Quarter Sales Numbers

And look what GM is pinning its hopes on -- Malibu. As dull as styling can get, and a pushrod V6. Origami-styled Cadillacs. Supercharged Impalas and Monte Carlos that won't hide their ugly outsides or insides. Buick clone of the corporate SUV. Suzukis that are rebadged Daewoos.

The Nissan percentages are misleading, because their sales have been DISMAL over the last few years. Their upward trend means that they're going to survive, not that they're burning up the market. I think its the first time in history that being bought by Renault has done something GOOD for a car company (which only shows how bad they were before).

Yeah, I'm worried by the trend. But I don't buy foreign junk anyway.

| The Nissan percentages are misleading, because their sales have been | DISMAL over the last few years. Their upward trend means that they're | going to survive, not that they're burning up the market. I think its | the first time in history that being bought by Renault has done | something GOOD for a car company (which only shows how bad they were | before). | | Yeah, I'm worried by the trend. But I don't buy foreign junk anyway. | |

Hopefully we still have a domestic option in 10 years, or we won't have a choice. :-(

I'll bet Toyota would just LOVE to have those GM numbers, or even Fords. Toyota would love to be 'flat' at 472,527 CARS compared to their 200,482. In case you haven't noticed the figures were CAR sales not total vehicle sales. Americans buy more light truck, which includes SUV's, than cars. Ford sells more F150's in month then Toyota sell total trucks and truck based SUV's in a year. Toyota sell the number one car but Ford, Chevy and Dodge trucks far outsell ANYTHING Toyota or any Japanese company sells.

mike hunt

"James C. Reeves" wrote:

Didn't you add to the lower GM numbers, when you dumped your 2003 Malibu LS after 7 months of ownership? :) Just kidding.

I know how you feel...I'm regretting getting my GM car in February.

Brad

"Brad Clarke" wrote in

I bought an Olds Intrigue in June of 02, dumped it this past March and bought a Maxima.

Maybe I'll come back to GM.. but probably not, now that I've discovered what a "real" car is supposed to be like.

When are people going to stop equating "American car" with "GM?"

And "real car?" Maxima? Puh-LEEZE.

If the continuing trend isn't reversed, the numbers WILL be reversed within the decade...a very sad mathematical fact. BTW, Toyota gained market share on the trucks sales as well.

Not yet. According to the CarMax web site, as of Tuesday this week, it was still sitting on the Laurel, Maryland lot waiting to be purchased. :-) It's the dark green Malibu LS with sunroof ($14,599). They have quite a few 2003 GM's for sale actually, which is a little surprising. It was very well cared for, Mobil-1 oil changes, etc. Been to some interesting places...Montecello, Montpelier, Gettysburg, Philadelphia, Eastern Shore of Maryland. All of the quality problems, water / body seal leaks, etc. (except the noisy front struts are still a issue) have been fixed.

Eccept for a couple of Fords I owned in the 1970's, in 30+ years of car buying, I've never kept any car since for less than 7 years (average 11 years) and, except for a 16-year-old Dodge Dakota 4x4 I donated to the high school auto shop class, have never gotten rid of a car for quality/engineering or for problem reasons even then...usually selling them to friends since they all were still running great. I guess the 8 months for this one kills my average, huh!?! But, I'm not bitter, there is a cost to education! :-) In this case, about $7K....nearly a year of in-state tuition at UMD (daughter just graduated last year, so I'm free from the cost, I thought!).

| I know how you feel...I'm regretting getting my GM car in February. |

You gave GM two chances...more than they will get from me for a while. I think the engine replacement in your 2000 model would have sealed it for me though. I admire you trying to stick with them...I wish it had worked out better for you. One would think that at least some of the Malibu's are okay...there sure are a lot of them out on the roads!

I also get GM vehicles at cost, so for us it made financial sense to get another GM product.

That plan expires at the end of this year, so when the lease is up on this car, we'll be taking a serious look around at all manufacturers.

Brad

Shocking isn't it? Long gone are the cheap econobox days of the 80's.

Q: how many of those are fleet sales?

GM and Ford, last I checked, had a virtual stranglehold on the rental industry, so it's a bit unfair to compare them to companies that do most of their business to individuals.

I probably would have given them another go in that case then too. Dollars talk! :-)

| That plan expires at the end of this year, so when the lease is up on | this car, we'll be taking a serious look around at all manufacturers. | | Brad

I had a friend that would rent a model vehicle he was interested in for a few days to "try it on for size" to "see how it fit". It was a little costly, but his argument was that the dealer test drives just don't provide enough time with the car to know how it will fit in with personal preferences, comfort of the seats, etc. etc. I think I now agree with him!! Not sure how to avoid getting generally bad product though, other than lurk in newsgroups like these...although it will be filled mostly with people with problems and issues.

I wonder how the GM 24-hour test drive program worked out...do you know if they still doing that?

In the last JD Power survey I saw, Buick ranked very highly in number of problems per 100 cars. Wasn't far behind Lexus and above many Japanese and European brands.

There was a lot of variation in the GM brands so I think you are making a mistake lumping them together.

Matt

That would be Kia, or the GM branded Daewoo cars that GM is selling for the 2004 model year.

Brad

Yep, the discount combined with the loyalty program paid off the 9 months remaining on the lease of the other vehicle.

It might be in the states...not sure.

The salesman I deal with tells me to come in on Friday night and pick up a car, drive it for the weekend, and then bring it back sometime Monday.

That gives us a good opportunity to see whether we really like the vehicle enough to lease/buy.

Brad

That's a great benefit.

Well, Chrysler is no longer an American company, and Ford's cars are horrid, much worse than anything except maybe the Koreans.

I also assure you that for somebody on a beer budget, a Maxima is very much a real car. Otherwise, I'd be happy to take suggestions for my next ride. Show me a sports sedan, priced in the mid/low-20s, that has the ride, interior quality, and guts that my Nissan has. I would have loved to seriously looked at a CTS, but they're just too expensive.

I don't know which cars are better. Probably a mix. Some domestic cars are good and some not so good. Same goes for imports. In my mind the decision of which to buy is simple:

If you won't support the country you live in, you should seriously consider a move.

Germany and Japan were both enemies of America within my living memory and took the lives of members of my family. Why would I want to support anyone in either of those countries?

Japan charges very high duties on vehicles imported into Japan - many times more than the duties America charges on cars imported from Japan. Unfair trade practices. I am amazed that the US Government hasn't put an end to that practice long ago. The Japanese always say "We are looking into that" when the Americans confront them with the facts, but in typical Oriental fashion, they never stop "looking" and nothing happens. And yes, I am aware that many Japanese cars are now manufactured in the US providing employment to US workers, but the corporate profits go back to Japan.

German cars are expensive to maintain. If you don't believe me, you can talk to a neighbor of mine who owned an Audi Quatro Wagon for two years and was so very happy to finally get rid of it. He now drives a Chevrolet and has had no problems with it.

In purchasing automobiles and other things, people should support the country they are living in wherever possible.

"If you continue to buy imports, where will your children work?"