Another sign of GM's desperation

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.

Well, they could sell a few more divisions and lay off some more workers. That will increase their bottom line and dollarwise make them viable agai.

They sure as hell can't do it selling cars...

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?

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

After my ten years is the fleet service business that serviced thousands of vehicles every month of just about every brand, I can tell you our years of record show there is no significant difference from one brand to another. Every manufacturer is making great vehicles today. The only real difference is style and price. After a dozen Toyotas and Lexus, I personally no longer buy imports because they simply cost too much more than the domestics I now buy. I do not own a GM vehicle.

Toyota should be worried more about the Koreans than the US manufactures. They are the ones that compete with Toyota in more of the worlds growing markets. They are building great cars that sell for thousand less in those markets

mike

Not so, they are not MUCH greater but rather closely bunched together. If you look at all of the surveys of owners problems, not as the 'list' that they are presented, but as the percentages they actually represent, you will discover they ALL have a failure rate of around 2%. 2% is the average failure rate for all industries, that is why ALL products offer a warranty. The question one should ask is, do I really want to spend 20% to 30% more to buy a particular brand in the hope I will NOT get one of THEIR 2% that are problematic?

Any brand one buys new today will easily run well over 100K or more before needing a major repair. One should therefore compare shop rates, part prices and the availability of parts, if they plan to keep a vehicle longer than the US average new cars buyers regimen of three to four years, or 60 to

80K on the clock before they buy another new car, since all manufactures today warrant their cars drive train for longer than the average trade time/mileage that buyers keep their cars

Since I switched for Lexus to domestics in 1999, I have saved thousands when buying another new car and hundreds annually on the prices I pay to have them serviced at the dealerships

mike

Put five people and their luggage in your Avalon and try that. Then try it with a Grand Marquis, and let us know what you discover, OK?

mike

Really? It would be quite a trick for GM to be ahead of Toyota by "several million vehicles, year to date" since GM has only sold

1,220,781 vehicles in the US as of April 30. Toyota sold 816,312 vehicles in the US during the same time frame.

So GM might outsell Toyota by about 1.2 million vehicles in the US this year. But if you look at the trend over the last four years, Toyota could surpass GM in US sales in 2009 or 2010.

Here are my references:

Where are yours?

Don't worry, Mikey has never been one to let facts get in the way of his desired conclusion.

Jackpot, your last paragraph needs no further explanation.

Oh my...

Natalie

LOL all you like, Toyota is now #1. Ranking it by quarter, year or day is entirely arbitrary. Whether or not GM can regain that standing that is a different question.

Guess what Mike, the whole world matters to a business, not just the USofA.

Duh! Year to date is the end of April '06 to April '07 dummy. GM sell more trucks alone in the US than Toyota sells cars and trucks ;)

mike

The is true but largest market in the world in the US market, Europe is second. GM outsells Toyota in the US by huge numbers and Toyota is not even a close third in Europe, where they do not have the state and local government subsidies, or the huge federal tax advantage, they have here in the US.