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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    The GLS has the most torque in that segment, what is not to trust? And the G63 has as 627 lb-ft and that engine/transmission combo will go into the 2020 GLS. I also suspect towing capability is rather low on the priority list of luxury SUV buyers. The Infiniti QX56 tows 8,500 lbs, how does that thing sell?
  2. smk4565
    A V6 GLS yes, but the V8 is 5.2 seconds and the AMG is 4.5 seconds 0-60. And those should improve next year with the new model. 99% of GLS owners may not go off road but the point is they have the ability to, they engineered that in. Just like they tested it on the Nürburgring for handling. They go the extra step, the Navigator at the end of the day is an Expedition with 30 way seats and the turbo boost turned up. The Escalde would get crushed off road by a Range Rover or GLS, I have seen enough Top Gears and car shows to see those things struggle off road. In global sales the GLS wins easy, I know we are talking American market sales, the GLS out sold the previous generation Escalade, it does not now. I do think Mercedes needs to step it up on the new model, the current GLS is way old, and not in a good way like the G-Wagen where the older it got the better it sold.
  3. smk4565
    It is a higher league? The Escalade and Navigator are slow, poor handling, body on frame SUVs. The GLS has up to 577 hp and stuff like independent rear suspension which the Escalade is lacking. The GLS also offers an off road package, the other 2 do not. I do think the Aviator will do well. They sell a lot of Exploers and have for years, you get some of those people to move up to Aviator, and get some MKX/Nautilus drivers to move up, and steal some Acura MDX drivers (which sells well) and Lincoln should be able to stir up about 3,000 Aviator sales a month.
  4. smk4565
    I do think the Aviator looks like it will do well and is a huge upgrade over stuff like the MKT or MKX. The Navigator looks better and they did a good upgrade to it to get it more competitive, but look at the sales of it. Navigator has averaged about 1,000 per month all year, the Escalade easily does 2500 and is getting dated, the GLS does over 2000 per month and has been on market about 7 years without a lot of changes. The Navigator barely outsells the Continental and the Continental is on it's death bed due to low sales.
  5. smk4565
    Also consider Mercedes makes over $1.2 million in profit per hour, so all these models and variants must be a good thing. Lincoln, Cadillac, Acura, Infiniti, etc that have small lines don’t have that kind of cash flow and profit margin.
  6. smk4565
    How much is it really costing though? GM makes a Corvette convertible of which probably 95% of them sell in the USA and no other GM car shares that chassis. The 8-series will sell in Europe and China (although low volume) and is on a chassis shared with other BMWs. Plus they will sell these for $130,000, I am sure they have profit margin baked in. This car is $50,000 more than a 550i which has the same powertrain, and is about the same size. I guarantee BMW isn't spending $50k on a convertible top and interior trimmings. Yes there is tooling and manufacturing costs, but the Germans have that figured out. Wouldn't surprise me if they made $20,000 per car on these.
  7. smk4565
    If there is a recession the billionaires will just get another tax cut in the name of "job creation" I actually think a crossover convertible is stupid, but I think a lot of crossovers are stupid and people still buy them in droves. No one thinks it is dumb for GM to make a Corvette Convertible, the 8-series convertible is no different. This is a car BMW needs, because for one it is easy profit margin and because Mercedes has 3 $100k+ convertibles, BMW has to have something to offer.
  8. smk4565
    Millionaires and billionaires got a tax cut this year, they need something to spend money on. Also BMW should build an X8 crossover convertible for $150,000.
  9. smk4565
    The Aviator isn't on sale yet, and the Navigator is selling about 1,000 units per month. Where as other vehicles in that segment such as the GLS or Escalade that are much older can easily sell at double that rate. The Navigator starts at $73,000, it maxes at $100k, and there are plenty of SUV's that cost way more than that.
  10. smk4565
    I said when they launched this program that it wouldn't work. It is too expensive to pay $1800 a month to drive a car that you can lease for $600. Plus people tend to hate changing cars, they get one and stick with it. A subscription plan only works if you pay a monthly fee to have an autonomous car pick you up and take you were you need to go, sort of like unlimited Uber for a monthly flat rate. People would pay for that to replace having to own a car.
  11. smk4565
    As far as range anxiety, how often do people's phone's hit 0% battery? People remember to charge their phone, they will remember to plug in their car. And with wireless charging, you don't even plug in, you can just park it in the garage. Plus we are probably 5 years away from being able to charge a battery as fast as one can fill a tank with gas.
  12. smk4565
    It is a bad run to be sure, but they are still #1, no one passed them after 5 crap months. I would be more worried if they fell from #1, but the lack of 2019 models is what is hurting. It isn't that people don't want their cars, although they are losing potential sales by not having product. I just looked at the inventory of my local dealer, they have fifty 2019 cars on the lot: 14 E-class, 10 C-class, 5 S-class 7 GLS, 6 GLE, 4 GLC, 2 GLA CLA, A-class, CLS, G-wagen, SL, AMG GT they have a combined 1 car, a CLS that is so new it doesn't have a picture or price. They have nine 2018's left, so those are pretty much cleaned out. Small SUV is the hottest segment, they barely have any. The only things that seem well stocked are E-class and GLS.
  13. smk4565
    The Model 3 has 5 more cubic feet in the trunk plus the Model 3 has the small trunk up front too, where the Volt has an engine. I have not been in a model 3 but I assume no center tunnel for exhaust exists either.
  14. smk4565
    Mercedes is the #1 selling luxury brand YTD, they are down but they aren’t losing to anyone else. It isn’t like these buyers are fleeing to somewhere else, they are more likely waiting for the model they want to be in inventory. The manufacturing and production people are the ones that need to step their game up to get all this new product out.
  15. smk4565
    Here is an article from Automotive news from August 2018 that says Mercedes has a 45 day supply of cars, 2nd lowest of any brand, behind Subaru. They have demand, they need the 2019 refresh e-class, CLS, A-class, G-class that are on sale in Europe to be at dealers here. http://www.autonews.com/article/20180813/RETAIL01/180819951/subaru-inventory-2018-u.s.
  16. smk4565
    They don't need extra incentives, there is not a demand problem, their sales problem is not enough inventory. Maybe they will put incentives on the remaining GLE/GLS during the winter to blow them out, but that depends on how quickly the new generation GLE hits dealers.
  17. smk4565
    Take off 30,000 car sales next year and these numbers will look even worse. Lincoln is about dead in the water, the Navigator is supposed to be their star and it is their 4th best seller (granted it is their most expensive). There will be a new GLS and the X7 on sale soon, a new Escalade at some point, this Navigator probably won't see an update until 2023, by 2020 it will be back to selling 700 units a month and basically a non factor.
  18. smk4565
    YTD Mercedes is the #1 selling luxury brand, about 4,000 ahead of BMW. Even in a slump no one can catch them. And I would expect an uptick with new GLE, CLS, G-wagon and A-class sedan going on sale soon; new CLA/GLA next year, EQ C next year, GLB and GLS maybe in 2019, that is a lot of new product hitting in the next 12 months.
  19. smk4565
    M-B cars sold more in October than in September, but the weak spot is really the GLE and GLS which are pretty dated and I imagine maybe even out of production since they have already shown the new GLE that goes on sale in 2019. Vans are on fire!
  20. smk4565
    Mercedes-Benz Vans are the fastest growing brand. Could be a sign that crossovers are done and commercial vans will take over the landscape. People like boxy vehicles that haul things to suit their "active lifestyle"
  21. smk4565
    But the Volt doesn’t have the interior or trunk room of a Tesla Model 3.
  22. smk4565
    That is funny. The Bolt is a small car, smaller than the Sonic even, it is tiny. Also why I don't think it is worth the price. Now when they get a bigger EV, like Cruze or Equinox size then it is a different story because and EV the size of a Cruze on the outside will have interior space like a Malibu. Making money and downsizing the workforce. The American way in action.
  23. smk4565
    Toyota basically put the Detroit 3’s sedan business out of business and they did that with 30 years of dedication to the Camry and whether it was product or branding or whatever, the Camry is the sedan champion. If they had that focus on the Tundra I think they could have the 3rd best selling full size truck easily. The Tacoma was the #1 selling mid size truck for a while and maybe still is and that thing is way dated too. Finger of Shame to Toyota for not making those trucks better. FCA doesn’t have excess money to make a new Charger/300 so they have to let those dated products stick around. Toytota has the money, they have $30 or 40 billion in cash, a huge revenue stream, huge profits, etc
  24. smk4565
    So if Toyota made a truck better, more capable, more reliable than the F150, and the Tundra which is made in the USA, then American truck buyers would rather buy an inferior truck? Or buy a Mexican made Ram who's profits go to Italy? The Tundra is the most dated, least competitive truck in the full size pick up segment. Which is really inexcusable for a company that has the most money and resource.
  25. smk4565
    Toyota should be much more competitive than they are in full size trucks. With their resources they should be able to spend away and bury Ram, just like their car line has put FCA and Ford's car lines out of business. It is embarrassing how old the Tacoma and Tundra are, when those 2 should have all new versions every 6 years with hybrids and best in class quality, reliability and fuel economy.
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