Another sign of GM's desperation

Not so huge as it may look. We have a '97 Camry and a 2003 Avalon, which, when my wife first drove it, thought that it was too big. But I prevailed and we bought it anyway. Then I measured it and found that the Avalon is 6 inches longer, and 3 inches wider at the bottom of the windows. It seems much larger when you sit in the two cars, but it's not that much bigger. And yes, it's pricey, but we bought a year old one from Hertz auto sales, for less than a new Camry would have cost, and got a sunrroof, alloy wheels, all leather interior, a six CD changer, driving lights, a compass (display) and oodles more. We're very happy with it, and you can drive it 500 miles in a day and not feel as if you're crippled at the end of the day.

were you a hippy?

Do you think that the team with the lower score in the first quarter is winning? Do you think that the company that sold fewer cars in the first quarter "still sells more cars" than the one that sold more? LOL, yourself.

At best, GM is about tied with Toyota. Everyone knows that Toyota is going to pass GM. It looks like it will be this year, but if not then it will be next year. It is entirely possible that there will never be another quarter where GM outsells Toyota.

This is one of the few smart GM marketing moves of recent times. Encourage people to compare the product to the benchmark right then and there, without sending them to the competition to check 'em out.

John

I sure hope not. Personally I test drive a wide range of vehicles before setting my sites on what I want to buy. Don't you try on a number of options in new clothes or shoes before picking the ones to buy? I sure do.

For clothing, I choose 1 - 3 options in each - whether it's color or sizes that will possibly "work" - to try on. Same with cars: I narrow it down to

2 - 3 choices via plenty of research first (usually 2 - 3 months' worth of reading & sifting through). *Then* I go to the dealerships to test drive, to make sure I personally like what I've read about. So, by the time I get to a dealership to actually start the shopping process, I'm sure I'm already quite interested in a couple/three certain makes & models, right down to which options I do or don't want.

Cathy

I don't really trust test-runs. I do my shopping for big-ticket items by seeking out those who own the products first. By the time I walk into the store/dealership, I already have a pretty good idea of what I want.

From there, I test drive to get the feel of the car, but the parameters are already in mind.

I should mention that despite my gender, I absolutely *hate* hands-on shopping. I'm a researching type.

Natalie

They've already outsold GM:

*snip rest*

You're conversing with a resident troll, BTW.

Natalie

I think Mike preferes the term " cheerleader " No matter how badly the team is doing, he is standing on the sidelines trying to ralley the troups.

The internet makes that fairly easy also. I've done the same right down to the last option and color. By the time I hit the showroom, I've got a pretty good idea of what the cost should be and the test drive is more of an "approval" of what I expect to find.

My criteria is: Has to look good Price range of what I want to spend Have a reputation for quality (in spite of what we read here, probably 80% of all car fit that today) Be the size and comfort level I want

Looks are subjective but I have my prejudices. I won't buy anything from Chrysler, Saab, some Jags, some Benzes, the Ford 500, while I don't like the Fusion, I do like the Milan, the new Camry, etc. I don't car what they offer in price, quality, or value, I don't want them in my driveway.

The sad aspect of Mikes' posts is that there is a great deal of truth in many of them. His blind loyalty to American producers does have the effect of making everything he posts appear foolish. Yes there are differences in the philosophical approach to the design, and execution of the production of autos by American, and the different non American producers.

I have NO LOYALTY to any brand or manufacturer. I am only concerned about how well a vehicle meets my needs, wants, and desires. Having owned cars and trucks new and used for over 40 years, I can say that while all manufactures have produced great cars and total pieces of crap by the standards of the time they were made, IMHO, TODAY, there is only an insignificant difference in comparable cars produced by whom ever.

My current vehicles are 03 X-Type Jaguar, 01 GMC Jimmy SLE , just unloaded a

92 Taurus and about to pick up a Toyota Solara Convertible.

The vehement hostile attitude expressed by so many here against the different manufacturers does not make sense to me. I can understand despising a dealer for the way they conduct the service and sales department. Yes no matter who the manufacturer is some, poorly produced cars will come off the assembly line.

My biggest bitch about cars are poor ergonomics, and cheesy interior materials that look like crap. As far as reliability goes IMHO they are all within acceptable tolerances.

The problem is that the odds of getting a poorly produced car are MUCH GREATER with some manufacturers than with others.

So why take the chance?

That's a no brainer-except for Mikey.

It's a good strategy with one flaw...

The CNN article states:

"Part of the reason GM is willing to take this step, said LaNeve, is because the company has little to lose. Midsized sedan shoppers often don't even consider GM products, he said, instead going straight to Honda and Toyota dealers."

If they don't even consider GM products, they won't be in GM showrooms to begin with.

GM would be wise to simply put every dealerships next to a Wal-Mart.

Perhaps, but according to the US Department of Commerce's site, as of this month GM is still ahead of Toyota by several million vehicles, year to date, in the US.

mike

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You are confusing US sales with international sales that include markets in which GM does not operate. GM out sells all other Manufactures in the US, domestic or imports

mike

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Merely stating a fact, GM out sells Toyota in the US

mike