Are you a current Michigan-based car shopper? A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/2 for details.
Buick could only compete at the low end of lexus and at a lower price point. Not really a Lexus competitor but affordable comfort.
Pontiac can go sporty RWD or, when no platform is available AWD. Solstice is jsut too small to be stretched to a midsize G6. Perhaps a G5 derived from the Solstice platform?
There's no question Pontiac will unveil a new sedan at the Chicago Auto Show based on the new Holden Commodore. GM's product boss Bob Lutz has even confirmed it will be named G8. However, there have been conflicting reports over the car's styling.
According to a new report by trade publication Automotive News, the G8 will get front end styling similar to the popular Solstice roadster. The car will have unique styling from the A-pillar forward, the report said.
The report indicates the difference between the Commodore and G8 will be more dramatic than suggested by a popular illustration on the cover of Motor Trend's October issue.
Today's report also goes against a Detroit Free Press story that claimed the G8 would first get a Pontiac grille only, and later get unique styling when production is moved to Canada.
Normally at this time there is huge posturing from both sides. But we hear Wagoner saying little and here are UAW's leaders saying expect sacrifice. WOW
The message coming down from the United Auto Workers' top ranks as they prepare for this year's contract talks is not the hard-line rhetoric of the past.
Labor leaders are talking to rank-and-file workers about sacrifice and the need to help Detroit automakers become competitive again.
They're warning of difficult negotiations ahead and reminding members of the financial problems and intense pressure facing the companies.
I think the Kappa platform could probably be stretched a lot if GM really wanted to. They did build the Nomad concept off Kappa and it was a good bit larger then the current Kappa Triplets.
I am thinking a stretched midsized Kappa based sedan with two or three engine options. Ecotec motors in NA and turbo trim and maybe a car version of the 4200 Inline 6 destroked to 4.0 liters.
to make a sedan out of it that you'd end up with a "Kappa II" when you were done. The front and rear trays could be carried over, but everything between the firewall and the gas tank would need to be redone. Having said that, Holden just may go ahead and do it anyway. My guess is that we'd end up with something not too far from the IS300, but with Ecotec 4s and HF V6s instead of the 2JZ-GE. The Atlas I6 is way too big to fit in a compact-midsize straddler
A Pontiac IS300 wouldn't be such a bad idea at all. So make the G5 RWD, give it a supercharged/turbocharged I4 or small V6 around 210+ HP, keep it around 3000 lbs and fit it with high tech gadgets but do away the leather or any sort of luxury touches.
Price it around $25K then I see a winner from Pontiac.
I think its logical to assume that a person that spends an inordinate amount of time on the net bashing GM or the other Big 2 must have a love affair with the imports. If the shoe doesn't fit, don't wear it. I was just making a statement about many of the "advisors" GM seems to have on this site who in reality dont believe GM can improve and have no interest in them doing so. Apparently, that doesn't apply to you.
I saw a recent poll that showed 80% of domestic vehicle owners are satisfied with their vehicles and 85% of import owners were satisfied. when I see stuff like that I really have to question the notion that there are tens of millions of GM owners out there who have faced huge repair bills and been stranded by their POS GM products. To be perfectly honest, I think that people have far less tolerance for problems from a GM product than they do from a TOyota or Honda. In the Camry forum there were people trying to downplay the tranny issues with the camry and telling other owners not to overreact and to wait for Toyota to come up with a fix. Obviously, MB and VW customers are willing to put up with problems and not write off those companies for life after bad experiences. I once had a coworker who said she shouldn't have gotten an Alero because she had a problem with the turn signal and that was enough for her to long for an altima.
"Nor will calling import owners "stupid," "uniformed," "unpatriotic," etc. "
I never called anyone stupid or unpatriotic. I notice that those who dont like american cars or those who drive them are quick to get defensive about their patriotism and start talking about Big 3 plants in Mexico (not you per se). Personally, patriotism is the last thing I am concerned about although I do think it's a good thing when people buy vehicles made in the US. I live in Philly and you dont find a lot of pickups, american flags or Red State idealogy up here. The car market is pretty evenly split amongst imports and domestics as well, it's not extreme like California or Washington DC where only rental agencies by domestic.
Knock off the name-calling & labelling, all around. It's way beyond the "enough" mark.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
Don't know off the top of my head, but a 93mm bore on an inline six should work out to something around 3 feet long for the block itself. The old Chevy 250 is probably about the same size. Stuffing an LS2 into a Solstice is nowhere near a drop-in, and I think you have to pull the engine to change the plugs.
I think "excellence" in exterior design is in the eye of the beholder. I'll take a Honda or Toyota design anytime over most American cars. The recent years of Cadillacs remind me of late seventies Oldsmobuicks with their flat planes and sharp angles. Chrysler and Dodge products have all gone to bloat just as Chevy's are finally trimming down. My 99 Corolla still looks just fine to me, has 150k miles and I expect it to go another 100k or more. I've never had as reliable or efficient car, and my wife and I had eight of the various Big 3 products before we gave up. Two things Toyota and Honda designs convey to me: 1) it's a vehicle not a toy for some guy who never outgrew his slot cars and 2) I won't have to buy another car for a while.
The prospects for the world's biggest carmaker have dramatically improved
When Rick Wagoner, the chairman of General Motors, walked onto the floor of Detroit's Cobo Hall in January 2006, only one question seemed to matter to the assembled throng attending the North American International Auto Show: how soon would the giant American carmaker go bust? A representative of Kirk Kerkorian, an entrepreneur who had just bought a 10 percent stake, said GM had to wake up or it would run out of cash in three years. Mr. Kerkorian has since sold out, but he seems to have galvanized GM. At this year's show the subject of choice was the firm's nascent turnaround.
A year ago GM was making record losses, closing plants and slashing its workforce. It was struggling to sell cars at rock-bottom prices and faced having to pay out billions of dollars to prop up Delphi, its former parts unit. Meanwhile, its increasingly rampant Japanese rival, Toyota, was making plans to overtake GM as the world's biggest carmaker by 2008.
Many of these problems still haunt GM, but even its most vociferous critics can see signs of a revival. The company began this year's Detroit show with a lavish event attended by Hollywood celebrities. But the real star was the newly redesigned Camaro Convertible, marking a comeback for one of GM's most famous models. Along with the new Chevrolet Malibu, a complete remake of the type of saloon with which GM once dominated the market, it suggests that the firm is regaining its edge in design. Its new Chevrolet Silverado was named pick-up truck of the year, and when its Saturn Aura was chosen as best car, even the unit's unflappable general manager, Jill Lajdziak, was lost for words.
The revival of the ailing Saturn division casts light on some of the changes. Saturn has consolidated its vehicle-development efforts with those of GM's European arm, Opel. More broadly, the carmaker's previously autonomous regional operations are now working together coherently, as Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman and “car czar”, farms out duties. North America is developing the big pick-up trucks that dominate the local market and Europe will handle mainstream passenger cars. The car unit of South Korea's Daewoo, now a GM subsidiary, will work on entry-level models and Holden, an Australian subsidiary, will develop big saloons. If GM can make this approach work, it will achieve economies of scale that only Toyota can match, says David Cole, of the Centre for Automotive Research, a consultancy.
Like Toyota, GM is also standardizing manufacturing practices around the globe. It has eliminated 30,000 jobs and reduced North American production capacity by 30 percent. According to Mr. Cole, all of this has cut costs by the equivalent of about $2,000 a vehicle. Mr. Wagoner says GM reached its target of trimming $9 billion from fixed costs by the end of 2006.
Still, problems remain. Toyota unveiled its largest-ever light truck in Detroit, and is thought to be planning several new American factories. So even as Toyota emphasizes the green credentials of its Prius hybrid car, it is attacking the Silverado, one of GM's biggest money-makers. GM's response is to expand its own hybrid offerings, including the new Chevrolet Volt concept car (pictured). It is battery-driven and can be recharged from the mains or by an on-board three-cylinder engine that never directly drives the wheels.
GM is still struggling to get its core North American operations into profit. But for the first time in years it is heading in the right direction. There is a long way to go, but at least the threat of bankruptcy is receding in the rear-view mirror.
What is it about the human condition that so delights in the negative?
I ask the question because of the obvious change of mood in Detroit, especially as it relates to General Motors, still the world's biggest car company.
At the North American International Auto Show in 2006, one could hardly pay attention to the exhibits because of all the distracting media speculation about the possibility of a GM bankruptcy filing. The company was in the painful throes of downsizing – closing plants and cutting jobs to stem a fiscal hemorrhaging that amounted to a $10.6 billion loss in 2005.
With GM still losing money by the opening of that show last year, journalists were in no mood for turnaround stories. The company's efforts to turn media attention to its concept and production vehicles then went nowhere. At the Firehouse – a decommissioned Detroit fire station across the street from Cobo Hall, which annually is turned into a restaurant and bar for the legions of international journalists attending the car show – there was an almost festive mood in preparation for a GM wake.
The only thing missing from the gloom surrounding GM's exhibit at the time was a sign that should have read: "They're Goin' Down, Man!"
But things were considerably different this year. A resurgent GM preempted the show's media week with a celebrity-packed introduction of its latest cars and trucks, a crowded event hosted by Jimmy Kimmel of ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" The joint was jumping, not only for the unusual-for-Detroit large gathering of Hollywood stars and entertainers, but also for GM's new cars and trucks.
It was interesting to note that after appearances by recording artists such as Jay-Z and actresses such as Carmen Electra and Vivica Fox, it was the concept Chevrolet Camaro convertible that got the standing ovation.
At Cobo Hall, GM used the stage to restate what it said a month earlier at the Los Angeles Auto Show: that it was pouring billions of dollars into the development of plug-in and other electric vehicles, that it was staking much of its future on producing profitable electric models with wide customer appeal. GM offered as tangible proof of its intentions a prototype Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric car.
Then, the media murmuring started: Is GM serious? How can they afford it? Is this just a ploy to get money from the federal government? Toyota will probably beat them to the punch first, don't you think? It's a good idea but so what? It'll take them 10 years to bring it to market. By then, no one would care. Toyota surely will be the biggest car company in the world, then, don't you think?
Perhaps such chatter is inevitable. It is easier to believe in failure than it is to achieve, or sustain success. Bad news uses the express lane. Good news travels in the right lane next to access ramps where bad news constantly rolls in. We've become so accustomed to negative thinking in this country we celebrate whenever something bad happens to confirm our beliefs.
But I will say again in this column what I have said many times before: This new GM is not the old GM many of us loved to hate. The entire corporate attitude is different. Somewhere along the road from original success to malaise to self-destruction, the company has rediscovered its fighting and innovative spirits.
There is proof in the Volt, which employs a variety of breakthrough technologies such as tough, lightweight, formable glass-coated plastic, and an ink technology that could help make all future cars rattle free by replacing many electric dials and their various plastic enclosures. It's the best thinking from GM's engineers and designers as well as from its leading suppliers, such as General Electric.
There is proof in the new Saturn Aura sedan and the new Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, which together swept the North American car and truck of the year honors at the show – ironically, awards given by some of the journalists who later were questioning GM's ability to survive.
As for speculation that GM could be using its Volt car to get a financial charge out of Congress, well, heck, I certainly hope so. The governments of Japan, China and India are all working hard to help their automotive industries attain technical superiority, certainly in the development of alternative fuels and propulsion systems. What is so terribly unfair about the American government giving similar assistance to American car companies?
Why not drop a billion bucks on GM or Ford and pretend that the money is going to the development of business in Iraq? Who knows, if our government gets serious about helping American companies develop more fuel-efficient technologies, maybe we wouldn't have to be in Iraq.
Here's hoping that, despite some of the negative vibes surrounding its introduction, GM will succeed with the Volt; and here's hoping that GM will succeed, period.
That way, we in this business could start the negative vibe cycle all over again. Headline: "Has Mighty GM Grown Arrogant?"
True even today. Just this year I had to get rid of my Blazer. I switched to Honda.
There are many angry customers like me. How does GM plan to bring us back? Telling me SORRY for screwing up in the past won't help. I need monetary compensation (at least $10K). If GM doesn't pay, I won't look at GM no matter what they make.
Well, those who love GM today are still free to love and support GM. I hope GM serves them well and not do what GM did to me.
One reason BMW, MB and VW may not have as large a market share in Europe as one might expect is their reliability. Two models of BMW -- I don't remember which, but my brother-in-law bought one anyway -- were listed among the ten least reliable cars sold in the US. I assume they are just as unreliable in Europe. Anyone I've know who's owned a MB has loved it and explained all the trips to the shop to have it "seasoned" are what it takes to have a great car. VW really screwed up when it knew it had serious reliability problems for the past decade and didn't fix the problems. The market isn't stupid.
that GM is tryng to seperate thir divisions more rather than having product overlap all over the place despite sagging sales in the US. I feel like thats an excellent strategy to get their product lines or brand lines strarightned out.
One reason BMW, MB and VW may not have as large a market share in Europe as one might expect is their reliability.
I haven't done the research yet, but I'm not so sure about this theory. In Europe, the distances traveled aren't a great, and cars aren't usually a necessity - that is - there's another way to get to work or to the market if the car is down.
In Japan that's certainly true. Cars are a luxury item rather than a necessity for most people. I believe that the Japanese quality obsession stems from two factors not common to Europe: a. The intensely competitive marketplace there. If you can't compete on lower price or service, you have to compete on quality. b. The driving conditions at very slow and stop-and-go. This generates a demand for good transmissions, and cooling systems, and you spend a lot of time looking at that interior.
"I read through most of the 153 posts I've missed and came to the conclusion that no matter what GM, does you will still have die hard bashers"
I never bashed GM despite liking import brands. I'm familar with their offerings but I do think GM is getting there but just no cigar yet. It does seem like has better people in charge now from what I read in the articles. GM recognizes that younger people are not considering them so I do hope GM makes a car to lure me from the Japanese Branded cars.
"Chrysler's latest offerings seem to lack the quality and fit & finish of GM and fords latest offerings."
I'm with you there GM and Ford do have better interiors than Chrysler even though Caddy;s interior need improving. As I said before the interior in the G6 and Aura are pretty good. Even the interior in the 04 Malibu looks pleasent from an outside view but the exterior was a mess on that car.
"The Sbring does hold a litte hope though"
Are you kidding the Sebring? The car is an exterior styling mess and the plastics are hard. I wouldn't buy the Sebring over the Fusion or the G6 even. I would even buy a Camry over the Sebring despite people bashing the Camry's soft snd cushy ride over the years.
Yeah it's a pretty sad but it's going to have to happen.
The UAW needs to negotiate for it's new membership a 401k plan with a 10-20% match dollar for dollar. I do believe they can. Hourly wages and out of pocket healthcare costs is going to be the initial hit. Perhaps they can save the pension and just make less per hour and pay more out of pocket for healthcare. I do believe a "enhanced" 401K would be the best route. I'd also negotiate some profit shairing bonuses, along with some stock options. This has been proven to work because each person owns a part of the company.
It's going to be a tough contract for the UAW, but if they negotiate right they can get a decent contract while saving the company Billions in costs. I guarantee you will see each plant look like the Lansing Plant where work rules are very flexible.
I haven't "felt" the interior on the Sebring and have only seen it in a few photo's and of course the many car commercials. The design looks nice but i didn't know it was a "Plastic Fantasy" still. :surprise:
The reliability I was referring to in the first sentence is the POOR reliability of the European products listed, as the rest of the posting indicated.
What they need to do is lower the healthcare costs for retirees and for current workers. The people need to pay more of their own costs and they won't be over-using the healthcare system as much. That itself will help drive down costs for them.
I believe there was a small step toward that in previous agreements? But I realize that will be red flags waved in front of angry people... But when they start paying 20% of the UCR of some services they will tend to weigh the necessity of that service. I have friends who spend a fortune in healthcare checks and checkups because they pay next to nothing, and yes, they're retired GM.
I certainly hope they can reach a beneficial settlement for both groups although I realize my idea may not be acceptable for the union.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=116373 :shades: This isn't the exact article of the slade getting 30 mpg hwy but I found while digging through the "What will it take to save GM" forum trying to use old posts to prove some folks over their wrong about toyota having jailed 3 top officials. I swear these old forum posters have selective memorys :mad:
imidazol97, 62, lemko, logic, I know y'all will remember the talk about toyota hiding recalls. 3 officials were jailed right ? If any of you have relating articles or know where to find these old story's on this site and/or other sites I'd appreciate y'all helping a brother out to refresh some memory's.
Are Toyota's recent quality problems just a glitch?
I posted "recall talk" from july-september on toyota from the "what will it take to save gm forum" and went through thousands of posts. My eyes need a rest but I'm not done. Any help will be appreciated.
I'm getting confused. Is GM losing marketshare because of healthcare costs? I thought GM's marketshare had fallen (from roughly 1/3-rd of the market to 1/4-th under kind of idiots Wagoner) because GM couldn't compete with Toyota/ Honda in quality and resale value.
Yes, now that GM has screwed and lost customers, it needs to kick the rear end of its employees and retirees to make things look good. WOW! A Japanese autoworker earns almost as much as an American autoworker. Japanese plants are also unionized. The healthcare system is different - but the tax structure sort of makes up for the difference. Dollar has been falling lately - so, currency is also not a cause of concern for GM. Still, my $19K 2006 CR-V, assembled in Japan, has a fuel-efficient engine, 5-speed auto, stability assist, ABS, seat mounted as well as curtain airbags, and Edmund's "Lowest True Cost to Own" award! How does Honda do it? Easy - Honda hires engineers. GM hires Wagoner and MBAs who know everything about finance and 0% APR promotions, yet nothing about engineering. GM's cost-cutting doesn't involve investing in high-tech automated plants that can produce zero-defect cars; it involves shipping jobs to Mexico ($4 an hour wage compared to nearly $30 at Japan and America) or just kicking the rear-end of those who have retired.
1. Toyota's managers targeted July 12, 2006 •• 612 words •• ID: det24386194 Toyota Motor Corp. finds itself in a deeply uncomfortable position as three of its quality-control managers in Japan are the focus of a criminal investigation into whether they downplayed reports of steering problems in the mid-1990s. That problem was subsequently cited as the possible cause of an accident in Japan that injured five people and eventually led to a global recall by Toyota of more than 1 million vehicles. Toyota, whose brand has long been synonymous with vehicle quality, said
This I found by searching the Detroit News Auto Insider. I believe a link was posted to their article more recently than July 12th about the coverup of steering problems. I thought they were found guilty.
I find links in a Tundra discussion about steering problems.
Thanks.....Didn't they end up in jail for a period of time though ???? My memory isn't clear ????
I honestly spent at least 2+ hours of going through old forums and know links to the posts like the one you posted above are somewhere because I posted them along with 62' and I believe you commented on it. Over in the Toyota forum I'm getting accused of having a hawg wash story. :sick:
I would love to know the final verdict on those 3 toyota officials that did the cover up. It being toyota, and due to all the massive recalls I doubt we will ever get a clear story of what happened as if it got printed at all it probably made the "funnys" section
Well that's what I thought also.....That is why my brain keeps telling me they were jailed by the government of Japan. If I didn't read that why does my brain keep saying I did ? :confuse:
True even today. Just this year I had to get rid of my Blazer. I switched to Honda.
There are many angry customers like me. How does GM plan to bring us back? Telling me SORRY for screwing up in the past won't help. I need monetary compensation (at least $10K). If GM doesn't pay, I won't look at GM no matter what they make.
you mean its been less than a year that weve had to listen to your whining about your blazer, it feels like an eternity that weve had to endure listenin about that blazer. And this one time, at band camp...
Seemed more like 10 years. One note samba. >Just this year I had to get rid of my Blazer.
>I need monetary compensation (at least $10K).
I suspect you'll be waiting a long time. Just like those with transmissions in Hondas that keep getting replaced every 30K until the "extended warranty" is out--guess who buys next service replacement after 100K mi??? Grin.
>How does GM plan to bring us back?
If I were GM, I wouldn't want that kind of person back. They'd just find some little thing else to kvetch about.
"I suspect you'll be waiting a long time. Just like those with transmissions in Hondas that keep getting replaced every 30K until the "extended warranty" is out--guess who buys next service replacement after 100K mi??? Grin."
Sadly I'm one of those Accord owners (4 transmissions so far within the 36k warranty period) and I didn't get an extended warranty b/c mine is an 02 :confuse:
Right now I'm a 54k, a little unsure of what the future holds for my car. I will say I love everything about the car, just wish Honda could give me a reliable transmission just one time.
I'm sorry you have one of type that occasionally gets reported. Yours have failed sooner than some who share their story on the Edmunds forums.
The good thing is Honda replacing up to 100K for some years--but then it's out and a transmission that has a failure pattern is your nickel. GM should have done some warranty replacements for some things; but better is for parts to be built right for 200-300K worth with good care.
Okay, you are on your 4th transmission so that means the problems happened at least 3 times right? Why didn't you just file under the lemon law? Does your state follow the "3-strike" rule? I know both Georgia and Florida have the "3-strike-then-you-got-a-lemon" rule.
The reason I didn't file for the lemon law was I was assured by the dealer that I had the extended 6yr/100k warranty. So I thought, ok I'll just keep the car for 6 years then trade it in after the warranty, like I said I really do like my car. I knew about the 00-01 extended warranty but not 02s and asked the service tech specially 2002 and he said yes. I sadly didn't get it in writing since I was in such a hurry to leave after my 4th transmission was being installed. I called Honda customer service and they confirmed my suspicions of actually not having one.
My original transmission would jerk/slam into 1st gear on an incline and sometimes it happened w/o the incline, got it replaced. My 2nd made a weird whining noise which ever so slightly got worse over time. The dealer noticed it when I got my oil changed and replaced it with my 3rd. But that very day as I was driving away from the dealer, I noticed a clanking noise near the front passenger floorboard, so I turned around and went back to them. After looking over the car, they told me they had just installed a defective transmission :sick:
So I again have to stay at the dealer and wait. Out goes my shortlived 3rd one, and in goes my current transmission. I had been waiting all day so that's why I was in such a hurry to leave and didn't get the warranty thing down. My mistake. This one occasionally jerks when I'm about to come to a full stop or when I start from a stop(been doing it since day 1 sadly, just getting worse but not all the time). None of my transmissions out right failed or left me stranded, they just have showed symptoms of not holding up for the long run. I have to say, my 2nd one was probably the best one out of the 4. No jerking, just whining noises at very low speeds, at 40mph, and at 55-60mph.
Wow that was a hijack of a thread if I ever saw one To steer it back on track, I am most likely going with GM as my next car manufacturer. My friend owns a Pontiac Vibe and the 24/7 roadside assistance came in handy when his starter fuse died. Free towing, jump start, tire flat fix, free rental if necessary, etc. is a pretty good deal along with the new 5yr/100k powertrain warranty. The new Malibu and Saturn Outlook, are high possibilities for our next vehicle. See back on track now
The reason I didn't file for the lemon law was I was assured by the dealer that I had the extended 6yr/100k warranty. So I thought, ok I'll just keep the car for 6 years then trade it in after the warranty. I knew about the 00-01 extended warranty but not 02s and asked the service tech specially 2002 and he said yes. I sadly didn't get it in writing since I was in such a hurry to leave after my 4th transmission was being installed. I called Honda customer service and they confirmed my suspicions of actually not having one.
A Honda/Acura dealer lied ummmm no-way, impossible, I thought I was the only one that took it in the tail pipe by one of their dealers and their do nothing customer service reps are useless. :surprise:
My original transmission would jerk/slam into 1st gear on an incline and sometimes it happened w/o the incline, got it replaced. My 2nd made a weird whining noise which ever so slightly got worse over time. The dealer noticed it when I got my oil changed and replaced it with my 3rd. But that very day as I was driving away from the dealer, I noticed a clanking noise near the front passenger floorboard, so I turned around and went back to them. After looking over the car, they told me they had just installed a defective transmission
You need to do what I did and hire ya a lawyer. That is the only time you will see action from these folks.
So I again have to stay at the dealer and wait. Out goes my shortlived 3rd one, and in goes my current transmission. I had been waiting all day so that's why I was in such a hurry to leave and didn't get the warranty thing down. My mistake. This one occasionally jerks when I'm about to come to a full stop or when I start going from one. None of my transmissions out right failed or left me stranded, they just have showed symptoms of not holding up for the long run.
You definetly need an attorney. Or you need to lemon law that puppy. I do feel bad for ya.
As much as I think Saturn is starting to put out great products, I prefer the looks of the 'Bu over the Aura. I actually think the front of the G6 looks the best out of the Epsilons. Too bad the interior isn't on par with the Malibu or Aura. I wouldn't mind an 08 CTS if I could afford it
I will say, I don't think my tranny will be going anytime soon, and the Saturn Astra has caught my eye...
I will say, I don't think my tranny will be going anytime soon
You better knock on some wood for good luck since you need some.
Rocky
P.S. The G6 shouldn't be around for much longer since they are supposably going RWD and thus will be replaced. or deleted. My mother likes her GTP though.
This is my favoritest foreign car ever !!!!! I mean that with all sincerity. If I was ever going to buy a foreign brand again this would be the one.....this honestly is so damn impressive !!!! Is this car made in the States I wonder ?
OMG the EVO-X flat out kicks butt. I wished GM would right now write a check for that whole company. They need to dump the Pontiac brand and put the fleet of Mitsubishi's in the line up as a replacement. They could just add the G8 for spice. I honestly want one now. I think the EVO-X impressed me more than the CTS :surprise: I've always looked at the EVO/WRX as just dumb boy racer cars but it's hardware is still their but the interiors are becoming first class and gadget filled. I could see it as daily driver or a family car with some fire.
I gotta take my hat off to Mitsubishi.....they no longer just make good TV's.
GM couldn't compete with Toyota/ Honda in quality and resale value.
Actually I thought everyone agreed now that GM quality does compete with Toyota/HOnda. Numbers seem to prove it. Issue is the past and what it has done to sales.
Resale value also is on it's way back up. ALG numbers are going up. Again issues were many but a large part of it was GM keeping plants running to keep revenue coming in to pay the workers to do something rather than sit in Job Banks and to pay for health care/retirement for everyone. Even when GM sold all those vehicles to the rental fleets and were not making a profit on each, each of those cars were paying the "overhead" bills.
Now that they have permission to close plants (buyouts were permitted by union) they can cut back on low profit sales.
$4 by 2015? That is a long time from now. Hopefully a battery will be developed and we will be running on house current and a little bit of gas by then.
Prices are dipping, but survey predicts spikes in next decade
Gasoline prices continued to fall this week, but don't get too used to the lower prices. A new survey predicts that gasoline will hit $4 a gallon by 2015 and more than $5 a gallon by 2020.
The national average price for regular unleaded gasoline today is $2.23 a gallon, according to AAA, of Hawthorne, Fla. That's down from $2.27 on Friday, Jan. 12.
The national average for midgrade today is $2.37, down from $2.41 on Jan. 12. The price for premium is $2.45, down from $2.50 on Jan. 12. Diesel fuel is 3 cents higher a gallon than it was four days ago, at $2.60.
The highest price found for regular unleaded gasoline was $3.30, in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and the lowest price for regular unleaded gasoline, $1.78, was spotted in Boiling Springs, S.C.
Gaspricewatch.com uses volunteer spotters to watch gasoline prices nationwide. More than 539,700 prices have been recorded this week.
Crude oil prices also fell, with a barrel of crude selling for $51.33 at 1 p.m. today, according to Bloomberg News. That's down from more than $52 a barrel on Jan. 12.
A survey today by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute's Automotive Analysis Division predicts a dramatic increase in the price of gasoline in the next decade.
The division based its survey on responses from more than 100 powertrain experts across North America.
Bruce Belzowski, lead researcher of the study, said in a statement: "Our research reveals surprising agreement among all stakeholders in the automobile industry that fuel prices are on a steep upward trajectory."
62' I hope to running on something else by 2015. Seriously $4 dollar gasoline is crazy. Hopefully the next administration will address this isssue because people's pay/benefits aren't keeping up with the cost of living.
Well $4 does not sound that crazy to me. It was over $3 and some said it would never go below $3 again. Now it is under $2. But 8 years from now? With the whole world going mobile? $4 seems cheap.
Well my pocket book was lightened last year with gas over $3 bucks a gallon but of course I unfortunatly drive a long ways to work. I plan on moving closer to work but even then gas is still a major cost factor for us Panhandle drivers since this whole area is so spaced out.
I bought my Blazer because my friends worked in the factory in Wisconsin that built (probably just components of) Silverado. Go back 10 years - buying an American truck was a matter of pride. Blazer wasn't exactly hot in 1998. But I found it to be cheaper than hot Explorer and red hot Grand Cherokee.
Things have changed so much since then. Honda and Toyota have come up with car-based SUVs that are as roomy and perhaps more reliable. These car-based SUVs (Rav4, Highlander, CR-V, Pilot) are loaded with safety features, cheap to insure, fuel-efficient (especially the 4-cyl models), nimble and beats the truck-based counterparts from Detroit.
What has GM done in response? CVT Vue had to be withdrawn due to quality concerns. The first generation of 6 cyl VUE had to be replaced by the Honda powered VUE. Equinox was better designed - but still it's "True Cost to Own" over 5 years exceeds CR-V's by $10K!!! And, now Edmunds is saying that the new hybrid VUE is "dangerously slow". Aztek has also been a failure. Rendezvous sold well but only when GM offered 0% APR. Finally, GM has come up with Outlook that looks promising and capable of handling the competition. But the problem is GM is late in the game. Customers like me have already switched.
My suggestion: Hire some engineers and designers. Make good vehicles like Outlook. Cut prices so that rebates won't be necessary. Start "no haggle" pricing (i.e. use Saturn's strategy). Switch to Hyundai style warranty. Stop wasting money on MBAs (including Wagoner) and patriotic ads - fire the entire marketing department. Stop badge-engineering. Stop fleet sales. Lower inventory (instead of making the cars sit in the lots, make the cash sit in a bank and earn some interest), get rid off (either by closing or selling) brands such as Buick, Saab, Pontiac, GMC, Saturn. Focus on Chevy and Caddy. Even if this means bankruptcy and bitter fight with dealers, face it and then come out clean.
Blazer was one of the worst models in GM's history, for reliability. Lahiri, you got one of the baddies! :-/
What I will be looking for in the years to come, is CONSISTENCY at GM, in build quality and reliability. There was still too much upsy-downsy at GM as recently as 3-5 years ago. The good were decent, the bad were really bad. The same seems to be true at VW. So how will today's cars do three years from now? Or five? Will they be at least average across the board, or will we have models that are shining stars and others that are well below average? Time will tell this story.
Me, I want to see the Volt come to reality. I want to see an honest-to-God commitment to fuel economy at GM, not just marketing but a variety of models at various price points that make fuel economy one of their design priorities. And not just hybrids, but plug-ins like Volt, and diesels and whatever. How about some frugal gas models?
I am also waiting for the third-gen Korean cars to really hit their stride - GM needs good small cars even in the big ol' U.S. of A. The second-gen Opels being sold at Saturn stores could be very interesting too, depending on what GM decides to bring here over the years.
I think it will serve them well if they can really get the Australian Holden arrangement to work for them - those Aussie cars would make a great fleet of large GM cars here in the States. Don't let the GTO experiment discourage you, Bob!
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Comments
Buick could only compete at the low end of lexus and at a lower price point. Not really a Lexus competitor but affordable comfort.
Pontiac can go sporty RWD or, when no platform is available AWD. Solstice is jsut too small to be stretched to a midsize G6. Perhaps a G5 derived from the Solstice platform?
According to a new report by trade publication Automotive News, the G8 will get front end styling similar to the popular Solstice roadster. The car will have unique styling from the A-pillar forward, the report said.
The report indicates the difference between the Commodore and G8 will be more dramatic than suggested by a popular illustration on the cover of Motor Trend's October issue.
Today's report also goes against a Detroit Free Press story that claimed the G8 would first get a Pontiac grille only, and later get unique styling when production is moved to Canada.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070116/AUTO01/701160335
The message coming down from the United Auto Workers' top ranks as they prepare for this year's contract talks is not the hard-line rhetoric of the past.
Labor leaders are talking to rank-and-file workers about sacrifice and the need to help Detroit automakers become competitive again.
They're warning of difficult negotiations ahead and reminding members of the financial problems and intense pressure facing the companies.
Per a TV news show (autoline) hybrid sales are plummeting and SUV sales are going back up. Fickle bunch, arn't we?
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070116/BIZ/701160341/1001
I am thinking a stretched midsized Kappa based sedan with two or three engine options. Ecotec motors in NA and turbo trim and maybe a car version of the 4200 Inline 6 destroked to 4.0 liters.
Price it around $25K then I see a winner from Pontiac.
Several tuners have already put a LS series engine into a Kappa how much longer can an Atlas be then the LS?
I saw a recent poll that showed 80% of domestic vehicle owners are satisfied with their vehicles and 85% of import owners were satisfied. when I see stuff like that I really have to question the notion that there are tens of millions of GM owners out there who have faced huge repair bills and been stranded by their POS GM products. To be perfectly honest, I think that people have far less tolerance for problems from a GM product than they do from a TOyota or Honda. In the Camry forum there were people trying to downplay the tranny issues with the camry and telling other owners not to overreact and to wait for Toyota to come up with a fix. Obviously, MB and VW customers are willing to put up with problems and not write off those companies for life after bad experiences. I once had a coworker who said she shouldn't have gotten an Alero because she had a problem with the turn signal and that was enough for her to long for an altima.
"Nor will calling import owners "stupid," "uniformed," "unpatriotic," etc. "
I never called anyone stupid or unpatriotic. I notice that those who dont like american cars or those who drive them are quick to get defensive about their patriotism and start talking about Big 3 plants in Mexico (not you per se). Personally, patriotism is the last thing I am concerned about although I do think it's a good thing when people buy vehicles made in the US. I live in Philly and you dont find a lot of pickups, american flags or Red State idealogy up here. The car market is pretty evenly split amongst imports and domestics as well, it's not extreme like California or Washington DC where only rental agencies by domestic.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
Well as long as you are redoing the wheelbase might as well make the front end longer too. :P
When Rick Wagoner, the chairman of General Motors, walked onto the floor of Detroit's Cobo Hall in January 2006, only one question seemed to matter to the assembled throng attending the North American International Auto Show: how soon would the giant American carmaker go bust? A representative of Kirk Kerkorian, an entrepreneur who had just bought a 10 percent stake, said GM had to wake up or it would run out of cash in three years. Mr. Kerkorian has since sold out, but he seems to have galvanized GM. At this year's show the subject of choice was the firm's nascent turnaround.
A year ago GM was making record losses, closing plants and slashing its workforce. It was struggling to sell cars at rock-bottom prices and faced having to pay out billions of dollars to prop up Delphi, its former parts unit. Meanwhile, its increasingly rampant Japanese rival, Toyota, was making plans to overtake GM as the world's biggest carmaker by 2008.
Many of these problems still haunt GM, but even its most vociferous critics can see signs of a revival. The company began this year's Detroit show with a lavish event attended by Hollywood celebrities. But the real star was the newly redesigned Camaro Convertible, marking a comeback for one of GM's most famous models. Along with the new Chevrolet Malibu, a complete remake of the type of saloon with which GM once dominated the market, it suggests that the firm is regaining its edge in design. Its new Chevrolet Silverado was named pick-up truck of the year, and when its Saturn Aura was chosen as best car, even the unit's unflappable general manager, Jill Lajdziak, was lost for words.
The revival of the ailing Saturn division casts light on some of the changes. Saturn has consolidated its vehicle-development efforts with those of GM's European arm, Opel. More broadly, the carmaker's previously autonomous regional operations are now working together coherently, as Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman and “car czar”, farms out duties. North America is developing the big pick-up trucks that dominate the local market and Europe will handle mainstream passenger cars. The car unit of South Korea's Daewoo, now a GM subsidiary, will work on entry-level models and Holden, an Australian subsidiary, will develop big saloons. If GM can make this approach work, it will achieve economies of scale that only Toyota can match, says David Cole, of the Centre for Automotive Research, a consultancy.
Like Toyota, GM is also standardizing manufacturing practices around the globe. It has eliminated 30,000 jobs and reduced North American production capacity by 30 percent. According to Mr. Cole, all of this has cut costs by the equivalent of about $2,000 a vehicle. Mr. Wagoner says GM reached its target of trimming $9 billion from fixed costs by the end of 2006.
Still, problems remain. Toyota unveiled its largest-ever light truck in Detroit, and is thought to be planning several new American factories. So even as Toyota emphasizes the green credentials of its Prius hybrid car, it is attacking the Silverado, one of GM's biggest money-makers. GM's response is to expand its own hybrid offerings, including the new Chevrolet Volt concept car (pictured). It is battery-driven and can be recharged from the mains or by an on-board three-cylinder engine that never directly drives the wheels.
GM is still struggling to get its core North American operations into profit. But for the first time in years it is heading in the right direction. There is a long way to go, but at least the threat of bankruptcy is receding in the rear-view mirror.
Jan. 14, 2007
What is it about the human condition that so delights in the negative?
I ask the question because of the obvious change of mood in Detroit, especially as it relates to General Motors, still the world's biggest car company.
At the North American International Auto Show in 2006, one could hardly pay attention to the exhibits because of all the distracting media speculation about the possibility of a GM bankruptcy filing. The company was in the painful throes of downsizing – closing plants and cutting jobs to stem a fiscal hemorrhaging that amounted to a $10.6 billion loss in 2005.
With GM still losing money by the opening of that show last year, journalists were in no mood for turnaround stories. The company's efforts to turn media attention to its concept and production vehicles then went nowhere. At the Firehouse – a decommissioned Detroit fire station across the street from Cobo Hall, which annually is turned into a restaurant and bar for the legions of international journalists attending the car show – there was an almost festive mood in preparation for a GM wake.
The only thing missing from the gloom surrounding GM's exhibit at the time was a sign that should have read: "They're Goin' Down, Man!"
But things were considerably different this year. A resurgent GM preempted the show's media week with a celebrity-packed introduction of its latest cars and trucks, a crowded event hosted by Jimmy Kimmel of ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" The joint was jumping, not only for the unusual-for-Detroit large gathering of Hollywood stars and entertainers, but also for GM's new cars and trucks.
It was interesting to note that after appearances by recording artists such as Jay-Z and actresses such as Carmen Electra and Vivica Fox, it was the concept Chevrolet Camaro convertible that got the standing ovation.
At Cobo Hall, GM used the stage to restate what it said a month earlier at the Los Angeles Auto Show: that it was pouring billions of dollars into the development of plug-in and other electric vehicles, that it was staking much of its future on producing profitable electric models with wide customer appeal. GM offered as tangible proof of its intentions a prototype Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric car.
Then, the media murmuring started: Is GM serious? How can they afford it? Is this just a ploy to get money from the federal government? Toyota will probably beat them to the punch first, don't you think? It's a good idea but so what? It'll take them 10 years to bring it to market. By then, no one would care. Toyota surely will be the biggest car company in the world, then, don't you think?
Perhaps such chatter is inevitable. It is easier to believe in failure than it is to achieve, or sustain success. Bad news uses the express lane. Good news travels in the right lane next to access ramps where bad news constantly rolls in. We've become so accustomed to negative thinking in this country we celebrate whenever something bad happens to confirm our beliefs.
But I will say again in this column what I have said many times before: This new GM is not the old GM many of us loved to hate. The entire corporate attitude is different. Somewhere along the road from original success to malaise to self-destruction, the company has rediscovered its fighting and innovative spirits.
There is proof in the Volt, which employs a variety of breakthrough technologies such as tough, lightweight, formable glass-coated plastic, and an ink technology that could help make all future cars rattle free by replacing many electric dials and their various plastic enclosures. It's the best thinking from GM's engineers and designers as well as from its leading suppliers, such as General Electric.
There is proof in the new Saturn Aura sedan and the new Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, which together swept the North American car and truck of the year honors at the show – ironically, awards given by some of the journalists who later were questioning GM's ability to survive.
As for speculation that GM could be using its Volt car to get a financial charge out of Congress, well, heck, I certainly hope so. The governments of Japan, China and India are all working hard to help their automotive industries attain technical superiority, certainly in the development of alternative fuels and propulsion systems. What is so terribly unfair about the American government giving similar assistance to American car companies?
Why not drop a billion bucks on GM or Ford and pretend that the money is going to the development of business in Iraq? Who knows, if our government gets serious about helping American companies develop more fuel-efficient technologies, maybe we wouldn't have to be in Iraq.
Here's hoping that, despite some of the negative vibes surrounding its introduction, GM will succeed with the Volt; and here's hoping that GM will succeed, period.
That way, we in this business could start the negative vibe cycle all over again. Headline: "Has Mighty GM Grown Arrogant?"
True even today. Just this year I had to get rid of my Blazer. I switched to Honda.
There are many angry customers like me. How does GM plan to bring us back? Telling me SORRY for screwing up in the past won't help. I need monetary compensation (at least $10K). If GM doesn't pay, I won't look at GM no matter what they make.
Well, those who love GM today are still free to love and support GM. I hope GM serves them well and not do what GM did to me.
I haven't done the research yet, but I'm not so sure about this theory. In Europe, the distances traveled aren't a great, and cars aren't usually a necessity - that is - there's another way to get to work or to the market if the car is down.
In Japan that's certainly true. Cars are a luxury item rather than a necessity for most people. I believe that the Japanese quality obsession stems from two factors not common to Europe:
a. The intensely competitive marketplace there. If you can't compete on lower price or service, you have to compete on quality.
b. The driving conditions at very slow and stop-and-go. This generates a demand for good transmissions, and cooling systems, and you spend a lot of time looking at that interior.
I never bashed GM despite liking import brands. I'm familar with their offerings but I do think GM is getting there but just no cigar yet. It does seem like has better people in charge now from what I read in the articles. GM recognizes that younger people are not considering them so I do hope GM makes a car to lure me from the Japanese Branded cars.
"Chrysler's latest offerings seem to lack the quality and fit & finish of GM and fords latest offerings."
I'm with you there GM and Ford do have better interiors than Chrysler even though Caddy;s interior need improving. As I said before the interior in the G6 and Aura are pretty good. Even the interior in the 04 Malibu looks pleasent from an outside view but the exterior was a mess on that car.
"The Sbring does hold a litte hope though"
Are you kidding the Sebring? The car is an exterior styling mess and the plastics are hard. I wouldn't buy the Sebring over the Fusion or the G6 even. I would even buy a Camry over the Sebring despite people bashing the Camry's soft snd cushy ride over the years.
Yeah it's a pretty sad but it's going to have to happen.
The UAW needs to negotiate for it's new membership a 401k plan with a 10-20% match dollar for dollar. I do believe they can. Hourly wages and out of pocket healthcare costs is going to be the initial hit. Perhaps they can save the pension and just make less per hour and pay more out of pocket for healthcare. I do believe a "enhanced" 401K would be the best route. I'd also negotiate some profit shairing bonuses, along with some stock options. This has been proven to work because each person owns a part of the company.
It's going to be a tough contract for the UAW, but if they negotiate right they can get a decent contract while saving the company Billions in costs. I guarantee you will see each plant look like the Lansing Plant where work rules are very flexible.
Rocky
I haven't "felt" the interior on the Sebring and have only seen it in a few photo's and of course the many car commercials. The design looks nice but i didn't know it was a "Plastic Fantasy" still. :surprise:
Rocky
I believe there was a small step toward that in previous agreements? But I realize that will be red flags waved in front of angry people... But when they start paying 20% of the UCR of some services they will tend to weigh the necessity of that service. I have friends who spend a fortune in healthcare checks and checkups because they pay next to nothing, and yes, they're retired GM.
I certainly hope they can reach a beneficial settlement for both groups although I realize my idea may not be acceptable for the union.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Guys remember this article:
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=116373 :shades: This isn't the exact article of the slade getting 30 mpg hwy but I found while digging through the "What will it take to save GM" forum trying to use old posts to prove some folks over their wrong about toyota having jailed 3 top officials. I swear these old forum posters have selective memorys :mad:
imidazol97, 62, lemko, logic, I know y'all will remember the talk about toyota hiding recalls. 3 officials were jailed right ? If any of you have relating articles or know where to find these old story's on this site and/or other sites I'd appreciate y'all helping a brother out to refresh some memory's.
Are Toyota's recent quality problems just a glitch?
I posted "recall talk" from july-september on toyota from the "what will it take to save gm forum" and went through thousands of posts. My eyes need a rest but I'm not done. Any help will be appreciated.
Rocky
Yes, now that GM has screwed and lost customers, it needs to kick the rear end of its employees and retirees to make things look good. WOW! A Japanese autoworker earns almost as much as an American autoworker. Japanese plants are also unionized. The healthcare system is different - but the tax structure sort of makes up for the difference. Dollar has been falling lately - so, currency is also not a cause of concern for GM. Still, my $19K 2006 CR-V, assembled in Japan, has a fuel-efficient engine, 5-speed auto, stability assist, ABS, seat mounted as well as curtain airbags, and Edmund's "Lowest True Cost to Own" award! How does Honda do it? Easy - Honda hires engineers. GM hires Wagoner and MBAs who know everything about finance and 0% APR promotions, yet nothing about engineering. GM's cost-cutting doesn't involve investing in high-tech automated plants that can produce zero-defect cars; it involves shipping jobs to Mexico ($4 an hour wage compared to nearly $30 at Japan and America) or just kicking the rear-end of those who have retired.
July 12, 2006 •• 612 words •• ID: det24386194
Toyota Motor Corp. finds itself in a deeply uncomfortable position as three of its quality-control managers in Japan are the focus of a criminal investigation into whether they downplayed reports of steering problems in the mid-1990s. That problem was subsequently cited as the possible cause of an accident in Japan that injured five people and eventually led to a global recall by Toyota of more than 1 million vehicles. Toyota, whose brand has long been synonymous with vehicle quality, said
This I found by searching the Detroit News Auto Insider. I believe a link was posted to their article more recently than July 12th about the coverup of steering problems. I thought they were found guilty.
I find links in a Tundra discussion about steering problems.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Thanks.....Didn't they end up in jail for a period of time though ???? My memory isn't clear ????
I honestly spent at least 2+ hours of going through old forums and know links to the posts like the one you posted above are somewhere because I posted them along with 62' and I believe you commented on it. Over in the Toyota forum I'm getting accused of having a hawg wash story. :sick:
I would love to know the final verdict on those 3 toyota officials that did the cover up. It being toyota, and due to all the massive recalls I doubt we will ever get a clear story of what happened as if it got printed at all it probably made the "funnys" section
Rocky
Well that's what I thought also.....That is why my brain keeps telling me they were jailed by the government of Japan. If I didn't read that why does my brain keep saying I did ? :confuse:
Rocky
There are many angry customers like me. How does GM plan to bring us back? Telling me SORRY for screwing up in the past won't help. I need monetary compensation (at least $10K). If GM doesn't pay, I won't look at GM no matter what they make.
you mean its been less than a year that weve had to listen to your whining about your blazer, it feels like an eternity that weve had to endure listenin about that blazer.
And this one time, at band camp...
>Just this year I had to get rid of my Blazer.
>I need monetary compensation (at least $10K).
I suspect you'll be waiting a long time. Just like those with transmissions in Hondas that keep getting replaced every 30K until the "extended warranty" is out--guess who buys next service replacement after 100K mi??? Grin.
>How does GM plan to bring us back?
If I were GM, I wouldn't want that kind of person back. They'd just find some little thing else to kvetch about.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Rocky
Sadly I'm one of those Accord owners (4 transmissions so far within the 36k warranty period) and I didn't get an extended warranty b/c mine is an 02 :confuse:
Right now I'm a 54k, a little unsure of what the future holds for my car. I will say I love everything about the car, just wish Honda could give me a reliable transmission just one time.
The good thing is Honda replacing up to 100K for some years--but then it's out and a transmission that has a failure pattern is your nickel. GM should have done some warranty replacements for some things; but better is for parts to be built right for 200-300K worth with good care.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Just curious.
My original transmission would jerk/slam into 1st gear on an incline and sometimes it happened w/o the incline, got it replaced. My 2nd made a weird whining noise which ever so slightly got worse over time. The dealer noticed it when I got my oil changed and replaced it with my 3rd. But that very day as I was driving away from the dealer, I noticed a clanking noise near the front passenger floorboard, so I turned around and went back to them. After looking over the car, they told me they had just installed a defective transmission :sick:
So I again have to stay at the dealer and wait. Out goes my shortlived 3rd one, and in goes my current transmission. I had been waiting all day so that's why I was in such a hurry to leave and didn't get the warranty thing down. My mistake. This one occasionally jerks when I'm about to come to a full stop or when I start from a stop(been doing it since day 1 sadly, just getting worse but not all the time). None of my transmissions out right failed or left me stranded, they just have showed symptoms of not holding up for the long run. I have to say, my 2nd one was probably the best one out of the 4. No jerking, just whining noises at very low speeds, at 40mph, and at 55-60mph.
Wow that was a hijack of a thread if I ever saw one
A Honda/Acura dealer lied ummmm no-way, impossible, I thought I was the only one that took it in the tail pipe by one of their dealers and their do nothing customer service reps are useless. :surprise:
My original transmission would jerk/slam into 1st gear on an incline and sometimes it happened w/o the incline, got it replaced. My 2nd made a weird whining noise which ever so slightly got worse over time. The dealer noticed it when I got my oil changed and replaced it with my 3rd. But that very day as I was driving away from the dealer, I noticed a clanking noise near the front passenger floorboard, so I turned around and went back to them. After looking over the car, they told me they had just installed a defective transmission
You need to do what I did and hire ya a lawyer. That is the only time you will see action from these folks.
So I again have to stay at the dealer and wait. Out goes my shortlived 3rd one, and in goes my current transmission. I had been waiting all day so that's why I was in such a hurry to leave and didn't get the warranty thing down. My mistake. This one occasionally jerks when I'm about to come to a full stop or when I start going from one. None of my transmissions out right failed or left me stranded, they just have showed symptoms of not holding up for the long run.
You definetly need an attorney. Or you need to lemon law that puppy. I do feel bad for ya.
Rocky
Rocky
I will say, I don't think my tranny will be going anytime soon, and the Saturn Astra has caught my eye...
You better knock on some wood for good luck since you need some.
Rocky
P.S. The G6 shouldn't be around for much longer since they are supposably going RWD and thus will be replaced. or deleted. My mother likes her GTP though.
This is my favoritest foreign car ever !!!!! I mean that with all sincerity. If I was ever going to buy a foreign brand again this would be the one.....this honestly is so damn impressive !!!! Is this car made in the States I wonder ?
OMG the EVO-X flat out kicks butt. I wished GM would right now write a check for that whole company. They need to dump the Pontiac brand and put the fleet of Mitsubishi's in the line up as a replacement. They could just add the G8 for spice.
I've always looked at the EVO/WRX as just dumb boy racer cars but it's hardware is still their but the interiors are becoming first class and gadget filled. I could see it as daily driver or a family car with some fire.
I gotta take my hat off to Mitsubishi.....they no longer just make good TV's.
Sorry for being off-topic:
Rocky
Actually I thought everyone agreed now that GM quality does compete with Toyota/HOnda. Numbers seem to prove it. Issue is the past and what it has done to sales.
Resale value also is on it's way back up. ALG numbers are going up. Again issues were many but a large part of it was GM keeping plants running to keep revenue coming in to pay the workers to do something rather than sit in Job Banks and to pay for health care/retirement for everyone. Even when GM sold all those vehicles to the rental fleets and were not making a profit on each, each of those cars were paying the "overhead" bills.
Now that they have permission to close plants (buyouts were permitted by union) they can cut back on low profit sales.
Prices are dipping, but survey predicts spikes in next decade
Gasoline prices continued to fall this week, but don't get too used to the lower prices. A new survey predicts that gasoline will hit $4 a gallon by 2015 and more than $5 a gallon by 2020.
The national average price for regular unleaded gasoline today is $2.23 a gallon, according to AAA, of Hawthorne, Fla. That's down from $2.27 on Friday, Jan. 12.
The national average for midgrade today is $2.37, down from $2.41 on Jan. 12. The price for premium is $2.45, down from $2.50 on Jan. 12. Diesel fuel is 3 cents higher a gallon than it was four days ago, at $2.60.
The highest price found for regular unleaded gasoline was $3.30, in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and the lowest price for regular unleaded gasoline, $1.78, was spotted in Boiling Springs, S.C.
Gaspricewatch.com uses volunteer spotters to watch gasoline prices nationwide. More than 539,700 prices have been recorded this week.
Crude oil prices also fell, with a barrel of crude selling for $51.33 at 1 p.m. today, according to Bloomberg News. That's down from more than $52 a barrel on Jan. 12.
A survey today by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute's Automotive Analysis Division predicts a dramatic increase in the price of gasoline in the next decade.
The division based its survey on responses from more than 100 powertrain experts across North America.
Bruce Belzowski, lead researcher of the study, said in a statement: "Our research reveals surprising agreement among all stakeholders in the automobile industry that fuel prices are on a steep upward trajectory."
Rocky
Rocky
Things have changed so much since then. Honda and Toyota have come up with car-based SUVs that are as roomy and perhaps more reliable. These car-based SUVs (Rav4, Highlander, CR-V, Pilot) are loaded with safety features, cheap to insure, fuel-efficient (especially the 4-cyl models), nimble and beats the truck-based counterparts from Detroit.
What has GM done in response? CVT Vue had to be withdrawn due to quality concerns. The first generation of 6 cyl VUE had to be replaced by the Honda powered VUE. Equinox was better designed - but still it's "True Cost to Own" over 5 years exceeds CR-V's by $10K!!! And, now Edmunds is saying that the new hybrid VUE is "dangerously slow". Aztek has also been a failure. Rendezvous sold well but only when GM offered 0% APR. Finally, GM has come up with Outlook that looks promising and capable of handling the competition. But the problem is GM is late in the game. Customers like me have already switched.
My suggestion: Hire some engineers and designers. Make good vehicles like Outlook. Cut prices so that rebates won't be necessary. Start "no haggle" pricing (i.e. use Saturn's strategy). Switch to Hyundai style warranty. Stop wasting money on MBAs (including Wagoner) and patriotic ads - fire the entire marketing department. Stop badge-engineering. Stop fleet sales. Lower inventory (instead of making the cars sit in the lots, make the cash sit in a bank and earn some interest), get rid off (either by closing or selling) brands such as Buick, Saab, Pontiac, GMC, Saturn. Focus on Chevy and Caddy. Even if this means bankruptcy and bitter fight with dealers, face it and then come out clean.
:-/
What I will be looking for in the years to come, is CONSISTENCY at GM, in build quality and reliability. There was still too much upsy-downsy at GM as recently as 3-5 years ago. The good were decent, the bad were really bad. The same seems to be true at VW. So how will today's cars do three years from now? Or five? Will they be at least average across the board, or will we have models that are shining stars and others that are well below average? Time will tell this story.
Me, I want to see the Volt come to reality. I want to see an honest-to-God commitment to fuel economy at GM, not just marketing but a variety of models at various price points that make fuel economy one of their design priorities. And not just hybrids, but plug-ins like Volt, and diesels and whatever. How about some frugal gas models?
I am also waiting for the third-gen Korean cars to really hit their stride - GM needs good small cars even in the big ol' U.S. of A. The second-gen Opels being sold at Saturn stores could be very interesting too, depending on what GM decides to bring here over the years.
I think it will serve them well if they can really get the Australian Holden arrangement to work for them - those Aussie cars would make a great fleet of large GM cars here in the States. Don't let the GTO experiment discourage you, Bob!
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)