The first batch of 2012 Honda Civics is being recalled to address a potential fuel leak. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the recall affects both two- and four-door models of the car built between April 21 and May 2 of this year.
The Problem: An O-ring that seals two pipes near the Civic’s fuel tank may be misaligned, which could allow fuel to leak from the pipes. As NHTSA points out, leaking gasoline could cause a fire if it contacts a hot surface, such as an exhaust. Honda says very few of the cars have actually been sold to customers so far, and that no injuries or fires have been reported.
The Fix: Honda will repair all 2012 Civics sold to customers and those still at dealerships. The fuel line will be replaced free of charge under the recall, which begins May 27.
Number of Vehicles Potentially Affected: 1156 2012 Honda Civics
Now the Cruze...
Recently, General Motors announced a new recall involving 154,112 units of the 2011 model year Cruze. GM said the reason is about a steering issue wether it’s properly installed. GM also will use the latest one action to check on another issue that might affect some 120,000 models with automatic transmission to verify whether the transmission shift linkage was properly installed.
Chevrolet Cruze is a compact sedan was GM’s second best selling vehicle in April. It built in Lordstown, Ohio for the U.S. and Canadian markets. GM also added that no accidents or injuries related to the Cruze recall have been reported.
And then there's my sister, who drove a used Volvo wagon for well over a decade, the longest she's ever owned a car. It was likely her favorite ride; her MGB was fun but it dropped the radiator on the highway, and never ran well.
Want a small car? Want one built in the US? GM says the Chevy Sonic will be your only option. Coming later this year from Michigan.
If I were like certain folks on this GM forum, I'd now go over to the Civic forum and post about this recall and be snide about it. But I won't do that.
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I guess swearing off domestics now because of a 1995 Neon is like saying you wouldn't buy a new '64 1/2 Mustang because your '48 Ford Business Coupe was lousy.
We'd all be rolling our eyes at the guy who said that, right?
I don't agree. For example, in my case it was my best friend's brand-spanking-new Vega in 1974 that rusted out and then engine failed in four years. That gets your attention (I drove a VW Bug at the time). And then I saw GM's smaller cars continue to be junk until at least the 2000's. Practically my entire working career! Always waiting for this company that botched the Vega so badly to earn its reputation as the #1 auto maker. And always coming up short in many areas.
As another poster said about their mid-seventies Volvo, the market DOES have a long memory. It is probably related to the magnitude of the cost of a car vs. your TV or hair dryer or iPod. You don't want a purchase of that magnitude to suck! And you will remember if it does!
Whether logical or not, this IS the way the auto market works. Wouldn't it behoove every auto maker to not nickel and dime the small stuff, and to provide a sterling customer experience? I know that I would put up with a moderate level of problems in a car if I felt the service was excellent -- as you received from GM, given your previous posts. But this is not true for everybody's experience!
Memories are long. Any auto maker who forgets that is in for a long slide downhill.... as Toyota is discovering.
I saw the Sonic at the auto show this past Feb. It was a total surprise as I had heard nothing about it. Honestly, I hate the hatchback's looks, but the 4-door sedan had a pleasant shape to my 53-year-old eyes. I could see it replacing my Cobalt in a few years. I think being built in the 'States is only a positive thing (although I fully anticipate to hear from others arguing that point).
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Here's one that looks pretty good to me. (I know, by '77 they had been improved). I still like the styling better than anything else in its price/size class back then:
put up with a moderate level of problems in a car if I felt the service was excellent
Quarterly balance sheets and difficulty in policing your franchisees gives lie to that dream, but a good dealer can make even a lemon tolerable.
The first dealer network that emulates AutoZone and begins offering free (or even just cheap) check engine light checks will make so many customers happy, the goodwill will be dripping from the poly pennants flying over the car lot.
Use it like a loss leader oil change and don't rip people off with a $90 diagnostic fee just for hooking up the OBDII reader. The ones with a simple loose gas cap get a jail out of free card and remember the nice tech who sent them one with a smile and no bill.
The ones with a suspicious 02 sensor may get another opinion from an independent mechanic, but they are already at the shop. May as well leave the car and get shuttled to the office and get it fixed at the dealer on the same day.
Quarterly balance sheets and difficulty in policing your franchisees gives lie to that dream, but a good dealer can make even a lemon tolerable.
The first dealer network that emulates AutoZone and begins offering free (or even just cheap) check engine light checks will make so many customers happy, the goodwill will be dripping from the poly pennants flying over the car lot.
You know, VW had a great dealer network in the '60s and into the '70's. But they let it slide and today, even if you love the cars, the dealers kind of suck, brand-wise. Of course there are exceptions but most people would agree with that. And it hurts the brand.
One of the biggest reasons Lexus took off in the late '80's was exceptional dealer service. Saturn, too, before GM butchered the brand.
Quality of the dealer network is underestimated in importance.
I think GM underestimated that factor when they decided to cut Saturn loose. How many other car brands had big owner "reunions" at the factory like Saturn ran in TN?
Like I keep saying, until I have problems with my Honda, there will be no complaints from me on those boards. I am tickled pink with the CR-V because I NEVER owned a GM and never had to bring it to the dealer in 48K miles as this Honda has proven the most reliable car I've owned. The warranty will be over in November but still not a single issue. A/C is flawless.
My beef is with GM. They have continuing issues....just like Hyundai....but I never owned a Hyundai so do not need to post there. Their owners are able enough to post those recall there.
I think GM underestimated that factor when they decided to cut Saturn loose.
Big time.
In fact, GM should've dropped the Buick name (whose buyers will all be dead of old age in 5 years anyway), and kept Saturn. There are few brands whose owners are as loyal and excited about their vehicles as Saturn. Some are gearheads, most are not, but they LOVE their Saturns.
Case in point: My sister, who didn't even want to consider a GM vehicle until the Aura hit the streets for the '07 model year. I had to convince her that, despite it being a GM, she may like it. After her first test-drive, she was hooked! She drove everything else in the class, but she kept going back to the Aura, and it ended up being her first new car. She loved the dealership experience, and the car was trouble-free, until February of '10, when she lost control on some black ice on I-81, and ran head-on into a guardrail at 65 MPH. The Aura was totaled, but she walked away with only a few bruises.
Exactly three minutes after being confirmed that the Aura was totaled, she was online looking if she could find ANY brand-new Auras left (there wasn't any). She settled on a loaded '09 Aura that was a previous-rental with only 11K miles. She drives for her job, and has about 38K miles on it now, without a single issue. No rattles, no CELs, no loose trim, no problems whatsoever.
She has seen the Regal, but refuses to buy from a brand that is associated with the blue-haired set that drives 52 MPH in a 65-MPH-zone with their left blinker on for the past 18 miles.
Stereotype? Maybe, but IMO GM had a better chance of retaining current owners (and perhaps lowering their average age demographic with younger buyers) by sticking with Saturn.
Gotta disagree about dropping Buick. Yes the buyers tend to be older, but Buick is more established name than Saturn. Besides, those old folks have money!
As I said before, leave it to GM to mess up a good thing like Saturn.....it just became another brand like Hummer, Pontiac.....
I know people with early Saturns loved the experience, but I never minded haggling on price because I go in prepared. I think the 'car club' mindset of early Saturn owners was a little off-putting to me, though I don't know why.
It's too bad to not consider a new Buick because of image. A Regal is way sportier-looking than an Aura IMHO.
Perceptions are a hard thing to budge, unfortunately.
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I agree with you about Saturn but Pontiac had just as much established as Buick. Cadillac fills the luxury category nicely for GM. All they needed to do was to introduce a Cadillac model below the CTS and they would have been set up across the board to compete properly. They did not need another poor man's Cadillac brand in Buick. Pontiac should have been kept instead, retooled to have 4-5 sport oriented models to compete against Mazda, Nissan, Scion, etc.
You don't even get a loaner car with a Buick at least not with any of my local GM dealers and some of those Buick's get just as expensive as some of the lower end Cadillac models. Let's see a $45K Buick where I get no loaner or a $45k Cadillac where I do get a loaner and more prestige, that a tough choice!
Pontiac should have been kept instead, retooled to have 4-5 sport oriented models to compete against Mazda, Nissan, Scion, etc.
I've always been a Pontiac fan, and would have liked to have seen that happen. Unfortunately, GM had other plans, and had been running Pontiac into the ground for years. The only Pontiacs I would have seriously considered, in recent memory, are the final-gen Bonneville or the G8.
As for Buick, I've always liked them in the past, because you could get most of the luxury of a Cadillac, but in a package that was more conservative and less flashy (or in some years, less pimpy!). The new LaCrosse does seem to be selling well, but I don't know how well it would work as a Cadillac. IMO, it competes with the likes of the Lexus ES350, and while Lexus gets away with it, to me, a car in the LaCrosse's price range would cheapen the brand name a bit.
You can seen that there's no problem to cut off the Hummer and Saab. But Pontiac was the 3rd best selling brand with 267k vehicles or 9% of the total GM sales! I don't think it's a wise decision.
But Pontiac was the 3rd best selling brand with 267k vehicles or 9% of the total GM sales! I don't think it's a wise decision.
Those numbers don't look too bad on the surface. However, by 2008, I believe Pontiac had become GM's go-to brand for fleet sales. I know the G6 and Grand Prix depended on a lot of fleet sales. I'm not sure how many G5's they were selling at that time, but I'd imagine they were mostly fleet models as well.
Buick used to see higher sales in the early 2000's, but a lot of Centurys, Regals, LeSabre Customs, and base Park Avenues were sold into fleets. With the LaCrosse and Lucerne, GM has tried to cut back, and most of them have been more profitable retail sales.
In 2008, Buick only had four models: LaCrosse, Lucerne, the Terraza minivan, and Enclave SUV. Pontiac had seven: G5, G6, Grand Prix, G8, Solstice, Vibe, and the Torrent SUV.
So, Buick sold about half as many units, but also had 4/7 of the models, and didn't benefit from the padding of fleet sales.
I went to www.fueleconomy.gov to look up those models, as I couldn't remember what was or wasn't around in 2008. They do still list the Terraza, however, I looked up 2008 Buicks at KBB.com, and they don't have a listing for it. So, I guess we need to add the federal gov't to that list of publications like those Consumer Reports auto encyclopedias, where you have to take what they say with a grain of salt! Although honestly, I take what MOST of the federal gov't says, with a grain of salt! :P
Japanese cars used to be known for their better fuel efficiencies. Not anymore.
All fuel efficient numbers quoted here are the official EPA ratings for highway driving; all cars are gasoline powered 4 door models, not the diesel or hybrid models; the highest mpg trim in each model.
First take a look the compact car segment: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco, 42 mph 2012 Ford Focus, 40 mpg 2011 Hyundai Elantra, 40 mpg 2012 Honda Civic, 39 mpg 2011 Toyota Corolla, 35 mpg 2011 Nissan Sentra, 34 mpg
Note that after seeing the American models introducing the higher mpg models, the best Honda can do with its totally re-designed Civic is only 39 mpg; the 2011 Civic was only 36 mpg.
Now the mid size car segment; the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 were the first mid size cars to reach 33 mpg. At the time Nissan Altima was 32 mpg, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord was both 31 mpg. One year later, Toyota caught it up with the GM's 33 mpg; 2 years later, Honda barely passed GM to get 34 mpg. But the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu will raise the bar again to 38 mpg.
In the compact SUV segment: 2011 Chevrolet Equinox, 32 mpg 2011 Ford Escape, 28 mpg 2011 Honda CR-V, 28 mpg 2011 Toyota RAV4, 28 mpg 2011 Nissan Rogue, 28 mpg
Keep in mind that the Chevrolet Equinox reached 32 mpg in its 2010 model year; now 2 years later still no one can touch it.
Next the mid size SUV segment: 2011 Ford Edge, 27 mpg 2011 Buick Enclave: 24 mpg 2011 Toyota Highlander V6, 24 mpg 2011 Honda Pilot, 23 mpg 2011 Nissan Pathfinder, 22 mpg
In the mid size luxury segment, 2008 Cadillac STS was among the first model to raise the engine power over 300 HP and efficiency to 26 mpg with regular gas; BMW 535i did the same that year with slightly less power; and the Lexus GS350. In that year, the Acura RL was only good for 24 mpg, Infiniti M35 23 mpg, M-B E350 24 mpg.
Now 4 years later, Cadillac is working on the replacement XTS, and left the STS virtually unchanged except the slightly improved efficiency to 27 mpg. Lexus GS350 is still 26 mpg, Acura RL is still 24 mpg, Infinity M37 improves to 26 mpg after the re-design but still lower than the 4 year old STS.
It appears that the Japanese automakers have lost their last stronghold, the fuel efficient cars.
i dont know, maybe its just me, but i find it hilarious that an audi guy with more hours on his check engine light bulb, than most people have on their fridge light bulb has the nerve to be casting reliability stones at any automaker. :lemon:
Other than the boring taillights, I like a Malibu better than anything Kia offers now. Matter-of-fact, just today I priced a 1LT with bluetooth, remote start, aluminum wheels, etc., and we're talking $24K sticker with $2,000 rebate and $1,000 cash back, another $1,000 if you're a member of AARP, and I have $1,507 credit on my GM card.
Hell of a deal IMO.
Not a big fan of the '07 Ford Taurus-style 'grille' on the front fenders of the Optima.
And the Malibu is built in Kansas City, for those of us who give a damn about that kind of thing.
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If it's reliable, gets great mileage, has a great warranty, high quality and can be had at a good price, what's left? I know...let's call it boring. Good looks, good handling, loads of features....the new boring. If that doesn't work, I'll call it a relative of my Tahoe.
It is a step down from the Riv seats and egress, but not in many other areas.
Lots of recalls doesn't mean people had problems with the cars. All makes have had recalls. I had the external temp sensor recalled for a fix on my Acura TL. And now at 107K, that's the only thing that has gone wrong other than regular maintenance items. I'd call that reliable, recall or not. As an example.
Would your attitude have been the same if GM or Ford had 20 million vehicles recalled in a year?
If my Yukon was flawless past 100K, I would still be in your camp.
The issue is that GM has more recalls and also has had persistent quality problems in comparison. You can't erase history with a bailout.
GM has to make consistently high quality and its hard to do the bigger you get and more insulated management gets. Toyota and Honda are far from perfect but better products led many to their door.
The seventh-generation Chevrolet Malibu bolted smartly out of the starting gate in 2008, one of the stars of GM's product renaissance over the last several years and one of the first Chevys to feel modern rather than retro. As a result it was acknowledged as the 2009 North American Car of the Year and earned a fair amount of positive praise. Four years on, the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu continues to be a very desirable car, but the competition has caught up.
On the plus side, the Malibu features a stylish cabin with straightforward controls, nicely balanced ride and handling characteristics, and a choice of either a fuel-efficient four-cylinder engine or a strong V6. Perhaps best of all, the Malibu has an upscale look that says "premium sedan" rather than "rental car." Although we could live without its flashy chrome-clad wheels, the Malibu sports clean, classy lines with tight panel gaps, and doesn't succumb to cheap visual add-ons like spoilers, side vents or body flares.
Unfortunately, a few shortcomings nix any pretensions of class leadership. The Malibu's rear seat space is tight compared to that of some competitors, and it lacks a center armrest. Although the cabin is generally well designed, the quality and finish of the materials are inconsistent. The 2011 Chevy Malibu also comes up short in terms of features, as some desirable items like dual-zone climate control and an in-dash navigation screen aren't offered.
If Chevy addresses these nits in the next redesign, we might again have ourselves a well-rounded superstar. Until then, we'd recommend checking out other top midsize sedans like the Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Mazda 6 and Nissan Altima.
Why Edmunds, how dare you slam GM like that!
My issue is that GM is SLLLOOOOOWWWWW to develop vs. the competition. Ackerson acknowledges this by lighting a fire under the Chevy Team to punch out the 2013 Malibu in early 2012. Problem is, GM is behind as usual instead of leading.
desirable items like dual-zone climate control and an in-dash navigation screen aren't offered.
I've lived without these "gotta have" (sarcasm) features all my life and wouldn't even order them if I could right now.
Malibu is less expensive than the competition, looks richer (IMO although I can admit the taillights are too Diamante-like), and is American built by an American-based corporation. Plus, its drivetrain warranty is significantly longer in miles than Ford's. Don't know about the rest of the competition.
Plus...according to the J.D. Powers '2011 Automotive Reliability' chart posted here a few days back, even though it's apparent to me that trucks must be dragging Chevy down a bit (since GMC is so much lower than Chevy overall), even taking that into consideration Chevy owners are reporting fewer issues than Subaru, Kia, Audi, BMW, Scion, Mazda, Nissan, and VW. Why would I go with a Kia that has been reported to have more issues?
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Interesting that you don't include the Chrysler 200 in your comparision with the Malibu. It's made in Michigan I hear, and beats the Malibu on MSRP. If Chrysler also has some incentives then the 200 should even beat the Malibu in cost.
The Malibu is in the last year or so of it's current gen. and the 200 is to ugly. I wouldn't buy either when there are more attractive choices at this time.
The question is how much improved will the 2012 or 2013 Malibu be. Plus Ford isn't slowing down, a new/updated Fusion will be out in a year or so too (I don't know how extensive the update will be).
I wonder how long Ford can continue on these 2-3 year product cycle changes. The Taurus has already received some cosmetic upgrades.
Plus I believe a new Camry will be out by the end of the year. I don't know about Honda, but I'm sure the Accord is due for a refresh. Though with what I've seen from Honda lately, who knows what that will bring.
Friends had a Jetta which had its check engine light on despite days extending into weeks of time at the dealership with them driving a loaner.
The point is that all cars have some problems. They since bought a VW beetle, because the wife would only drive small cars. They also bought a Passat wagon for a time. They also had some shop time but not like the 2002 Jetta.
Like many things, it can depend on the service department. My uncle has an '00 Passat GLX v6 that he bought new. He has 160k or so on it now and still loves it. In the 80k mile range he had a bunch a trouble with it and it never seemed right. He ditched the dealer and found an independent repair shop the specialized in european cars and it was finally fixed correctly.
I've only owned one VW (a 2000 JETTA GLS TDI) which I really liked. I didn't keep it long, but it was the type of car I would have been willing to accept issues with, as it had redeeming qualities comparable domestic cars at the time just didn't have. I sold it due to needing more room and utility and it held it's value so well, it made since to sell it.
>Like many things, it can depend on the service department. ...He ditched the dealer and found an independent repair shop the specialized in european cars and it was finally fixed correctly.
The replacement Malibu is almost certainly going to be built by Holden (Australia). GM had a sure-fire winner with the Pontiac G8 (Holden Commodore), but lost its second best car from the U.S. market when they killed Pontiac(still a bad move, IMO - should have killed Buick instead).
It's really the only thing that makes any sense at this point.
Comments
The first batch of 2012 Honda Civics is being recalled to address a potential fuel leak. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the recall affects both two- and four-door models of the car built between April 21 and May 2 of this year.
The Problem: An O-ring that seals two pipes near the Civic’s fuel tank may be misaligned, which could allow fuel to leak from the pipes. As NHTSA points out, leaking gasoline could cause a fire if it contacts a hot surface, such as an exhaust. Honda says very few of the cars have actually been sold to customers so far, and that no injuries or fires have been reported.
The Fix: Honda will repair all 2012 Civics sold to customers and those still at dealerships. The fuel line will be replaced free of charge under the recall, which begins May 27.
Number of Vehicles Potentially Affected: 1156 2012 Honda Civics
Now the Cruze...
Recently, General Motors announced a new recall involving 154,112 units of the 2011 model year Cruze. GM said the reason is about a steering issue wether it’s properly installed. GM also will use the latest one action to check on another issue that might affect some 120,000 models with automatic transmission to verify whether the transmission shift linkage was properly installed.
Chevrolet Cruze is a compact sedan was GM’s second best selling vehicle in April. It built in Lordstown, Ohio for the U.S. and Canadian markets. GM also added that no accidents or injuries related to the Cruze recall have been reported.
BALANCE!
Regards,
OW
Want a small car? Want one built in the US? GM says the Chevy Sonic will be your only option. Coming later this year from Michigan.
Only U.S.-built small car will be Chevrolet Sonic (.bostonherald.com)
What GM really did with the Cruze recall, is emulate Hyundai:
http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/09/recall-2011-hyundai-sonata-steering- - -column-problem.html
If I were like certain folks on this GM forum, I'd now go over to the Civic forum and post about this recall and be snide about it. But I won't do that.
We'd all be rolling our eyes at the guy who said that, right?
I don't agree. For example, in my case it was my best friend's brand-spanking-new Vega in 1974 that rusted out and then engine failed in four years. That gets your attention (I drove a VW Bug at the time). And then I saw GM's smaller cars continue to be junk until at least the 2000's. Practically my entire working career! Always waiting for this company that botched the Vega so badly to earn its reputation as the #1 auto maker. And always coming up short in many areas.
As another poster said about their mid-seventies Volvo, the market DOES have a long memory. It is probably related to the magnitude of the cost of a car vs. your TV or hair dryer or iPod. You don't want a purchase of that magnitude to suck! And you will remember if it does!
Whether logical or not, this IS the way the auto market works. Wouldn't it behoove every auto maker to not nickel and dime the small stuff, and to provide a sterling customer experience? I know that I would put up with a moderate level of problems in a car if I felt the service was excellent -- as you received from GM, given your previous posts. But this is not true for everybody's experience!
Memories are long. Any auto maker who forgets that is in for a long slide downhill.... as Toyota is discovering.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevrolet-1977-VEGA-1977-CHEVY-VEGA-_W0QQcmdZView- ItemQQhashZitem4aab49e7b1QQitemZ320701327281QQptZUSQ5fCarsQ5fTrucks
Quarterly balance sheets and difficulty in policing your franchisees gives lie to that dream, but a good dealer can make even a lemon tolerable.
The first dealer network that emulates AutoZone and begins offering free (or even just cheap) check engine light checks will make so many customers happy, the goodwill will be dripping from the poly pennants flying over the car lot.
Use it like a loss leader oil change and don't rip people off with a $90 diagnostic fee just for hooking up the OBDII reader. The ones with a simple loose gas cap get a jail out of free card and remember the nice tech who sent them one with a smile and no bill.
The ones with a suspicious 02 sensor may get another opinion from an independent mechanic, but they are already at the shop. May as well leave the car and get shuttled to the office and get it fixed at the dealer on the same day.
The first dealer network that emulates AutoZone and begins offering free (or even just cheap) check engine light checks will make so many customers happy, the goodwill will be dripping from the poly pennants flying over the car lot.
You know, VW had a great dealer network in the '60s and into the '70's. But they let it slide and today, even if you love the cars, the dealers kind of suck, brand-wise. Of course there are exceptions but most people would agree with that. And it hurts the brand.
One of the biggest reasons Lexus took off in the late '80's was exceptional dealer service. Saturn, too, before GM butchered the brand.
Quality of the dealer network is underestimated in importance.
Regards,
OW
My beef is with GM. They have continuing issues....just like Hyundai....but I never owned a Hyundai so do not need to post there. Their owners are able enough to post those recall there.
Regards,
OW
Big time.
In fact, GM should've dropped the Buick name (whose buyers will all be dead of old age in 5 years anyway), and kept Saturn. There are few brands whose owners are as loyal and excited about their vehicles as Saturn. Some are gearheads, most are not, but they LOVE their Saturns.
Case in point: My sister, who didn't even want to consider a GM vehicle until the Aura hit the streets for the '07 model year. I had to convince her that, despite it being a GM, she may like it. After her first test-drive, she was hooked! She drove everything else in the class, but she kept going back to the Aura, and it ended up being her first new car. She loved the dealership experience, and the car was trouble-free, until February of '10, when she lost control on some black ice on I-81, and ran head-on into a guardrail at 65 MPH. The Aura was totaled, but she walked away with only a few bruises.
Exactly three minutes after being confirmed that the Aura was totaled, she was online looking if she could find ANY brand-new Auras left (there wasn't any). She settled on a loaded '09 Aura that was a previous-rental with only 11K miles. She drives for her job, and has about 38K miles on it now, without a single issue. No rattles, no CELs, no loose trim, no problems whatsoever.
She has seen the Regal, but refuses to buy from a brand that is associated with the blue-haired set that drives 52 MPH in a 65-MPH-zone with their left blinker on for the past 18 miles.
Stereotype? Maybe, but IMO GM had a better chance of retaining current owners (and perhaps lowering their average age demographic with younger buyers) by sticking with Saturn.
As I said before, leave it to GM to mess up a good thing like Saturn.....it just became another brand like Hummer, Pontiac.....
It's too bad to not consider a new Buick because of image. A Regal is way sportier-looking than an Aura IMHO.
Perceptions are a hard thing to budge, unfortunately.
You don't even get a loaner car with a Buick at least not with any of my local GM dealers and some of those Buick's get just as expensive as some of the lower end Cadillac models. Let's see a $45K Buick where I get no loaner or a $45k Cadillac where I do get a loaner and more prestige, that a tough choice!
I've always been a Pontiac fan, and would have liked to have seen that happen. Unfortunately, GM had other plans, and had been running Pontiac into the ground for years. The only Pontiacs I would have seriously considered, in recent memory, are the final-gen Bonneville or the G8.
As for Buick, I've always liked them in the past, because you could get most of the luxury of a Cadillac, but in a package that was more conservative and less flashy (or in some years, less pimpy!). The new LaCrosse does seem to be selling well, but I don't know how well it would work as a Cadillac. IMO, it competes with the likes of the Lexus ES350, and while Lexus gets away with it, to me, a car in the LaCrosse's price range would cheapen the brand name a bit.
If not more. Take a look a the 2008 sales volume, the last full year for Pontiac:
Chevrolet: 1801k
GMC: 377k
Pontiac: 267k
Saturn: 188k
Cadillac: 161k
Buick: 137k
Hummer: 27k
Saab: 21k
You can seen that there's no problem to cut off the Hummer and Saab. But Pontiac was the 3rd best selling brand with 267k vehicles or 9% of the total GM sales! I don't think it's a wise decision.
Those numbers don't look too bad on the surface. However, by 2008, I believe Pontiac had become GM's go-to brand for fleet sales. I know the G6 and Grand Prix depended on a lot of fleet sales. I'm not sure how many G5's they were selling at that time, but I'd imagine they were mostly fleet models as well.
Buick used to see higher sales in the early 2000's, but a lot of Centurys, Regals, LeSabre Customs, and base Park Avenues were sold into fleets. With the LaCrosse and Lucerne, GM has tried to cut back, and most of them have been more profitable retail sales.
In 2008, Buick only had four models: LaCrosse, Lucerne, the Terraza minivan, and Enclave SUV. Pontiac had seven: G5, G6, Grand Prix, G8, Solstice, Vibe, and the Torrent SUV.
So, Buick sold about half as many units, but also had 4/7 of the models, and didn't benefit from the padding of fleet sales.
All fuel efficient numbers quoted here are the official EPA ratings for highway driving; all cars are gasoline powered 4 door models, not the diesel or hybrid models; the highest mpg trim in each model.
First take a look the compact car segment:
2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco, 42 mph
2012 Ford Focus, 40 mpg
2011 Hyundai Elantra, 40 mpg
2012 Honda Civic, 39 mpg
2011 Toyota Corolla, 35 mpg
2011 Nissan Sentra, 34 mpg
Note that after seeing the American models introducing the higher mpg models, the best Honda can do with its totally re-designed Civic is only 39 mpg; the 2011 Civic was only 36 mpg.
Now the mid size car segment; the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 were the first mid size cars to reach 33 mpg. At the time Nissan Altima was 32 mpg, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord was both 31 mpg. One year later, Toyota caught it up with the GM's 33 mpg; 2 years later, Honda barely passed GM to get 34 mpg. But the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu will raise the bar again to 38 mpg.
In the compact SUV segment:
2011 Chevrolet Equinox, 32 mpg
2011 Ford Escape, 28 mpg
2011 Honda CR-V, 28 mpg
2011 Toyota RAV4, 28 mpg
2011 Nissan Rogue, 28 mpg
Keep in mind that the Chevrolet Equinox reached 32 mpg in its 2010 model year; now 2 years later still no one can touch it.
Next the mid size SUV segment:
2011 Ford Edge, 27 mpg
2011 Buick Enclave: 24 mpg
2011 Toyota Highlander V6, 24 mpg
2011 Honda Pilot, 23 mpg
2011 Nissan Pathfinder, 22 mpg
In the mid size luxury segment, 2008 Cadillac STS was among the first model to raise the engine power over 300 HP and efficiency to 26 mpg with regular gas; BMW 535i did the same that year with slightly less power; and the Lexus GS350. In that year, the Acura RL was only good for 24 mpg, Infiniti M35 23 mpg, M-B E350 24 mpg.
Now 4 years later, Cadillac is working on the replacement XTS, and left the STS virtually unchanged except the slightly improved efficiency to 27 mpg. Lexus GS350 is still 26 mpg, Acura RL is still 24 mpg, Infinity M37 improves to 26 mpg after the re-design but still lower than the 4 year old STS.
It appears that the Japanese automakers have lost their last stronghold, the fuel efficient cars.
Their biggest stronghold is reliability, IMHO. That's still better than the US makes, although Ford may be just about tied at this point.
That's what I"M TALKIN" ABOUT!
Looks like there is not a single GM mid-size sedan that can claim that level of performance and efficiency to the price/warranty value proposition.
Forgot about that one, did you?
You want boring, it's the Malibu for you. Designed to catch up to Camry/Accord. You want a stretch in everything? Try the Optima.
I can't even think about cross-shopping the Malibu against the Optima.
You either lead, follow or get out of the way.
Problem is GM is way to slow to lead anymore.
Regards,
OW
Hell of a deal IMO.
Not a big fan of the '07 Ford Taurus-style 'grille' on the front fenders of the Optima.
And the Malibu is built in Kansas City, for those of us who give a damn about that kind of thing.
Live well and prosper!
Regards,
OW
If it's reliable, gets great mileage, has a great warranty, high quality and can be had at a good price, what's left? I know...let's call it boring. Good looks, good handling, loads of features....the new boring. If that doesn't work, I'll call it a relative of my Tahoe.
It is a step down from the Riv seats and egress, but not in many other areas.
Still so after 20 million recalls?
Yup.
Lots of recalls doesn't mean people had problems with the cars. All makes have had recalls. I had the external temp sensor recalled for a fix on my Acura TL. And now at 107K, that's the only thing that has gone wrong other than regular maintenance items. I'd call that reliable, recall or not. As an example.
If my Yukon was flawless past 100K, I would still be in your camp.
The issue is that GM has more recalls and also has had persistent quality problems in comparison. You can't erase history with a bailout.
GM has to make consistently high quality and its hard to do the bigger you get and more insulated management gets. Toyota and Honda are far from perfect but better products led many to their door.
Regards,
OW
Introduction
The seventh-generation Chevrolet Malibu bolted smartly out of the starting gate in 2008, one of the stars of GM's product renaissance over the last several years and one of the first Chevys to feel modern rather than retro. As a result it was acknowledged as the 2009 North American Car of the Year and earned a fair amount of positive praise. Four years on, the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu continues to be a very desirable car, but the competition has caught up.
On the plus side, the Malibu features a stylish cabin with straightforward controls, nicely balanced ride and handling characteristics, and a choice of either a fuel-efficient four-cylinder engine or a strong V6. Perhaps best of all, the Malibu has an upscale look that says "premium sedan" rather than "rental car." Although we could live without its flashy chrome-clad wheels, the Malibu sports clean, classy lines with tight panel gaps, and doesn't succumb to cheap visual add-ons like spoilers, side vents or body flares.
Unfortunately, a few shortcomings nix any pretensions of class leadership. The Malibu's rear seat space is tight compared to that of some competitors, and it lacks a center armrest. Although the cabin is generally well designed, the quality and finish of the materials are inconsistent. The 2011 Chevy Malibu also comes up short in terms of features, as some desirable items like dual-zone climate control and an in-dash navigation screen aren't offered.
If Chevy addresses these nits in the next redesign, we might again have ourselves a well-rounded superstar. Until then, we'd recommend checking out other top midsize sedans like the Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Mazda 6 and Nissan Altima.
Why Edmunds, how dare you slam GM like that!
My issue is that GM is SLLLOOOOOWWWWW to develop vs. the competition. Ackerson acknowledges this by lighting a fire under the Chevy Team to punch out the 2013 Malibu in early 2012. Problem is, GM is behind as usual instead of leading.
Regards,
OW
I've lived without these "gotta have" (sarcasm) features all my life and wouldn't even order them if I could right now.
Malibu is less expensive than the competition, looks richer (IMO although I can admit the taillights are too Diamante-like), and is American built by an American-based corporation. Plus, its drivetrain warranty is significantly longer in miles than Ford's. Don't know about the rest of the competition.
Plus...according to the J.D. Powers '2011 Automotive Reliability' chart posted here a few days back, even though it's apparent to me that trucks must be dragging Chevy down a bit (since GMC is so much lower than Chevy overall), even taking that into consideration Chevy owners are reporting fewer issues than Subaru, Kia, Audi, BMW, Scion, Mazda, Nissan, and VW. Why would I go with a Kia that has been reported to have more issues?
The question is how much improved will the 2012 or 2013 Malibu be. Plus Ford isn't slowing down, a new/updated Fusion will be out in a year or so too (I don't know how extensive the update will be).
I wonder how long Ford can continue on these 2-3 year product cycle changes. The Taurus has already received some cosmetic upgrades.
Plus I believe a new Camry will be out by the end of the year. I don't know about Honda, but I'm sure the Accord is due for a refresh. Though with what I've seen from Honda lately, who knows what that will bring.
Friends had a Jetta which had its check engine light on despite days extending into weeks of time at the dealership with them driving a loaner.
The point is that all cars have some problems. They since bought a VW beetle, because the wife would only drive small cars. They also bought a Passat wagon for a time. They also had some shop time but not like the 2002 Jetta.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Like many things, it can depend on the service department. My uncle has an '00 Passat GLX v6 that he bought new. He has 160k or so on it now and still loves it. In the 80k mile range he had a bunch a trouble with it and it never seemed right. He ditched the dealer and found an independent repair shop the specialized in european cars and it was finally fixed correctly.
I've only owned one VW (a 2000 JETTA GLS TDI) which I really liked. I didn't keep it long, but it was the type of car I would have been willing to accept issues with, as it had redeeming qualities comparable domestic cars at the time just didn't have. I sold it due to needing more room and utility and it held it's value so well, it made since to sell it.
I totally agree with your statement.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
http://www.rte.ie/news/av/2011/0523/media-2963651.html#
It's really the only thing that makes any sense at this point.