On Fri, 14 Apr 2006 01:32:32 -0700, Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:

>
> "Scott Koprowski" > wrote in message
> ink.net...
>> With the introduction of the 2007 Ultima and 2007 Camry the midsize
>> market is even tougher. I'm a die hard Chrysler fan and was hoping for a
>> Civic competitor with the Caliber but it seems Chrylser failed. I'm
>> starting to be afraid the Sebring will again be another disappointment.
>> I've seen the spy shots and it looks a little underwhelming. I have not
>> even heard if
> they
>> are going to update the V6 2.7L engines- which are way behind the
>> engines that are used in the Honda/Toyota/Nissan midsize cars. I hope
>> I'm wrong.
>>
>>
> Don't worry about it, I thought the new 300C with the itty bitty windows
> and the giant butt-ugly grill would flop but apparently the new car
> purchasers of today have absolutely zero taste in good auto styling. If
> the new Sebring is butt-ugly, based on what is selling now, they will sell
> a ton of them. In fact the uglier it is the more they will sell.
>
> Ted

I spent a year deciding if I loved or hated the 300C, I finally decided I
loved it and bought one. Chrysler has hit on the right formula, highly
distinctive cars that generate strong reactions. It doesn't matter if 90%
of the public hates your car if 10% love it so much they'll buy one at any
price. GM and Ford are heading towards bankruptcy because the only way
they have to sell a car is with huge rebates. Any company has to have a
value proposition to sell their products. Toyota gets premium prices
because their cars have a reputation for reliability. Toyota's cars are
all dull and uninteresting with the exception of their hybrids which the
tree hugging crowd finds exciting. But they don't have to discount because
people know that the transmission isn't going to fall out of them and that
they'll be able to sell them in 10 years. Chrysler can never compete with
Toyota on Toyota's terms and they are smart not to try. Instead they've
been able to write their own rule book. You don't buy a Chrysler for fuel
economy, durability, or resale value because those all suck on Chryslers.
You buy a Chrysler because it offers more performance then anything else
in it's class or because it's in a class by itself. Chrysler got there
with minivans and SUVs before anyone else and they had a long profitable
run before everyone else caught up. With the 300C they came out with a
radically styled sedan at a time when everyone else was putting all of
their design money into yet another SUV. The 300C also has the performance
of a car that cost's $20K more, when I was shopping last year the only
other cars that had a V8 and AWD cost >$60K. As a result they don't have
to offer any discounts on the 300C and they are the only Detroit auto
company making money. It's doubtful if they can make any money on Calibers
because of the price point, but if thats the car where a generation of
kids lose their virginity (it looks like that's the design goal for
the Caliber) then they'll have a bunch of customers for the future.