Need a car

[maat55]

If you need a car and can wait a bit, you might end up with the deal of the century.

The Silver Bear Cafe

Hey!! lets give GM more money so they can make more.

[swanson719]

It's costing them $$ every day to store those cars too. No wonder they are hemmoraging money.

[Pitman]

I am, well was, a couple of days away from buying a new car, but from people in the "know", I'm hearing I should wait another month or two, and I'll be able to get an 09 for dirt cheap.

[red92s]

I'm not sure that was an unusual sight even in the boom days of car sales. I remember taking a cruise out of Charleston, SC in 2003 or 2004. The port of Charleston is where most (all?) of the German-built BMW's arrive in the states. There was similarly large FIELDS of new cars sitting there. Personally, I don't think most of the images on that site are that far out of the ordinary . . . but it certainly makes for sensational media.

[Bimmer]

Originally Posted by red92s

I'm not sure that was an unusual sight even in the boom days of car sales. I remember taking a cruise out of Charleston, SC in 2003 or 2004. The port of Charleston is where most (all?) of the German-built BMW's arrive in the states. There was similarly large FIELDS of new cars sitting there. Personally, I don't think most of the images on that site are that far out of the ordinary . . . but it certainly makes for sensational media.

+1

New cars are stored at various places as they await shipping to their next/final destination.

Of course most of these cars are "unsold." Some might be special-order, but most are destined for dealer lots, where they are then sold.

[maat55]

Originally Posted by Bimmer

+1

New cars are stored at various places as they await shipping to their next/final destination.

Of course most of these cars are "unsold." Some might be special-order, but most are destined for dealer lots, where they are then sold.

Who knows if there is a catastrophic amount of unsold cars, but we know sales are way down and factories are shutting down.

[Bimmer]

Originally Posted by maat55

Who knows if there is a catastrophic amount of unsold cars, but we know sales are way down and factories are shutting down.

True, we do not know, which makes those pictures meaningless. No date/time stamps, etc. No context as to why the cars are at those places. More than likely most of them are simply waiting to get sorted for transport to their next destination.

[autoxer]

I don't expect a significant drop in new car pricing. Unless the manufacturer or dealer goes bankrupt and they are trying harder to liquidate. They have all scaled back production to match the demand. If they slash pricing to the point that they don't make a profit, then how will they dig themselves out of this mess?

[sweeps]

Originally Posted by autoxer

I don't expect a significant drop in new car pricing. Unless the manufacturer or dealer goes bankrupt and they are trying harder to liquidate. They have all scaled back production to match the demand. If they slash pricing to the point that they don't make a profit, then how will they dig themselves out of this mess?

Better to get 80 cents on the dollar, than nothing.

Keep in mind they have time working against them. No one wants to buy a "new" 2009 model when 2010's are sitting on the lot, already on sale.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by sweeps

No one wants to buy a "new" 2009 model when 2010's are sitting on the lot, already on sale.

I've often thought that car makers need to do away with the whole "model year" system of selling cars. Stop coming out with a "new" model every year just for the sake of doing so. Make changes and introduce new models when new features become available, whenever that happens to be. And keep selling models that continue to sell well. One of the best selling cars of all time was the VW Beetle which changed very little over the years and they continued to sell plenty of them.

I drive a 1998 model. If the same car were available today, maybe with some updated safety features, I'd buy it. It isnt, though. The 2009 model by the same name bears very little resemblance to my car and I don't happen to like it.

[GREENBACK]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I've often thought that car makers need to do away with the whole "model year" system of selling cars. Stop coming out with a "new" model every year just for the sake of doing so. Make changes and introduce new models when new features become available, whenever that happens to be. And keep selling models that continue to sell well. One of the best selling cars of all time was the VW Beetle which changed very little over the years and they continued to sell plenty of them.

I drive a 1998 model. If the same car were available today, maybe with some updated safety features, I'd buy it. It isnt, though. The 2009 model by the same name bears very little resemblance to my car and I don't happen to like it.

I understand what you're saying. I think part of the reason for change every model year is to keep the production lines rolling. Think of all that goes into new model design. R&D, engineering, buyer appeal and the cottage industries that provide the new tooling for a new design. I probably haven't described it all with that said. I've owned vehicles that I considered the perfect design only to see it changed in the next year. Might be why I've never bought a new vehicle.