“What FIAT doesn’t realize is that most American drivers are larger {fat} people who will not fit comfortably in their tiny cars. Not to mention, when you put a family of four in the FIAT 500, where does the luggage go?”so says a prominent Las Vegas dealer choosing to be anonymous for this article.
Given the love for the Chrysler 300, Charger, Durango and Magnum, does FIAT have a chance of converting traditional large car buyers? Probably not. However, in the new fractionalized (niche) car market the only way I envision the successful pairing of these two companies is to position FIAT as the “SCION” of Chrysler for the up and coming youth market. In this manner it could succeed, at least long enough to build in the step levels to mature this client from Fiat into homogenized Fiat-Chrysler product, as the size of the customer and family matures. Throw in some hybrid or alternative fuel options and Chrysler might survive, re-incarnated, but alive. The keys to this successful transition are: sharp styling, no discounting, superior quality control, outstanding 100k warranty and a top-notch salesmanship experience at the dealer level. I’d love to see this happen, but I’m not holding my breath.
SO, in the interest of what’s a great car buy today? As a car buyer’s agent, I can only recommend these models to my clients, to insure their car holds as much value as possible in these uncertain times. I expect only 7 models from Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge to survive.
Chrysler Sebring Convertible (Hardtop)
Chrysler 300 SRT
Chrysler Town & Country
Dodge Charger SRT
Dodge Challenger SRT
Dodge Ram/Cummins 1500, 2500 Diesel, 3500 Diesel
Jeep Wrangler RUBICON
My crystal ball says FIAT (if they stick around) will eventually drop the actual brand name when the baby-boomers have forgotten there ever was a Chrysler. Remember AMC, DAEWOO, YUGO, EDSEL, and OLDSMOBILE brands, exactly.
In the meantime, the likely re-branding of the dealership building could look like this; “CHRYSLER-JEEP-DODGE-FIAT”, “AMER-FIAT” (AMERIFART for short) or just FIAT, selling the above mentioned, remaining models. If the current Chrysler dealer network can survive long enough to see the economy revive, the American tax payer can take satisfaction in having preserved an entity with classic name plates of more value for their potential collectability as a muscle car antique than its overall market penetration.
I would say now is the best time to buy that Challenger, Charger or 300 SRT. NEW or USED !These will be the “investment” cars for your portfolio, redeeming better than a 0 coupon bond in the year 2050. Not only are prices at their ROCK BOTTOM, but these are great driving cars while you wait for your grandkids to inherit them, and gas is still (relatively) cheap.
You can’t drive a Warhol, but you can enjoy the engine roar of a Charger “BEE” as others gawk on the Yellow, Purple, or Blue limited edition paint as you peel away. Think I’m crazy? Have you priced the Ford Model T, ’60 Mustang or “70 Corvette? The famous Barrett-Jackson auction-car show spectacle drew over 50k people to Las Vegas, in a “lousy” economy.
SO, if you really want to get a great deal on these or any other make or model, give me a call. I know where the best deals are hidden. As YOUR personal car buyer’s agent, I do all the work, negotiating, trades, finance and incentives, delivering the car to your driveway without you breaking a sweat. Unlike an AUTO BROKER, you pay me a flat fee, disclosed upfront, so you never wonder if you “left money on the table”.
Sarah Lee is an automotive executive with 20+ years of experience. She writes about Cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. Her company: MY CARLADY is a car buyer’s service committed to getting you the best deal on your next new or pre-owned vehicle. You can reach her at www.mycarlady.com
Top learn more about getting your best car deal click here: CAR DEALS
The traditional squareback Jeep Cherokee was a Jeep loyalists favorite, even with the spare tire taking up too much room in the back and the boxy shape making tight off-roading a challenge. In 1999 Jeep replaced the CHEROKEE squareback with the Liberty, the first model to use an independent suspension instead of the solid rear axle. The Jeepsters took offense and vowed to keep their “box” Cherokees forever. The new Liberty shares styling with the Dodge Nitro, another NO-NO in the Jeep world. This is the traditional Jeep at it’s best. Heritage Grill, solid axle and strong-like-bull frame. This is the one you take to the Rubicon when your Wrangler is in for service.
Well, finding a 1990-circa Jeep Cherokee squareback in good condition is difficult. Finding a Squareback 4wd in good condition and cheap, is rare.
Well, I have found a 2wd and 4wd in good condition, reasonable miles and ready to go to a good home. 4.0l 6 cyl, one in Red with beige interior, one in White with grey cloth., both SPORT editions; Power features, CD and automatic. The white one was towed behind a motor-home for most of it’s life.
Check these out and get a hold of me if you are interested… RED JEEP
NEED AUTO FINANCE HELP or CREDIT report repair CLICK HERE, tell them MY CARLADY: Sarah Lee sent you. It’s a free consult and they do the right thing by you, fast, easy, cheap.
Top learn more about getting your best car deal click here: CAR DEALS
Sarah Lee is an automotive executive with 20+ years of experience. She writes about Cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. Her company: MY CARLADY is a car buyer’s service committed to getting you the best deal on your next new or pre-owned vehicle. You can reach her at www.mycarlady.com
Dealers are down to their last 24 hours to be able to sell remaining new 2009 Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge cars before their franchise is pulled.
Dodge Avenger
Beware that many dealers have limited supply of choice models. The remaining inventory will be redistributed by Chrysler, unless the dealer has previously reported it sold, added non-factory after-market items or used it as a demo unit. While many dealers have suggested they will “dump” their excess units at auction, most will resell them as used a few weeks from now. Meanwhile, consumers should be cautious when viewing window stickers with inflated add-on fees, low-ball trade-in figures or layered rebates that many will not qualify for or can not be combined with other offers, ie: recent college graduate, military discount, farm bureau and loyalty.
The Chrysler bankruptcy hearings have hit another snag as the legal team representing Indiana pension funds have won a decision to allow their protests to be considered by the appeals court. This delay could send the FIAT buyout of Chrysler into overtime, effectively killing the clock on the agreement.
Other news has Penske buying Saturn and the Chinese government quashing the purchase of Hummer. Could anything else go wrong for US automakers? Is there Chinese wallboard insulation in the interior trim panels of Pontiacs?
AND my question for the day… What does Timothy Geitner drive?
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Sarah Lee is a 20+ yr car business veteran. My Carlady is her personal car buying agency at www.mycarlady.com, helping clients all over the country buy cars without the hassle, haggling car dealer games. She is the ultimate consumer advocate. A published author on all topics car-related. You can follow her for regular auto-related updates on twitter @mycarlady.
AS Americans we like to BUY stuff. SO in the midst of the greatest economic crisis of the past fifty years, we are tired of being tired.We are also tired of driving cars that continually breakdown, have to share or no longer fit our needs/lifestyle.
Welcome to summer selling season in the auto industry. If it was ever time in the last two years, it’s a great time to go car shopping. Pent-up demand is driving car customers to dealerships hoping for half-price Jeeps and deep-deep discounts. You may also want to RE-consider buying a soon to be discontinued make or model: SATURN, SAAB, HUMMER, PONTIAC and some Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge models; Chrysler Aspen and PT Cruiser, Dodge Durango and Stratus, Jeep Commander.
However, BUYER BEWARE. The car market has changed and you need to be prepared for some surprises.
Salesmen/women. The salesmen still stand outside, but there are far fewer of them. That may work well for browsers, but those ready to make a deal are going to find less product knowledge and willingness to trot around on long test drives.
Less Inventory. The dealers have pared their inventories to all time lows, so be prepared to be flexible, to get a better deal now, or wait 10-12 weeks when ordering a car to meet your specs. SOme HOT models are selling for higher prices now, than they were in January. During model year change over, you can also expect to pay more for the new year model, as the first ones delivered are usually the most in demand=higher price.
Financing. Perhaps the hardest thing to understand about auto financing is the higher the score doesn’t guarantee you an immediate approval or the best rate.Cash down, over and above rebates, are considered in the loan application, along with trade-in values and how many other cars notes you have signed for.The auto banks are looking hard at car loans vs. debt and income. While mom and dad make great co-signers, if sister and brother have already tapped them, the next in line may need to ask another relative.
TRADE-IN.When trading a vehicle with a payoff, you may be better off to make the payoff yourself, to be assured the closing dealership will, in fact, pay off the existing lease or loan. As dealerships are burdened with closing, employees are let go, and title payoffs can slip through the cracks. Having your trade paid off before the next payment is due, is crucial to keeping your credit in good shape.
Incentives. You can have rebates or low interest rates but not both. Don’t expect to buy a car for half-off sticker. The biggest discounts I’ve seen are $6,000 off a $40,000.00 car. Multiple rebates for everything from loyal clients to military and first-time buyers often cannot be layered, so pick the highest reward for your car, in real time. By REAL TIME, I mean NOW.If you take a lower interest rate and payoff the car early, trade-it or it gets stolen/totaled, you have lost the full value of the interest saved. Sometimes cash in your deal as down payment, is the better deal because you have lowered the amount borrowed, and should a better rate be offered by another bank, you can move the loan. Note, low interest rate incentives do not allow for negative equity from a trade-in.
If you are really interested in buying a new car this summer, look to a broker or car buyer’s agent to get the bottom line before you start kicking tires. They can help you figure out the REAL price on the BEST DEAL and find you the car you want, saving you hours of hassle, and aggravation driving from dealer to dealer. The fee you pay a broker or buyers agent more than pays for itself in time and savings you would not realize on your best day of negotiating.
Domestic and Foreign, New and Used, Luxury and basic transportation models are all showing signs of pent-up demand for auto dealers around the country. Sparked in part by the bankruptcy of Chrysler and GM, 1800 pending dealer closings and promises of scarce inventory on popular models, consumers have flooded dealer showrooms filled with hope of scoring a “giveaway” deal.
While rebates approach six and eight thousand dollars and interest rates hover between 0% and 5.99%, the eager car buyer is finding his trade-in severely under-valued and attractive financing options limited to those with superior [read:720 FICO] auto credit scores.
“This has been the problem for the past 18 mos.”Jim M., LV Import/Domestic dealer, laments. “The clients are UPSIDE-DOWN (owe more than it’s worth) on their car, have little cash to put down, and the banks won’t finance the negative balance , plus the taxes and fees.”
National auto auctions are seeing record numbers of cars, including many brand new ‘08 and ‘09 models, direct from targeted Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and GM dealers. Used car prices have remained stable, even with the inventory influx, as demand for used cars has outstripped new car purchases the past year. Auto loans on used cars have been cut significantly, putting pressure on consumers to put down more cash, go longer term (avg. car loan is now 72 mos./6yrs.) and pay higher interest rates for less than perfect credit.
GM and GMAC have promised to assist remaining Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge dealers with auto loan financing, yet the bankruptcy has put a halt to dealer agreements and buying. Much of the sales spurt started with Memorial Day weekend, came from buyers with lease expiration’s, cash or positive trade-in equity.
As more American’s stay closer to home this summer, sales of vans and SUV’s continue to increase. With gas prices low, consumers are not shunning four day family drive-aways to the mountains and shores.
Chrysler Town and Country, Toyota Sequoia, Nissan Armada and Honda Odyssey are best-sellers this summer season. Stow ‘n Go folks, summer selling season is upon us.
You can’t drive a Warhol, but you can enjoy the engine roar of a Charger “BEE” as others gawk on the Yellow, Purple, or Blue limited edition paint as you peel away. Think I’m crazy? Have you priced the Ford Model T, ’60 Mustang or “70 Corvette? The famous Barrett-Jackson auction-car show spectacle drew over 50k people to Las Vegas, in a “lousy” economy.
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