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| I wanted a rude username:
People didn't stop buying Commodores and Falcons because of reliability. After both manufacturers completely changed these models to ones made overseas, sales stayed abysmal. People stopped buying them because the bulk of the market segment that used to buy large family sedans moved to SUVs. I personally find SUVs ridiculous and a reflection of self-obsessed, irrational pessimism, but it's what people want now. Not the iconic Australian sedans we grew up with. |
| John B:
--- Quote from: Kerlin on February 18, 2020, 05:31:03 am ---Not pessimistic, its true. Not long ago bought brand new car designed and made in Australia. The Australian version had the independent suspension removed. Steering and suspension were replaced with cheaper versions. Three friends who have one have had the dash melt in the sun, so I fitted a dash protection mat. Has a very cheap crappy interior that won't last long. The window rubbers are already rotting. Here's a great one for us electronics people - Then there is the electronic display panel, takes 15 seconds to show any image. Also when changing to reverse the reversing camera takes 10 seconds to show an image. On the radio station display shows the radio as being on two stations one corresponds with the steering wheel controls and the other with the radio controls. My guess is there was a problem integrating it with a local display, so they just left it like that! It was sold brand new with DAB when all the DAB stations had already gone off air, just left it like that, even though they knew the problem. The screen cannot be seen even in moderate sunlight. I am waiting to see what else goes wrong, I won't be disappointed. The Japanese version of this am a car is now available and it is far far superior. And don't forget it was subsidised by the tax payer. Good riddance to our local manufacturers! --- End quote --- Which model of car are you talking about? |
| tautech:
--- Quote from: I wanted a rude username on February 18, 2020, 08:41:46 am ---People didn't stop buying Commodores and Falcons because of reliability. After both manufacturers completely changed these models to ones made overseas, sales stayed abysmal. People stopped buying them because the bulk of the market segment that used to buy large family sedans moved to SUVs. I personally find SUVs ridiculous and a reflection of self-obsessed, irrational pessimism, but it's what people want now. Not the iconic Australian sedans we grew up with. --- End quote --- Depends on your time of life. With a young family the Commodore station wagon was most convenient in that it could carry all and the kitchen sink and yet still get along at a good rate and offer a nice ride yet wouldn't handle like a sedan that's not so practical for the larger family. Had a VK wagon for years when the kids were little and when they were teenagers got a VX-II sedan and it's been a good car. For a while we had both the wagon and the sedan but replaced the wagon with a SUV that is not only very practical for my many needs it's also very cheap to trip in and yet can get down and dirty off road. When its time is up I'll certainly be getting another. ymmv |
| I wanted a rude username:
Sorry, I should have specifically called out station wagons, which in many ways were the optimal form factor of those "iconic Australian sedans" for families. Yet they were never particularly popular ... seemed to make up 10-15% of them at any time despite being only marginally more expensive ... whereas now almost all SUVs sold in Australia (aside from the big utes) are in wagon/hatch form. Kind of makes you wonder what was driving people's decisions. |
| tautech:
--- Quote from: I wanted a rude username on February 18, 2020, 09:12:31 am ---Sorry, I should have specifically called out station wagons, which in many ways were the optimal form factor of those "iconic Australian sedans" for families. Yet they were never particularly popular ... seemed to make up 10-15% of them at any time. Whereas almost all SUVs sold in Australia are station wagons (the exceptions being the big utes). --- End quote --- Why, because they weren't considered cool ! ::) If they'd been raced around Bathurst everyone would want one ! :horse: Perception has nothing to do with the practical reality of having more than a rollerskate that gets you from A to B. |
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