72% of Suzuki Dealerships Find Business Stagnant vs a Month Ago

Tickermine researched Suzuki Motor Corp., this month just after the company released its new 2008 SX4 featuring standard navigation. The company expects this model to do well. 29 dealerships across the US were consulted and asked which Suzuki model is selling best? Are deals on SUV’s and trucks being offered? Do you offer free satellite radio services? And do you see more sales this month? The Forenza model was most popular according to nine people or 31% of those polled. The SX4 Crossover got six mentions (20%) as did the XL7. The Grand Vitara was mentioned four times (14%) and the Reno was cited three times (10%). Nineteen people or 66% of those polled offer no deals on trucks or SUV’s. Ten people or 34% said they do. And 15 people or 52% were offering free satellite radio services but 14 people or 48% were not. None of this however has helped generate more traffic into the dealerships. 21 people or 72% said business was flat compared with last month. Only eight people or 28% said business was up.

Audi Q7s, Audi R8's and Audi RS4 Base Sedan's Not Selling Well at Dealierships, Audi 4's Doing Well

The German luxury car maker, Audi, was surveyed by Tickermine researchers this week soon after the company announced it was increasing production of its luxury cars in India. We consulted 29 dealerships and asked which model of car sells best, are there any deals on trucks or SUVs and is free satellite radio being offered as a service? The Audi 4 is the best selling vehicle according to 45% of the Audi dealers we polled. Other mentions included the Audi 3 (14%), the Audi Q7 and then the Audi A6 (each cited by 10% of respondents), then the Audi Q7, Audi R8 and Audi RS 4 Base Sedan were each mentioned by 6 percent of those polled. The Audi A5 and Audi TT were not doing so well. These models were cited as best-selling by only 3% of those we talked to. Four people or 14 % of those interviewed said they were offering specials on SUVs or trucks. 25 people at 86% said they were not. And while eight people or 21% of those polled were not offering free satellite radio to their customers, 21 people or 72% said they were.

Toyota Dealerships Abandon Attempts to Lure Customers in with Free Satellite Radio

Toyota Motors Corp. was surveyed by Tickermine researchers this week. 32 dealerships around the country were consulted about which vehicles sold best, whether any deals existed on SUVs or trucks, is satellite radio service being offered for free and are the dealerships experiencing more customer traffic than this time last month? The best selling vehicle is currently the Toyota Camry, according to 34% of those polled. 10 people or 31 per cent said the Toyota Corolla sold best. The Toyota Prius was cited four times (13%) followed by the Toyota 4Runner (three mentions or 9% of the poll.) Other mentions included , the Toyota Avalon (mentioned twice or 6% of the poll) and the Toyota Land Cruiser and the Toyota Tundra each got one mention (3%). 14 people or 44% of our respondents said they were not offering any deals on trucks or SUVs at 18 people or 56% said that they were. Not surprisingly, only 11 people or 34%, said sales were up from this time last month. 21 people or 66% of those polled said that sales were either flatter or the same from a month earlier. And most dealerships have given up on baiting customers with free satellite radio. 11 people or 34% said they offered free satellite radio. But 21 people or 66% said they did not.

Tire Sales Down From Last Year, Say 52% of Retailers

TickerMine polled tire retailers, including large chains such as Sears, Sam's Club, and Wal-Mart, and learned that the best selling tires this month are Goodyear (30%), Michelin (24%) and Bridgestone (18%). When asked which tire brands were of the best quality, responses were in line with sales: Goodyear was the most common response (36%). Michelin (24%) and Bridgestone (12%) were also mentioned. Fifty-two percent of stores surveyed said tire sales are down from last year; 24% said sales are up.