Irwin Motors

[Happy Gourmand]

Honda has the highest rated pickup....Ridgeline...

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by The Phantom Gourmand

Honda has the highest rated pickup....Ridgeline...

Not for me, thanks.

[sa meredith]

Originally Posted by The Phantom Gourmand

Honda has the highest rated pickup....Ridgeline...

Not going to get into a debate here, because this thread has already turned WAY away from it's intent, but Phantom, a Ridgeline, although possibly a handsome, reliable automobile is in no way a pick up truck. Not really a truck a all. It is an SUV/Crossover. Much like a Ford Sp Trac, or Chevy Avalanche. These vehicles can in no way be considered trucks, and if a contracter/ plumber/ mason tried to use one as such, any of them would last a very short time.
Strictly built to used as SUVs with light capicity to carry or tow (small amounts) from time to time.
Let me know the next time you pass a constuction site, and see a laborer emptying the cargo of a Ridgeline.

One more note...to anyone who was looking at a Chevy or Ford last year....when the business completly died two years back (gas 4.25/gal), and the economy tanked, both domestic manufacturers cut way back on invetory. Stopped building completely for a while.
Then, last year, the government came out with the cash for clunkers program...which was without a doubt the best deal for a consumer I had ever see in my 22 years in the business. People with old gas guzzlers worth 200/300 were getting $3500/$4500 real money for them from the government.
Just insane...and when the program caught on, we (dealers) quickly realized that our supply of vehciles would fall way short of the demand. Peope started to realize that the program was legit, and flocked fom dealer to dealer looking for what they wanted...but inventory ran out quickly. During this time, most dealers stopped offering discounts of any kind, as they were going to sell out anyway. I remember the last weekend of the program, having 5 or 6 vehicles left, as opposed to a normal 250/300. So, if you shopped last year, odds are a domestic dealer offered you little or no discount. It is just what the market dictated.
Even now as things are coming back a bit...the days of each dealer undercutting each other are going away. The days of the 3000/4000 rebate/discount are gone. Inventories are tightly controlled, and the market will never again be flooded.

[NoRegrets]

Thanks for the inside perspective on the business drivers at the dealer level. No inventory - If the economy was better last year they could have had bidding wars!

[MAXUM]

The Ford and Chevy mentioned at least have full frames under them, the Ridgeline has a unibody like a passenger car. So put any weight in that bed it'll fold in half. The drive train on those I'm not familiar with but my guess is probably retrofitted from one of their car platforms.

It may look like a truck but it's far from it.

[Argie's Wife]

Originally Posted by sa meredith

Just insane...and when the program caught on, we (dealers) quickly realized that our supply of vehciles would fall way short of the demand. Peope started to realize that the program was legit, and flocked fom dealer to dealer looking for what they wanted...but inventory ran out quickly. During this time, most dealers stopped offering discounts of any kind, as they were going to sell out anyway. I remember the last weekend of the program, having 5 or 6 vehicles left, as opposed to a normal 250/300.

Now I'm wondering if there's a 'cash for clunkers' included in the new healthcare bill by the same administration you mentioned...

[BroadHopper]

I read in the Wall Street Journal that the govt is going over the paperwork and found a number of discrepancies. Dealers may not get paid. Also there are folks going into bankruptcy as they took out loans for new cars that they can not afford. On the long run, this program will cost the taxpayers even more money.

[sa meredith]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

I read in the Wall Street Journal that the govt is going over the paperwork and found a number of discrepancies. Dealers may not get paid. Also there are folks going into bankruptcy as they took out loans for new cars that they can not afford. On the long run, this program will cost the taxpayers even more money.

To claim the money was strictly the burden of the dealership...with no recourse to the customer. We were required to approve the deal at our own discretion,front the money, and allow the customer to take delivery of the vehicle.
Claiming and receiveing the money was the most painful month of my life...bar none. Remember, each deal as worth 3500/4500, so every every 10 deals averaged $40,000...when we got to 120,000/150,000I was told everyday by the owner, "I hope you're sure we're getting this f****** money!"
12 documents had to be submitted with every transaction, and each and every one was bounced the first time. Took forever, but every dealer that I know, got all their money.
As for defaulted loans...
I would say that is inacurrate information. A year or so back, there were no banks...none, zero, that had any interest in subprime auto lending. During this program, the banks, as well as the dealers, had their pick of the litter with regard to quailty of customer. I can assure you, back then, if the credit score was not 650+ the banks would not even look at the paper. To be approved, a customer needed a great score, have the proper income/debt ratio, and a very strong equity position on th vehicle. My honest, educated opinion is that there is just no waythisprogram will lead to many repos. Regardless of what a third party writer of some article says.

[NoRegrets]

Cash for clunkers was a charitable donation by the tax payers to help keep money flowing in the economy and prevented a total colapse of the auto industry. Some good and some bad came out of the program.

Now that I see how easy it is to give taxpayers money to charities I am going to try to become a charity case.

I do realize I will be at the back of the line behind - Lawyers, politician family members, wall street, bankers, insurance companies, foriegn terrorists, foriegn countries, foriegn health care, foriegn welfare, ACORN, senators pet projects, medicare, medicade, Social Security, Health care, welfare, fannie mai, freddie mac, stimulas projects, green energy companies, schools, FAA, SEC, IRS, Amtrack, ........ Oh heck, never mind, I have to go back to work so I can buy gas for my boat next week!