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Heck, I never worked for GM and neither did any friends or family, but GM cars have always done extremely well by me.
Yes you probably should, because your dad if he worked for Honda wouldn't of had the luxury of the UAW negotiated health insurance, and your mom would of lost everything.
-But hey do what ya want. I made the mistake of supporting the asian car company's once. I like Acura's alot. The only way I'll buy another one is if GM starts importing cars from China :mad: (It's only hear say now) BUT !!!!
how about because they make the better product? or at least come close?
They do in some segments. The Buick and Cadillac line-ups are very good. I think you will be more impressed in 2007' since this is the year GM will either make or break in my opinion the future.
When I'm at home depot, I'll buy the made in the USA when it's equal in quality and a bit higher priced, but GM lost me long ago with a poor product.
I say give em' another shot in the near future. Hey you might find something you like. Alot of changes are going to happen this next year. The Buick Enclave is a very nice piece of machinery. The new trucks are coming and of course the new SUV's are the best !!!! We will also see a new CTS and CTS-V, Saturn Sky, Aura, GXP G6, G4, and maybe a LaCrosse Super.
BTW-Glad to hear you try to atleast "buy made in america"
But then again, my Honda is made here is the US and that does make me feel better.
Well promise me you won't buy a Chinese car.
Doesn't Honda offer medical expenses to it's employees in the US? You'd think GM is the only company around to offer medical the way you post.
They do offer medical insurance to it's working employees, but not to it's retirees
Rocky
Rocky
Sell it for $45,000 or so and GM wouldn't beable to build them fast enough.
I also told them I want my standard commission on my idea :P
Rocky
The only response I got was some guy in England running a scam. He said the cashiers check for his client would arrive at a higher price and wanted me to wire his account the difference.
There are soooo many dealer ads for the '05 LeSabre on Auto Trader - I think my ad just got buried even though it was the lowest asking of all the '05's.
Rocky
240 hp @ 6000 rpm
210 ft-lb =
58 ft-lb per liter
225 ft-lb @ 2000 rpm
62.5 ft-lb per liter
Still short of the mark set by the Yote, and barely better than the decade-older Northstar.
Rocky
Does the average GM grunt feel happy to have Tiger get paid millions to endorse their cars? Does it add value to the consumer's product?
Put the money in the product and if there's something left over give it back to the employees or investors.
Rocky
And yes, I will try my best not to buy Chinese. That trade deficit doesn't need my car $$.
Does the average GM grunt feel happy to have Tiger get paid millions to endorse their cars? Does it add value to the consumer's product?
Put the money in the product and if there's something left over give it back to the employees or investors.
Tiger, makes Buick profits. His bigger than life image is great to have for a brand that needed a breath of new life.
Rocky
Sports Sedan, Lux sedan, Combo of the two ?
Rocky
I suppose the 1990 LS400 and 1994 Supra TT were figments of my imagination?
Well, I am not particularly targeting GM only, I had a chance to actually meet with the folks from Geely when I was in China and they have a business target in the sense where they want to be in the global automotive market, a very ambitous one. They are targeting GM. GM dominance in the auto industry serve as one of their mission. I think it is a long shot, at least for the time being.
In a recent article in the Businessweek, it mentioned about the struggle between the UAW and GM, Ford and Chrysler. The struggle would made more complicated if the US automakers can't compete with the Chinese in term of cost. I am not for any particular party, Chinese, American nor Japanese. I am definitely not talking about WWIII !!!! Its not that serious!
I am talking about the market and economic issues. No doubt, the Chinese are coming, like it or not. There will be loyalty among the vehicle owners to their current brand however when it come $$$, we all have to think twice maybe three times before making any purchases as the cost of living may play a key role in our decision making.
The Chinese may not dominate the automotive retail yet, but they have already play a role in the US automotive parts sector. In the near future, we will see Geely or Chery dealerships across the country, when that time comes, would you consider them?
The Supra was a nice car, but it wasn't "all that" and the Steaths, Vettes, Vipers, Z-28's, Trans-Am's, Mustangs, ran circles around it.
Rocky
-For one, China is known for being a low-cost producer, not a high quality producer. While China obviously has a very large, very low wage workforce, its ability to consistently deliver high quality products is another matter entirely.
-Americans tend to be value-oriented, rather than strictly price-oriented. While we want a lot for our money, we also tend to be willing to pay a premium for stuff that works pretty well and provides us with the features that we want. Even Detroit should have learned that selling Cavaliers at a discount will not prevent them from losing market share to higher priced imports and transplants that are perceived to be more desirable in other ways, such as having better reliability. Likewise, it took Hyundai many years to figure out that selling poor quality Excels at a rock bottom price worked only in the short run, not in the long run.
-Brand matters. Car makers have to work hard to earn a reputation, while it doesn't take much to lose one. People depend upon brands in part it helps them to know what they are getting -- the brand effectively reduces purchase risk, i.e. buying a Toyota was less likely to produce poor value than would have buying a Yugo, hence why Toyota could survive the Yugo onslaught.
For the Chinese cars to succeed in the US, a low price will not be enough to ensure survival here. They will need to be highly reliable, and be reasonable to drive and own for the price.
IMO, the more likely scenario is that established branded automakers build plants in China or other low cost markets to build cars for export elsewhere. We already have several major American and European automakers in lower wage nations such as South Korea, South Africa and Mexico building cars for North America, so I can't see why China can't be added to that list. Your average consumer would pay more for a Chinese-assembled Toyota than they would for a new brand that is untested, but major automakers must be careful that the pursuit of low wages doesn't result in reduced quality. (VW is one example already paying for this, its Mexican-built products are arguably worse than what they build elsewhere.)
I'm afraid dlim899, that there will be plenty of buyers if they are any good. :sick:
Rocky
I'm glad to socala
VW's should be built in Deutchland :shades: just like Bimmers, Benz's, Audi's.
Rocky
Don't remember the performance numbers, but I'd bet they are similar to a vette of that period
Mustang's with 5.0's and about $5k worth of mods would whip dem' Supra's butts :P
Toyota had 1 great performance car, and it wasn't really even that great.
it was a overpriced Celica
Rocky
The ZR-1 engine (LT-5) was regarded as the best built engine in the world. No Gaskets and German Engineered.
Would run all day long at 180-190 mph :shades:
http://zr1netregistry.com/ZR1_performance.htm :P Here's a good source :P
Rocky
Rocky
I know all about the ZR1's. My best friend's dad had one and it was in the shop more than in their garage with all sorts of engine problems. Still a cool car. Don't remember why GM had to use Mecury Marine to build the motor.
Yes, $5k will make a Mustang fast, but it's still a mustang. Just think what a chip would do for a Supra, but that is diffent subject and irrelavent
Still a cool car. Don't remember why GM had to use Mecury Marine to build the motor.
Well wouldn't you want the best engineered engine in the world going into your supercar ? Think this was the 1980's still.
Rocky
Yea, Dad wasn't really happy with that in the driveway.
hmmmmmm.....interesting. :confuse: I would assume your mom would be thankful to the UAW and GM, for allowing your dad to have good insurance. Who knows how bad it would of been if your dad wasn't able to qualify for social programs because of his networth, eh ?
Rocky
can't stop looking at the new ones coming out and I've wasted my share $$ on buying new.
In the past 20 years I've owned: 1 Chevy Chevette,3 Honda Accords, Alfa Rome Spider, 2 Ford Tauras (used HP fleet car), Acura RL, MBZ ML350, Honda Odyssey, Audi TT, BMW Z3, Lexus ES300.
Worst of this list was no doubt the Chevette, then the Alfa.
Today I drive an '04 F150. I considered a Chevy, but the "family" pricing was worse than what I felt I could do with the newly remodled F150. The wife drives the Odyssey.
I'm sure my dad, could of done well at alot of other companies as well. Mom is definitely thankful for the insurance, but GM isn't the only place that offers it.
It probably didn't help that my dad rarely liked his boss. He worked 35 years for GMAC in San Francisco. From college to retirement just one company.
I'm not sure if many GM fans know this, but GM dealers in the 70's actually sold Honda off their lots. I bought my first Accord from a Pontiac dealer.
Rocky
As for quality, I wouldn't underestimate the Chinese. They have made leaps and bounds over the past 10 years in that area much like the Japanese did back in the 70's.
If there ever was a reason to re-think free trade, look no further than the US trade deficit with China. It's a clear signal that Americans will consume just about anything China can deliver.
<------never knew that.
Rocky
Rocky
if Honda, Toyota, Nisan, BMW, MBZ can do it here then why not GM?
Low volume engine basically hand built.
yea, some people out there will stick with Folgers till the day they die, but they are going to die someday.
Some are laughing now, but someday with the Chinese, and India coming into the market place making ultra inexpensive vehicles, you might see such a radical thing like this happen. Don't any of you think the Chinese will be huge players in the world ? What if the next president of the United States is a protectionist and wants to ban all foreign company's from doing buisness here in the United States ???? :surprise: Under such as circumstance a merge with one of the domestics would be neccessary. :P
What I'm saying is it's possible under the right circumstances. I know it's a pie in the sky scenario, but Honda is a very wealthy company and perhaps could buy a ticket to the "big leagues" and embarrass Toyota whom want's that #1 spot so bad they can taste it. Just what if Honda said we are moving up to the TOP :surprise: !!!! :P
That's my 2 cents,
Rocky
P.S.
.75 Folgers is better than $5 or $6 dollar Starbucks served for the McMansion crowd :P
Rocky
Rocky
Ouch, it sounds as if you're fully prepared to ride this baby down...
-Firstly, I wouldn't assume that there is going to be much of a dividend going forward. It has already been cut by 50%, and could be cut again. (And if GM files BK, you can pretty much assume that the dividend will be history.) And in any case, the fact that GM is bleeding so much cash, yet still pays any dividend at all, is an indication that management is, once again, not ready to what it takes to solve the company's problems -- the last thing GM should be doing at this stage in the game is paying out money that it can ill afford to pay.
-You might want to actually look at these assets of which you speak, and the liabilities to match. According to GM's most recent annual report, the liabilities of the automaking divisions exceeded the assets by about $6.4 billion. Worse yet, the automaking division's current liabilities (those obligations that have to be paid within one year) exceed current assets by $20 billion.
-You can expect this to get worse. With GM's lack of cash, it will need to increase its short-term borrowing, which will become more expensive because of continued short-term rate increases by the Fed, coupled with GM's poor credit rating. So interest expense is going to increase the hit to the income statement. (And no, the cash that might be raised by the sale of GMAC is barely a drop in the bucket.)
Forget whether anyone can afford to buy GM -- no successful automaker would be foolish enough to do it. And a good look at the balance sheet should tell you that bankruptcy is a likely possibility, as the combined liability of the pensions, other retirement benefits and long-term debt exceeds $70 billion. It's likely that a BK would cause a significant hit to the stock price and the elimination of the dividend.
Conditions aren't even close to decent in those sweatshops, but it is helping the 3rd world move up a rung, investing needed capital in their economy, and it's a good thing overall. Plus, it's teaching trades to the people there, who before, only knew how to pick rice.
Nike, and other American companies should be commended for giving the folks there, and in China, and Mexico where Fords are made, the best living and jobs those poor people have ever had. Anyway, that's how I feel.
Thats just IMO, BTW