Jumping Off the Bandwagon: F**K RWD.. The IMPALA Should Stay FWD/AWD

[syr74]

Originally Posted by Cmicasa the Great XvX

Then stop.

And again would suggest the same to you.

Originally Posted by Cmicasa the Great XvX

How is this a token effort??? Even more to the point is that I see nothing wrong with certain cars competing against another car. Hell... the Avalon competes with the GS350... the Accord competes with the TL... hell the 135i competes with the Mini.

You conveniently keep leaving out the reality that GM is going to have three cars flirting with the same basic segment, not two. And therein lies the rub, if building three cars that are effectively the same basic car is such a grand scheme then why is nobody else doing it anymore? Even more, as GM has tried this before, why didn't it work for out better in the past?

Taking the Buick LaCrosse as it is and topping that with a similar Cadillac model I can understand if that is going to be the end of it, a very nice mainstream offering topped by a more premium luxury model meant to lead Cadillac into an even more premium tomorrow.

The problem? If you add an Impala to that mix you either get two mainstream offerings that are essentially the same or, if you move LaCrosse even further upmarket, you get two luxury offerings that are essentially the same. So, which is it? We've been down this road with GM before and, unless you have forgotten, it didn't end well.

Originally Posted by Cmicasa the Great XvX

Dude U seem to be seriously ignorant of the facts. The XTS will measure in slightly large than the Lucerne, and despite it being on a Premium Epsilon it will be considerably different.. as much as the Regal will be from the Lacrosse.

Keep telling yourself that. Who will it compete with? Do we really need what will essentially be an ultra luxury LaCrosse with art and science styling when we'll potentially already have an Impala and a luxury segment offering in the LaCrosse anyway. You can only slice the pie into so many pieces before you start stealing market share away from your own brands. Like I said, GM has been down this road before and it didn't end well.

And again, that is assuming that the LaCrosse moves upmarket. As it stands right now the truth is that most of the crowding appears likely to take place between Impala and LaCrosse. Cast Impala directly against Taurus model for model and Chevy will be all over Buick's toes unless LaCrosse moves upmarket in a hurry. And even in that unlikely possibility, you just end up with the same problem on a different scale since the LaCrosse can only move so much further upmarket before it ends up in Caddy territory.

You can argue personality and character all you want, the reality is that the market isn't quite as dumb as GM seems to think it is. Large cars on Epsilon II appears poised to be Lambda part II, and just like Lambda it looks like were going to have too many vehicles fighting for the same slice of pie. You can potentially work that angle for a time, although this go round I doubt it, but ultimately it ends poorly either way.

[duder4thgen]

Originally Posted by Cmicasa the Great XvX

Look how well its done for Chrysler. REEEEEEEEEEEAL well.

Actually, Chrysler's RWD vehicles are some of their top sellers. Charger and 300 each sell about 80k a year, only cars not RWD that outsell them are the Dodge/Chrysler minivans.

Chrysler's main problem is they don't have anything worth a crap besides the RWD Charger/300 for the mainstream crowd. Which would be why Fiat is refreshing the Charger/300 for 2011, dumping everything everything else and selling re-badged Fiats over here, if I've heard right.

Make the Impala RWD. If people want a FWD family car, they can buy a Malibu. I think the current Impala buyer only buys FWD because thats all they can get. Had GM actually advertized the G8 once or twice before they canned Pontiac, I'm sure a good deal of the Impala crowd would have migrated over.

[THUMPER20X]

Originally Posted by Black5thgen

Impala should stay FWD and the G8 should return as a Chevelle, end of story.

I figured the G8 redone as a copcar caprice/impala or something.

[Cmicasa the Great XvX]

Originally Posted by duder4thgen

Actually, Chrysler's RWD vehicles are some of their top sellers. Charger and 300 each sell about 80k a year, only cars not RWD that outsell them are the Dodge/Chrysler minivans..

a large part of Chrysler's RWD cars are FLEET heavy. Meaning that if profitability is the goal the only way they are making a real profit is due to the platform's basic amenities and structure.

[THUMPER20X]

Nothing wrong with fleet sales. A new sold unit is a new sold unit no matter whos buying it.

[Cmicasa the Great XvX]

Originally Posted by THUMPER20X

Nothing wrong with fleet sales. A new sold unit is a new sold unit no matter whos buying it.

For sales numbers purposes.. certainly.. But GM and Chrysler need Profits right now more than ever.

[THUMPER20X]

Originally Posted by Cmicasa the Great XvX

For sales numbers purposes.. certainly.. But GM and Chrysler need Profits right now more than ever.

I figured that parts and service money is just as good as sales profits no?

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by THUMPER20X

I figured that parts and service money is just as good as sales profits no?

Problem is, fleet sales are heavily discounted. If GM could manage to sell each Impala to the public vs fleet they could have an extra ~$250M in cash easily. I don't know what sort of deals rental agencies, taxi companies, or police forces get with regard to replacement parts.