Talking to Chrysler, 2003
We contacted Chrysler to ask them the questions that we thought were on your mind, based on a brief survey. (Survey processing and compilation by Toolpack Consulting.)
Following is a summary of our conversation with Ann Smith, Communications Manager of the Small Car Platform. After that is a summary of the survey findings.
The conversation
First, let's see how our questions fared (we are not using any direct quotes).
- Will the Neon platform be kept alive? (most commonly asked question!)
- At this point, it appears that is not being considered seriously as an option. The next generation Neon will be "engineered by Mitsubishi and designed by Chrysler." The extent of Chrysler's involvement in platform, drivetrain, and other areas of engineering is still undecided.
- Why is the Neon being replaced by the much-less-popular Lancer?
- To save money.
- Will the Neon R/T be given enough power to compete with the Focus and Civic Si? (asked various ways, including comparisons to Shelbys; very popular question)
- Ann cannot comment.
- Will Chrysler make an affordable sport sedan? (popular question asked various ways)
- Ann cannot comment. We believe Chrysler may, but only if it is a Mitsubishi under the skin.
- What will happen to the Belvedere plant?
- Ann said it would survive long-term, regardless.
- Can you improve the Neon's (and other cars') gas mileage?
- Ann said she would pass this one on to the engineers, but that she would probably not be able to comment.
- What are the planned changes to the PT Cruiser?
- Ann could not comment beyond saying that the company fully intended to make derivative versions of it to sustain the excitement, once supply met demand.
- Why are so many Cruisers going to bad dealers?
- There is a set allocation formula based primarily on sales volume and the length of time cars stay on the lot. Five star dealer status is not a part of the formula.
- Why is the PT Cruiser so heavy?
- It is classified as a truck, and must conform to internal durability standards which are higher for trucks than for cars; also, it was designed to pass EPA truck specifications. In addition, the added height made structural rigidity critical for handling, and that rigidity added to the weight as well.
- How much input will you have in modifying Mitsubishi and Hyundai cars when they become Dodges?
- This is still up in the air and cannot be answered now.
Survey findings
Here are the results, with 169 responses (low considering the fact that this site, overall, is visited by 120,000 people per month!):
Which car line do you want us to ask about?
The top choices are fairly clear: the Neon (18% across the current and future models) came in first, followed by the LH series (14%) and PT Cruiser (12%). The car guys were, overall, more in evidence than the truck guys.
| Neon (current) | 11.2% |
| Neon (Mitsubishi Lancer with Dodge nameplate) | 6.8% |
| Stratus/Sebring Coupe | 3.1% |
| Stratus/Sebring Sedan (current) | 3.1% |
| Stratus/Sebring Sedan (Mitsubishi Galant with Dodge nameplate | 1.9% |
| Intrepid/Concorde/300M (current) | 5.0% |
| Intrepid/Concorde/300N (next-generation) | 8.7% |
| Dodge Dakota or Durango | 6.2% |
| Dodge Ram | 7.5% |
| Dodge Ram hybrid-electric | 1.9% |
| Minivans | 8.1% |
| Chrysler CS / Citadel | 2.5% |
| Jeep Wrangler | 1.9% |
| Jeep Liberty | 1.9% |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 2.5% |
| Other (not current) | 16.1% |
| PT Cruiser | 11.8% |
Demographic questions (presumably of interest to Chrysler)
We were surprised to see that a large proportion of the survey takers are planning to buy a new car in the next year - 27% if you add up the six months and one year responses. 23% are biding their time.
We were even more surprised to see the apparent wealth of our viewers! Perhaps the Neon is selling so well because it's a bargain? Or maybe our visitors are better-off than the average buyer.
| Plan to buy a new car... | Plan to spend on a new car... | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Within the next six months | 13.9% | Up to $15,000 | 6.2% |
| Within the next year | 13.3% | Up to $20,000 | 24.0% |
| Within the next two years | 23.4% | Up to $25,000 | 26.7% |
| Within the next five years | 18.4% | Up to $30,000 | 26.7% |
| When I see something I like | 22.8% | Over $30,000 | 16.4% |
| I don't buy new cars | 8.2% |
Now let's look at what people are driving, vs. what they are planning to buy. Note that we initially forgot to put Plymouth into the list of choices for what people are driving - a fairly major issue. (What people are driving now was a multiple response question, so the numbers don't add up to 100%). No big surprises here - most people at allpar drive a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, or (presumably) Plymouth, and most plan to buy a Dodge or a Chrysler. Quite a few are GM people. Not many plan to buy a Ford next, though nearly one in ten viewers currently own one. Nissan and the Koreans had surprisingly low representation.
| Driving now | Plan to buy next | |
|---|---|---|
| Chrysler | 46.8% | 22.4% |
| Dodge | 67.9% | 42.0% |
| Jeep | 9.0% | 4.9% |
| Chevrolet or Pontiac | 9.0% | 8.4% |
| Other GM (Buick, Olds, Saturn, Cadillac, Saturn) | 8.3% | 2.8% |
| Ford/Mercury/Lincoln | 9.6% | 3.5% |
| Honda/Acura | 3.8% | 4.2% |
| Toyota/Lexus | 4.5% | 4.2% |
| Nissan/Infiniti | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| Korean: Hyundai, Kia, Daewoo | 1.9% | 0.7% |
| Other Japanese (Subaru, Mazda, Isuzu) | 3.8% | 1.4% |
| Other European | 5.1% | 4.9% |
When we asked people what kind of "Mopar" they owned, again with a multiple response allowed, we found that the most popular cars were not in our list - but that there were also more truck drivers than we would expect based on the way people answered the first question.
| Other Dodge | 26.7% |
| Other Chrysler | 26.7% |
| Dodge pickup or SUV | 26.0% |
| Other Plymouth | 23.3% |
| Neon | 18.0% |
| LH (Intrepid, Concorde, 300M, Vision, LHS) | 14.7% |
| Jeep | 10.7% |
| Sundance/Shadow | 10.0% |
| Sebring/Stratus/Breeze/Cirrus sedan | 9.3% |
| Sebring/Stratus/Avenger coupe | 4.0% |
| Spirit/Acclaim | 3.3% |
The questions you wanted us to ask
Many people asked real questions which they presumably expected an answer to, but since they did not provide e-mail addresses, they aren't going to get a reply. Some asked repair questions, which are a little out of our scope. Here is a list of the more commonly suggested questions:
Neon
Will the Neon platform be kept alive? (most commonly asked question!)
Why is the Neon being replaced by the much-less-popular Lancer?
Will the Neon R/T be given enough power to compete with the Focus and Civic Si? (asked various ways, including comparisons to Shelbies; very popular question)
Will Chrysler make an affordable sport sedan? (popular question asked various ways)
What will happen to the Belvedere plant?
Can you improve the Neon's (and other cars') gas mileage?
How did the Neon head gasket problem slip by quality control?
When will the four speed automatic reach the Neon and Wrangler?
Why isn't the Neon being promoted, like it was when it came out?
LH Series
Will the Dodge Charger be produced, and if so, what will it be like? / Will there be a V8 powered, rear wheel drive car? (We think the answer to #2 is "yes, the 300N.")
Why is Chrysler turning to rear wheel drive on the LH series when the Caprice and Crown Victoria have slumped so badly?
What are the details on the LX series?
Will the next generation be rear wheel drive, four wheel drive, or both?
PT Cruiser
What are the planned changes to the PT Cruiser?
Why are so many Cruisers going to bad dealers?
Why is the PT Cruiser so heavy?
Quality and service
Why are the transmissions still having such a high failure rate, and what are you doing about it? (popular question)
What will you be doing to increase real and perceived quality?
How will customer service at Chrysler's customer service center be improved?
How will dealer service be improved?
Are issues with brake rotors and differentials being addressed?
Will you be working on improved reliability for the electronics?
Will the transmissions be made stronger, especially for the trucks?
The future
Will there by any forced induction cars?
What are the plans for hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles?
Will there be a small pickup?
Will there be an all wheel drive sedan?
When is the Hemi coming out? Will it be used in cars?
Will Chrysler be making any truly different products in future, e.g. Hemi 300C, Charger R/T, GT Cruiser?
Will Chrysler return to the law enforcement market (officially)?
Is the Power Wagon really cancelled?
Other questions
Will the Wrangler get the new four and six engines?
Will the Wrangler continue to be made, and if so, will it stay in Toledo?
Why are the cars so heavy?
Why do you switch model names so often?
Will you ever support and make use of your fan base?
How much input will you have in modifying Mitsubishi and Hyundai cars when they become Dodges?
Can Plymouth be revived as a resto-rod style auto as it was supposed to be with the PT Cruiser and Prowler?
Are fault codes readable by ordinary people, and if so, will that continue?
Will there by a V8 for the Liberty, since it's so heavy?
Will Mopar parts ever be available at retail outlets?
What would entice people to buying a Chrysler (if they would not buy one otherwise)?
Here, we will just print all the replies, most popular first. Note that we received 72 responses, which is more than we would expect.
Better performance
- A more supportive attitude towards the performance aftermarket
- A more powerful engine and sportier suspension
- A rear wheel drive sports coupe or convertible
- A Vitara-like commuter vehicle
- An actual performance car
- A truly sporty Intrepid
- Putting the 3.8 on the short wheelbase minivan
- Manual transmission
- Rear drive V8
- Cars with soul
- Turbochargers
- More power
Better service
- Answering questions honestly (dealers and customer center)
- Dealers that can fix things [the first time]
- Allowing dealer mechanics the time to diagnose problems correctly the first time
- Taking action against the more blatantly incompetent and fraudulent dealers
- Better dealer attitude - not like they're doing you a favor by fixing it
Higher quality
- Assurance that the transmission can last
- Cars that last forever and take abuse, as in the 1960s/early 70s
Bringing back Plymouth
Real Chryslers
- Cars that only Chrysler would make - not rebadged Mitsubishis
- No Mercedes ownership or parts
Better gas mileage
Stop PT Cruiser profiteering / fix the allocation system
Single-person answers:
- Better interior colors
- Powerbox
- Small pickup with four wheel drive
- Smaller cars
- Coupe
- More chrome on the Cruiser
- Less noise
- Showing they care
- Lower prices
Upcoming or Popular Dodges, Chryslers, and Jeeps
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