Forbes: America's Hardest 2 Get Cars
06-15-2010 | 07:20 AM
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Forbes: America's Hardest 2 Get Cars
May was a good month for BMW. The German automaker reported 22,092 units sold last month, with total sales up 5% over the same time last year. It was BMW's best result so far this year, despite a year-to-date decline of almost 4%. Executives are optimistic about summer sales--particularly the prospects for the new 5 Series sedans, which go on sale later this month.
"Sales are where we expected them to be," says Thomas Salkowsky, a spokesman for BMW North America. "We expect the new 5-Series to have a strong Q3 and Q4."
But it may be difficult to get your hands on one of these $49,600 sedans. BMW's 5-Series vehicles rank with the Subaru Legacy and Volkswagen GTI among the hardest-to-get cars in the U.S.
Behind the Numbers
To compile our list of hard-to-get cars, we used inventory data from Wards Auto, an automotive data and analysis firm based near Detroit. We calculated average day-supply rates of 2010 model-year vehicles for March, April and May to figure out, on average, just how quickly these cars leave the lot. (Day-supply rates are inventory numbers, divided by the daily selling rate that month.) Then we spoke with manufacturers to get a street-level sense of how long cars typically wait for buyers, since day supply data can fluctuate from month to month.
In compiling this list, we did not include exotic and super-luxury cars (think Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce, special-edition models, or models from discontinued brands like Saturn, which can be hard to find for reasons other than high demand. Instead, we exclusively considered cars (not trucks or SUVs) which are affected by other sales factors, and typically are produced in smaller numbers, with shorter day-supply rates.
Imported vehicles dominate the list. Several specialty cars made the cut--the $114,200 Audi R8 has racetrack speed (0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds, with a 190-mph top seed), and the domestic $25,140 Dodge Charger has a retro muscle-car cult following--but it's the mainstream stuff that gets the most attention.
Audi manufactures several vehicles on our list: The S4, S6 and R8 each qualified as a fast-turner. But the $36,000 A5 stood out the most last month, when it broke its own sales records. In May the A5/S5 model line (which includes A5/S5 cabrio sales) sold 1,757 cars, a year-over-year increase of 145%.
Christian Bokich, a spokesman for Audi, says company averages a 30-day supply for cars and trucks across its range. "Typical dealer stock among luxury and non-luxury brands is 60-90 days, so you can see how tight we've kept inventory," he says.
But Bokich also says that since vehicle availability varies by region and city, customers should stay in contact with their local Audi dealer to discuss availability options. Any particular car could be in one of several places: on-site, located at another dealership, or en route to the showroom from the factory.
Managing Supply
One reason why imports rank high on our list is the different business strategies used by domestic and foreign brands. One official at a German automaker said he keeps supply lines tight so that dealers don't discount the cars, thereby upholding residual values, and promoting brand and luxury value to the dealer and to customers. (It basically ensures that his cars are in "only the right driveways," he said.)
Imports are also hard to get because of limited supply lines, and how many production lines are open for a given model. Sales of Audi's popular Q5 SUV were limited earlier this year because the company had yet to open a second production line in China, forcing it to meet worldwide demand just off its Germany plant.
Foreign automakers can also hold new vehicles on the dock and not put them up for sale, in an effort to control the time when their product becomes counted as inventory. "When a car is built here, it enters inventory more or less directly," says John Sousanis, an automotive industry analyst at Wards. "If a car is built somewhere else, they don't have to ship it here, necessarily. They could take orders on it. Importers just have more options about what they do with those vehicles when they import."
Of course, many foreign brands manufacture hundreds of thousands of cars in the U.S. as well, including BMW in Spartanburg, S.C.; Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tenn.; and Mercedes-Benz in Tuscaloosa, Ala..
Still, if you're considering something from Audi or BMW, better start visiting dealers now. Just to be on the safe side.
America's Hardest-To-Get Cars
Audi S4
Average Day Supply: 17
MSRP: $45,900
Audi S6
Average Day Supply: 24
MSRP: $76,100
Volkswagen Golf/GTI
Average Day Supply: 14 (estimated)
MSRP: $17,620/$23,664
BMW 5-Series, 7-Series
(based on input from manufacturer)
Average Day Supply: 19
MSRP: $49,600/$70,150
Dodge Charger
Average Day Supply: 24
MSRP: $25,140
Subaru Legacy
Average Day Supply: 26
MSRP: $19,995
Lincoln Town Car
Average Daily Supply: 26
MSRP: $46,700
Audi A5
Average Daily Supply: 26
MSRP: $36,000
Audi R8
Average Daily Supply: 28
MSRP: $114,200
Honda Fit
Average Daily Supply: 33
MSRP: $14,900
Audi S4
Average Day Supply: 17
MSRP: $45,900
Audi S6
Average Day Supply: 24
MSRP: $76,100
Volkswagen Golf/GTI
Average Day Supply: 14 (estimated)
MSRP: $17,620/$23,664
BMW 5-Series, 7-Series
(based on input from manufacturer)
Average Day Supply: 19
MSRP: $49,600/$70,150
Dodge Charger
Average Day Supply: 24
MSRP: $25,140
Subaru Legacy
Average Day Supply: 26
MSRP: $19,995
Lincoln Town Car
Average Daily Supply: 26
MSRP: $46,700
Audi A5
Average Daily Supply: 26
MSRP: $36,000
Audi R8
Average Daily Supply: 28
MSRP: $114,200
Honda Fit
Average Daily Supply: 33
MSRP: $14,900
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06-15-2010 | 09:50 AM
#8
@ the golf/gti
06-15-2010 | 02:53 PM
#17
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Joined: Sep 2002
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It's all relative, as is the nature of the list. If one is looking for a Honda Fit on discount around here, at worst you'd just have to have Open Road Honda battle it out with VIP Honda and Maxon for the best price. ....and I doubt that one would even have to go so far with a Dodge Charger. 
06-15-2010 | 03:24 PM
#19
The wife and I have been looking for a Hyundai Tucson for over 3 weeks at 9 different dealerships. Results with the trim we want? 0.
We check everyday, too.
Why didn't that make the list, along with Sonata's?
We check everyday, too.
Why didn't that make the list, along with Sonata's?
06-15-2010 | 03:28 PM
#20
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Joined: Jun 2005
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From: NorCal
Strangely enough, it's true. It is actually much easier to find a GTI than it is to find a Golf TDI, and there are scant few Golf 2.5s out there. As of June 1, VW has only sold 6,743 Golf/GTI variants combined in all of the US. 919 of those are GTIs.
Now the Jetta, that's another story. Piles and piles.
Now the Jetta, that's another story. Piles and piles.
Last edited by TheMirror; 06-15-2010 at 03:32 PM.
06-15-2010 | 04:32 PM
#21
Someday, an RS6 Avant+
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Japan
Even when the car sales market went to shit, Subaru was still selling well. Granted, their numbers are quite low compared to other cars (I think Honda sold as many Accords in a month as Subaru sells Legacy's and Imprezza's in a year).
I bet, just like the other cars on the list that are common, it has to do with getting trim / features in the exact vehicle.
And I would believe Audi keeping supply low on purpose.
06-16-2010 | 05:25 AM
#26
Someday, an RS6 Avant+
Joined: Sep 2005
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Likes: 1,037
From: Japan
Correct. I own an H6. They only sell the horizontally opposed Boxer engines. No V engines.
And I bet a lot of those are the anemic 2.5i engine models. How to tell? Hood scoop = 2.5 GT, No hood scoop but true dual exhaust (common cat, though) is the H6 (3.6R in the 2010 model). At least over here.
2.5i ~ 175 HP
2.5 GT ~ 265 HP
3.6R ~ 255 HP (But torque is available way low in the power band, hence the popularity)
And I bet a lot of those are the anemic 2.5i engine models. How to tell? Hood scoop = 2.5 GT, No hood scoop but true dual exhaust (common cat, though) is the H6 (3.6R in the 2010 model). At least over here.
2.5i ~ 175 HP
2.5 GT ~ 265 HP
3.6R ~ 255 HP (But torque is available way low in the power band, hence the popularity)
Last edited by mrmako; 06-16-2010 at 05:28 AM.
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