04-26-2004, 04:10 PM
Hi,
Magi's beloved SHO finally got too long in the tooth to keep. So we went car shopping this past weekend. Damn the makers for the avalanche of names (many differentiated by just a few immaterial features). Praise for the Internet as a way to get info fast and as a filter for what to actually go look at.
The main choice soon became obvious. Not being able to afford the *insurance* on a Ferrari, much less the payments, she had to choose between a mid range V-6 which would giver her the power and handling she was accustomed to (as well as, sigh, the gas mileage or lack thereof) and a smaller, more efficient car. And the "small and efficient" pretty quickly became "a hybrid".
And therein lies the tale. There seem to be two hybrids supposedly on the market, the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid (how's that for clever naming). However, that is misleading. While one can buy the Honda right now, the Toyota is *out of stock for at least ten months*!!!!!!!
Now, this makes no sense to me at all. I'm familiar with the price-volume charts that show how to maximize profits. But all the charts I've seen show that the profit goes to zero when the volume does. And I can't believe that Toyota is selling many cars ten months out -- that was the norm in the '50s and '60s for cars special ordered. Note that that ten month wait at Toyota is *not* for a specially ordered car with the colors and options you want. That wait is for whatever rolls in at that time. Toyota seems to have taken a page from the original Ford ("You can have any color you want as long as it's black") book of customer care arrogance.
Suffice to say that even though there was one available for a test drive (but not to purchase), we didn't even bother. As Magi phrased it, "I might like it and then be dissatisfied by what I actually buy."
So, Toyota? Smart marketing or self inflicted foot wound?
And, yes, Magi opted for the Civic Hybrid -- which she drove away about two hours after she decided on it. And which, if her past cars are any guide, I'll get to drive in a year or so. :)
--Pete
Magi's beloved SHO finally got too long in the tooth to keep. So we went car shopping this past weekend. Damn the makers for the avalanche of names (many differentiated by just a few immaterial features). Praise for the Internet as a way to get info fast and as a filter for what to actually go look at.
The main choice soon became obvious. Not being able to afford the *insurance* on a Ferrari, much less the payments, she had to choose between a mid range V-6 which would giver her the power and handling she was accustomed to (as well as, sigh, the gas mileage or lack thereof) and a smaller, more efficient car. And the "small and efficient" pretty quickly became "a hybrid".
And therein lies the tale. There seem to be two hybrids supposedly on the market, the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid (how's that for clever naming). However, that is misleading. While one can buy the Honda right now, the Toyota is *out of stock for at least ten months*!!!!!!!
Now, this makes no sense to me at all. I'm familiar with the price-volume charts that show how to maximize profits. But all the charts I've seen show that the profit goes to zero when the volume does. And I can't believe that Toyota is selling many cars ten months out -- that was the norm in the '50s and '60s for cars special ordered. Note that that ten month wait at Toyota is *not* for a specially ordered car with the colors and options you want. That wait is for whatever rolls in at that time. Toyota seems to have taken a page from the original Ford ("You can have any color you want as long as it's black") book of customer care arrogance.
Suffice to say that even though there was one available for a test drive (but not to purchase), we didn't even bother. As Magi phrased it, "I might like it and then be dissatisfied by what I actually buy."
So, Toyota? Smart marketing or self inflicted foot wound?
And, yes, Magi opted for the Civic Hybrid -- which she drove away about two hours after she decided on it. And which, if her past cars are any guide, I'll get to drive in a year or so. :)
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?