08-26-2011, 06:03 AM | #1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 518
|
Chrysler to end Caliber Model in November
|
08-26-2011, 10:19 AM | #2 |
Administrator
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 14,869
|
Does the Patriot and Compass survive?
While I never liked the Caliber and thought it was a poor replacement for the Neon I'm also concerned that the dealers need something to sell in that segment.
I read the story in your link - it was unclear to me what the future was for the Jeep Compass and Patriot? I'm assuming they'll survive and if that's the case the loss of the Caliber will most likely not be a big deal for most CJDR dealers. I have to wonder, however, how much money does Chrysler save by killing off the Caliber and keeping the Compass and Patriot? |
08-26-2011, 11:24 AM | #3 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 713
|
Quote:
|
|
08-26-2011, 01:15 PM | #4 | |
Administrator
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 14,869
|
Quote:
I've been wanting to start a thread about Chrysler's product pipeline but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Based on what I read in Automotive News I get the impression there's one new small car coming and then nothing new for another year. |
|
08-29-2011, 07:52 AM | #5 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 548
|
How excited can the dealer's be about a replacement model that will only carry a margin of $200-$400 based on current models?
|
08-29-2011, 11:49 AM | #6 | |
Administrator
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 14,869
|
Quote:
I understand the issue of low margins has been a Chrysler Dealer Council issue but I don't know if there's a resolution in sight. |
|
08-30-2011, 04:18 AM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,122
|
There is no resolution in sight for the margins, because Chrysler doesn't care about the Dealer margins. Dealer Council?, what a joke. It's almost embarrasing to act like there is a Dealer Council.
|
08-30-2011, 08:37 AM | #8 | |
Administrator
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 14,869
|
Quote:
Sadly, I think that's the direction the car business is headed. The margin between Invoice and MSRP will decrease because dealers have a tough time holding gross now that the majority of their customers use the Internet to price shop before going to the dealership. The OEMs will shift money away from the Invoice/MSRP margin and create more Dealer Cash programs. While that's not a bad thing in my opinion, my bet is most OEMs will come up with programs like Ford's Blue Oval and Chrysler's Dealer Standards that force dealers to meet a set of criteria to earn the maximum level of payment. |
|
08-30-2011, 08:45 AM | #9 |
Administrator
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 14,869
|
One of my goals when I get the forum to the next level is to commission a study of the Dealer Councils for the various OEMs. I think it would be interesting to know how the OEMs rate among their dealers as it concerns the effectiveness of their Dealer Councils.
|
08-30-2011, 09:33 AM | #10 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 290
|
over the last 10 years i've had more than one council member tell me they didnt know why they even bothered to serve. the business centers sent nothing up of a serious or contoversial nature, and the auburn hills crowd took everything that slipped through under advisement. no one cares what we think and they would prefer that we dont question anything. it could be soooo simple and mutually beneficial if anyone had a clue.
|
08-31-2011, 10:08 AM | #11 | |
Administrator
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 14,869
|
Quote:
That's the main reason I'd love to do a study of all the OEM Dealer Councils - I wonder if there's a group of dealers who really feels their OEM responds to Dealer Council concerns? (I do remember reading that the Penske/Saturn deal unwound at the last minute because of strong objections received by the Nissan Dealer Council - so maybe there are OEMs who listen to dealer input.) |
|
09-01-2011, 08:09 AM | #12 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 548
|
Quote:
The Dealer Council is useless and has been for many years. For the most part, the factory handpicks who they want on the Council...dealers they know they can control and count on to push the factory's agenda to the dealer body. The election process means nothing--the factory counts the votes. Those dealers are more interested in trying to curry favor with management that they believe will help them gain an advantage over the other dealers. I'm not saying that ALL of them fit that profile, but the one I know personally wrote the book on "brown-nosing". As a group, I can't think of a single dealer issue that was presented to the Council in 25 years that resulted in any favorable response from Chrysler...it was always: "We share the dealer's concerns over this issue, and it is being taken under advisement, but at this time, no action can be taken due to factors which we cannot divulge publicly." |
|
09-01-2011, 08:59 AM | #13 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 290
|
Dealer Ex speaks the truth on all counts, thats not an anti-factory stance ,, its just the r eality. which mfgr. wants to break out of the rut and build an unbeatable, unstoppable, super profitable TEAM??
|
09-19-2011, 12:31 PM | #14 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 55
|
Better order all the calibers you can because the fiat based replacement will be allocated by caliber sales and the replacement will be hot because it will be new
|
09-19-2011, 01:52 PM | #15 | |
Administrator
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 14,869
|
Quote:
In the old days I remember Chrysler did a good job of taking care of the dealers who stepped up and supported the model that was going out of production but I thought I'd heard where Chrysler now incorporates other variables when determining the allocation of a new model. As an example, I remember when the first SRT-4s were allocated back in 2003 the majority went to Florida and California because those were the markets Chrysler targeted based on competitive sales analysis. |
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Is Chrysler still pushing dealers to complete Project Genesis by the end of 2011? | XDCX | Sales | 30 | 08-17-2011 10:10 AM |
Picture of '11 Chrysler 300 front-end on the Service Contract P&E Guide? | XDCX | Sales | 5 | 09-01-2010 04:00 AM |
New Caliber - WOW! | Txflyer | Sales | 6 | 03-03-2010 02:09 AM |
New Retail Model | ohiobuckeyes | Automotive Discussions | 9 | 02-25-2010 06:29 AM |
Chrysler's Product Plan - New Model Timetable | XDCX | Sales | 13 | 11-12-2009 10:24 AM |