GM to dump Holden

[ElwoodBlues1]

Honda used to be a revered name in the Aus car Industry, Japanese reliability etc etc...but now have embarked on a ridiculous
campaign to save the brand in Aus after the bean counters in Japan decided the numbers were not adding up.
Of the five models they have in Aus only three are selling at all and the numbers are dropping away quicker than a Great Wall utes value. They boldly claim you can buy a Honda at the same price in any dealership in Aus like they are doing you are a favour...in fact what they really mean is you cant negotiate a best price anymore and they are going to stitch you up for max price anywhere you go. They recently got rid of a few dealers here and in NZ and IMHO are heading down the same path as Holden.
Their shiny flagship is the CRV for about 50k top of the range...for the same money you can get a Mazda CX5 with 70% more power, and a decent 6 speed auto, not that horrible CVT shudder box that comes with the CRV.
In the USA they have the better built Acure which is like their version of Lexus to fall back on but here in Aus its just the CRV, HRV and Civic plus non sellers in the Accord and the Odyssey ...nothing too exciting about any of them and I can see Honda folding up in Aus sooner than later as the sales figures nose dive.

[Thryleon]

Id rather go Nissan than Honda.  They just make good cars.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Id rather go Nissan than Honda.  They just make good cars.

Nissan were better without the Renault partnership IMHO, Honda used to make the best engines but have fallen behind tech wise and are very overpriced. I'd rather Toyota or Mazda but dont expect any special deals or freebies at Toyota either.
The value end of the market are the Korean cars like Kia, Hyundai but I wouldnt be keeping them past their warranty period and the seven year warranties are just a sales gimmick to hook you into 7 years of compulsory service costs which is where car dealers make their real money.

[DJC]

I'm thinking that we could re-vamp this thread as a general motor vehicle thread. 

Alternatively, and given the recent digression into reminiscing about favourite cars, would a separate classic/favourite cars thread be worthwhile?

[Gointocarlton]

I'm thinking that we could re-vamp this thread as a general motor vehicle thread. 

Alternatively, and given the recent digression into reminiscing about favourite cars, would a separate classic/favourite cars thread be worthwhile?

Yeah great idea, separate classic/fave car thread.

[LP]

We complained about GM dumping support for Holden, which seems unfair given so many years of trading and so much financial support from local and Federal governments.

Spare a thought for early adopters of Tesla Model S or Model X, Tesla have announced the RHD versions are dead in the water! :o

Cars that are not even a decade old and already consigned to surviving on 2nd hand parts, that's planned obsolescence for you hard at work.

Will they ever obtain break even on carbon credits before they are unrepariable?

At first I thought this was a joke, some sort of weird belated April Fools, but apparently it's true. I've an associate in the UK who's company invested in a whole fleet of Model X to ferry clients and managers around, he is absolutely furious!

Despite this tale of woe, I still regret never being able to buy a Fisker Karma.

[img width=350]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Fisker_Karma_EVer_EcoChic_%E2%80%93_Frontansicht_%281%29%2C_6._Juni_2012%2C_D%C3%BCsseldorf.jpg/280px-Fisker_Karma_EVer_EcoChic_%E2%80%93_Frontansicht_%281%29%2C_6._Juni_2012%2C_D%C3%BCsseldorf.jpg[/img]

[ElwoodBlues1]

Tesla sales have jumped in Australia.....Model Y is the  2nd best seller in Aus behind Hilux and its sent the Ford Ranger to third.
In fact Tesla sales for June23 have jumped 3900%....EV's overall have gone from 0.1% to around 7% of the market now  and thats down to Albo's generous rebates on novated leasing.
Chinese car sales are now steadily improving across the market across all makers from (MG)Mao's Garage to GWM and its going to be the end of a few car brands in Aus like Honda and Nissan who sales are off a cliff...Honda will be the first to go imho.
Tesla's of course are made in China for anyone who didnt know......even junk car brands like BYD  are getting a foothold with their EV's but buy at your own risk especially when the servicing is carried out by Mycar which is the old Kmart tyre and auto.
The landscape for cars in Aus will be all Chinese in years to come as they will own the EV market or at least be breaking even with Toyota who have had the monopoly but cost of living and high interest rates etc will make more buyers look at cheaper Chinese options.

[LP]

Tesla sales have jumped in Australia.....Model Y is the  2nd best seller in Aus behind Hilux and its sent the Ford Ranger to third.

Yes I read that, but it's bad luck if you bought in early with an S or an X, if you want a new car in the future is downgrading to a Y your only option?

[ElwoodBlues1]

Yes I read that, but it's bad luck if you bought in early with an S or an X, if you want a new car in the future is downgrading to a Y your only option?

Whats a second hand Chinese made EV going to be worth with old batteries? and probably half the km range of the newer versions and twice as slow to recharge?...answer..Not much