Digg - Unsold Foreign Cars Hogging Space at a California Port

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161 Comments
Who Dugg It?

RogueTomato, on 11/19/2008, -4/+30Start charging them per day.
- nichesiteexpert, on 11/19/2008, -0/+45The port is already charging by the day for storage. Like the article said, ports are there to move things, not store them, so they penalize you big-time for warehousing your goods.
  - billbugger, on 11/19/2008, -0/+9Like those DAMN towing companies!!
    
    And then there is a new scratch and they deny everything.
- evilJaze, on 11/20/2008, -0/+1Yet, I bet they will still stubbornly refuse to sell these cars for their at-cost value to consumers...
ConsolesSuck, on 11/19/2008, -2/+63If i were a hailstorm, I would definitely come here...ahh the amount of damage that I could cause.
- SpeakerCity, on 11/19/2008, -1/+13We don't get many hailstorms here.
  - skatastrophy, on 11/19/2008, -6/+2You're incorrect, LA got hail earlier this year: http://cbs2.com/local/Rain.Orange.County.2.730759. ...
  - SpeakerCity, on 11/19/2008, -1/+13I believe I used the word 'many'. Furthermore, that article reports a layer of hail in Baldwin Park. Baldwin Park is located in the valley northeast of downtown LA, about 40 miles away from the Ports of LA/LB.
    
    I've lived here for 25 years. I've seen hail a few times, but its usually the size of peas, not the golf ball size kind that is known to damage cars.
    
    Looks like you are the one who is incorrect.
  - whitezombie420, on 11/19/2008, -2/+3damn, that is ownage to the max
  - popfrogs, on 11/19/2008, -1/+3@Speakercity: I've never seen such a fine example of eloquent ownage. My hat, sir, goes off to you.
  - Dugglous, on 11/20/2008, -0/+2I've lived in LA since '90 and I've seen hail twice, once before the millenium and once after.
    
    First time I saw it I was still in high school and we were like wtf we don't even get a lot of rain, and now it's hailing? That was pretty cool but only lasted like 5 minutes.
    
    Second time was about 2 years ago I think. I was on my way to best buy and all of a sudden it started hailing. These hails were about penny size. I just sat in the parking lot enjoying the surprising weather which lasted a good 10 minutes or so.
    
    California's main worries are fire and quakes. Flying disasters are not a concern at all.
- khoikhoi, on 11/19/2008, -6/+3If these ports and car makers were making bacon they wouldn't be hoggin up all this space because people love bacon and they would pay for it but they don't want cars
  - whitezombie420, on 11/19/2008, -0/+4the whole bacon thing is getting zzzzzzz
  - DrunkenPirate34, on 11/19/2008, -1/+2wtf?
demizer, on 11/19/2008, -3/+50And the talking heads are STILL denying that we are in a recession... I know at least 25 people who have been laid off.
- TPorter72, on 11/19/2008, -1/+24No one really denies the recession, they just needed to prevent people from selling off their shares so they could cash in before everyone realized the impending doom.
- BarrettAnderson, on 11/19/2008, -18/+2I know zero. Give us their names and links to their facebook profiles, or it didn't happen.
- Hetman, on 11/19/2008, -8/+1Yea and also give us their date of birth, social security number, and mothers maiden name. And a picture of their pink slips. Pics or it didnt happen.
- vignor2003, on 11/19/2008, -0/+11Talking heads deny we're in a recession because most companies measure recessions based on two consecutive quarters of negative growth of the GDP. Last quarter the economy was slow but still grew by 1%. Thus, unless this quarter and next quarter experience contraction, we are not in a recession by most standards, just an economic slowdown.
  
  src: http://www.bloomberg.com/invest//glossary/bfglosr. ...
- BoonTobias, on 11/19/2008, -3/+2i work for a small company and it's time to get a raise but now i don't know if i should ask
  - DrunkenPirate34, on 11/19/2008, -0/+3I know who you shouldn't ask: Us.
  - specialK16, on 11/19/2008, -0/+3I know people from a HUGE multinational. Basically they were told "No raises, No unnecessary expenses like traveling, No new hires, yet, No layoffs."
- digitallysick, on 11/19/2008, -0/+7I got laid off, its been 2 months can't find a job. No one seems to be hiring, places i go people say "we need help but we have a hiring freeze"
  
  My company will of course, try to fight the unemployment (its what they normally do)
TPorter72, on 11/19/2008, -2/+28Cars suck, where are the hover boards we were promised in Back to the Future
- breckinshire, on 11/19/2008, -1/+6Yeah, but they can't over water...
  - HyperJack, on 11/19/2008, -0/+10Neither can cars
  - trevordj, on 11/19/2008, -1/+6Unless you've got power!
  - ElectricKetchup, on 11/19/2008, -0/+8You idiot! The hover boards totally hovered over the water in the movie! He just couldn't get any acceleration with his shoe because of the water.
  - WiretapStudios, on 11/20/2008, -0/+2Thats where a flipper would come in handy.
hello3u, on 11/19/2008, -0/+22Niko Bellic dream come true.
JackpotCity, on 11/19/2008, -2/+27Signs of hard times people.
- imolaavant, on 11/19/2008, -1/+17It a sign that people don't NEED new cars. Sounds more practical than hard.
  - tinygibbles, on 11/19/2008, -0/+3You're right. We don't need a lot of the crap we buy on credit. But this global economy is blowing up and a lot of people are going to get swept up in it. This deflation, deleveraging, contraction, recession, whatever you call it, is going to crush a lot of people just trying to make a living.
- dystra, on 11/19/2008, -0/+5“A year ago, I was looking into buying one of these [Mercedess] for my wife,” said Kurt Garland, the terminal manager overseeing the unloading of the white, silver and black sports cars, sport utility vehicles and sedans. “Now I’m not. I’m saving money, paying bills, hunkering down.”
  
  He may have to settle for a cheaper "new" car.
  
  yes, hard times indeed...
- cowsgonemadd3, on 11/19/2008, -0/+2“A year ago, I was looking into buying one of these [Mercedess] for my wife,” said Kurt Garland, the terminal manager overseeing the unloading of the white, silver and black sports cars, sport utility vehicles and sedans. “Now I’m not. I’m saving money, paying bills, hunkering down.”
  
  Ahh poor guy....NOT.
  A new car for his wife? One that as soon as you leave the lot loses thousands? So now your doing what you should have been doing all along....saving and spending wisely. Wow....looks like this recession might help the world and hurt it at the same time.
truck87bp, on 11/19/2008, -2/+19And I thought GM, Ford and Chrysler were the only cars not being bought.
- Trekhawk, on 11/19/2008, -0/+19Nope. Everyone is losing.
  
  http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/01/by-the-numbers- ...
- drex8, on 11/19/2008, -1/+11So now I know why those "Saved by Zero" Toyota commercials show up every 2 damn minutes in every channel I flip on to. Every car companies are suffering in this downturn, including the mighty Toyota.
  
  Sorry to say this but that is one of the most annoying, irritating commercial Toyota ever came up with. And come to think of it Toyota has had aired some real cool and innovative commercials in its day.
  
  I still fondly recall of that commercial where that girl jumping in the air to the tune of.. "My Toyota!..Toyota, Who could ask for anything more!"
  - SpectralSounds, on 11/19/2008, -0/+7Yeah, that "Saved by Zero" song is really ***** annoying.
  - Gmadd, on 11/19/2008, -0/+3You can count on seeing it atleast 100x during sunday football.
  - Testiculese, on 11/19/2008, -0/+1Glad I don't have TV. I am commercial-free.
- BESTenemy, on 11/19/2008, -0/+6"In the third quarter of 2007, Volvo AB booked 41,970 European orders for new trucks. Guess how many prospective purchases Volvo, the world's second-biggest maker of heavy rigs, received in the third quarter of this year?
  
  Here's a clue. Picture a highway gridlocked by 41,815 abandoned trucks -- because Volvo's order book got destroyed to the tune of 99.63 percent, with customers signing up for just 155 vehicles in the three-month period, the Gothenburg, Sweden-based company said last week."
  
  - Bloomberg News for Oct 31, 2008
muckemuck, on 11/19/2008, -0/+17Wow... so most of them could take a break for two full months and they still wouldn't run out of cars.

Buckle up folks.. this is a sign of a bumpy road ahead.
- Trekhawk, on 11/19/2008, -1/+9In case you missed the 1,000 previous signs, here's more confirmation of the obvious.
  
  (not a slight of muckemuck, just adding)
- hobbers, on 11/19/2008, -0/+1No. Read the article, the car companies normally hold a 2 month inventory. It has only gone up to 3 months right now. So they could take a break for 1 month, and get back to what they consider normal inventory levels.
sandwhich, on 11/19/2008, -1/+20Hell...have 4 for one sale! I'll buy!
- billbugger, on 11/19/2008, -0/+44 for one??
  
  I'll buy a new Mercedes C350 off you for $500.
DangerCollie, on 11/19/2008, -2/+40Fascinating. A great visual of what happens when the US economy slows down, everything backs up in the production pipeline. In these days of JIT (Just In Time) inventory, the shock wave ripples through the world economy in a big hurry.

Through lobbying and corrupt politicians, big business managed to tip the playing field in their favor at the expense of the consumer. They fed their irresponsibility with more and more credit until, as a nation, we were awash in debt. Then they hit consumers with higher and higher fees, higher interest rates and took away their ability to wipe away those debts in bankruptcy. Big business killed the goose laying the golden economic eggs...

...now they want a handout from the taxpayers to keep going. Ha! Don't think so.
- SpeedSteamBoat, on 11/19/2008, -1/+3Er... I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, but the banks already got bailed out, buddy. They gave them almost 20 times what the auto industry is asking for.
- khoikhoi, on 11/19/2008, -0/+2you kill the goose you have a feast.... a 700 billion $ feast
- fuhcough, on 11/19/2008, -0/+3Ha! Isn't your decision (though I couldn't agree with you more).
- MindTrigger, on 11/19/2008, -1/+1Yup, the (American) auto bailout will happen. No way they will let all those auto-workers lose jobs, not to mention the related industries. Imagine the impact of just one of the big 3 going down in flames.
  
  I'm really not happy about this bailout *****, but when you start talking about millions of people losing jobs, I don't know what else can be done. We either bail them out, or resolve that our economy is going to crater, and we will have to deal with it. What a mess.
  
  Just think. The fat asses running the auto companies will get bailed out with no responsibility being placed on them for the mess they are in. Blame the economy all you want, but those dumb bastards have had the ability to make economic cars, and have been doing on in Europe for decades. Now they can choke on their gas guzzlers.
  - inigomntoya, on 11/19/2008, -1/+3Why not just let them go bankrupt. Delta has done it. They are still around.
  - joegibes, on 11/19/2008, -0/+3Delta is an airline; they don't have to worry about consumer confidence in what is usually a 10-year purchase. Would you buy a car from a company that wouldn't be around next year? No. Would you buy a ticket for a 2-hour flight from a company that won't be around next year? Sure, why the hell not.
    
    Also: This is not a bailout; it's a LOAN. The government will end up MAKING MONEY from this deal... It's a hell of a lot better than losing millions of jobs, with the possibility of much more, not to mention the lost tax revenue from those jobs lost.
  - MindTrigger, on 11/19/2008, -0/+1***** it's not a bailout. These car manufacturers have been living high on the hog sucking the American credit tit and spewing out gas guzzling pieces of ***** cars here in the states for decades. Suddenly they find themselves in deep trouble and I'm supposed to believe not one single expert in the world warned them that global demand for oil was increasing, driving up prices. They have been in bed with the oil companies from day one. They knew this could happen, and they stayed on their path of greed anyway.
    
    They have also helped breed a culture, through ***** manufacturing and easy factory car loans, of people replacing their cars every 2-4 years, if not sooner. What American car that has been manufactured in the past 30 years was built to last for 10 years even if you do maintain it? Very few, if any.
    
    I'll believe the government will make money off of this when I see it. For all we know, we could give them this money and they could end up caving in anyway, or ask for 2-3 times more money later on down the road.
  - MindTrigger, on 11/19/2008, -0/+1I'd also like to add.... Where is the fire sale? While there are a few decent deals to be had at hard up dealerships, I haven't seen any DEEPLY discounted cars anywhere. If these guys are hurting so bad, they should be dumping these cars for anything they can get out of them. Most of them are still charging the same ludicrous prices they always have.
- eavesdrop, on 11/20/2008, -0/+1What's funny is that they still charge about the same price for their cars. They knock off a thousand and think customers will still buy them in these hard times.
SheilaNoya, on 11/19/2008, -8/+3So what happens if GM, Ford, and Chrysler go bankrupt? There will be millions of American made cars that no longer have a warranty, the dealers will shut down so you can't get them repaired, replacement parts will no longer be manufactured, and their values will instantly plummet.

If our economy can survive the economic blow, then you'll see the foreign cars selling like hot cakes.
- ohearn, on 11/19/2008, -2/+9At least for popular models, companies will come along to make after market parts. Half the parts are not made directly by the big 3 anyway, but outsourced. Also it will become a good time to go into the salvage business.
- trer, on 11/19/2008, -0/+12Actually, if the Big 3 go bankrupt, it will allow them to cast aside their labor contracts and pension obligations, re-organize and get rid of bloat and emerge as leaner and meaner car companies ready to innovate. Maybe even become a Big One to take on the evil Japanese and German companies.
  - inigomntoya, on 11/19/2008, -0/+2Exactly - bankruptcy has such a negative connotation (and maybe it should for consumers). But, its like chemotherapy for businesses. No one wants to do it. But what is worse? Dying a long, drawn out death or getting rid of the cancer?
  - DrunkenPirate34, on 11/19/2008, -0/+5Haha evil Japanese and German car companies.
    
    "We must unite as one to take down those foreign bastards who come out with affordable reliable cars!"
  - Trick07, on 11/19/2008, -0/+3What happens with those pensions? Do all the retired people from the big three no longer have a retirement check to look forward to?
  - dddavid, on 11/20/2008, -1/+1I believe this is how it works:
    The pensions are supposed to be guaranteed, a certain amount of money (based on complex formulas) is put in a trust that guarantees the pensions are paid even if the company fails. If the money ends up not being enough (due to lackluster returns on the trusts investments), then the pensions would see a reduced payout.
  - derekmas10, on 11/20/2008, -0/+1I love my evil 40mpg Honda.
- inyearstocome, on 11/19/2008, -1/+2Why would replacement parts stop being made? As long as there is a demand, there will be a supply.
  - derekmas10, on 11/20/2008, -0/+1and god knows American cars need replacement parts.
se7yourselffree, on 11/19/2008, -0/+6Do you think they have discount adoption days?
SmilinJoe, on 11/19/2008, -0/+2Looks like a stretch of road between my small city and the military base; last year there were lots with "oceans" of import cars parked, waiting to be shipped off to car dealers.
AlKo, on 11/19/2008, -3/+8Yup, good thing for the consumer is that if you walk into any car dealership. They are pretty darn desperate to have you buy a car. My gf is looking to buy... Lexus came right out and said we'll take $200 above invoice, here's the price... which is pretty much saying... please buy... PLEEEEASE. She also visited the local MINI dealer... even though the cars are in high demand... they haven't stopped bugging her either.

I'm somewhat tempted to get rid of my 06 WRX for a new STI considering the massive discounts on them now.
- jtown, on 11/19/2008, -0/+7Don't worry. They were lying about their invoice amount. And neglecting to tell you about the kickback they'll be getting from Lexus. Funny thing is 6 months ago, I was shopping for a new car and had a hell of a time getting my hands on the one I wanted. They were being sold as fast as the shipping companies could deliver them. I signed the papers on mine before it cleared customs. Daily calls to the fleet manager, "Where's my car? Is my car here yet? When will my car be here? Where's my car?" If I hadn't, another dealer could (would) have bribed the driver to offload it before the truck made it down to my lot. Anything getting over 30mpg was pure gold. Crazy times. Now the salesmen are practically sitting on the curb holding tin cups, begging for change.
  - ltethe, on 11/19/2008, -4/+1"Now the salesmen are practically sitting on the curb holding tin cups, begging for change."
    
    No that's Obama.
    
    Tip of the hat to the Onion.
- m0tbaillie, on 11/19/2008, -1/+2Sorry man, but people like you are partially the reason we're in such a ***** economic tizzy. You want to trade in a 2-year old car for a brand new one "just cause"? We Americans need to quit buying ***** we don't need and can't afford.
  - arcticsoft, on 11/19/2008, -1/+5How do you know he cant afford it? What if he pays cash? digg is the greatest place on earth for accusations without facts.
  - drudometkin, on 11/20/2008, -1/+2"We Americans need to quit buying ***** we don't need and can't afford."
    
    How the ***** do you know he can't afford it?
  - m0tbaillie, on 11/20/2008, -0/+1Even if you CAN afford it, quit buying ***** you absolutely don't need you consumer whores. That was my point.
  - rickyguo, on 11/20/2008, -0/+0I thought that consumers buying stuff stimulates the economy.
    
    Boy was I wrong, especially when these companies have so many cars they can't sell.
    
    It must do great to the economy to leave them there and have those companies fire more workers!
bincoder, on 11/19/2008, -3/+27Maybe the cars are being built too well. All of them are in fail mode right now, no matter the country they come from. I have 3. A 1970s chevy truck, 1980s Toyota truck, and same year range Honda car. Payments are $0.00/month in total and the fuel economy is very nice but for the big truck which I rarely drive.
Now please explain to me and the other people in the same situation exactly why we should run out tommorow, trade them all in and go into debt for tens of thousands of dollars to get new vehicles when what we have now works just as well and does it for free? Is it for the shiny paint and that new car smell? People aren't going to buy cars just to spend the day shopping out of boredom unless they have Lots of extra money to throw away on trivial things, like shiny paint.
- cloudcity, on 11/19/2008, -0/+15The government should hire you as some kind of economic adviser, no sarcasm intended. If more Americans shopped/consumed like this, we would have a much healthier economic future ahead of us.
  
  Instead, we have people driving their Escalades to the unemployment office.
  - Gloony, on 11/19/2008, -0/+1While you might be correct, it would be unwise to mistake frugality for fiscal prudence; they aren't the same thing.
    
    The trick lies in balance.
  - brad3378, on 11/20/2008, -0/+1I've got a 6 figure income and drive a 3 figure car.
    ......It's a 21 year old Chevrolet that has literally been driven across the country and I wouldn't hesitate driving it back across the country.
    
    Apparently somebody must have forgotten to spread the propaganda to tell my American car that it isn't supposed to be running right now. The biggest problem that the American automakers have right now is the perception war. People still seem to think that it's the 1970s. Once you a customer has that attitude, it's like trying to convince a racist to marry somebody from a different race. You can't change their mind.
- Hetman, on 11/19/2008, -0/+2Women will love you, and men will want to be you. Or visa versa depending on if you are a man or a women.
- SpeedSteamBoat, on 11/19/2008, -1/+6New cars are really nice. That's why people buy them. However, they are a pretty bad investment. They depreciate so fast, and take a very long time to pay off. My parents have sworn off ever buying a new car again because of how much they can save just buying a "used" car even if it's only a year or two old. The most recent car they bought was a 2000, and of course they paid for it in full on the spot with money they had saved instead of on credit.
  
  Mind you, much of my immediate and extended family works for the auto industry. It says something that, even with so much invested in the sale of new cars, not even they can find reason to support this troubled industry.
- dddavid, on 11/20/2008, -0/+1I wouldn't say "being built to well", I would say "too f***in expensive".
- stoanhart, on 11/20/2008, -0/+1Here here!
  
  I pride myself on being a "dead-beat," as Big Business would term me. Oh, I have a credit card, and I put everything on it. Then, I go home and transfer the money from my checkings account instantly, and get the air miles for free.
  
  Car? Sure, it's a '88 Integra I picked up for $3000. That might sound like a lot for a 20 year old car, but it had under 100,000 miles on it, and these things are known to last for 300,000+. No interest payments on that, and I don't put much gas in it either.
  
  TV? Yup, got myself a nice 47 inch 1080p LCD TV. I got it at a local store called Surplus Sam's. You know those douchbags that buy a new TV at Costco, then return it for a full refund it one day before the return period ends so they can upgrade to the latest model? Well, those TV's go somewhere! Major discount, and the TV is practically brand new. Sure, there's no warranty, but TV's typically last four tens of thousands of hours.
  
  Video games? My policy is only buy what's on the discount rack. When I go to my supermarket for my weekly grocery run, I take a look. Usually there's nothing good, but every once in a while you luck out. I just got Splinter Cell Double Agent for $18.
  
  Food, coffee? Make your own!
  
  You'd be surprised how well you can live for cheap if you're a bit patient. Don't buy something just because you want it. Give yourself time, let the "ooooh, want!" fever cool off, then decide whether you really want it. If you do, look for sweet deals while you SAVE UP for it.
  
  We all know big corporations generally make ridiculous amounts of profit. Make it your own personal goal to minimize the amount they make off of you. It can become a kind of game.
- eavesdrop, on 11/20/2008, -0/+1You're right but how do we solve the problem of old cars and smog? Higher registration fees? Tests done more often?
  
  Should the government fund something to find an adapter/modification for older cars so that they burn fuel more cleaner?
  
  If everyone drives their 1970s car, we'd be destroying the planet at an even greater rate.
drex8, on 11/19/2008, -2/+11A sea of unwanted imported Mercedes-Benz.
FTA: "“This is one way to look at the economy,” Art Wong, a spokesman for the port, said of the cars. “And it scares you to death.”"

Actually it doesnt. A much needed correction was in order.
- SpeedSteamBoat, on 11/19/2008, -1/+3Actually it does. A massive loss of jobs that won't come back is rapidly approaching. It's a lot more than just auto plant workers. It's that truck driver, parts suppliers, the shipping companies, and all of the rest of the infrastructure surrounding this enormous industry. All those people are suddenly not going to be paying taxes or have the income to put back into the economy.
  
  Read up on the cruel realities of the great depression. Anyone rooting for this or thinking they won't feel its effects is a damn fool. Sure, something had to give eventually, but the fact that it's looking to be as massive and disastrous as this could be should scare you to death without question.
moxysports, on 11/19/2008, -0/+7The foreign auto makers leasing American land for these orphan vehicles was all in Bush's economic plan. Pumping money back into the economy baby.
LAhazmat, on 11/19/2008, -7/+4F --K CARS & GAS! I'm riding my fixie!
XxpokemasterxX, on 11/19/2008, -2/+3i'll take one of those benzes of their hands.
majortom1981, on 11/19/2008, -4/+5How are there prius's in that lot? All the toyota dealers by me are all sold out of theirs. I think maybe this is because of the car dealers themselves going under not bad business from the japanese companies.

Maybe some of the cars are there till they can be shipped to other dealers who need them.
- HomersHead, on 11/20/2008, -0/+1The Prius is still a hot seller. I'd guess they're still moving off the ports and less popular models are being parked. It's just coincidence that a row of Prius was in the newspaper photo.
wassim2k, on 11/19/2008, -1/+19Sell them at cost (the real cost, not the fake dealer cost) and they'll sell quick.
- geauxtig3rs, on 11/19/2008, -1/+5I would love to know about this fake dealer cost that everyone talks about.
  
  I am the general sales manager for a top 500 Chevrolet dealership. We have this new "red tag sale" nonsense that is bleeding us, and our sales people dry. When the dealers are making 1.6% profit, that means that the salespeople don't make any money (they get payed 25% of gross profit), and there are NO kickbacks from GM. We get no money extra, so salespeople who are selling new vehicles are getting $25-$50 per vehicle sold. And with this red tag sale, prices are so low that nobody will buy used cars, which is where the money for the dealership and the salesmen is. We have salespeople that have been in this business for 20 years LEAVING because we can't make a living anymore, and I guarantee you it's happening with both foreign and domestic vehicles.
  
  The fake dealer cost is a myth to screw hardworking salespeople out of their money. You really should feel like an ass when a gracious salesperson puts up with your ***** for 5 hours just to make $50.
  - WiretapStudios, on 11/20/2008, -1/+1Wow. Nice attitude, yet another reason why I don't plan on buying an American car. Your anger is being directed towards the people GIVING you the money, the ones SHORTING you the money are your corrupt and inept CEO's, etc.
- dddavid, on 11/20/2008, -0/+1Just because they aren't (or so you say) doing it right this minute doesn't mean that their reputation for doing it isn't well deserved. It is well documented that this DOES occur, although not always, just sometimes. So the "dealer invoice" isn't always really the price the dealer pays for the car, since (sometimes) they are getting a rebate/kickback/or whatever it is currently being called.
  And if you are only making $25-$50/car sold, don't complain, leave. As long as enough salesmen take it, the dealerships aren't going to raise it.
  - geauxtig3rs, on 11/20/2008, -0/+0The reason that little is made is because of the "oh ***** we're going down" pricing by GM. Salespeople make a percentage of the gross profit....when there is no gross profit, no money is made.
toenexx, on 11/19/2008, -3/+2LAWLZ
alanr19, on 11/19/2008, -4/+4Damn foreigners and their space hogging!!!!!!!!!

Lets all hate on foreigners.
- buckbova1, on 11/19/2008, -1/+2Foreigners smell funny.
  - alanr19, on 11/19/2008, -4/+3hell yeah! foreigners and their damn soap, thinkin they're better than us Joe-the-Plumbers honest hard workin american patriot bald eagles etc.......
  - inigomntoya, on 11/19/2008, -0/+3Yeah! Apple Pie!
  - billbugger, on 11/19/2008, -0/+3And Thanksgiving.
    
    Hate the foreigners.
    
    /s the whole thread for the slow
vignor2003, on 11/19/2008, -0/+16I mean, I guess if most decent cars didn't cost 1/4 of what my house did, then I'd probably buy one. I know I could spend 10k and get a sweet Kia and all, but the fact is you can't get a decent vehicle with decent features for less than 20k. And a $600 car payment is not what most of us are looking for.
- pins, on 11/19/2008, -2/+2your house only cost 80k? did you buy in 1940's nebraska?
  - hobbers, on 11/19/2008, -0/+1$80k? lol.
    
    1941 Lincoln Nebraska
    Bungalow 1 story 3 bedroom home $3,000
  - dddavid, on 11/20/2008, -0/+3pretty rude to rip on the guys house, and yes, some houses cost that in some parts of the country nowadays.
  - vignor2003, on 11/20/2008, -0/+1My particular house wasn't 80k. It's 210k, which is about average for my area. However, when I was referring to a 'decent' car, I was thinking an mid-size SUV or a low-end luxury car (Lexus, Acura) which will set you back about 40k. I shot low when I said 20k simply because there are a few cars in that range which are worth purchasing if you can't go higher. And most people can't.
    
    Don't be a dick.
lcaz319, on 11/19/2008, -2/+9The problem is that no one can get financing for a new vehicle right now, so unless you have 30,000 in cash laying around, you're not getting a new car. Period. Take the 5,000 you were going to put down on the deposit and buy a nice, dependable used car. These companies are going to have to learn that Americans just can't afford a new whip every four or five years anymore. Sucks but it's true.
- cheeseron, on 11/19/2008, -1/+5*****. i know quite a few people who financed for new vehicles recently, including one who once filed for bankruptcy
  - vignor2003, on 11/19/2008, -2/+3And the tactic of lending to sub prime borrowers is exactly why the housing market collapsed. Your friend who signed on the dotted line to finance a new car after filing for bankruptcy (which clearly demonstrates his/her amazing lack of financial tact) is as much of an idiot as the bank that gave him the money.
    
    There is a reason the economy is having issues, and it's people and companies like that making bad choices which are causing it.
    
    I say let 'em burn.
  - lcaz319, on 11/19/2008, -1/+3They may have gotten financed with a 700+ credit rating but I don't want to know what their interest payments are. And how recently? My fiancee and I got approved for 1,800.00 for our wedding bands (of course we weren't going to spend that much) but when we went to the store they had lowered it $375 and that was within a span of two weeks! The credit industry is just creating money out of thin air anyway and that is why the system is crashing.
  - inigomntoya, on 11/19/2008, -1/+2@Vignor - that wasn't his point. The point was that financing is still available. For nearly anyone.
- drudometkin, on 11/20/2008, -0/+2"so unless you have 30,000 in cash laying around, you're not getting a new car."
  
  That is such *****. I know for a fact that I could walk into a Toyota dealership right now and get 0% with little down. I know because I went last weekend.
- rguenthner, on 11/20/2008, -0/+1You know, that's just not true. I bought a new car last week, and not only was I able to get approved immediately but I had 3 different creditors dislodging one anothers finance rate trying to get me to go with them. I also got a fantastic deal on the car. None of them even cared how much I wanted to put down on the car, it was almost like they were disappointed to find out I actually wanted to pay anything out of pocket.
  
  Now I do agree you shouldn't just get a new car every 4 years just because you want to, my last car is 11 years old, and has been paid off for ages.
Hetman, on 11/19/2008, -0/+2I know a certain amount of people well buy a brand new car every year. But honestly should these companies really be producing different models each year? I think they have just produced to many cars. If they want to get rid of them follow the rules of supply and demand. Decrease the price on them until they are worth their value on the market.
- Testiculese, on 11/19/2008, -0/+1That's my biggest complaint with the auto industry. There's absolutely no reason to be re-tooling all the manufacturing plants just because some art slob comes up with another ***** design for a car.
KillerFuzzball, on 11/19/2008, -2/+3Awww. I'll give one of those poor Benzs a home.
AndrewLeon, on 11/19/2008, -3/+2Well aren't you a good little hipster.
algo, on 11/19/2008, -2/+6you'd have to be stupid or really rich to buy these at the moment. according to the gospel of top gear a £100,000 merc will depreciate to £17,000 after just 30,000 miles. buy to keep or don't buy.
chrissku, on 11/19/2008, -1/+8Anyone else getting really ***** scared about our economy. I've been nervous for awhile....but now this ***** is just getting downright scary.
- Hangly, on 11/20/2008, -0/+1Yes.
blakew41, on 11/19/2008, -3/+1I'd be happy to take one or two off their hands.
SpeakerCity, on 11/19/2008, -2/+5I'm a casual longshoreman for the ports of LA/LB. Casuals pick up the extra work that the full-timers don't want. Last year during November, I was working twice a week. I haven't gotten a job since Nov. 2nd. ***** sucks. And to add insult to injury, the Dept. of Homeland Security is requiring all longshoremen to pay $135 for a Transportation Worker Identity Credential card just so we can go to work.

Where's MY bailout?
Number23, on 11/19/2008, -1/+6C63 AMG please!
- billbugger, on 11/19/2008, -0/+1Love that car!
GreatSunJester, on 11/19/2008, -0/+4Right in the middle of that picture.... looks like a Prius to me. If the dealers were not jacking the prices up to maximize profit, then that Prius would be on a lot somewhere - or already sold.
- legendxx, on 11/19/2008, -0/+2There are a lot of Prius in that lot. Which makes this headline and picture very misleading. Dealers can't keep them on the lot.. which leads me to believe that many of these cars were just off-loaded waiting to be shipped.
CDNChaoZ, on 11/19/2008, -2/+1Mercedeses? My preciouses!
sickb13, on 11/19/2008, -2/+3I'll take a benz off their hands, at a discount of course :)
- inigomntoya, on 11/19/2008, -0/+1Yeah, exactly. Who would want a Benz... (shifty eyes)
littlegraydude, on 11/19/2008, -1/+2Scary stuff, you have to wonder how much worse things are going to get.
kapitandimitri, on 11/19/2008, -0/+1if they need to free up space they can give me a benz or two.
briLo, on 11/19/2008, -3/+0Are these cars insured?? Are they insured by the lot they're being stored on, by the storage company or by the manufacturers?? If they are solely insured by the manufacturers than ***** it, free for all!!!
thepeacemaker, on 11/19/2008, -0/+4Time for Oprah to pay them a visit.
Aliwalla, on 11/19/2008, -0/+1payback for shutting down america's tram system.
digitallysick, on 11/19/2008, -1/+1I think most americans have learned a lesson from the price of gas going up. Even though it is low now, we haven't forgot. Why buy a new car unless it gets 30 to 40 mpg, everything else can just sit on the lot.
dupswapdrop, on 11/19/2008, -0/+3Hey looks like time for a price drop, I mean if they are so short on cash they should have a sale.
calalltogether, on 11/19/2008, -1/+2I think that's a stock photo in front of this article, but I'd like to point out, regardless, that the vehicle front and center in that pic is clearly a prius. No way in hell that a prius is sitting unsold on a lot somewhere... anywhere... anyone tried to buy one lately?

**just noticed all the other comments to this nature... sorry!**
eRenee, on 11/19/2008, -1/+1They need to give the 'bailout money' to the people so we can start buying stuff again, like cars!!! But why do they keep sending them, if dealers don't want them and can't take them?
DrunkenPirate34, on 11/19/2008, -3/+2I have a steady job that I won't get fired from (don't ask me how I know this). My rent is cheap, I have money saved up, I only have 1600 dollars in debt (which I should have paid off in 2 months). All this at only 20 years old...

It sucks whats going on with the economy, but honestly, I don't feel the effects.
- m0tbaillie, on 11/19/2008, -0/+3Do you have a college degree? Good luck moving up in the world past anything entry level without at least a 4-year degree buddy-man.
  - geauxtig3rs, on 11/19/2008, -2/+1How about try to get a job WITH a 4 year degree, that isn;t too easy either.
    
    I guarantee that someone who takes a trade right out of highschool and works up in that trade will make more in the long run than someone with a ***** social sciences degree. After your loans, and the initial entry-level position, you're lucky if you break even in 10 years.
- dddavid, on 11/20/2008, -0/+1So are you just bragging or what? 20 year olds aren't usually the ones screwed in a huge recession or depression. It is the people with homes and the mortgages that go with them, families to feed, etc... And honestly $1600 is more than a 20 year old renter should have in debt unless it's your car note.
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