Kia Rondos Demise In USA: Can Small People Movers Sell Here?

[flcruising]

If Mazda could put a turbo in the 5 and make it about 10" longer - Oh, wait, then it would be the Mazda8 - I'd love that!

But, even better would be a turbo diesel.

 

[coolmazda5]

Talking about the news and the actual segment that these cars are classified as. This is from Google. 1 calls it crossover, 1 calls it MPV and 2 call it minivan, LOL


Kia appears to be killing Rondo small crossover
USA Today - ‎Aug 20, 2010‎
The Kia Rondo, a compact crossover, has disappeared entirely from Kia's consumer website a day after Autoblog reported finding the note there, ...

News Kia Rondo Discontinued Rest In Peaceful Cabinosity
The Car Connection (blog) - Bengt Halvorson - ‎Aug 20, 2010‎
August 20th, 2010 One of the most space-efficient vehicles on the market, the Kia Rondo, won't be back for 2011. So confirms Kia on its official US website, ...

Kia Rondo Getting Axed Due to Sliding Sales
AutoGuide.com - Colum Wood - ‎Aug 20, 2010‎
Kia appears to have quietly killed-off its Rondo MPV in response to a continued slide in sales. Visitors to the Rondo page on Kia's US website are greeted ...

Kia Rondo minivan discontinued in the United States
eGMCarTech (blog) - ‎Aug 19, 2010‎
If you head over to Kia's US website you'll notice that there is no Kia Rondo in the Korean automaker's vehicle lineup. Why? Apparently the minian has been ...

Kia Discontinues Rondo Small Minivan
Cars.com (blog) - David Thomas - ‎Aug 19, 2010‎
For some reason, the little jelly bean-shaped minivan won me over. I was allured by the low price (starting under $15000), optional third row and the sheer ...

 

[DKaz]

The 5 doesn't need to be longer, the 5 just needs a 7th seat.

 

[flcruising]

The 5 needs a bigger sister (in the states) - the 8. That's what I was getting at.

 

[WhiteStar III]

Let me try to phrase it this way. The key discussion point is comparing the value of a Mz5 to an Odyssey/Sienna.
The Mz5 should not be compared to minivans, especially not minivans from the two of the more -if not most recognized names in the minivan market. If you must compare it to a minivan then it would be fair-ER to compare it to Mazda's own minivan to get a better representation of price delta between a Mazda 5 and a minivan.

(glare)

Maybe I've been mislead by the "internets" but as I understand it, what is killing the MZ5 more than the lack of ad spend, production capacity, etc, is that if you cross shop against the Caravan, Sedona, or even CPO'd Oddy's & Siennas the price delta shrinks and the value proposition works against the Mazda.

After all in the USA bigger is better.

 

[thaxman]

Anyone notice that the 5's popularity did climb somewhat with the introduction of the new Chrysler/Dodge vans? When the new Caravan & T&C came out, they dropped the SWB version that was closer in size to Mazda's MPV & that old Nissan Quest. So it can be seen that some people who would have purchased a SWB minivan dropped out of the LWB minivan market and bought a 5 instead.

I also realize that many of you don't see a whole lot of these around, but around this part of the desert, they are actually pretty common. But we have a different mantra here & spend alot less time "Keeping up w/the Joneses" like they do up in Phoenix or out in LA. Been seeing alot of MILFs in them lately. Not a bad thing, mind you.

 

[KBrian]

Almost impossible to control for the variables affecting (positive or negative) automobile sales in the US. However, when examining the sales patterns of the 5, one must consider the Gov. cash offered when dumping the guzzlers in favour of the fuel sippers.
Take away the gov cash that drove customers to cars like the 5, and Mazda5 sales look pretty poor over the life of the model.

In a market where more than 10 million new cars are sold each year, less than 20 thousand sales is a fail IMO. Especially from a high profile company like Mazda.

BTW, Happy 500th post. DKaz!

 

[x10dude]

Almost impossible to control for the variables affecting (positive or negative) automobile sales in the US. However, when examining the sales patterns of the 5, one must consider the Gov. cash offered when dumping the guzzlers in favour of the fuel sippers.
Take away the gov cash that drove customers to cars like the 5, and Mazda5 sales look pretty poor over the life of the model.

In a market where more than 10 million new cars are sold each year, less than 20 thousand sales is a fail IMO. Especially from a high profile company like Mazda.

BTW, Happy 500th post. DKaz!

I love my Mazda5 but I have to totally agree.

 

[DKaz]

BTW, Happy 500th post. DKaz!

Thanks, KB! I didn't even realize it! (drive2)

 

[coolmazda5]

Especially from a high profile company like Mazda.

I know we love Mazdas, but Mazda was ranked no 15 globally in 2009, not that high if you ask

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_industry

And actually that is partly why I like Mazdas

 

[WhiteStar III]

Almost impossible to control for the variables affecting (positive or negative) automobile sales in the US. However, when examining the sales patterns of the 5, one must consider the Gov. cash offered when dumping the guzzlers in favour of the fuel sippers.
Take away the gov cash that drove customers to cars like the 5, and Mazda5 sales look pretty poor over the life of the model.

In a market where more than 10 million new cars are sold each year, less than 20 thousand sales is a fail IMO. Especially from a high profile company like Mazda.

One can knock Mazda for quite a few things but all they ever set out to sell was 20K annually; the problem with that number is that according to the "internets" a significant portion of that number is due to fleet sales. I remember there was a posting early on in the MZ5 cycle that brought this issue up in this board.

EDIT: found it!

http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123674934

I haven't come across any updated retail vrs fleet splits recently but rumors persist that it hasn't improved.

 

[x10dude]

I know we love Mazdas, but Mazda was ranked no 15 globally in 2009, not that high if you ask

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_industry

And actually that is partly why I like Mazdas

That's probably why the Mazda5 is still around in the US. 15K-20K sales per year is OK/decent for Mazda, esp. considering they put absolutely no money in marketing it.

If the Mazda5 was in the lineup of a larger car company, it probably would have been yanked from the US market already.

 

[DKaz]

I dunno I was watching Glee on FOX Seattle last night for two hours and the Mazda 5 commercial was aired about five times in that two hour stretch. Mind you it's a Glee rerun but prime time ad time doesn't come cheap.

 

[twintrbo]

What I think is funny is the EPA MPG comparison. Does anyone really believe the stickers? Can anyone really think that a Honda Odyssey with a 250+ hp engine and an extra 1000 lbs, not to mention a larger frontal area and Im sure a higher cd of drag will return the same mileage as the 5 on the highway? I really dont care what your fancy cylinder shutdown is supposed to do, physics dont lie but the manufacturers know how to cheat on the EPA test very well! FWIW if the honda 3.5 drops 2 cylinders it becomes a 2.3(~166hp) and a 1.75(~125hp) on its hypothetical 3 cylinder configuration.

 

[Rocket]

When I was in the wine business many years ago there was a constant struggle with the buyers over whether or not a certain wine was in the grocery store. The buyers did not want to carry any wine that was in the grocery store as that meant their wine list was not exclusive. Any wine in a store must be bad, because it was mainstream, and bourgeoisie. Junk in other words.

However, those of us on the other side of the business knew that the best way to create a sucessful brand was to have it sold in a restaurant by the glass. The consumer would try the wine, like it, and then search for it in their local - gasp - grocery store.

The whole argument about fleet sales strikes me the same way. For some reason there is one group that thinks fleet sales (grocery store) implies desperation and poor quality.

I'm sure that Mazda thinks that fleet sales = trial and acceptance ("by the glass") and results in retail sales at the dealer.

Moral of the story is selling cars to fleets is not always an act of desperation. Nor does the general public think that if it's a rental it must be junk.

 

[07MZ5SA]

mazda knows that it does not have a hard time selling them, which is confirmed by my local dealer.

............... this the US market HAS NOT EVEN SEEN ONE commercial dedicated to the 5. the success of the car here is amazing considering that there isn't a mainstream marketing budget for it. I have already convinced three of my neighbors to buy the vehicle, and now i see them all the time!

If there's a market for MPV segment, Toyota and Honda would have brought Verso and Stream to NA.

 

[07MZ5SA]

The 5 needs a bigger sister (in the states) - the 8. That's what I was getting at.

MZ8 won't sell well in US, same reason 1G Odyssey didn't sell well (or Colt Vista).

 

[flcruising]

Then they should bring over at least 1 for me.

Just because a vehicle has 3 rows of seats doesn't put it in the same class of vehicle. The MPV's you mention all lack the sliding rear doors which separates them from the M5 - as far as I'm concerned. They are simply tall wagons to me.

I don't care about the stereotype, but the M5 is a mini(micro)-van in every sense.

 

[twintrbo]

The real problem with bringing any of those vehicles here is getting the public to perceive that they need one and that the smaller size is somehow better for them. As long as our gas is cheap and people dont live in very congested areas like Tokyo, it will always be a niche market. Lots of people will see the 5 and say, wow cool! But when its time to buy, they look at the possibilities of the vehicles performance and not the realities of their use.

A family of 4 does not need a Sienna/Odyssey for everyday use but when they consider they can carry 7 and have all that room IF its needed, thats where they go. Not many people think about all the wasted capacity they haul around when they DONT need it. Going green might be the way but I dont think they should be linked, personally I just dont like driving such a big vehicle since its so much more work to operate in tight quarters.

 

[chief_wiggum]

The real problem with bringing any of those vehicles here is getting the public to perceive that they need one and that the smaller size is somehow better for them. As long as our gas is cheap and people dont live in very congested areas like Tokyo, it will always be a niche market. Lots of people will see the 5 and say, wow cool! But when its time to buy, they look at the possibilities of the vehicles performance and not the realities of their use.

A family of 4 does not need a Sienna/Odyssey for everyday use but when they consider they can carry 7 and have all that room IF its needed, thats where they go. Not many people think about all the wasted capacity they haul around when they DONT need it. Going green might be the way but I dont think they should be linked, personally I just dont like driving such a big vehicle since its so much more work to operate in tight quarters.

agree 100%; I was all set to purchase an Odyssey to replace our CR-V when what you laid out struck me; I don't NEED all that room most of the time. 90% of the time, it will be my family of 4, the other 10% when grandparents are in town, we can squeeze in our 5. In the process, we saved at least $9K in purchase price and additional money in insurance and gas. Why buy a vehicle to meet your minority driving requirements?