smarty666

BINGO!

I mean I can only speak from my own local Car and Truck Family of Stealerships that I drive by each and every day. I personally see the same vehicles in the same spots at my local GM stealer for a much longer period of time then I see any of the other automakers the guy owns (Audi, Infiniti, BMW, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, etc). Hell even the Ford stealer moves products and sells them better then the GM stealer.

Just my observations of my local stealerships I see day in and day out. Doesn't mean its that way all over the country obviously.

fsttyms1

Around here its the reverse. I bet the local chevy dealer sells 10 to 1 compared to the honda dealership. I can drive thru the honda lot weekly and see the same inventory week after week. It is the smallest dealer in town. The chevy dealer on the other hand has vehicles brought in i bet 2 times a week. Our roads are probably 10 to 1 ford/chevy vs honda/toyota.

biker

I bet the fleet sales in Germany for Audi, MB and BMW are quite high - but they have no problem selling retail also. One of the reasons fleet sales are that high for the D3 is gov't sales, at all levels. They buy virtually nothing but domestics. The rental fleets are much more diversified than gov't sales.

Hapa DC5

Midwest and the coasts are two different animals. I can tell you the D3 have no problems pushing their trucks in any domestic market. Most cars will be foreign here, most trucks except the compacts will be a Dodge, Chevy/GMC, or Ford.

TSX69

Varying Model Diversification among Premium Makes

For any brand, automotive or non-automotive, greater diversity across its product portfolio reduces risk since dependence on any one product is limited. Given the generally high quality of today's new vehicles, there is not as much risk as there used to be of 1 product being virtually crippled by a major quality problem, recall or bad publicity.

The 7 leading premium marques have varying degrees of product diversification. Mercedes-Benz appears to have the most diverse set of vehicles, as no Mercedes-Benz model accounts for more than 29% of the brand's total U.S. retail new vehicle registrations (May 2010 CYTD). And each of 4 Mercedes-Benz models has more than 10% of the make's registrations, something only 1 other brand (Acura) can claim.

Other premium brands with moderate diversification include Acura, Audi (which is less reliant on the A4/S4 than it used to be), Cadillac and Lexus. Both BMW and Infiniti are heavily reliant on 1 product, with the 3-Series accounting for almost half of all BMW sales and the Infiniti G claiming almost 6 of every 10 Infiniti deliveries.

It is also noteworthy that the 3 leading large premium sedans (7-Series, LS and S Class) each account for exactly 6% of their respective brand's portfolios, suggesting the direct competition among them and their ongoing positioning against 1 another. Lastly, for 6 of the 7 leading luxury market brands, the model with the highest proportion of registrations is a small car or crossover, which 1 would predict given these models' low prices. However, this is not the case at Mercedes-Benz, where the E-Class out-sells the smaller and less expensive C Class, which underscores the long history – and substantial owner base - of the midsize E in this country.

biker

^ This chart must really piss off 1sicklex (since it includes Acura as a premium make).

TSX69

Hybrid Sales US Update

There are over 25 different hybrid (gas/electric) cars and trucks sold in the U.S right now (and more if you count some of the discontinued models you can still buy off of a dealer's lot). With so much talk about the forthcoming "onslaught" of electric vehicles, many have wondered what happened to the good 'ol hybrid vehicle segment. It's hanging on and actually doing better than last year.

Fact #1: For the first 5 months of this year, we saw over 106,000 new hybrid units enter the U.S. roadways. Our friends at HybridCars.com show just over 109,000 units for the same time period. Short story: the segment is up over 5% on a year-over-year basis based on new registrations.

Fact #2: California is still THE hybrid state. Better than 1 in 5 hybrids are registered in this state. A few years ago, California represented over 25% of the hybrid segment. Now they represent just over 20%. From a dealer network view or someone pulling together a regional automotive forecast on hybrids, you'd be a fool to ignore California. Buyers there are incented to "think green." Although 1 thing that really shocked me about their current legislation is that hybrids are disqualified from using high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes...yikes!

Fact #3: Prius is still king. Over half of all hybrids sold new are the Prius. Last year they accounted for 44% in the 1st 5 months; for the same time this year, they account for 1 of every 2 sold new. Good luck to the rest who merely want market share in this segment.

Prediction: Looking at the results for May and June of this year, our light vehicle forecast for the hybrid segment is between 254,000 to 260,000 new sales in the U.S. This would put us back at the levels we saw in 2006 (we saw 254,000 that year) and definitely below last year's 2009 total of around 290,000 units.

Go green! And if you're in California, enjoy your single occupant HOV lane privileges while they last.

biker

The only thing that will turn that chart around is another spike to $4 gas. People are voting with the wallets - hybrids don't make sense, unless you are a left coastie "thinking green".

F23A4

The Infiniti G sales percentage does not surprise me in the lease. I see FAR MORE Infiniti G37s on the road in my area than I do Accord, Camry and Altima V6s combined.*

That said, it looks as though each make has a model that makes up ~30-50% of sales for the brand....not certain if that's good or bad.


*Then again, current lease deals on the G37 are far better than loaded versions of the latter three.

Hapa DC5

^ Infiniti is agressive with the G if you finance as well. While I never plan on using them for service unless it's for warranty work, the sales team was first rate.

BUT they are the Japanese BMW in more ways then one. They rely too heavily on the G much like BMW's main bread and butter is the 3 series.

Hapa DC5

Why was the I35 included?

Belzebutt

Er... don't these guys do their homework? If you compare apples to apples then BMW's numbers (47%) for the 3-series should be compared to Audi's A4/S4+A5/S5 numbers, which together add up to 56% and make Audi look worse than BMW.

VTEC Racer

Especially since it says that Acura is more diversified than Lexus lol.

SpicyMikey

Some much for my gut intuition. I would have bet money that the key product in the lexus lineup was the ES. The RX blows everything else away. So Lexus is an SUV brand to most Americans like Acura

Moog-Type-S

^^ Where have you been?!?! The RX has been the Lexus sales beast for years....and it blows the category competition away in sales too.

SpicyMikey

Yep. I'm not paying attention.

I knew it crushed it's competition in the segment. Didn't realize it was the entire brands bread and butter to that extreme extent

Hapa DC5

Just blame it on the meds Mikey..

majin ssj eric

That chart claimed that MB was so diversified because it had 4 models each accounting for at least 10% of its sales but Infiniti has 5 models each accounting for at least 9%.

EX 9%
FX 10%
G 59%
M 14%
QX56 9%

VTEC Racer

Yeah but then it has one model that accounts for nearly 60% of all sales which is more than any other manufacturer by a huge margin. Thats 22% more than the 3 series which sometimes sells more than all of Infiniti combined.

TSX69

Small CrossOver Segment US Market Share Climbs Above 10%

It seems that almost every other vehicle on the road these days is a small utility vehicle. In fact, this category comprises 2 distinct sets of light trucks, 1 that is thriving and 1 that is holding on for dear life.

Compact non-premium crossovers (CUVs), those vehicles using a unibody, car-like architecture, offer the compelling combination of a car-like ride, superior fuel economy, competitive pricing and SUV-like utility. With this combination of features, the small crossover share of the retail new vehicle market has almost doubled to 11.2% through the 1st 6 months of this year from 6% in 2005. Excluding the luxury market, small crossovers now account for almost 13% of the market. They also account for more than a 3rd of all utility registrations, including all sizes, architectures and brands. Small non-premium crossover retail registrations (June 2010 YTD) are up 26% year-over-year, substantially above the industry increase of 10%. Almost every make now offers a small crossover - there are now 18 models on the market versus 14 just 5 years ago.

In contrast, small utilities using a traditional body-on-frame design, which is common among pickups and large SUVs, currently account for only 1.99% of the industry, and they make up just 15% of all non-premium compact utility registrations. There are only 5 truck-based small utilities, less than a 3rd the crossover model count. Truck-based small utility registrations (June 2010 YTD) are just 84,871, down 8% year-over-year.

Several makes have benefited from this surge in small crossover market share. The Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Forester are the most popular light trucks for their respective brands, and, not coincidentally, these three models were the original small crossovers, introduced in the 1990s. The Escape is Ford's #2 light truck, and had the domestic compact crossover space to itself for several years before the launch of the 4-cylinder Equinox and others. Lastly, the recent launch of the GMC Terrain has helped stabilize the share of both GMC and its parent company.

On the other hand, neither Dodge nor Chrysler has yet launched a small crossover, leaving a substantial hole in their product portfolios. And Nissan came to the party late, launching the Rogue in 2007, years after its Japanese rivals.

TSX69

American Honda Reports August Sales

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., posted August sales of 108,729 vehicles, a decrease of 30.0%, based on the daily selling rate*, the company announced today. The decrease in monthly sales reflects elevated August 2009 results from the federal government's Car Allowance Rebate System, or "Cash for Clunkers." American Honda year-to-date sales reached 815,075, an increase of 1.5% versus last year.

Honda Division posted August sales of 97,195, a decrease of 33.4% versus August 2009. The Pilot and Odyssey both posted sales increases, up 13.1% and 8.7%, respectively. The Accord was the top-selling Honda model for August with sales of 25,148, followed by the Civic with 22,803. August 23rd also marked the start of sales for the all-new CR-Z sport hybrid coupe.

"We've known that August comparisons would be irrelevant due to the 'Cash for Clunkers' program last year," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda. "The good news is that we continue to see increasing demand for Honda products as customers seek even greater value."

Acura Division posted August sales of 11,534, an increase of 24.6% versus August 2009, and year-to-date sales reached 85,668, an increase of 24.1%. The MDX was the top-selling Acura model for the month with sales of 4,386, up 61.8%. The RDX also posted strong sales, up 75.1%.

Hapa DC5

Go MDX!

SpicyMikey

See! Acura is run by a bunch of idiots. The RL should be canceled! The TL looks like an abortion. Everyone wants a v8 and RWD!!!

Oh wait, I'm sorry, I was looking at the lexus sales numbers (down 23%) and the BMW sales (up 1.6%). Never mind

YetiTL

You sir are good for a quick ban, go take your meds and come back once you're sane!

j/k of course!

fsttyms1

I cant believe the crosstour almost outsold the TL

neuronbob

Go go MDX and RDX! Now I wonder what would happen to the RL if there were a FWD variant....would sales take off like with the RDX? RL sales are up 34% compared with last year, though.....maybe they'll break the 200 mark soon?

SpicyMikey

CUV's have been hot for years but they seems to be getting hotter lately. Recession? Maybe people are going from 2 to 1 car in this recession and going more practical.

That said, I agree with you.

Colin

The RDX responded really well to the $2000 price drop. But it might be hard to do the same for the RL since it's built in Japan and probably 'costed' at 120 yen in an 85 yen world.

SpicyMikey

I have to agree. There's little that probably can be expected from that model in terms of sales. Having said that, I'm interested to see how it will do in 2011 with a 6AT and some additional tech features it is missing for it's class.

smarty666

I'm hoping that once they get that damn 6AT across the entire line-up that will help with sales.

Hapa DC5

I know we all pay attention to specs, but do you think the average consumer does? I know features and options, but how many cogs in an auto? Does that make a difference to them?

SpicyMikey

Agree. One of the things I hate about Acura's is their 5AT. Not so much the lack of a 6th or 7th gear. I can live without that. But the shift speed and smoothness for that slush box is terrible relative to it's competition. It's fine in a $20k Accord, but in a $50k RL or MDX it's not acceptable. They need a step up tranny for their step up line. I don't like our IS250 much except the handling and the tranny. The 6AT in the IS is much faster and smoother with the shifts. I'm not even talking about when your foot finds the floor. I'm talking about being at a dead stop at a red light and shifting into neutral so you can take your foot of the brake. It takes so long to drop back into gear that I actually got honked at once by the guy behind me! Hopefully this next gen AT will be better in that department as well.

smarty666

Not just that, but nobody in the business is still using them. I mean, its pretty sad when you can get a 6AT in a Toyota Camry, which is a blah/non sport car, but not in a 42K Acura TL that comes with AWD and plenty of sporty prowess.

TSX69

I agree that the average buyer does not really pay attention to things like overhangs, door closing sounds & how many speeds the auto is. However, they will notice indirectly by means of the higher MPG that is on the sticker.

TSX69

http://hondanews.com/channels/acura-...ales-results-5

Acura announced today sales for August 2010 reached 11,534 vehicles, an increase of 24.6%*, making it the 7th consecutive month Acura posted double digit sales increases. Year-to-date sales** for Acura are up 24.1% totaling 85,668 units.

"Acura is proving to be a smart choice for customers in the luxury market," said Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales."The industry has recognized Acura as a leader in quality and value and customers are responding."

Acura's light trucks, up 77.0% for the month, led August sales with the top selling MDX posting 4,386 units, up 61.8%, and RDX posting an impressive 75.1% increase totaling 1,226 units. Total monthly car sales for Acura were down 6.0% with TL posting 2,882 units and TSX at 2,419, both down, 0.2% and 14.0% respectively.

*The daily selling rate is calculated with 25 selling days for August 2010 and 26 selling days for August 2009.
**Year-to-date sales are calculated with 203 selling days for 2010 and 204 selling days for 2009.

For media information and high-resolution photos of all Acura vehicles, please visit www.acuranews.com. For consumer information, please visit www.acura.com.

neuronbob

Good points. I wasn't aware of the price drop. That'd be nigh near impossible on the RL now.......thoght real-world transaction prices when I bought were roughly $7-8k off sticker.

fsttyms1

Our dealer has had a RL on the lot for almost 11 months now. They have 12k knocked off it. just trying to get rid of it.

Hapa DC5

^ SSFTSX will tell you that's because there is no market for an AWD vehicle in Wisconsin and this is not a reflection of the nationwide market conditions and dealers are able to get above msrp for the RL and the RL is japan built and the RL plays with your balls while you drive and the RL will polish them too.

That is why the RL is in it's own league and the A6,5,E,M all dream to be in with their inferior NVH levels, lower ground clearance and superior sales.........

MyCarIsntInMyWifesName

You fail because you never mentioned the RL's advantage in side mirror design.

MyCarIsntInMyWifesName

TL sales are STILL down?