>whether it would have been worse if the banking system collapsed, or the auto industry and general economy collapsed; and people got really mad and marched on Washington in the millions, and started over with a new much smaller, simpler government?
Slightly off topic: Choices 2 and 3 there look pretty beneficial for the future of our country.
"......What sort of impact are these new vehicles having on the older models. For instance, the Equinox may be selling well, but what sort of impact has its success had on GM's clones the Saturn Vue and Pontiac Torrent? "
Forget about the Vue and Torrent, as they are no longer in production. But the Terrain is selling 10% better than the Vue was this time last year, and 387% better than the Torrent was. Remember, neither brand was scheduled for termination in 11/08.
As far as the Malibu, which has been in production for 2 years, it saw a 17.4% increase over last Nov. YTD sales are down 11.8% vs 2008, but the Camry and Accord are down OVER 25% YTD.
I was darn near suicidal with buyer's remorse when I bought my new Cadillac DTS Performance two years ago. The night I brought it home I was all excited, but the next morning I was like, "My God! What have I done?" I was thinking I should've either kept my 2002 Seville STS and ran it into the ground or bought a more sensible new Buick Lucerne CSX. The impact of that buyer's remorse has, however, faded with time. Funny, I didn't have that same feeling when I bought the Grand Marquis or the '88 Park Ave - probably because I didn't spend remotely as much on either of them as the DTS. In fact, I came to regard the Park Ave as one of my best choices.
I got a cool email the other week from Cadillac commemorating the event:
Dear (Lemko),
Celebrating the two years you've spent with your DTS may seem like a little thing, but it means a lot to us. We trust that you will continue to appreciate the culmination of more than 100 years of iconic design, engineering as art and an appreciation of innovation. These things can only be found in a Cadillac.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you and let you know how much we appreciate your business. It's owners like you who keep Cadillac moving forward.
In addition, we would like to remind you of all the benefits you have access to that can provide a rewarding Cadillac ownership experience. From the many benefits offered from OnStar® to the GM Card, it's easy to see you own more than a car you own a Cadillac.
I was darn near suicidal with buyer's remorse when I bought my new Cadillac DTS Performance two years ago.
A GM vehicle can do that to you;) All kidding aside, I don't think I've ever not experienced buyers remorse for a short period after each car purchase I've ever made. As soon as the new car comes home, you end up looking at the old car with rose colored glasses, forgetting what compelled you to get the new vehicle.
but doesn't this guy have a NY Yankees cap on and a San Diego Padres shirt?
Maybe it's just me but that's just not copasetic, dudes. That nullifies any coolness this dude may have wanted the Cadidillac to exude on us. Eh? Anyone else in my ballpark on this one?
If GM could sever all health care obligations, it would go a long way towards leveling the playing fiels in the car manuf'ing business. That along with wiping out all debt and regaining customers and finding new ones will help too. There is a small group who actually care and will be happier if GM never comes back to life. I can't figure out what is in it for them. I want Pittsburg to lose every football game and am estatic when it happens. I've had 7 doses of that this year alone. But a day or 2 later it hardly matters.
Obamacare was an attempt to spread the cost of all health care over all of us. Since I believe in self-determination, I side with no national health care that is free. but I do want regulations on ins. companies.
I don't see how I can help GM other than eventually getting a new Malibu. They probably don't seriously decay like the rental Fusion I drove did in 45k miles.
It's about the future drivers of cars...most will not drive GM's going forward than in the past.
$6,000 in incentives? If that is your point, I'm sure that GM will fail sooner than later with that proven failed strategy.
Look at it this way...there is no free lunch. CFC takers need to pay tax on the rebate.
Incentivized cars are worth that much less because the inherent value was taken upfront.
Many car shoppers never realize depreciation is the biggest cost when it comes to owning a new car. After 3 years, most new cars are worth about half what they were brand new. For a $30,000 car, the cost is equivalent to $5,000 per year.
It's important to pay attention to residual values and choose a car that will retain its value, especially if you intend to sell it within 5 years.
Kelley Blue Book just announced the results of its "2010 Best Resale Value" award winners and Toyota won the best brand for the first time since the awards began in 2003. Lexus was also awarded the best Luxury brand.
As for individual cars, here are the top 10 best cars to own when it comes to resale value:
1. Audi A5 2. BMW M3 3. Chevrolet Corvette 4. Chevrolet Camaro SS 5. Honda CR-V 6. Mini Cooper 7. Mini Cooper Clubman 8. Toyota Prius 9. Toyota RAV4 10. Toyota Tacoma
Many people who buy cars and plan to keep them beyond warranty care about parts availability and manufacturer support.
Perhaps not as many GM buyers, right?
I don't know. My last two domestics have cost me a killing in repairs, with my 07 Expedition being my latest headache. Issues with Expe are not done, hit 60k today and once again it's running like crap. Flashing check engine light and the engine has a severe miss that comes and goes. I've already dropped over $1k on this issue and it looks like I'll probably be getting bent over again. Looks like a very expensive Christmas this year.
This is why the D3 have lost business. I've had two domestic vehicles in a row that couldn't go past 60k miles without costing me lots of money and causing me headaches. It's getting old quick.
Join the club...I'm at $4K and counting on my wife's '03 Denali...nice when you HAVE to purchase extended warranty as a hedge against bankruptcy to to huge repair costs!
Let me ask you a question. Now that you have had extremely recent experience with our notorious American auto manufacturer's products, what will you consider as your next purchase for your auto needs?
In my case, I'm working on bleeding every last mile out of the Denali that is possible and purchased an '08 CR-V (11/08) that's been flawless for 17K miles which my 16YO daughter will inherit in 2012.
At that point, I will look at the market and "May the Best Car Win"!!
I was thinking I should've either kept my 2002 Seville STS and ran it into the ground
You made the right call. My boss has an SLS from the same generation as yours, and lately something has been draining the battery on it. Of course, the battery in question lives under the back seat and uses side-post terminals, so it's just short of impossible to get a good jumper cable connection on it. :mad:
Of course, the battery in question lives under the back seat and uses side-post terminals, so it's just short of impossible to get a good jumper cable connection on it.
So GM didn't even think ahead to put some external jump points in a more convenient location? :confuse: My Intrepid's battery was in an awkward place, buried down low in the front fender, ahead of the wheel well, and below the headlight and air filter, but it also had connections for jumper cables mounted high up in the engine bay, easy to get to.
>impossible to get a good jumper cable connection on it.
Whoa. Check the owner manual in the glovebox for the points to connect jumper cables under the hood. My leSabre is a derivative of the STS and has a jumper cable connect at the main fuse block located almost where the battery would have been under the hood. I assume the engine block serves as the negative connect point. My Cobalt has two clearer noted connect points for the positive and negatives under the hood beside the engine.
Come to think of it, I do recall a jumper cable connection point under the hood. I never had any issues with the battery in my Seville. It still had the original battery when I traded it.
This is why the D3 have lost business. I've had two domestic vehicles in a row that couldn't go past 60k miles without costing me lots of money and causing me headaches. It's getting old quick.
My 2005 Acura TL turned 90K this week. I've had one recall for a bad external temp sensor and one set of brakes, one battery, and two sets of tires. It does have a couple of internal rattles. It was assembled in USA of mostly domestic parts!
Availability of parts? Part of why D3 going bankrupt is because of tremendous onslaught of aftermarket parts. Manufacturer support? Describe that. I'm a little confused. Do I call the factory that made my car and ask to speak to the manufacturing engineer that oversees the assembly line that did the final machining on my brake part because I don't like the fact that I didn't reach x miles on my brake system troublefree? And at all non-GM and Chrysler brands, I can make said call?
Look at it this way...there is no free lunch. CFC takers need to pay tax on the rebate.
No they do not I see this lie repeated over and over all over the internet. Whatever Blog or email list you are hearing it from stop reading it. They are lying as part of their agenda whatever that agenda is and you should stop falling for it.
Dealers could pay tax on the C4C rebates as income but not consumers who used C4C to buy a car.
Join the club...I'm at $4K and counting on my wife's '03 Denali...nice when you HAVE to purchase extended warranty as a hedge against bankruptcy to to huge repair costs!
Let me ask you a question. Now that you have had extremely recent experience with our notorious American auto manufacturer's products, what will you consider as your next purchase for your auto needs?
At this point, I have no idea. I'm not at all happy that my local dealer serviced my 07 Expedition, charging me $1700 and it now runs worse than when I took it in. As far as an extended warranty, I didn't buy one. I was talking about the basic extended warranty to 60k that is powertrain only and does not cover most ignition type problems.
For my next vehicle, I don't know what I'm going to do. I really need a BOF vehicle that can tow 8k+ lbs. My only choices that are not domestic would basically be Sequoia/Tundra or Armada/Titan. While the Armada has several impressive qualities, looks like they are going away. Maybe I'll have to go to the other side and go with a Sequoia. Maybe Dodge's future will clear up and I'll go with a 2500 series Ram with a Cummins diesel. They seem to be reliable, plus they are the only diesel pickup that doesn't need urea injection to meet new EPA regs. I'd definitely avoid Ford's new diesel for the next few years, God only knows what type of new engineering shortfalls they've come up with and I still haven't forgiven GM over my Suburban.
A dealer who understood the program informed him he would have to pay state sales tax on the $4,500 federal voucher.
The reason: New Jersey tax officials -- unlike those in Pennsylvania and Connecticut -- decided last month that the clunker voucher wasn't the same as a trade-in and was subject to a 7 percent sales tax. That means he will have to pay an extra $315 in sales tax by participating in the federal Cars Allowance Rebate System and saving $4,500 on his new Honda.
"New Jersey should be satisfied with the incremental tax revenue that the CARS program will generate," Stypulkoski said. "Instead, New Jersey is grabbing for excessive sales tax revenue."
Weaknesses: quality is horrible. for what they charge chevy should rethink how they handle quality control.
Summary: Bought in Feb 06. have 2007 Fully loaded all the bells and whistles imaginable. After driving of the lot on our long ride home to Minnesota we noticed the steering wheel controls (cruise, radio, etc) didn't work at all. after getting fixed my windshield cracked had to get replaced. Then my check engine light came on a bad switch, then my radio was going in and out something electrical now my rear moldings are coming off my windows that is getting brought in today. other than that beautiful truck
Similar Products Used: GMC Yukon Denali and Chevrolet Tahoe
Vehicle
2009 Chevrolet Tahoe LT1 4dr SUV (5.3L 8cyl 6A)
Review
Our purchase of a new Chevy Tahoe has been a major disappointment to me. My wife enjoys the size and ride but we have owned Suburbans for the past 20 years. The fuel mileage has been the biggest disappointment with mileage no better than 14mpg whether highway or in town. Our old Suburban got 17 - 18 on the road. Performance is also not what was expected. The engine has died in the middle of a turn and there seems to be a small miss when slowing for a turn and then accelerating. Unexpectedly thee is NO storage under the seats or anywhere. All in all, for the money, I think a Lexus, BMW, or MB may have been a better idea.
I traded in my Dodge Caravan that I had for 17 years for the Honda CR-V. The ac works intermittently and I took it back within the first week and it was not fixed. I had to take it back and the clutch, temp sensor and thermal protector were replaced and it still had the problem after being 3 days in the shop. Now I took it back and the dealership is troubleshooting. It is day 3. I contacted Honda Corporate- disappointed- one more layer of mgmt. I am looking into the lemon law process. I have had the vehicle for less than 2 months and less than 300 miles and it has been in the shop 3 times already. I would suggest that before buying test the SUV and ac sufficiently.
Or:
Vehicle
2009 Honda CR-V EX 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 5A)
Review
Just got back from a 500 mile road trip and am seriously considering trading this vehicle in with only 2200 miles on it. I have owned 2 Hondas before - a 2001 Honda CRV and a 2005 Honda Accord and would never have expected the lousy design of the front seats in this vehicle. My right leg went numb after 100 miles. When I switched to the passenger seat I found out it is even worse. I'm a normal size guy (5'11"/190 lbs) and could not find a comfortable position. The seat cushions are too short. The headrests are too far forward. The seats are rock hard. What happened Honda? Is this cost-cutting? I won't buy another Honda ever after this.
Well I was sold on all the hype of reliability. My wife is really upset we traded a Chevy that has zero issues to one that has us at the Honda Dealer every week. All little stuff from rattles to AC not working. Oh yeah my second transmission in 18000 Miles. Did I get a lemon? Don't think so, lots of others in the waiting room at Honda thinking what did I do. Oh the new body style will be better; seems they are doing a redesign to modernize it like the Nissan, Chevy , Ford and Mitsubishi.
2 Trannies in 18,000 miles. NICE. NEVER went through that w/ my GM's
If your state taxed Rebates, as most states, do you should have expected to pay sales tax on that REBATE. In the end it was up to the individual states and I am surprised CT decided to treat it as Trade Allowance and not a rebate therefore not taxable.
Seriously a sequoia? I have taken so many in trade from generally unhappy owners.
Lots for LR3s and a few for XC90s and or other used SUVs. They do use the same frame as the Tundra so a good chance they may have the same rusting problems.
Since the 2010 Chevy Equinox is newly redesigned, significantly improved over the 2009 model, and just started on sale in the past a couple of months, it makes no sense to compare year to date sales.
Base on the same source (WSJ), the Nov sales numbers and change over last year are:
The Equinox's growth is many times faster than the CR-V; so the Equinox is winning and it's just a matter of a month or two before the Equinox passes the CR-V's sales.
Nah, neither of you are right here. You are comparing a sad sack of a sales month in 2008 for your 273% figure, and that won't last.
circle is comparing a whole year, which as you say is not taking into account the Equinox's redesign.
Let's see what calendar year 2010 looks like for both.
I am now seeing all these ads on TV with GM specifically attacking Lexus in its Buick ads, which won't win them any new friends in my region. I also have finally seen the much-discussed (here) ad with the Honda lawnmower in it. While it does point out that Honda does many things besides make cars, I think it makes its point too, that Honda isn't focused solely on cars and is in general a smaller player than GM is. On the surface that is an effective message for them to send; dig a little deeper and one must surely realize that this makes GM "too big to fail", which prompts the memory of the government-aided bankruptcy earlier in the year. Definitely a double-edged sword....
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Equinox passing the CR-V sales... Geez-that was funny!!! No way ,no how,not now,not ever ! :shades: GM`s story is like the lull before the storm-the storm being going totally bust GM has improved but nowhere near the competition . To be profitable- GM just doesn`t need to be competitive ,but they have to be better.
“ . . . what will you consider as your next purchase for your auto needs? At that point, I will look at the market and "May the Best Car Win"!!”
Hypothetically, if your daily driver was [ say ] crushed by a cement mixer today, what would YOU buy?
Since there are very, very few new G8 GTs still around – I would face a dilemma.
I do not see any imported RWD Sports Sedans that offer both the flavor of driving excitement that I prefer - and also come anywhere close to meeting the limits of my current budget.
And the D3 now offer no ‘reasonably priced’ RWD Sport Sedans that really interest me. [ Charger, for example, is a RWD Sport Sedan – but in several major respects just does not appeal. ]
Though it is a coupe, obviously, I suppose I’d have to actually drive a Camaro SS.
The Infiniti G37 Sedan is probably worth test driving.
Not sure what else . . ? - Ray Not ‘married’ to the D3, but put off by prices [ and other aspects of ] BMW Sport Sedans, for example . . .
so the Equinox is winning and it's just a matter of a month or two before the Equinox passes the CR-V's sales.
It doesn't matter on any individual model, or even if GM is the largest vehicle seller in the world. GM has been there, and has the best selling pickup/vehicle in the U.S.
IT is about making profit; not just sales. Profit, profit, profit. And not profit from a finance-arm, or profit from the 1-time sale of a division or land; it is about making PROFIT on their cars and trucks day-in-day-out for years. That is what GM is going to have to do to stay in business without dumping all its debts and expenses on the taxpayer.
Larger RWD cars that are thirsty are not going to be very popular, what with the higher MPG requirements just a few years away. If you want some fuel-sipping 4 cylinders, diesels, or hybrids you'll find a much better selection.
Your best bet if you have a limited budget as you suggest, is buy used, and find yourself a good mechanic and go aftermarket if you want big power. I was kicking the tires on-line, and you can a hell-of-a-deal on used vehicles sometimes. I saw a Mercedes dealer selling a 30K-mile Certified 2006 AMG S-series sedan for $54K, as an example! That's 1/3 of the original MSRP! Though that may be outside your budget, you might be surprised by what you can buy, when the toy-ness of a vehicle has worn off.
Hypothetically, if your daily driver was [ say ] crushed by a cement mixer today, what would YOU buy?
Ugh, I hope I don't have to go through that again anytime soon! It's one thing when you're tired of your car and are in the market for another car anyway...that can be fun. But when you have a car that you're happy with, is still running well, and you're not ready to get rid of and suddenly it gets whacked, that can be a real pain!
When my Intrepid got totaled last month, my first instinct was to go out and buy another, but then the more I thought about it, it's time to try something different, as I'd had that car for 10 years. If I had something like a G8 though, I have a feeling that I'd try hard to replace it with another. Actually, if I was more in the mood for a car payment, I would've seriously considered a G8.
If the Grand Marquis got crushed? I'd get a Buick LaCrosse or Buick Lucerne hands down!!! If my Cadillac DTS got crushed - another DTS.
You did the financially wise thing. You probably had the 'Trep paid off a long time ago and got used to having no car payments. Some people think a car payment is something constant like the gas bill. I wanted to save up the money and buy a DTS outright, but I just went nuts one day when I went to have my Seville STS serviced. I can't sit still waiting for the car to be done, so I wander around the showroom and the lot.
Since the 2010 Chevy Equinox is newly redesigned, significantly improved over the 2009 model, and just started on sale in the past a couple of months, it makes no sense to compare year to date sales.
But then it also makes no sense to compare to the new model sales for a couple of months, since new vehicles often get a 'bounce' that settles down after 6-12 months.
And a new or redesigned model better sell quite a few copies to pay for the design and tooling changes which are many millions of $'s per model.
If you look back at what the auto market was like in the 60's and early 70's, you had a lot fewer major players. Import sales were a blip on the sales chart. But now you have all these players in the game of making and selling vehicles, and none of them sell enough to quickly pay for the design and really get and keep the factories humming.
I guess it's a different world from when you could go down any street and find 2 Chevy Impalas on the street, and Ford was selling 500,000 Mustangs a year. Now you have these car companies hoping to sell 100,000 of a model, and that's what they consider a success.
I've done a lot of costing analysis over the years, and I bet the marketing and executive people don't have a clue on how inaccurate their internal-costing is, and the real costs of having numerous low-selling models.
Chrysler has been a lost cause since their first bailout, now they are on like bailout #5 with all the underhanded dealings and money laundering going on by our gov't.
Ford is the only domestice company that's worth a lick, and not that many licks at that.
It's time America started manufacturing something we are actually capable of doing well, because cars ain't it!
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
Well, the CR-V I own now will go to the 16 YO daughter in 2 years...so I'm waiting until then to buy MY next vehicle. But the G37 is on the top of my list. All the comfort you need but out performs all GM's sedans in the price/quality/value proposition afaic.
I totally agree the prices on the D3 are not competitive, though some on this board defend GM to the death. The Charger is long in the tooth and the one waiting in the wings looks interesting from the concept. The Camaro would be OK if I wanted a coupe and I would honestly consider it against a G coupe and the Hyundai Gen coupe.
When I bought the 2008 CR-V, I cross-shopped the Ewequinox for the fun of it....dependability a sore thumb aside, the price was laughable and the design quite boring.
I have to say the current 'nox is vastly improved in the looks department...the jury is still out on the dependability for the new version and the price is still too high!
See? I can say positive things about GM...including the NEW LaCrosse is an exceptional change from GM. Problem is MOST of GM's vehicles are not beating the competition at the end of the day in today's market.
Don't forget, in 2010 there's no more Saturn Vue, which was always good for a fair number of sales. ;-)
I see that the CRV is the highest-rated Honda for resale value, and top 10 among all models by all manufacturers.
When Ford redesigns the Escape, they may dust everybody if they do a good job of the redo. And supposedly Toyota is working O/T right now to produce more RAV4s because they have been so popular. This is a highly contested segment, and yes the new Equinox could make a much better showing for itself in 2010 than it has in the past. The past model was so awful I couldn't imagine how ANYBODY would pay their own good money for one, and as most of the sales were to rental fleets, I guess the answer was they wouldn't.
But I have driven the Vue, and it is a nice drive, and if the Equinox is basically the same, it's a solid competitor.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
".....I am now seeing all these ads on TV with GM specifically attacking Lexus in its Buick ads, which won't win them any new friends in my region."
Maybe not your region, but the rest of the country IS responding. The Lacrosse sales are within 15% or so of the ES 350 (market leader), and the Lacrosse has only been out for 4 months. I saw an ad for a CXS equipped exactly as mine (MSRP of $37880) at Herb Chambers and the only rebate they were offering was the $500 in lieu of the 60 day guarantee.
".....IT is about making profit; not just sales. Profit, profit, profit. And not profit from a finance-arm, or profit from the 1-time sale of a division or land; it is about making PROFIT on their cars and trucks day-in-day-out for years. That is what GM is going to have to do to stay in business without dumping all its debts and expenses on the taxpayer. "
I agree 100%. I just don't think you will see this happen 90 or 180 days after bankruptcy. But incremental improvements are important. I would HOPE that by the time the first quarter 2010 results are announced, we will see a profit.
Comments
Slightly off topic: Choices 2 and 3 there look pretty beneficial for the future of our country.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Forget about the Vue and Torrent, as they are no longer in production. But the Terrain is selling 10% better than the Vue was this time last year, and 387% better than the Torrent was. Remember, neither brand was scheduled for termination in 11/08.
As far as the Malibu, which has been in production for 2 years, it saw a 17.4% increase over last Nov. YTD sales are down 11.8% vs 2008, but the Camry and Accord are down OVER 25% YTD.
I got a cool email the other week from Cadillac commemorating the event:
Dear (Lemko),
Celebrating the two years you've spent with your DTS may seem like a little thing, but it means a lot to us. We trust that you will continue to appreciate the culmination of more than 100 years of iconic design, engineering as art and an appreciation of innovation. These things can only be found in a Cadillac.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you and let you know how much we appreciate your business. It's owners like you who keep Cadillac moving forward.
In addition, we would like to remind you of all the benefits you have access to that can provide a rewarding Cadillac ownership experience. From the many benefits offered from OnStar® to the GM Card, it's easy to see you own more than a car you own a Cadillac.
Your Cadillac Team
A GM vehicle can do that to you;) All kidding aside, I don't think I've ever not experienced buyers remorse for a short period after each car purchase I've ever made. As soon as the new car comes home, you end up looking at the old car with rose colored glasses, forgetting what compelled you to get the new vehicle.
Maybe it's just me but that's just not copasetic, dudes. That nullifies any coolness this dude may have wanted the Cadidillac to exude on us. Eh? Anyone else in my ballpark on this one?
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
They already have the car. If I wanted to buy a new car, why not get the one with $6000 taped on the front hood?
Obamacare was an attempt to spread the cost of all health care over all of us. Since I believe in self-determination, I side with no national health care that is free. but I do want regulations on ins. companies.
I don't see how I can help GM other than eventually getting a new Malibu. They probably don't seriously decay like the rental Fusion I drove did in 45k miles.
$6,000 in incentives? If that is your point, I'm sure that GM will fail sooner than later with that proven failed strategy.
Look at it this way...there is no free lunch. CFC takers need to pay tax on the rebate.
Incentivized cars are worth that much less because the inherent value was taken upfront.
Many car shoppers never realize depreciation is the biggest cost when it comes to owning a new car. After 3 years, most new cars are worth about half what they were brand new. For a $30,000 car, the cost is equivalent to $5,000 per year.
It's important to pay attention to residual values and choose a car that will retain its value, especially if you intend to sell it within 5 years.
Kelley Blue Book just announced the results of its "2010 Best Resale Value" award winners and Toyota won the best brand for the first time since the awards began in 2003. Lexus was also awarded the best Luxury brand.
As for individual cars, here are the top 10 best cars to own when it comes to resale value:
1. Audi A5
2. BMW M3
3. Chevrolet Corvette
4. Chevrolet Camaro SS
5. Honda CR-V
6. Mini Cooper
7. Mini Cooper Clubman
8. Toyota Prius
9. Toyota RAV4
10. Toyota Tacoma
#2 and #3 are on my list before I die.
Regards,
OW
They already have the car. If I wanted to buy a new car, why not get the one with $6000 taped on the front hood?
Many people who buy cars and plan to keep them beyond warranty care about parts availability and manufacturer support.
Perhaps not as many GM buyers, right?
Perhaps not as many GM buyers, right?
I don't know. My last two domestics have cost me a killing in repairs, with my 07 Expedition being my latest headache. Issues with Expe are not done, hit 60k today and once again it's running like crap. Flashing check engine light and the engine has a severe miss that comes and goes. I've already dropped over $1k on this issue and it looks like I'll probably be getting bent over again. Looks like a very expensive Christmas this year.
This is why the D3 have lost business. I've had two domestic vehicles in a row that couldn't go past 60k miles without costing me lots of money and causing me headaches. It's getting old quick.
Let me ask you a question. Now that you have had extremely recent experience with our notorious American auto manufacturer's products, what will you consider as your next purchase for your auto needs?
In my case, I'm working on bleeding every last mile out of the Denali that is possible and purchased an '08 CR-V (11/08) that's been flawless for 17K miles which my 16YO daughter will inherit in 2012.
At that point, I will look at the market and "May the Best Car Win"!!
Regards,
OW
You made the right call. My boss has an SLS from the same generation as yours, and lately something has been draining the battery on it. Of course, the battery in question lives under the back seat and uses side-post terminals, so it's just short of impossible to get a good jumper cable connection on it. :mad:
So GM didn't even think ahead to put some external jump points in a more convenient location? :confuse: My Intrepid's battery was in an awkward place, buried down low in the front fender, ahead of the wheel well, and below the headlight and air filter, but it also had connections for jumper cables mounted high up in the engine bay, easy to get to.
Whoa. Check the owner manual in the glovebox for the points to connect jumper cables under the hood. My leSabre is a derivative of the STS and has a jumper cable connect at the main fuse block located almost where the battery would have been under the hood. I assume the engine block serves as the negative connect point. My Cobalt has two clearer noted connect points for the positive and negatives under the hood beside the engine.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
My 2005 Acura TL turned 90K this week. I've had one recall for a bad external temp sensor and one set of brakes, one battery, and two sets of tires. It does have a couple of internal rattles. It was assembled in USA of mostly domestic parts!
I'm gonna go with retarded again.
No they do not I see this lie repeated over and over all over the internet. Whatever Blog or email list you are hearing it from stop reading it. They are lying as part of their agenda whatever that agenda is and you should stop falling for it.
Dealers could pay tax on the C4C rebates as income but not consumers who used C4C to buy a car.
http://www.cars.gov/faq#category-06
s the credit subject to being taxed as income to the consumers that participate in the program?
NO. The CARS Act expressly provides that the credit is not income for the consumer.
Let me ask you a question. Now that you have had extremely recent experience with our notorious American auto manufacturer's products, what will you consider as your next purchase for your auto needs?
At this point, I have no idea. I'm not at all happy that my local dealer serviced my 07 Expedition, charging me $1700 and it now runs worse than when I took it in. As far as an extended warranty, I didn't buy one. I was talking about the basic extended warranty to 60k that is powertrain only and does not cover most ignition type problems.
For my next vehicle, I don't know what I'm going to do. I really need a BOF vehicle that can tow 8k+ lbs. My only choices that are not domestic would basically be Sequoia/Tundra or Armada/Titan. While the Armada has several impressive qualities, looks like they are going away. Maybe I'll have to go to the other side and go with a Sequoia. Maybe Dodge's future will clear up and I'll go with a 2500 series Ram with a Cummins diesel. They seem to be reliable, plus they are the only diesel pickup that doesn't need urea injection to meet new EPA regs. I'd definitely avoid Ford's new diesel for the next few years, God only knows what type of new engineering shortfalls they've come up with and I still haven't forgiven GM over my Suburban.
The reason: New Jersey tax officials -- unlike those in Pennsylvania and Connecticut -- decided last month that the clunker voucher wasn't the same as a trade-in and was subject to a 7 percent sales tax. That means he will have to pay an extra $315 in sales tax by participating in the federal Cars Allowance Rebate System and saving $4,500 on his new Honda.
"New Jersey should be satisfied with the incremental tax revenue that the CARS program will generate," Stypulkoski said. "Instead, New Jersey is grabbing for excessive sales tax revenue."
It's tax in NJ anyway.
Regards,
OW
Better than another failed GM! It ain't only me.
Price Paid: $46000.00 from South Dakota
Year / Model Reviewed:
2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
Strengths:
Looks great, great features
Weaknesses:
quality is horrible. for what they charge chevy should rethink how they handle quality control.
Summary:
Bought in Feb 06. have 2007 Fully loaded all the bells and whistles imaginable. After driving of the lot on our long ride home to Minnesota we noticed the steering wheel controls (cruise, radio, etc) didn't work at all. after getting fixed my windshield cracked had to get replaced. Then my check engine light came on a bad switch, then my radio was going in and out something electrical now my rear moldings are coming off my windows that is getting brought in today. other than that beautiful truck
Similar Products Used:
GMC Yukon Denali and Chevrolet Tahoe
Vehicle
2009 Chevrolet Tahoe LT1 4dr SUV (5.3L 8cyl 6A)
Review
Our purchase of a new Chevy Tahoe has been a major disappointment to me. My wife enjoys the size and ride but we have owned Suburbans for the past 20 years. The fuel mileage has been the biggest disappointment with mileage no better than 14mpg whether highway or in town. Our old Suburban got 17 - 18 on the road. Performance is also not what was expected. The engine has died in the middle of a turn and there seems to be a small miss when slowing for a turn and then accelerating. Unexpectedly thee is NO storage under the seats or anywhere. All in all, for the money, I think a Lexus, BMW, or MB may have been a better idea.
That is the definition of junk!
Regards,
OW
2009 Honda CR-V LX 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl 5A)
Review
I traded in my Dodge Caravan that I had for 17 years for the Honda CR-V. The ac works intermittently and I took it back within the first week and it was not fixed. I had to take it back and the clutch, temp sensor and thermal protector were replaced and it still had the problem after being 3 days in the shop. Now I took it back and the dealership is troubleshooting. It is day 3. I contacted Honda Corporate- disappointed- one more layer of mgmt. I am looking into the lemon law process. I have had the vehicle for less than 2 months and less than 300 miles and it has been in the shop 3 times already. I would suggest that before buying test the SUV and ac sufficiently.
Or:
Vehicle
2009 Honda CR-V EX 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 5A)
Review
Just got back from a 500 mile road trip and am seriously considering trading this vehicle in with only 2200 miles on it. I have owned 2 Hondas before - a 2001 Honda CRV and a 2005 Honda Accord and would never have expected the lousy design of the front seats in this vehicle. My right leg went numb after 100 miles. When I switched to the passenger seat I found out it is even worse. I'm a normal size guy (5'11"/190 lbs) and could not find a comfortable position. The seat cushions are too short. The headrests are too far forward. The seats are rock hard. What happened Honda? Is this cost-cutting? I won't buy another Honda ever after this.
OR:
Just Another
Written by: Boring on 07/20/2009
Detailed Ratings
Overall Rating
Performance: 4 Fun-to-Drive: 1 Build Quality: 3
Comfort: 3 Interior Design: 1 Reliability: 2
Fuel Economy: 3 Exterior Design: 3
Vehicle
2009 Honda CR-V EX-L 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 5A)
Review
Well I was sold on all the hype of reliability. My wife is really upset we traded a Chevy that has zero issues to one that has us at the Honda Dealer every week. All little stuff from rattles to AC not working. Oh yeah my second transmission in 18000 Miles. Did I get a lemon? Don't think so, lots of others in the waiting room at Honda thinking what did I do. Oh the new body style will be better; seems they are doing a redesign to modernize it like the Nissan, Chevy , Ford and Mitsubishi.
2 Trannies in 18,000 miles. NICE. NEVER went through that w/ my GM's
CR-V Sales BLOW AWAY Equinox Sales.
Let me know when Chevy Wins in this category, OK?
Regards,
OW
If your state taxed Rebates, as most states, do you should have expected to pay sales tax on that REBATE. In the end it was up to the individual states and I am surprised CT decided to treat it as Trade Allowance and not a rebate therefore not taxable.
Lots for LR3s and a few for XC90s and or other used SUVs. They do use the same frame as the Tundra so a good chance they may have the same rusting problems.
Honda sold 6,502 Pilots to GM's 14,568 Lambda's.
I guess the best cars ARE winning!!!
You should also pull out any sales of the Outlook.
Subtract 581 Outlooks
CR-V = 172,528 - Ewequinox = 73,437
Close? Give us a break!
Top 20
Yes, the best cars are winning! :shades:
Regards,
OW
Regards,
OW
Base on the same source (WSJ), the Nov sales numbers and change over last year are:
Honda CR-V: 13955, +14.8%
Chevy Equinox: 9587, +273.0%
The Equinox's growth is many times faster than the CR-V; so the Equinox is winning and it's just a matter of a month or two before the Equinox passes the CR-V's sales.
circle is comparing a whole year, which as you say is not taking into account the Equinox's redesign.
Let's see what calendar year 2010 looks like for both.
I am now seeing all these ads on TV with GM specifically attacking Lexus in its Buick ads, which won't win them any new friends in my region. I also have finally seen the much-discussed (here) ad with the Honda lawnmower in it. While it does point out that Honda does many things besides make cars, I think it makes its point too, that Honda isn't focused solely on cars and is in general a smaller player than GM is. On the surface that is an effective message for them to send; dig a little deeper and one must surely realize that this makes GM "too big to fail", which prompts the memory of the government-aided bankruptcy earlier in the year. Definitely a double-edged sword....
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
GM`s story is like the lull before the storm-the storm being going totally bust
GM has improved but nowhere near the competition . To be profitable- GM just doesn`t need to be competitive ,but they have to be better.
At that point, I will look at the market and "May the Best Car Win"!!”
Hypothetically, if your daily driver was [ say ] crushed by a cement mixer today, what would YOU buy?
Since there are very, very few new G8 GTs still around – I would face a dilemma.
I do not see any imported RWD Sports Sedans that offer both the flavor of driving excitement that I prefer - and also come anywhere close to meeting the limits of my current budget.
And the D3 now offer no ‘reasonably priced’ RWD Sport Sedans that really interest me. [ Charger, for example, is a RWD Sport Sedan – but in several major respects just does not appeal. ]
Though it is a coupe, obviously, I suppose I’d have to actually drive a Camaro SS.
The Infiniti G37 Sedan is probably worth test driving.
Not sure what else . . ?
- Ray
Not ‘married’ to the D3, but put off by prices
[ and other aspects of ]
BMW Sport Sedans, for example . . .
It doesn't matter on any individual model, or even if GM is the largest vehicle seller in the world. GM has been there, and has the best selling pickup/vehicle in the U.S.
IT is about making profit; not just sales. Profit, profit, profit. And not profit from a finance-arm, or profit from the 1-time sale of a division or land; it is about making PROFIT on their cars and trucks day-in-day-out for years. That is what GM is going to have to do to stay in business without dumping all its debts and expenses on the taxpayer.
Your best bet if you have a limited budget as you suggest, is buy used, and find yourself a good mechanic and go aftermarket if you want big power. I was kicking the tires on-line, and you can a hell-of-a-deal on used vehicles sometimes. I saw a Mercedes dealer selling a 30K-mile Certified 2006 AMG S-series sedan for $54K, as an example! That's 1/3 of the original MSRP! Though that may be outside your budget, you might be surprised by what you can buy, when the toy-ness of a vehicle has worn off.
Ugh, I hope I don't have to go through that again anytime soon! It's one thing when you're tired of your car and are in the market for another car anyway...that can be fun. But when you have a car that you're happy with, is still running well, and you're not ready to get rid of and suddenly it gets whacked, that can be a real pain!
When my Intrepid got totaled last month, my first instinct was to go out and buy another, but then the more I thought about it, it's time to try something different, as I'd had that car for 10 years. If I had something like a G8 though, I have a feeling that I'd try hard to replace it with another. Actually, if I was more in the mood for a car payment, I would've seriously considered a G8.
You did the financially wise thing. You probably had the 'Trep paid off a long time ago and got used to having no car payments. Some people think a car payment is something constant like the gas bill. I wanted to save up the money and buy a DTS outright, but I just went nuts one day when I went to have my Seville STS serviced. I can't sit still waiting for the car to be done, so I wander around the showroom and the lot.
But then it also makes no sense to compare to the new model sales for a couple of months, since new vehicles often get a 'bounce' that settles down after 6-12 months.
If you look back at what the auto market was like in the 60's and early 70's, you had a lot fewer major players. Import sales were a blip on the sales chart. But now you have all these players in the game of making and selling vehicles, and none of them sell enough to quickly pay for the design and really get and keep the factories humming.
I guess it's a different world from when you could go down any street and find 2 Chevy Impalas on the street, and Ford was selling 500,000 Mustangs a year. Now you have these car companies hoping to sell 100,000 of a model, and that's what they consider a success.
I've done a lot of costing analysis over the years, and I bet the marketing and executive people don't have a clue on how inaccurate their internal-costing is, and the real costs of having numerous low-selling models.
Chrysler has been a lost cause since their first bailout, now they are on like bailout #5 with all the underhanded dealings and money laundering going on by our gov't.
Ford is the only domestice company that's worth a lick, and not that many licks at that.
It's time America started manufacturing something we are actually capable of doing well, because cars ain't it!
I totally agree the prices on the D3 are not competitive, though some on this board defend GM to the death. The Charger is long in the tooth and the one waiting in the wings looks interesting from the concept. The Camaro would be OK if I wanted a coupe and I would honestly consider it against a G coupe and the Hyundai Gen coupe.
When I bought the 2008 CR-V, I cross-shopped the Ewequinox for the fun of it....dependability a sore thumb aside, the price was laughable and the design quite boring.
I have to say the current 'nox is vastly improved in the looks department...the jury is still out on the dependability for the new version and the price is still too high!
See? I can say positive things about GM...including the NEW LaCrosse is an exceptional change from GM. Problem is MOST of GM's vehicles are not beating the competition at the end of the day in today's market.
Regards,
OW
CR-V Sales :shades:
Calendar Year Total American sales
1999 120,754
2000 118,260
2001 118,313
2002 146,266
2003 143,909
2004 149,281
2005 150,219
2006 170,028
2007 219,160
2008 197,279
Ewequinox Sales :lemon:
Calendar Year Sales
2004 84,024
2005 130,542
2006 113,888
2007 89,552
2008 67,447
May the Best Car Win!
Regards,
OW
I see that the CRV is the highest-rated Honda for resale value, and top 10 among all models by all manufacturers.
When Ford redesigns the Escape, they may dust everybody if they do a good job of the redo. And supposedly Toyota is working O/T right now to produce more RAV4s because they have been so popular. This is a highly contested segment, and yes the new Equinox could make a much better showing for itself in 2010 than it has in the past. The past model was so awful I couldn't imagine how ANYBODY would pay their own good money for one, and as most of the sales were to rental fleets, I guess the answer was they wouldn't.
But I have driven the Vue, and it is a nice drive, and if the Equinox is basically the same, it's a solid competitor.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Maybe not your region, but the rest of the country IS responding. The Lacrosse sales are within 15% or so of the ES 350 (market leader), and the Lacrosse has only been out for 4 months. I saw an ad for a CXS equipped exactly as mine (MSRP of $37880) at Herb Chambers and the only rebate they were offering was the $500 in lieu of the 60 day guarantee.
I agree 100%. I just don't think you will see this happen 90 or 180 days after bankruptcy. But incremental improvements are important. I would HOPE that by the time the first quarter 2010 results are announced, we will see a profit.