Lacrosse outsells Chrysler 300

[buickguy]

http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw120540_20050830.htm

[the_yellow_dart]

:blink: :o Seriously? :lol: B) How did this happen?!?

[Robert Hall]

I wonder if those #s included fleet sales for each or real sales only..

[Flybrian]

I wouldn't be surprised to discover a larger proportion of sales are to fleets compared to LaCrosse.

[Paolino]

That is just ODD. At any given time, I can point out a 300 on any road I'm on. The LaCrosse, well, I'm still counting with 1 hand how many I've seen in the past year! 4, people. I've seen 4. The last one being beige, which I hate. The one before that being the Cardinal Red Metallic, which looked nice, the light blue which was for the one person who owned a LaCrosse where I worked, and a Black CX which was the first one I've ever seen, and it looked so bland without the chrome package and nice rims.

[Cory Wolfe]

Well... So much for RWD and bold styling. I can't believe the bland and FWD LaCrosse outsold it. I do wonder about fleet sales, though... Still, it's amazing. :o

[Robert Hall]

Well... So much for RWD and bold styling. I can't believe the bland and FWD LaCrosse outsold it. I do wonder about fleet sales, though... Still, it's amazing. :o

The LaCrosse is probably getting a lot of the old-line Buick buyers (i.e. people trading in their Regals, Centurys, LeSabres). Vanilla sells....

[buickguy]

I wonder about the fleet sales, too. I think they help inflate Chrysler sales figures. I always see plenty of 300s in the rental lots!

[HarleyEarl]

This is one month he is referring to. Lot's of cars outsell the 300. It does not excuse Buick for the LaCrosse's shortcomings.

[Northstar]

There was an article a while back that I posted that said about 1/4 of 300 sales were to fleets, so it is possible that the 300 has more fleet sales. This is a good sign for the LaCrosse, though it still isn't too inspiring to me. I'm guessing the 300 has made Chrysler gobs of money though, whereas the LaCrosse has done about nothing for GM I'm guessing.

[pow]

I'm guessing the 300 has made Chrysler gobs of money though, whereas the LaCrosse has done about nothing for GM I'm guessing.

[post="7345"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Wonder why... I believe the new RWD DCX cars don't sell any better than the old Intrepids, 300s, and Concordes.

[Flybrian]

Wonder why... I believe the new RWD DCX cars don't sell any better than the old Intrepids, 300s, and Concordes.

[post="7360"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

They probably sell with less discounts...at least the Hemis. I don't see the base 300 being desireable for anyone but poseurs. But that's a valid point given the initial cost of engineering a whole new platform.

Image is where the 300 has paid off big time, though.

[wpbharry]

I just LaCrossed all over my self.

[DCXinsider]

Its also helpful for Buick to be selling the Lacrosse with an employee discount whereas the 300 does not have any rebates. That's probably a big reason why more Lacrosses are sold.

[NOS2006]

I just LaCrossed all over my self.

[post="7376"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

lmao...

This is strange, indeed..

[VenSeattle]

Its also helpful for Buick to be selling the Lacrosse with an employee discount whereas the 300 does not have any rebates.  That's probably a big reason why more Lacrosses are sold.

[post="7379"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

It doesn't mean dealerships aren't offering the discount on 300s...

For example:

http://www.nalleychryslerjeep.com/Specials-New.aspx

[Tailfin61]

Per AutoNews: July: Grand Prix - 15770 500 - 13555 LaX - 13327 Taurus - 12353 300 - 10596 Avalon - 9432 Maxima - 6680 Charger - 5495 Montego - 4014

[Snate]

Around here the standard is at least 4K off anything but the Hemi. Usually that is 1-2K off.

[Cananopie]

In all fairness to the 300 its been out a couple years already. People are getting over the 300 now that everyone owns one. However this is still great news to hear because the LaCrosse is selling quite well- I'm sorry Paulie you've only seen 4 LaCrosses, live in Western New York. I drove to Buffalo for some school books and back and saw 3 just today driving for about an hour. They're selling pretty well because they ARE nice vehicles- the only thing that stops me from wanting one is only 240 NA HP. I want a Buick where the engine and power surprises people because I'm in a Buick- even if its limited production (sometimes even better if its limited production like the GNX). The LaCrosse is a finely put together, classy vehicle that really does rival Lexus in the area of the market that matters for most people. Compare the 300 to the LaCrosse and the LaCrosse has way more class while the 300 has way more style (whether you like the style or not it's far less conservative and far more sporty). The LaCrosse is silent and solid and for under 30 grand. I am not surprised with its bout of good sales. Congratulations Buick- you need the money to get some more product out there.

[VenSeattle]

Just to mention, I see LaCrosses all the time in the Seattle & on the Eastside... So they appear to be selling quite well up here.

[The O.C.]

There was an article a while back that I posted that said about 1/4 of 300 sales were to fleets, so it is possible that the 300 has more fleet sales. This is a good sign for the LaCrosse, though it still isn't too inspiring to me.

I'm guessing the 300 has made Chrysler gobs of money though, whereas the LaCrosse has done about nothing for GM I'm guessing.

[post="7345"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I gotta tell you....I don't know how often ANY of you travel, but I'm on the road about every week....

AND I haven't seen a SINGLE 300 on a rental lot since the car first came out and Chrysler put them in the fleets to gain launch exposure.

I see TONS and TONS of LaCrosses at the rental fleets in every city I go to....almost as numerous as Taurus'. Also, just about every LaCrosse I see around L.A. has a rental I.D. tag in the rear window...

I would almost lay money on the fact that Chrysler sells far more retail 300s than Buick does retail LaCrosses. AND, you can bet that DCX makes more and the DCX dealers make more on 300s than GM and their dealers are making on LaCrosse.

[Tailfin61]

Sorry that I'm repeating myself, I just posted this today under another thread, but I tried to rent a LaX recently and no one had one in their fleet in the Hartford (CT) area. Perhaps this is a regional thing where GM put them in fleets in major metro areas to get them exposure, but you can't take that as representative of the whole country. Based on the vehicles I see daily, I see a ton of Maximas. A ton. But based on the sales figures, across the whole country they are selling just OK. Same with SAAB's here. Back in the 70's and early 80's, right when the SAAB Turbo was THE thing (per Car & Driver anyway), SAABs were everywhere here. But SAAB only sold 200K cars worldwide. New England was a strong market for them. Subaru too. Tons of them around here. I agree with Cananopie that the LaX is truly a nice vehicle. I believe that sales will increase and will be sustained over the life of the vehicle . . . especially if the reliability is high.

[Ghost Dog]

Well,Well,Well :)

[buickguy]

Maybe its a coastal thing. I see plenty of 300s at the rental places near LaGuardia Airport in NYC, no LaCrosses. Ditto in Tampa, Detroit, and DC. In the past month I've seen more Lacrosses on the highways and tons of Buick ads on NY tv.

[Flybrian]

The O.C., its got to be a regional thing. Here, LX rentals far outnumber LaCrosses. The first four Chargers I saw were all rentals. The Dollar office across from TPA has a Magnum and 300 outside with "RENT ME" signs plastered on the windshield. Those are very obviously marketed towards poseurs since its a base Dodge and base 300.

[pow]

I gotta tell you....I don't know how often ANY of you travel, but I'm on the road about every week....

AND I haven't seen a SINGLE 300 on a rental lot since the car first came out and Chrysler put them in the fleets to gain launch exposure.

I see TONS and TONS of LaCrosses at the rental fleets in every city I go to....almost as numerous as Taurus'.  Also, just about every LaCrosse I see around L.A. has a rental I.D. tag in the rear window...

I would almost lay money on the fact that Chrysler sells far more retail 300s than Buick does retail LaCrosses.  AND, you can bet that DCX makes more and the DCX dealers make more on 300s than GM and their dealers are making on LaCrosse.

[post="7452"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Strange... I'm in LA, was in OC yesterday, Yosemite last weekend, and Las Vegas the week before, and I see significantly more 300 rentals than LaCrosse rentals. Thrifty and Dollar only rent DCX products, and I can't imagine them offering just the Sebring as their largest sedan.

[Satty]

I dont see many LaX' anyways and I dont pay close attention to the 300s I see. The 300 makes sense as a rental in warm weather areas because people who drive rental cars tend to drive like morons and I dont want a moron behind the wheel of a 4000 pound RWD gorilla in the middle of an ice storm.

[VenSeattle]

As empowah mentioned... I have a Thrifty Rental across the street from Bellevue Buick-Pontiac-GMC. They always have at least two 300s sitting out front waiting to be rented.

and if you STILL don't believe it and want to deny it... check out Thrifty's rental vehicle line-up on their website:

http://thriftyrentals.com/ourcars.aspx

[Cadillacfan]

Maybe it's good that GM isn't building too many flashy cars like the 300 that go out of style within a couple of years. They took the Toyota route and it seems to be working. Build conservative cars with high quality, decent pricing, and safe road manners. It may not be a good thing for automotive enthusiasts but in the long haul, you don't have to worry about huge sales decreases which I'm sure Chrysler will start experiencing within a year or so when the 300's style gets stale and gas prices go through the roof. Doesn't anyone wonder why Toyota, Honda, or Ford aren't rushing full-sized RWD sedans under their bread-and-butter brands? Because most people in the US prefer FWD. Why? FWD is historically much easier to drive in all types of weather conditions and it's always going to have a large consumer base. The RWD "Craze" is simply that. It's just a trend and lots of people seem to go back to FWD especially when they start having families or get older. I'm not being discriminatory. It's just common sense. The future really relies with AWD sedans. If you look at the future line-ups for Toyota, Honda, Ford, and even GM; you'll see that they are preparing.

[razoredge]

Im not surprised, the Lacrosse is a very nice car, the 300 is a cheap hunk. Im also not surprised all the GM haters are chiming in with their excuses and well....but........well....but.....well.....but This just goes to show not all Americans are shallow, status quo following gumbys (California) and do have at least a limited amount of independant thinking. Edited September 1, 2005 by razoredge

[Matt276]

Doesn't anyone wonder why Toyota, Honda, or Ford aren't rushing full-sized RWD sedans under their bread-and-butter brands?  Because most people in the US prefer FWD.  Why?  FWD is historically much easier to drive in all types of weather conditions and it's always going to have a large consumer base.  The RWD "Craze" is simply that.  It's just a trend and lots of people seem to go back to FWD especially when they start having families or get older.  I'm not being discriminatory.  It's just common sense.  The future really relies with AWD sedans.  If you look at the future line-ups for Toyota, Honda, Ford, and even GM; you'll see that they are preparing.

[post="7763"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: My thoughts exactly...

[Cremazie]

Well, I have seen them all over Alberta, I think they are the car of choice for old farts that love buicks.. I think they are popular with the rental fleets too. Then again so are the Camrys, 300s and 500s!

[Cory Wolfe]

This just goes to show not all Americans are shallow, status quo following gumbys (California) and do have at least a limited amount of independant thinking.

See? ...I'm not crazy.

[pow]

See? ...I'm not crazy.

[post="7819"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Wait... so it's against the status quo to go with the status quo?

[ToniCipriani]

I know my original landlord traded his Regal for a CTS. He said he didn't liked the new suspension on the Allure.

[The O.C.]

My recent business trips? Las Vegas....Phoenix.....Portland.....Seattle......Salt Lake City......Oakland......Fresno..... LaCrosses all over the place.....didn't see a single 300.....in fact, I saw far more LaCrosses than I did new Impalas.... Maybe it is a regional thing.... It's still not near the car the new Chrysler LX car is....anyway you put it....

[turbo200]

you guys are crowing over one month of 3k additional sales over the 300....when it was offered with some of the fatest discounts and best promotional materials available? come on c&g, ya maybe we'll get two more generations just like the LAx, all with outdated proportions and copious amounts of body roll, and then Buick will go to the hole.

[razoredge]

you guys are crowing over one month of 3k additional sales over the 300....when it was offered with some of the fatest discounts and best promotional materials available? come on c&g, ya maybe we'll get two more generations just like the LAx, all with outdated proportions and copious amounts of body roll, and then  Buick will go to the hole.

[post="8256"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

wah, wah, wah ! i only here a few crows and they go "wah, wah, wah"

[Sixty8panther]

NEWS FLASH: Honda Accord outsells BMW 330i. :rolleyes:

[turbo200]

Thanks sixty for reminding everybody that better sales do not automatically equal better cars. The fact is more 300s are sold at higher transaction prices than any Lacrosse could ever dream of being sold, because there simply is more demand for the Hemi engine, and the 300 car. Whether you guys like it or not, LAx has not been a hit for Buick, it has not created any kind of stir, customers are not demaning it, that is why no one is paying anywhere close to sticker for this overpriced car. I'm sure demand for the 300 has tapered since introduction, it's no longer new and exciting, now it's popular. But one month of sales guys, one freakin month, well you all are worse than the yes men that have plagued GM for years.

Thanks for your valuable contribution razor, and for reminding everyone of your age :metal:

[regfootball]

Its also helpful for Buick to be selling the Lacrosse with an employee discount whereas the 300 does not have any rebates.  That's probably a big reason why more Lacrosses are sold.

[post="7379"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

remember the LaCrosse likely as absurd sticker prices that are likely higher the 300 and need market adjustment.

I do think the Intrepid/Concorde/LHS/300 outsold the latest LX cars, but I would need to look that up again.

[Flybrian]

They did. By alot. But remember the fullsize car market was alot bigger back then. Now, for $30k you can get a midsize SUV or a Bimmer.

[razoredge]

Thanks sixty for reminding everybody that better sales do not automatically equal better cars. The fact is more 300s are sold at higher transaction prices than any Lacrosse could ever dream of being sold, because there simply is more demand for the Hemi engine, and the 300 car.  Whether you guys like it or not, LAx has not been a hit for Buick, it has not created any kind of stir, customers are not demaning it, that is why no one is paying anywhere close to sticker for this overpriced car. I'm sure demand for the 300 has tapered since introduction, it's no longer new and exciting, now it's popular. But one month of sales guys, one freakin month, well you all are worse than the yes men that have plagued GM for years.

Thanks for your valuable contribution razor, and for reminding everyone of your age :metal:

[post="8402"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Quite ! What is that I hear ? Wait ! I think its a crow going wah, wah, wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Look fool, no one said it indicated anything, we were just glad to hear sales were doing well, I'm sorry it got you and others so upset ya'll needed to scramble to discredit the fact. Lacrosse is the best thing to come out of Buick in years whether you like it or not. Lots of people discrediting it here because Daddy said so and what ever other reasons. I drove one and was impressed, its not the exact styling I would like or a few other things but Im not here to discredit it totally because I need a Beemer or Riceroni to express my importance in the world.

The Lacrosse outsold many models including the 300...... get it ? got it ? get over it !

[CaddyXLR-V]

The Lacrosse is just selling to the Buick faithful, the 65+ crowd. I've seen about 5 of them total. I see about 5 300s an hour. And I've yet to see a 300 with someone over 50 driving it. I hear from people about how much they like the new 300, but if you bring up the Lacrosse, you will get a blank stare. Even if the 300 doesnt sell as good, you still hear about it alot more, its getting Chrysler a ton of good press, and its spreading by word of mouth. The 300 is basically advertising for the whole Chrysler brand. The Lacrosse is just another Buick that nobody outside Buick faithful will ever know about, whether its advertised or not. Its forgettable. Edited September 3, 2005 by CaddyXLR-V

[Drew Dowdell]

I'd just like to point out that the Taurus and 500 individually ALSO outsold the LaX.....

[ToniCipriani]

The thing is the 300 and the Allure aren't really in the same class. Lucerne and 300 would be a bit fair.

[Paolino]

The thing is the 300 and the Allure aren't really in the same class. Lucerne and 300 would be a bit fair.

[post="8711"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I wouldn't agree with that statement. The 300 ranges from about 24-35 (not including the SRT which just blows away the Lucerne), while the LaCrosse/Allure goes from about 23.5 to about 29... both midsize, both essentially family vehicles.

The 300 covers more ground than the LaCrosse/Allure does though, it has a wider range of engine choices, drive types, transmissions, and some premium features.

[CaddyXLR-V]

I wouldn't agree with that statement.  The 300 ranges from about 24-35 (not including the SRT which just blows away the Lucerne), while the LaCrosse/Allure goes from about 23.5 to about 29... both midsize, both essentially family vehicles.

The 300 covers more ground than the LaCrosse/Allure does though, it has a wider range of engine choices, drive types, transmissions, and some premium features.

[post="8732"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Is that after rebates?

[VenSeattle]

Is that after rebates?

[post="8791"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Base LaCrosse CX (no options)
MSRP: $23,495.00
Emp Dis: $19,943.00

Lacrosse CXS (no options)
MSRP: $28,995.00
Emp Dis: $24,811.48

A base LaCrosse with any desirable options will be around $22,000.00 with the Employee discount.

A fully loaded LaCrosse CXS's MSRP is around $33,000.00... $29,000.00 with the Employee Discount.

Unless you're buying a LaCrosse with ABSOLUTELY NO OPTIONS, the transaction prices are going to range from around $22k-$29k.

[regfootball]

the 300 is the biggest poseur car in the history of the universe. Now all that all the Lexus wannabes bought their 300's and dubs (because they couldn't afford their Lexus and hocking their Pings they bought with their credit card) that market is tapped out for awhile. And all the RWD fans have been saving their money for Camaros anyways.