PurdueGuy

They give reasons for their choices, but they don't give reasons for their choices over other vehicles. Fluff article.

beautiful cars.

But the electronic nannys don't allow abuse much of the time... Honestly, for the price of the first year's depreciation alone, a person could typically pay outright to replace an engine or transmission, neither of which is likely to fail in a one year old car. It's pretty much never cheaper to buy new, just easier.

I don't understand the events personally, but it sounds like many workers on both ends of the Delaware deal weren't thrilled with it. From the quote I posted it sounds like corporate GM forced Saturn's hand, but I don't really know that. I will be looking to learn more about the events from those involved, and would definitely be interested in some perspective from someone involved in Delaware.

Shame they spent so much to learn that... and didn't. There are still a lot of rotten apples, and sadly they're spreading throughout the Saturn brand, as well. I'm sorry, but I related to the article. Many of you are seeing this as a purely negative article. Convenient to overlook their comment that maybe it's better than the old Saturn is dead, in light of the new lineup of cars. That's a POSITIVE comment! Saturn as a company is dead. Saturn as a brand lives on. To quote a Spring Hill worker, in response to the article: You guys may not like the old Saturn, and may love the new Saturn, but a lot of people felt betrayed by many events that led to where the brand is today. It is not unreasonable to pay homage to that feeling of betrayal, especially when the article then affirms that maybe it's best for the brand overall that it is where it is today. Some of you may whine that the money didn't go to Chevy, or whoever. If those brands had done things right to start with, there would have been no justification for Saturn in the first place. Saturn did some things right that the other brands weren't, which is covertly acknowledged by stating that Spring Hill practices have somewhat spread to other plants, along with the justification of rejuvenating the brand due to the loyalty and customer experience that was developed that didn't exist in other brands. New and valuable things were created, and I rarely see that acknowledge whenever someone on here whines about "all the lost money."

Duh. Next on the "Duh" article series... buying used can save you money, too!

Interesting - they've played with sizing through the whole thing, and it's somewhat realistic - E-flex has larger motor & battery, smaller engine. Psynergy drive or whatever its' called has a bigger engine & smaller battery & motor. What that says to me, though, is that the E-Flex setup doesn't need as big of an engine. Seems to me if it doesn't need as big of an engine, that it's probably getting by on better fuel economy... Toyota advantages: CO2 reduction & promotion of alternative fuels? What a load of crap! The E-Flex setup has the potential to have NO CO2 production, and allows for the use of ANY fuel to power a generator.

ummm... no. I almost kinda liked the Ion, but I'm still well aware that the name has a stigma with people now that didn't like various things about it. not bad Actually, as long as the Hummer version is still off-road worthy, I think it could be ok. Hummer could use a sprinkle of green to quell the protesters & haters, and as long as it's still off-road capable, I don't see how it bastardizes the brand any. Sure, some wouldn't go for it, but it's not like the whole Hummer lineup would be based on it.

K.C., you've got the concept version of the Aura in your list, not production.

Tundra - great fuel economy edition. Comes with a free Corolla in the back. Hope the truck can handle that weight... probably not.

I worked in sales for a Saturn dealer for a week, and never heard anything about any secret ways to negotiate pricing. You can ask, but once they tell you the price, trying to haggle is pretty much a waste of your breath and everyone's time.

I know the greatest way to drive an affordable car! Step 1: Buy a nice car with a bad engine or transmission for uber-cheap Step 2: Replace it yourself Really, buying new and leasing are both stupid if you don't have so much money that you don't have to think about it. I agree with regfootball about buying a 1 year old car. Most of them are almost exactly like a brand new car, and they're soooo much cheaper. There's just something about the idea of buying a brand new car that makes people stupid, and do anything to justify it. One common justification is warranty. If you pay $10,000 less on a car because it's a year or two old, WHY DO YOU NEED A WARRANTY? The whole thing would have to fall apart before you'd be ahead by buying new! An engine or tranny could go out, and you'd still be waaay ahead. OH NO, IT HAS 10 THOUSAND MILES ON IT ALREADY!

how about supporting more american manufacturing and engineering jobs? Granted, how much of each is supported depends on which model you buy, but there's a higher chance with a domestic brand.

looks pretty good. Not WOW! good, but solid.

To transfer the quality-related part of the article: I agree that Toyota & Honda seem to be having trouble keeping quality up while production increases. Many of their products aren't exciting, but sell well largely due to their reputation for quality. They need to protect that image.

American-made small cars are nearing extinction, and I doubt we'll see any micro cars built here. Maybe in Mexico...

you guys are missing an important factor - it's $10k Canadian money. Isn't that like $300 US dollars? What an idiot & a piece of crap.

I like that color.

It's not the frame on the FJs, it's the inner part of the body around the engine bay. With enough damage, the fender will shove into the door, wedging it shut.

that is dumb. GM continues to get less for their marketing dollar...

shame there's so many versions we don't get. -wagon -sedan -twintop -OPC maybe someday...

FYI, you got the name wrong. It's the Toyota Production System (TPS). It is meant to be a "lean" system, but lean is not in the name. ;) Also, today Toyota seems to be regularly ignoring many of the principles advocated by their own TPS. (production based on demand forecasts, overproduction)

It may not be the same... but it's not entirely different either. Would the dealer or the manufacturer be giving a $8k rebate if people were buying them at or near sticker? HECK NO.

+1 The Astra is a hot looking car, plus will have some level of exclusivity for the first gen. This could be a real image builder for the brand...

Interesting shape. It's still a KIA. For the price of a new KIA, I'd much rather buy a far, far, far better vehicle used, or put it toward a good vehicle.