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Show F2 The Salt Lake TribuneAUTOMOTIVE Friday, June 14, 1996 Truck Buyers Want Faster, More Reliable Vehicle BY SCOTT HEIMER KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWS SERVICE Truck buyers don't want new CAR QUESTIONS BY JIM MATEJA CHICAGO TRIBUNE They're not interested in new Question: | own a 1992 Saturn SLI purchased new. I'm ready to trade in my car on Trucks are on the verge of capturing half of the marketof vehicles sold in the United States. These buyersare not interested in I didn't say so. another Saturn. I work at a credit union and did my homework before visiting the dealership to trade my car in. The car, with But the hear, no laws were violated — federal, state, local or gender. There is no law that states the value of a 1992 Saturn SL1 is X amount. There are value guides that provide estimates or averages based on current auction prices, but the value guides are just that, guides, and not bible Usually the services that print the guides obtain prices guy who did. ought to know additions for equipment and He's Volker Harhaus, chief en. gineer of truck engine controls @ subtraction for high mileage, is valued at $5,000. The dealership offered me from dealer auctions, the 1996 Saturn, This is a blatant rip-off of a consumer. What would have happened if I hadn't done my homework? Do they think that just be- weekly, rather every six for the GM Powertrain Group only $2,200 as a trade on a And he’s betting a full lineup of powered-up Vortec truck engines for ‘$6 that he’s right No multivalve razzledazzle, no overhead-camshaft pizzazz. Just more power. reliability and less maintenance. That's what Har cause I'm a woman that [ don't have a clue as to what haus promises weekly sales where dealers buy and sell their trade-ins. Most guides aren't printed weeks Values can rise or dip sharply in a six-week time span, another reason the prices listed are guides and not up-to-the-minute, carvedin-stone values. Some consumers check out run forever if the fair market value of a than 5.000 rpm So) why would I want to put an trade-in is? Do they think overhead cam enginein? It’s of no that because I'm a woman | don't have a brain? Do they a value guide and see that a car is listed as being worth $5,000. But that's an average an I dont realize when I'm be- age miles that doesn’t need brakes and tires, for example, The engine will you run it at less benefit whatsoever. thinkthat because I'm a wom An overhead No multivalve razziedazzle, no overhead-camshaft pizazz, but GMC’s Yukon engineis maintenance-free, plus more powerful andreliable. cam engine only comes alive at variable high rpms.” That's what the man said You might get an argument from Toyota, with its multi-vailve, four-cam V6 in the new 4Runner But hey. it’s a free market. isn't it sions, thanks to new fuel delivery system, roller lifters, better breathing capabilities and an ex- haust system with bigger lungs About one-thi power and seven-to-12 se in torque over the very same engines of last want their le. to be in need er as infre. sing new orang! ile much of the maintenance requirement has been moved to the 100,000-mile plateau. You still should change the trick in these areas Behind the wheel of a 96 GMC Yukon. with the 5700 Vortec V8 and PCV valves should beable to the light truck fleet), the power increase from 200last vear to 255 this year is apparent. That's sure problem that gripes both male and female consumers, getting yourfuel filter at 30,000 andoil at 7.500, but stuff like spark plugs go 100.000 miles (billed as the flagship engine of notgoing to hurt the solid-rocketThe other thing truck buyers like. Harhaus says, is something he calls “pleasability.” This translates into less noise from various sources — accessories. throttle and idle. New designs have done booster that seems to be propel. ling the Yukon’s sales curve. This year, projections are for Yukon sales to quintuple — five-fold in. crease — over the numbers of 1993 Chrysler, General Motors Report Strong Auto Sales in May Id 245,289 DETROIT corp. and Gene reported str Theydon't have a new product this year But they have somere dates, and they seem to be work ing well.” Healy said So well that Chrysler an hat an. nounced earlier that it was ex- tending most of its incentives through July 8 The strength is balanced. said James P. Holden, vice presi all sales increased ported healthy led by its Chev dent of sales and marketing. “It spreads across our productline. ‘ars and light up. from cars and minivans to pickuptrucks and Jeepvehicles ysler’s sales of its light — a category that includes s pickupsandsport utili les — wereup 16%. Near 900—Domestic Cars 900—Domestic Cars % SUCk Pn Ave Dw oa ing taken? Please investigate and you may find this dealer ts in violation of Consumer Truth in Lending or other fair consumer laws. 900—Domestic Cars 900—Domestic Cars BACK iow Cortsy 3 oh coded "hen 4Orlyoom69295 % BUCK LeScDe Deo LA COG MeOH) 26 90 Hees! ly 64% of the vehicles Chrysler has sold this year have been in that category Healy said Chrysler's perfor- mancewas better than he expect d Answer: Glad you wrote because yourletter typifies the some market share at the expense of GMand the Japanese Japanese automakers reports having mixed results. Subaru said sales were up 20%. wh e Nissan said its U S. sales were Mitsubishi was up 4 was up 2% 900—Domestic Cars n 18% and Isuzu 900—Domestic Cars majorrepairs If that car needs a set of it could cost the dealer $600 to make the needed repairs and you would have to deduct $600 from the $5,000 average. High mileage and either limited options (stick instead what you consider to be the of automatic, manual windows fair” value of your car as a trade-in Before exploring ‘fair,’ my concern is that you are hung up on this being a “woman thing and that a dealer or his rather than power windows, manual door locks rather than salesmanis outto get you because yo! are a woman The feedback we've gotten from Saturn owners is that men and womenare treated special and notas if they only had half a brain. and that's one reason they bought the brandin the first place That's also a reason Saturn is ranked among the top 10 sellers in the entire industry and a reason I think the rest of the industry is going to look fairly strong, but not up as muchas Chuysler Hea. ly said, I think they're picking up of $5,000 on a car with aver- its rivals say Saturn sets the benchmark for customer treatment Asfor your gender hang-up most consumers — male or female — have no clue what their car is worth, and few do any homework to determine that vehicle's actual value Truth is. and you may not like what you are about to 900—Domestic Cars ne RICK Corky UD, codes WOM SVLESS towne: moo Doma 7S Sadewewase Jom ot Sota sion Aoorue oogne e Dee. tes a FE "as woe. 20) aR ED MCADRLAC bec Pred oF 51 500 ee power locks, AM radio rather than AM-FM with cassette or CD player) or the wrong op- tions (V-6 rather than V-8 ina sports car, cloth rather than leather seats in a luxury car. regular cab rather than ex tended cab in a pickup truck, two-wheel drive rather than four-wheel drive in a sportutility vehicle) would also af- fect the vehicle's value. Say that after all the factors are taken into play — vehicle condition, miles, equipment. the need or lack of need for repairs — yourcar is actually valued at $5,000 A dealer doesn't have to give vou $5,000. He can offer you $2,200 in trade or he can offer you $6,200 in trade. If he offers you $2,200 as your dealer did, you are then free to practice the “get up and get out of there” rule of car buying 900—Domestic Cars 900—Domestic Cars WCAG ag om Daccafovamn owtPa can MORN cometsComin tae ta Sh SME COT Mey ‘OWNovcte Be Sad ond Wes! 584954 oF Taba 2 BUCK Regal 2. V4 oe powee *ioe Maas oe S00 wae i 3099 § Becwood Ba. 73700 te * &Daag. OO nce aeS400Boetecoa BeBego RICK WARNER CHRYSLER/PLYMOUTH DOWNTOWN IS MOVING!! we Don't Want to MoveAll of these Cars, So... Sonty7EVERY CHRYSLER & PLYMOUTH ON < A FEW — OUR LOT IS PRICED AT INVOICE REMAIN! 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