Need help selling FRS

[ZionsWrath]

Originally Posted by Mr.Impreza

+1

Yes, the FRS/BRZ/86 sell in auto when new because you have a different type of a buyer.
In some cases, a buyer who is leasing for 2-4 years, or someone who just wants a fun car for a little bit.

Once the car hits the used market, a big portion of buyers goes away (ones who lease or buy new only)

Once the car hits the used market you have 2 types of buyers for these types of sports cars.

1. The enthusiast who is generally after a manual
or
2. The person who just wants a cheap car to get to work with.

I believe, in 10 years, a manual will still be sought after because you will also have people who will want to make it a touge car, drift car, track car or just a weekend/daily fun car. The auto's will most likely be rusted out and worth barely anything anymore and just used as commuter cars.

I'm only saying this because when you look at used sports car, the automatics are never worth anything and always take a super long time to sell.

Yea, my good friends dad fixed up a 300zx tt auto and couldn't sell it lol

I felt bad but couldn't afford to buy it just to make him feel better

[Sammakko]

I just sold my 13 Limited on Craigslist with two sentences and two tasteful pictures. For 18k. It's all about the target market. (Plus it wasn't an autotragic)

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

You guys really need to stop thinking that this forum (or any sportscar one for that matter) represents "most people".

It certainly doesn't represent "most people." But the fact that they imported more autos just supports what we're saying. When I went to test drive my car, the salesmen were talking about how they couldn't move the autos, but the manuals they got were practically driving themselves off the lot. There were too many autos and too few manuals for the unusual demand mix for this car. It could be that there was still a higher demand for autos than manuals, but still not enough manuals to meet the higher manual demand than they were expecting.

And although I haven't tried to buy one lately, I suspect that's still the case in the used market. If that's true, then it would be more difficult to unload an automatic, because there are simply more of them out there to choose from. If I'm in the market for an automatic, and there are 5 of them out there for every buyer who wants an auto, it's going to be more difficult to sell than if there's only 1 manual for every manual buyer. Those 5 automatic sellers are going to have to compete on price to keep that one buyer from just buying someone else's car, whereas the 1 manual seller has a lot more power in the negotiation. Even if you have 5 automatic buyers looking at 5 automatic cars for sale, they still have somewhere else to go in a weird musical chairs game, whereas that one manual buyer doesn't. It's either buy this car at this price or don't.

That's oversimplifying it, but it illustrates the point. There may not be a higher demand for manuals than automatics, but there is a higher demand than usual for manuals, which the manufacturer didn't build for. That should make the manual at least a little bit easier to sell.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

It certainly doesn't represent "most people." But the fact that they imported more autos just supports what we're saying. When I went to test drive my car, the salesmen were talking about how they couldn't move the autos, but the manuals they got were practically driving themselves off the lot. There were too many autos and too few manuals for the unusual demand mix for this car. It could be that there was still a higher demand for autos than manuals, but still not enough manuals to meet the higher manual demand than they were expecting.

And although I haven't tried to buy one lately, I suspect that's still the case in the used market. If that's true, then it would be more difficult to unload an automatic, because there are simply more of them out there to choose from. If I'm in the market for an automatic, and there are 5 of them out there for every buyer who wants an auto, it's going to be more difficult to sell than if there's only 1 manual for every manual buyer. Those 5 automatic sellers are going to have to compete on price to keep that one buyer from just buying someone else's car, whereas the 1 manual seller has a lot more power in the negotiation. Even if you have 5 automatic buyers looking at 5 automatic cars for sale, they still have somewhere else to go in a weird musical chairs game, whereas that one manual buyer doesn't. It's either buy this car at this price or don't.

That's oversimplifying it, but it illustrates the point. There may not be a higher demand for manuals than automatics, but there is a higher demand than usual for manuals, which the manufacturer didn't build for. That should make the manual at least a little bit easier to sell.

Yep not disputing any of that. For the guys looking for manuals. The people looking for autos (and they are still the majority) are certainly going to benefit from the difference in numbers.
My issue is the repeated statements of "everybody, "all" or even "most" want MT. This is not fact but a perception based upon comments here.

[RichardsFRS]

Most sales are autos because most folks on average want just a car, maybe just a car that looks good, but most folks want autos, because they don't want hassle. And most sales are'nt contributed from US (car people) most are just people wanting cars and ease of driving, and they want autos for that. And driving a stick in traffic isn't ease of driving. When I get my share of that, I switch with my wife and take the auto, but after a few days, I'm ready to get back into my FRS

The chart that tcoat posed was basically people just wanting cars, and does not pertain to US (car people). Even looking at the sales of brz and frs, it doesn't pertain to the masses, it pertains to US (car people), we know it under performs in some areas but more than makes up in areas where a sports car counts, so we buy it. The people that aren't us are content with buy maximas, cammrys, vans and other front wheel drive cars. If the FRS was fwd, I would have walked right passed it even if its the sharpest car on the road to day (which i think it is). Had they only been built in auto, dunno, I might have walked past it I dunno. I wouldn't mind test driving a flippy flappy paddle shift car, just to see. As of now, I'm very content with my MT

[GeorgeJFrick]

> The owner is a professional adult who doesn't live the "fast and furious" lifestyle and does not use the word "bro."

I'm a professional adult too and I track the shit out of the car. But I'm glad you've not only judged me but put it in the ad for your car.

In all seriousness; remove the "speech" and sell the car.

[Slammedsteve]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

You're the exception. And despite the racing, it's still a chick car.

http://jalopnik.com/the-mazda-miatas...-is-1564400029

Pretty much everything I read on Jalopnik is a joke. That site needs to die.

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by Slammedsteve

Pretty much everything I read on Jalopnik is a joke. That site needs to die.

Thanks to Jalopnik this exists:

Q: How did the "chick car" stereotype come about? Do you guys believe that notion has been dispelled, or even existed?

Bob Hall:
People that never drove the car, people who can't drive, people who count cylinders. If this is a "chick car," I'm glad it is. Nothing makes me happier. The best bonus is seeing people drive them with grins on their faces.

[Th3rdSun]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

You guys really need to stop thinking that this forum (or any sportscar one for that matter) represents "most people". There are more ATs found for this car because like every other car in the US they imported more to start with. I do not have production numbers but would be willing to bet that even with the twins there are 4 or 5 ATs imported for every MT. It is a fact of the modern world. Keep in mind that even if every single person on this forum had a MT (which is far from true) that represents about 10% of the cars imported. The buyers here do not in any way represent the majority. That majority is held by the average person and with them the AT rules the road. This of course will make the MT more desirable down the road since there were far fewer to start with.

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2...on-doomed.html

I think you are mistaken with your "facts",so here are some real ones.

The vehicle with the highest percentage of manual sales so far this year is the brand new Subaru BRZ. Seventy percent of BRZs sold are equipped with a manual transmission.

Now this is specifically talking about the BRS and not the FR-S,but since we are speculating,I would speculate that the numbers might not be that far off.


ps,I know this is an old article,but I would venture to guess that the stats wouldn't have changed that much.Again,that's just speculation though.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Th3rdSun

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2...on-doomed.html

I think you are mistaken with your "facts",so here are some real ones.

The vehicle with the highest percentage of manual sales so far this year is the brand new Subaru BRZ. Seventy percent of BRZs sold are equipped with a manual transmission.

Now this is specifically talking about the BRS and not the FR-S,but since we are speculating,I would speculate that the numbers might not be that far off.


ps,I know this is an old article,but I would venture to guess that the stats wouldn't have changed that much.Again,that's just speculation though.

OK so lets' take the very next line from that same article:
"That is a skewed number since the BRZ just came out, and most of the buyers are early adopters. “We think that over time that number will change a bit,” said Infante."


It mentions the FRSat52% for early adopters.


Ironic that you linked a series of articles that support exactly what I was saying! The MT is doomed whether we like it or not.