FUTURE_OF_GM

WOW!!! Looks like the "environemntal company" ain't so environmental when it comes to cashing in... (What a surprise) You know, I seem to DISTINCTLY remember one of our "insiders" (I wont name any names) predicting not too long ago that the V8 would become passe and un-needed. Seems like that's really starting to come to fruition, especially now that the one company that was holding out is now pushing for V8s (Feel the sarcasm?) How many people want to place bets with me that the next Ridgeline will feature V8 power and will be as big and "overwrought, useless, tacky" (Pick your favorite adjective that the media uses to describe REAL trucks/SUVs) as the rest of the domestics... Then we'll have to listen to the media dance around and justify and PRAISE the hell out of that after a decade of Honda slurping and thinking that they (Honda) are the saviors of the green party. Get the picture?

I'll admit that I think the concept is rather attractive... I look forward to snide remarks from the media about over-rought cladding and spoilers... OH, WAIT! I forgot! That only applies to Pontiac!!! Ricer divisions can do that and it's a "legitimate" part of their brand DNA. I'm sure it'll be competitive too (At least in the eyes of the media---take that for what it's worth) All the young guys will want one though... They seem to like uber feminine, yet angry looking cars that are MODERATE performers.... Not to count it has the nasty "80s asian" vibe/culture that seems to resonate so well with the young 'uns. (You know, where the ricer/hamster in a wheel culture originated) It'll sell, in the face of good tatse and judgement.

Why is it that Chrysler (Or american divisions in general) have such a DIFFICULT time coming up with a competitive car for this segment?!?!? They knocked the 300/Charger/Magnum/(Challenger) out of the park, yet this and the Sebring (although I like them both) seem like grounders at best... Is it really that hard to come up with a legitimate competitor in this segment? I guess Chrysler will be the first great american automaker to truly completely fall. Didn't see that one coming.

Pretty good (and fair) review.

I'm sure this will be all over the news along with the typical "GM quality sucks" one-liner soundbites.

Honestly, the platform IS old GM. Isn't it just a downsized Y-Body that had been sitting around GM for a while? The review seems pretty fair... I mean, lets face it, the Solstice has some flaws that need to be addressed. I'm not too thrilled to hear about the slowing sales, but I guess thats a product of 3 things. 1) People waiting for the GXP 2) Winter and 3) Demand leveling off after the initial glut of buyers.

Get used to it, Detroit is on the way out.

Love how DOMESTIC is in quotes... As if to imply that any import brand IS domestic in any capacity.

You'd better believe that the Accord will steal the Malibu's thunder... It's a HONDA afterall, so I'm sure we'll hear LOTS of slurping even before it debuts. Of course, if the ugly new CR-V is any indication, I'm sure it'll be "too sophisticated" to be attractive.

I'd add a little Alfa into that equation as well... Either way, it's ugly as hell. But I'm sure it'll sell at least as much as the last generation because rice-boys aren't that bright and OLD people (The other market for the Lancer) don't really care.

One word: Photobucket

Of course not, Toyota PR (The media) will NEVER allow that to happen. They'll start damage control by publishing a bunch of "At least they're fixing them" and "Constantly improving quality" fluff pieces. And just as Captainbooyah said; this (and all the other recalls) has been INTENTIONALLY kept out of mainstream media.

FINALLY!!!! One of the beloved import automakers admits the truth. I'm sure the media will still harp on it though. So, essentially, like the Sentra deal of past, they're bribing for credits. And it's sailing quite well, thank you! TRANSLATION: All of the domestic automakers suck becuse they're losing money, (Thanks to help from the media) and they'll never recover. Since we didn't get to take over GM, look for us to try and take over Ford. There is only one thing stopping that; The FORD family, but I'd look for them to eventually be ousted or overruled. WOW!!! What a HUGE contribution to the economy!!!! Just had to get that plug in didn't we? (However in significant it is) What?!?!?! No "benefit to the U.S. ?!?!?! Out with the old and in with the new... GM and Ford are no longer needed. Here in america, we choose to destroy our innovation and self-reliance. So long as the upper 2.5% keep control and the rest of us minions have jobs. Which they are and always will be... It's not like ameriCANS care and it's not like ameriCA is going to do anything about it. So what? What about content? At least you're not trying to claim that you are in fact american... Oh, wait, nevermind.... Soon enough the "big 3" WILL be Toyota, Honda and Nissan here anyway, so who cares (Just keep pushing with the media and it'll happen) "A growing cadre"?!?!?!!? That's funny, I'm from the south and I can only recall 2 automakers located down here (And one is just a factory AT THAT--- BMW) The rest of the imports are in Cali. Hey... It's GREAT to see a country that actually SUPPORTS it's businesses!!!!!!!!! Look for (more) legislation that favors Nissan and Japan in general. I don't recall hearing the U.S. care about it's industry so much that it sends people to aid them... Wonder why Japan does it? Oh yeah, I forgot, to financially control more and more of this country.

WOW!!!! I'd definitely replace the ZX3 with that! I would like to see GM bring more than just the 3 and 5 doors over though. FINALLY!!! GM has a guranteed hit in the heart of import country; ENTRY LEVEL cars... I'd put this up against anything from the new Civic to the tC. Hey GM, lets see some great powertrain options as well, ehh???

GO FORD!!! and GO GM!!! Ummm.... Are we GOOD WILLING reliability now?!?! Isn't the Azera too new? READ: Sedated, deaf and dumb burned out hippie from the 60s who have no common sense. OUCH!!! Especially with the Charger and Magnum plug. Once again, aren't these cars too new to accurately gauge reliability?!?!?! Umm, Chevrolet really needs to get the Cobalt under control. I have a feeling it's reputation is becoming damaged (Of course, the rags will perpetuate this... They don't want GM to get a foothold in this segment again) and how 'bout that Aveo???? Isn't it too new to gauge reliability as well?!?!?!? Volkswagen+reliability = an oxymoron Not cool... A slew of domestics. Nice dig on the Charger once again. Good thing all these cars sell on looks (Besides the 9-3 which badly needs replaced anyway.) As always.... Good but not good enough... Twist that knife. It's like Father Kennedy telling little John that he'll never be as favored as his military brother. Among the other findings in New Car Preview 2007: Really reinforces the bias.. Honda and its Acura division had 11 (23%) models on the list. Yet again, limited reader base. C'mon... When almost 70% of your list comes from only 2 manufacturers, somethings wrong or you have a very like-minded reader base. Had to throw the old dogs a bone. YOU SUCK! Just had to throw that in there... "Nissan you'd be okay if you didn't contribute so much to the U.S. economy." What a surprise, the inverse of the asians on the other list. So, according to this, domestics are statistically the LEAST reliable cars once again?!?!?! Funny how all those numbers are so complimentary. Of course, it's the market that the asians are currently trying to acquire. Next will be trucks and we'll be reading this same paragraph. What a surprise... The "trendy" ones that are supposed to appeal to the young' uns on college campuses. The same IDIOTS that will be reading this magazine. So, Japan Inc. can get hybrids right, yet the brits can't make good electronics. Note to CR DON'T F****N' TEST SPORTS CARS!!!!!! Cute. The seeds are planted for a Tundra sweep!!! Look for predicted EXCEPTIONAL reliability the day that the new Tundra debuts. *GASP!!!!!* What?!?!?! But I thought it was the CR golden child of choice last year because it could climb a pile of rocks on their "rigorous" off road facility. All the while efficiently hauling a dead homeless guy in the REVOLUTIONARY car-like locking trunk. Yet again, damning the new model because of the sins of the out-of-production model... Domestic trucks=bad reliability automatically I guess, in the new push to elevate Japan Inc. I like the "If your an okay dude, we'll reccommend you anyway" claus. Really lend itself to credibility... Yep, for yuppie sheep. That's not saying much in this country. And being complete douchebags!!!

MUSIC TO MY EARS!!!! But the G5 is a nice car nonetheless... My GF really likes it and I like certain aspects of it better than the Cobalt.

Not a bad review... Obviously Epsilon is a compromised platform no matter how you polish it (Aura, G6 GTP) and I'm sure there are a lot of areas where cost won out in this exercise (especially given it was OLD skool GM) But it's still a good offering and cool to boot!

Of course it was the worst.... The Solstice is a hot and important car and it's a Pontiac so CR has to dump on it all they can. It's leading the GM renaissance, saving Pontiac and appealing to everyone, you'd better believe CR will place it last. Truthfully though, they probably didn't have any ballots turned in on it and put it last by default. Afterall, what LOGICAL car guy would read a crap-tastic rag like CR for confirmation of his purchase?!?!

I agree.... Most of the late 90s concepts had excellent elements that would still be fresh today as opposed to the 90s concept-touched-up-rehashed Chrysler that some of GM's cars possess.

A little too timid for me.... It like the nose is missing something now, or the wheels are too small for the arches or something. Doesn't look bad, just not as appealing to me as the old one.

From that it really sounds like GM is trying desperately to throwing water on a forest fire when in actuality they are launching the most formidbale full size truck ever. Get used to it though.... This is the media we will be reading from here on out. It's sad that GM tries to debut a new model and they can't even do that without it being a cat and mouse grudge match with an asian competitor that is already the sworn winner. I guess, the MT COTY uncheon was going on when this article was written, the Toyota PR posse must've been editing from over the shoulder. Oh, and BTW, I guess we all know who will win TRUCK of the year next year and it won't be the home team.... ever

Only when it is spoon fed to the public by the Ridgeline-happy media... And, BTW, the numbers aren't so good this month. MT is a joke, just like ALL of the traditional auto rags (Save Autoweek maybe) What's funny is how people KNOW this to be true more and more. MT is also THE MOST anti-domestic publication this side of Car & Driver. I remember seeing an interview with Angus McKenzie and he was gloating about how the new domestic carts were going to be so competitive, yet then we get crap like this. So which is it Motor Trend???? One reason they're probably being pessimistic is so that Toyota can get a foot hold in the market and establish themselves. They don't have to worry about that with the Tahoe and Yukon because Toyota is already a formidable competitor. But in the truck area they have to cut GM's legs out from under them to give Toyota a chance and that's probably what they're doing. Funny they didn't mention how big of a dud the Ridgeline is or how big of a FAD the Titan was or how, if it is fashionable to bitch about big vehicles (Which it has been since the 70s--way to spot a trend MT) that TOYOTA is about to produce the largest one in this segment. They also fail to mention the CONTINUED sales success of both the F-150 and this segment in general, not to mention the continued success of the basically 8 year old GMT800s. P.S. BTW, what does it MATTER that Nissan and Honda have already entered the market anyway?!?!? (Besides the fact that the 900s will make their products look HORRIBLY dated) Oh and as a second BTW, Automobile has already went on record bitching about the 900s NOT being all that revolutionary and specifically "not having a locking trunk like the Ridgeline" It's like an effin' 3 year old, that repeats himself over and over again just to be annoying.... "But it stil don't have a locking (useless) trunk like my HonDUH"

GM needs to do this with ALL of their divisions... I think the only one that has a "theme" is Hummer, and half of those didn't get built. A lot of GM's dealers around here are kinda ghetto 70s

The deal is that most of CRs sheep, er.... I mean, subscribers don't drive Nissans and Saturns.

I agree.... CR's writing style is like a dumb, passive-aggressive redneck. It doesn't always come out like it's supposed to logically sound, yet they're too inept to realize it.