Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

It’s a Car Bloodbath Out There, but a Few Large Sedans Can Claim They’re Having a Good Year
The Truth About Cars ^ | September 14, 2018 | Steph Willems

Posted on 09/15/2018 2:41:55 PM PDT by jjotto

[excerpted]...passenger car market share dropped to 30.6 percent in the month of August as a tide of crossovers, trucks, and SUVs continued swamping the automotive landscape. Few automakers can say their traditional passenger cars are making headway against the current...

...The Ford Taurus is not among this crowd of holdouts. Scheduled for death and talked about only by fleet managers, its sales dropped 16.8 percent over the first eight months of 2018. Its Lincoln Continental stablemate? Down 29.2 percent.

At General Motors, where sales reporting is a quarterly phenomenon, Chevrolet Impala sales fell 11.7 percent at the end of the second quarter of 2018, with flagship CT6 down 9.3 percent.

You know which direction the Buick LaCrosse headed, don’t you? Correct. Down 9.7 percent in Q2 2018.

Only the loved-by-livery Cadillac XTS served as a bright spot, but it’s not a happy story. The XTS, which saw year-to-date sales rise 16.2 percent in the second quarter, is, like the Taurus, scheduled for execution. Its continued popularity does not change its fate...

...So, to recap: Because of GM’s out-of-date sales reporting, we can only be sure of five large sedans that brought in more buyers this year than the same period in 2017 — one German [Mercedes S-class], one Korean [Kia cadenza], and three Japanese [Toyota Avalon, Lexus LS, Acura RLX]. With the possible exception of the S-Class, all of these cars could go away tomorrow without too much financial hardship suffered by their builders. The numbers simply aren’t there.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Hobbies; Miscellaneous; Travel
KEYWORDS: autos
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-51 next last
Long detailed analysis at the link. Excerpts are the main points. Big sedans are becoming a thing of the past except as status symbols for the affluent.
1 posted on 09/15/2018 2:41:55 PM PDT by jjotto
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: jjotto

I don’t plan on driving one of those big box pos. I’ll stick to my passé coupes.


2 posted on 09/15/2018 2:45:47 PM PDT by Mouton (The media is the enemy of the people.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jjotto

If you want a Lincoln. You want a LINCOLN, not something that looks like and is the size of a Hyundai. Same with a Cadillac. For the stuff we carry, it is our pre-2012 Lincoln or a mini-van. The manufacturers have t built a real full-sized sedan since the ending of the Panther platform by Ford. And the used Grand Marquis/Crown Victoria/Lincoln Towncar command a premium.


3 posted on 09/15/2018 2:46:34 PM PDT by rstrahan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jjotto

All the Ford Taurus’s you see these days are police cars. They’ve modded the rear suspension so much they have a pronounced bugwalk. You can spot them a mile away so that’s fine with me.


4 posted on 09/15/2018 2:47:30 PM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie (All I know is what I read in the papers.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mouton

My Uncle has a country place, that no one knows about.

These cars are getting very, very big. And I fear that anyone venturing out in their MG will one day get pancaked because the owners of the new cars didn’t check the onboard video screens before merging.


5 posted on 09/15/2018 2:50:06 PM PDT by Celerity
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: jjotto

What is “large” about any of those vehicles? 35 years ago they were called compacts. No bust on you jjotto, but if I want a large sedan, I’ll rebuild an ‘82 Caprice Classic...with a Big Block V8.


6 posted on 09/15/2018 2:53:29 PM PDT by SgtBob (Freedom is not for the faint of heart. Semper Fi!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mouton

I’ve moved back into full-size goodness (Learned on the 86 Monte Carlo, went down to things like Civic hatchs and the like, and then back up to my Suburban)

The Suburban I own, a 2003, is actually smaller than many SUVs. The Toyota highlander is enormous... But all in the wrong dimensions.

My trunk and usable interior space is cavernous compared to these newer fullsize SUVs. Even the new Suburban has very little interior space I’ve found.

But the backseats are where it’s at. Child safety seats have driven the rear space requirements up to dimensions that are hard to find IN MY HOUSE.


7 posted on 09/15/2018 2:54:47 PM PDT by Celerity
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: jjotto

I don’t think the sales figures represent any “Voice of the Customer” as much as they represent the influence of marketing, advertising and indoctrination.


8 posted on 09/15/2018 2:55:03 PM PDT by equaviator (`)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: equaviator

And add CAFE standards to the list.


9 posted on 09/15/2018 2:58:22 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: SgtBob

The standards of comparison in large lux sedans are the MB S-class and Lexus LS. They’re about the size of the old Chevys, although they may not look it.


10 posted on 09/15/2018 2:59:07 PM PDT by jjotto (Next week, BOOM!, for sure!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Celerity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAvQSkK8Z8U


11 posted on 09/15/2018 3:12:12 PM PDT by TomServo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: jjotto
I’ll still take the Caprice. The bench seating allows my sweetie to sit next to me.😜
12 posted on 09/15/2018 3:14:47 PM PDT by SgtBob (Freedom is not for the faint of heart. Semper Fi!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: jjotto
Big sedans are becoming a thing of the past except as status symbols for the affluent.

I don't need or want a big sedan. I do, however need a coupe or smaller sedan, and thankfully the Germans, the Japanese and even the South Koreans continue to fill that niche quite successfully and profitably. This doesn't seem to be a sedan issue as much as it is an American car manufacturer issue.
13 posted on 09/15/2018 3:16:01 PM PDT by AnotherUnixGeek
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SgtBob

What I call ‘parade cars’ like that can be rebuilt and kept mint for less than the price of the big new ones, and they’re every bit as much status symbols.

Think how many new tv shows and movies have cherry older cars in them.

BTW, bench seats were available in a number of models until a few years ago and they just didn’t sell. I don’t get that either.


14 posted on 09/15/2018 3:21:05 PM PDT by jjotto (Next week, BOOM!, for sure!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: jjotto

It’s going to be a very dull automotive landscape with nothing but SUV’s as far as the eye can see. The herd will shift direction right about the time sedans aren’t available anymore, just wait.


15 posted on 09/15/2018 3:25:29 PM PDT by RegulatorCountry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AnotherUnixGeek

I’ve always favored a Box-on-Wheels (Station Wagon) over Sedans.

Go try to find one of those with a turbo engine to provide Altitude Performance Compensation, a manual transmission, and AWD.


16 posted on 09/15/2018 3:26:20 PM PDT by Paladin2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: jjotto
Perhaps they should build them a bit better?

My parents traded in their old sedan for a new one. They had a tow package put in because they have an old utility trailer that he uses to haul brush to the dump and other light jobs.

They had it about a month when the trunk refused to open. They took it into the shop where the dealer spent about a week fiddling with it before fixing it.

A couple of months later the same thing happened. Turns out the wiring in the car is not capable of handling the lights on the trailer. And that blows something internally and the trunk will not open.

Their old car (same model just ten years older) handled it fine.

Now they borrow our truck if they need to use the trailer.

17 posted on 09/15/2018 3:28:25 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice, and somewhere else the tea is getting cold.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jjotto

I hate the large center consoles in most new vehicles.

I need some lateral legroom in addition to the fore-and-aft compliance.


18 posted on 09/15/2018 3:28:28 PM PDT by Paladin2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Celerity

“The Suburban I own, a 2003, is actually smaller than many SUVs. The Toyota highlander is enormous... “

Really????

2003 Surburban

L 219.3
W 78.9
WB 130

2018 Highlander

L 192.5
W 75.8
WB 109.8


19 posted on 09/15/2018 3:28:44 PM PDT by TexasGator (Z1)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: TomServo

I never really understood the Red Barchetta story.

I think Geddy Lee had one, but wrote this song that doesn’t make any sense about driving one. I mean “Turbos spinning” and something about the brakes failing or something. Which might happen - I know my old Italians lost their brakes after about 100 feet of braking due to fade and glazing.

My god, to think we survived that era of driving. The last one I had was my 77 Cosworth Vega which tricked a lot of people, including me into believing that because it accelerated like a modern sport car that would stop like one.

It does not.


20 posted on 09/15/2018 3:29:58 PM PDT by Celerity
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-51 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson