Chrysler’s August Sales Down 34%

Chrysler Canada Aug/08 sales are down 24% compared to Aug/07

Chrysler Canada YTD sales are down 0.35% compared to 2007.

In Canada, Dodge Ram August sales are up 14% over August 2007, and up

Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country August combined sales are slightly more than double what they were in Aug 2007.

Jeep Wrangler August sales were 18% higher than 2007.

No mention of the Journey - is it sold in Canada?

What's a CUV?

Crossover Utility Vehicle

Journey just came out a few months ago. Based on the Sebring/Avenger platform. About the size of the old short wb minivans.

That makes no difference. What matters is how profitable each line is.

When they were doing the leasing they were losing money on many models, on every sale. More sales just meant you lost money faster. Now without the leasing they are making more money on each sale so they are much better off.

Ted

Here our dealers are sold out of Calibers. Could that be why their sales are down? A huge number of 300s on their lots though.

A few weeks ago I went around to a few of our several Chrysler dealers, looking for a 2004 300M. Few 300Ms available, but lots of sales talk trying to convince me I should get a 300. Just like politicians, try anything!

Yes the Journey has been at my CDN dealer for a few months.

IMO it's a small van, just like the Pacifica is a larger van. If the spare is slung underneath, it's not a car or CUV.

Chrysler knows that, that's why they discontinued the small van. Very good price if you like it and the 4 cyl does the job for you.

The leasing losses come at lease end when they the off lease vehicle is worth less than they predicted. It will take a year or more for that difference to show.

Anyone who has actually driven a Pacifica would not mistake it for any kind of van. The AWD model in particular would embarrass more than a few ordinary sedans going around corners.

Brian Priebe

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The Pacifica, in particular the late models Limiteds with the 4.0 V6 and dual exhaust was probably one of the nicest cars (truck/van/crossover/whatever) that Chrysler has made in many years. It was quick, comfortable and handled better than many cars I've driven. I truly hate they axed it.

Amen to that. If Nardelli et al cannot make money building Tourings and Limiteds, like they originally started out to in 2003 with pretty loaded 'base' models, then there is something seriously amiss at Chrysler. It looked like somebody panicked when the sales numbers weren't what they expected.

There wasn't a lot wrong with the original models that could not have been fairly easily corrected. I'm happy enough with the reputedly bulletproof 3.5L but the 4-speed transmission just doesn't cut it.. However, the panel fit in places is appalling. The trim fit at the A pillars should not be acceptable in an econobox, let alone a vehicle they were asking CDN$53,500 for. Nevertheless I bought one.

The marketing of the vehicle was appalling from the word GO and heads should have rolled. As near as I can tell it had next to no advertising exposure in print or TV. I cannot recall a single instance in any local newspaper ad in the 4 years since I bought my AWD, that any Pacifica model was ever mentioned. It's all trucks, Jeeps, vans, and 300's. And God help you trying to find a sales droid who actually knew anything about the vehicle. The only reason Chrysler got my business, first vehicle of theirs I'd ever bought, was their Internet web site. For all the good their dealers in town were, they might as well shut them all down and sell through eBay.

Bringing out the new stripped base model as a Chrysler IMHO was a huge mistake. From the outside, you can hardly tell the difference between a loaded Touring and a model costing $15K less. Reminiscent of the mistake Cadillac made 20 years ago when their cars looked exactly like Oldsmobiles costing 1/2 the price.