Mike Chung Quotations

With the Japanese carmakers having so much momentum, it may be hard for GM and Ford to regain their growth.

Fuel economy will always be an issue that's lingering in the back of people's minds. Given the number of new products coming out, we expect compact and subcompact cars and SUVs will continue to grow this year.

Hurricane Katrina was definitely a catalyst for gas prices but even before that we were facing an upward trend in prices.

I wouldn't rush to get rid of either line because of the costs associated with the move. But if GM's share continues to drop and gets down near 21 percent, I see them taking steps to phase out Buick.

Large trucks have been so much more inexpensive recently.

People are definitely moving higher in terms of horsepower and capacity in trucks.

Over the span of three years we saw the market literally increase five times. We expect to see continued growth over the next two or three years and hybrids to hit 2% of the entire market, which is very significant.

Overall, people are generally getting better deals than in the past. I would say, for the most part, it is (a better deal) because it makes the negotiation process a lot simpler.

Some large SUVs in particular you saw a sticker price of $40,000 or $50,000, but the actual transaction price was more in the neighborhood of $30,000.

It does take long and requires certain driving habits to recoup.

This really shows a commitment to stay at this plant. They will continue to build this vehicle despite the fact that it has had sales decreases. It shows they are willing to make an investment in this vehicle, particularly the fact that they will be putting a hybrid in this vehicle.

You may be saving $30 to $40 a month (the cost of one tank of gas for a typical driver. But is it worth a $4,000 or $5,000 premium?

Diesel has definitely come a long way over the past few years.

I've seen advertisements where they say 'this is the price minus this tax credit.' It's not an actual discount, but to some buyers they see it as a discount.

Depending on what kind of volumes they get, which we have no idea, we may see them hit it towards the end of this year, but probably the beginning of next year is when they'll hit their 60,000.

You're seeing more consumer interest in alternative fuels like natural gas and diesel. In Europe it's already gained a lot of traction. And a lot of automakers are jumping on the hybrid bandwagon.

This is a reflection of all three domestic manufacturers lowering incentives across the board. It's a good and positive first step, but that's what it is - a first step in the right direction.

If you find a vehicle that you really like, now's a great time to get it. But one of the issues with employee pricing is the inventory was depleted very quickly for the most-desirable vehicles.

Chrysler had good momentum in 2005 and that will probably continue in 2006.

But hybrids are more likely to be a stop-gap for something further down the road like fuel-cell technology, which is at least 10 years away.

If I had to bet the farm, I'd say Buick will be the one that goes.

I'd say it really depends on the manufacturer.

I'd say as early as August and possibly September.

The domestics are really making a big push. This is something we've really anticipated. They've really needed to clear out their inventory.

The gains by foreign manufacturers are at the cost of the domestic manufacturers.