Any views ?
Over September 08 - up or down if so by how much ?
I reckon the brakes may have been put on the decline so I reckon around the same as September
BTW I've seen more new Insignias than Mondeos =....
Edited by Pugugly on 01/04/2009 at 18:27
|
Wouldn't like to say but someone posted some stats on here the other day which indicated a significant drop in new reg cars around the early '90s when we all all thought it had got bad.........
I would bet there is a similar if not more appreciable drop at the moment but I may of course be wrong.
|
|
|
You'll not find out until Friday at the earliest, why the US can have figures the first day of the month and we wait 3-4 days has never been explained by the SMMT.
My guess is that figures will be 25-40% down, lots of cars registered as 58 in January are still moving around the system and awaiting to be delivered so I suspect Jan/Feb's figures have been massaged quite extensively so it doesn't seem so bad.
|
I've seen more 09s in the first month than I did 58s.
The tiny bit of gossip I do hear from the trade suggests it's not all doom and gloom.
So my prediction is better than expected sales figures for March.
|
|
In my recent car hunting efforts I have engaged a few of the sales people about how well they were doing - general feeling is that business is down, but not as much as is being reported in the press. Average size Honda dealer told me their target was 100 (new) units a month and they were just about hitting it, but that 12 months ago they would have been doing 120 - 130 a month. They were also a bit frustrated that they couldnt get hold of some of the more popular Civics
|
|
The overiding thing over been hearing is that used stock is hard to get hold of, especially since apparently used car sales are pretty strong if you have the right motors.
|
Here's the answer:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7985173.stm
I must say that more of my friends and neighbours seem to have bought new cars this year than in previous years. Can't argue with the figures though.
|
|
I was in my local Seat dealer last week looking at new Leons and Ibizas. All the "new" cars in the showroom were pre-registered 09 models.
|
|
I collected my new 09 plate Mazda5 sport on saturday.The dealership was quite busy, and their sales were going ok. Some good bargains out there. They had also mentioned a lack of decent used cars. I received above Glass's guide price for my old Mazda 6
|
Looking at the registration numbers it seems that most makes were badly hit in March.
Those hit hardest should not just blame the recession especially the Japanese, Honda have no decent offers at all, Mitsubishi have dire customer service and have decided to increase the selling price considerably, Daihatsu have no new models and the fuel price is no longer an issue, Toyota just don't seem to be hitting the market and prices are too high..
Kia/Hyundai have done very well and this month have started offering even better value, a new Cee'd for £8995, i10 for £6750 and i30 for £9450, they are the only ones withgreat offers at present and good luck to them for being sensible.
|
|
Not clear whether the registrations were up or down on September which might be more telling as the 58 registrations came out just as things were going badly wrong.
|
Sales of new cars plunge by a third in the UK seemed to be the headline of today in most papers. This ran alongside, £ 1,250 extra tax needed from everybody because of budget deficit, stories. Allowing for the few millionaires who post on here, how many of us will actually be prepared to spend anything on a new car this year or even next.?
'and the fuel price is no longer an issue," I beg to differ, £1.03.9 lt derv is making a pretty quick return to the forecourts around Merseyside . Petrol is not far behind at 94.0.
Edited by Mr X on 06/04/2009 at 20:15
|
'My prediction is better than expected sales figures for March' - ifithelps, Apr 1.
'Sales of new cars plunge by a third' - headline Apr 6.
So that's my career as a motor industry pundit stalled before it got started.
|
if, just do what the professionals do, have another guess. Or as they say, the secret to predicting is to do it often. Then you point out all of the times you were right and quietly ignore the rest. A bit like weather forecasting really :-)
JH
|
So that's my career as a motor industry pundit stalled before it got started.
No its not, you just explain its "all a matter of interpretation"
|
Mr X, yes, there is a continuing focus on now v. this time last year rather than v. recent months which would give a more realistic picture. I rarely buy a paper these days since they seem to be intent in wallowing in misery by repeating bad news and extrapolating what might happen, to the nth degree. I'm by no means burying my head in the sand but it doesn't do anyone any good to keep assuming the worst possible.
Was it PU who said that comparing with September would be more realistic? I'll second that.
JH
|
'and the fuel price is no longer an issue " I beg to differ £1.03.9 lt derv is making a pretty quick return to the forecourts around Merseyside . Petrol is not far behind at 94.0.
You've selected part of the sentence there. In the context of which I mentioned(Daihatsu), the fuel price and the London C Zone were two important factors to why they sold so many cars March last year and so few this year. The fuel price is still high but it'll not stop you buying an inefficient european car that only does 48 mpg instead of one that does 58mpg, last year people were really looking at this sort of thing with it being a hot topic, but don't at present.
|
Not clear whether the registrations were up or down on September which might be more telling as the 58 registrations came out just as things were going badly wrong. >>
Mar 09: www.smmt.co.uk/articles/article.cfm?articleid=19362
New car registrations fell 30.5% in March to 313,912 units.
lib.smmt.co.uk/articles/news/News/Press%20releases...p
Sept 08: www.smmt.co.uk/articles/article.cfm?articleid=18080
New car registrations fall 21.2% in September to 330,295 units.
lib.smmt.co.uk/articles/news/News/September%20regi...p
For other monthly figures:
www.smmt.co.uk/news/news.cfm?catid=550&sid=-1
|
Mitsubishi have dire customer service and have decided to increase the selling price considerably
Mitsubishi (down 70% - yikes) should be hosing Colt's out, yet you hardly see any. At the old price it's a very decent buy. But as you say they whacked the price up and some of the dealers and Mitsubishi UK have terrible customer service reputations.
|
|
|
