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GM and Ford are also planning a two week shut down of all their US plants in July. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23612768/)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/Chrysler_Logo.jpg
Reuters - March 14, 2008

Chrysler sales down 13% this year - wait until gas is $3.75 -- Ed.

Detroit - Chrysler LLC said on Thursday it would shut all but its most essential operations worldwide for two weeks in July, a first for the struggling No. 3 U.S. automaker as it attempts to cut costs and preserve cash.

Chrysler, which is in a restructuring that includes trimming some vehicle lines and offering buyouts to its 44,000 U.S. hourly workers, lost $1.6 billion in 2007.

The automaker has been accelerating its restructuring efforts since Cerberus Capital Management LP acquired a nearly 80 percent stake from Daimler AG last summer....http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23612768/

Think about it - Daimler simply walked away from Chrysler, the PE guys didn't pay a cent. The PE guys took over existing debt.

If Daimler couldn't find one single buyer who'd pay something - anything for Chrysler in the heady M&A days back then - what does that suggest about the long term future of Chrysler ?

A friend of mine had a Chrysler 300 as a loaner for a couple of weeks. It really is a handsome car with lots of style - but it got barely 10 MPG (meaning it cost her $24 just to visit her parents 40 miles away) and since it is a rear wheel drive was an absolutle nightmare to drive in the snow.

All she did was complain how bad the 300 was - and this is a die hard 'merican car buyer who drives a entry level US car.

Our local biker group had an outting to a casino. It was cold, and we were taking cars. The casino is 72 miles away. I offered to drive my Prius, but a couple insisted on driving their Durango, so I car-pooled with them. I told them I could get at least 45 mpg in the Prius, and probably close to 50 mpg highway. He said he gets 10 mpg in the Durango no matter what type of driving he does. I thought at the time he was exaggerating, but now it sounds like he made an accurate statement.

Harry

Hi Harry:

___I thought of all people you would have shoved your boot up their *** for taking that FSP Durango! Dumb SOB’s :angry:

___Good Luck

___Wayne

___I thought of all people you would have shoved your boot up their *** for taking that FSP Durango! Dumb SOB’s :angry:






I should have, but I was outnumbered 3-to-1 :(

Harry

He said he gets 10 mpg in the Durango no matter what type of driving he does.Harry

That must be stop-and-go and 85 on the freeway; Durangos and Grand Cherokees I always tried to push to 20 and "failed" getting 18-19. Granted, that generally included a lot of freeway, but 10? I don't know how someone would have to drive to get 10.


I should have, but I was outnumbered 3-to-1



And you only had 2 feet, huh? :)

That must be stop-and-go and 85 on the freeway; Durangos and Grand Cherokees I always tried to push to 20 and "failed" getting 18-19. Granted, that generally included a lot of freeway, but 10? I don't know how someone would have to drive to get 10.


I know someone who got 36 MPG in a Prius in city driving, though he drove it like a f***ing maniac (not my Prius, thankfully). He did hard braking so no regen, accelerating from 30 MPH to 50 MPH up a hill, racing to each stoplight, no concept of feathering the pedals (yes, they're analog).

It can be done, and it scares me.