The state of the new car industry today
Discussion
How do you lot see it?
In my opinion, we have never had a smaller selection of mainstream manufacturers to choose from and that number looks like it will only get smaller again in the years to come.
Are any of the big players actually making profits these days? The cars are more technologically advanced than ever, but are the sale prices keeping up with the costs involved? Has the struggle for market share meant that we the consumers are getting these cars at unsustainably low prices?
Which (if any) manufacturers do you think will prosper and which do you think will disappear in the next 5 to 10 years?
In my opinion, we have never had a smaller selection of mainstream manufacturers to choose from and that number looks like it will only get smaller again in the years to come.
Are any of the big players actually making profits these days? The cars are more technologically advanced than ever, but are the sale prices keeping up with the costs involved? Has the struggle for market share meant that we the consumers are getting these cars at unsustainably low prices?
Which (if any) manufacturers do you think will prosper and which do you think will disappear in the next 5 to 10 years?
The difference between "now" and "then" is that now all manufacturers have to fulfill all market niches. So now Vauxhall (for example) can sell you a super-cheap shopping car, an executive saloon, or a 4x4. And so can Ford, Nissan, Toyota, VW... you get the idea.
It used to be that you'd ask Land Rover for a 4x4, Volvo for a big estate, Porsche for a sportscar. Now Porsche will sell you a big 4x4 or a 4-door saloon! So, whilst you might have less choice of manufacturers, you have more models than ever to choose from.
It used to be that you'd ask Land Rover for a 4x4, Volvo for a big estate, Porsche for a sportscar. Now Porsche will sell you a big 4x4 or a 4-door saloon! So, whilst you might have less choice of manufacturers, you have more models than ever to choose from.
I think even the mainstream manufacturers used to offer genuinely different products - these days, everything in a given "market segment" is so similar, that you've got to wonder whether there's really any point in there being more than one mainstream manufacturer.
Personally, I think the big Germans brands are in trouble - they are are living off (and charging for) a reputation for build quality and engineering integrity that they can no longer live up to and gradually the markets will realise this. They have started to rely on cutting edge technology to sell their cars and that has hit their reliability hard. The question to my mind is just how long their brand kudos pull them along for.
The French manufacturers I think are also in trouble - they can't match the quality of the Koreans or under-cut them on price, and they have no real reputation to trade off to help them survive.
I'm not sure sure about the Japanese - on the one hand they probably produce the objectively best "white goods" cars in the world at the moment; on the other, they aren't that much better than the budget eastern brands and are a damned slight more expensive.
Personally, I think the big Germans brands are in trouble - they are are living off (and charging for) a reputation for build quality and engineering integrity that they can no longer live up to and gradually the markets will realise this. They have started to rely on cutting edge technology to sell their cars and that has hit their reliability hard. The question to my mind is just how long their brand kudos pull them along for.
The French manufacturers I think are also in trouble - they can't match the quality of the Koreans or under-cut them on price, and they have no real reputation to trade off to help them survive.
I'm not sure sure about the Japanese - on the one hand they probably produce the objectively best "white goods" cars in the world at the moment; on the other, they aren't that much better than the budget eastern brands and are a damned slight more expensive.
Benny Saltstein said:
Thanks Benny,That pretty much answers all my questions!
LotusOmega375D said:
Benny Saltstein said:
Thanks Benny,That pretty much answers all my questions!
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff