GM reports a 3.4% gain in October auto sales, outpacing rivals

[New_Mexico_Sunset_on_Rt66]

... just this in an email from CNN.Money.com

http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/01/news...ion=2007110114

What oil shock? Truck sales gain, cars fall
Most automakers post better sales of light trucks, weaker sales of car models as GM opens lead on Japanese rival Toyota.
By Chris Isidore, CNNMoney.com senior writer
November 1 2007: 2:34 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- General Motors posted improved October sales, outpacing gains at Japanese rival Toyota Motor, as Americans turned back to light truck models rather than the car models that had be gaining ground.

GM (Charts, Fortune 500) posted a 3.4 percent gain in passenger vehicle sales compared to a year earlier, helped by an extra sales day this year.

GM saw a 5.8 percent jump in sales of its light truck models, such as pickups, SUV's and so-called crossovers that are a more car-like SUV. That helped overcome a 0.7 percent drop in car models.

While GM sales were slightly below the forecast of sales tracker Edmunds.com, the sales trend towards strong light truck sales was a good one for GM, which depends far more on light truck models for its sales and profits than does its Japanese rivals.

Toyota reported essentially flat October sales. It sold 197,592 vehicles, a gain of 0.5 percent. Edmunds had been looking for a 6 percent gain at the Japanese automaker. .....

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http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/01/news...ion=2007110114

[RS0987654]

I have been scanning articles on the business pages for this news and it is being reported very inconsistently. GM rose 3.4% October 2007 to October 2006, but fell .6% when adjusted for selling days in the period. Toyota is up 4.5%, but other sources say that it is flat. Further, a factor contributing to Toyota being flat or off are the fires in Southern California which diminished showroom traffic.

I wish there was one consistent standard on how the media reported this information.

[markusername]

The 'adusted for selling days' I think is more accurate as it takes into account the different number of actual selling days so you get a true picture of how the sales went.

[chevydlrmn]

I say go by calendar days, some states allow sales on Sunday, some do not, same type of kink in the numbers. GO General GO!!!

[DU Biggs]

Originally Posted by RS0987654

I have been scanning articles on the business pages for this news and it is being reported very inconsistently. GM rose 3.4% October 2007 to October 2006, but fell .6% when adjusted for selling days in the period. Toyota is up 4.5%, but other sources say that it is flat. Further, a factor contributing to Toyota being flat or off are the fires in Southern California which diminished showroom traffic.

I wish there was one consistent standard on how the media reported this information.

Obviously alot of toyota sales are in california, but they are not the only manufacturer available there. Yes domestics dont sell that well in california, but what about all the other imports that are in california...do they get the same excuse you give toyota? Michigans economy sucks, so should that be factored into domestic sales and thier showroom traffic being 'off' for the past 4 years (give or take, im not sure how long we have been sucking here in Michigan)?

[cmutt]

Side topic; but how can anybody trust *any* of Edmunds numbers? 6% estimated compared to an actual of 0.5%.. that's quite a discrepency. I've always wondered about their "true cost to own". Take a look at an '07 Chevy Malibu vs an '07 Accord:

http://www.edmunds.com/new/2007/chev...27011/cto.html
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2007/hond...82849/cto.html

1. Note that on the Chevrolet, the TCO includes repairs starting in year 3 and continuing into years 4 and 5 - yet GM has a 5yr, 100,000mi warranty. How can that be?!
2. Why the huge discrepancy in maintenance costs? The Malibu costs $4,421 to maintain to 5 years - an engine with a timing CHAIN - and the Accord (which is like 66% imported parts and uses a timing BELT) costs only $3328!

[1487]

edmunds TCO numbers are highly speculative. I dont trust them at all.

[Geotpf]

Toyota was up .5% when adjusting for selling days. GM was down 1.1% when adjusting for selling days. In light vehicles only, GM was down .6% when adjusting for selling days (Isuzu medium duty trucks are no longer counted as sales by GM, which is the main reason for the significant difference between the two GM figures).

[eaton53]

The Malibu costs $4,421 to maintain to 5 years - an engine with a timing CHAIN - and the Accord (which is like 66% imported parts and uses a timing BELT) costs only $3328!

That's an absurd figure.

In 5 years I'd spend $600 on oil changes and a maybe that much again on
30K/60K services, tire rotations, etc. That leaves $3200 in repairs in 5 years.

That's rediculous.... if I had a new car that cost me that much I'd consider it a POS and dump it. My last new one, a '98 Contour SVT racked up $210 in non-warranty repairs in 5 years.

[cmutt]

Consider GM's oil-life-system, that will limit the frequency of oil changes, GM's DexCool - which will allow you 100,000 miles before changing, GM's new Dexron IV (fill-for-life?)transmission fluid, the lack of a timing belt, and 100,000 mile spark plugs and you wonder how they can come up with such an absurd figure. After seeing things like this, you SHOULD ABSOLUTELY question everything else they do as well.