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32000 messages,  Last post on Feb 14, 2013 at 7:24 PM

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#30475 of 32000 Re: OnStar [uplanderguy] by andres3

Jan 11, 2013 (5:20 pm)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Jan 11, 2013 5:07 pm)
Crash worthiness is indeed something that might only be useful once a decade or less, but the stakes are high; your life.
 
I prefer "accident avoidance" abilities myself, which can be used more often and negate the importance of crash worthiness to some degree (or at least make it required less often).
 
But saying having someone call 911 in case you are unable to respond after an accident is taking it a quite a bit further. I would say it's Nth degrees further less useful. First, if it's a multi vehicle accident, it assumes all people involved are so injured no one can call for help. Second, it becomes irrelevant if crash worthiness didn't keep you alive first of all, so that you can even use the help.
 
And GM has been known to skimp and cost cut. Might crash worthiness of the vehicles be 10% better if OnStar wasn't required? I'd put the extra effort and expense into the crash worthiness.

#30476 of 32000 Re: OnStar [andres3] by uplanderguy

Jan 11, 2013 (5:44 pm)

Replying to: andres3 (Jan 11, 2013 5:11 pm)
That was her one free call. Does a Garmin give you a human being at the other end? I can tell you that my wife has borrowed a Garmin before and would tell you that OnStar was a lifesaver that day.

#30477 of 32000 Re: Malibu beats Altima, Passat, Optima, Subaru [uplanderguy] by circlew

Jan 11, 2013 (7:33 pm)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Jan 11, 2013 6:24 am)
The praise just keeps coming....
 
6TH PLACE: Chevrolet Malibu LTZ
 
The chassis rides well, but after that the praise ends. Steering feel is simply lousy -- zero feedback, and you'll find yourself working the wheel even on arrow-straight highways. The soft suspension, writes Evans, means "seesaw action over bumps." Febbo is less charitable: "No confidence in the chassis." The new Malibu offers nothing to the enthusiastic driver. It's a shame, because this remains a clean-looking, competitively priced machine (base price for the well-outfitted LTZ is $28,590). But its limited room and poor real-world efficiency doom it in this capable field. Seabaugh sums it up bluntly: "Unusable at its most basic function -- family sedan."
 
Sadly, I assume some are not that enthusiastic but that's OK!
 
Go Chevy!
 
Regards,
OW

#30478 of 32000 Re: Malibu beats Altima, Passat, Optima, Subaru [circlew] by bpizzuti

Jan 11, 2013 (8:20 pm)

Replying to: circlew (Jan 11, 2013 7:33 pm)
Obviously they missed the entire point of the car: they didn't mention how wonderful OnStar is, and clearly didn't pay attention to the fact that, despite the high sticker price, you can actually get the car for $19,995. Instead they focused in insignificant things like suspension, handling, driving feel, and fuel economy. I swear, I don't know what's wrong with some of these so-called "car" mags.
 
Now let me remove the tongue from my cheek. I'm surprised about the suspension reaction, that doesn't seem to jive with what others have said. I wonder what standard of comparison they're using.

#30479 of 32000 Re: OnStar [steve_] by tlong

Jan 11, 2013 (9:36 pm)

Replying to: Stever@Edmunds (Jan 11, 2013 5:16 pm)
Well, if it's a matter of life and death, it only needs to happen once, and it'd be cheap at ten times the price.
 
So you get the cars cheap and then you can afford to pay those ongoing OnStar charges even if it is never used. Hopefully like car insurance!

#30480 of 32000 Re: Malibu beats Altima, Passat, Optima, Subaru [circlew] by uplanderguy

Jan 12, 2013 (4:17 am)

Replying to: circlew (Jan 11, 2013 7:33 pm)
Wow, "Kong" really doesn't like the Chevy! And the Camry, only one 'place' above, is full of 'squeaks and rattles'--"at least Chevy put forth an effort; Toyota phoned it in."
 
Not exactly a shocker than an 'enthusiast' mag would pick the European car first. Funny that CR has it behind the Malibu in its very recent test.
 
I'm between 5'8" and 5'9" and I can sit in the rear seat of the Malibu without my legs touching the front, when the front is put where I'd drive with it. But even I am able to admit that IMHO that is the car's biggest shortcoming in normal-people-day-to-day-driving. What I do like is made in U.S.A., by a company who employs more Americans than any of the other auto companies, a longer powertrain warranty than any of the other cars tested there, and the fact I'm fairly certain it can be bought for less of my hard-earned bucks than the others...and I like the looks better than most if not all of the others. And I still partly buy for looks...probably more than 'partly'.

#30481 of 32000 Re: Malibu beats Altima, Passat, Optima, Subaru [bpizzuti] by circlew

Jan 12, 2013 (5:12 am)

Replying to: bpizzuti (Jan 11, 2013 8:20 pm)
Like I said, GM isn't leading in cars. I'll give them a B for effort for the 2008'Bu and the Cruze (came from Europe) as well as the Camaro and CTS. But none of them are leading products. The hopeful is the ATS for Caddy as the XTS looks so boring that the Gensis looks more appealing!
 
As for the continuing story on the 2013 'Bu, let's see what the doctored up version has to offer....although we'll wait almost a year. GM is quite the dinosaur at the moment!
 
Automotive News is reporting that Chevy is working on refreshing the Malibu by the end of 2013, which is about 18 months after the new car went on sale earlier this year.
 
Not leading in mid-size sedans. Fact.
 
The sooner-than-expected design change is apparently a result of criticisms from dealers and the media as well as unimpressive sales figures. AN says that Malibu sales were up four percent earlier in the year due to increased incentives to move the 2012 models, but once the full model year changeover took place (in September and October), sales dropped by three percent.
 
Regards,
OW

#30482 of 32000 Truck Re-call by circlew

Jan 12, 2013 (5:25 am)

General Motors Company (GM - Analyst Report) plans to recall 69,000 units of pickup trucks, sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and vans worldwide because the vehicles are built with faulty park lock cables or malformed steering column lock gears. The problem could cause the vehicles to roll away unexpectedly.
 
The recall affects Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full size pickup trucks, Suburban, Tahoe and Yukon SUVs, Avalanche truck, Express and Savana vans, and Cadillac Escalade full size SUV.
 
All the vehicles are from the 2013 model year. About 55,000 vehicles will be recalled in the U.S. and 14,000 units in Canada, Mexico and other parts of the world.
 
GM revealed that due to defective steering column, the vehicles can move out of its parking position even if the ignition key has been turned off or removed. However, most of the defective vehicles are not yet sold and about one in a thousand has the problem. The company’s dealers will replace the steering column free of charge if needed.
 
GM seems to be very cautious about finding and fixing the defects in their vehicles in order to keep its brand value intact. Of late, the company made a number of vehicle safety recalls.
 
Recently, the automaker decided to recall 145,628 units of mid-sized pickup trucks across its global markets because their hoods can open unexpectedly and obstruct the driver’s view, increasing the risk of a crash. The recall involved Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize trucks from 2010–2012 model years.

#30483 of 32000 Re: Malibu beats Altima, Passat, Optima, Subaru [circlew] by uplanderguy

Jan 12, 2013 (6:04 am)

Replying to: circlew (Jan 12, 2013 5:12 am)
They're not leading in recalls, that's for sure. That belongs to Japanese companies Toyota and Honda, as posted earlier, in 2012--by a looonnnnnggggg shot.

#30484 of 32000 Re: Truck Re-call [circlew] by uplanderguy

Jan 12, 2013 (6:08 am)

Replying to: circlew (Jan 12, 2013 5:25 am)
Both those GM recalls have been posted here previously and discussed. In fact, I brought the Silverado one up myself--full disclosure, you know.

Messages Page 3049 of 3201

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