Every once in a while while checking the car pricing data I come across something that must be an error, except it isn’t. I came across such a case when going over the 2009 Mercedes ML350 today. On the ML350 you can get leather upholstery. And you can get a “Heating Package,” which includes heated seats in both rows and… More →
Category: Marketing
Marketing
Cheverolet Traverse ad suggests I should buy something else
I’ve been using gmail, which serves up ads based on what’s in your inbox. Recently they’ve been serving up an ad for the Chevrolet Traverse. The claim: “Traverse Outperforms Almost All its Competitors.” Almost all? Well, why shouldn’t I buy the one it didn’t outperform? A message you won’t be receiving from TrueDelta: “providing better vehicle reliability, fuel economy, and… More →
Amnesia, hindsight, and health insurance
Just a few months ago seemingly everyone was criticizing Detroit for failing to foresee $4.00 gas and develop fuel efficient cars accordingly. Even today we hear that these companies should refocus on alt fuels. But how many of those who claimed that Detroit should have spent billions of dollars to develop more fuel efficient vehicles predicted that fuel prices would… More →
Once again, GM’s overseas products don’t sell well in the U.S.
In one of Peanut’s classic gags, Lucy told Charlie Brown time and time again that she’d hold the football for him so he could kick it, only to pull it away at the last minute. American car buyers like to do this with GM. They say, “If only you offered the products you sell overseas in the U.S., we’d buy… More →
Jeep improves interiors
Well, now I know what Chrysler had been up to. Few if any new products are on the horizon–no surprise, since the company seems very unlikely to survive in anything resembling its present form. But every Jeep model except the Wrangler did receive an upgraded interior this year. Too bad they didn’t take this step back when Jeeps were still… More →
Limited – to the number they can sell
No word has been more abused by the auto industry than “Limited.” The implication–that the manufacturer will be producing only a small, fixed number of vehicles, so it’s special–has rarely if ever actually been the case. Instead, production is limited to the number they can sell. And, in the case of the Chrysler Aspen Limited, which inspired this post, perhaps a few… More →
Behind the Ford Flex Flop
Back in April 2007 I heralded the 2009 Ford Flex as a sign of life at Ford. By applying cues from the cult-inspiring styling of the Scion xB and MINI Cooper to a much larger three-row vehicle, I predicted that Ford had the magic formula for people seeking a people mover with style. Well, the 2009 Ford Flex arrived at… More →
Continuing site usability improvements
The latest major change: the bottom half of the homepage now includes links to the brand pages, from which you can get to a page where all the site’s informaton for a specific model is either displayed or directly linked to. This should make it easier for people seeking information on a single model. As part of this change, “reviews”… More →
Where’s my car?
Back in 2001 the Toyota Altezza arrived in the U.S. as the Lexus with a price in the low 30s. The interior didn’t seem worthy of a Lexus, and the price was beyond the reach of many who would otherwise buy a small rear-drive sedan. Ever since then I’ve been waiting for a manufacture to fill an obvious hole in… More →
Why I hate half-years
March 2008 is just now ending, and already a number of 2009 models are available. Legally, a car can be a 2009 as soon as the 2008 calendar year begins. Some people will take exception with this. Why can’t the model years match the calendar years, or at least come close? Well, before make this request, consider the alternative. Some manufacturers… More →