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Automotive News & Views United Automobile Workers of America (UAW)
16738 messages, Last post on Dec 03, 2009 at 10:07 AM
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Replying to: gagrice (Nov 18, 2008 9:31 am) |
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Replying to: lemko (Nov 18, 2008 9:10 am) I'd seriously consider the Malibu & Aura if I were shopping for a family sedan. But why did we have to wait until practically yesterday for GM to produce compelling alternatives to the Accord & Camry? I've rented the previous generation Malibu & it's nothing I'd want in my garage. I've said before that the latest CTS is gorgeous & that I'll test-drive one when I'm shopping for a replacement for my BMW. Here's GM's problem as I see it. Once upon a time, if you asked me to list my 10 favorite cars, 7 or 8 of them would have been GM offerings. (The rest would have been English sports cars.) Today, there would be 1 GM car on that list: the CTS. Most of the rest would be Germans. Somewhere along the way, GM lost me because of decisions that GM made - or didn't make. I'm the customer, & the customer is always right. |
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lemko! I would mourn Buick's passing more than facing the prospect of my own death. 
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General Wesley Clark, New York Times: “What’s good for GM is good for the Army” “[W]e must act: aiding the American automobile industry is not only an economic imperative, but also a national security imperative… “[A]s Detroit moves to plug-in hybrids and electric-drive technology…automakers are developing innovative electric motors, many with permanent magnet technology, that will have immediate military use. And only the auto industry, with its vast purchasing power, is able to establish a domestic advanced battery industry. Likewise, domestic fuel cell production — which will undoubtedly have many critical military applications — depends on a vibrant car industry.” New York Times, Nov. 16, 2008 The real General has spoken iluvmysephia1 ~Those of your against the Big 3 are under some kind of hypnosis~ GM and the Big 3 under normal conditions pays dividends.., sponsors more.., contributes more.., pays more taxes and bails out more than any other.., and yes the Big 3 would bailout the government if needed - All positive - so it pays to help the Big 3
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Replying to: lemko (Nov 18, 2008 9:10 am) The Malibu and Aura actually have potential, but unfortunately they're late in coming, have yet to prove themselves long-term, and let's face it, people aren't going to come back to GM overnight. It's taken GM decades to lose their customer base, so it's going to take more than just one or two model years for them to get any semblance of it back. Also, while the Malibu and Aura are competitive cars, they do have some shortcomings. One problem is that they're narrow inside. The back seat probably has about 3-4" less shoulder room than the Camry, Accord, and Altima. It's still a comfy 4 seater, but 3 people in the back seat is going to be tight. That might be a concern for some people, although I can't remember the last time I've had three across in the back of any of my cars! When equipped with the 2.4 4-cyl and 6-speed automatic, fuel economy is impressive, and competes very well against the 4-cyl Camry/Accord/Altima. But with the V-6, it seems like they finally got the performance with the 3.6 DOHC, but it's a bit thirsty. The EPA rates it at 17/26, compared to 19/29 for the V-6 Accord and 19/28 for the V-6 Camry. Now the old 3.5 pushrod, which I think is still offered in some trim levels, or may be only for fleets by now, gets 18/29. So it seems with the V-6 in these GM cars, you can either get the power or the economy, but not both, like you can with the imports. So I'd consider the Aura/Malibu to finally be competitive cars, but I'm not sure I could call them class-leading. If I was in the market for a car, I'd consider an Aura. But I'd also consider the Altima, and even the new Accord is starting to grow on me. The CTS and Enclave are great vehicles, but are also niche markets, and won't be enough to save GM. As for the Lucerne, well I like it and so do you Lemko, but not too many other people care about it! You recently bought a new Cadillac, and I'm not planning on buying a brand-new car for the indefinite future, so there it probably lost its only two potential customers.  The Silverado/Sierra might be the best truck on the market right now, but even they're not without their faults. I hear that the models that still use the 4L60E transmission still tend to eat them fairly regularly. The 4.8 and 5.3 V-8's used to have a problem with piston slap, but perhaps that's no longer an issue? And even if it's the best truck on the market, unfortunately that's also a market that's no longer very lucrative. Although with gas down below $2.00 per gallon in many places (I paid $1.879 during lunch today) it's possible that might change.
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Replying to: jimbres (Nov 18, 2008 7:15 am) And the British economy survived. You make second-rate, you pay the piper sooner or later...the economy has made it sooner but the Gov't might make it a little bit later. It's inevitable, really. There is a reason it's called Red Tag Sale...I'm waiting for the "Bail-Out Sale"! Regards, OW |
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Replying to: lemko (Nov 18, 2008 7:36 am) Do you hear an echo when you say that...I do! Don't look now, but market share is the guide here. Regards, OW |
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Replying to: grbeck (Nov 18, 2008 7:46 am) No, Ford has at the most 6 months of cash with the current sales. If GM does not get the money it will go chapter 7. The two other domestics will go within 1 month and then the entire US built industry will shut down for up to a year. The Japanese and Germans will then turn on their foreign plants and import 100% where they can and will struggle where they cannot (trucks). |
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Replying to: andre1969 (Nov 18, 2008 10:57 am) GM probably thought that the only reason people bought Accords, Camrys, Altimas, etc., is because GM never built a really competitive model. GM just had to match the competition and people would flock to Chevy and Saturn dealerships. Only problem with that mindset is that many buyers are perfectly happy with their present vehicles, and see no need to switch. They are not sitting around, waiting to see what GM does. It's not the 1960s anymore, when GM could take its sweet time in responding to the four-seat Thunderbird or original Mustang and still grab a major share of that respective segment when it did field an entry. If customers are going to switch, they need a compelling reason, and the fact that GM has finally managed to field a reasonably competitive model after wandering in the woods for over 25 years is a not a compelling reason. A Chevy as good as a competiting Toyota may be big news in Detroit, or among GM fans, but among car buyers, the likely response is, "What took GM so long?", if not, "So what?". Also note that the new Malibu carries the baggage of the models that went before it. I've driven a 2000 Malibu, and a 2005 Malibu, and there is no way that I would switch from an Accord to either of those. The new one is better, but I'm not seeing where it is better than the best in this class. A company isn't going to lure satisfied customers away from the competition by merely matching what the competitors have been doing for the past 25 years. Given that we're satisfied with the Accord, I'm leery of switching, but if I did, it would probably be to the upcoming 2010 Fusion, which has compiled an excellent reliability record and looks better than the Malibu. As for the CTS - it's a big improvement over the previous generation, and it's a good car, but I'm not seeing where it's BETTER than a BMW 3-Series or Mercedes C-Class. Aside from the styling, there isn't anything that really makes it stand out among its competitors. BMW still has the better driving dynamics for those who really do want the Ultimate Driving Machine, while among the status-conscious, "I drive a BMW" sounds better than "I drive a Cadillac." My parents bought a brand-new Lucerne, and they are quite happy with it. I've driven it, and the brutal truth is that this car will not appeal to anyone who isn't already a GM loyalist.
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Replying to: xrunner2 (Nov 18, 2008 9:02 am) The government would have to pass some sort of law that would allow GM to be reorganized without an actual declaration of bankruptcy. As for how this is done - I'll have to leave it to minds far more learned than mine. Obama needs to put that Ivy League education to use. 
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