Supples’ Pub

For at least the last several years, the state of the automotive industry has been fairly predictable. "Import" car sales from companies like Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus and Nissan/Infiniti have been on the rise. They have continually impressed the American buyer on value, quality and reliability to name a few points. You can see this with the rise of cars like the Toyota Camry & Corolla or Honda Accord & Civic into the top ranks of cars sold in the U.S.

Top 10 automobiles sold in the U.S.

Domestic manufacturers have been in an innovation lull for a while: uninspiring designs, lack of standout features and tepid driving experiences kept people looking for alternatives. Decreasing market share and mounting debt have pushed these once revered auto makers to take a step back and look at what people really want - or at least at what people have been criticizing them for.

The turn-around for the domestics started in 2005 with the Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger, which introduced a new classy design, sophisticated styling and the return of rear wheel drive (RWD). One could argue that the short-lived Pontiac GTO (ahem) started this trend in 2004, but I digress. Regardless, it has taken since the launch of Chrysler’s LX platform for a domestic auto maker to come out of the wood works with an innovative design.

GM is leading the domestic revolution, so to speak. The all-new 2008 Cadillac CTS is  praised by all and even won Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award. Incredibly well balanced, oozing quality and offering sophisticated powertrain & technology options, this car is the first in a while that has everything in one sexy package - did I mention the 304HP V6, 6-speed auto and RWD or AWD? The Pontiac G8 will hit showrooms next month, bringing incredible style and quality (speaking from first-hand experience with a Holden car) in a high value package.

GM’s latest pickup trucks and SUV’s are well reviewed and the new two-mode hybrid option for those models, which boosts fuel economy by 50%, puts them a step ahead of the competition (Chrysler has a very similar system, but don’t achieve the same results). Finally, Chevy’s newly redesigned Malibu is turning heads and winning sedan comparisons left & right – some journalists are even putting it ahead of the famed Accord.

But where do Ford and Chrysler/Dodge stand? Well Dodge’s Viper had a strong showing earlier this year, with the new model being faster, less polluting, more fuel efficient and even a little cheaper. But with SUV & truck sales slumping (note the Ram’s sales drop from 3rd place to 6th over 2 years and now 9th this year), the Chrysler group’s mid-size cars (Avenger & Sebring) lethargic sales and having no compact, highly fuel efficient cars to speak of, they’re dead in the water. Apparently Chrysler is even convening a triage team to fix the Sebring - good luck and godspeed. Okay the new Town & Country minivan has positive reviews, but the gimmicky plastic table & rotating chairs won’t save the company. The Caliber is unremarkable as their smaller vehicle and with their bread-and-butter trucks in the toilet, they need some attractive passenger cars other than the stalwart 300/Charger.

On a side note - good job ruining the Challenger folks. They had a real opportunity to make a unique muscle car that hearkened young and old enthusiasts alike. Instead they’re turning it in to a friggin’ Mustang. While the fully optioned 6.1L SRT8 versions will sticker in the $40K range, there will be base models with V6 and bare-bones amenities for everyone who wants a fast looking car. At least when I’m driving around, a teenage girl can’t pull up with a V6 and hubcaps saying "OMG we have the same car LOLZ"

The best thing Ford has going for it is the Mustang and the Escape Hybrid – which isn’t  saying much. It is likely too expensive for Ford to license Toyota’s hybrid technology for anything but the Escape small-SUV, but at least it is a popular vehicle and for good reason. The Mustang still holds the performance value crown, at least until the Camaro reappears in 2009. But Ford’s Fusion and related clones are meh, the all-new Focus is a bomb, their crossovers blend right in and most of their other vehicles have a bed on the back. It is too soon to tell if the Taurus will show signs of life, which was recently renamed from the Five Hundred, but it has the best chance out of the rest of the pack. Ford needs to step up their game, and fast – the hole they’re digging is only getting deeper.

So GM is making the right strides, but Chrysler/Dodge and Ford have some serious changes to make. Ford doesn’t have quite the glaring deficiencies in their passenger cars that C/D has, but they just don’t stand out - they don’t offer anything unique or do anything better than similarly priced competitors. Chrysler/Dodge can do all the triage they want, but they just keep missing the mark: sure they have features galore, but uninspired design, lackluster driving experience and poor fit & finish make Jack a dull boy.

Hope you enjoyed the Pub’s take on the domestic auto industry.