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Comments
I went on 1/7 during the industry preview days, and begged the DCX guy to let me sit in it. It was locked up but he would open one door at a time to demonstrate the 2nd and 3rd rows.
I sat in it and was surprised, it's actually comfortable in the 2nd row.
DCX did a great job. They spent $400k IIRC but it really shows. Best mid-cycle improvement from any minivan ever. I'd still give the Sienna the nod for the best redesign, though.
-juice
-juice
Drive trains are good but could be better. Still, I think they are right there with the best over all.
dindak: I agree, the DC vans are great-looking vehicles! I kinda wish they had added the 3.5L from the 300M though.
Pure badge engineering.
-juice
I think capacity at the plant is around 240k units per year. I would imagine that with four versions of this van selling that many per year should be attainable.
So, maybe GM won't make much profit (or any) on these vehicles but the plant will be operating at capacity, hopefully without shutdowns. From what I have heard that plant employees get paid around 90% of their pay during a shutdown.
So, maybe from a profit standpoint this move is ok?
Terazza seems like the best one but it will also be the pricey one. Still want to see one in person before I decide on the looks. Going to the Toronto show 1 week today!
300-400 lbs is not that much and given the current vans are at or near the top, I see no reason why these cans can't be tops with an even more efficient 3.5L engine. Ford (unlike GM) has never been known for efficient engines.
Maybe it won't happen,who knows. If these vans aren't tops, they will be darn close.
But as dindak said, we'll have to see.
Setzer, I never would have considered a Pontiac a few years ago. I'm not a huge fan of the new Montana, but I love my 2004 Grand Prix!
Of course, the convertible doesn't have side air curtains for protection, so I guess most people would never drive such an unsafe vehicle, that's why they are driving minivans.
Minivans just happen to be second to basic transportation, the first is walking.
GM is trying to change the looks of their new minivan to add a little spice to the choice. Did they succeed?, only time will tell.
At the Chicago Auto Show, most of the minivans on the floor were being looked over, people were trying out interior features. The thoery that "minivans are dying off" is false.
-juice
When gasoline hits $5.00 bucks a gallon and is is in short supply (only able to purchase 10 gallons every other day) in the US, then people might look for something smaller and fuel efficient.
- Bret
PS: Gotta love MT's new guts in calling things as they are now. I canceled my MT subscription a while ago since their "reviews" just seemed to be suck-up rewrites of automaker press releases. They never seemed to have anything bad to say and the negatives were always poo-poo'ed. Maybe it's time to reup with them. Good job DED!
~alpha
But with a dramatic mechanical improvements, a new exterior, and an additional sales outlet, Isn't possible GM will close the 7,000ish unit gap with Honda for 2nd in 2005? Saturn sells 80,000 Vues a year, for a brand that has only had them for two years. Dosen't that indicate some drawing power, which would increase GM's output? Buick should provide more sales the Oldsmobile, and more then they take from Pontiac, for additional output. I can't imagine a better van sold in more places to sell less then before.
PS- The Freestar/Monterey now carry a $3000 rebate, after debuting just six months ago. By contrast, the Toyota Sienna, which debuted 11 months ago, still sells near sticker and tops the Wall Street Journal's monthly "Hot off the Lot" Chart for vehicles with lowest days in inventory.
~alpha
- Bret
But to compare the new Sienna (which you say, is 11 months old) to a Freestar (6 months) while you know that Freestar is just an updated Windstar, is just not fair.
When Ford will bring out the new minivan in 2006 built on the Mazda6 platform, I'm sure it will be more competitive to the Sienna. I know it's a little late then, but you got my point.
Sienna is new from scratch. Freestar is built on a 1994 platform. It's not comparable, IMHO.
However, the new GM's are also built on an older design, but it is much better than Ford's.
Keep on with your good posts
-Andrew L