GM Quality Gap Real, or Perceived?

Bloomberg.com ^ | 11/18/2002 | Doron Levin

[GeneD]

Southfield, Michigan, Nov. 18 (Bloomberg) -- If you want to anger a General Motors Corp. executive these days, just offer the opinion that the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are the highest-quality midsize sedans.

You may sustain a vigorous tongue-lashing for failing to acknowledge that the latest J.D. Power and Associates survey of initial quality ranks General Motors's Buick Century ahead of the Camry and the Accord.

[kaktuskid]

WRONG...Mazda US pickups are the same as Ford Rangers and are built in Ford plants (Ford owns over 40% of Mazda)

[gcruse]

GM? When they successfully got a limit on imports in the 70s, having stood the unions down, GM promptly jacked up car prices and gave the managers huge bonusses. I said at the time I would never buy another GM car. I haven't and I won't.

[tacticalogic]

WRONG...Mazda US pickups are the same as Ford Rangers and are built in Ford plants (Ford owns over 40% of Mazda)

Six of one, half dozen of the other. A Ranger is a Mazda in Ford trim, or a Bxx00 is a Ford in Mazda trim. Either way, they're mechanically the same. I have heard that price and availability of parts for the Ranger are better than it's Mazda counterpart, and that the Mazda's seem to be a little cheaper off the showroom floor than their Ford counterparts. Mostly it would come down to comparing the dealerships if you're shopping for a new one.