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Automotive News & Views GM News, New Models and Market Share
8500 messages, Last post on Nov 28, 2009 at 6:31 PM
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Replying to: 62vetteefp (Nov 29, 2008 6:31 pm) The Suburban is an ancient replacement that is no longer needed, unless you need to carry seven passengers AND a ton of cargo AND tow a boat or something like that. That's a very niche market that not many will put up with after $5 per gallon gas (the few people I knew with Suburbans took them off the road during the spike...they couldn't afford to drive them). Name one thing the Suburban can do better than a crew-cab truck or a 7 passenger Lambda...those that don't need towing will take the Lambda, and those that do need it will go grab an F-series from Ford. The Suburban is a concept who's time has passed I'm thinking. And think what dropping it would do for GM's CAFE too. Those things are what, 10 MPG highway? May as well sell them as Hummers... |
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Replying to: torque_r (Nov 29, 2008 8:29 pm) What's worse, Motor Trend is reporting that next Escalade will be the FIFTH Lambda. Two possibilities here. One: they'll keep the platform mostly as is to save costs, completely ruin Caddy's new image of the "good" GM, and take the entire company down with a (theoretically sound) plan to cut costs without having to give up their precious brand names. Two: they'll make so many modifications to the platform to make it a worth Cadillac and that will eventually trickle down to the other brands, improving them. Assuming GM survives that long.
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Replying to: bpizzuti (Nov 30, 2008 3:01 am) GM sold 24000 full size SUV's during may, the height of the gas proce "panic". That is a lot of vehicles. They also get 20 highway. Comparing a Sub to a Lambda and the delta in yearly gas usage is $500. Seems like there are a lot of $50k buyers who would not care if they bought a sub or Exhibition since that is about 10 Lattes per month. AND if you do need to tow #8000 and carry a protected payload (8 people or stuff) they are the only way to go. Will the market be smaller? Heck yes, I switched to a Lambda, but there are a quarter million buyers out there that did not (GM took ~2% of entire vehicle market alone). |
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Replying to: bpizzuti (Nov 30, 2008 3:12 am) Actually a new architecture shared with the 9-4x "Moving SRX off Sigma onto Theta-Epsilon buys GM a better interior package relative to the vehicle footprint. It shares the new platform with the upcoming Saab 9-4x, and it's bigger than the Chevy Equinox, Pontiac Torrent (GMC Terrain), and Saturn Vue Thetas, so it's directed squarely at Lexus' hugely popular RX midsize crossovers." |
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Replying to: bpizzuti (Nov 30, 2008 3:01 am) The Suburban is a great family vehicle. I could get 17 MPG on highway trips. Around town was usually 13 MPG. That was the last of the heavy built Suburbans in 1998. The new ones are tinny by comparison. If they ever get a small diesel engine for them they will be a great all around vehicle. Especially for families that like outdoor sports. I liked my Suburban a lot better than the Excursions I talked our company into buying. A Crew Cab at best is a 6 passenger vehicle. You can get the Suburban as 9 passenger. You don't ever feel guilty about those in the second row being cramped as you do in most sedans smaller than a Town Car. I think the government alone probably keeps the Suburban factory in Mexico working 3 shifts. |
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Replying to: 62vetteefp (Nov 29, 2008 6:31 pm) |
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Replying to: bpizzuti (Nov 30, 2008 3:01 am) You haven't been to a boat ramp lately. Boaters with families most often have a Suburban/Denali/Escalade or Expedition. When gas shot up to 4.50, I traded my Suburban in on an Expedition. Saved $20k on a 1 year old loaded Expedition. That will buy a lot of gas for the Expe and our boat. If 4.50 gas is the difference between being able to afford an SUV or not, then you couldn't afford it to begin with. Yes, a truck is better to tow with, but we often will have 6-7 people in the Expedition while towing the boat to the lake. Can't do that with a p/u and Lambda type SUV and the Lambda's can't tow 4500 pounds plus 6-7 people and gear safely. The Expedition/Suburban SUVs can. Plus it tows our 26' travel trailer that weighs 6,000lbs. Still a lot of RVs on the road regardless of what you read in the paper. Plus millions of boat still being used. The lakes we visited this summer were always busy. I agree the Suburban is a niche type vehicle, it's still a big enough niche to be profitable. GM/Ford just can't bank on those sales to bail them out.
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Replying to: dieselone (Nov 30, 2008 8:20 am) You got that right. Wednesday evening it was a steady stream of motor homes with dune buggy trailers and toy haulers going out Interstate 8 to the desert, to play for the long weekend. Last I read something like 50,000 dune buggies are out on any given weekend. The cheap gas prices came just at the right time for desert types. |
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Replying to: bpizzuti (Nov 30, 2008 3:01 am) GM trucks should be heavy duty vehicles, the Suburban, the 1500/2500, and the cargo van of course. Three models. Because, that's all they really need and all they really sell in large numbers to individuals. If you need a truck for work, you need a big thing most likely. Crap like the Canyon, which they literally can't sell and I've seen 2007 models STILL on the lot in Los Angeles, no less(not middle of nowhere, Montana) - it just needs to go and the factory be used for something else. And yuppie pseudo SUVs and crossovers and so on, ignore entirely. Let other companies deal with it, because nobody is buying GM crosssovers or SUVs. Note - I don't consider the Suburban a "SUV" - it's a full size 9 passenger truck. SUVs are those little things like the RAV-4 and the crud Volvo is making(which also isn't selling, amazingly. Who would have guessed?) Oh - and bring back the manual in the 1500. Since most people who buy commercial vehicles pre-order them, it's a simple option to add back on the order sheet.(3-5% of your sales is STILL 3-5% and every bit helps right now) Lastly, if something new comes out, don't wait until the next year/cycle to get it out to market. WV is soon to get their Rabbit TDI over here and they aren't waiting 6 extra months. There is already a huge waiting list. 6 more months of sales is just that much more money in their pockets at a time when everyone needs it.
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Replying to: plekto (Nov 30, 2008 11:17 am) I thought the quadruplets Acadia, Enclave...etc. were selling pretty well.
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