GM is getting into gear!

Ok, so it is no secret that I genuinely like General Motors. Even if I wasn't currently employed by a subsidiary of the company, I would be rooting for them. I like cheering for the underdog, and right now, GM's a bit of an underdog.

Granted, I will be the first person to say they did it to themselves - absolutely they did. But now they have bridges to mend and work to do. And what do you know - they're actually doing it! In the past year and a half, America has seen more improvement from GM than they had a decade before that, and there's only more great things on the horizon. Here's some taste of what's happened and what's to come:

-First, since ditching the Cobalt and re-doing the Malibu, Chevrolet is saying goodbye to the last of their blander vehicles, the Aveo. The Korean-made Aveo seemed to have been rushed onto the American market in the mid-00's to compete with the small city cars that had become popular during the beginning of the gas crisis. Basically, it seemed to be there just to give Chevy a car that was tiny and fuel efficient. It was a good little car at times, but it was a supremely boring one. Now, they are replacing it with the well-conceived, American-made Chevrolet Sonic. This car is meant to be for the Aveo what the Cruze was to the Cobalt last year - a completely revitalized entry into its segment, instead of a mere nameplate change. Like the Aveo, the Sonic will have a hatchback and sedan edition, and like the Cruze, the inside will be completely overhauled to include a state-of-the-art console in every vehicle. You can see a photo of the Sonic at the top of this post.

-Second, they have redesigned the Malibu for 2013. Besides the fact that it looks great, there are two other positive things worth mentioning: GM is trying to create a lot of hype for this release, and they did it without changing the name. Okay, I am going to be honest - and let me stress that this is just my opinion, not that of any one else or the dealership - I did not care for the Chevy Malibu from 97-07. I thought it was lackluster at best. Then the 08 came around. It completely change my mind, and I think it did the same for a lot of people. The advantage of keeping the Malibu name is that it is an established product - good or bad, people know the name. I think that 9 times out of 10 people will choose an established name product over something they've never heard of, because at least the establish product has been tested and there are other buyers out there, for better or for worse. Once Chevy has got the Sonic and Cruze well established, I'm hoping that they don't go anywhere near those names for many years to come.

-Thirdly, GM seems to be hitting their stride with their other brands. Cadillac, Buick, and GMC are all running smoothly. Cadillac is veering towards more performance cars, while Buick is taking up the Caddy's previous market of comfortable luxury boat-cars. (I happen to drive one of those older Cadillac boats, and I must say I am glad GM has kept this style going with Buick; I'd be sad to see it go.)

And finally, if I may, a personal wish list: please redesign the Impala as a urban-themed city sedan, like Ford's Taurus. Impala is begging for a makeover, and I think the ticket to increasing sales is capturing young urban professionals. Right now it's sized as a family vehicle, and Chevy has two of those already in the sedan category, in addition to their extensive line of family CUVs and SUVs.

I'll probably have another post on the Impala issue sometime soon, but I'm signing off for today!

VIDEOS, VIDEOS, VIDEOS!!

For the past few weeks, we have been working on our next big project - YouTube videos for every single one of our used vehicles!!

Now, plenty of dealers like to brag that they have videos, but what they have are mere slideshow presentations of still photos. We have actually taken a Flip camera to each and every piece of machinery on our lot and filmed them to show you, the customer, a virtual walkaround. Some times still photos can disguise the little dents and scratches on a car, but as many Hollywood actresses can tell you, you can't hide anything from a film camera! Additionally, providing a full fledged video for our customers lets the cars and trucks out there really sing and show off their good qualities.

So next time you are interested in a vehicle at Payne Chevrolet, go check out our YouTube channel here. Or shoot me an email at kh@paynechevrolet.com and I'll send you one personally!

At the channel, you can also find customer testimonials, employee interviews, and more. We are very excited about this new development, and we would love your feedback, so comment, Facebook us, whatever you want to do to let us know how these are looking.

Things are Changing....

Here at Payne, things are evolving a little bit. We are making changes everyday to make our dealership a better place to do business with.

The first step is a redesign of our website! http://www.paynechevrolet.com/ will look a lot different starting this week. Go check it out!

The second step is that we are optimizing our relations with our Internet customers. Every salesmen here is ready to serve our growing list of Internet-based customers. So if you have a question or want a price quote, go ahead! Submit a request on our website and you will get an email or a call soon, with all the answers you need.

Of course as always, if you want to chat, feel free to call or just come on in. As our customers know, we're not just a dealership, or a body shop, or a service department - we're one of the places in Springfield where people come to connect with one another. We're a part of the community here.

And that, my friends, will never change.

2011 Malibu Walkaround

Check out our virtual walkaround of the 2011 Malibu LS at our Facebook account!

Payne Chevrolet Facebook

Tell me what you think, ok? This is one of my favorite vehicles on the lot!

Video from Camaro Day

Discount!!

For some car buyers, I've noticed that it's a dealbreaker for them if they are not getting a "special deal." The truth is, that's how carbuying has been for years and years - you come in, haggle a bit, a get the "special" price you want, the salesman gets the sale, and everyone goes home happy.

However, the recent collapse of the auto industry has changed things. Buyers enter the dealerships with the same perception as always, but are being met with stony-faced salesman who are shrugging their shoulders, telling them "there's really nothing more we can do."

Buyers are assuming this is because we, the auto dealers, aren't cutting deals any more. That's just not true.

For new cars, we've already discounted them to cost - meaning we're barely making a dime on these things right now. This is for three reasons:

1) We have to sell them as cheap as we can just to get the product moving, since folks are just starting to have faith in the American auto industry again. More new, beautiful little Chevrolets on the road is a free advertisement to the other drivers, showing that Chevy is back and better than ever.

2.) The Internet has given the guy with the cheapest price the upper hand, because often folks can do all their shopping at home, comparing prices and such. To stay competitve, we must offer the cheapest price possible upfront, before you even enter the store.

3.) With the economy being in the state it has been in and everyone pinching pennies, we know that we just aren't going to get a lot of takers on a full price vehicle. So we go ahead and take off everything we can.

Now, with all of this price slashing on our front, you would think folks would be flocking to our doors, right? Well, unfortunately, it seems that some people look at a new 2010 Avalanche that has been marked down $8,000, and still want more of a discount. (Think about that - EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS. You could buy a whole other car just with the money you saved.)

You don't go up to the K-Mart clerk and ask them to cut the price on a bargain bin DVD, do you? Of course you don't, because you know you're already getting a good deal. For some reason, this still hasn't dawned on some new car buyers. Some of them don't want a fixed price on a car, even if the price is really, really good.

Now, a few years down the road when things start picking up (And they will! Believe in the economy! We'll all be alright; no need to panic and start buying heaps of gold, no matter what world-reknowned economist Glenn Beck says.), then you can start asking for discounts again. Or maybe not! Maybe this will become de rigueur for all new car dealers - offering you the lowest price possible, right upfront, no ifs ands or buts. I kind of hope for that option. While it might be fun to haggle, I really enjoy knowing exactly how much I will pay from the very beginning.

Any questions?

The Model Year is Ending! Nobody Panic!

As you might have noticed, the Model Year is on a considerably different schedule than the traditional Gregorian calendar.

The model year (often abbreviated as "MY" in car dealer jargon) begins in late summer, around August, and ends the following summer around July. As of yesterday, you probably realized that July has indeed arrived, and therefore the last of the 2010s will be rolling off the lot any day now.

You're probably thinking, what does that mean for me, the buyer? Is this a good or bad time to buy? Well, you would not be alone in being confused - those are tricky questions.

First of all, I will tell you that this is THE best time to buy if you are looking for a good deal. GM makes their rebates lower than ever, in an attempt to push everything possible off the lot to make way for the new vehicles. Dealers (like us) are also cutting deals, even slashing their own profits to ensure that these vehicles get taken to good homes in a timely manner (gee, I'm making it sound like these cars are puppies). You see, the best way for a dealer to get more inventory from GM is to sell the old inventory! So if you are in the market to get the best prices you can get on a new car, this is the time to strike.

However, the thrill of the unexpected lies ahead! And this is where people get tripped up, because the NEW model year sounds really, really good, and maybe we should just wait until those cars come out to buy? Of course, when that 2011 Silverado gets here, fresh from the factory, it's definitely NOT going to have the $5,000 rebate that the 2010 model has right now. Deals are not going to be cut so easy on the new babies, no matter where you go, because dealers want their new, buzzed-about product to make them some money! (And you can't fault them for that, you know? A guy - or gal - has gotta make a living!)

So here is my advice to you when deciding to buy a car in summertime, the limbo of car buying seasons: know what you want!

Research to see if your favorite model is changing considerably in the next model year - a quick Internet search could often tell you that while the 2011 Impala will not be altered greatly from previous years, the 2011 Malibu is changing. Also, decide whether the fancy new features on that 2011 Malibu are actually features you want to pay more for, or ones you can live without. If you can live without them, or you like the 2010 models better, than get yourself to our parking lot FAST - this is the time to buy, buy, buy! If you decide that the 2011 is the way to go, then you should still get yourself to the dealership soon, because you might find that a helpful salesman can order one for you, built to your exact specifications.

Also something to consider - are you looking for a Chevy Cobalt? If you are, drop what you are doing, NOW, and go get one, because this is your last chance! The Cobalt is being replaced next model year with the new Chevrolet Cruze. Fans of the Cobalt need not weep, though, because the Cruze looks amazing. The only issue with it that I have is that there is no 2-door option. If you were looking for a 2-door compact car, get the 2010 Cobalt 2-door while you still can.

The bottom line here is that you will find the best deals of the year if you shop right now. If you are not looking for a specific new feature or new model, then there is no reason for you to not take advantage of the savings you'll get from the last month of the model year. If you don't go now, you'll likely find yourself in this same position this time next year, because you waited too long for the "right deal" to come along. Newsflash - this IS the right deal, right now!

And if you are one of those people who cannot wait another day for the Cruze, then don't!! Come in TODAY and see what you can do to order one, built to your exact wishes. We're looking forward to that car just as much as you are!