GM to sell 20,000 fewer cars to fleet customers

[nsap]

The Edge is depressing. The Lambda's and 900's are low, which is good to hear!

[69Firebird400]

Originally Posted by nsap

The Edge is depressing. The Lambda's and 900's are low, which is good to hear!

Forget the Edge - the Avenger is pathetic for a new car. The Sebring is really bad too.

I'm also disappointed in the Grand Prix. I knew they were rental car favorites, but damn, almost 78% going to fleets??

Finally, I'm surprised that the DTS is so low.

[socalcookie]

Originally Posted by 69Firebird400

Funny you mention that. Well, I've never seen a Honda rental car, though I'm sure there must be a few somewhere. But when we went to the NAIAS in Detroit this past January, we got a Corolla for our rental car. Then today, I saw a 2008 Taurus on my way home from work, and realized it was at a rental agency. But also interesting was the next row: it had at least two white Corollas amongst the Cobalt sedans in the rental fleet. Maybe that's how Toyota is supporting Corolla sales this late in the model cycle, since there isn't much of a logical reason for them to continue at high levels, as about five competitive cars now outclass the Corolla.

Also, Hyundai appears to be more than happy to snap up any fleet sales that GM and Ford are abandoning. Maybe Toyota to a small extent, but I don't think Honda.

I was walking by a Hertz lot the other day, and as I walked by an Accord pulled off with a bar code in the window. I was like . Saw another Accord later on that day that was a rental. Those are the first and ONLY two Hondas I have ever seen that were rentals.

And after sitting in an Avenger yesterday, I would probably refuse one if it was offered to me as a rental. It really was that bad. Get used to seeing a high fleet percentage for that car because it's the only way they are going to move them.

[socalcookie]

Any one else notice this:
Mazda 6 42.7%
Pontiac G6 36.2%
Buick LaCrosse 29.2%

[markusername]

Originally Posted by Geotpf

Notes: No Toyota or Honda model met the 25% standard (although the Toyota Highlander was at 23.6%). In fact, the highest Honda was the Accord at 4.9%.

What a shock! Make good quality cars that people (real customers) actually want to buy and you make billions in profit.

Anyone else see a relationship between low fleet numbers and high profits? Not to mention high fleet sales and low profits (actually billions in losses).

[Realist]

Originally Posted by Geotpf

Lookie what I found:

http://www.fleet-central.com/af/t_po...7/cars_web.pdf

http://www.fleet-central.com/af/t_po...trucks_web.pdf

Great find!

These numbers end numerous debates as to which model outsells which other model in popularity, and what models are popular amongst consumers.

For instance, many people (with the old fleet central data) liked to make a point that Camry's fleet percentage was 14%. That of course was for the *old* Camry model. Looking at these numbers, the Camry's fleet is now 7.7%, a big reduction. In fact, for such a high volume model like the Camry, 7.7% is a very low fleet percentage. Based on old data, the Accord was outselling the Camry in retail sales, but now no longer. Now it looks like the Camry outsells the Accord in retail sales, not to mention overall sales.

And with this data, we have the final nail in the coffin to end the debate about the supposed popularity of the Impala amongst retail customers. With a fleet percentage of 53.9%, it's flat-out disastrous I would say. GM sold more fleet Impalas than they sold to retail customers. The Impala has higher overall sales than say compared to the Altima, yet the Altima vastly outsold the Impala in retail sales. The Accord more than doubled Impala's retail sales, and the Camry had almost triple retail sales compared to the Impala!

[rueben44]

After renting cars for the last 5 months every week end to drive out of town I have found this out:

Rental cars give you a chance to examine products you may not have looked at.

I really admire KIA and Hyundai now after renting several of them. Now if I see one on the lot I say I want the KIA before I will take many others. Why? Smooth quiet ride, Good gas mileage, and comfort. What else can you ask for in a car you are renting?

Oh and as for the Impala....I don't know why you guys like that car. I tried to but dang it is full of hard plastic and the seats with leather are hard. Not to mention it has a plain jane interior and only looks good outside in SS trim. Even then the rear mufflers are half exposed.

[Geotpf]

Originally Posted by 69Firebird400

Funny you mention that. Well, I've never seen a Honda rental car, though I'm sure there must be a few somewhere. But when we went to the NAIAS in Detroit this past January, we got a Corolla for our rental car. Then today, I saw a 2008 Taurus on my way home from work, and realized it was at a rental agency. But also interesting was the next row: it had at least two white Corollas amongst the Cobalt sedans in the rental fleet. Maybe that's how Toyota is supporting Corolla sales this late in the model cycle, since there isn't much of a logical reason for them to continue at high levels, as about five competitive cars now outclass the Corolla.

Also, Hyundai appears to be more than happy to snap up any fleet sales that GM and Ford are abandoning. Maybe Toyota to a small extent, but I don't think Honda.

The Toyota Corolla was 15.9% fleet in the chart I posted. So they are out there, but that's not the reason for it's success (I personally have had a Corolla as a rental car myself). The Cobalt, in contrast, was 39.7% fleet, or more than double (I've had one of those too).

Most Hyundai (and Kia) car models are between those two (except the Kia Amanti, which was 42.5% fleet, and the Kia Optima, which was 52.5%). Thier SUVs were mostly lower.

[Geotpf]

Originally Posted by Realist

And with this data, we have the final nail in the coffin to end the debate about the supposed popularity of the Impala amongst retail customers. With a fleet percentage of 53.9%, it's flat-out disastrous I would say. GM sold more fleet Impalas than they sold to retail customers. The Impala has higher overall sales than say compared to the Altima, yet the Altima vastly outsold the Impala in retail sales. The Accord more than doubled Impala's retail sales, and the Camry had almost triple retail sales compared to the Impala!

This chart is also helpful to determine which cars to buy new or used. That is, the cars with high fleet percentages (especially rental fleet percentages) one should buy used, because they will have high depreciation with all the used two to three old rental cars being dumped on the used car market. So, for the Impala, unless you are buying it in a SS model or other high-end trim, you would have to be an idiot to buy it new. Others like almost every single Dodge or Chrysler car, or the Pontiac Grand Prix, or most Kia cars, also are really stupid to buy new. But Toyotas and Hondas will have lower deperciation, because of this.

[Hitman1970]

Originally Posted by Geotpf

This chart is also helpful to determine which cars to buy new or used. That is, the cars with high fleet percentages (especially rental fleet percentages) one should buy used, because they will have high depreciation with all the used two to three old rental cars being dumped on the used car market. So, for the Impala, unless you are buying it in a SS model or other high-end trim, you would have to be an idiot to buy it new. Others like almost every single Dodge or Chrysler car, or the Pontiac Grand Prix, or most Kia cars, also are really stupid to buy new. But Toyotas and Hondas will have lower deperciation, because of this.

If everyone followed this philosophy pretty soon there would be no GM to buy cars from. Manufacturers do not make new cars to sell them at used car prices.

[HoosierRon]

Originally Posted by Realist

Great find!

These numbers end numerous debates as to which model outsells which other model in popularity, and what models are popular amongst consumers.

For instance, many people (with the old fleet central data) liked to make a point that Camry's fleet percentage was 14%. That of course was for the *old* Camry model. Looking at these numbers, the Camry's fleet is now 7.7%, a big reduction. In fact, for such a high volume model like the Camry, 7.7% is a very low fleet percentage. Based on old data, the Accord was outselling the Camry in retail sales, but now no longer. Now it looks like the Camry outsells the Accord in retail sales, not to mention overall sales.

And with this data, we have the final nail in the coffin to end the debate about the supposed popularity of the Impala amongst retail customers. With a fleet percentage of 53.9%, it's flat-out disastrous I would say. GM sold more fleet Impalas than they sold to retail customers. The Impala has higher overall sales than say compared to the Altima, yet the Altima vastly outsold the Impala in retail sales. The Accord more than doubled Impala's retail sales, and the Camry had almost triple retail sales compared to the Impala!

Why wouldn't GM keep making the FWD Impala as its fleet queen, and keep the new Malibu and the RWD Chevy Zeta out of that market?

[Old Dood]

Originally Posted by AndrewGS

Where the hell did those come from? Special order? They haven't built those since '97.

Places like this: http://www.exoticarexpress.com/exoti..._honolulu.html

Exotic Car Rentals will have H1's and all sorts of high end vehicles.

[AndrewGS]

Originally Posted by Old Dood

Places like this: http://www.exoticarexpress.com/exoti..._honolulu.html

Exotic Car Rentals will have H1's and all sorts of high end vehicles.

Yeah, but they haven't made the Two-Door Two-Seat H1 (XLC2) for the civilian market since 1997.

[guitarlix]

Check out the Audi S8 on the list. And why do government agencies need Mustangs, 350zs and a Porsche Cayman?

[Geotpf]

Originally Posted by Hitman1970

If everyone followed this philosophy pretty soon there would be no GM to buy cars from. Manufacturers do not make new cars to sell them at used car prices.

Well, that's the problem with a high fleet percentage, and why it's a Really Bad Thing.