Interesting analysis, 1SICKLEX. I do feel sorry for Volvo, and I wonder about your dire prediction for Lincoln...which may indeed happen. Mercedes is showing strength this year, and a new E-Class can help things even more...gunning for #2?

I do expect the IS-C to be a niche model. The new RX is coming sooner than later next year perhaps? The IS-F is selling 240 units a month on average:

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyl...ge_top+stories

Hopefully Lexus-F can continue. And the HS 250h sounds interesting...

 

I want to say that the luxury market is fixing itself. Lexus insiders were secretly worried they were selling SO MANY vehicles in America. 300k was unheard of 20 years ago and BMW and Lexus broke that mark. So its great to sell so much but it does hurt your prestige as seemingly everyone has one.

Having a Lexus in 1996 was still kinda rare, as owning a luxury car. Fast forward to 2006 and damn near felt common. A LOT of money was made and spent during this time and luxury brands made sure they continued to sell more and more cars as its VERY profitable.

We are seeing a "normalcy" in car sales this year that may continue.

The late 1990s to 2007 was just a brash, horny time in American history. Will we ever go back to such cars, big SUVs, brash, huge chrome, no regards to people, how we park, drive and to hell with MPG?

A cultural change/shift may come, which will help/hurt some brands.

 

Lincoln does have some new products on the way. A refreshed MKZ should show up as early as January. The MKT is also coming, not sure that will have any real impact though.

The G35 I always thought suffered from its rather poor fuel economy when compared to similar vehicles in its class and price range. Performance wise it clearly squares up against the 335i and IS350 but dollar wise is more comparable to a 328i. The 328i has much better EPA ratings than the Infiniti. I think Infiniti would benefit from a G that more closely matches up to the IS250. The new VQ in the G37 sedan should help.

Maybe I'm wrong on the EPA thing, but at least for me personally, I excluded the G35 from my list because of its poor EPA number, despite liking everything else about it. I ultimately opted for a 328i.

 

But the previous Lexus hybrid strategy was positioning them for performance not really efficiency. Although it wouldn't be hard for Lexus to change it up. It would be real easy to release an ES hybrid.

 

Their target market is a guy named Bob in Kansas.

 

RLMAO.....

 

Yeah, a mistake on their part. Make the "F" Line be about performance and the "h" line about economy. People are still confused about them.

Canadian results.

Manufacturer September 2008 September 2007 % Change

Chrysler 17,006 17,011 + 0.0
Ford 12,976 13,851 - 6.3
General Motors 30,784 32,922 - 6.5

Acura 2,048 1,525 + 34.3
Audi 949 620 + 53.1
BMW 1,600 1,929 - 17.1
Honda 12,841 13,317 - 3.6
Hyundai 7,095 7,080 + 0.2
Infiniti 746 471 + 58.4
Jaguar 82 58 + 41.4
Kia 3,772 3,330 + 13.3
Land Rover 195 279 - 30.1
Lexus 1,351 982 + 37.6
Mazda 6,762 7,055 - 4.2
Mercedes-Benz 1,800 1,329 + 35.4
Mini 409 320 + 27.8
Mitsubishi 1,464 1,260 + 16.2
Nissan 6,654 5,947 + 11.9
Porsche 100 160 - 37.5
Saab 114 168 - 32.1
Smart 301 31 +871.0
Subaru 1,511 1,575 - 4.1
Suzuki 1,304 1,058 + 23.3
Toyota 18,062 15,910 + 13.5
Volkswagen 3,662 2,854 + 28.3
Volvo 543 785 - 30.8

Light vehicles 134,131 131,827 + 1.7
Passenger cars 74,484 70,855 + 5.1
Light trucks 59,647 60,972 - 2.2

 

the LExus GS is so **** ***. whopped 3x by the E class. and over 2x by the 5 series. both much more expensive than the GS.

i think the whole lexus lineup is in ****. except maybe the ES, which is ugly too

 

Sure the GS has never been a huge success but it has consistently been 3rd in its class. Granted, this past month was particularly brutal where several others cars outsold it but it has always done well behind the perennial kings: BMW 5-Series & E Class.

 

Well, yes, but what is CAUSING these economic bad times in the auto industry? If people just SIT on their money, and DON'T buy or lease cars, of course you will have an industry recession.

Panic. Basically, that's just what it is.....panic......most of it media-driven. People listen to doomsday stuff on the news every night and then are afraid to go anywhere near a showroom. The best way to avoid recessions like this is if people would just go on with their normal car-shopping and buying plans. The auto companies would continue to sell, workers in the plants would NOT get laid off, company profits would not keep declining, and the vicious cycle would not perpetrate itself like it does now.

What you say about large SUV's being in economic trouble is true to an extent, but also consider that those vehicles are being sold, brand new, at ridiculously low prices. Prices that cheap, even on gas-guzzling 10-15 MPG Suburbans and Expeditions, will make up for a lot of gasoline, even at $3-4 a gallon. They are quite a bargain, right now, for those who need them for heavy towing or to haul an entire ball team.

That is one reason why hybrids are not necessarily a good deal unless you keep them for a long time and buy a lot of gasoline. They sell for so much higher then conventional vehicles that it takes a lot of gas for them to recover their added original price back.

 

Huh? Care to prove it with numbers? The GS has never sold well - ESPECIALLY compared to the 5 and E-Class.

 

We've seen the GS be 3rd behind the 5 and E class many times over the past few years. What has happened in recent months is the arrival of the Lincoln MKS, which has supplanted the GS in sales behind the perennial leaders, the E and 5.

2007 Year End Mid-Size Luxo sales
1. BMW 5 series- 54,142
2. Mercedes Benz E-class- 48,950
3. Lexus GS- 23,381
4. Infiniti M- 21,884
5. Cadillac STS- 20,873
6. Volvo S80-12,354
7. Audi A6- 12,001
8. Acura RL-6,262
9. Jaguar S-type-3,524

 

Like I said, 3rd in its class. The M3/45 was making its move earlier this year & now Lincoln seems to be a threat but GS has always sold well behind the usual top 2.

The hybrid & new engines did not seem to boost sales & if they make a GS-F, I doubt that that will help either. I am sure Lexus will bring it w/ the next generation ... I hope.

 

You said it has always done well behind the perennial kings. I don't think that the GS sales qualify as doing well. It's a shame because it is one beautiful car - at least from a looks standpoint.

 

It's interesting that the STS is selling just about as well as the GS and M. Even with those sales numbers, I think Caddy is planning to combine STS and DeVille into one model. I wonder if Lexus would look at that option with GS and another L model?