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Old 07-24-2008, 10:44 PM   #29 (permalink)
jamesqf
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Quote:
Originally Posted by metromizer View Post
...car builders make a lot more $$ on those high-line SUVs ... than they ever could/did on econoboxes.
But there's another reason the US automakers are going off the rails: a small car doesn't have to be an econobox. Priced a Porsche lately? Or the Honda S2000, BMW Z5 (?), etc? Even the Minis and the Miata could hardly be described as econoboxes.

Import car makers will build small cars that are quick, fun, and reasonably fuel-efficient (at least in comparison to American SUVs), and they can sell those cars at a profit. US automakers, when they need a small car to make their fleet average mpg, will rebadge the cheapest econobox they can find, and wonder why they don't sell.
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