Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
Options
General Motors discussions
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Detroit Free Press
By Marl Phelan
Nov. 10, 2006
When the 2008 Buick Enclave goes on sale next year, General Motors Corp. expects up to 40 percent of the new SUV's customers to come from other automakers, Steve Shannon, Buick's general manager, said Thursday.
GM has not revealed pricing for the midsize model, which uses a car-like structure to provide better fuel economy, more room and more comfort than traditional SUVs like the Chevrolet TrailBlazer. However, the Enclave's targets, the upscale – but smaller – Acura MDX and Lexus RX350, have base prices of $39,995 and $37,400, respectively.
GM has struggled to attract customers from other brands, but analyst Michael Robinet of Northville-based consultant CSM Worldwide expects the Enclave to succeed.
"They got a lot of things right on these vehicles," Robinet said of the Enclave and the GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook midsize SUVs GM will build at a new assembly plant near Lansing.
"We think it could be a real good news story for Michigan," Robinet said.
Buick hasn't said how many Enclaves it expects to sell annually, but industry sources say the number could reach 65,000 to 80,000.
The Enclave "nails the fact that what Buick brings to the market is important," Shannon said.
Its biggest challenge will be that for many buyers - especially in the under-55 age bracket - Buick isn't even on the radar anymore.
I think that once the old Buick trucks all go away they will have a pretty good lineup. LaCrosse/Lucerne/Enclave. LaCrosse is a sharp car, just a bit conservative and not ground breaking styling.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=117533
GM tries to generate buzz with Web video
Buick admits ad featuring Tiger Woods posted on YouTube was viral marketing disguised as bootleg.
http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061113/AUTO01/611130339/- 1148
Rocky
P.S. Looks like Tiger, is working his magic again with Buick.
Rocky
P.S. These are real Vette fans.... :shades:
Rocky
P.S. OMG ever since the Delphi, filing auto parts plants have been dropping like flies. It's like the black plague has struck. :surprise:
Rocky
A Velite would be a lot more acceptable, yeah.
Rocky
I think that once the old Buick trucks all go away they will have a pretty good lineup. LaCrosse/Lucerne/Enclave. LaCrosse is a sharp car, just a bit conservative and not ground breaking styling.
I'm quite a bit younger than 55, but I would still consider LaCrosse or Lucerne as a viable option for a family sedan. They're both very nice cars. We don't need any more sedans at the moment, but LaCrosse, Lucerne, Fusion, Milan and Impala would all be on my list of possible replacements for one of our sedans. In fact, these domestic sedans appeal to me more than the current generation Accord and Camry; at least from an exterior styling standpoint.
Ron M.
And about the next post...heck, I am 29 and I would consider a Lucerne a viable option for a family sedan. Lotsa bang for the buck. Maybe not so much the Lacrosse...dopey name and it looks like the [non-permissible content removed] child of a Jag and a 96-99 Taurus.
Rocky
Do they still have the lots filled with Saabs or are they beginning to trickel out a few because of the new 100K warranty ?
Rocky
What do you drive mainly in the winter time pal ?
Rocky
According to enthusiasts website GMInsidenews, the second-generation G6 was originally planned to be built on a redesigned Epsilon II (E2) platform. While the existing front-drive G6 has been reasonably successful, it seems General Motors wants its Pontiac division to be more competitive with the likes of BMW.
GM is also rumored to be considering replacing its badge-engineered G5 coupe with a compact RWD car in the next several years. The rumors add credibility to an Automotive News report from May suggesting Pontiac might make all its vehicles rear-wheel drive in the future.
This is good news. One less Eps 2 variant sold here (Malibu, Aura, LaCrosse, Saab). I doubt it could/would be priced as a BMW 3 series. Mid $20's for a base and mid $30's loaded. 3 years away.
What would a RWD
G5G4 (Cobalt size) have for competition? Would think it would be based on a Sostice architecture.Looks like GM's plan to differentiate their lower costs Chevy's from the mid priced dealerships (GMC/Pontiac/Buick) continues.
Right now there is a G8 show car coming out. I think the future of Pontiac is RWD G4/G6/G8 and nothing else. kappa/Zeta?/Zeta. Where will the RWD G6 architecture come from?
But the point being made is that not too many made the least-reliable list, which is what GM should be shooting for. They can ill-afford to just make average-looking, average-quality vehicles. They need hits on all fronts, not just something that looks good but quality eh, so-so. Or vice versa. You have to agree on that?
I do agree with your last point. These are the darlings of their respective divisions; no way should they have abysmal rating out the gate. This can definitely work against GM trying to keep customers, let alone gain conquests. The thinking could be..."Well, if GM has terrible reliability ratings on these new vehicles, and these represent the tip-top offerings in their class/segments/division, I can just imagine how horrible the regular, plain-janes are!"...
Rocky
What would a RWD G5 G4 (Cobalt size) have for competition? Would think it would be based on a Sostice architecture.
Whooo lommy. :surprise:
The RWD G6 would presumably be the US variant of the oft-rumored Holden Torana midsizer. The Torana was too expensive to build solely as a Holden, but adding a Pontiac and possibly an Opel version would provide a broad enough base to cover the costs. An RWD G4 would play as an affordable alternative to the BMW 1-series (sold in Europe for a few years and supposedly arriving here in a year or three), and attract people looking for a neo-240SX if GM can keep the weight down.
Having said that, I say the same thing I said a year ago when I heard this benchmarking: Pontiac compared to BMW? That's a SERIOUS STRETCH. And I wouldn't be too confident of the sales future of G6s costing over $30K. Maybe as a niche top trim or something, they could sell a few way up there.
Now, I also read that the new "Gamma" platform will underlie all of GM's future small cars, so they can be built cheaply in all sorts of diverse places, including Bangladesh. They want to get some of the production out of South Korea. Imagine it, five years from now, it might be possible to buy a Chevy built in Bangladesh, and almost certainly one built in China. While this will be good for GM's bottom line and makes sense in the global economy, they need to be careful with build quality.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Where BMW = "sporty German luxury car", yes. Where BMW = "fabulous-handling RWD car", that is attainable. There is a nice wad of cash on the table for someone who can deliver 90% of the BMW experience at 60% of the price (Nissan basically did that for a while in the early '90s). GM will need to get the electric power steering right to make it happen, though.
I wouldn't be too confident of the sales future of G6s costing over $30K.
A regular G6? No. An AWD 3.6L V6 turbo? Yeah. Apply the lessons learned from the development of the turbo Solstice and 450 hp is attainable.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I think that a decently designed RWD Pontiac that has good handling, but not quite BMW class, will sell if the price is right. The CTS is GM's sport sedan to compete with BMW.
He sure does not feel that way. He thinks it's a lot bigger inside.
Nov. 15, 2006
The Cadillac SRX holds a reputation as one of the more macho crossover
vehicles, with a "machined" cabin that proved to be a turnoff to many
female buyers.
But the Detroit luxury brand makes some major improvements to its '07 SRX,
with lots of attention lavished on the interior and a new six-speed
automatic transmission on V-8 models.
We tested an amply equipped model with a long list of options, including
$1,900 all-wheel drive and a $4,050 premium luxury package that includes an
"ultraview" sunroof and a Bose 5.1 Surround Sound audio system.
Our test car had a sticker price of $51,170, including a $745 destination
charge.
SHE: Wow. Talk about a slam-dunk for Cadillac. It now makes a serious run
at the women who've always preferred the Lexus RX. I think the SRX is
better than the Lexus. You get the total package with the Cadillac,
especially if you get the all-wheel-drive V-8 model that we had. The
interior of the SRX is designed to look custom-made, and I just couldn't
keep from running my hands along that instrument panel. What a dramatic
change from the unappealing interior of the old SRX.
HE: I hope you're not trying to say that Cadillac's gone all girlie.
SHE: No. I've got to believe men will love it, too. After all, a huge trend
across the automotive and the fashion industries is a move toward unique,
hand-crafted things. People want something that looks like it was made
properly and feels like someone designed it – whether they're buying a
designer T-shirt or an SUV. The more detail work, the better. And the SRX
really delivers with things like hand-wrapped trim, softer surfaces and the
greater use of chrome and wood grain.
HE: The cabin in the SRX is pretty luxurious. But I'm also impressed with
the new six-speed automatic transmission that was first introduced on the
Cadillac STS-V and XLR-V. It's a standard feature on our all-wheel-drive
V-8 SRX. It's a sweet powertrain combination. The 4.6-liter V-8 churns out
320 horses and 315 pounds-feet of torque, which is ample power for passing
and merging on the freeway. However, the fuel economy numbers are still
disappointing. Our test vehicle returned 15 miles per gallon in city
driving and 22 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA. That's not much
better than the big Escalade.
SHE: But there are other things that make the SRX irresistible – and
sensible. I love the fact that you get the OnStar communications system as
a standard feature. And the SRX is loaded with lots of standard safety
features, too, including side curtain air bags that protect all outboard
passengers, antilock brakes and stability control.
HE: The '07 SRX definitely veers more toward the luxury end of the scale,
and that's a good thing. I never thought the original cockpit looked like
it belonged in a premium crossover. But that's all changed with this lovely
new cabin, which is full of rich materials, including some lovely wood. I
noticed that our test vehicle also came bundled with a premium luxury
collection package, which nudged the sticker above 50 grand. That's also
encroaching on Escalade territory.
SHE: But because of its smaller size, the SRX is a lot easier to park and
drive than an Escalade. And Cadillac made other tweaks, including reworking
the door sill area to make the SRX easier to get in and out of. I think we
both liked the firmer ride in the SRX, which feels a lot sportier than the
one in the Lexus. I had almost no complaints about the Cadillac, except for
minor things like the fact that the control for the rear wiper was located
on the overhead console and not on the stalk with the front wiper controls.
Oh, and the visibility is a little impaired because of those thick rear
pillars.
HE: I'm still impressed with the upgrades. From our perch in Detroit, it's
nice to see Cadillac consolidating its position as a world-beater with
products like the SRX.
Rocky
All GM products are above the Industry average with 4 divisions in the top 10 (Hummer tied with MB).
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061116/AUTO01/611160390/1148-
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
One issue GM has is that a lot of their dealers are in old areas that used to be good. Like downtown. Dealerships need to be at better locations like by expressway exits and newer/more affluent neghborhoods. The transplants came in 20 years ago and moved to the right areas while the domestics had 40 year old dealerships in the wrong areas.
The defects are real enough, but the recall problem is distorted by changed circumstances and, therefore, may be misunderstood.
Until recently, Japanese automakers customarily left it to their dealers to handle the replacement of faulty parts and necessary repairs with as little publicity as possible, under the guise of service campaigns or routine maintenance.
But in July 2000, the inattention to defects and years of cover-ups by Mitsubishi Motors Corp. were so widely publicized the automaker teetered on bankruptcy.
The Mitsubishi scandal was a wakeup call for the country’s auto industry, and subsequently the defect pendulum swung to the other extreme, with recalls now routinely called for minor as well as major problems.
For example, in 2004, Toyota recalled 330,496 Hilux Surfs and Surf wagons built between 1988 and 1996 for defective steering parts. The same year, recalls totaled 643,715 for 10 models produced between 1989 and 2000 for rear taillights whose red color might have faded.
In the wake of the new reveal-all policy, the percentage of recalls in Japan has increased from a deceptively low 2 percent-3 percent of total vehicles produced in prior years to about 10 percent today, roughly the same as in the U.S.
When Toyota added recalls in the U.S., its numbers soared from 210,000 in 2003 to 1.1 million in 2004 and 2.2 million in 2005 – including vehicles built in Japan. As a result, the automaker formed a new division to gather information from customers about defect issues.
Defects tend to be the same for all the major automakers here and are not difficult to identify. But the rules dictating what requires a recall have expanded dramatically.
“Toyota’s recall rate is now so high because the standard for recalls has changed,” Nakanishi says. But there are other factors.
Faced with declining profits in the wake of the yen’s record surge against the dollar in the mid-1990s, Toyota short-staffed its product-development group, froze new hires and veteran retirees were not replaced.
The result, according to a Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry report, was that 70 percent of the automaker’s defects were design-oriented and not manufacturing-related.
Toyota also expanded use of common components and systems across model lines, particularly electronics. Thus, the number of vehicles affected by a single defect multiplied widely.
This defect/recall merry-go-round is not likely to fade away any time soon. Tokyo analysts emphasize Toyota designers and engineers are overloaded and stressed out by the unprecedented pace of the automaker’s global expansion.
"Lexus is still one of the premium nameplates," Gauer said. "The biggest issue is not so much a matter of anything they did wrong. It's more a matter of what the other nameplates did right."
Ironic that when people remind others that GM and Ford have improved since their 80s problems they are brushed off. But we're supposed to accept that same premise as excuse for Toyota Lexus line's not keeping up. :P
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
If Impala is going RWD for '09/'10, does that mean that one of the Buick cars will do so at the same time?
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
It looks like the LaCrosse will be based on the EPS 2 architecture (smaller outside than the current W car but about the same size inside). The Lucerne/Park Avenue replacement will probably go to Zeta since there is no other modern FWD architecture out there. Since it is almost assured that the DTS and Impala are going RWD there would not be enough volume for a single, low volume large nameplate. Is there another vehicle for Buick? Doubt it. I would forsee by 2011 or so there will be few if not no standalone Buick dealerships (all GMC/Pontiac/Buick) and GM will not need to support the current bunch of Buick dealers. Most likely Buick will have only two vehicles (Enclave will go away unless it is a huge success).
I would say there is a possibility of a premium 4 seater convertible but I doubt it.
The GM chest-thumpers need to chew on these YTD sales numbers by division:
GMC -17.4%
Buick -15.4%
Chevy -9.8%
Saab -9.5%
Caddy -5.4%
Pontiac -5.0%
The only bright spot is Hummer +37.8%. Their bread and butter divisions just don't seem to be getting it done.
However, sales are still a big problem and GM has quite a bit of inventory but at least they are in better shape than the other two domestics.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)