It keeps Honda and Toyota sort of looking at Nissan. The fact that Nissan is refreshing their product periodically keeps Honda and Toyota on their toes. It keeps that market very competitive. I think it's a positive for Nissan and a positive for the whole segment. The benefit is the consumer has a lot of great choices. |
It seems like there's a lot of good initial buzz on this product. |
It's going to be small, |
It's going to be small. New Orleans is not a major metro [area]. |
It's one of the, if not the most competitive segments. You have high-volume brands, and a lot of their entries in that segment are flagship models. |
It's somewhat surprising that they would come forward with a big incentive program at this time. Their pricing program seems to be getting some traction, and they're getting some momentum from their new models. |
It's still moving faster than the traditional Escape, but it is turning slower than some of the hybrids. The Escape as a hybrid is sort of middling. |
Its reputation was based on customer satisfaction. Now they're adding this new dimension, which is styling. They have a challenge in doing both. I hope they will maintain a focus on customer relations because they've established that. |
Now about 52 percent of the industry is trucks. |
Right now the domestic brands do not have the reputation that would allow them to go without incentives. Chrysler tried it three years ago. Then two weeks later they got right back on the incentives because without them they couldn't market anything. The brand strength of Honda, the history of reliable, durable products, is great enough to pull in prospects without customer cash. |
So far, the perceived gas price increases have not had any discernible impact on new-vehicle buying patterns, at least with regard to the size of the engine. |
Some of the models -- the Ford Five Hundred, the Ford Freestyle -- were just being launched in October, ... The Chevy Cobalt is just hitting showrooms now. |
That's impressive. They need more of this. |
The 'net is a major communications and marketing tool, and those who embrace it will be rewarded, while those who resist will eventually be noncompetitive, ... Dave Smith Motors was quick to implement this technology, and the dealership is benefiting from it. |
The deal will fade, but the vehicle will be with you for years. Get something that you'll enjoy, that holds its value, because you'll have to live with it down the road. |