I’m sure you have heard this already.
>G.M.’s chairman and chief executive, Rick Wagoner, said G.M. will cease production at four North American assembly plants that make S.U.V.’s and pickups by 2010.
>And in a humbling admission that the S.U.V. era is all but over, G.M., Detroit’s leading automaker, said it was considering selling the gas-guzzling Hummer brand it once regarded as a pillar of future growth.
And Ford started their production cutting last month. Switching, like GM, to building more cars.
It used to be nothing outsold the Ford F150 pickup. During it’s peak they were selling close to 1M every year in the US. But, last month that changed. Not only the best selling car but the best selling _vehicle_ in the US was the Honda Accord.
>In March, the Honda Accord was not only the best-selling car in America it was also the best-selling vehicle. A car has ranked as the best-selling vehicle in monthly sales only five times in the last six years, according to Edmunds.com’s analysis. Four of those times, the Accord was tops; the Toyota Corolla ranked No. 1 once, in May 2007.
And, as reported yesterday, MINIUSA Sales are up over 50%. It finally looks like the day of the SUV has ended.
[ G.M. Shifts Focus to Small Cars ] Nytimes.com
[ Honda Accord is the Best Selling Vehicle in March ] Autoobserver.com
Good riddance, especially to Hummer. A shame that it takes the almighty pocketbook to make Americans come to realize that fuel economy & efficiency are good ideas… like they ever weren’t!
I’ll continue to wear my “SUV2BIG” license plate with pride… only I’m sure that more non-MINI people will identify and agree with it these days… even some “reformed” SUV owners.
SUVs do have a place and a purpose… but I’d venture that no more than 10% of current SUV owners really <strong>need</strong> them for those purposes. Want ≠Need.
In May, the Civic, Accord, Camry and Corolla all outsold the F150.
Here’s link from <a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/06/04/honda-civic-shoots-to-the-top-of-the-sales-charts-for-may/" rel="nofollow">Autoblog</a>:
<i>In a generally awful sales month in May, one car had an exceptionally hot reception in the marketplace. In a month where the Ford F-Series pickup tumbled from the overall top spot for first time since 1981, the Honda Civic raced to the top of the heap. Civics sales jumped by over 28 percent from May 2007 to an all-time record of 53,299, which included 4,676 hybrid models. Also topping 50,000 sales for the month were Toyota’s Corolla and Camry. Even the Accord beat the F-Series with 43,728. The Japanese brands weren’t the only ones to benefit from high gas prices. In spite of its dubious styling, the new Ford Focus jumped 53 percent to 32,579 and Ford has increased its build target for the year from 245,000 units to 280,000. GM is also benefiting from the shift to cars with Cobalt sales up 19 percent, Malibu up 34 percent and Aveo up 29 percent. </i>
It’s not just the fuel economy stuff. F150’s are a staple in the construction, civil engineering, and similar industries, and they’re hurting financially. When you run a business that is having a hard time making payroll, buying a new truck slips way down on the list.
I wonder what the numbers are for vehicles that are the SIZE of the F150, but are more commonly used for non-business purposes, like the Expedition, Range Rover, GLK, LX, etc.
– Chad
this has been was very predictable, its sad that only decreasing sales numbers make us car companies listening
I don’t think the auto manufacturers are totally to blame here. They only build what sells.
GM and Ford have high mileage vehicles in production. All they need to do is to wake up and start selling the European versions here in North America.
Happy Motoring,
Jack
Personally I hope gas goes to $10 a gallon so that I can buy a Hummer for about 10k…..I have no “need” for much of anything. Just remember how need is defined and applied is a very subjective matter…..you dont need a super/turbo charger do you? I am looking forward to buying a once overpriced hunk of metal just so I can have as much fun off-road as I do on the road now
It’s not like GM, Chrysler, and Ford didn’t have any warning, and they have all studiously avoided selling very small cars in the USA – altho you hop over the border to Mexico and hey looka that! little GM cars branded the Chevy, about the size of a MINI, are all over the place. The Big Three wanted to drain our wallets and didn’t much give a damn about the future. Oopsie.
i hope this eradicates the hummer brand. they make me ashamed as an american
<blockquote>i hope this eradicates the hummer brand. they make me ashamed as an american</blockquote>
Being an American is as much about philosophy than is birthright. Freedom is an interesting concept, one that some have struggled to comprehend. But is nevertheless fundemental to being an American <strong>I</strong> have not, nor will I ever be ashamed by what <strong>someone else</strong> drives or does with thier own lives…strange sense of guilt if you ask me.
One persons excess is another persons paycheck. I do not feel guilt when I see excess, I see opportunity! The land of opportunity!
Let’s throw a party to celebrate!!!!
It will be a happy happy day when SUV’s are extinct & the road can be returned to cars.
Hopefully this will also filter through to the land of OZ Downunder…
The Hummer has only recently been released here in Aus… I have never seen anything so rediculously huge driving around a city.
Fortunately the F series was killed off here way back in it’s early days…
Isn’t Mini about to release an SUV…?
I’m sorry, but until there is actually a ban on them, I doubt we’ll really see the SUV disappear. Yes, GM is having a hard time selling them – but they are having a hard time selling ANYTHING right now. Lots of manufacturers continue to build small and medium SUVs and people are buying them.
And as much as I dislike them, for some people they are a sensible vehicle.
There was a Wall Street Journal on this today – talking about how with the very deep discounts you can get on an SUV these days, it may actually be MORE economical to buy one depending on your driving habits… the discount on the car will make up for the increased gas prices.
So why is Mini making an SUV? With the larger body, even using the Cooper S engine will still not be as fuel efficient as the smaller coupes.
dr writes, “i hope this eradicates the hummer brand. they make me ashamed as an american”
Statements like this are ignorant and makes me wish you weren’t an American too!
The HMMWV from which the “Hummer” brand was born was designed and built to carry our U.S. Service Men and Women, who protect the very freedom that you mock. Shame on you! If people feel better (safer, more important, etc.) because they drive a Hummer, who are you to cast your pea-brained opinion on the people who build this product for a living or drive this product for utility or enjoyment?
Go drive your compact and hug a tree! You should be cursing the oil companies who are raping the consumers while you point your aggression in the wrong direction.
Everyone bashing the Hummers; have you ever ridden or driven one offroad? They are really fun in that enviroment. I live in the Chicago area and realize that 99% of the Hummer owners out here have then for status reasons and not offroad reasons. Hey if they like to spend their money that so be it. But you should all remember there are alot of really good people in Wisconsin right now about to lose their jobs. I’m just hoping that GM allows them to build a more competitive vehicle up there.
I have driven a Hummer H2 and the thing is surprinsigly manuverable and turns on a dime (For a vehicle that size).
Still, the H2 rides on the old GMT800 truck platform which was used with the previous generation GM full size trucks and SUVs (Silverado, Suburban, Escalade, etc).
I read in USA Today a few days ago the same article that was posted here. I believe that Hummer is a huge financial and public relations liability for General Motors. There are many emerging markets around the world where these types of vehicles are sought after and it will be wise for GM to sell the brand off to foreign investors in those countries.
Oh and MINIme, please spare us from your Republican rethoric.
If the SUV is going to die, I say make the Hummer the last to go. In a sea of Suburbans, Escalades, Explorers and other boring boxes, at least the Hummers are somewhat interesting to look at.
The people in the market for an SUV, who buy Hummers are the same type of people in the market for a compact car, who buy MINI’s. We all want something that is more intersting. Can’t we all get along?
Freedom should never be at the expense of other’s well being. Some Americans have a twisted concept of what freedom is all about. True, you have the freedom to puchase and own a Hummer, but at the same time, you are causing damage to the environment with the carbon foor print of that vehicle, increasing demand for fossil fuels and putting others at risk on the road with your behemoth vehicle. With freedom comes moral and social responsibility. When you remove either aspect from the equation, “freedom” becomes a personal and egocentric endeavor with a blatant disregard for the needs of society and the environment.
Before this takes a turn for the worse, lets try to get back on track. Y’all know how much I hate closing comments 🙂
First of all, C4, I AM NOT A REPUBLICAN!
And, C4, people have the resposibility of protecting themselves at all times (meaning-when you drive a MINI or any other small car you are taking a risk). If you are concerned about your safety, I guess we should take all the tractor-trailer type vehicles off the highway too. Then, watch what happens… And with regard to the “carbon footprint”, how much pollution do you think was emitted by the ship that brought your MINI to U.S. shores? Probably more than my SUVs emit all year. Wake up!!
I have several SUVs AND a MINI. I am an open-minded individual with diverse interests and see the pros and cons of most situations. I just don’t like it when people make ignorant comments, based on selfish ideology, while others suffer.
I agree.
“Death to the SUV”.
As the owner of a lightly-used Chevy Suburban 454, I’d like to point out that a large majority of us DO use the vehicles as intended, and also find handy uses that we never envisioned before.
Its not my primary vehicle, in fact it sits for weeks at a time. HOwever, when I need it, I REALLY need it.
And thanks to the stigma, I paid a fraction of what people paid for these things not one year ago. 🙂
That’s called smart investing Matt Train:)
buy low sell high (you may have to wait awhile to sell high though)
I paid so little for it, if it sits in the garage for 6 months, its still worth it to me.
Its also a fantastic road trip vehicle. GM really did their homework on this truck, and its just as easy to wheel around in it as a sedan. Its really not that much of a burden at all, and on top of it, I can pull 13mpg out of it….exactly double what I was getting with my old 5.8L Ford F150.