This initially caught my eye.
"Is that a Lexus?" I wondered.
Naah. Just a Lexus rip-off.
Posted on 04/09/2010 8:00:05 AM PDT by bert
The U.S. auto industry isn't dead, but it isn't back, either. Americans still disdain Detroit's cars. They'd rather have a Camry than a Malibu.
The cover of April's Motor Trend magazine informs us that "Buick Is Back." That followed by a few weeks the front page of Barron's declaring that "GM Is Back." My investment advisor, AllianceBernstein ( AB - news - people ), brags at its annual meeting that it's buying Ford. Toyota ( TM - news - people )'s troubles, of course, will send traffic to Ford and General Motors showrooms.
If only it were that easy for Detroit to recover lost ground. The loss of confidence in Detroit's vehicles among American car buyers is deep and persistent. GM and Ford--and maybe Chrysler--are improving. But they have a long way to go. It's too early to declare "mission accomplished" or even to say they are "back."
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
This is a damning statement from a Detroit cheerleader.
GM and Chrysler are dead union shops walking. Look at Toyota’s sales - up what, 30+% percent? People would rather take a chance in crashing and dying (an albeit small chance, and for the record I own a Toyota and love it) then to buy a GM.
Does that tell everyone what they need to know?
I don’t disdain Detroit’s cars. I disdain the Detroit mentality, combined with the Chicago thuggery, that is now GM and Chrysler. I used to be a GM man. No more. I own a 1994 Silverado K3500 Dually with a 454 - 188,000 miles with no real issues. I bought it used from someone who likely didn’t treat it well, but it still starts and does exactly what I ask of it. Best $1,000 I ever spent.
I have been a GM man my whole life but will never buy another GM product.
I do not want my hard earned money going into the pockets of pro-Obama UAW union goons and layed off UAW hubcap pounders sitting on their butts drawing more money for doing nothing than most of us will ever make working full time.
If GM had been able to negate the exploitive UAW contracts during the “bankruptcy” they would now have a decent chance of survival but that wasn’t possible with the Obama pro-union agenda forced on them.
I’d buy the Malibu in a heartbeat (if GM weren’t government and UAW owned).
The best thing Ford can do is to rid themselves of any and all UAW types. That would set themselves up for indefinite success.
Detroit is Amerika’s monument to progressivism.
Not all of Detroit cars. Just GM and Dodge. Ford seems to be doing better..... if they could only shake their U Ain't Workin (UAW) leeches they'd be doing 10xs better.
Maybe they can move completely to right to work states. I was always a GM man....... F-250 is looking pretty good about now (but in this economy I'll drive my K1500 till it dies)
Even the liberals won’t buy their cars.
Great looking car. What is sad was the white collar worklers at GM were trying very hard to save the company but the UAW thuggery would do anything to sabaotage the company.
Ford & LM have really upped their quality and it just keeps getting better. The Fusion/Milan platform for 2010 which is really a Mazda is off the charts as far as build quality and fit & finish plus reliability. It is up there with BMW and equals or surpasses Honda and Toyota.
Odd thing about the Milan/Fusion - they are assembled in Mexico.
Since Obama nationalized General Motors I am seeing more and more Fords on the road. Government Motors vehicles seem to be getting very few and far between.
We freepers should get togetehr and put up a billboard outside of Detroit:
“Welcome to Detroit: Pride and Joy of the Progressive Movement”
Ford makes a better set of options. Like many GM cars, the Malibu is feature-crippled so you end up either paying them a monthly rental fee to get something like navigation, or you end up paying more to buy the Buick equivalent.
The Ford Fusion and New Taurus are *much* better options.
Not that odd. All the ‘new’ Fords, the ones that are critical to the company’s survival such as the Fusion and the upcoming Fiesta? Yeah, made in Mexico - where the UAW can’t hold them hostage.
You better believe that pisses off the UAW no end.
Yup. The quality is very good too.
That’s because if someone screws up the car assembly in Mexico, they get fired.
Not so much with the oft-inebriated-if-they’re-even-bothering-to-show-up UAW.
Yup. The only GM/Chrysler car I’d buy is an older used one. If its new the only reason I’d even stop by those dealerships is if they also offer other brands, or to play them off against other dealerships.
The final nail in the coffin for me was taking my 99 Durango to the dealer for some repairs.
To replace the water pump, a hose and the serpentine belt, it cost almost $800.
A few weeks later I needed to have the blinker/wiper stalk replaced. That was $650.
No more.
I’ll go pay cash for a Kia or Hyundai.
Same boat here. Had a 2001 Durango. $500.00 me to death.
Got rid of it and bought a used 07 TOYOTA Sequoia. Haven’t looked back.
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