SUV makers rev up deals to lift sales

[Ming]

SUV makers rev up deals to lift sales
CELESTE KATZ
New York DAILY NEWS

With climbing fuel prices making every trip to the pump more painful, makers of gas-gobbling SUVs are trying to entice customers with new deals and discounts.

General Motors has tacked on $1,000 in rebates to existing offers on its midsize sport-utility vehicles, such as the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, the Oldsmobile Bravada and Pontiac Aztek, the GMC Envoy and the Buick Rainier and Rendezvous.

Up to $4,500 in cash or 36 months of 0% financing are available with the purchase of a 2004 Dodge Durango from Chrysler through June 1.

And Ford has rolled out a new SUV incentive program called "The Choice," which applies to its Explorer, Expedition and Excursion models as well as its Freestar minivan: Buyers can choose from a $3,000 cash rebate or $2,000 cash back plus zero-interest financing.

After an April that saw slightly decreased incentives for shoppers, inventories are higher than usual right now. That means automakers have to either sell the SUVs faster or produce fewer of them.

To boost the prestige of the gas guzzlers, SUV makers are spicing up their offerings with more high-end flourishes, from bamboo interiors to global positioning systems, said Ashly Knapp, an auto industry analyst with Autoadvisor.com.

Advertising is also key, according to Knapp - particularly ads that emphasize the prestige of owning one of the biggest rides on the street. "I've got a big vehicle. I sit above you, high up. I can mow you down off the road," Knapp said.

But in the end, he said, money talks the loudest. "We believe most people are set to buy before they walk into the dealership," he said. "The way the dealer lubricates the deal is just by giving away money. It's the simplest way to go."


Full Article Here

[jwrebholz]

Originally posted by Ming@May 10 2004, 02:20 AM
...Advertising is also key, according to Knapp - particularly ads that emphasize the prestige of owning one of the biggest rides on the street. "I've got a big vehicle. I sit above you, high up. I can mow you down off the road," Knapp said....

Isn't this the kind of attitude we need to see LESS OF on the highway? I can't count how many times I've been nearly run off the road by some idiot in an Expedition or a Navigator or what have you.

[vanshmack]

Originally posted by jwrebholz+May 9 2004, 09:28 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (jwrebholz @ May 9 2004, 09:28 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Ming@May 10 2004, 02:20 AM
...Advertising is also key, according to Knapp - particularly ads that emphasize the prestige of owning one of the biggest rides on the street. "I've got a big vehicle. I sit above you, high up. I can mow you down off the road," Knapp said....

Isn't this the kind of attitude we need to see LESS OF on the highway? I can't count how many times I've been nearly run off the road by some idiot in an Expedition or a Navigator or what have you. [/b][/quote]
Don't like it? Buy an SUV then! You can mow them down, too.

For the record, I don't have one either!

[Ming]

So you've got a HUMMER, huh? Look what I just bought, and I'm coming up in your rear view mirror!



:mf_boff:

[AmericanREV]

My mom called and told me she was looking at her 3rd tahoe in 2 years. She said that with her GM discount it was somewhere +/- 10,000 off with incetives. That's nuts, but good for her. I'm betting she'll get herself a different one in 6 months. While her baby is stuck with a '99 Blazer <_< :angry: I kid, I kid, the blazer's a fine truck.

[usa1]

Originally posted by AmericanREV@May 9 2004, 11:22 PM
My mom called and told me she was looking at her 3rd tahoe in 2 years. She said that with her GM discount it was somewhere +/- 10,000 off with incetives. That's nuts, but good for her. I'm betting she'll get herself a different one in 6 months. While her baby is stuck with a '99 Blazer <_< :angry: I kid, I kid, the blazer's a fine truck.

3rd in 2 years? She can't make up her mind on the color? Nothing else much changed in the last two years. Smacks of conspicuous consumption. Either that or she's rough on her trucks!

Mark

[gmsickofan]

The CSV's should get great fuel economy!

[Rex Raider]

Originally posted by gmsickofan@May 11 2004, 02:46 PM
The CSV's should get great fuel economy!

Based on what?

[gmsickofan]

Compared to SUVs like the...I see what you mean, the Aztek is mentioned here too, and that gets OK gas mileage compared to the "guzzling" SUVs.