young

just reading an article at autoweek about the avalanche (i think the one where you can sort of change it into a full bed truck) and it sold 15000 in the 2 months! the coupe will struggle to make that, i think in 3 quarters of sales... the avalanche is a $30000 truck...

SoCal240/6

There are a lot more rednecks than there are people who want a 4 cylinder MB hatchback.

Mike T.

The Avalanche is for Nancy-boys...real men drive Mercedes-Benz Unimogs

Don't be surprised that crap like the Avalanche sells a lot in the USA - so do McDonald's burgers, and does that mean they're great?

Since the demise of the real Hummer, replaced by something with crap suspension (the new GM Hummer), the Unimog is all alone as a seriously capable all terrain truck. It was always better than the Hummer anyway...

renncpe

Come'on Young thats like comparing Stock Car's to F1.Special financing, low interest rates, rebates, and low beacons to qualify for financing. It’s like a red necks wet dream! Before I get flamed for that comment, not all trucks are driven by Red Necks I have a truck it’s just not the only vehicle I own.
There are a lot of reasons that Mercedes does not sell as many cars as other brands, Mercedes will hit its targeted sales figures for the C Coupe. It will hold a better resale value than most. I just don’t see any comparison here.

Randy

greg230

dont forget you can get an avalanche for the average/middle income red kneck, and the gangsta or high income redneck can get the transforming escalade thing. (i apologize in advance for the redneck thing)

nothing quite as nice as getting 2.5 miles to the gallon in the city.

at least the commercials are cool

WyattEarp

I get it as long as you apologize ahead of time you can say anything right .

mbtech208

My observation is that chicks dig guys in big trucks. However, chicks do not dig guys in Avalanches. That's a dumb vehicle anyways. Have you seen the commercial where the two guys are driving down a dusty road and the one says to the other "Hey, wanna switch?" or something along those lines? Then the one guy folds down the backseat and back wall, and continues driving. What they DON'T show in the commercial are the two guys then choking on all the dust being blown into the interior from the Avalanches barbaric aerodynamics. The Escalade EXT version is even dumber.

MB-BOB

greg, you're not being a good example for WyattEarp, who is trying to be a good boy... You apologized for the redneck reference, which leads one to assume you're not apologizing for the gangsta reference. Tsk, Tsk.

Last week we compared a Coupe with the Ford Lightning, now this. Geez, what are you guys smoking? cuz, it's nowhere near a full moon tonight...

As a card-carrying redneck from Missouri, I can tell you I wouldn't park an Avalanche in front of my doublewide... It's just a stretched Aztek with a proper trunk bed instead of that funky two piece rear glass. (April Fool's on the redneck card thing. I've never owned a doublewide. But I do have a cousin...)

WyattEarp

I always suspected you, being from missoura and all!

MB-BOB

It's Missouri, Wyatt, Missouri. Only a redneck in a cheap Arnold cathouse would call it Missoura... (along with most Missouri politicians, including our illustrious US Attorney General). I was born and reared in St. Louis, and was taught Missouri...

Are we sure it's not a full moon?

greg230

i was joking about both terms, but i think redneck and gangsta carry two very different connotations.

Redneck has a very negative inbreeding kinda toothless grin, washing machine on the front lawn, trailer park flare to it.

Gangsta is simply a style, sorta like bling bling... overly flashy or presumptious.

then again maybe both are pretty negative, however "gangsta" is in style here in the northeastern cities, while i dont think redneck chic has come in to vogue yet

young

actually, i didn't mean to imply a direct comparison of the coupe vs the avalanche (that name just rolls down the tongue... )

it was more about sales numbers... how a truck that is more expensive than the coupe sells so easily. when i saw the commercials, i thought, "when it's converted, isn't it open? how do you stop the ton of gravel that your hauling from just rolling into the cabin?" i don't have anything against trucks per se. actually, if you get a truck, i'll be your friend so i can borrow it (on a sidenote, the lincoln blackwood is dead... this is the truck w/ the carpet lined bed w/ the hard cover that sort of lifted up... but you really couldn't carry anything tall in it b/c of the cover.)

and it was also sort of related to the thread that we had a while ago about perception. there are 15000 avalanche buyers who forked over $30k+ (that's base) and they're looked at in a less than positive light.

WyattEarp

You just haven't been in the right parts of the bluegrass or the volunteer states, have you? Redneck chic is definitely en vogue there.

mbtech208

The Avalanche, the Escalade EXT, the Cadillac CTS, the Aztek, killing Oldsmobile and the Camaro/Firebird.....it's almost like GM wants to commit suicide. I was raised around GM cars. When I was born, I came home from the hospital in Buick. The first vehicle I ever drove was a Chevy van. I lost my virginity in a Cadillac. Believe me, once GM starts building intelligent, world-class cars again, I will be first in line to buy one. Until then, it's the Japanese imports for me.

WyattEarp

Let's see 80% of 15000 =~ 12000

I think it's more like there are 12000 people in debt above and beyond their means just to own a truck the girls will go giddy over when they cruise down by the river. Oh the memories

Jorel C320

I think the CTS is pretty nice....But your right on the rest.

revstriker

A co-worker that I have lunch with each week has an Avalanche. To be perfectly honest, I really don't like it at all! Young is correct in that when you put the back seats down to expand the bed, it is open all the way to the front. You wouldn't want to carry anything loose that way. It does have a cover which makes it kind of nice in bad weather, but limiting (unless you remove it) from carrying larger items. As for the interior, I think that the leather that he has looks really cheap. It actually looks and feels like vinyl. The dash controls are typical GM. Big chucky knobs and switches. In my opinion, if you want an SUV, buy one, and if you want a Pick-up, buy one, but the combination ones just don't do anything for me.

I too find that having friends/neighbors with pickups are convenient (there's no shortage of them here in Texas). I have been thinking about buying a used pick up, maybe a Ford F150, or a Dodge Ram, just for the times when I do need to haul something; ie: bags of mulch, paver stones, concrete mix, plywood, etc. If I do, it won't be until next spring, and I will have to offset the expense somehow. Lots of things happening between now and then though.

One thing for sure is that I will NEVER own an Avalanche!!

benzomonterey

I have the coupe and an F350 Dually Turbo Diesel so what catagory does that put me in? The Bling Bling Redneck?

Jorel C320

So there is a turbo diesel truck out there! My friend was rite! DARN!.... Your a gangsta redneck benzo. I too have a truck... Sport Trac!

Hal H

I used to like GM cars for their styling and better designs for powertrains - but that era is certainly over.

But after owning 3 new GM cars (1984, 1986, 1992) its over for good with me...every one of them usually had me back at the shop within a week of delivery with a list of problems (about 6 defects or drivability problems). And none of these were first year production models either.

Now with GM pushing out some of the ugliest styling on the road (especially Cadillacs), who's going to buy them? All you had to do is buy one GM car and after the first 1 1/2 years of ownership, your done with it.

Ford doesn't offer much (and the terminal blandness doesn't help). The best stuff Ford makes seems to originate from the Ford of Europe group, but only if the US planners don't screw it up too much (remaking for the US buyer).

Any Chrysler seems to think offering novel, useless styling (Prowler, PT Cruiser, Viper) is going to going to improve the rest of their crappy product line. They're more intent on making fantasy 'concept' cars for the show circuit while the existing models only get sold with rebates, 0% financing and heavy discounts - and this is contingent on a buyers willingness to buy a brand that has the worst resale value of any US maker.

MIZZOU C320

HEY MB BOB... IM FROM MISSOURI TOO.... WHAT PART OF ST LOUIS DID YOU GROW UP IN? I LIVE IN COLUMBIA RIGHT NOW AND GO TO SCHOOL AT MIZZOU!!! HOW BOUT THOES TIGERS?!?!

AND ALL THIS TALK ABOUT BENZOS AND FORD PICKUP'S REMINDS ME OF THAT BUSTA RHYMES RAP VIDEO W/ THE F-150 THAT HAS THE THREE POINT STAR IN THE GRILL AND THE BUBBLE LIGHTS.

AND BEING FROM MISSOURI MY FIRST CAR WAS A 99 F150 LARIET STEP SIDE.... BEST TRUCK IVE EVER DROVE.

young

here an interesting article on cars and regionalism...

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/05/au...es/05DRIV.html

here's the comment on mercs and southern california
And Mercedes-Benz is so strong in Los Angeles and the rest of Southern California that nearly one of every five sales made by the company in the United States is made in the region, giving verisimilitude to the old joke that the "Mercedes is the Chevy of Beverly Hills."

MB-BOB

Reared in "Spanish Lake" north unincorporated area, but also owned a home in Mehlville.

Missouri did well this year in Basketball. Tigers might get back on the map, eventually.

Lynn

"So, where'd ya go to school?"

I nearly fell on the floor laughing the first time I heard that. I thought the person was kidding. It still makes me chuckle when I hear it.

I live in Mehlville, but I can see Oakville from my patio.

AndrewK

Going back to the second page of this discussion... redneck is definately in style (along with gangsta) here in Atlanta. The pathetic part about it is there are probably at least 10 people in my class (of '04) who think is terribly cool to get a truck with a 10 inch lift, gun rack, Bass Pro shops sticker and spray their truck with mud to give the impresion of off-roading. There are also some who want to get Escalades with a bg sound system and 20s. Very few people want to get cars, its very disturbing. But, I'll let them be happy getting 10 mpg when gasoline is $3-5 a gallon.