Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Chrysler, LLC., Dodge, Jeep, Earnings/Financials
Only 5-10% of customers choose Chrysler's $2.99 gas guarantee
It looks like car shoppers have been smart enough to see past Chrysler's cheap gas guarantee. Despite Chrysler's extension of the offer for an extra month, a very small percentage of actual consumers have actually chosen the gas guarantee over the old fashioned cash back options. As we've reported in the past, the incentive wasn't really as good as it seemed once the math was done. As was pointed out by the Union of Concerned Scientists, a 3 mpg bump in efficiency would be equal to the savings Chrysler was offering. Additionally, Chrysler not only has the worst fleet in terms of fuel efficiency, but many of its products haven't exactly set the world on fire based solely on their own merit. The performance of the incentive deal suggests that in today's world average consumers may not want to be seen driving gas guzzling vehicles, regardless of what they're paying for fuel. Good products are still the only real way to guarantee sales, though cash back incentives still have an impact. Perhaps Chrysler should have offered firearms.
[Source: Auto Observer]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
blogged to death 1:33PM (6/10/2008)
Well this is a credit to Chysler's small number of customers who actually buy their cars (that decision alone is suspect anyway). But good for them not falling for gimmic de jour.
Now when is employee pricing coming back, financing for anyone with a pulse, etc.?
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Jared 1:40PM (6/10/2008)
Ford is already doing employee pricing on its F150s:
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/04/ford-battling-bad-truck-sales-with-employee-pricing-on-f-series/
Flashpoint 1:58PM (6/10/2008)
When your fleet consists of gas guzzlers: i.e. the 5.7 and 6.1 HEMI - that were introduced when gas was just
$2.25, you certainly aren't gonna do well when gas rockets to $4.50 ( an the Hemi owners have to use middle grade or Premium).
I own a Chrysler 300 and I specificaly demanded a fully loaded 2.7 Liter rather than the HEMI. If I had it to do all over, I'd have gotten the 3.5 but I got a good deal so I didn't think too much.
My regular car is an S550 and right now gas for it is costing me a fortune. BUT, I love both my babies.
Tool 3:53PM (6/10/2008)
The fact that only 5-10% took the gas deal proves that you can't win with these sales gimmicks and tired old, short-term fixes.
Consumers are smarter than that. Jim Press--you should know that by now.
Aprime 1:42PM (6/10/2008)
I don't know, I'd just get a Caliber/Patriot and enjoy my little utilitarian vehicle (and fuel efficient - perhaps not the most but regardless, it's doing better in real life mileage than any Mazda 3/Focii) while enjoying not paying nearly as much for gasoline.
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Red Star 1:52PM (6/10/2008)
Good luck getting more than 24 mpg city even with base 1.8 Caliber.
Aprime 1:57PM (6/10/2008)
You'd probably tell me the same thing about my Aveo.
Besides, why would I even listen to a Ford guy regarding fuel economy? I've never gotten anything better than 30MPG in a Ford compact, something I can easily exceed in a 3.5L Malibu (last-gen).
wally 1:59PM (6/10/2008)
I get 25.3 MPG (2.4L)in every day driving in ATL + 2.99 gas!!! And i paid under sticker!!!!
Red Star 2:03PM (6/10/2008)
I can get 30 mpg highway even with my Mustang 3.8 w/ manual transmission.
And you're telling me that Focus can't do better than that?
p.s. I had a Dodge Intrepid 3.5 for a while (got rid of it few weeks ago when I got Fusion). Intrepid has worse fuel economy than my F-150 4.6.
I will never buy anything from Chrysler again.
Aprime 2:09PM (6/10/2008)
I'm refering to my Ford Escort - however, since the Mazda 3 and Focus are propelled by the same drivetrain (perhaps not transmission, but it matters little), I wouldn't be too surprised if I wouldn't be able to achieve considerable mileage numbers with it. Most Focii owners here are complaining about their cars being gas hogs (I have yet to hear a T2XX owner complain about it, I know GM has received complaints in the past, but locally, I've never heard any), while Mazda 3s are known to be inefficient for the size (9-10L/100KM), but still class-leading in everything else.
Oh yeah, the Intrepid. My friend had one, that thing was a HOG.
It'd cost him 5 bucks to drive to work (local McDonald's about 6 minutes away from here), and that was when gas was under $1/L.
3cubed (4squared plus 2squared) 3:26PM (6/10/2008)
My 96 Escort averages about 28 MPG with about 30/70 city highway driving which I think is fairly decent since it cost almost nothing to keep it running. As for Focii being gas hogs, I've never heard of such a thing. But I will say that my sister's Focus averages over 30 MPG mix driving right after a tune up, but as time goes by until the next her average worsen, but its no gas hog.
MikeW 4:23PM (6/10/2008)
You have to keep in mind that Chrysler took out eEGR with the '02 model year, and mileage took a dump.
Aprime 6:37PM (6/10/2008)
I mean a hog for its size. Considering the interior space is nearly equal to the Aveo's.
Torrent 1:44PM (6/10/2008)
Chrysler's appeal and quality was better in the 80's than it is now.
It sad when a car company is not only losing money due to no sales, but losing money because even the consumers know Chrysler sucks.
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Aprime 1:54PM (6/10/2008)
Admittedly, but little is wrong with their compact 'crossovers' (they don't call the Caliber that, but it pretty much is). Sure, they have hard plastics (few compacts don't, it's a matter of execution more than anything else), but they're of better quality than the ones in the Cobalt, and it isn't exactly inappropriate in the case of the Patriot.
And here the government discounts it since classified as an SUV and gets terrible (in the good sense of it) mileage being an SUV, much like the HHR (which is also discounted)... Now, if only we'd have a guaranteed gas price thing like that... Heh.
Torrent 2:00PM (6/10/2008)
...
Aprime 2:11PM (6/10/2008)
What? Got a problem with me not hating the trio? Sure, most Chrysler dealers are horrible, but the little economy trio's fine... The Sebring and Avenger, though... Ugh.
Torrent 3:01PM (6/10/2008)
No you said exactly what I was thinking in your last paragraph.
just25 1:53PM (6/10/2008)
Interesting paradox: fuel efficiency-related incentives that aren't being chosen when people want better fuel efficiency and people are looking out for the fuel efficient vehicles (http://goodcarbadcar.blogspot.com/2008/06/fueleconomygov-posts-traffic-jump.html). The bigger point is that half the cars truly suck.
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Chris 1:57PM (6/10/2008)
It actually would make sense for Chrysler to offer firearms because Cerebrus already owns: Remington, Marlin, NEF, DPMS and Bushmaster. I would imagine they could get rid of quite a few trucks in the South and West if they gave away a DPMS or Bushmaster AR with one.
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