General Motors Fans

imidazol97

>magazines testing/comparing Mustang to Camaro

I think you've posted in the wrong discussion. That goes in the Mustang Fan discussion. This is the General Motors Fans discussion. Good news wanted here! Thanks.

xrunner2

Have owned many GM vehicles over the years, but not now. Have had 3 Firebirds including a Trans-Am. Owned a Mustang GT. I might still want to buy, own either a Camaro or Mustang in the future. But, today if I had to pick between the 2, the Mustang makes more sense to me. The major problem with the Camaro is the chopped top and short windows.

imidazol97

http://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/cruze/2011/testdrive.html?tid=edmunds.h..topfea- tures.tdcruze.*&mktcat=enabler&AID=10364102&PID=3193616&kw=N&synpartner=edmunds&- mktid=cj260233

"And although the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze is certain to cost more than the Cobalt, expect Chevy to make sure its impressive all-new compact is fully price-competitive with the imports, as well as with the all-new 2012 Ford Focus, coming to our shores in early 2011. All three of the prototypes Chevy offered for test-drives were sedans and all had the new 1.4-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine. A variety of trim levels were represented, but we concentrated mostly on the line-topping LTZ."

imidazol97

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/576-chevrolet-hybrid-pickups-to-green-ve- rizons-fleet-95621969.html

As part of the greening of its fleet, Verizon has purchased 576 Chevrolet Silverado Two-Mode Hybrid full-size pickups that deliver the city fuel economy of a four-cylinder sedan.

The unique two-mode Silverado blends an internal combustion engine with battery-powered electric motors to offer customers the advanced technology needed to reduce fuel consumption by up to 40 percent over a conventional full-size pickup -- an EPA estimated 21 MPG city and 22 MPG highway, best of any full-size pickup.

imidazol97

Ed Whitacre has General Motors Co. in better shape now than it’s been in years. Pushing ahead with an initial public offering this year may be tougher to manage.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601108&sid=aL8o597SCZY8

imidazol97

EQuinox production will increase to 1200 per day. They will increase slightly production at CAMI and will truck 300 bodies per day to Oshawa to build Equinoxes.

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f70/inside-gms-strategy-build-1-200-crossover- s-per-day-92975/

imidazol97

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91169



http://www.camaro5.com/forums/attachment.php?s=c84b8dcc2cd33079f56dcce22745e525&- attachmentid=139031&stc=1&d=1277302249

imidazol97

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100623/AUTO01/6230334/1148/auto01/GM-gets-ready- -for-public-stock-offering

This should shut up the whiners thinking their government "loaned" GM money instead of bought stock with the money.

imidazol97

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100718/AUTO01/7180319/1148/GM-s-low-cost-China-- venture-launches-car-brand

It developed the Baojun-brand passenger car with the help of GM and Shanghai Automotive's design and development venture, Shanghai-based Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center.

"Baojun is being positioned as a reliable partner with an image that is confident, smart and dependable," said Shen Yang, general manager of SAIC-GM-Wuling. "We aim to surpass customer expectations by creating a brand that combines world-class quality with low ownership costs."

Baojun means "treasured horse" in Chinese.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100718/AUTO01/7180319/1148/GM-s-low-cost-China-- venture-launches-car-brand#ixzz0u5ifmxWz

imidazol97

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1007_2011_chevrolet_cruze_second_opin- ion/index.html

imidazol97

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/GM-buys-into-plugin-truck-cnnm-2378417488.html?x=0- &sec=topStories&pos=6&asset=&ccode=

Bright Automotive of Indiana plans to begin selling its van in 2012. Called the Bright IDEA, the van can travel up to 40 miles on electric power from a fully charged battery pack. For traveling longer distances, the van switches to a gasoline/electric hybrid mode in which it can get up to 36 miles per gallon, according to the company.

imidazol97

GMI sources have stated that the GM board of directors recently approved preliminary design work for the Buick flagship sedan. The approval has granted management and product development limited resources to continue working on the program, however the car is not yet approved for production (much like the Cadillac sedan). Very little is known about the car at this time as it is in its infancy stage, but sources tell GMI that word within the halls of GM’s design studio is that the design is “very hot.”

fintail

We've been hearing that kind of rumor for awhile, haven't we? But maybe thanks to Chinese demands, it could be more likely now.

LS competitor...that means it will also have to fight with the Equus :shades:

bumpy

Sounds like a replacement for the Chinese Park Avenue, which is presently a rebadged Holden Caprice. I doubt we'd ever see it here except as a low-volume Chinese import (although the staggering cognitive dissonance in the lemkos of the world might make it worthwhile).

fintail

A 100% Chinese built Buick, sold in the USA...there'd be a ton of controversy around it no doubt. I can't imagine...I'd have to be a little leery of it, and resale would be awful.

xrunner2

A 100% Chinese built Buick, sold in the USA...there'd be a ton of controversy around it no doubt. I can't imagine...I'd have to be a little leery of it, and resale would be awful.

The Chinese built Buick maybe could prove itself in other markets, make sure no compromises in materials, build quality, engineering, components, etc. before coming to the US. Not same situation, but Chinese bought IBM thinkpad, rebadged it to Lenovo and their products get decent reviews in the US.

There would be some controversy, but Americans loyal to GM and others have already been buying many different GM models built in Mexico and Canada.

fintail

The only Chinese connected GM product I know of that has existed in this market is the hoary old 3.5 that made its way into some fleet specials. Not competitive.

It might work as the Chinese like Buick and might put a real effort into it...but the materials and intangibles involved in a car might be more complex than a laptop.

andre1969

The only Chinese connected GM product I know of that has existed in this market is the hoary old 3.5 that made its way into some fleet specials. Not competitive.

IIRC, wasn't that the 3.4 they used in the first-gen Equinox and Torrent? I think the 5-speed automatic they used in those was Chinese sourced, as well?

fintail

Oh yeah 3.4, my bad. I just know it was a remarkably low end powerplant.

dieselone

Oh yeah 3.4, my bad. I just know it was a remarkably low end powerplant.

It was just one in a long list of them.

andre1969

One thing that always struck me as a bit odd was that, IMO at least, the Equinox was pretty good...except for that 3.4 powerplant. GM had a much better 3.5...still a pushrod, but much improved, and they were putting it in the Uplander and the like!

Well, not too many people were buying GM's minivans by that time, and I'm sure they would have sold about the same whether they had the 3.4 or the 3.5. Meanwhile, the Equinox was supposed to be an important new product for GM, yet they shot it in the foot with that 3.4! Seems to me they should have just put the 3.4 in the minivan. The fleet buyers and the few private buyers who wanted a low-cost minivan probably wouldn't have cared. And the 3.5 would have helped make the Equinox a much more competent vehicle.

dieselone

Well, not too many people were buying GM's minivans by that time, and I'm sure they would have sold about the same whether they had the 3.4 or the 3.5. Meanwhile, the Equinox was supposed to be an important new product for GM, yet they shot it in the foot with that 3.4! Seems to me they should have just put the 3.4 in the minivan.

Yeah, I found that odd too. I don't know why you'd come out with an all new vehicle and stick in an uncompetitive carryover engine in it. Oh well, that's water under the bridge now. The new Equinox seems much better.

lemko

The Equinox is now actually a pretty nice vehicle though I'm hardly one who'd buy such a vehicle. My cousin and her husband bought a new one recently.

xrunner2

Talked to a guy at funeral last week that had a Buick Enclave. He said he had it for one year and was very satisfied, no trouble at all. He previously had a Lexus RX that he had also liked, but picked Buick this time.

imidazol97

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oze4fmuOVxo&feature=search

imidazol97

The 2012 Malibu is here

http://blogs.insideline.com/straightline/2010/08/spy-photos-2012-chevy-malibu.ht- ml#more

imidazol97

The Buick Verano as it may be named here is

imidazol97

GMPD is back. Work on smaller cars as they did on Cobalt SS and HHR SS, GXP, and Reline.



http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/23/report-gm-high-performance-division-put-back-- to-work-focus-on/

roadburner

No more FWD cars for me.
Meh.

imidazol97

The Spark gets 5 stars in crash testing in Korea.

Edmunds

imidazol97

In Washington, a powerful group gathered for a send-off dinner for Akerson and his wife, Karin Akerson. AOL co-founder Steve Case hosted. Guests included retired Gen. Colin Powell and Ted Leonsis, AOL co-founder and Washington Capitals and Wizards owner.

The evening was awash in good cheer. Then someone mentioned that he hadn't bought a domestic car or truck in 20 years, all within Akerson's earshot.

To Akerson, it was as if someone had said the U.S. Military Academy at West Point was better than the U.S. Naval Academy, from which he graduated.

"Dan started lecturing ... about the quality and reliability of the new Buick Regal and the styling elements of the Cadillac CTS coupe," Leonsis said. "I thought, this is not a career stop for him. This is a mission."

Read more: Dan Akerson driven to restore General Motors | freep.com | Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com/article/20100829/BUSINESS01/8290415/1205/BUSINESS01/Dan-Ake- rson-driven-to-restore-GM#ixzz0yKK9BMSu

imidazol97

Motor Trend's Car of the Year is the VOLT!!!!!

http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/1110_2011_motor_trend_car_of_the_year_reveal- - - ed/index.html

Video on the page.

lemko

...about the Chevrolet Cruze. Normally, I don't shop for cars in this segment, but often think about it when fuel prices start to go psychotic as they seem poised lately.

andre1969

and bought some shares of GM stock today. It seemed to be doing pretty good at first, but damn if it didn't start dropping soon after I bought it! :sick:

stever

Ah, it's all your fault then. I guess you got the stock on the "second wave" since very few of the IPO shares were available to mere mortals. Ford took a bigger percentage loss today if that helps. :-)

imidazol97

GM stock today.

You are a braver soul than I am.

andre1969

I guess you got the stock on the "second wave" since very few of the IPO shares were available to mere mortals.

Yeah, I didn't jump on until the market was open. It opened at $35.99 per share I think. I got it at $35.46. It went up a little, but then dropped off and closed at $34.01.

I only bought 40 shares though, so I'm not crying too much. Maybe I need to talk Lemko into buying a few new Cadillacs, so it'll help the stock go back up. :P Imidazol, didn't you say you wanted to pick up a new Buick or three? :shades:

imidazol97

lemko

Maybe I'll give my wife a "December to Remember" with a new Buick LaCrosse CXS? :P

dieselone

She deserves one, doesn't she?

imidazol97

General Motors issued a teaser image of its upcoming Buick Verano compact sedan early last month and has only said that it will be built at its Orion Township, Michigan, factory. We now have a little more information on the car thanks to a leaked dealership order study.

The leaked order study comes from GM Inside News, and reveals that there will be four different trim levels of the Verano -- the SB, SD, SG, and SL. It also indicates there will only be one engine offered, GM's familiar 180-horsepower, 2.4-liter I-4 rather than the 1.8- or 1.4-liter turbo offered in the Cruze. Also, despite positioning the car as the entry-level Buick and recently re-adding manual transmission offerings in the Regal, no such transmission is planned for the Verano.

Thus every trim level, even the base SB, comes equipped with the 2.4-liter I-4 and a six-speed automatic transmission. The only other information revealed about the base SB is that it will come with cloth seats and has an estimated starting price between $20,900 and $21,500.

Moving up from there is the SD trim level, which still comes equipped with cloth seats but adds a few luxury goodies. These items include standard remote start, two-zone automatic heating and air-conditioning controls, a so called connected color radio, and Bluetooth connectivity. The SD's estimated starting price is $22,100 to $22,700.

The next SG trim level adds even more luxury goodies to the Verano's standard features list, but cloth seats are still standard. Luxury features added to the SG include a six-way power driver seat, heated sideview mirrors, rear park assist, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. GM estimates this model's starting price will be somewhere between $23,300 and $23,900.

In the SL trim level leather seats become standard affair. Additionally, the SL trim level adds some truly premium items such as a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, a Bose audio system, push button start, and 18-inch wheels. Notably, the HID headlights seen on the teaser car aren't a standard feature on the SL. This uplevel model will likely sticker somewhere in the range of $25,600 to $26,200.



Automobile Magazine

tlong

I just wonder if Buick is starting with too many models and too low a price. Should the "entry luxury division" have models that cost $21K? Why not kill that one and start a bit more upscale? You don't want to degrade Buick's image with a cheap model if they are supposed to be upscale.

imidazol97

Cruze is top pick in IIHS safety ratings.

"“The new Cruze was clearly engineered from the ground up to meet the highest standards in safety performance,” said IIHS President Adrian Lund. “The Top Safety Pick award means that buyers of the Cruze will know they’re getting state-of-the-art protection in the most common kinds of crashes.”

The Cruze is the first compact sedan to have 10 airbags standard. It also has StabiliTrak stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, Panic Brake Assist and Smart Pedal/Brake Override.

“The IIHS Top Safety Pick Award builds on the already strong global safety reputation of the Cruze,” said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. “Cruze delivers the level of comfort, quality and safety that customers expect in larger, more upscale vehicles with the fuel economy of a compact.”

tlong

I was quite impressed with the interior of the Cruze when I sat in it at the LA Auto show.

lemko

...with first hand knowledge of the Buick Regal out there? I have a co-worker who is actually thinking of trading in his 2004 Honda Accord for one.

I have only seen a Cruze at a distance. How does it compare to the Cobalt? I didn't think the Cobalt was that bad and I especially liked the coupe. A co-worker of mine who prefers big cars like his 1991 Chevrolet Caprice bought a four-door Cobalt as a runabout.

imidazol97

Seats were better. Appearance inside is better. There is a limit choice of colors, but they are nice. Varies with model. Compared to my Cobalt seats which are good but not a leSabre Limited level the Cruze seats were better than Cobalt for sitting. I didn't drive one.

The Cobalt drives more like a heavier Impala in normal driving. The Cruze based on reviews keeps that feel. I rode in our friends Kia Forte Koup this weekend. Brutal ride. Terrible gas mileage so far. Great grip. High engine noise on revs. Sporty leather interior. Interior very attractive for the young, male market. The sedan is different friends told me; they chose the RED Koup two-door for her midlife crisis car.

I am sure the Cruze is NOT competing for that part of the smaller car market. I'm looking forward to driving one someday when at the dealer for service. I compare it to the Regal which is much more upscale, but not necessarily more suitable for my driving needs.

cooterbfd

Check the 2011 Regal thread, a couple people have bought.

circlew

The Cruze is another example of a good GM product as far as I can see up close without driving it.

The Cobalt, well, no comment on this forum.

Regards,
OW

imidazol97

Everyone will be able to buy an OnStar mirror and share the service that OnStar offers. That's even if it didn't come on your vehicle.
link

Key features of the OnStar mirror include:

* Automatic Crash Response. An accelerometer built into OnStar the mirror detects the sudden shock of an impact from the front, side, or rear of the vehicle and automatically calls an OnStar advisor. If the driver doesn't respond, or responds to say there has been a crash, an OnStar advisor will direct emergency responders to the exact GPS location of the vehicle.
* Link to Emergency Services. By pressing OnStar's red emergency button, drivers are immediately connected to a specially trained emergency advisor for assistance in situations occurring inside or outside of their vehicle.
* Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance. If the vehicle is reported stolen to local law enforcement, OnStar subscribers can call 1-888-4-OnStar (1-888-466-7827) from any phone. OnStar advisors, available 24/7, can attempt to locate the vehicle through the mirror's internal GPS and provide the location to law enforcement.
* Turn-by-Turn Navigation. With OnStar's most popular service, drivers can press OnStar's blue button and ask OnStar advisors for directions to a specific location or ask the advisor to find a point of interest such as a gas station or nearby restaurant. The directions are then downloaded to the OnStar system, which provides spoken turn-by-turn directions for reaching the destination.
* Roadside Assistance. In non-emergency situations, drivers can push the blue button or call 1-888-4-ONSTAR for help with problems such as keys locked in the vehicle, a flat tire, or running out of gas.
* Hands-Free Calling. OnStar allows drivers to make hands-free, voice-activated calls either through a Bluetooth connection to the driver's mobile phone or through prepaid packages of minutes purchased through OnStar.

link

fezo

That strikes me as a good move. I'm pretty much OK with a cell phone but I can see where someone would want more. My dad would keep his Onstar current. My brother liked it well enough on his Saab but not enough to go past the trial period...

I would think this would be a nice little profit center for them.