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GM News, New Models and Market Share

8457 messages,  Last post on Nov 26, 2009 at 10:43 PM

You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires

What is this discussion about? Automotive News


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#8015 of 8457
the Germans aren't happy by steve_ HOST
Nov 04, 2009 (8:50 am)
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"General Motors' (GM) decision to hang on to its European car unit Opel, including Vauxhall, was welcomed in the UK but met with anger in Germany.
 
German leaders and labour unions had favoured a sale, to Canadian car parts maker Magna, as the best way to save German jobs as it included a guarantee that no German factory would be closed."
 
German fury over GM Opel U-turn (BBC)
#8016 of 8457
Re: Here's an interesting evolution... [ingvar] by dieselone
Nov 04, 2009 (9:26 am)
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Replying to: ingvar (Nov 04, 2009 8:35 am)

But now this unionized company selling non-premium cars for premium money on US market (audi a3, audi a4 2.0T)
 
Okay, if you say so. It's been a while since I've sampled an A4 2.0T, but I had a coworker that owned an A3 and it was a very nice car, definitely premium in my book. I guess small = non-premium? Back when I owned a 2000 Jetta TDI the interior quality and fit-n-finish absolutely shamed my grandpa's 2000 Park Ave. I don't think you'll ever find a door seam/panel gap in a VW/Audi that you could put a finger in. I could nearly put my thumb into some of the gaps on that Park Ave.
 
My wife's 07 GP is nearly as bad, nothing lines up right and the gaps change as you walk around the car. Truely pathetic. Are things changing? I'm still not convinced.
 
Two months ago, Mark LaNeve, at the time G.M.’s vice president for United States sales, said quality issues at the assembly plant in Kansas City, Kan., were holding up delivery of the LaCrosse. In an e-mail message, Randal Fox, a Buick spokesman, said, “The issues are minor (mainly fit and finish), but we want to make sure the cars are right before they’re shipped.” Sounds like more of the same to me.
#8020 of 8457
Re: the Germans aren't happy [steve_] by m4d_cow
Nov 05, 2009 (12:59 am)
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Replying to: steve_ (Nov 04, 2009 8:50 am)

Why am I not surprised?
 
tlong: LMAO so true...
#8021 of 8457
When you think about it... by m4d_cow
Nov 06, 2009 (6:14 am)
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GM gives a 5 yr powertrain warranty to it's products, as opposed to the Japanese' 7yr warranty (some even give 8-10) or the Koreans' massive 10yr warranty.
 
It's a bit easy to see just how, uh, confident (or not) GM is with the longetivity of it's cars isn't it?
#8022 of 8457
Re: When you think about it... [m4d_cow] by dieselone
Nov 06, 2009 (7:02 am)
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Replying to: m4d_cow (Nov 06, 2009 6:14 am)

IMO, warranties are primarily a marketing gimmick. I've never bought a vehicle based on a warranty and I never will. Who wants to live with a lousy car for ten years regardless of what the warranty is.
 
Ironically, Ford has probably one of the worst warranty's in the market, yet according to several sources (CU, JD Power, etc), their reliability is better than GM and Chrysler overall and is approaching Toy/Honda levels. That's not to say their cars are better, as reliability doesn't always equal desirability.
#8023 of 8457
Re: the Germans aren't happy [steve_] by nippononly
Nov 06, 2009 (7:41 am)
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Replying to: steve_ (Nov 04, 2009 8:50 am)

It's perfectly understandable that the German government is up in arms over the Opel thing, given all the money they plowed into it. GM basically broke its word here, and also broke its word to the American government, as the sale of Opel was one of the conditions of exiting bankruptcy so quickly.
 
We are setting a really really bad precedent here with the things we have allowed, even helped, GM to do. Not to mention, have paid for through the nose with taxpayer money. Banks and corporations will forever expect to be given a free pass by the government whenever they get into trouble, and really with what we did for GM and Chrysler (and AIG) why wouldn't they?
 
It will certainly keep me out of GM and Chrysler products for life, although I may be tempted by the 500 Abarth next year if that makes it here.
#8024 of 8457
Re: the Germans aren't happy [nippononly] by m4d_cow
Nov 06, 2009 (8:03 am)
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Replying to: nippononly (Nov 06, 2009 7:41 am)

Here's another interesting note: it's looking forward to layoff about 10,000 more employees, including Opel's, to save money. I wonder how Opel and German government would react

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