Smart Exceeds Sales Expectations
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From: South Africa/Swaziland
06 COROLLA 140I
Smart Exceeds Sales Expectations
NEW YORK — Smart car importer Penske Automotive Group has found that the little city car is big outside the expected target markets of Los Angeles and New York, with dealers in middle America desperate for more of the cars, according to CEO Roger Penske.
The Smart Fortwo is also selling more heavily laden with options than was expected, he added. The average Fortwo is equipped with $1,600 in options, or about 15 percent of the car's base price, and the fully loaded version accounts for 10 percent of the cars sold, rather than the 4 percent the company predicted, he said.
"This is not a customer who is buying a car because it is cheap," Penske said. "People are interested in its urban friendliness and its fuel economy," he said. "It is the total of what we offer."
This might lead one to expect the car to be popular in L.A. and New York, and it is. "Los Angeles alone would be our number-one state in sales," Penske said.
But its appeal hasn't been limited to Hollywood stars and SoHo hipsters. "In Pittsburgh and places like that, the dealers are dying for the cars," he said.
All of the interest was generated by Smart's 50-city Road Show last year, which showed off the car in places like sporting events and retail outlets, said Penske.
The tour was so effective that the company's first two years' allotment is spoken for, reports Smart USA President David Schembri. Because of that, Smart will not engage in conventional advertising through the usual outlets, but will continue to engage in non-traditional brand-building activities, he said.
What this means to you: It's gonna be hard to get a Smart, even if you live someplace where you thought demand would be slower. — Dan Carney, Contributor
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=125314
The Smart Fortwo is also selling more heavily laden with options than was expected, he added. The average Fortwo is equipped with $1,600 in options, or about 15 percent of the car's base price, and the fully loaded version accounts for 10 percent of the cars sold, rather than the 4 percent the company predicted, he said.
"This is not a customer who is buying a car because it is cheap," Penske said. "People are interested in its urban friendliness and its fuel economy," he said. "It is the total of what we offer."
This might lead one to expect the car to be popular in L.A. and New York, and it is. "Los Angeles alone would be our number-one state in sales," Penske said.
But its appeal hasn't been limited to Hollywood stars and SoHo hipsters. "In Pittsburgh and places like that, the dealers are dying for the cars," he said.
All of the interest was generated by Smart's 50-city Road Show last year, which showed off the car in places like sporting events and retail outlets, said Penske.
The tour was so effective that the company's first two years' allotment is spoken for, reports Smart USA President David Schembri. Because of that, Smart will not engage in conventional advertising through the usual outlets, but will continue to engage in non-traditional brand-building activities, he said.
What this means to you: It's gonna be hard to get a Smart, even if you live someplace where you thought demand would be slower. — Dan Carney, Contributor
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=125314
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From: Maryland USA
08 ML350; 07' Acura RDX; 05'FX45; 03'Murano
Not so positive, even Smart
I did pay $99.00 for reservation last year, then test driven, then retracted the deposit. Now in the Washington DC metro area, the Smart dealers (on Mercedes Benz dealer premises) aren't doing good.
Perhaps in the inner-cities, Smart cars can fare better, due to limited parking spaces. On good mileage at 33mpg, a Civic, Prius, or even a small Hyundai, can do better and safer than a minuscule car.
Perhaps in the inner-cities, Smart cars can fare better, due to limited parking spaces. On good mileage at 33mpg, a Civic, Prius, or even a small Hyundai, can do better and safer than a minuscule car.
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From: S JERSEY/PHILLY
2007 mercedes e63, 2006 bmw 530 Xi with Mtech kit , 2005 ford expedition
Well on my older e63 ..you're looking at 200 oil changes.. brake job cost me 700 thru a indie .. rotors are crazy expensive... I believe like 1200 a piece at dealer .... eBay price are about 600 to 700 a piece and the tires at 250 a piece but u can get cheaper brands if u choose too .
