What is Good for Fleet May Not Always Be Good for Consumers
In case you hadn't heard, the all-new 2006 Chevrolet Impala and carryover 2006 Ford F-150 pickup were voted Fleet Car and
Fleet Truck of the Year by fleet management professionals from U.S. commercial and public sector fleets in an annual industry competition sponsored by Automotive Fleet and Business Fleet magazines, January 7.
Fleet sales, which represent purchases by business firms and government organizations that keep large vehicle pools, as well as vehicle rental companies, make up more than 17 percent of North American registrations.
The Impala was selected from among 53 domestic- and import-brand vehicles, and chosen number one because of "passenger comfort, fuel economy, cargo room, safety, performance, and price."
The F-150 was chosen over 25 entries thanks to its "ruggedness, durability, performance, and dependability", said a representative from the magazines.
Of
course, such attributes should make the two vehicles solid choices for personal use too, a point General Motors and Ford Motor Company would both like consumers to make note of, but such isn't always the case.
For instance, due to fleet popularity being a negative with consumers those same automakers have come under fire for relying too heavily on fleet sales, and have therefore been clear in pointing out that many new models wouldn't be pushed into fleet use. Ford was particularly avid about this point when introducing its full-size Five Hundred sedan and seven-occupant Freestyle CUV, both of which have enjoyed a much larger percentage of retail buyers than fleet.
In case you hadn't heard, the all-new 2006 Chevrolet Impala and carryover 2006 Ford F-150 pickup were voted Fleet Car and
 |
| The 2006 Chevrolet Impala was voted Fleet Car of the Year by Automotive Fleet and Business Fleet magazines. (Photo: John F. Martin, General Motors of Canada) |
Fleet sales, which represent purchases by business firms and government organizations that keep large vehicle pools, as well as vehicle rental companies, make up more than 17 percent of North American registrations.
The Impala was selected from among 53 domestic- and import-brand vehicles, and chosen number one because of "passenger comfort, fuel economy, cargo room, safety, performance, and price."
The F-150 was chosen over 25 entries thanks to its "ruggedness, durability, performance, and dependability", said a representative from the magazines.
Of
 |
| The carryover 2006 Ford F-150 pickup was voted Fleet Truck of the Year by Automotive Fleet and Business Fleet magazines. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada) |
For instance, due to fleet popularity being a negative with consumers those same automakers have come under fire for relying too heavily on fleet sales, and have therefore been clear in pointing out that many new models wouldn't be pushed into fleet use. Ford was particularly avid about this point when introducing its full-size Five Hundred sedan and seven-occupant Freestyle CUV, both of which have enjoyed a much larger percentage of retail buyers than fleet.