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Filed under: Car Buying , Marketing/Advertising , Chrysler, LLC. , Dodge , Jeep Chrysler is again relying on employee pricing to move metal from its dealer lots, but this time the promotion comes with a catch. You have to be a returning lessee, Chrysler supplier or associate, or be in the military to take part in the offer. Chrysler employees will also receive one additional discount to dole out as part of the promotion, which ends September 30. The employee pricing incentive can be used on top of any current discounts, making for a very healthy rebate on any new Dodge, Jeep, or Chrysler product. For example, the slow selling 2008 Dodge Ram can be had with $9,000 on the hood. That's enough money to partly make up for several years of bad fuel economy and rapidly depreciating value. The incentive program is also meant to help the automaker retain a greater portion of its lease customers who have been left out in the cold since Chrysler stopped leasing vehicles through Chrysler Financial...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Minivans/MPVs , Green , Chrysler, LLC. , Dodge With moms now actually reading EPA fuel economy figures window stickers before trying out the dozen cup holders found in most modern minivans, Chrysler went back to the engineering lab and knocked out a few more miles per gallon for its 2009 minivan offerings. Bragging that no other minivan offers better fuel economy than the 2009 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan, the automaker is boasting EPA figures of 17 city / 25 highway for the minivans when equipped with the automaker's 4.0-liter V6 engine and minivan-first 6-speed automatic. Considering that the original 1984 Chrysler Town and Country achieved 18 city / 21 highway with a 2.6L four-cylinder and three-speed transmission, we've clearly come a long way. To squeeze out the extra miles per gallon, Chrysler tweaked the large 2.0L V6 engine and then changed the ratios on the transmission. With a higher ratio first gear, and smaller steps between...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Chrysler, LLC. , Dodge , Jeep A quick look at July sales figures shows that Chrysler saw a massive 34% drop in its Daily Sales Rate vs. July 2007, but the bottom line could have looked worse. Chrysler's recent announcement that its financing arm would exit the leasing business by July 31 had lead to a rush of customers visiting local Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealerships. Some dealers sold four times as many vehicles as usual for the last couple days of the month, giving the stores some relief from an otherwise bleak July. Now dealers are worried that the increased sales volume could lead to a still more bleak August, since many customers pulled forward their purchase decision. Some dealers are trying to find third-party banks willing to get in on the leasing game, but a tight credit market and massive losses at automaker credit arms have made leasing look very unattractive as lease price begin to rise. Chrysler is hoping a fresh round of incentives will help...
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Filed under: Car Buying , SUVs , Chrysler, LLC. , Dodge , Jeep , Earnings/Financials The automotive sales sector is in a major state of flux as consumers continue to run from SUVs and pickup trucks into smaller, more fuel efficient cars. One manufacturer hit especially hard by this transition is Chrysler, a company that recently posted the worst fleet average fuel economy numbers of all major automakers in the U.S. due to its truck-heavy lineup. Still, the automaker has built up a large supply of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep utility vehicles that they have got to get off dealer lots somehow. To ease consumers into the fuel-thirsy utes, Chrysler has introduced new incentives of zero-percent financing for 72 months on the 2008 Dodge Durango, Chrysler Aspen and Jeep Grand Cherokee and Commander. While the lack of any financing charges will certainly impact the bottom line, it is nothing compared to the losses the automaker has been hit with over its past lease deals. In fact, truck and SUV residuals...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Marketing/Advertising , Chrysler , Dodge , Jeep Chrysler's Project Genesis plan has been gaining traction as of late. The goal is to cut out redundant models between the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep brands, which would also mean consolidating its entire product line into one dealership which offers all three marques. While there are some dealership owners fighting the strategy, The Detroit News reports that Chrysler already has fifty-eight percent of its dealerships offering its three brands, and its been able to cut out some smaller, less profitable sites in the process. While franchise laws prohibit Chrysler from requiring the switch, reducing its model line can have the same effect, forcing its dealers to offer the entire product catalog from the company in order to offer a full line of vehicles. As a side benefit, the automaker hopes that its dealers can upgrade their franchises, offering a modern look and high-tech features such as Wi-Fi and a cafe on site...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Hybrids/Alternative , SUVs , Green , Chrysler , Dodge Click above for high-res gallery of Chrysler's hybrid SUVs Apparently hoping to avoid the ignominious fate of the full-size hybrid SUVs from two-mode hybrid partner General Motors, Chrysler is getting aggressive with the pricing of its new Durango and Aspen hybrids. At launch this fall, the Chryslers will be stickered at 45,340 and $45,570 respectively, some $8,000 below the four-wheel-drive versions from GM. GM recently had to slap $4,000 cash on the hood to entice customers to check out the Tahoe Hybrid and Yukon Hybrid. Unlike GM, however, Chrysler has chosen not to offer a two-wheel-drive variant of its hybrid SUVs. At this point we still don't know how equipment levels will compare between the GM and Chrysler models, so it's hard to do a direct comparison of these high-mpg hybrid SUVs. The last time we talked to Chrysler about the hybrids, they were not planning to implement any of the weight...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Chrysler , Dodge It's hard to think of a way to make the Chrysler Sebring or Jeep Compass even less attractive, but a 2% price increase is a good start. It's not like Chrysler has control over the price of commodities, which is part of what's driving the increase that begins June 16th. Dealers will have to cough up extra cash the next time they replenish their inventories, but whatever's already on the lot will be unaffected. Chrysler's Stuart Schorr contends that the price bump brings Chrysler in line with its competitors. Unfortunately, Chrysler's product lags even the domestic competition, so price parity for a lesser vehicle is hard to swallow. If anything, the poor schmo who looks at the horrid interior materials in a Patriot and still buys the darn thing deserves something besides a handshake from an adversarial salesperson. [Source: Automotive News - sub req ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Car Buying , Marketing/Advertising , Chrysler , Dodge , Jeep , Earnings/Financials It looks like car shoppers have been smart enough to see past Chrysler's cheap gas guarantee . Despite Chrysler's extension of the offer for an extra month, a very small percentage of actual consumers have actually chosen the gas guarantee over the old fashioned cash back options. As we've reported in the past, the incentive wasn't really as good as it seemed once the math was done. As was pointed out by the Union of Concerned Scientists, a 3 mpg bump in efficiency would be equal to the savings Chrysler was offering. Additionally, Chrysler not only has the worst fleet in terms of fuel efficiency, but many of its products haven't exactly set the world on fire based solely on their own merit . The performance of the incentive deal suggests that in today's world average consumers may not want to be seen driving gas guzzling vehicles, regardless of what they're paying...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Coupes , Sports/GTs , Chrysler , Dodge click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Dodge Challenger SE and R/T Back in April we reported a top Chrysler executive had leaked to The Detroit Free Press that the 2009 Dodge Challenger SE would start at $23,995. Apparently this executive is not very much in the loop, as Dodge officially announced today that the base model Challenger SE would start at just $21,995, which includes $675 for destination charges. Just to refresh your noodle, the Challenger SE is the base model and comes with a 3.5L V6 producing 250 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. And for comparison's sake, a 2008 Ford Mustang V6 starts at $19,650, though that's excluding destination charges. The next best Challenger is the R/T model, which Dodge says can be had with a 370-hp 5.7L HEMI V8 starting at $29,995. Finally, the 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 that's already been on sale for a year will get a hefty $2,000 bump in its starting price...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Marketing/Advertising , Chrysler , Dodge , Ford , Earnings/Financials Times are tough in Detroit these days as each of the Big 3 saw drastic drops in sales for the month of May. It's not surprising, then, to see that Chrysler , Dodge and Ford have increased incentives in an effort to get those cars off its dealer's lots. For instance, prospective buyers for the Hemi-powered Chrysler 300C can now choose either $4,000 cash back or $2,000 plus Chrysler's $2.99 gas promotion , known as Let's Refuel America. Choosing Chrysler's full-size SUV, the Aspen, will net you $4,500 cash back or $1,000 in cash, plus the Let's Refuel deal. Dodge too is heavy into the incentives game, especially on fuel-gulping SUV's and trucks. The largest savings come with the 2008 Ram truck, which gets you $5,000 in cash or $3,000 plus the cheap gas card. Realizing the sorry state that sales of the F-Series are in, Ford has chosen to offer employee pricing for its...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Chrysler , Dodge , Jeep Chrysler's restructuring plan and new plan for product development named Project Genesis is facing some expected criticism from many dealers. However, others are praising the cost-cutting, model-trimming and dealer-consolidation program that's happening as a result. As Chrysler pressures its traditional dealer network to sell all three brands (Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge) under one roof - without any financial assistance to help those already struggling with slow sales - many dealers are having a difficult time with the expense of investing in larger facilities to meet the Project Genesis requirements. According to Chrysler, a one-brand dealer won't be able to survive with its limited vehicle offerings after Chrysler trims down its model lines (expected to be complete by 2012). This is forcing dealers to add the other brands, or shut their doors as sales slowly dwindle. Conversely, the closure of some dealers is having a positive...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Coupes , Chrysler , Dodge Click the image above for more pics of the Challenger SRT8 If you're one of the lucky 6,400 customers to lay claim to the 425 hp Dodge Challenger SRT8 , we have good news. The first 1,000 special edition Challengers have already been built, and they're en-route to a dealer near you. For those of you that won't be getting your Hemi-powered muscle car in the first wave, you won't have to wait long, either. Every SRT Challenger will be produced by the beginning of July, which means Woodward should be full of good-looking retro coupes come August. If you want a 6.1L Challenger, you're going to have to hit eBay or wait for 2009, because all 2008 models have been spoken for. The Challenger has been one of the few pieces of good news surrounding the Pentastar of late, and a hot product couldn't be coming at a better time. We know gas if $4 per gallon and V8 muscle cars aren't exactly what the doctor ordered, but we're...
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Filed under: Car Buying , SUVs , Plants/Manufacturing , Chrysler , Dodge , Jeep Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Dodge Journey Making a step towards a more fuel-efficient vehicle lineup, and reducing the number of overlapping vehicles between its brands, the plug has been pulled on a Chrysler-branded version of the 2009 Dodge Journey . Chrysler LLC will instead focus the resources on a Nissan-manufactured compact car. While the automaker currently captures the bulk of its sales from light trucks and SUVs, Chrysler is trying to pare down its lineup significantly to cut costs. So far, they have cut four models. Moving forward, the Jeep Commander SUV is expected to be dropped next year, and the company has already said they were canceling the PT Cruiser Convertible . While the 2009 Dodge lineup gains the aforementioned Journey, Dodge Challenger , and a redesigned Dodge Ram pickup, Chrysler's product lineup for the next twelve months looks particularly bleak with nothing significantly...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Trucks/Pickups , Marketing/Advertising , Chrysler , Dodge A tight credit market, slumping construction, an economy on bed rest, an end-of-model year, and high gas prices mean one thing for pickup trucks: lots of brand new trucks waiting for buyers. Dealers trying to shift their 2008 Dodge Rams before the 2009s arrive are taking as much as $13,000 off the bill to try and convince buyers to come forth. That means you can get a Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab SLT 4x2 for $19,995, instead of $32,795. With consumers being more picky about what and when they buy, it also doesn't help that dealers really don't want trade-in trucks either, since they can't do anything with them. What Dodge dealers hope for now is that Chrysler will manage the build-out of the 2009 models to give them a chance to get rid of the 2008s. Chrysler says it has a plan that will keep it competitive and keep the changeover orderly. For now, the Ram is the most heavily discounted vehicle out...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Etc. , Chrysler , Dodge , Jeep If you have a Dodge Ram in the driveway and someone claiming to be Jim Press calls you asking if you're satisfied with your truck, it just might be him. Chrysler recognizes that it has a customer service problem, and the Pentastar is going to extraordinary lengths to correct it. Its top 300 executives and directors are participating in a program called "Customer First" that puts a priority on -- you guessed it -- the customer. The executives, even guys named Nardelli, Press, and LaSorda, are responsible for at least one customer call per day, and all execs will man at least one shift at Chrysler's customer call center. The Pentastar elite are also partaking in a three month competition to see who can generate the most sales. We don't know what the prize is for the winner, but whomever claims top sales should get something really, really good. Like a lifetime supply of Chrysler Sebrings. [Source: Detroit Free...
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