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(had a rock punch a hole my radiator in my 2005 VW GTI, luckily I caught it before I lost all my coolant)
:shades:
Why did GM ever go over to Dex-Cool from the old green stuff anyway?
Oh, the SECOND time they tried to say the tranny could go that long. The first time GM tried that was in 1978 or so with that little lightweight THM200 tranny! And we wonder why those things failed so often!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
For awhile MB had "lifetime" transmission fluid, that supposedly would never have to be changed. I think it's a ploy to keep MB shops in business. I had mine changed first thing when I bought the car.
My uncle's '97 Silverado has the Dex-Cool in it. Well, a few years back, the dolt decided to change it himself. Put the GREEN stuff in! :surprise: Luckily I found out about it pretty quickly after he did it, and told him you can't mix that stuff. He drained it all out, then ran it for a bit with just straight water to try flushing most of it out, and then put the DexCool back in. Hopefully he didn't do any permanent damage. That was 3 years ago though, so I'd imagine that it would've shown up by now!
I did notice that about the '07 Tahoe/Suburban...the interiors seemed much improved, and things seemed to fit together better, and the textures and colors looked nicer, but there was still an awful lot of hard plastic.
Capacity at the plant in the Netherlands probably has a lot to do with the number to be imported.
In Europe it can be difficult to hire temporary workers, as the law slants in favor of making them full time.
GM would not want to be forced to keep extra staff on (or pay to send them away) after establishing Astra building capacity in North America.
By the way, I think Prestone makes a light green coolant that they say is good in all engines. I won't take a chance. If I have to go to a GM dealer and pay too much for overpriced Dex-Cool, I'll do that and be safe rather than sorry.
Here are the hi lights on the Escalade (check home page for more);
What Works:
Superb drivetrain, refined ride and handling characteristics, sharp interior design with simple controls, comfortable seats.
What Needs Work:
Weak brakes, inconsistent interior materials quality, missing key features, glitchy audio system.
Bottom Line:
Easily the most refined domestic SUV on the market, but a tough sell over Benz's new GL450
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Change your own DexCool at home every two years and 24000 miles. No problems. You buy it at Walmart, KMart, Advance, etc., depending on how much you want to pay.
It's an improvement.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Given the quality problems that Mercedes-Benz has been experiencing as of late, I'd take my chance with the Escalade.
And anyone who gets 250,000 trouble-free miles out of a Windstar deserves some sort of medal of honor.
They test a base model with the 3800 in it and say how awful it is - well, yeah - IT IS a piece of crud in the base form. The CXS with the V8 is the "real" Lucerne, or should have been the only model available. Buick needs to learn a thing or two from other makers - put your best foot forward and if that means offering the top-end model ONLY, then do it.
Comparing the CXS to the rental fleet fodder - might as well compare a Golf to a GTI V6 or a C240 to a C series AMG.
The magnetic ride option is the real lifesaver here. Torque-steer? Gone. Lurching? Gone. Bouncing? Gone. Understeer? Gone. One piece of technology and the thing behaves like a Mercedes. GM's Achilles heel for generations, their suspension - it's finally fixed.
GM should put this on every car and truck it has. It's as big of an improvement as going from bias tires to radials was. Yet GM doesn't see that it is their best bet at truly changing how the public sees them.
If you lost your job, or the house lost 30% value due to a depressed market, you are pretty much in trouble.
People worry about looking at a glass of water as being half empty, rather than it being half full. Nonsense; the glass is but half capacity. Just thought I would throw that in there. I hard a hard day of trying to avail to get XP Files and Settings Wizard to read a copy off a CD. It will not see the file for the life of the damned beast. Some times Windows are clear, and sometimes foggy. I think my brain is gone now -- off to read more posts here.
-Loren
Changed all the belts and hoses every 25,000 miles. Flushed radiator every year...reguardless of mileage.
Now with the newer cars timing belt at 60,000 miles. Is this too much or just about right? Any recommendations with the tranny? I never serviced a tranny and had no problems so far. Not that I don't trust my mechanic or owners manual...where is a reliable source about how often vehicle maintaince?
Why would you flush the radiator every year. I never did a flush on any car I have owned less than 5 years. No radiator problems. But then again, we have nothing close to snow here in my part of CA.
Lots of cars have gone back to timing chains. Those with belts should last to 100K. Never had one break. Never had a hose break, and never replaced one just for the heck of it. I guess at 100K or say 8 to 10 years of age, it couldn't hurt.
I did service a transmission once. That is the automatic which failed, but then again, it was a GM of 1987 vintage. Didn't they all fail. If you let someone service the tranny, be sure they are the BEST in town. Near best won't cut it.
-Loren
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Now that Ford sold its stake in Hertz, rental companies are all independent businesses. Cedant has owned Avis for more than a decade now. Cedant bought Budget about 6 years ago.
The rental companies spec the cars they buy. They look to pay the least up front and in maintenance on hopes of getting the most value. Rental companies may not even want some of the luxe features, as they require more care and maintenance.
Are you saying that GM should offer luxe features free? And that it should maintain them for the rentals? Where is the money in that?
I'll bet you really need to crank the AC on warm and sunny days.
Back in the day, my Granddad used to swear by having the transmission serviced every year/12,000 miles! Granddad also changed his oil every 2,000 miles, but there were special circumstances here. Before he retired in 1971, he worked less than two miles away. So did Grandmom. Their driveway was gravel, a lot of the roads were actually still dirt or gravel around here. Or some stuff that wasn't quite pavement, but was kind of a mixture of gravel and tar. There were also lots of farms around here, a contracting company up the street that dealt with soil, mulch, etc. Oh, and Granddad himself worked on a farm. So there was always alot of dirt and dust in the air. I think that and the short commute to work was what predicated those 2,000 mile oil changes, and Granddad just never changed with the times.
I used to change my own oil every 2,000 miles, because that's what Granddad did. I think I started letting it go to 3,000 miles when I started delivering pizzas, because by that time I was putting on so many miles that it just seemed silly changing the oil every 3 weeks or so. Heck, I put 13,000 miles on my Mom's old '86 Monte Carlo in 3 months, so that would've come out to an oil change every two weeks!
As for tranny services, well the owner's manual on my 2000 Intrepid calls for 100K miles on the "regular" schedule and 50K miles on "severe service". I just get it done every 30,000 miles to be safe. A $70 tranny service beats the heck out of a $2000+ transmission!
I also try to change my Intrepid's oil every 3,000 miles, but I think I did let it go something like 4500 miles once. I'm back down to somewhat low mileage these days, with a 3 1/2 mile commute to work, and pizza delivery is just a distant, faint memory at this point. Every 3,000 miles comes out to about 3-4 times per year now, so it doesn't seem like too big of a deal to me.
As for timing belts, I think 105,000 mile intervals is the norm for most modern vehicles. My buddy's '98 Tracker had a 60,000 mile interval, and so did my '88 LeBaron...which we changed at 90,000. Oops.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
The Europeans apparently like it. At least according to the EU reviews I have seen.
Northern Europe tends to be less sunny and warm than much of the populated areas in the US. As I said above, I think this is one option that will be enjoyed more in the North and Northwest than South and Southwest.
Believe I read that as well.
Think it will still generate more heat in the desert, etc., though.
A recent news article said that Hertz will put 100 (I think) black performance Mustangs into its fleet soon. This is similar to what it did back in 1966 with the black Shelby/Hertz Mustangs. Think it was quite an image thing back then for Ford and Hertz. Maybe GM could do the same with 1000 special edition Buick Lucernes that had some special attributes (performance, style) and were signatured by Tiger Woods.
As Ford sold Hertz only a year or so ago, I would not be surprised to learn the performance program was started before the spin off. Nevertheless, the follow through was wholly the decision of an independent company.
If GM were to offer loaded Lucernes or some other special vehicle, and rentals that work with GM thought they could make money with the offer, they might take it. But the final decision is with the rental company, not GM.
And this is exactly the reason why GM is such a conspicuous failure, and why it will likely continue to fail. GM's current business strategy is effectively designed to lock in low margins and create bottom-line losses:
-Management designs cars primarily to meet the needs of fleet operators -->
-Which causes management to design cheap cars that retail consumers don't want -->
-So middle- and upper-class retail consumers who drive GM rental cars get a negative experience -->
-Which prompts them to look at the transplants and imports, or helps to confirm their decision to avoid GM products -->
-Which leads to falling market share and an increasing dependency on fleet sales.
A smarter option would be to:
-Design a fantastic car, and if necessary, subsidize the fleet buyers purchase to acquire these cars, even if it results in lost margin to GM -->
-Which gives renters positive experiences behind the wheel of GM cars -->
-Which translates into positive word-of-mouth and generates some retail buyers -->
-Who will pay retail for their GM purchase, helping the dealer network and paving the way to future sales that help long-term prospects for market share.
If GM pursued the latter strategy, it could more than make than make up for the margins lost on the fleet sales if it could turn at least 1-2 renters per vehicle into either a buyer or a word-of-mouth booster who encourages others to look and buy. The exercise in building interest and buzz could be seen as a promotion expense that is far more effective than is spending similar amounts on advertising campaigns that create a lower conversion rate.
But since GM would prefer to collect pennies today (even if it creates overall losses) than to earn dollars tomorrow, don't expect this to ever happen. The beancounters who miss the forest of profitability by staring at the low margin trees will never understand it and won't ever permit it.
The string here is talking about whether GM would make a loaded Lucerene - a car that is not being sold in any volume to rental car companies a rental. Primarily because GM does not offer it at a discount.
My reply is the choice is up to the rental car companies.
Rental companies are in the business of making money for themselves, not marketing for manufacturers. The rental companies spec the cars they buy. Their concern is how much will the rental customer pay, and how much will the car cost to lease or buy, maintain, etc.
Not GM or any company for that matter, making a buzz for itself.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
That is false. According to Fleet Central, there is a $1,500 fleet incentive for the Lucerne, and even higher incentives on other GM sedan products. $1,500 is low as far as GM incentives go, but it is above those of other automakers and certainly isn't zero, as you have claimed.
Rental companies are in the business of making money for themselves, not marketing for manufacturers.
Not quite. They are deeply tied into the automakers do have arrangements that do put them in co-op advertising and sponsorship roles with the automakers, with Ford-Hertz's Shelby Mustang promotion, and the various recent promotions with XM Radio being just two examples. As Avis notes, it "features GM cars", which makes it a logical springboard for any GM promotional effort, and National also has a high quantity of GM vehicles, given its prior ownership by GM.
So it is not exclusively the domain of the rental companies, and those companies certainly wouldn't object to positive spin that they might get from featuring very good cars, particularly if they didn't have to pay anything extra for them. But again, leave it to GM to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory whenever possible. Is there another major corporation in the US that is run as ineffectively?
-Which prompts them to look at the transplants and imports, or helps to confirm their decision to avoid GM products -->
And the sad thing you forgot to add.
-Instead of realizing that there was an upper-level edition of the car that met all of their needs already.
GM's problem is this critical last step. They have good cars, like the Lucerne CXS. The chances that anyone but a hardcore GM fan or serious shopper will ever drive one are very low. GM makes the product the consumers want, but is effectively shooting themselves in the foot, since it might as well not exist when it comes to marketing.
Best products nobody knows about.
GM needs to seriously start adding their best cars to rental fleets - even if it means a loss. Want a Lucerne? Here - we give you the CXS for the same price as a loss-leader to generate sales. Renting the V8 equipped models, especially if they are black - it looks and feels like a big powerful car. Sure to impress.
Same with Pontiac - give away if need be - but get the better 3.9L engine G6s out there. LaCrosse? Refuse to sell the 3.8L version, or close to it.
Honda does this well. Ever rented a Civic DX? Neither have I. Yes, they exist. Heh. Honda spends zero dollars on promoting it. Even the dealers are all "Well, we DO have one in back..." This even applies to rentals - which helps Honda's image over time.
Honda puts its best foot forward like this 80% of the time. GM, maybe 30% of the time.
Wrt Aura, it is, I was told, to be built in the Fairfax, Kansas plant, where most of the Epsilon products (including Malibu and Mailbu Maxx) are produced. It's one of GM's better factories.
There you go again! As always, you insist on misquoting me. And this misquote verges on the silly. In the language you quote from my post, I say the Lucerne is not being sold to rentals in volume. I do not 'claim' GM sells no Lucernes to the rental fleets. The volume discount does not say anything about the actual volume sold. I believe the most recent link about sales showed somewhere over 90% of Lucernes selling to consumers.
with Ford-Hertz's Shelby Mustang promotion,
Mentioned in my first post. As I said above, no doubt initiated before Hertz was spun off from Ford last year.
Avis notes, it "features GM cars", which makes it a logical springboard for any GM promotional effort
Only if Avis wants to take part in such an effort. Hertz is big on specialty rentals. At select Hertz dealers, you can rent Escalades, Hummers and other Cadillacs. Avis just does not do this. They have their business model. Hertz has its business model. Until last year, Ford controlled Hertz. GM does not control either company.
National also has a high quantity of GM vehicles, given its prior ownership by GM.
GM has not had any ownership of a rental concern for more than 10 years.
But again, leave it to GM to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory whenever possible. Is there another major corporation in the US that is run as ineffectively?
There is nothing among the arguments you present that come even close to supporting the conclusion you draw. Kind of like your conclusion that saying something not sold in volume means zero sales.
With very few exceptions, Honda does not sell to rentals. It has never had the capacity to allow it to do so.
Toyota, on the other hand, sells a lot of Corollas to the rentals. Hyundai sells a lot of product to the rentals, period. I travel a lot on business. I hate Corollas. Hyundais are alright. As I have mentioned before, Hyundai rentals always strike me as being heavy and thirsty for their class. I've not rented a new Sonata or Azerra - though both are present in Avis lots.
Want a Lucerne? Here - we give you the CXS for the same price as a loss-leader to generate sales. Renting the V8 equipped models, especially if they are black - it looks and feels like a big powerful car. Sure to impress.
But if Buick is selling most of its Lucerne capacity to consumers, why sell any to rental fleets.
In my experience, even the nicest rentals tend to be mistreated. The rental companies do a poor job cleaning them. The interiors always smell of junk food and tobacco. Except when I am luck enough to get a rental with mileage low enough that I am probably the first aboard, I always have issues with them.
The Ford/Hertz thing is kind of cool. It is also pretty unique. That said, Budget in its West LA facility has XLRs and Corvettes. Hertz rents Escalades, Hummers and Cadillacs at select locations. Avis tends to stay away from such promotions. Their choice. Their company.
I not only didn't misquote you, I quoted you directly. In that quote, you claimed that there was no fleet incentive for buying Lucernes, when there is a $1,500 incentive. $1,500 is about $1,500 greater than zero, hence the correction.
By the way, if GM can reduce its fleet sales on that model, that's a good thing for GM. The point here was to illustrate how fleet sales could be used as a positive promotional tool, yet are used instead as a dumping ground for undesirable products that only harm GM brands and nameplates. Fleet specials such as Malibu, Impala, G6 and Cobalt are not positive brand builders for General Motors.
But only if Avis wants to take part in such an effort.
If the effort resulted in more business for Avis at little or no additional cost to Avis, why wouldn't Avis do this? Clearly, Avis and the other rental firms use co-op and promotional programs quite often, and there's absolutely no reason that they would decline something that helps and doesn't harm its business.
GM has not had any ownership of a rental concern for more than 10 years.
And if you review National's and Avis' websites for cars in its fleet, you can see that both feature GM products in the US market. (The "premium" class sedans on National's website specifically identify both the Impala and Lucerne.) The affiliation between GM and these two firms is obvious.
Given that GM comprised over 40% of the US fleet market during 2004, this shouldn't be surprising. As many of us have noted here, GM dominance in the US fleet market is clear.
EU's crash ratings are pretty rigorous. I beleive it is the frame, not the exterior sheet metal (or here the glass) that protects from front and side impacts.
You are talking dollars, I am talking volume of sales. Not the same thing.
If the effort resulted in more business for Avis at little or no additional cost to Avis, why wouldn't Avis do this? Clearly, Avis and the other rental firms use co-op and promotional programs quite often, and there's absolutely no reason that they would decline something that helps and doesn't harm its business.
There are a lot of reasons. A lot of Avis specific reasons. In my experience, Avis tends to cater to the business traveller where Hertz looks to the tourists and weekend warriors. I dropped Hertz for Avis specifically because I did not feel Hertz understood the business traveller.
As I say above, Hertz does by unique, upmarket GM cars. That is what Hertz does. It is not what Avis does.
The affiliation between GM and these two firms is obvious.
Yes. They buy GM cars. It does not mean GM is directing their business model.
As many of us have noted here, GM dominance in the US fleet market is clear.
What, is this supposed to be some great revelation? Who ever argued the contrary?
You posted THIS (#4449):
"...a car that is not being sold in any volume to rental car companies a rental. Primarily because GM does not offer it at a discount."
See that last sentence? "Primarily because GM does not offer it at a discount."
socala4 simply replied that there is a $1500 fleet incentive on the car in question. He even posted a link to his source of this information. This would certainly appear, to my untrained eye, to correct your contention that GM doesn't offer these cars at a discount.
Then you go off on a diatribe about being misquoted?
Avis does a lot more than that. GM and Avis have been involved in a fleet-marketing partnership since 1979, which includes Avis buying most of its fleet from GM, and cross-promotional efforts. As we speak, Avis is touting that it features GM cars equipped with XM radios (and GM is a primary investor in XM.)
Obviously, Avis works quite closely with GM. The same effort that goes into promoting XM could also be used to promote special edition GM vehicles. Unless you have evidence to the contrary that Avis refuses to enter into such arrangements, I'm going to presume based upon its 27-year relationship with GM that such a thing would be quite plausible if it works for both firms.
I never meant to say cars are not sold to rentals at discounts. All rental acquisitions - with the possible exceptions of luxe cars - are at discounts.
I understood Socala's zero remark as meaning GM sold zero Lucernes to rentals. Something that is very clear in my response to him.
At least in the past 7 years or so that I have been involved with Avis, they have not done any specialty car type promotions. The fact they have a long business relationship does mean GM can change Avis' mode of operations.
As I say above, Hertz does do this kind of thing, as does Budget, at select locations. And Hertz Budget are featuring in demand GM cars along with luxe and sport models from other companies
The same effort that goes into promoting XM could also be used to promote special edition GM vehicles. Unless you have evidence to the contrary that Avis refuses to enter into such arrangements, I'm going to presume based upon its 27-year relationship with GM that such a thing would be quite plausible for it works for both firms.
XM stock is also owned by Honda and one other large manufacturer. GM management has nothing to do with day to day operations at XM.
Rental cars are not going with satellite radio because of GM or other share holders of XM and Sirius (which includes Ford, and I believe Toyota). They are going XM and Sirius because customers want to listen to the radio.