Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 20:57:17 -0500 From: "Nutmegger" <nutmegger_7717nopsamo.com> Subject: Re: Buying a used 9-5
"someguy" wrote::: > "Nutmegger" wrote > > How much influence would you think the motor journalists have on a company > > making a decision to retire a model? > > No direct influence, but I guess they affect the mind of the average > consumers and thus create a climate that forces the car manufacturers to > develop new models instead of improving the ones they have. Oh, so many people out there are just too easily influenced! >They do of > course improve, just consider the 9-5 from year 2002 where Saab claimed they > introduced more than 1100 changes. Doing too much new development just mean > that the consumers have to pay more for the cars, since the development > costs must be shared on fewer cars. It seems to me the price of cars has risen so fast compared to the average person's income. >The development of a new car seems to be > in the order of 1 - 2 BUSD. The 9-5 sales is around 50000 per year I would > guess. If the model lives for 8 years that means at least 2500 - 5000 USD > per car just in development cost downpayment (then the pricing to the > consumer adds on top of this). Are you involved in finance somehow? I'm just asking because I wouldn't have thought this way, and I find it a unique way to look at it. >To this adds a lot of other costs related to > a new model that the consumer has to pay, like expensive introduction > advertisment campaigns, recalling cars for repair because of infantile > problems etc. I think some car manufacturers go way over board with the development of so many new models. But, if there is a demand.......