Buick Boosts Luxury Image

[FordBuyer]

GM may or many not know how to run Chevy, but Buick is doing well with sales way up and average age of buyer decreasing along with conquest sales way up:

 

Click here: Buick pitch doubles leases, boosts image as luxury brand | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com

[NickF1011]

Buick sales are up...at whose expense though? Still contend that the current crop of Buicks should all be Chevrolets. Perhaps Malibu sales wouldn't be so embarrassingly poor if GM didn't have to artificially cap its content to keep Buick relevant.

[FordBuyer]

Buick sales are up...at whose expense though? Still contend that the current crop of Buicks should all be Chevrolets. Perhaps Malibu sales wouldn't be so embarrassingly poor if GM didn't have to artificially cap its content to keep Buick relevant.

 

In article, Buick dealers state its conquest sales are coming from Acura, Infiniti, and the like. Not into Encore being built in Korea, but it seems to be hit and something neither Chevy or Cadillac have. Encore from what I hear is really getting sales from imports. In Ford country around here, Buick Regal is super popular and a very nice looking car. Seems to me Chevy screwed up more on back seat room on Malibu than anything else. Not the fault of Buick. Lack of rear seat room is cardinal sin in mid sized segment. The new Chevy Impala looks very upmarket and not bargain basement at all. Lincoln could learn from Buick.

[NickF1011]

In article, Buick dealers state its conquest sales are coming from Acura, Infiniti, and the like. Not into Encore being built in Korea, but it seems to be hit and something neither Chevy or Cadillac have. Encore from what I hear is really getting sales from imports. In Ford country around here, Buick Regal is super popular and a very nice looking car. Seems to me Chevy screwed up more on back seat room on Malibu than anything else. Not the fault of Buick. Lack of rear seat room is cardinal sin in mid sized segment. The new Chevy Impala looks very upmarket and not bargain basement at all. Lincoln could learn from Buick.

 

So they are getting tarted up Honda and Nissan sales. Likely where many of the upper-tier Ford buyers are coming from as well. If Lincoln wanted to aim as low as Buick they'd just put a blue oval on the grille. When there's a Buick that approaches $70,000 MSRP, let me know.

Edited March 13, 2013 by NickF1011

[FordBuyer]

Click here: Buick launches Encore ad with dinosaur theme to air during NCAA tournament | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

[jpd80]

Verano seems to be attracting a lot of the leasing and probably why the Regal is suffering so badly in comparison..

[Anthony]

Click here: Buick launches Encore ad with dinosaur theme to air during NCAA tournament | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

 

 

That was actually a decent commercial.

[NickF1011]

Verano seems to be attracting a lot of the leasing and probably why the Regal is suffering so badly in comparison..

 

Well, therein lies some of the problem with Buick. They are filling too narrow a price range to offer a full lineup but they need a full lineup to remain viable.

[gdn]

I don't have a reference link to the article - but if you want to know what is building Buick - Google their sales in China. It is a very big luxury car there - The BMW and Mercedes are too high for them - Buick fits the bill and where I believe a majority of the Buick sales are coming from.

[FordBuyer]

Well, therein lies some of the problem with Buick. They are filling too narrow a price range to offer a full lineup but they need a full lineup to remain viable.

 

Hmmm, Buick is on target to sell over 200,000 vehicles this year, its luxury image is being boosted, most of its dealerships are modernized and attractive, marketing is going strong, and average age is dropping significantly. The Enclave is a head turner and sells in 40,000/year range. The Encore looks like a winner and beats the MKC to market by at least a year. I would prefer an MKC to be sure, but hey, Buick is mid level luxury and seems to be on roll if you are objective. It looks to me like GM is carving out a nice place for Buick in the states, and doing it with platforms they already have, something BOF Mafia loves. I'm impressed as I didn't think GM could do it, but is making Buick viable. Now only if they would dump GMC. Buick is now strong enough to stand alone, especially with another vehicle or two in lineup.

[Anthony]

Hmmm, Buick is on target to sell over 200,000 vehicles this year, its luxury image is being boosted, most of its dealerships are modernized and attractive, marketing is going strong, and average age is dropping significantly. The Enclave is a head turner and sells in 40,000/year range. The Encore looks like a winner and beats the MKC to market by at least a year. I would prefer an MKC to be sure, but hey, Buick is mid level luxury and seems to be on roll if you are objective. It looks to me like GM is carving out a nice place for Buick in the states, and doing it with platforms they already have, something BOF Mafia loves. I'm impressed as I didn't think GM could do it, but is making Buick viable. Now only if they would dump GMC. Buick is now strong enough to stand alone, especially with another vehicle or two in lineup.

 

Encore and MKC are two different classes. The Encore is tiny (think Scion xB or Kia Soul sized). The MKC is Escape sized.

[FordBuyer]

Encore and MKC are two different classes. The Encore is tiny (think Scion xB or Kia Soul sized). The MKC is Escape sized.

 

Sorry, you are correct. Buick would probably be better off with compact CUV like Escape, but again GM chose to use a vehicle from their parts bin so to speak, instead of spending tons of money on developing all new one here based off of Equinox or whatever. Buick certainly could use a more rounded out lineup, but dang, 180,000+ sales is pretty darn good with what they have. I believe Mercury was in 120,000 range before it got the hook, and Lincoln is half that. So Buick is more than holding its own, and again average age of buyer is dropping. I know around here Enclave is popular with young family set in yuppyville. And Regal is popular with senior set. Encore will do well with young, single females. Ford/Lincoln should be paying attention to see how well the Encore sells and who it sells too. May be room in states for Ecosport and maybe Lincoln version in hybrid form with luxury features like Encore.

[NickF1011]

Hmmm, Buick is on target to sell over 200,000 vehicles this year, its luxury image is being boosted, most of its dealerships are modernized and attractive, marketing is going strong, and average age is dropping significantly. The Enclave is a head turner and sells in 40,000/year range. The Encore looks like a winner and beats the MKC to market by at least a year. I would prefer an MKC to be sure, but hey, Buick is mid level luxury and seems to be on roll if you are objective. It looks to me like GM is carving out a nice place for Buick in the states, and doing it with platforms they already have, something BOF Mafia loves. I'm impressed as I didn't think GM could do it, but is making Buick viable. Now only if they would dump GMC. Buick is now strong enough to stand alone, especially with another vehicle or two in lineup.

 

And they are doing ALL of that at the expense of Chevrolet. THAT is where the problem lies. And Buick still doesn't have it right. Refer to the already mentioned Regal. The pricing structure just doesn't support a full lineup. There's always going to be too much overlap. And Buick will never stand on its own. They are all paired with other GM brands in dealers.

 

Aside from the anomoly that is China, there's nothing the Buick brand does for GM that Chevrolet couldn't do instead for less money. And GM created the China dilemma themselves by having too many brands in the first place.

Edited March 14, 2013 by NickF1011

[FordBuyer]

And they are doing ALL of that at the expense of Chevrolet. THAT is where the problem lies. And Buick still doesn't have it right. Refer to the already mentioned Regal. The pricing structure just doesn't support a full lineup. There's always going to be too much overlap. And Buick will never stand on its own. They are all paired with other GM brands in dealers.

 

Aside from the anomoly that is China, there's nothing the Buick brand does for GM that Chevrolet couldn't do instead for less money. And GM created the China dilemma themselves by having too many brands in the first place.

 

AGAIN, most Buick sales according to Buick dealers that know more about their business than you do are conquest sales from brands other than Chevrolet. So Buick is carving out a niche for themselves, and sales are growing and buyer age is coming down. Yes, Buick is still a work in progress just like Cadillac and especially Lincoln are and will be for quite some time. However, Buick seems to be finding that mid level luxury niche that was so elusive for Mercury. The sales numbers and Buick dealers conquest numbers are proving you wrong. And there is nothing bargain basement about the new Impala, Camaro, Malibu, new Traverse, or Equinox. Ford has done better job down the middle, but new Chevys coming out are more than decent. I believe Equinox is next up for redesign.

[NickF1011]

AGAIN, most Buick sales according to Buick dealers that know more about their business than you do are conquest sales from brands other than Chevrolet. So Buick is carving out a niche for themselves, and sales are growing and buyer age is coming down. Yes, Buick is still a work in progress just like Cadillac and especially Lincoln are and will be for quite some time. However, Buick seems to be finding that mid level luxury niche that was so elusive for Mercury. The sales numbers and Buick dealers conquest numbers are proving you wrong. And there is nothing bargain basement about the new Impala, Camaro, Malibu, new Traverse, or Equinox. Ford has done better job down the middle, but new Chevys coming out are more than decent. I believe Equinox is next up for redesign.

 

Ford has stated that many of its higher trim level buyers are conquest sales also, proving you don't need a separate brand to accomplish that. Again, Buick serves no purpose in North America.

 

The only niche Buick is carving out is people who would otherwise probably buy a more expensive Chevrolet or a cheaper Cadillac instead.

[FordBuyer]

The only niche Buick is carving out is people who would otherwise probably buy a more expensive Chevrolet or a cheaper Cadillac instead.

 

You don't know that, and Buick dealers dispute that negative take. I know GM has problems, and more than Ford, but they do some things right, and they know a hell of a lot more about running an auto business than you or I. Unlike Mercury, GM has found a market niche for a mid level luxury brand whether you approve or not, and their vehicles are more differentiated than what Ford did with Mercury. I doubt very much if astute Ford executives look at GM like the BOF Mafia. I'm sure they have immense respect for GM and the competition they provide, and may even learn a few things by observing with objective ey.

[NickF1011]

You don't know that, and Buick dealers dispute that negative take. I know GM has problems, and more than Ford, but they do some things right, and they know a hell of a lot more about running an auto business than you or I. Unlike Mercury, GM has found a market niche for a mid level luxury brand whether you approve or not, and their vehicles are more differentiated than what Ford did with Mercury. I doubt very much if astute Ford executives look at GM like the BOF Mafia. I'm sure they have immense respect for GM and the competition they provide, and may even learn a few things by observing with objective ey.

 

Mercury still sold lots of cars before it was axed. That doesn't mean the continued investment made any sense, just as I don't think the continued investment in Buick makes sense either. It would be better spent sprucing up Chevrolet. And of course the Buick dealers are happy. They are getting good product. It's the Chevy dealers who have to be a little annoyed by it.

 

If Ford execs were that enamored with the way GM has been handling Buick, they would have emulated it with Mercury.

Edited March 14, 2013 by NickF1011

[Anthony]

The only reason Buick is around is to have a full line to sell at GMC dealerships...which could not survive on their own and couldn't be sold next to Chevy trucks. I like Buicks, but they are kind of an odd man out in this day and age.

[NickF1011]

The only reason Buick is around is to have a full line to sell at GMC dealerships...which could not survive on their own and couldn't be sold next to Chevy trucks. I like Buicks, but they are kind of an odd man out in this day and age.

 

Which begs the question: Why does GMC still exist? Buick and GMC are two dogs chasing each other's tails with no real purpose or benefit.

[FordBuyer]

Which begs the question: Why does GMC still exist? Buick and GMC are two dogs chasing each other's tails with no real purpose or benefit.

 

I agree on GMC, and don't really understand keeping them around. I used to think about Buick that way and understand GM is big player in China with Buick brand name, but lately Buick has come on nicely in the states, and it looks promising to me. And Chevy is getting a lot of new product, so GM has not exactly beeen distracted by Buick. If Mercury had been differentiated more from Ford as GM has done with Buick, and sold in 200,000/year range ( I believe Mercury sold at 10,000/month range) like Buick does now, maybe Mercury could have continued. Not getting into that argument again, but Buick deserves new product and marketing pushes, and is getting it. Sales up 22% year over year and is scoring impressive conquest sales meaning if Buick wasn't around, GM wouldn't have gotten the sale. Lincoln execs would be breaking out the champagne if they could sell 200,000 Lincolns in one year. As it is, 100,000 sales/year is a long way off even with big incentives and super cheap lease rates that Lincoln is offering now. So Ford is kicking Chevy's ass, but in mid level and up luxury Ford is non player with no sales traction.

[NickF1011]

meaning if Buick wasn't around, GM wouldn't have gotten the sale.

 

There's no way you can make that assertion. They very well would have bought a Chevrolet if it offered the content the Buick did.

 

Lincoln execs would be breaking out the champagne if they could sell 200,000 Lincolns in one year. As it is, 100,000 sales/year is a long way off even with big incentives and super cheap lease rates that Lincoln is offering now. So Ford is kicking Chevy's ass, but in mid level and up luxury Ford is non player with no sales traction.

 

Any wagers that Lincoln's ATP is still significantly higher than Buick's?

 

And if you're not willing to get into the argument about comparing Buick's pointlessness to Mercury's, then don't bring up the argument about why Lincoln's current incentives on outdated product exists as it does.

[FordBuyer]

There's no way you can make that assertion. They very well would have bought a Chevrolet if it offered the content the Buick did.

 

 

 

Any wagers that Lincoln's ATP is still significantly higher than Buick's?

 

And if you're not willing to get into the argument about comparing Buick's pointlessness to Mercury's, then don't bring up the argument about why Lincoln's current incentives on outdated product exists as it does.

 

There's no way you can make that assertion. They very well would have bought a Chevrolet if it offered the content the Buick did.

 

 

 

Any wagers that Lincoln's ATP is still significantly higher than Buick's?

 

And if you're not willing to get into the argument about comparing Buick's pointlessness to Mercury's, then don't bring up the argument about why Lincoln's current incentives on outdated product exists as it does.

 

Since you like to argue over any positive reported by GM, Ok..I'm game. First off, I don't know if Lincoln is good comparison in that they are aiming higher than Buick, and its sales are the most dismal in luxury segment, and seeminlgy going lower for awhile even with MKZ finally out as MKT, MKS, and Navigator sales continue to struggle more and more even with heavy incentives. In fact, Lincoln inventory is growing month after month. As for MKZ and MKX, big cut rate lease deals of $349 and $379/month on FWD respectibely with very little down. AWD is a few dollars more. With future of Lincoln by no means guaranteed with sales falling below 5,000/month, you have to wonder how many are willing to buy outright with horrible resale values for such a moribund brand. All we can deal with is the reality of today, not what Lincoln may or may not look like in five more years. The Buick Enclave alone sells almost as well as whole Lincoln brand.

 

And if so many buyers of Buick vehicles are turning in Acura and Infiniti models, what makes you think they would have bought Chevy instead if Buick wasn't available? There is no proof they would. GM has done a pretty decent job differentiating Buick from Chevy. Now I see a lot of LaCrosse in new Impala that could be a problem, but rest of lineup is not. Yeah, Buick I would agree has a long way to go, but they are doing much better, have decent sales traction, and buyers are getting younger. Now maybe Buick will lose its momentum, but as of now the trajectory is up.

[Anthony]

I almost hate to admit, I really like the Encore. When I first saw pictures of it, I hated it. It certainly has grown on me. It has a decent price for all the goodies you get (if you want something in that size). It's been getting good reviews too (except for being exceptionally slow)...and (shocker) customer orders are six times the initial projected estimates.

 

Of course, all that and a peanut butter sandwich will get you a peanut butter sandwich. I have no clue what the longevity of this vehicle is.

Edited March 14, 2013 by Intrepidatious

[jpd80]

Buick exists and thrives in the USA because GM refuses to lift the image of Chevrolet. Had GM spent a similar amount of resources on lifting the

perception and quality of Chevrolet's vehicles, there would be little need for Buick in the USA. as high series Chevrolets would be filling that role.

 

But then again, that's really looking at the GM multi-brand strategy with Ford brand only eyes......

Edited March 15, 2013 by jpd80

[jmacd27]

We considered the Enclave during our recent search for a new car. It is an impressive car for sure, but I felt it wasn't worth the extra expense over the Edge Limited AWD we ended up ordering.