Comments on: Chrysler: Let’s Ruin America!

By: Change NOW

Change NOW — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:01:53 +0000

Here in Central NY, there are SUVS sitting in people's yards with huge FOR SALE signs....I pass them every day on my scooter....

I hope they rust out!!!!!

What a waste!!!!! but we live in a disposable culture...disposable ethics, disposable workers, disposable cars, disposable morals, disposable laws.....

By: antonio311

antonio311 — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 21:31:54 +0000

Chrysler makes cars that last longer than the other cars. Chryslers engines and transmissions are by far more reliable than the imports. So big deal, a piece of molding on a Chrysler may not fit perfectly, or small quality problems here and there, But everyone knows Chryslers powertrains last longer than the other brands! Also Chryslers quality is getting better faster than the other brands. Remember in the lat 90's Chrysler was the most profitable car company on the planet, more than Toyota is now! Chrysler just needs a moment to get their groove back, after Daimler looted them!

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:44:49 +0000

In response to the comments of Toyota's declining quality and the ascension of chrysler's quality, I would like to ask where you are getting that from?

I have a 99' corolla that gets 35 mpg highway and it has 215,000 miles on it and never had a major problem at all, or minor (I take unreal care of my cars).

On the other hand, my 97 Chrysler minivan is immobile due to a busted transmission (my experience with most Chryslers) and the need for all of the engine seals/head gaskets to be replaced (which the dealership told me would be about $2500). It was serviced just as meticulously as the Toyota, is only 2 years older, and had only 116,000 miles on it. Not to mention the rear windshield wiper stopped working, the chrysler emblem on the back of the van fell off, and many other cosmetic things that just made me think one thing: CHEAP.

I realize the two automobiles cant be directly compared in a lot of aspects, but as far as quality goes, you can see who wins.

Needless to say I just bought a 2008 corolla as my replacement for the van. The kids are now grown.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:36:53 +0000

This promotion IS brilliant, it is no different than the usual rebates offered by car makers, the only difference is that they can pay it over a 3 year period (and they are not guaranteed to pay all of it, only if you use it all) and it allows them to unload their back stock of gas guzzling vehicles that would not otherwise sell even if you offered them a $2400 instant rebate because people will not read/understand the fine print.

From a marketing standpoint this is brilliant on two fronts, they have a delayed discount payment and they can unload all the vehicles that were in production while the economy was still booming allowing them income from those vehicles while they re-tool for production of their more fuel efficient models (which are crappy too)

By: Mark Walker

Mark Walker — Sun, 25 May 2008 03:11:03 +0000

Antonio, the car is obsolete! And so is the minivan! And so is the landscape built around them! You need a good pair of walking shoes, dude! And maybe a bike! And a map of the transit systems around your home! And if there aren't any, a new home! Otherwise you'll ended up stranded in suburbia! Get hip! Exclamation point! Exclamation point! Exclamation point!

By: antonio311

antonio311 — Sat, 24 May 2008 08:20:14 +0000

Spud Spudly i'm sure has never owned any Chrysler vehicle. I've owned many over the years and have never NEVER had any major problems. Also Toyotas quality has dropped rappidly in the past few years, while Chryslers quality has been improving! I'm on the customer advisory board, and have spoken to Doug Bett's personally. Within 9 months Chrysler quality will be substantially better and i'll say as good or better than Toyotas quality! Chrysler is making strides at lightning speed to set the benchmark in quality! Meanwhile Toyota and Honda's quality has continued to decline! Also Chrysler makes the worlds best minivan, and the new Dodge Journey is the class leader in its crossover segment! Also the new Ram will again set a new benchmark for pickups!

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 22 May 2008 17:06:07 +0000

Well, Spud. I have to apologize. I didn't know STREETSBLOG was the authority on vehicle ownership. What was I thinking.....?? I was taught to never use the word "obviously" when referring to someone else opinion, but it is "apparent" that I hit a nerve. I didn't mean to... I'm stating facts from MY experiences. I'm not trying to trash anyone's vehicle. I applaud Toyota for being able to pull the wool over so many people's eyes better than For, GM or Chrysler. I had one Chrysler product that I had SERIOUS problems with (back in 1984-85). I worked out the problem, and kept the car for over ten years. The dealer treated me fairly, and I respect that. Looks like Toyota had the most recalls for 2006, 2007, and so far is the industry leader for 2008. They will probably recall more cars than Chrysler will build, but that doesn't make them better. How many of the Avengers, Nitros, Calibers, Sebrings, Compass's, Patriots or Commander's have you ever owned? If I believed everything I ever read about cars versus my ownership experience, I probably wouldn't buy another car. Oh, and did you ever see the commercial where the Ford and Toyota truck run out of gas, and the ex-football player picks the drivers up in his Chevy? Did you ever notice the pickup with the best fuel (gasoline) mileage was not in that commercial. You know, the Dodge....

By: Spud Spudly

Spud Spudly — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:01:42 +0000

If Toyota or Honda had come up with the $2.99 per gallon gimmick, it would have been billed as "Brilliant." You're obviously not familiar with Streetsblog, Jim. Chrysler today makes some awful vehicles. The Avenger, Nitro, Caliber, Sebring, Compass, Patriot and Commander are all market bottom feeders. I owned one Dodge and it stalled whenever it rained more than a few drops. None of the over one dozen Toyotas myself, my wife and our parents and siblings have owned (many of them made in the USA, not just "North America") have ever had a serious problem.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:27:27 +0000

My 2005 Chrysler 300 (V-6) has achieved as high as 31 MPG on the highwy. I get 25 MPG driving it 50 miles per day to and from work.
My 2007 Hemi Ram gets a respectable 21 MPG highway and 17.5 to and from work while my co-worker's 4.7 Tundra is getting 14.5 to and from work.
I'm just so tired of people trashing our North American products.
If Toyota or Honda had come up with the $2.99 per gallon gimmick, it would have been billed as "Brilliant."
I've never owned a "foreign" car, a Ford or a Chevy, but I would like to have a 1963 split window Corvette......

By: mb1234

mb1234 — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:50:48 +0000

Chrysler has probably hedged an estimated volume of gasoline @ 2.99/gallon. Those betting against the hedge (probably financial firms) think that gasoline will drop below 2.99/gallon and Chrysler will have to pay the difference. If prices moderate around $80-90/barrel, Chrysler will be on the losing end of their hedge.

From a business standpoint, it buys them some time to try to sell more existing models while they scramble to develop more fuel efficient models that comply with the CAFE standard increase in 2017.

By: Outspokin

Outspokin — Thu, 22 May 2008 10:56:18 +0000

Fuel efficient vehicles also pollute, destroy streets, use scarce resources and thus don't deserve a free ride... easy for even grade schoolers to understand-it's basic math.

By: Davis

Davis — Thu, 22 May 2008 04:51:48 +0000

Nah, Brian, I don't like Toyota either but, you've got to admit, they were way out in front of the Big Three on the hybrid thing.

BTW, most of us live in cities and the Caliber gets 24 mpg in the city, the Sebring gets 21 mpg in the city and the Avenger (a name that I'm almost embarrassed to write) gets a pathetic 19 mpg in the city. Your highway numbers are wrong for two of the models you cited as well.

If Chrysler went bankrupt and blew away like a dustball maybe we'd have the impetus for some real innovation in automaking again. You know... car companies that focus on something more than the shape, styling and number of cup holders in their vehicles.

By: BrianGuy

BrianGuy — Thu, 22 May 2008 01:14:05 +0000

Yeah, Chrysler should just go bankrupt instead, resulting in 2.5 million job losses, rather than buy some time with this strategy as they shrink the size and displacement of the larger cars.

By the way, this promotion is also good on Chrysler's small, fuel-efficient cars like the Dodge Caliber (31 MPG), Chrysler Sebring 4 (30 MPG) and Dodge Avengder 4 (30 MPG).

As usual, you're making the popular conceit that Chrysler only makes big gas guzzlers, when in reality Toyota offers more gas-guzzling large SUV models (and sells more of them annually) than Chrysler.

Oh but I forgot, Toyota is the "green" company and sells 100,000 Priuses a year, so those 750,000 large-displacement V8 powered SUVs, and 250,000 luxury gas-guzzling Lexuses don't matter anymore.

By: antonio311

antonio311 — Wed, 21 May 2008 22:42:31 +0000

Chrysler is working on new fuel efficient vehicles! The new Dodge Journey crossover has best in class fuel mileage! Also they are developing a new compact car right new! Give them a break already, Daimler is the main reason Chrysler hasn't developed more fuel efficient vehicles! Now without Daimler Chrysler is making all of their vehicles more fuel efficient, and they are also substantially improving Chryslers Quality! Give em a break already!

By: Spud Spudly

Spud Spudly — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:04:46 +0000

Yeah, where I work there are quite a few people who have "flex time" as they call it and work 9 hours a day and get to take every other Friday off. Good deal.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 21 May 2008 17:40:03 +0000

Why can't people see that this is simply a sales gimmick.
No different than a rebate.
Leave them alone.
They are not the only ones doing it.
I'd like to see my company go to four-tens so we could cut out an additional day of driving each week.

By: huh

huh — Wed, 21 May 2008 17:23:45 +0000

John, no - taxing at the fuel pump will impact inefficient vehicles more than efficient vehicles, so people still have an incentive to get more efficient vehicles. It's basic math.

By: John

John — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:56:51 +0000

Taxing at the pump only will tax fuel efficient vehicles too, the opposite of intentions. Only through personal property tax hikes can less fuel efficient vehicles be fully and properly taxed. Both sources are necessary and property taxes are already administered, it's that simple.

By: J. Mork

J. Mork — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:16:03 +0000

John -- just tax all fuel heavily and the low mpg vehicles get taxed more automatically. Much simpler to administer as well.

By: John

John — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:12:36 +0000

Any and every passenger vehicle that fails to be fuel efficient and fail to get 25 mpg should be taxed much more at the pump and yearly. These heavier and more street destructive vehicles don't deserve a free ride.
Desperate companies do desperate things.

WSJ: This decade has already seen burst bubbles in tech stocks, homes and credit. Now, it seems, another segment has fallen victim to irrational exuberance: the U.S. auto market.