FUTURE_OF_GM

Most of ther dealers around here are only stocking 1-2 Escalades, 3-4 Yukons and 3-4 Tahoes simply because that's how well they're selling. GAS PRICES are stressing me out though!!! But, the GMT360 segment is FAR more effected by gas than the 900 segment. Which means GM needs to get Lambda online ASAP!!!! Looks like Ford is introducing the MKX and Edge with PERFECT timing!

It's pretty evident that GM's last great frontier on the cost side is the UAW AND it's pretty evident that the ANALysts are focusing on that as being their downfall. Once GM announces the UAW deals then things will probably either 1) start to look a lot brighter or 2) The media/analysts will focus in on something else to try and push them over the edge. I'm betting on number 2!

Comments like that just reinforce how STUPID our president is and SH*TTY this country has become IMO. I'm an apathetic independent, but I generally support the conservative/republican view. After G.W. I'll DEFINITELY choose a little wiser.

Nice to see the worthless Prius picked as a "Top Pick" despite it performing poorly. I'm pretty sure the GM vehicles with OPTIONAL safety equipment don't get awarded when their results are split.... Of course, when you're dealing with the god of conservation, I guess you make exceptions.

I disagree.... There has been GOOD along with the bad. On an unrelated note: I just LOVE how everyone has already written the new Saturns off based on a spec sheet and 3 PR pictures. That shows the ILL WILL that GM must conquer.

This coming from a Toyota fanatics eye..... (Not a fair assumption)

LOL... The analysts and media are pushing SO HARD for the death of Pontiac and Buick that now they're trying to coerce dealers into selling franchises?!?!?! Wow!! Talk about agressive.... It's like saying "If you're not going to kill the division(s) for us GM, then we'll finish them ourselves." And not only one divison, but 2!!!!!! The media is getting brave!!!! The asassination of Plymouth and Oldsmobile were underhanded and symbolic, but this is pretty much telling GM "Hey, we don't want you and we're going to finish you." Oh, and what a clip of irony... (YEAH RIGHT) There is a 2006 Tundra ad RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE!!!!!! So pretty much, in reading the article, she is just trying to slam Wagoner. Dennis Moore summed it up beautifully.... Just like ALL MEDIA, her findings and predictions are based more on her OPINIONS of factors NOT EFFECTING the situation than the facts. Because of people like you, bitch, who keep insisting that GM sucks EVENTHOUGH the new product is phenominal in most respects. And just like with MOST media against GM these days, it provided NO fact to back up her argument. (Buickman, is that you in a wig?!?!?!?!) Just kidding

GM should definitely bring 3 valve tech in IMO.

I don't think it's that bleak.

That's the point!!! These people want to ensure that GM fails, and killing morale is an essential part of defeating ANY organization. So?!?!? maybe GM is limiting production for a number of reasons... Demand, MAYBE, capacity, MAYBE, resale, MAYBE.... Who knows. Not to mention none of those japanese companies have 2 other cars in the segment either.

And you can tell this from the press shots?!?!?! It looks every bit as refined as a Camry and Accord to me. Tell that to the Koreans... While I think it is every bit as good of a car as these two, I DO AGREE on this point. How much of that was fleet? I certainly WASN'T impressed with the Altima. Of course, I'm not hypnotized by the japanese "aura" (pun intended) that apparently comes with a cheap chrome badge. Lets get real here... Toyota could've put a "T" on a four year old Malibu and had a solid hit.... The badge sells itself and the minions are loyal regardless if the product is trash, the media has made SURE of that. How so??????

NEWS FLASH!!!!! EVERY car company puts out reliable transport at this point and EVERY consumer expects it, EVEN CONSUMER REPORTS admits that! EVERY company has "BURNED" consumers, not just everyone BUT the japs. LOL... Give me a break.... Is THIS why you continue to think "GM should PAY for it's sins"?!?!?!?! Are you one of those self loathing americans???? Henry Ford was NOT a Nazi... Simple history can teach you that. He had involvement with Hitler BECAUSE of the manufacturing advancements Hitler fostered (And yes, HITLER WAS GOOD AT WHAT HE DID---yet that doesn't make him ethical or right) On a related note: The arrogance of the 'insiders' on this site is getting very tiring. You come here and condescend to enthusiasts, much like the media does to domestic companies (GEEE, a coincidence?) and then blatantly insult us when we DON'T BEND TO THE 'TOYOTA NOW RULES THE WORLD' status quo after being LIFETIME GM/domestic fans. You see, we're no so quick to SELL OUT like your organizations. So you're an insider/analyst/dealer/media/whatever.... Big F-in' deal!!!!! Your opinions SUCK just as bad as mine and everyone elses here; the only difference being that people actually pay you for them.

This must be the new media/analyst generic line for the Aura... Everything else is as good, if not better, so they pick a SUBJECTIVE idea and start training people on it being inferior. WHY? I've said it once and I'll say it again DOMESTICS WILL NEVER BE AS GOOD AS IMPORTS IN THE EYES OF THOSE WHO SWAY OPINIONS... AND AS LONG AS THESE PEOPLE CLING TO AND PROMOTE THAT BIAS IT ONLY GETS STRONGER AND GM AND FORD WILL NEVER SUCCEED AGAIN. LMFAO!!!! IN what way?!?!? Can you provide facts to back that up???? Have you driven the car???? LOL (These are the arguments that you import humpers throw at me when I fling blatant opinions and insults) Guess not, oh well, guess that makes you post a JOKE compared to reality then right? It's because of people like this... PEOPLE that supposedly KNOW what they're talking about, that are SO brainwashed by Toyota that GM will not recover. People like these could be given a gold car made by GM and they'd still complain about the goddamned luster of the gold when compared to the soft touch dash of a Camry... It's sick and it's getting funnier by the day. ESPECIALLY when GM sells every Aura it can produce.

Aww, how cute! Yep... If they'd just put it ALL into action... (THis is his "Beware" statement to the media. He knows that eventhough the media has whipped GM and Ford that they can still come back to a certain extent) Funny that this article didn't make maintream news. This is a cute story, but complete nd total PR bull$h!. We all know what will happen; the future is bright for Nissan and Co. and the sun is setting on Detroit.

LOL... Wow.... Just wow! Anyway... IMO, this was a STUPID move unless GM can justify WHY they did it. Apparently this car was "Amazing" and GM did the same thing they always do with "Amazing" product and screw things up. I wouldn't mind seeing the Astra come over as a replacement. BUT, what if we're in the same boat as we were with the current GTO. Bringing an AGING car over that was enthusiastically received in it's home market but maybe not so well here because of it's age and general lack of competitiveness?

'Bout F-in' time.... Now if the media would just wake up and put the target on them as well (YEAH RIGHT! They're not domestic so they don't get destroyed... Eventhough, apparently now, according to the company and the media, they ARE american) And THAT'S why Toyota has the media.... To foil resistance. GOOD DEAL! I'M GLAD SOMEONE FINALLY SEES TOYOTA FOR WHAT THEY REALLY ARE... IN ALL THEIR SHADY ASIAN BUSINESS PRACTICES' GLORY! Typical example of those asian business practices.... Nice to your face while they're twisting the knife in your back. NOTICE however, that this never left the newsroom apparently. Had Ford been oing the same thing we would've seen articles BEGGING the consumer to buy Toyota's out of sympathy! (Oh wait, we STILL get those anyway, except for the Honda Ridgeline!) LOL... When GM and Ford were "defensive" about the hybrid myth (And it is a myth) they got destroyed by the media. But not Toyota.... They STILL get the nod despite ripping people off with and UNDER ACHIEVING, UNATTRACTIVE, UNRELIABLE battery beater. Pay $10K more, get 5 more MPG, that's Toyota's business practices and their way of "Benefitting the consumer" If I were GM and Ford, I'd SEAL UP EVERY contract on E85 that I could and BLOCK Toyota out of the market. Give me a fuc*in' break... Everything has been a walk in the park SO FAR! Why wouldn't the kill shot be easy?!?!?! Toyota didn't really have to do ANYTHING. The media DESTROYED Detroit for them and americans are ever the dumber and ever the more willing to sell out their style of life and history. I can't WAIT!!!! But then, I can't help but ask: FROM WHERE?!?!?! The environmentalists are to ignorant and enthralled with the inefficient Prius and Toyota's useless "performance hybrid" programs to NOT be oblivious to Toyota putting out more INEFFICIENT trucks than anyone else.... The government couldn't care less. Hell, they were trying to SELL OUR PORTS to the enemy for god's sake and they've proven OVER AND OVER again that they do not care if Detroit lives or dies. As long as Toyota has $$$, then the government is on board. The economists?!?!? YEAH RIGHT!!! They've ALREADY ushered GM out and Toyota in as the "leading american auto company" and they're glossing over the impact of a bankrupt Detroit BY THE DAY as an out of sight/out of mind deal. HIDING the obvious implications from the consumer by saying that expanison by Toyota and Co. will more than offset the millions of workers effected by the destruction of GM and Ford. The media?!?!?! WHAT-EVER!!!!! We BOTH know that isn't happening... So that leaves the consumer, and I think we ALL know how they feel! Just look at the anti-GM sentiment FOSTERED by the opinion makers and Toyota sales to see. YA THINK?!?!?!?! First of all, I love how the media has automatically given the Koreans credit for "NEAR TOYOTA" quality but even after years of HIGHER domestic quality ratings *STILL* will not acknowledge their gains. I enjoy this and if Detroit ever goes under WILL support the Koreans with all my worth! THANK GOD!!!!!!! SOMEONE FINALLY SEES THIS BESIDES ME!!!!!! MORE OLD PEOPLE DRIVE TOYOTAS THAN ANY OTHER CAR!!! That's because only ONE Scion actually has style.... The xblob abd xtoaster might be a cool ride of choice for the white trash trailer queen that wants something NEON and different or the "hasn't got a clue" YUPPIE BOOMER who has always wanted to buy something actually sporty and appealing but is disgusted by the image trauma associated with not buying a Toyota, but they aren't cool to MOST youth. And the Echo.... And the Celica... And mostly ALL of the 80's Toyota's.... And the Previa.... And the Toyota vans that spontaneously combusted back in the day. Forgot about ll those failures didn't we?!?!?! A Toyota vehicle has about as much soul as that pile of crap my dog left on my neighbors lawn yesterday. Funny how THE MEDIA hasn't clued in on this.... Or, better yet, had the sac-o-nuts to say something about it... Oh wait, that would be counter to the agenda! Yep... It's becoming ever more apparent that Toyota is making Lexus irrelevant... CASE IN POINT: a 30K Camry. IT WORKED!!!!! THIS IS WHY I PUSHED FOR THE PRICE WAR SO MUCH! NOW HOPEFULLY, AS A RESULT TOYOTA WILL START TO DECLINE IN QUALITY AND PROFIT. Oh really?!?!?! How so????? Let's see: 1) The Koreans. How is Toyota combating these companies again.... By raising the prices of all it's vehicles??? That seems logical. 2) The age issue. Wasn't Scion supposed to be the fix for this?!?!?! Apparently IT didn't work. Does Toyota have youth oriented models in the pipeline?!?! Not that I know of... Well, there is the Yaris, but I'd be willing to bet that most of those will find homes in RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES. 3) Not everything is a hit. THis is only going to get worse as the market and competition get better... Ford and GM have obviously finally woken up (Of course the media will take care of them though) The europeans STILL carry way more prestige than anything from the land of the sun and the Koreans have only just begun. Not to mention the impending Chinese (Which hate Japanese) attack. 4) Women buyers. How are they addressing this? With more emotional designs?!?! Toyota couldn't make an emotional design if it smacked them in the grille. "T-Face" and "L-finess" look TERRIBLY similar, ill proportioned and just plain cheap when it comes to details... HARDLY an emotional breakthrough. 5) The quality/safety truth. This is only going to get worse as Toyota's image is SLOWLY chipped away. Not to mention with the company straining because of flat finances as well as GROWTH quality is DESTINED to hit a brick wall one way or the other... Then the question is; how long can Toyota coast on their reputation??? VW didn't cost long. Mercedes has been coasting, but now is running out of 'image' steam. 6) The intertwining of luxury offerings and plebian offerings. How is Toyota addressing this problem?!?! Like it or not thy're making Lexus irrelevant one model at a time. They're increasing prices on Toyota's (A sales problem as well) and increasing refinement and features as well. You can essentially get Lexus quality and equipment in a Toyota that is cheaper, but not by much, and this is WIDELY KNOWN. At what point does it just become a huge game of badge engineering??? And at what point is the consumer going to get fed up with just paying for a badge?!?!? (Eventhough is is the prick-tabulous, "L" badge) 7) Incentives: Welcome to GM's world of dealer dissent!!! How is Toyota addressing this?!?! Definately NOT with the newest models which have higher prices than ever. More advertising??? Not that I know of. Incentives? Yep, somewhat, and we ALL know what incentives do!!! Maybe Toyota is BLOATING their prices to prepare for incentives.... We all know how well that served GM. OF COURSE!!!! The media will see to it!!! And they'll continue to condition the naive consumer that domestics are inferior when in fact they are FAR and AWAY superior.

Sounds like someone's biased against Cobalts The Altima rental I just had with 6,000 on the odometer had a NUMBER of issues. It smelled like mildewed ass, the engine was INCREDIBLY ROUGH. It vibrated and rattled A LOT more than my 2001 Focus 2.0 liter (And the Altima was a 2006) Especially at start up; it actually made this rattling noise and reved to like 3 grand everytime I started it up. (And no, I don't abuse cars, even rentals) The CD player had numerous issues. Sometimes it wouldn't play the CD, other times it would stop in the middle of the CD and usually when I would start the car up it wouldn't 'remember' where I was at on the CD. The chrome around the shifter had HUGE glare issues and was scratched all to hell. (Yep, if a journalist can complain about an XLR interior fingerprinting, then you're damn right I can complain about scratched chrome---the designers should've factored th abuse in and put something else there) I could go on forever...... ANYWAY: you know, I was thinking about this article in light of the article that reports of Cobalt sales doing REALLY well. I wonder if GM isn't just trimming production to help resale, like they did with the Impala? The only difference being that the Impala cut was made public because of the 'fleet image' in the media where as the Coblt doesn't have much of a fleet image in that same field.

Quick to defend those imports!!!! Typical media! Yet, EVERYTHING is wrong with GM's products right?!?! The Azera SUCKS. It looks like a 4 year old bloated Accord and has a trashy interior. And despite it being en vogue to destroy GM and Ford and promote jap and korean car makers at their expense. ANYONE with common sense can see what I'm talking about from a design standpoint. Now that I've got that angry tirad out of the way... One of the reasons why I stopped aspiring to work for GM is their location. I DO NOT have any desire to live in Detroit or ANYWHERE else in the Northeast/Midwest for that matter.

Oh god!!! here we go.... I guess the bankruptcy story got old and wasn't drawing numbers anymore... So now the media is going to "focus on the 'talent' leaving Detroit" Heaven help us! ANYTHING to screw Detroit and make a buck! As for the leavers.... Oh well, nice workin' with ya.

NIIIICE!!!!!!! I'd like to see a Solstice GXP in an equally flattering color and photography! (Not that ugly ass yellow that they showed)

I think this will conquest sales like CRAZY!!!! Notice, a lot of the more 'import oriented' posters here seem to like it a lot. I like the Enclave better, but I think this is impressive and very funky/cool. I LOVE the fact that it's a little bulky and hulking and looks different. (Toyota does this with ALL of their products, and guess what, it sells well!) FINALLY!!!!! GM put the GM badge where it NEEDS to be!!!!! And what is it with the UGLY Saturn wheels now?!?!?! Someone needs to keep LUTZ out of the wheel studio! No more Chrysler 55 spoke bland ass gray wheels... They look $h!ty on the Aura, they look $h!ty on the Outlook, they look $h!ty on the Cadillac V cars and they look $h!ty on the Cadillac accessory cars... ENOUGH ALREADY LUTZ!!! That's ONE thing GM did well before you came. WHEELS. P.S. You guys keep in mind that this IS GM photography... I'm sure it'll look 3X better in person and in a different color. REMEMBER: The GM photographers even made the Solstice look like $h!.

So, you can't fault the Solstice; yet you just did?!?!?! WHAT?!?! Do these guys carry a friggin' purse or something?!?!?! Jesus! GET OVER IT!!!!! IT'S A ROADSTER Oh, and the reason the chick got beat by the Camry is probably because SHE CAN'T DRIVE!!!! A "TRAIT" she shares with MOST females! (FOG looks to see if his G/F is anywhere near---for fear of being slapped) Besides... her statement about NOT finding *any* GM cars beautiful SHOWS her bias... Ever hear of CLASSIC cars b*tch?!?! As others have said... It's a pretty sad f-in' day when AUTOMOTIVE JOURNALISTS don't know how to effectively drive a stick. And that TOO could explain the fuel economy.... 10 MPG, tht's a HUGE DIFFERENCE. Sometimes I think editors just dog the hell out of GM cars to try and get them to break, just so they can have a piece of news. EVIDENCE the "beat up" Lucerne CXL in EDmunds latest slander piece... OR the "beat up" Pontiac Torrent in Majeta's (I think he wrote it) article a few months ago.... And notice: these problems are only complained about in 1) divisions known for quality such as BUICK and 2) WEAK divisions such as Buick, Pontiac or Saab. *** AND not ONE MENTION of the forthcoming GXP during all of the bitching about the driving experience!!!!*** You know, the one that is going to go BMW hunting and absolutely KILL the MX-5 (But it'll still win the Comparos on "FEEL" and SUBJECTIVE BULLSH*T) Gee, I wonder why?

Well hot damn!!! Looks like the foundation is beginning to crack. DESPITE WHAT THE MEDIA SAYS!

Excellent article! Wow, looks like this guy has been reading my posts here!

STUPID MOVE GM!!!! (If this is true) If they strap a HV engine in there, then kiss the Aura goodbye... Besides, why would anyone want to buy an Aura when you can get an IDENTICLE G6 for cheaper... The styling is good, but not that damn good.