Quote:
Originally Posted by lendaddy
It's not that "no one" wants small cars and sedans, it's more so that those who do aren't willing to pay a premium for a US branded version. The love affair with the generic automobile is essentially dead, emotional decisions are reserved for luxury brands/models. No one rolls into their driveway in their new Cruze or Impala soaking in the envy of their neighbors (as used to happen with even entry level "latest" models), that emotional side of the purchase allowed for much larger margins. People now buy such cars because they have to drive something, no more emotional profits to be had. People today are more proud of owning the latest cellphone and thus willing to fork over the emotional premium.
My point is that we can't win a race to the bottom on basic cars, we just can't.
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Great post. It's a different culture now. I do remember when my uncle would show up at Thanksgiving with a new Oldsmobile every other year. It was a big deal and the whole family came out to ooh and ahh. Now, nobody can tell an Impala from a Focus - they just don't care.