GM U.S. July sales down 19.5 percent, Honda up 10.2%

How do you feel about projections? Based on projected sales released by each company at the beginning of the year, Toyota is expected to surpass GM in total worldwide sales in 2006. I don't know for sure, but I am betting that Toyota is doing at least as well as GM at hitting their sales targets so far this year.

I can't really agree with that. I think it doesn't really matter if we all drove Sunfire's, or each company's version of it (Honda's Civic, etc), gas would still be where it is now. They know we need it, and that we will pay for it.

I don't see that happening at all. See above. They know we need it, and they will charge whatever they want.

I can agree with that. I myself, don't use much gas at all. I mainly stay in-town, and when I go out, I usually wait until more people have to go out, and we all go in one car, at the same time (I live with 5 other family members and friends).

I bought a Chevette when they first came out.

In form and function, it was the perfect suburban "go-to-work" and "run errands" vehicle. BUT underpowered, poor gas mileage, engine probs, and indifferent dealer service cured me.

I dumped it in less than 2 years.

We are all entitled to our opinions I guess. What makes you believe the 'fuel(s) of the future' will be less expensive than gasoline? Hydrogen is currently around $20 a gallon

I've been in all three sides of the automotive business for a long time and in the real world people buy what they want. History repeatedly tells us what they ALWAYS want is their vehicles to be bigger and more powerful. Look at what both Toyota and Honda have marketed over the past ten years. They are ALL bigger and more powerful, with more new trucks and SUVs than small cars. Todays Corolla is a bigger car than the Camry of yore. Where the import have the advantage is that can import the midget cars the make and sell around the world. They can't afford to build them in the US anymore than domestics can. Even though the imports have much lower labor and benefits cost than the domestics in the US. When buyers warm to the higher gas prices they will shun smaller cars just as they did after the last big gas price jumps. Teh fact is we use far more gas at $3 than we did when it was $2

Even if we could develop an alternative fuel to replace gasoline, the cost of a delivery system alone would be in the billions, IF we can get it built under the current pollution laws. If we did all that OPEC can simply lower the price of crude and make ANY new fuel a more expensive option. We sill never see any fuel for our cars that is less expensive, so the sooner you become accustomed to it you can buy the big powerful car vehicle you want. ;)

mike hunt

As I said before you are entitle to your opinion but that does not mean it is the most valid. When I owned my fleet service business we serviced thousand of vehicles monthly, of nearly every brand you can name. With our meticulous service, as recorded in the records we accumulated, we saw little discernable differences on average among the vehicles on the market today. The only real difference is style and price and one need not spend at lot more money to buy a good dependable vehicle. Just a note, the manufacture with the most vehicles recalled so far for 2006 is Toyota. ;)

mike hunt

An engine made by FIAT to boot ;)

mike

Among my collection of old cars there is a 1971 Pinto. Currently there is

305K on the clock. Looks and runs as good as new. It even wins it class at old cars shows. Know what I have yet to see at an old car show? ANY Japanese cars, in my class, except for a low mileage XR7 or a 'Z' car on occasion in the sport class. Lots of British, German, even French and Italian small cars from that era but hardly ever see a Jap car ;)

mike hunt

That's because they're still on the road being driven..... ;o)

That's odd, I've seen quite a few B210s done up for vintage racing.

nate

designed, not made. However, if you can keep the rust monster at bay, an old FIAT will actually last quite a long time; when I was a kid a neighbor down the street had one of those little red boxy looking FIAT coupes, and his wife drove the wheels off of it. It was a cute little thing, and since he kept up with the maintenance (and squirting oil up into all the nooks and crannies apparently,) last I heard it was handed down to his daughter.

Apparently you can make a neat little GTI type racer by mixing and matching FIAT and Yugo parts...

nate

Mike Hunter wrote:

That is incredibly stupid

Mike Hunter wrote:

People want transport from a to b and they want it to be safe, comfortable and at a low cost

In Europe that means increasingly using trains for long trips and small cars at the destination

There is an increasing number of powerful transport options using combination of high quality trains and comfortable long lasting small cars

Ya right LOL

mike hunt

Perhaps, with all new drive trains, but not originals at old car shows ;)

mike

Just remembered, I've seen a couple of those little Datsun 2-seat convertibles (pre-Z car) nicely restored as well. At least one at each of the last couple local car shows I've been to.

nate

Rebuilt, maybe, but not non-Datsun.

How many '65 Mustangs still have original, unrebuilt engines?

nate

Mike Hunter wrote:

That's right, when a commodity is expensive because it's scarce, the solution is to just make more money and consume, consume, consume and don't give a second thought to what would happen if everyone acted like you.

nate

Apparently you do not know much about the US if you believe that. ;)

mike hunt

We are all entitled to our opinions I guess. What makes you believe the 'fuel(s) of the future' will be less expensive than gasoline? Hydrogen is currently around $20 a gallon

I've been in all three sides of the automotive business for a long time and in the real world people buy what they want. History repeatedly tells us what they ALWAYS want is their vehicles to be bigger and more powerful. Look at what both Toyota and Honda have marketed over the past ten years. They are ALL bigger and more powerful, with more new trucks and SUVs than small cars. Todays Corolla is a bigger car than the Camry of yore. Where the import have the advantage is that can import the midget cars the make and sell around the world. They can't afford to build them in the US anymore than domestics can. Even though the imports have much lower labor and benefits cost than the domestics in the US. When buyers warm to the higher gas prices they will shun smaller cars just as they did after the last big gas price jumps. Teh fact is we use far more gas at $3 than we did when it was $2

Even if we could develop an alternative fuel to replace gasoline, the cost of a delivery system alone would be in the billions, IF we can get it built under the current pollution laws. If we did all that OPEC can simply lower the price of crude and make ANY new fuel a more expensive option. We sill never see any fuel for our cars that is less expensive, so the sooner you become accustomed to it you can buy the big powerful car vehicle you want. ;)

mike hunt

As you should well know, fleet use and private use are two different animals. Someone with a fleet car doesn't care about it as long as it is still functional and safe to drive. However, they would never put up with the junky feel and increased NVH of worn components in their own personal cars. Thus a cheaply made car will cost a private owner much more over the long term than a well built one, unless the owner

*acts* like a fleet manager and trades it in every couple years.

nate

Mike Hunter wrote:

I have one of those as well. ;)

mike hunt