Accord/Camry in GM dealerships

[ramirami]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- If you want to test drive a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord, starting next month you'll be able to do it at a Saturn dealership. General Motors is asking Saturn dealers to have one or more of the competing models in the showroom so customers can look at it, sit in it and drive it.

Of course, Saturn dealers can't sell you an Accord or Camry. But they hope that, when you see a Toyota or Honda sedan next to the Saturn Aura, you'll decide to buy the Aura.

"In that side-by-side comparison, we come out really well," said Mark LaNeve, head of North American sales and marketing for General Motors.

Later this year, Chevrolet dealers will be doing the same thing as they introduce customers to the redesigned Chevrolet Malibu, which shares its engineering platform with the Aura.

In focus group research, GM has shown potential customers new GM models next to competing vehicles with all brand identifications removed and, said LaNeve, customers have reacted well to the GM products.

Another advantage for GM dealers in having competing products on site is that customers may not need to set foot in a competing dealership before making a purchase decision.

"I think we can stand up to the comparison," said Wade Hoyt, a Toyota spokesman.

Auto salespeople always research the competition, he said, and prepare advantageous comparisons to offer customers considering another product.

"They talk down the competition all the time," said Hoyt, "so this is just taking it one step further"

According to industry newspaper Automotive News, sales for the Saturn Aura, which was voted Car of the Year by automotive journalists in January, 2007, have been disappointing for GM.

Part of the reason GM is willing to take this step, said LaNeve, is because the company has little to lose. Midsized sedan shoppers often don't even consider GM products, he said, instead going straight to Honda and Toyota dealers.

The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are now the two best-selling cars in America.

"Over the course of a few years that became the default choice," said LaNeve.

The company wouldn't even consider doing something like this with its SUVs, said LaNeve. GM currently holds about a 70 percent market share in large SUVs, so there would be little to gain from bringing Toyota Sequoias into Chevrolet dealerships to compare to the Tahoe.

[N_Jay]

So the only shopper who will be impacted is the market segment that goes to the GM showroom FIRST, and then actually believes the GM rep will present the Honda or Toyota fairly.

I think that is the "Stupid and does not know it" segment!

[5Gs]

interesting...I remember a couple years ago I went to a gm sponsored "auto show in motion" where they set up a road course for you to test drive their gm products and their competitions' products. on one course they had the cadillac cts vs the acura tl, audi a6(?), etc. the cars are simply parked there for you to try. I remember the audi as having excellent handling, and the cadillac sitting there idling because nobody really cared to test drive it. on another course they had the h3 vs a bmw x5, some toyota suv, honda pilot, and a couple others. I drove the h3, but boy was that suv seriously underpowered. the hummer h2/h3 dirt course was popular though, but my guess is that it's because everyone wanted to drive the hummer over mounds, through mud pits, etc. there was also a course set up for the corvette and cts-v. that was popular too, because everyone wanted to see how fast they can accelerate. anyway, with everyone I spoke with, I don't remember anyone seriously considering any of the gm products, except the corvette.

[ramirami]

Originally posted by N_Jay


I think that is the "Stupid and does not know it" segment!

true.. but its not a bad idea... atleast you are preventing the "stupid" segment as you call it from going to the Honda/Toyota dealrship... because bubba heard that now Toyotas are made in Indiana and Texas

[colorider]

IMHO, one of the best arrangements I have seen is the move towards multiple dealers at an "Autoplex" - versus spread all over the city (or cities). It makes comparison a lot easier when you can drive various makes/models "back-to-back".

[GreenMachine]

The Aura is a pretty nice looking car, IMO. Still have to wait to see if its long term reliability lives up to those looks. C&D did a review of the Green Line version, and it wasn't very good.

C&D Aura Green Line test

This was my favorite quote though.

We could get better fuel economy and better performance from other vehicles, but could we do it for less than $23,070? Well, actually, yeah, we could. How about a four-cylinder Honda Accord or Nissan Altima?

[BCinTX]

Not the worst idea in the world. At least you can do a side by side comparison of things like seating comfort, luggage capacity, etc.

But

Originally posted by ramirami
Auto salespeople always research the competition, he said,

I'd be happy enough if salespeople would research their own vehicles, and be able to accurately answer questions rather than making things up they don't know.