GM News, New Models and Market Share

berri

I dunno. I'll bet if you shut down Buick in the US, you'll see a quick reduction in their Asian sales. Many Asian consumers want western brands. I don't see Buick working as a strictly Chinese brand really. But I agree that Buick needs some updating here. LaCrosse and Enclave are getting old already which I think are their two main US product sales drivers.

imidazol97

>I dunno. I'll bet if you shut down Buick in the US, you'll see a quick reduction in their Asian sales.

You analyses in the posts are forward looking instead of backward looking and that's why it makes so much more sense. Things are global now.

fezo

Agreed. The think that what drives Buick in China is its perception as a prestige brand here. GM has to continue to rebuild that at home to continue its success overseas. I think they are headed in the right direction.

Were I going to buy GM now I think Buick is where I'd be heading.

lemko

The LaCrosse in Number One on my new car shopping A-list. Wife wants a loaded CXS in that same Sapphire Blue as her current car. Her current 2005 LaCrosse STILL has PLENTY of life left in it. The Regal? Eh, kind of a misfit and I don't see where it fits in Buick's hierarchy. I see it as a cheaper alternative to the LaCrosse. Don't know if she will go for it as it's a smaller car and she's become accustomed to a car the size of her current ride. The Veranno is out of the question. She doesn't think it's attractive.

tjc78

I can't say enough good things about my 2012 LaCrosse and I'm generally not really a GM fan. No more trim levels a CXS is really now a Premium III like I have. They changed around all the packages for 2012. The only thing the LaCrosse needs is a diet. It's a porker and that hurts MPG a bit.

lemko

Surprising it's so heavy as it looks somewhat smaller than my wife's current 2005 LaCrosse. Seems cars are getting smaller but heavier. I believe my 2007 Cadillac DTS is as heavy or even heavier than my much larger 1989 Cadillac Brougham. What is the MPG on the current LaCrosse? Her current car delivers phenomenal fuel economy.

tjc78

I'm not sure of the exterior size but I can you its bigger inside than the previous generation (or at least there is more legroom).

The EPA rates it at 17/27 21 Combined. I am running at right around 18.5-19 with my heavy foot and very little highway.

I haven't really had a long trip but one quick ride to Rockville MD from South Jersey at 75-85 yielded that 27 so I am sure if you keep to 65-70 you could get 29 on a long ride.

The car weighs 4045 according to Buick's site. Cars are so much heavier because of all the wiring and safety systems. I'm sure the 10 or so airbags (and sensors) have to weigh in at over 100 lbs or more.

andre1969

I'm not sure of the exterior size but I can you its bigger inside than the previous generation (or at least there is more legroom).

Believe it or not, according to the specs they're both about the same size inside. But the current model definitely makes better use of interior room. The previous model had a bit more shoulder room, more headroom in front and, according to the published specs, more legroom up front. But the older model (and every W-body I've ever been in) came up really short in back seat legroom.

The new LaCrosse has a published 41.7" of front legroom, which I think it conservative. It felt plenty roomy to me. You can't always go by those published specs though, especially for legroom, as they take into account both how far back the seat goes, and how high off the floor it is. A tall seat that doesn't go back very far might have more published legroom, but still end up feeling more cramped than a lower seat that goes further back.

And the back seat of the new LaCrosse is a world of difference. I think the published specs are something like 40.5" of rear legroom for the new one, 37.6" for the old one. Now, 2.9" doesn't seem like a huge difference, but I remember having room to spare in the new one, while the old one actually felt about as cramped as the likes of my old '68 Dart hardtop or '76 LeMans, both cars that had around 32-33" of rear legroom. Again, I think it's because that published number is a combination of seat height, and how much room you have from the back of the front seat. So once again, a lower seat further back from the front might feel roomier, yet have a smaller published dimension, than a higher seat that's not as far back.

IMO, the new LaCrosse, is a true, comfy 4-seater, whereas the old one was a 2+2

As for the weight, I'm sure the airbags have something to do with it, but I think they're just making cars sturdier in general these days. Thicker and beefier, so they hold up better in a crash, and don't squeak and rattle as much.

I wonder if the more complex transmissions they use these days are heavier, as well? I guess a CVT might not be all that heavy, but wouldn't a 6, 7, or 8 speed be heavier than an old 4-speed?

tjc78

And the back seat of the new LaCrosse is a world of difference

After I wrote that I should have clarified. The front seat room is very similar, but the rear is much improved. I have my front seat almost all the way back with a slight rake to it and there is plenty of room in the back for a six footer.

The only problem is the roofline makes it hard to get out of the rear seat. In terms of comparison the LaCrosse is much roomier than the Taurus, but the Avalon is probably a bit bigger (and has a flat floor in the back). I also noticed (while getting the FE #s) that the LaCrosse is classified as mid-size and I would have to think the sloping rear roof shrinks interior volume just enough to give that designation. It is certainly a bigger car than a Camry/Accord.

motorcity6

Some months back Government Motors bought a 7% interest in the French company, Peugeot and Iran produces some 500,000 cars annually for Peugeot.

Strange things are happening with our "Bailout Dough"

The older LaCrosse was produced on the old W body same as Impala, Grand Prix, and Olds Intrigue..I was looking at a 2008 LaCrosse CXL, 10k mi, leather, and sunroof..one owner with a year of warranty remaining, and in checking owner complaints, I find that it is not great..Steering, tranny along with sloppy workmanship on interior..

Trying to fill up the 3rd slot in the garage with something that my visitors can drive.. Might just offer the dealer 12k cash..

Back to Peugeot, and the only one I have seen in the last few years was driven by James on the TV series, Mentalist....

ateixeira

208 vs. Spark, what do you like?

I'm a rally fan so I'm biased, but 208 looks pretty neat:

http://www.motorward.com/2012/05/peugeot-208-r2-rally-car-unveiled/

stever

A reporter is interested in talking to any car shoppers who are thinking about buying any one of the following small cars: Chevy Cruze, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Honda Civic or Dodge Dart. Please send a brief description of your shopping experience and your preferred contact information to PR@edmunds.com by Monday, June 18th.

ateixeira

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/13/ford-ferrari-and-bmw-clean-up-at-2012-interna- tional-engine-of-t/

General Motors won the award for the Green category with its 1.4-liter range extender as seen in the Chevrolet Volt

Funny thing is the rumor mill says they'll replace it in 2014.

Isn't it an iron block design? They should go with something lighter for a vehicle like the Volt.

andre1969

The Cruze and Civic have actually caught my attention now and then, and I'm thinking about checking out the Dart when it comes out...or, is it out already?

Other than sitting in a Cruze once at a GM show though, that's about as far as I've actually pursued it.

And, I have a gut feeling that if I went into the Dodge dealership looking for a Dart, I'd end up leaving with a Ram or Charger. Hey, RamCharger...they ought to bring that name back! :P

ateixeira

Too bad we don't get the attractive wagon model. They should bring a diesel wagon - look at how many Jetta wagons are diesel (almost all?).

Saw a Verano on the road this AM, and I swear, I thought I read "Viagra".

Indeed, it's supposed to make the brand more youthful. Freudian slip?

stever

Dodge says the Dart will be available in Q2 2012. Supposedly started shipping near the end of May. So, any day now. Edmunds got a tester from Dodge. No idea if they have been spotted in the wild.

It tested a bit faster than the Cruze but some of the commenters over at IL think the Cruze will be tough competition for it.

2013 Dodge Dart Full Test (Inside Line)



And the Cruze:

tjc78

Is it me or does the Dart really look like the previous generation Elantra?

andre1969

Is it me or does the Dart really look like the previous generation Elantra?

From that angle, I think it definitely does. It sort of reminds me of a 2002 or so Elantra hatchback, just with mini-Charger taillights grafted on.

I think the Dart looks really good from the front to the B-pillar, but IMO starts to lose it a bit in the rear door area, and definitely loses points in the C-pillar/rump area, only to be somewhat salvaged by those taillights.

ateixeira

Dart looks good inside and out.

Hope they get the quality right...the idea of a super-sized italian built to a cost concerns me.

stever

Whether it's Fiat or Europe in general, it's enough to give Akerson heartburn. He's not too happy with the CAW either. (Bloomberg)

ateixeira

I prefer the 'nox, personally, but this is a pretty complete, if pricey, package:

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/14/2013-gmc-terrain-denali-first-drive-review/

circlew

GM pricing at it's finest. :lemon: An Acura MDX with Technology Package goes for $42K.

You know which one I would buy. :shades:

Regards,
OW

tjc78

An Acura MDX with Technology Package goes for $42K.

It base is more than 42K:

MDX $43,0301 VIEW CURRENT OFFERS
MDX with Technology Package $46,705 VIEW CURRENT OFFERS
MDX with Technology and Entertainment Packages $48,605 VIEW CURRENT OFFERS
MDX with Advance Package $52,655 VIEW CURRENT OFFERS
MDX with Advance and Entertainment Packages $54,555

The RDX is more inline size and price wise and IMHO very comparible to the Terrian Denali. The 3.6 in that thing will be nice.

imidazol97

>MDX with Advance Package $52,655 VIEW CURRENT OFFERS

Hilarious how OP seems to confuse things in favor of the other vehicle!!! ROFLAMO

andre1969

Is it me or does the Dart really look like the previous generation Elantra?

Just saw one of those previous-gen Elantras in the parking lot when I got off work today. And yup, the Dart's a dead ringer for it, in that rear door/C-pillar/rump area.

tjc78

My Fiancé has one in the same color as the Dart picture. I did a double take on it.

tlong

Hilarious how OP seems to confuse things in favor of the other vehicle!!! ROFLAMO

Well those other vehicles are perfect, you know! LOL!

js06gv

This afternoon, between Waco and Dallas on I-35 I saw three Darts cruising along decked out with graphics stating "Dodge's all new Dart" or something like that. They were spaced about 5 miles apart. All red.

circlew

OK, $44,00 market average.

http://www.truecar.com/prices-new/acura/mdx-pricing/b/

Point being, a Terrain Denali is not worth near what GM prices it vs. a top line vehicle. Market average for a base MDX is $40K. Pretty laughable to say the least!

http://www.truecar.com/prices-new/acura/mdx-pricing/2012/39BBEB19/

Regards,
OW

circlew

OK, $44,00 market average.

http://www.truecar.com/prices-new/acura/mdx-pricing/b/

Point being, a Terrain Denali is not worth near what GM prices it vs. a top line vehicle. Market average for a base MDX is $40K. Pretty laughable to say the least!

http://www.truecar.com/prices-new/acura/mdx-pricing/2012/39BBEB19/

Regards,
OW

stever

"Through 2012, Chevy has moved 7,057 Volts compared with only 5,547 Corvettes. The closest month was January when the 'Vette topped the Volt with 629 units moved compared with 603. The biggest drubbing came in March when 2,289 Volts flew off the lot and only 1,376 Corvettes did the same."

Chevy Volt Outselling Corvette in 2012 (Straightline)

tlong

IMHO those stats don't really mean much. We know a lot of Volts are going to fleet/corporate buyers like GE, right?

I wonder what the ratio of individuals buying Corvettes vs. Volt is? I suspect way more Corvette than Volt individual buyers.

busiris

Feds approve 15% ethanol for use...

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120616/BUSINESS/306160034/0/ent05/?od- yssey=nav%7Chead

berri

Well why would the gov care what the citizens want or how it impacts their vehicle...there's political clout and PAC money from the Ag business and lobbyists. Oh, and some of those Ag states might swing the election for Obama as well since the race looks close right now. Nah, I'm sure it was all science based.

imidazol97

>there's political clout and PAC money from the Ag business and lobbyists.

You forgot the greenies, who think that anything but fossil fuel is wonderful and the answer for life.

circlew

Looks like someone is listening at Buick....

2013 Buick Verano Turbo Gets 250 Horsepower

Inside Line says: This is the kind of power the Verano needs to attract buyers who would otherwise not even give the compact Buick a second look.

Regards,
OW

stever

I think the Greens are more interested in less driving, more mass transit and not raising food crops for fuel. Especially crops like corn, that take a lot of water and fertilizer and pesticides.

Figures that your link is from Iowa.

Pure-gas.org better buff their servers up and add 10% ethanol stations to their list.

stever

"Car and Driver reported that General Motors has filed for a trademark for the name Cadillac LTS and while nothing is known about this possible future model – it could be the return of the premium flagship rear wheel drive luxury GM sedan."

General Motors trademarks the Cadillac LTS name (torquenews.com)

ab348

I wonder what the ratio of individuals buying Corvettes vs. Volt is? I suspect way more Corvette than Volt individual buyers.

Naturally. You don't find too many Corvettes in fleets. What's your point?

tlong

What's your point?

My point is that I was curious, as I stated.
My suspicion is that the Volt holds little appeal for most consumers, at least at that price point. Given that Volt sales are way below projections, this is a bit of a fail for GM, given how many years of advance promotion were made.
I think if they could get the price down, then the technology is good.

circlew

They also filed for a tradmark trademark for "Electra".

link title

Regards,
OW

circlew

Price will come down eventually. I'll bet the competition is going to have a lot to say about that. You'd think the Gov't would subsidize that a little faster at this point before the election!

U.S. sales of the Volt remain mediocre at best -- just 1,680 in May. But the car is gaining momentum in California, where hybrid and electric car owners are allowed to use carpool lanes no matter how many people are in the car. Through the first quarter, the Golden State accounted for nearly 23% of all Volt registrations, according to R.L. Polk.

It's more difficult to supply the California market because Volts must have a special low-emissions package for owners to qualify for special state incentives. And the package cannot be added after production.

Now that gas prices have moderated a bit, sales should be sideways from here. However, sales are up since inception and changes to the Volt are forthcoming.

2010 Sales - 326
2011 - 7,671
YTD 2012 - 7,057

Forecast - 45,000







California can't get enough of the Chevy Volt as sales surge

Regards,
OW

dave8697

now that wholesale unleaded is down to $2.63, the usual station markup of 50 cents has turned into $1.03.
This can't be a big deal because some petitioners came by Thurs eve to ask me to support eliminating coal fired plants from generating electricity. They wanted me to believe that renewable energy would be cheaper for me. I can't drive my Silverado to Miami for what cost I can air condition my house for an entire year. I want the gas price problem fixed. Coal is doing fine.

busiris

I got behind a guy the other day that appeared to be burning soft coal in his car... At least, that's what it looked like, from all the smoke coming out from under and behind the vehicle.

Wonder what miles per ton he gets???

ab348

Earlier this week I was behind a Toyota Yaris, of all things, that was spewing a layer of black smoke like a '53 Mack truck. It was running so rich I had to pass it to get away from the smell of unburned hydrocarbons. I have no idea how that happens in today's cars, but this one was really messed up.

lemko

OMG! I sure hope so! Does LTS = "Lemko Touring Sedan?" Good thing I decided to skip the XTS for now!

lemko

yes Yes YES!!! Are they planning on making a big RWD Buick too? I most certainly hope so!

tjc78

It most likely has a bad O2 sensor and the computer is richening the mixture to compensate. The owner is probably ignoring the check engine light.

tjc78

A RWD Buick? Where do I sign?

fho2008

Little To Slow compared to the competition.