My 230S isn't expensive at all to repair, as long as it's not body panels, which are more of a matter of finding them thatn anything else.
Set of calipers for the front? $260 including OEM pads(Germany) Tires? $240 for a set, with a lifetime warranty added(America's Tire) A/C compressor - $250 Valve cover gasket - $18 Distributor cap - $12 Water pump - $200 Three row metal radiator - $300 Clutch job - $150 plus parts - ($400 - OEM from Germany) Bulbs - common bayonet type they use in pinball machines and most older cars. Shocks - $80 each Germany.
It's not too bad - no smog, no computers, no sensors, no fuel injection...
- As for sealed beam lights, just ask any serious off-roader or rally racer what they use. I'm talking about something like Hela C4s or simmilar, which I have in my car. The high-beams? It's like a police spotlight it lights up the entire road so well. Low-beams... Fine. Switch to high-beams... BOOM LET THERE BE LIGHT. These do run about $20-$30 each, so it's comparable price-wise.
Volvo - their S40s used to have nice wrap-around glass lenses. Now, Ford has made them plastic. It screams cheap. Volvo took flack for a decade over plastic lenses and finally changed - and as soon as Ford bought them out, they started swapping the glass lenses for plastic. And don't even get me started on the FJ's rear side windows - that's plastic. God - how much did they save there? $5? Cheap, cheap, cheap.
Even my LeSabre had glass lenses. 18 years and one noticeable pit. Never faded, never fogged up. And it wasn't flat, either - sculpted into the rest of the front end. Now, you pay $50K for a car and the lenses are made out of plastic that's thinner and cheaper than my DVD cases.
- The new bumpers don't need to be chrome - but this filimsy plastic that causes hundreds or a thousand dollars of damage for parking lot bumps(Consumer Reports - any car they test, any month) and that you can't stand on if a truck (Toyota FJ for instance) is just wrong. Aluminum works dandy, is cheap, and can be anodized in a rainbow of colors, for instance. The replacement cost for a metal versus a plastic bumper is about the same, so major damage is a wash - replace it. But check out the cars on your drive tommorrow - how many with plastic-for-looks bumpers are missing chunks of paint and/or have trears and holes in them?
I'd so rather have a dent by comparison.
- Lastly, interiors. My old Buick LeSabre I had a year ago - 18 years old - was made with thick padding everywhere, nice velour instead of industrial fabric, and even the doors were covered in it. It was cheap - fiberboard covered with velour, but it looked great, even after 18 years. This isn't rocket-science. It's apalling that an old 1990 Caddy is more luxurious inside than a 2005 S-Class.
1- GM: ----------- 1,653,484 down 8% (23.5%) 2- Ford: --------- 1,282,106 down 3% (17.4%) 3- DCX: ---------- 1,037,808 down 1% (15.1%) 4- Toyota: ------- 1,000,524 up 9% (14.6%) 5- Honda: -------- 614,778 up 9% (8.9%) 6- Nissan: ------- 436,614 down 3% (6.4%) 7- Hyundai: ------ 189,527 up 5% (2.8%)
- DCX includes Mercedes. Sales figures actually take Mercedes out as a seperate company leaving Chrysler to forth place behind Toyota. - All other companys have market share less than 2% each. Mazda for example follows Hyundai with 1.7%. Kia also captured 1.7%. -
Toyota: Toyota's new model are selling like hot cakes. In fact, Toyota pretty much took the family sedan for itself, taking the #1 spot for mini, compact, mid-size, and entry-level luxury. The full-size (Avalon) being an exception, outsold only by the Daimlers (300 & Charger)
Yaris: 8,065 Corolla: 41,550 up 28% (it its last year) Camry: 43,112 up 4% ES350: 9,554 up 525 (Best sales ever for the ES) IS250/350: 4,605 up 928%
Other new Toyotas: RAV4: 14,013 up 97% FJ Cruiser: 6,670 _____________________________________ GM's new models:
LaCrosse 4,990 down 26.6 Lucerne 7,311 Cobalt: 21,247 down 14% Impala: 23,702 up 17% Malibu: 12,881 down 40% G6: 11,534 up 22%
HHR: 7,827 Tahoe: 13,218 down 5.5%
On the plus side The Solstice and Sky are selling very well. Numbers are incremental however _______________________________________
Others:
Hyundai Sonata: 17,035 up 112% Ford Fusion: 14,940
Sales persons bashing other automakers during a possible sale has happened to me before.
Back in January I went with a friend looking at new vehicles. He had it narrowed down to an Equinox or an Xterra. I was actually impressed that both salesmen showed some degree of restraint when the competitors' products were mentioned.
I don't think the Nissan guy said anything at all bad about the Equinox, other than the fact that the Xterra has a better powertrain warranty, an engine that's won awards, and is a better off-roader and more powerful. All of which are legitimate points.
As for the Chevy guy, all he pointed out with the Xterra is that it's going to ride much more rough and trucky, fuel mileage will most likely be worse, and replacement tires are going to be expensive. Again, all valid points.
Overall I was pretty impressed with both salesmen.
At the rate they're going now, GM will be lucky to crack 4 million sales in 2006. They were selling just under 5 million a year as recently as 2000. Toyota is on pace to double their 1997 sales of 1.23 million.
"That's what the Freestyle was for - nobody bought it."
Not to mention the fact that the Ford Fusion is based on the Mazda6. And there IS a Mazda6 Wagon. And it is not exactly setting the world on fire with sales.
They were just over 5 million in 1999. My feeling is that GM's share of the market is about 15% or around 3 million. I say this because GM's pricing and quality are not better than the competition. If GM's quality was somewhat better and the price tag somewhat lower, then they could expect a larger share of the market.
Not to mention the fact that the Ford Fusion is based on the Mazda6. And there IS a Mazda6 Wagon. And it is not exactly setting the world on fire with sales.
Actually, it the Mazda 6 wagon is generating sales. Of course, wagons are niche vehicles and will never sell in big numbers but they wouldn't cost that much more to make...since it is just a slight change in body panels mostly, and if it adds an extra 10% to your sales, as an example, that would make up for the losses that GM is suffering this year. Sales have to be made from many segments these days...not just your bread and butter line (which I suppose is sadly the Impala at GM), so if you can offer another category of vehicle at minimal cost, you might be able to build some sales. Not to mention if someone does want a wagon...they won't have to bother spending any time at the GM showroom!
So far, the 6 seems to be an appropriate encore to the Protégé5's performance on the sales charts throughout 2001 and 2002. More than 1500 units of the Mazda6 wagon versions were sold within two weeks of the vehicle's introduction in Japan on June 24, and European and Japanese orders for sedan and hatchback models were six times higher than Mazda expected within the first month of the vehicle's appearance on the market.
"More than 1500 units of the Mazda6 wagon versions were sold within two weeks of the vehicle's introduction in Japan on June 24, and European and Japanese orders for sedan and hatchback models were six times higher than Mazda expected within the first month of the vehicle's appearance on the market."
Uh, what about NA sales of the Mazda6 wagon? I'm curious about the % breakdown of sales for the wagon (and 5-door hatchback) compared to the Mazda6 sedan....in the U.S.
The title of this thread is "Will 2006 Styling Save GM", and the answer (5500+ posts later) seems to be- "No". I don't follow all the future announcements, but what does GM have coming for the 2007 model year? I've heard about the updated pickup trucks, the Saturn Aura, the Aveo- but anything else in the blockbuster category? They need a big hit somewhere, wonder where it could come from. If not, then it would seem continued decline, even with lower labor costs.
Apart from an early introduction of the 2008 CTS, I am not sure that there is anything else that might pop up. I don't know that the 2008 CTS will be early either, it might be late. Saturn will be getting their version of the Buick Enclave (the Saturn Outlook) for the 2007 model year. Fuel consumption does not look too horrible at 16 city & 24 highway with cargo capcity of the Tahoe.
What I find amazing is that the Lucerne is selling almost as well as the Lexus ES350. The LaCrosse - yeah - it's a toad with the base engine. GM needs to give the 3.6 as the only engine - that would reverse the sale trend right there. If they also made the Northstar V8 the only option on the Lucerne, it'd probably outsell the IS and the ES combined.(7500 cars isn't bad for that segment, for a single model)
Lacrosse sales would drop by at least 2/3's if the 3.6 was standard. Not sure of the split today on the Lucerne but most likely also close to 2/3 but maybe near 50%.
I do not understand your logic. You are saying drop the high volume engines on both cars. My mom bought the base LaCrosse and loves it. She does not care what engine is in it. It goes fast enough and says it is the quietest car she has ever been in. But if the 3.6 L was standard she would not have paid the extra $2000 for it. Whe would have gone elsewhere.
IMO, the coupe is more attractive than is the sedan. But coupes are niche cars, it is the sedans that will have to be a hit if the car is garner sales. And so far, Avis and National appear to be the primary customers, as was the case with its predecessors.
I don't personally find it ghastly, but it is certainly mediocre. Styling isn't a reason to buy one.
Which is the problem, of course. GM is scoring a string of base hits and strike outs even though it's the seventh inning and they are down by a half-dozen runs. You have to play the game differently when you are losing, yet GM seems to be in denial of its runner-up position.
To Fintail's question, here is a sketch of what the Malibu might look like. Assuming that the guess is reasonably accurate, I could see this one going either way. That front snout could prove interesting, but it may just end up looking like excessive overhang, and those lines may end up being crisp or over-the-top, depending upon the final execution. I'll vote this one as "high potential, but wait and see."
the G6 coupe, too. There's something about it that, for lack of a better word, seems mildly exotic. Or at least interesting! It has a certain presence to it.
The sedan just seems kinda generic though. Not gross-out ugly, but just kind of there. As for the Acura RL, there's something about them that just looks diminutive to me. They lack presence. Looks more like a $20-25K car to me than something starting around $40K.
The closer was horrible and I was shocked too. My wife drives as 4 dr. 2005 Honda Accord EX-L-Nav and I recently purchased a Toyota Forklift for my flooring business. When I purchased my 2000 Chevy Silverado LT with 5.3L everyone told me I purchased a bad vehicle...funny thing is I do not go to the shop for repairs nearly as often and I get gas mileage between 18 and 19 mpg (this is a work truck too). The brake pads lasted 140,000 miles (city driving mostly) and the only repairs came after 6 years and 125,000 miles for a battery. At 135,000 miles the water pump finally gave out and a fuel sensor was replaced too but that's it. After 150,000 miles the original spark plugs are still running and fuel economy is still 18 to 19 mpg. People can laugh at me all you want....but I am laughing all the way to the bank!
usually like to draw the cars longer, lower, and sleeker than they really are. I doubt that the '08 Malibu will look nearly that exciting. It actually looks like something I might have drawn in my high school notes 20 years ago, sitting in pre-calculus, with ADD getting the best of me! :P
Cool, thanks. I'll stop far short of "beautiful", but it is interesting anyway, the swoopy beltline reminds me of a Vette. Funny nose though. They learned their lesson with the fish face/large horizontal grille bar.
Get the GTP. unless you want GM electric assist steering. I do believe, unless it has changed, the GTP has the old fashion, and I may add better steering. Gas mileage is not great, but it is faster. -Loren
I do believe, unless it has changed, the GTP has the old fashion, and I may add better steering.
Better how?
Sure, the new all electric power assist feels different from what those who grew up with hydraulic are used to.
But the steering ratio is the same, if not better with electric. Electric uses fewer moving parts and does not need fluid change so most likely will be more durable. And it draws less power from the engine.
I rented a Maxx with the electric steering over memorial day weekend. Sure the feel is different. But it did just fine.
It amazes me in a time when people are willing to accept something as radically different from the status quo as a hybrid yet squawk over how power steering assist feels.
I don't follow all the future announcements, but what does GM have coming for the 2007 model year?
It has the Lambda crossovers - Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Saturn Outlook - but some of these may be out in early calendar year 2007 as 2008 models.
this is a very modified architecture based on the original Epsilon. I believe it will be the first NA vehicle on the Eps 2. I have heard the Max will be dropped. But who knows! GM does not publish their future product plans.
A salesman telling you other cars are not as good is like if Jill wants to separate from Jack. Then some friend tells Jack, no big loss, she wasn't that attractive, and Jill was always whining, and she was no fun anyway. The friend is trying to cheer Jack up. Meanwhile, for all the friend knows, Jack may still love Jill, and he did choose her once. It's almost going to always backfire to knock the competition. The salesman who talk about the positive points, and find out what you are looking for, and can give you the advantages to their brand have a much better chance of selling a car. You or an aquaintance might have had a brand X and have experienced only good things about that brand...this salesperson will lose all credibility. It's sleazy and it is exactly the person you wouldn't want to buy from.
I know I'm a little off topic, but I had to make the point. I guess I should be posting on Dear Abbie.
Uh, what about NA sales of the Mazda6 wagon? I'm curious about the % breakdown of sales for the wagon (and 5-door hatchback) compared to the Mazda6 sedan....in the U.S.
Me too. I would like to know that and I tried to find it. I would guess that the sales ot wagons will be higher in Japan and Europe because you get the space without the expense. It could be 5 or 10%, but I think it is worthwhile because as I say, you're in another segment at little cost. A CTS wagon would cost a lot less to create and look a lot better than the SRX - and I think would sell a lot better. I see more Suburu and Volvo wagons than cars. A lot of wagons such as the Mercedes C Class can look better than the sedan, and can be more useful. But, I can't find the actual numbers, would like to though. If anyone has some figures please pass them on.
I do not know what that is but it is not the new Malibu.
What info do you have that differs from Popular Mechanics? I have no idea whether or not the sketch is accurate, but that's the only thing I've seen published thus far.
GM includes Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn. Ford includes Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin. DaimlerChrysler includes Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Mercedes and Maybach. Volkswagen includes Audi and Bentley. BMW includes Mini and Rolls-Royce. Toyota includes Lexus and Scion. Honda includes Acura. Nissan includes Infiniti.
I guess my point with this whole wagon sub-thread (I think I have a point....) is whether or not wagons will 'save' GM.
I think not. Yes, I'm sure that GM could sell SOME wagons for little additional cost. But would those sales be at the expense of other brands or would they be sales to folks who might have otherwise purchased a GM SUV? If GM makes more profit/unit on SUV sales, then would it make sense for GM to sell wagons in lieu of SUVs?
Now, if we could somehow document GM losing sales in SUVs while others are gaining sales in wagons, then it would make sense for GM to get in the wagon market. Yes, sales of SUV's are down. Has there been a surge in wagon sales?
CTS wagon vs. SRX - why would someone going for the bling of an SRX buy a CTS instead? These folks are going for image/style over sensibility. Would a CTS cost less? Sure. But just how price conscience are SRX buyers? Look better than an SRX? That's totally subjective (particularly since we have no CTS wagons to look at). Besides, methinks that you personally simply like wagons better than SUVs and so it would be expected that you would think a CTS wagon would look better than a SRX.
But I doubt that many current/prospective SRX owners hate the SRX looks and instead bought the vehicle for it's utility.....
I test drove an SRX today. It's 111 in Vegas today.....so A/C becomes a real issue in evaluation of a potential new car. The SRX has no fan, no volume, NO friggen air coming out of the center stack vents at all! The side vents aren't too bad, but I give it an F for Air Conditioning, and that takes it completely off my list. Bling or no Bling. I have the same problem with the current Town Car.
GM quit building the Envoy/trailblazer XL(8 passenger extended) last year. That would be part of the loss in sales. Also the new Tahoe is so much nicer that it stole sales and of course all the crossovers are taking sales and last, but not least gas is awful expensive. Those that really do not need a SUV might be looking elsewhere.
and not to throw more on it but it is getting old in the tooth.
Besides, methinks that you personally simply like wagons better than SUVs and so it would be expected that you would think a CTS wagon would look better than a SRX. That was funny. I actually have an SUV. My wife has a wagon which she loves. She likes to be a passenger in my SUV but she doesn't like driving it....too bulky. So, in this case, if she wanted a GM wagon...which would never happen (although I'd consider a GM if they made one that was suitable)she wouldn't be able to buy it - so GM would lose a customer in this case. I see lots of wagons out there. As I said, I see more Volvo, Suburu and Saab wagons than cars and a lot of Magnums too. CTS wagon vs, SRX is subjective, but it would be cheaper to develop and I think would have sold better (hardly see any SRX's). I don't think a wagon would turn GM around, but it would have been cheaper to develop, and would probably increase sales more than a Solstice or Relay. And once again, why do BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, Saab, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Ford, Chrysler, Suburu, all have wagons...is this a secret that only GM knows wagons don't sell!!!!
That site says the Malibu will be new for 2010 or 2011, which sounds reasonable. The Malibu was new for 2004 and won't be resedigned in just 4 years. That wouldn't be GM, let alone money-losing GM. It's still early and I don't think anyone has seen anything but sketches. The web site also says the G6 will ride the same platform. That's now in question as all Pontiacs might shift to RWD.
The realisy is, that the sub-par "cheapie" engines are only leading because of *fleet* sales. If you paid the same price but got the 3.6 on every LaCrosse, 99% of peolpe would be elated - better engine and no extra cost.
On the Lucerne - doubly so. If they dropped the prices to always be at "employee pricing" all year round and made the V8 the only engine - for no extra cost - who wouldn't be happy? The V8 is a superb engine.
GM needs to do things like this to gain marketshare, even if it means loosing some money on each car to do so. $1000 loss on 7,000 cars is peanuts compared to what a couple of commercials run, let alone the vast amounts they arte already bleeding. But I suspect it wouldn't be even close to $1000 - maybe no profit or having to cut the dealer holdback a percent or so.
GM's full-size SUV's are best-in-class. No question about it. Too bad they came at the worst time. With rising gas prices, sales might have stalled . What really threatens GM's full-size SUV's however is GM's new 3-seat crossovers, the Enclave/Outlook/Arcadia. What's a better way to convince people who would buy nothing but GM's to quit buying those gas-guzzlers other than offering them a product that is the same size, yet better-performing, cheaper, and more economical? Anyone agrees?
Comments
Torque r, can you post YTD for those OEMs? I think Toyota is No. 3 YTD. Every new car so far, is on fire: Yaris, Rav4, FJ, IS.
Tundra and LS are later this year, then highlander and Corrola next year.
My 230S isn't expensive at all to repair, as long as it's not body panels, which
are more of a matter of finding them thatn anything else.
Set of calipers for the front? $260 including OEM pads(Germany)
Tires? $240 for a set, with a lifetime warranty added(America's Tire)
A/C compressor - $250
Valve cover gasket - $18
Distributor cap - $12
Water pump - $200
Three row metal radiator - $300
Clutch job - $150 plus parts - ($400 - OEM from Germany)
Bulbs - common bayonet type they use in pinball machines and most older cars.
Shocks - $80 each Germany.
It's not too bad - no smog, no computers, no sensors, no fuel injection...
- As for sealed beam lights, just ask any serious off-roader or rally racer
what they use. I'm talking about something like Hela C4s or simmilar, which
I have in my car. The high-beams? It's like a police spotlight it lights up
the entire road so well. Low-beams... Fine. Switch to high-beams...
BOOM LET THERE BE LIGHT.
comparable price-wise.
Volvo - their S40s used to have nice wrap-around glass lenses. Now, Ford
has made them plastic. It screams cheap. Volvo took flack for a decade
over plastic lenses and finally changed - and as soon as Ford bought them
out, they started swapping the glass lenses for plastic. And don't even get me
started on the FJ's rear side windows - that's plastic. God - how much did
they save there? $5? Cheap, cheap, cheap.
Even my LeSabre had glass lenses. 18 years and one noticeable pit.
Never faded, never fogged up. And it wasn't flat, either - sculpted into the
rest of the front end. Now, you pay $50K for a car and the lenses are
made out of plastic that's thinner and cheaper than my DVD cases.
- The new bumpers don't need to be chrome - but this filimsy plastic that causes
hundreds or a thousand dollars of damage for parking lot bumps(Consumer
Reports - any car they test, any month) and that you can't stand on if a truck
(Toyota FJ for instance) is just wrong. Aluminum works dandy, is cheap, and
can be anodized in a rainbow of colors, for instance. The replacement cost for a
metal versus a plastic bumper is about the same, so major damage is a wash -
replace it. But check out the cars on your drive tommorrow - how many with
plastic-for-looks bumpers are missing chunks of paint and/or have trears and
holes in them?
I'd so rather have a dent by comparison.
- Lastly, interiors. My old Buick LeSabre I had a year ago - 18 years old - was
made with thick padding everywhere, nice velour instead of industrial fabric,
and even the doors were covered in it. It was cheap - fiberboard covered
with velour, but it looked great, even after 18 years. This isn't rocket-science.
It's apalling that an old 1990 Caddy is more luxurious inside than a 2005 S-Class.
1- GM: ----------- 1,653,484 down 8% (23.5%)
2- Ford: --------- 1,282,106 down 3% (17.4%)
3- DCX: ---------- 1,037,808 down 1% (15.1%)
4- Toyota: ------- 1,000,524 up 9% (14.6%)
5- Honda: -------- 614,778 up 9% (8.9%)
6- Nissan: ------- 436,614 down 3% (6.4%)
7- Hyundai: ------ 189,527 up 5% (2.8%)
- DCX includes Mercedes. Sales figures actually take Mercedes out as a seperate company leaving Chrysler to forth place behind Toyota.
- All other companys have market share less than 2% each. Mazda for example follows Hyundai with 1.7%. Kia also captured 1.7%.
-
Toyota:
Toyota's new model are selling like hot cakes. In fact, Toyota pretty much took the family sedan for itself, taking the #1 spot for mini, compact, mid-size, and entry-level luxury. The full-size (Avalon) being an exception, outsold only by the Daimlers (300 & Charger)
Yaris: 8,065
Corolla: 41,550 up 28% (it its last year)
Camry: 43,112 up 4%
ES350: 9,554 up 525 (Best sales ever for the ES)
IS250/350: 4,605 up 928%
Other new Toyotas:
RAV4: 14,013 up 97%
FJ Cruiser: 6,670
_____________________________________
GM's new models:
LaCrosse 4,990 down 26.6
Lucerne 7,311
Cobalt: 21,247 down 14%
Impala: 23,702 up 17%
Malibu: 12,881 down 40%
G6: 11,534 up 22%
HHR: 7,827
Tahoe: 13,218 down 5.5%
On the plus side The Solstice and Sky are selling very well. Numbers are incremental however
_______________________________________
Others:
Hyundai Sonata: 17,035 up 112%
Ford Fusion: 14,940
Dodge Charger: 10,725
Dodge Caliber: 12,422
Honda Civic: 29,006 up 12%
Honda Fit: 5,248
Back in January I went with a friend looking at new vehicles. He had it narrowed down to an Equinox or an Xterra. I was actually impressed that both salesmen showed some degree of restraint when the competitors' products were mentioned.
I don't think the Nissan guy said anything at all bad about the Equinox, other than the fact that the Xterra has a better powertrain warranty, an engine that's won awards, and is a better off-roader and more powerful. All of which are legitimate points.
As for the Chevy guy, all he pointed out with the Xterra is that it's going to ride much more rough and trucky, fuel mileage will most likely be worse, and replacement tires are going to be expensive. Again, all valid points.
Overall I was pretty impressed with both salesmen.
Not to mention the fact that the Ford Fusion is based on the Mazda6. And there IS a Mazda6 Wagon. And it is not exactly setting the world on fire with sales.
Actually, it the Mazda 6 wagon is generating sales. Of course, wagons are niche vehicles and will never sell in big numbers but they wouldn't cost that much more to make...since it is just a slight change in body panels mostly, and if it adds an extra 10% to your sales, as an example, that would make up for the losses that GM is suffering this year.
Sales have to be made from many segments these days...not just your bread and butter line (which I suppose is sadly the Impala at GM), so if you can offer another category of vehicle at minimal cost, you might be able to build some sales. Not to mention if someone does want a wagon...they won't have to bother spending any time at the GM showroom!
So far, the 6 seems to be an appropriate encore to the Protégé5's performance on the sales charts throughout 2001 and 2002. More than 1500 units of the Mazda6 wagon versions were sold within two weeks of the vehicle's introduction in Japan on June 24, and European and Japanese orders for sedan and hatchback models were six times higher than Mazda expected within the first month of the vehicle's appearance on the market.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Uh, what about NA sales of the Mazda6 wagon? I'm curious about the % breakdown of sales for the wagon (and 5-door hatchback) compared to the Mazda6 sedan....in the U.S.
Rocky
I do not understand your logic. You are saying drop the high volume engines on both cars. My mom bought the base LaCrosse and loves it. She does not care what engine is in it. It goes fast enough and says it is the quietest car she has ever been in. But if the 3.6 L was standard she would not have paid the extra $2000 for it. Whe would have gone elsewhere.
the G6 is better looking
is it a better car? I dunno. But looks are important.
Given GM's typical product cycles, it should get another nose job for 2009, and be replaced by a rebadged Daewoo around 2012.
the coupe always look better
look at the ghastly G35 sedan, compared to the coupe
Which is the problem, of course. GM is scoring a string of base hits and strike outs even though it's the seventh inning and they are down by a half-dozen runs. You have to play the game differently when you are losing, yet GM seems to be in denial of its runner-up position.
To Fintail's question, here is a sketch of what the Malibu might look like. Assuming that the guess is reasonably accurate, I could see this one going either way. That front snout could prove interesting, but it may just end up looking like excessive overhang, and those lines may end up being crisp or over-the-top, depending upon the final execution. I'll vote this one as "high potential, but wait and see."
The sedan just seems kinda generic though. Not gross-out ugly, but just kind of there. As for the Acura RL, there's something about them that just looks diminutive to me. They lack presence. Looks more like a $20-25K car to me than something starting around $40K.
-Loren
Better how?
Sure, the new all electric power assist feels different from what those who grew up with hydraulic are used to.
But the steering ratio is the same, if not better with electric. Electric uses fewer moving parts and does not need fluid change so most likely will be more durable. And it draws less power from the engine.
I rented a Maxx with the electric steering over memorial day weekend. Sure the feel is different. But it did just fine.
It amazes me in a time when people are willing to accept something as radically different from the status quo as a hybrid yet squawk over how power steering assist feels.
It has the Lambda crossovers - Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Saturn Outlook - but some of these may be out in early calendar year 2007 as 2008 models.
http://www.answers.com/topic/gm-epsilon-platform
this is a very modified architecture based on the original Epsilon. I believe it will be the first NA vehicle on the Eps 2. I have heard the Max will be dropped. But who knows! GM does not publish their future product plans.
as of June 2, 2006
May 2006 May 2005 Chng. '06 YTD '05 YTD Chng.
1 Ford F - Series PU 70,175 74,494 -5.8% 334,725 335,269 -0.2%
2 Chevrolet Silverado PU 55,316 60,473 -8.5% 258,378 274,869 -6.0%
3 Toyota Camry / Hybrid 43,112 39,951 7.9% 177,090 178,890 -1.0%
4 Toyota Corolla / Matrix 41,550 31,152 33.4% 159,992 147,146 8.7%
5 Honda Accord / Hybrid 36,967 30,698 20.4% 145,529 143,304 1.6%
6 Dodge Ram PU 29,599 38,051 -22.2% 150,799 163,094 -7.5%
7 Honda Civic / Hybrid 29,006 24,765 17.1% 138,744 115,577 20.0%
8 Chevrolet Impala 23,702 19,411 22.1% 114,014 107,181 6.4%
9 Dodge Caravan 22,685 22,115 2.6% 103,876 103,811 0.1%
10 Nissan Altima 21,981 23,900 -8.0% 102,785 108,237 -5.0%
11 Chevrolet Cobalt 21,247 23,649 -10.2% 93,023 75,537 23.1%
12 Ford Focus 20,391 18,047 13.0% 80,559 82,963 -2.9%
13 GMC Sierra PU 17,756 19,255 -7.8% 80,957 87,210 -7.2%
14 Chrysler Town & Country 17,326 17,194 0.8% 68,943 78,350 -12.0%
15 Hyundai Sonata 17,035 8,043 111.8% 75,622 46,974 61.0%
16 Honda Odyssey 16,887 16,412 2.9% 72,941 71,878 1.5%
17 Ford Taurus 16,786 20,502 -18.1% 83,287 92,879 -10.3%
18 Ford Explorer 16,717 19,539 -14.4% 77,205 105,925 -27.1%
19 Chevrolet TrailBlazer 15,573 22,556 -31.0% 71,751 87,847 -18.3%
20 Ford Mustang 15,559 19,721 -21.1% 72,119 81,541 -11.6%
Only 2 SUVs made the chart, both lost a lot of ground, but the Trailblazer is losing it faster than the Explorer..
You or an aquaintance might have had a brand X and have experienced only good things about that brand...this salesperson will lose all credibility. It's sleazy and it is exactly the person you wouldn't want to buy from.
I know I'm a little off topic, but I had to make the point. I guess I should be posting on Dear Abbie.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Me too. I would like to know that and I tried to find it. I would guess that the sales ot wagons will be higher in Japan and Europe because you get the space without the expense.
It could be 5 or 10%, but I think it is worthwhile because as I say, you're in another segment at little cost. A CTS wagon would cost a lot less to create and look a lot better than the SRX - and I think would sell a lot better.
I see more Suburu and Volvo wagons than cars. A lot of wagons such as the Mercedes C Class can look better than the sedan, and can be more useful.
But, I can't find the actual numbers, would like to though.
If anyone has some figures please pass them on.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
What info do you have that differs from Popular Mechanics? I have no idea whether or not the sketch is accurate, but that's the only thing I've seen published thus far.
U.S. light-vehicles sales totals, individual automaker results and market share for May compared to May 2005:
MAY 2004
Maker volume % change
from 2005 % mkt
share YTD
volume % change
from 2005 YTD %
mkt share
GM 338,411 -12.5% 22.7% 1,628,524 -8.0% 23.7%
Ford 277,157 -2.0% 18.6% 1,274,895 -3.5% 18.5%
Toyota 235,708 17.0% 15.8% 1,000,524 8.8% 14.6%
DaimlerChrysler 212,912 -8.4% 14.3% 1,037,883 -1.0% 15.1%
Honda 141,810 16.1% 9.5% 614,778 8.6% 8.9%
Nissan 86,667 -7.3% 5.8% 436,614 -3.0% 6.4%
Hyundai 42,514 5.2% 2.9% 189,527 4.5% 2.8%
Volkswagen 29,652 28.5% 2.0% 130,060 18.7% 1.9%
BMW 28,390 5.4% 1.9% 129,661 9.9% 1.9%
Mazda 27,321 2.5% 1.8% 116,977 3.6% 1.7%
Kia 26,494 3.9% 1.8% 119,134 2.7% 1.7%
Subaru 16,406 13.3% 1.1% 77,546 2.9% 1.1%
Mitsubishi 11,821 3.9% 0.8% 48,357 -12.3% 0.7%
Suzuki 10,135 35.9% 0.7% 47,443 37.3% 0.7%
Porsche 3,272 -0.6% 0.2% 15,730 15.9% 0.2%
Isuzu 638 -47.7% 0.0% 3,973 -37.0% 0.1%
Maserati 219 13.5% 0.0% 890 25.7% 0.0%
Ferrari 137 10.5% 0.0% 568 20.3% 0.0%
TOTAL 1,489,664 -0.7% 100.0% 6,873,084 -0.4% 100.0%
GM includes Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn. Ford includes Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin. DaimlerChrysler includes Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Mercedes and Maybach. Volkswagen includes Audi and Bentley. BMW includes Mini and Rolls-Royce. Toyota includes Lexus and Scion. Honda includes Acura. Nissan includes Infiniti.
Figures are not adjusted for selling days.
Source: Autodata Corp.
2007 Chevrolet Malibu: Both the Malibu and Malibu Maxx receive a mid-life freshening.
Doesn't sound too exciting!!!!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I think not. Yes, I'm sure that GM could sell SOME wagons for little additional cost. But would those sales be at the expense of other brands or would they be sales to folks who might have otherwise purchased a GM SUV? If GM makes more profit/unit on SUV sales, then would it make sense for GM to sell wagons in lieu of SUVs?
Now, if we could somehow document GM losing sales in SUVs while others are gaining sales in wagons, then it would make sense for GM to get in the wagon market. Yes, sales of SUV's are down. Has there been a surge in wagon sales?
CTS wagon vs. SRX - why would someone going for the bling of an SRX buy a CTS instead? These folks are going for image/style over sensibility. Would a CTS cost less? Sure. But just how price conscience are SRX buyers? Look better than an SRX? That's totally subjective (particularly since we have no CTS wagons to look at). Besides, methinks that you personally simply like wagons better than SUVs and so it would be expected that you would think a CTS wagon would look better than a SRX.
But I doubt that many current/prospective SRX owners hate the SRX looks and instead bought the vehicle for it's utility.....
and not to throw more on it but it is getting old in the tooth.
That was funny. I actually have an SUV. My wife has a wagon which she loves. She likes to be a passenger in my SUV but she doesn't like driving it....too bulky. So, in this case, if she wanted a GM wagon...which would never happen (although I'd consider a GM if they made one that was suitable)she wouldn't be able to buy it - so GM would lose a customer in this case.
I see lots of wagons out there. As I said, I see more Volvo, Suburu and Saab wagons than cars and a lot of Magnums too.
CTS wagon vs, SRX is subjective, but it would be cheaper to develop and I think would have sold better (hardly see any SRX's).
I don't think a wagon would turn GM around, but it would have been cheaper to develop, and would probably increase sales more than a Solstice or Relay. And once again, why do BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, Saab, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Ford, Chrysler, Suburu, all have wagons...is this a secret that only GM knows wagons don't sell!!!!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
On the Lucerne - doubly so. If they dropped the prices to always be at "employee pricing" all year round and made the V8 the only engine - for no extra cost - who wouldn't be happy? The V8 is a superb engine.
GM needs to do things like this to gain marketshare, even if it means loosing some money on each car to do so. $1000 loss on 7,000 cars is peanuts compared to what a couple of commercials run, let alone the vast amounts they arte already bleeding. But I suspect it wouldn't be even close to $1000 - maybe no profit or having to cut the dealer holdback a percent or so.
I would steer clear. :P