[body copy below]We got you to sell your 20 MPG Suburban to buy a 16 MPG Sequoia. We convinced you that your 33 MPG Malibu actually gets worse mileage than our 30 MPG Accord. We convinced if you quit buying GM, Ford and Chrysler that we will build more plants, but we just announced we are closing our NEW Prius plant in Mississippi. Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Pontiac scored above average for JD Power Quality, while Acura, Nissan, BMW, Mazda, VW, Subaru, Scion, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Land Rover and Mini all scored below the industry average – and you still believe American brands can’t compete. We got billions of dollars in incentives paid for by the tax payers to build the few plants that we do have in America and you don’t care. And the best of all, we didn’t even have to make you believe that the auto loans were really a free money bailout…you came up with that one yourselves
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29 comments:
This is like a nasty letter from a wife that's been dumped about her husband's new girlfriend.
It misses the point that there's a reason the husband left her.
Yeah, maybe the reason was that the wife was mean and lazy some years ago. And maybe she realized some that she was digging her own grave and cleaned up her act and was much nicer.
But once that lovin' feeling is gone, the door is open for something new. Even if that something new isn't really all that different from the something old. Even if it takes a few years for the change to happen.
And that's where American cars are today. I'd like to take a chance on one, really I would. And in my head, I think an American car is probably as good as anybody's. But in my heart, I don't know. Someone is going to have to show me they aren't AS good, but that they are way BETTER.
JD Power isn't going to convince me of anything, by the way. How many folks think they are objective? Or even if they are, what their awards actually measure? If brand X is #1 in consumer satisfaction, who's to say that brands #2, #3 and #4 didn't do almost as well? Or if their #1 rating means "they suck and I hate them, but I hate them less than the others"
I remember back when I was in the magazine business, and JD Power wanted my title to buy their study, and when we waffled about the price, they threatened to pull us off the survey list. I've never had any illusions about integrity of their system after that.
When the US goverment stops buying the suburbans and caddys for the White House on wheels I will start to worry. The auto industry pissed many consumers off not so much with the cars but with the stupidy of how many dealerships were managed and zero service recovery when things did go wrong. For years around Warren we had to listen to Delphi and Lordstown people about the deals they got on thier new cars,all the while collecting 90% of pay during transition and shutdowns. Finally when it only seems to matter most does John Q Public get the same discount. Only now does your service business mean something to dealerships.It will take years to rebuild the trust and confidence to drive and buy American.A major taming of the Shrew.
Count all the people you know who wont buy American cars complaining about the quality. Now count how many of them kept the car they bought longer than the lease or waranty because the quality of their purchase held up.
In this world does anyone think its impossible for Road & Track,Car & Driver or Consumer Reports to be on Honda or Toyotas payroll?
Mikey, Japenese cars are not assembeled by Geishas,or VWs by men wearing white lab coats. So when you buy that Honda realize that your not going to meet Marlon Brando & spend your nights in a tea house.
Mikey -- don't confuse me with facts. When Americans were losing in JDP they argued it wasn't fair and were called crybabies; now they're winning an deserve to crow a little.
I have high regard for your aesthetic sensibilities, but aren't you still driving that '84 diesel Benz? what Detroit ride have you considered? a '91 Coup de Ville?
The Benz is history...I'm now on my 2nd used Dodge minivan...with the current one (made in 2000)is doing well at 138000 miles...which supports the idea that American cars ARE well made these days.
My point wasn't that foreign is better -- it's not. But that, unfairly, gut-level consumer attitudes (using myself as exhibit A) change very slowly, even when it's rational to change...
But really, it was rude of me to go off when you were clearly having fun pointing out the unfairness of it all...
But I like the idea of geishas making cars...kinky. Let's see if i can talk my wife into wearing safety goggles and a kimono (since she wouldn't go for the nurse outfit, this one probably won't fly either...)
I remember when we (I assume most of us are of a certain age) were kids and something said "Made in Japan", it was looked upon as cheap, cheaply made and of very poor quality. What a difference a generation makes.
I watched a fair amount of football over the last 2 weeks and the impression I get is that GM and Ford make nothing but trucks meant to be sold to screaming rednecks. The message GM sends is that if you buy a Ford truck with less than an 8 cylinder engine, you're gay.
This is what the bailout is for? What a bunch of bozos.
Bird -- below are the top 20 selling cars/trucks in the US for 2008. 5 (including #1 and #2) are trucks, and another 4 are SUVs. This is what people want. it would be kind of stupid not to give it to them, wouldn't it?
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Ford F - Series PU 515,513
Chevrolet Silverado PU 465,065
Toyota Camry / Solara 436,617
Honda Accord 372,789
Toyota Corolla / Matrix 351,007
Honda Civic 339,289
Nissan Altima 269,668
Chevrolet Impala 265,840
Dodge Ram PU 245,840
Honda CR-V 197,279
Ford Focus 195,823
Chevrolet Cobalt 188,045
Chevrolet Malibu 177,088
GMC Sierra PU 168,544
Ford Escape 156,544
Ford Fusion 147,569
Toyota Tacoma PU 144,653
Toyota Tundra 137,249
Toyota RAV4 137,020
Lexus RX 350/330/400h 84,181
I don't doubt that the skoal crowd buys a lot of pickups. Looking down the list, people seem to want sedans as well. The next 1.33 million vehicles sold were sedans of foreign make. I'm only saying that Ford and GMC are spending an incredible amount of ad $$ selling vehicles to a market they already own. You'd think they'd put some more effort into selling sedans. Except for Cadillac I can't remember one ad for an American made sedan.
Next to the Angry Whopper ad, the damn Ram tough ad nearly made me turn off football and watch Queer eye for the Straight Guy. Detroit conceded the sedan to foreign competition. There was greater profit in the "big" vehicle.
Now when Americans are beginning to believe that a gas guzzler is funneling money to terrorists, the Big 3 doesn't have a product to sell them.
Birdman is correct that until sometime in the 1980's, most Americans thought made in Japan was synonymous with inferior. How long will it take for that perception to dissipate? Maybe not soon enough to save Detroit.
Alright, there are 5 Detroit cars in the top 20 also, and just because you don't see ads for them on football games doesn't mean they aren't supporting them with advertising. But you 2 are obviously a couple of furin' car lovin' commies and nothing is going to change your views on this.
The future in not in gas guzzlers, no matter who wants them now.
And just because the average joe loves high caloric fast food, doesn't mean the future is there either.
We are talking about what is on and beyond the horizon as to the horse to put our money on. Detroit has not been proactive. Asia and Europe have the technology and the engines now to drive the cars we need. Just because the price of fuel is down doesn't mean we should use any more oil than necessary.
I want to see the big 3 jump ahead, not go toe to toe with the rest of the world.
Somethings never change. Big Daddy still tries to set the boys straight & Bird is in agreement with someone who considers watching Queer Eye.
now that hankster has weighed in, make it 3 commies under the euro-spell.
OK, I'll give an honest answer. It's more prestigious to drive a European. And some (not me, of course) care what people think. There it is. d'b don't let them throw things at me!
she speaks great truth for one so young.
Comrades Hankster, KGwhit and I fully embrace our struggling brothers in the UAW. We just hope that the running dog lackeys in management will get their collective heads out of their butts and design and market vehicles for next year instead of 5 years ago.
Follow the Shining Path to the future...
Only a capitalist roader would drive Detroit iron down that road!
If only Uncle Joe was still alive. He could run for President because he was born in Georgia.
A good point though -- the only Detroit TV ads I can think of are for trucks or SUVs -- and they are relentlessly macho -- with a sneering attitude. And probably that works for those cars. But it doesn't speak to a white collar sushi-eater like me at all, in fact it's kind of off-putting. If they want to grow market share in sedans, they are going to need to get beyond the tough-guy schtick.
While we are on the subject of Communism:
How the Big 3 Helped Defeat the Red Menace:
Marx said the success of Communism is reflected by the workers owning the means of production. With so many workers' retirement funds in Big 3 stock, as the auto companies have been tanking, Detroit has undermined the power of the workers. Thus Capitalism has triumphed over Communism even as it lies convulsing on the floor of the stock exchange.
I think my earliest memories are my best.While many of you were solving the world woes in college. I was a little kid watching our space program and feeling you could do or be anything you wanted it was your choice. I watched and listened to Uncle Walter, Even the bad news seemed to be manageable Everyone I knew bought a new American car every 2-3 years,Weird people bought American Motors. The only Suv's and trucks were sold to people who used them for the intended purpose I didn't know anyone who was out of a job or needed one. Except for young college kids on summer breaks who needed gas money for his big block Detroit Iron. I think we are all still Americans but with way to many socialistic tendencies especially with our preference to the automobile and what we need out of a house.
JD Powers... They rank the products and services of companies in industries that American consumers despise - automobiles, cable tv, airlines. Like a beauty contest for the morbidly obese.
While it is true that "past performance is no guarantee or indication of future results", we are creaturs of familiarity and experience. I will purchase a Mini or a VW over a GM or Chrysler product (save for top-tier, premium vehicles like the XLR, ZR-1 or Viper that are built with a different approach and philosophy), as I have experienced examples from all 4 manufacturers and the domestic offerings were junk compared to their imported competition. I am always browsing vehicles, driving friend's new cars and try to keep up to date on technology, but I really have yet to see anything domestically mass-produced that has wowed me, aside from the new Lincoln line. It was only recently that the Corvette "grew up" and matured into something more than horsepower machine with interior plastic that was shared with the Cavalier.
While the numbers say that GM and Chrysler's quality is improving, the designs have not. Blind people cannot legally drive, yet they seem to be designing cars that would only appeal to those who just can't see. They could stand to learn a lesson from the imports in terms of platform sharing as well - slapping a different badge on a vehicle and offering a few different shades of color does not a different vehicle make. Toyota, Honda and VW all build vehicles that share platforms with their upscale brands that share a lot of components - but they look almost nothing alike! All these factors have contributed to the "Downfall Of The Domestics" - just making sure all the bolts are tight and the dash doesn't squeak isn't going to save their ass - they actually need to become competitive and start building cars that people desire and want to own rather than have to own due to economic constraints, etc. They need to rebuild the respect for the brands they foolishly threw away when they made the losing bet that American, the land of immigrants, would never buy anything foreign.
Dammit, somebody make me Car Czar already.
I vote for our blomaster, I think he would simply look smashing in a Truman like ice cream suit with a wide brim stetson,or better yet a nice white suit ala Herman GoeringI think Dennis would love parading around in the newest goverment car approved for the people.
You'd have to pry the keys of his CTS from his cold, dead hand first. Besides, my full name would lend itself to the 'Czar' title more aptly, as I'm sure Dennis would agree.
If nominated I will not run. If elected, I will not serve.
I have no answers -- only questions.
Now if I could be Wall Street czar I'd be there in a New York minute, and we'd have the first lynchings by noon the following day.
There would be no stronger advocate for Detroit iron than Dennis. I'd let him keep his CTS and give him a new one every year if he took the job. He could be Wall Street Czar as well. How much time does it take to bring the "rough justice" he wants to these people. Have a few Hedge Fund managers swinging from light poles and the rest will fall into line pretty quickly.
I volunteer to place the noose around the necks of the weasels. My only hope is that they die slowly and in great agony similar to what my retirement years will be like after their fine stewardship.
Manhattan Wind Chimes.
Imagine a day when uttering the word "lynching" makes middle-aged white men in thousand dollar suits with perfectly coiffed hair begin to sweat and loosen their neckties.
In the second half of December the GM brands ran a series of TV spots called "surprised". You must have missed the family ad that pointed out GM has more models that get over 30 miles to the gallon than any other car company. There was the Chevy spot talking about the Malibu being the North American Car of the Year, and the Cadillac CTS ad pointing out it was Motor Trend Car of the Year. Buick and Pontiac had similar ads as well.
GM did make some design mistakes such as the Aztek. But if you look at the product offering now, there really isn't an ugly, bland car, suv or truck in their line up.
I find it ironic that Mikey thinks domestic cars are of questionable quality while he drives a Dodge with 138K miles. If the quality of the domestic cars today, were what they were 30 years - we'd be talking about them in the past tense.
I started my automotive career working for American Motors, went on to Honda and now at General Motors via Saab. I can say without any reservations, the quality and value for the money of GM cars are just as good or better than what you can get in a foreign car.
I drive 40,000 to 50,000 miles a year and I can't remember the last time I needed to have one of my company cars repaired. (That doesn't include the body damage I did to my last company vehicle trying to avoid a ladder in the road and ended up in a guardrail.)
Like any large organization, there are some missteps along the way. However, I am proud to work for General Motors and believe we build some of the best cars and trucks on the market. With the safety of OnStar and the best coverage including a 100,000 drivetrain warranty.
If you want to buy one for yourself and want a discount - let me know and I'll get you the same price our suppliers pay. Just drop me a line. doug.blank@gm.com
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