Biggest sales bombs of the year thus far 06/07/2011
Every automaker expects their new releases to perform well, but like any industry, some offerings just won't go over well with the car-buying public. With the sales year approaching the halfway point, many of the models have already launched their 2012 versions.
CNNMoney recently profiled their picks for the biggest "bombs" of the year thus far: cars that, for one reason or another, simply haven't won over drivers nationwide. Keep in mind that "one man's trash is another man's treasure." Just because these cars aren't a sales hit doesn't mean they're junky vehicles. For those in the market for a new car, these could be the vehicles that dealers are offering major incentives on later this year in an effort to stimulate sales.
While hybrid sales have been up as of late, the Honda Insight is one car that has not yet caught on with buyers. Launched by Honda as an "inexpensive hybrid" - the car comes in for under $20,000, you would think that drivers looking for fuel efficiency and a small price tag would flock to the Insight in droves. Yet they're still going with the more expensive (and frankly, better engineered) Toyota Prius, which outsells its rival nearly seven to one.
Automakers take a chance now and then hoping to hit upon a concept that will take off, and both BMW and Mercedes-Benz did that with their X6 and R-Class, respectively. Both cars are oddly shaped, made to resemble some cross between an SUV and coupe. Unfortunately, this has led to the dreaded "hearse" comparisons, which may soon usher both these cars to their own funerals.
Another vehicle that has disappointed dealers has been the Toyota Tundra. Now, it's hard to call any vehicle that sells more than 90,000 cars a year a disappointment, but the Tundra is given what Toyota was aiming for. The Japanese automaker put everything behind this pick-up truck, hoping to dethrone the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado from the top of the sales charts. Yet those two models continue to trounce the Tundra, even in a country hungry for pick-ups.