Once again seems like CEO doesn't get it. Kinda like when the Germans took over they dropped the Neon and came out with the Caliber. Should have just stuck with the Neon and kept making it a better car. Europeans don't seem to get Americans don't like hatch backs. The neon was a home run until they dropped Plymouth and lost half its sales. Now to drop the Dart? maybe you should try actually advertising the car. I have not seen an ad ever for a dart and not seen an ad for a 200 in over a year. I see Honda civic ads daily. Gee maybe that actually helps sell cars!?! Only bad things about a dart are the small engine option and the car is a bit too heavy for its class. but other than that the 200 and dart are excellent vehicles aesthetically and mechanically. When Honda or Toyota have a slump they redesign and do more advertising. They don't cancel the line. I thought changing trucks from dodge to ram was a big mistake and I have bee wrong about that as sales seem to be doing well but I don't think dropping the cars is wise on any level. Neither do any of the other execs at the other car cos. Your discouraging me away from mopar with the lack of a small or midsize car option. Great decision. Great way lose customers and sour tastes. If you need me to take over the company shoot me an email. ;/)

 

Truly sad I've had a Charger 2.2, Shadow ES, Neons and a Caliber and now no more small car platform.

 

its like bad decision history repeating itself. When they shut down Plymouth they lost half of Neon sales. They shut down avenger production last year and lost half the sales numbers of 200 and avenger platform. When they stopped avenger sales I think the numbers were over 100,000 units a year. if that's true I don't see how you cant make money on those kinds of numbers especially when combined with Chrysler 200 sales.

 

All I ever see, are ads for their little shiitebox Fiat. I wouldn't grace that little piece of crap with the treads of my Ramcharger, by crushing it.

 

Who needs small cars when gas prices are cheap? They were already having a hard time in this segment.

 

I knew this wasn't going to work. Badge engineering never works. If I want a FIAT, I'll buy a FIAT, if I want a Mitsubishi, I'll buy a Mitsubishi, if I want a Hyundai/Kia, I will buy a Hyundai/Kia, if I want a Mercedes, I will buy a Mercedes. I don't any of these piles of junk. I WANT A DODGE! That is why I go to a Dodge dealer, not a FIAT, not a Mitsubishi, not a Hyundai Kia, not a Mercedes. The simple fact is the European sizes and tastes are different from ours mixing the two is very temperamental and results in many duds (Ford Contour, 1st gen Ford Focus, Saturn L-series, etc.).

I remember when Sergio was boasting about how they were going to show us (lowly) Americans how to make cars fuel efficient. That was a laugh and a half, I said it then and unfortunately I was right. Their Multi Air hasn't fixed the Hyun-subi-sler I4 (World Engine) in making it competitive (it still needs GDI). The might ZF's 9 speed has been a reputation disaster. They've killed the Avenger with nothing to replace it with and outright lost sales (gasp Dodge and Chrysler sells to different customers called men for Dodge and women for Chrysler). The split up of Dodge between trucks and cars is hurting Dodge. Removing the Caravan will do nothing to boost its reputation as the Caravan has been a part of Dodge's line longer than any current models and as Ralph Gilles showed minivans could be made to be cool if H###catted (which makes no real sense in Chrysler with no 300 version). The brands and their intended segments are completely screwed up. Heck even the Tritec engine is pretty comparable to power output compared to FIATs FIRE I4. Fiat had nothing to offer. The VM Motori Diesels could have been bought as they were before this merger, the ZF 8 speed could have also been bought, the Fiat tech is useless.

The only Italian cars Americans want (or at least Italian name brands) are Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Bugatti because they are exotic and flashy. The people who can afford them can afford to constantly repair them at a high cost. America proved it once before and is proving once again it doesn't have the patience for Fixing It Again Tony. The reason why people tolerate German cars is the perception that German is superior quality because in the past it had its edge. The Japanese are accepted because of their overrated and over-exaggerated reputation for reliability that they once had (why would anyone want a Fiat 124 instead of a Mazda Miata that has a proven I4 unlike Fiat and why pay to have a Asini 6-speed when you already own the rights to a ZF 8 speed?). FIAT and Alfa Romeo have neither of these going for them. Maserati doesn't have the following of Ferrari and the tolerable quality reputation of Jaguar to make them truly viable. All they are doing is making more Chrysler TC by Maserati and having about the same result. Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, and Fiat should be spun off or discontinued. They are done. FCA can support one, maybe two brands on life support not 4. Chrysler was better off on their own, they just needed a bit of time, a bit of money, and a better manager and it would be better off than it is today.