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Comments
Loren
Loren
Come to think of it, how many suburban Moms and their castrated spouses drive their CamCords to the limit?
I had a Mustang GT and it was a giant dissapointment. Three transmissions, two front dirrerentials, had two coils fail, paint chipped at 13,000 miles (its covered only until 12,000)....I could go on, but right now it is in the shop with a min cost of 600 bucks and a full fix cost of 1400.00.
I have friends with Hondas and Toyotas that had oil changes for 200,000 miles, and maybe a fuel filter.
American cars cost more, and deliver less. If American companies wanted to sell more American cars, they should give away a 100,000 mile bumper to bumber warranty.
Until the American cars are more reliable...Expect imports to sell.
Sometimes it might just be the natural progression of the business cycle of life. Businesses are born, succeed, thrive, decline, and die off. Who knows? In 2055 people will be talking about the bankruptcy and death of Toyota at the hands of Hyundai-Kia and a smattering of Chinese manufacturers. Sure, the thought of GM dying off due to a yet unheard of Japanese manufacturer seemed absurd in 1955. Who's to say Toyota's death at the hands of some yet unknown Chinese or Indian manufacturer isn't possible?
I ask because Chrysler reliability was probably better than MB reliability before the merger.
As for quality, in some models they are still bottom of the barrel. From what I have seen, Durangos and Jeeps troll the depths with GM in the interior quality department.
My personal experience - had an 84 Buick Skylark long ago. Was nice, unlike all the import cars it started every day when we had a week of 20 below temperatures. Blew a head gasket after that and was "junk" from that point on. Switched to a 90 Grand Prix, it was nice, comfortable, still owned by relatives, and with 150k+ miles, it still runs smoothly. Compare this to every "high quality" early 90s Toyota or Honda I have ever been in of similar miles, they are all falling apart both inside and outside, and they all run rough and the 4 banger sounds like they are going to rattle apart at any moment. Maybe it is just midwest cars, or you people have really fooled yourself into thinking import cars run like brand new with 100k+ miles on them.
After that moved to a 99 Grand Prix GTP. Yes the interior was nothing to right home about, although it had features like the heads up display you still cannot get on most cars. Also was one of the best styled cars of the late 90s (and no it was not clad in plastic like the brainwashed mag writers kept claiming), and with 240hp was the most powerful "family" car at the time. I modded it to 280hp (fairly easy with that car) and ran it to 120k miles before trading it in, and it still ran fine. It did have a couple squeaks and rattles (I am sure the Koni struts and large subwoofers I had pounding in it did not help), but other than that it was very reliable. And again, I have yet to sit in a late 90s car from any import manufacturer (from Toyota to BMW), that did not have at least a couple rattles in it.
So now I have a 05 GTO. Only 15k miles so far, but no problems. It outperforms anything within $15k of it (yes the Mustang is close, but the back seat is unuseable), and is put together as well as anything coming from overseas. But wait, it has a Pontiac badge so it must be "junk". I swear, some of the posters on here need to get a job.
By the way, this isn't clad in plastic? It looks to be from stem to stern.
I see a piece designed to prevent dings to the door, and some tasteful ground effects, hardly "clad in plastic".
Again if GM makes great cars why are they in financial crisis? Why do they have to discount everything? It's not some conspiracy like you make it out to be. They simply do not produce as good of a car as other manufacturers. The GTO is fast. and thats it. its not high quality.
Notice I never said GM cars are all better than the imports. In fact, based on class there are many import cars I would choose over the domestic equivalent. But this is a far cry from the cars being "junk". By the way, saying the GTO is not high quality is a very ignorant statement as anyone who actually sat in or drove one will attest to.
As for that Grand Prix coupe, I think the basic car is very attractive, even with that cladding. I don't like the interiors of them, though.
Don't tell a diehard that GM is failing. Blame the owners of imports who have been satisfied and see no reason to shop GM. Blame the media, blame the forums "for speading the bad news". Make sure you don't blame GM corporate for the mess they are in.
Diehards believe the cars they buy from the General are on par or better than anything out there, too bad the only ones buying it is them because the rest of the buying population rapidly being convinced otherwise...
BTW, I would say the GTO (make that one of the best) is one of the better built cars in the GM stable. Better built than the Vette IMO.
Not before the big bonuses and joyous pats on the back for their efforts first though...
Good job for pointing that out
Build a better mousetrap and price it less than the market leaders, you will take marketshare.
Edmunds picked the V6 Sonata over the Camcord. Ford, GM, Mopar should adopt the same model. They won't.
In the next decade Hyundai will invade the hallowed luxury market. They'll offer a 7/S class/Lexus LS series level car for 5/E class/GS prices. Within the next 15 years they'll have a car on par with the G35, 330i, IS350 and it will be priced far less.
And the big 3 will still be struggling and confused.
No they won't. The Big 3 will sit back and laugh while Hyundai, Toyota, Honda, etc tear themselves apart for that import buying customer.
Rocky
I can't believe some stuff that diehard GM fans post here too. I guess if one is happy with one's Buick, that's great, but don't they realize that there must be reasons GM's market share has been taking a nose dive for decades?
Even with the GM's Red Tag firesale, their sales for December is forcast to be down 8%!
Their products appeal to some demographics (the fact that there are still GM fans out there prove this), but it seems that this is a shrinking customer base. If they want to attract young consumers like me, they have to make a product that is better than the competition.
When I was in the market for a minivan a while back, I didn't even consider the Chevy/Buick minivans. Sure, they were cheaper than my Honda, but if I just wanted cheaper, I'd get a Kia, with a bonus of a better warranty.
Chevy/Buick had nothing to offer other than their SUV-like looks, which personally, I did not like anyways.
In a year or two, I'd be in the market for a compact/midsize sedan with a manual transmission. I doubt I'll see anything from the domestics that'll sway me from an Audi/VW.
All this blather just means the consumer will get a decent value for their money buying Hyundai - as long as North Korea doesn't loba nuke or a scud at them one day.
I take great offence to that comment. First of all I am not left-wing leaning. I am right-wing leaning. I don't like GM because of crappy car that they sold to me. I don't like unions because they want to have a socialist welfare state in America and we as American consumers have to support that. I also don't like unions exactly because they supported every left-leaning presidential candidates like Al-Gore and what's his name who ran against Bush last year. That is exactly why Right-Wing leaning people like me don't like Left-Wing Leaning American Auto Industry. There must be a reason why every new car factory is build now in right-leaning south where I live.
Maybe that is exactly the problem that Domestic Auto industry has managed to upset people from both sides. They build large gas guzzling trucks and SUVs which upsets the left-leaning environmentalists, while also propagating the welfare state for UAW and supporting left-leaning candidates which upsets the right-leaning people. That is the problem, they have no friends left.
Good thing you clarified that mike, I was beginning to think you were slow. (Just kidding lad). Good to get a Euro perspective on these things.
So Mike, what is your take on the UK Honda plant? Sucking sound or sound investment by the country?
On another matter, saw an ad today for new Jeep Liberty 4x4 for...get ready...$69 per month. Plus about $1110 down, 24 year lease. Only applied to DC employees. I still can;t believe this - the damn paperwork costs more than $69/month. ...Now, that will get people to buy American cars again.
The 2006 Philadelphia International Auto Show will be held Saturday, February 4, 2006 through Sunday, February 12, 2006 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on 12th and Arch Streets in Philadelphia, PA.
The problems have nothing to do with people of either or any political leaning...it's all about bad product, bad management, irresponsibility, and arrogance. Dancing mindlessly to the right as the corporate theocracy grows won't help the big 2.5...improving the product to meet and greatly beat the competition is the only longterm answer. They are making some headway, but there is still so much work to be done.
Less than that. Their entry-lux RWD sedan and coupe should be here by 2008.