, they are running a story that says Ford/Doge should either get together or one is going to have to disappear.

I say all three could disappear...at least in their current form.

http://www.247wallst.com/2008/07/merging-ford-f.html

[frankthetank]

Not totally related to the big 3, but they are opting for foreign cars instead of US clunkers.

This should work out well...

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'M')embers of “Gen Y” — a famously fickle age group loosely defined as those born between 1978 and 1994 — don’t feel they need to earn their luxury, observed Ed Kim, director of industry analysis for AutoPacific, which tracks the automotive industry.

“They want it now, and they feel they deserve it now,” he said.

[Bas]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'D')ETROIT - Ford Motor Co.'s June sales dropped 27.9 percent as high gas prices and a sluggish economy took their toll.

With General Motors shares trading near their lowest levels in more than half a century and gasoline prices rising to record levels, the auto industry braced to deliver another bleak monthly report on auto sales.

Industry analysts said June sales could drop to their lowest monthly rate in 16 years, with several predicting another double-digit dip.

[frankthetank]

Ford data is out:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'S')AN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Ford Motor Co. (F:
Ford Motor CompanyF 4.43, -0.38, -7.9%) said Tuesday its June U.S. sales fell 28.1% to 174,091 vehicles, dragged down by poor truck sales. Ford reported that June U.S. truck sales fell 35.6% to 101,981 units from a year ago. Ford's popular F-series trucks suffered a 40.5% drop in June U.S. sales to 38,789 units from last year

[Pablo2079]

I think the real telling one will be when GM reports.

[frankthetank]

Not bad compared to Ford. Although the car sales are really taking a hit for GM.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'S')AN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- General Motors Corp. (GM:
General Motors Corporation
News, chart, profile, more
Last: 11.86+0.36+3.13%
2:04pm 07/01/200GM 11.86, +0.36, +3.1%) on Tuesday reported an 18.2% decline in June U.S. light vehicle sales to 262,329 cars and trucks from 320,668 in June 2007. Sales of cars slid 21.1% while trucks declined 16%. The truck market remains burdened by a sharp rise in fuel prices but GM expects its market share performance to be strong compared with April and May, said Mark LaNeve, vice president of GM North America vehicle sales, service and marketing. "Make no mistake about this...Asian automakers do not have a monopoly on fuel efficient vehicles," LaNeve said in a statement. End of Story

[frankthetank]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he Detroit automaker saw a U.S. sales decrease of 8.3 percent in June, compared with forecasts among auto analysts of about a 19.3 percent fall.

CNBC reports sales figures on an adjusted basis accounting for the number of selling days in the most recent month compared with the year prior. There were 24 selling days in June, compared with 27 days a year earlier.

GM sold a total of 265,937 vehicles in the month, compared with 326,300 cars and trucks in June of last year. The numbers easily outpaced June sales for GM arch-rival Toyota Motor.

Toyota reported a U.S. sales decline of 11.5 percent on an adjusted basis, with total sales reaching 193,234 vehicles, compared with 245,739 last year.

Toyota said its Toyota-brand sales were down 10.3 percent. Sales for its luxury Lexus brand—usually a showroom stalwart—fell 21.1 percent.

Light truck sales were especially hard hit for Toyota, falling to 61,268, down from 100,043 in June of last year.

[gunny7258]

They said honda and VW were up 1%

[Dan1195]

Been noticing a lot of Tundra ads on TV lately, they must be desperate to move them. They are trying to advertise their "good resale value"..right...I have a bridge in Brooklyn...

[frankthetank]

I know a guy who was looking at both the GMC and the Tundra pickups, both with similar options, engines (4x4, extended, V8) and the Tundra was a lot cheaper, due to rebates. This was over a month ago, so it may have changed. The guy bought neither and still drives his old truck.

Honda was the only one that i've seen to gain in sales.

more from Marketwatch:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')ncentives dip from last year
Despite some added promotions from GM and Toyota, the industry spent an average of $2,356 per vehicle on incentives in June; that's down about 1% from a year ago, according to car-buying research site Edmunds.com.
"General Motors' last-minute 72-hour sales campaign helped increase their incentive spending for the month, and Toyota needed some additional dollars to move their large SUVs and trucks from dealer lots," analyst Jesse Toprak said.
GM led the top automakers by spending $3,454 per vehicle on average. Chrysler wasn't far behind at $3,427; Ford came in at $2,745.
Toyota didn't spend nearly the same amount at just $1,186 per vehicle, but that figure still represents the most the company has ever put toward incentives. Honda spent the least of all at $1,367, down from its year ago totals but up from last month.