Whether it will steer people into a GM vehicle is hard to say. It all depends on the cost. People all say they want run-flat tires, but when they find out how much they cost, they do without them.
Given that's a new model, that's a big decline.
I think it's indicative of the market. Consumer Reports has a very high standard for consumer research the gold standard really and for the list of top picks to not have any domestic cars on it really says something.
Our forecast shows GM and Toyota at about parity with GM in 2006, but Toyota takes over the lead in 2007, and they stay in front until 2017.
It doesn't seem to me that now is the time to play around with product names.
The dealer is acting like an agent for this warranty company, and all they are really interested in, to some extent, is making money. It's a commission for them.
We are anticipating the domestic Big Three to lose another point of market share in March.
Both are still kind of holding a gun to each other's head. This is not total disarmament.
I still don't think we're going to see a significant difference in what people buy unless that $3 stays for six months or more.
Sometimes you say a new year can bring a clean slate and refreshment, but that's not the case for 2006. 2005 was a tough year, and 2006 will be another tough year. In the U.S. market, I don't see a let-up of the pressure on GM and Ford from the Asian car makers.
People complain about gas prices, but they don't change their buying habits. We've been saying that gas prices have to hit $3 a gallon and stay there for six months to see a change in behavior.
Adding 2006 SUVs is like the kiss of death. Where do they stop it?
As people live with them and maybe do some math, and if prices stay at the premium stage, you're just going to see sales slow.
Young people like big, aggressive trucks. Toyota did a good job of making the Tundra stylish without being feminine.
This is definitely stronger than we expected. Maybe consumers feel like it's a good time to buy since interest rates are only going to get higher.
This is where they make all their money. That's the bottom line. This is the platform that supports their balance sheet.
They're building products that consumers want, and they're also well-managed, so they don't have any turmoil or anything like that. From a business standpoint, there really isn't much stopping Toyota at this point.
It's just huge. If Detroit wasn't nervous before, they should be scared in their work boots.
Ford is clearly on the path of closing at least a car plant if not a truck plant. They're losing market share, and they have too much capacity.
It's obscene. It's offensive. But, it's unethical business practices, and the problem is that it reflects poorly on the whole industry.
It's the price of gas that is driving all of this. Not just at the pump, but the way gas prices are affecting everything else in the economy, making everything else more expensive as it drives up the cost of doing business.
Consumers are obviously more aware of gas prices, but I don't think you can attribute all of that to gas prices.
Even with gas prices this high, a $7,000 to $8,000 incentive buys a lot of gas.
That is going to directly affect their numbers.
The minivan has been under pressure from SUVs, but as long as there are families there will be demand, and kids love the sliding doors.
I feel like people are going to look and say, 'Can I give up my job for $35,000?
He proved successful in turning around Mazda when everyone else had written it off, but Ford is a lot bigger and there's a lot more to take care of.
The incremental sales will come from people who want a pickup for the weekend. I don't think the hard-core pickup buyer is going to abandon Ford, Chevy and Dodge.
The improvements are great, but to change the name on a vehicle that has just came out, I have a lot of concerns about that.