Filed under: Car Buying, Trends, SUVs
Tahoe takes off while full-size SUVs fall flat in February
It sounds a bit backwards, but GM execs are as pleased as punch that the market for full-size SUVs is dwindling
rapidly at the same time their all-new 2007 Chevy Tahoe has gone on sale. While nearly every other manufacturer suffered a decline in full-size SUV sales during the month of February (Ford alone was off 21.4 percent), Chevy sold 15,431 Tahoes, a 42-percent improvement over last year. That helped GM post a sales decline of only 2.1 percent in the full-size SUV market, which was by far the best performance of the bunch.
The Tahoe’s upward sales trend in this shrinking segment translates directly into a bigger share of the full-size SUV market for GM. Despite the shrinkage, the mega-ute market will not disappear all together, and it looks as if GM is positioning itself to own whatever’s left in the end.
_opt_thumbnail.jpg)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JD 5:24PM (3/03/2006)
I just heard a radio add that Pepsi and Xzibit are giving away 70 Tahoe's in 70 days.
Do these count as the sales? You know that GM has got to be giving a discount for this.
Reply
DKB_SATX 5:32PM (3/03/2006)
I note that they are NOT specific about whether it's sales of the shiny new Tahoe or the old ones whose prices are driven down (and incentives driven up) by the introduction of the new model...
Reply
Kwyjibo 6:23PM (3/03/2006)
You know the sales are up from all the wannabee rappers that want to be able to tell their friends, "i got an 07, dawg! peep these chrome 24's...i'm gonna be roasting my brake pads away double quick with these heavy suckers, and if some white buoy gets in ma way he gonna be toast casue my car don't stop casue of ma heavy ass wheels...but check out the bling on ma 07, word to your mother yo!"
or soemthing like that....
damn i hate living in L.A....
Reply
beken 6:31PM (3/03/2006)
I think GM's playing it pretty smart. The market for SUV's is shrinking but there will always be a need for SUVs. Just not as big as what it is today. SUVs have huge profit margins so you don't have to sell a lot to make money on them. Other manufacturers see the market shrinking, their response is to move on to growth markets. GM is going to corner the market on SUVs. Actually, they had the market cornered before with the Suburban/Tahoe before the big SUV craze started.
Reply
Fabulo 7:04PM (3/03/2006)
"That helped GM post a sales decline of only 2.1 percent in the full-size SUV market"
This reminds me of the finance industry I work in: if you beat the index, it's good no matter what. The S&P was down 17%, but our fund was down only 7%, this is good news. You still lost a bunch of money, but you lost less than "average"
In other news, I saw a local dealer advertize $14,000 off MSRP on 2006 Tahoes. Is anyone making ANY money off that? How long are they going to saty in business?
Reply
Mal Fuller 7:59PM (3/03/2006)
"....and it looks as if GM is positioning itself to own whatevers left in the end."
It's said that the very last maker of buggy whips made money for a short while too!
Reply
Mick 8:15PM (3/03/2006)
Look at the above photo closely and you'll notice the vehicle doesn't have running boards. Bob's holding his leg up and pretending it does just for effect.
"Look, ma. Watch how long I can hold my leg up."
Reply
optomotrist 8:40PM (3/03/2006)
You might want to check your eyes before you make a smart ass (and false) comment. The running boards ARE there bro.
Reply
WillDaThrill 8:41PM (3/03/2006)
I mean, look at the thing.....it's a sweet looking ride. Manly enough for the guys and not overly huge for the soccor moms. It's bad enough we're still toting SUV's with the gas problems, but at least it's not a bus. I think it's we proportioned, although it's still a gas guzzler.
Kwyjibo,
Now the people you speak of (hint, hint) do some crazy things with SUV's, but at least they know how to hide the stash when a cop pulls up. Even if they were dumb enough to push the Onstar button and not answer it....yo!
*you must be one of those white buoyz you speak of*
Reply
naggs 9:38PM (3/03/2006)
wow i have said that people can be "blinded" by their prejudice in vehicles but i never thought that someone could be so anti-gm that their eyes would literaly decive them. thank you for proving me wrong mick
Reply
mike 11:12PM (3/03/2006)
At least they the Tahoes can run on E85, no other full size SUV can say that
Reply
Jake 2:49AM (3/04/2006)
"damn i hate living in L.A..."
I was just there. LA is a dump in my opinion. The news media has live coverage of criminal activity? No joke! Its sorta like watching American Idol. The place has potential, but the city, airport and everthing I saw was like out of the 70s.
This city just like the vehicle has potential for the future. But it will take some work.
I would start with some batteries myself, gazing at the brown filthy skys above.
Buggy whips etc?
I really doubt GM is going the way of the horse.
GM has a lot of knowledge in Electric and Hydrogen powered vehicles. Perhaps more than anyone.
For GM too hurt is good, for it will cause the manufacture to flex its muscle and start utilizing the knowledge that it has, rather than being influenced by the nicotene in its system.
At least I hope so.
Reply
Car-la 8:25AM (3/04/2006)
All I can say is: GM will live. Even despite the sales decreases, the SUV market is still a major segment.
"The news media has live coverage of criminal activity?"
Isn't that part of LA's appeal? I just love LA.
Reply
Chris K 11:15AM (3/04/2006)
What the hell is the problem with Autoblog, Edmunds, Autonews, etcetera!!! The CHEVROLET TAHOE sales were stellar NOT "GM" ... please, when you tell a story stop generalizing and use the specific car division. I hate seeing 1/2 ass comparison labels ... let's start comparing Toyota and Chevrolet, NOT Toyota and GM. I also think GM would be smart to spin off each brand as it's own stock! A great way to infuse another 20 billion into the company as a whole. Imagine buying Chevy stock ... I can!
Reply
Richard Warren 12:15PM (3/04/2006)
On the running board issue, comon, he's just doing his Captain Morgan thing.
Reply
mick 3:56PM (3/04/2006)
#8, #10
You guys slay me.
Reply
MikeW 12:52PM (3/07/2006)
Let me know if GM puts the 6 speed automatic before the 4th model year.
E85 is useless. E70 for winter use is required if you didn't know.
E85 subsidies will have to end when the price goes through the roof when the west & east coast completely phase out MTBE and replace that will ethanol. Unless the EPA will allow for some or all grades of gasoline to be sold as 100% gas and not E10.
Reply