Volkswagen'snumbers are bad for a single month, for year-to-date, or over the past 24months. In October, overall car and light truck sales were down 21.1, whichbrings the drop in 2004 to 19.7. From October, 2002, to October, 2004, VWCanada's overall sales are down to 26.5 percent.
VW does have theoldest of any German fleet, which should start to change next year with theintroduction of a new Golf, with upgraded versions of Jetta and Passat tofollow in time.
Is it anywonder, then, that the German firms are being more aggressive than ever beforein trying to attract customers?
The most amazingpublic offer has to be on the VW Phaeton, which has a sticker price around$100,000 to start but has been available lately for a monthly leasing rate of$799, which is $200 a month less than VW was asking earlier this year and lessthan it should be if people were really interested in the luxury sedan.
BMW is doingsomething similar with the slow-selling 7-Series, but only in private. If youwere returning a leased BMW earlier this year, the German firm's localdistributor was said to be offering a cash rebate of $15,000 on some models.
VW does have theoldest of any German fleet, which should start to change next year with theintroduction of a new Golf, with upgraded versions of Jetta and Passat tofollow in time.
Is it anywonder, then, that the German firms are being more aggressive than ever beforein trying to attract customers?
The most amazingpublic offer has to be on the VW Phaeton, which has a sticker price around$100,000 to start but has been available lately for a monthly leasing rate of$799, which is $200 a month less than VW was asking earlier this year and lessthan it should be if people were really interested in the luxury sedan.
BMW is doingsomething similar with the slow-selling 7-Series, but only in private. If youwere returning a leased BMW earlier this year, the German firm's localdistributor was said to be offering a cash rebate of $15,000 on some models.