For all you that are bagging on GM, do you actually own a GM car?
"Superior ride" is somewhat subjective. I've never driven (let alone) owned either make, but would imagine that most BMW suspensions are probably stiffer than most Cadillacs? In any case, there is far more to any vehicle than the quality of the "ride".Believe me, I spent many years in the auto industry and heard time and again from the car snobs who buy a BMW or Volvo because of what they read in a car magazine, even though after driving the Cadillac, they could feel the superior ride. I challenge anyone to convince me that a 300 series BMW is a better car than a Caddy CTS. Not even close in ride!
I'm sure you're right. I've only owned two cars in that period (both Toyotas) ... I haven't needed more.I'd bet that I've owned more cars over the last 20 years than any of you
You are entitled to your opinion, and should definitely base that opinion on your personal experience.I've dealt with customer service problems, gone to too many ride and drives, and compared side by side. For overall value, give me the American built car.
Sorry, but you all are victims of the hype machine. Believe me, I spent many years in the auto industry and heard time and again from the car snobs who buy a BMW or Volvo because of what they read in a car magazine, even though after driving the Cadillac, they could feel the superior ride. I challenge anyone to convince me that a 300 series BMW is a better car than a Caddy CTS. Not even close in ride!.
....the Japanese cars have had solid engines, I can't tell you how many times the cheap plastic parts inside the car have broken off....
I know someone who has a 240Z sitting in their underground parking. He moved from the East Coast, lost the title and can't seem to get a new one. He'd sell the car for $2k, but you can't get license plates for the thing! The car has 32k miles on it. Not sure of the year.
Apparently, at Consumer Reports there's some kind of conspiracy going on against these American cars! Open the reliability ratings to the pages with the American cars and the page is filled with back ink indicating below average reliability. Go to the pages of the Asian car makers and the pages are largely red ink, indicating above average reliability. It is there in "black and red", visible to anyone who wants to look, and based on the actual experiences of the people who own these cars. Sure, each brand has a few especially good models and a few stinkers, but the overall trend is very clear. The American cars, in general, have poor reliability and quality compared to the Japanese, and even now the Korean, brands.
GM is reaping what they have sewn, and it is a sad day.
If the owner wants to, he can get another title. Their state's version of the Secretary of State/Motor Vehicle Registration can do a title search and then contact the original owner to see if he wants the car. The owner would be able to get the title, but he would probably have to be there in person. If someone buys it, they would have to sit on it for a while for the title search to complete before they issued a new title.
Find a different product in Consumer Reports that you feel you know quite a bit about and see if you agree with their assessment. What I've found is like AAA, Consumer Report is now an advertising tool. I've rarely agreed with their opinions, but so many use them to make their decision.
What I've found is like AAA, Consumer Report is now an advertising tool. I've rarely agreed with their opinions, but so many use them to make their decision.
Find a different product in Consumer Reports that you feel you know quite a bit about and see if you agree with their assessment. What I've found is like AAA, Consumer Report is now an advertising tool. I've rarely agreed with their opinions, but so many use them to make their decision.
Since CR has NO advertising in their magazine and REFUSE to take any money from companies and also REFUSE to evaluate a product they do not buy in the open market.... and will take companies to court IF they try and use the CR ratings in their advertisements.... well, yea... it is an advertising tool....
What's most amazing to me is that the success of Japanese automakers is based upon the teachings of Americans like Drucker and Deming... and maybe even Sloan. Aided by the American revolutions in computers and industrial manufacturing techniques.That was pretty amazing to me.
A friend drives an old Saab--guess who thinks his car is cool?
What's most amazing to me is that the success of Japanese automakers is based upon the teachings of Americans like Drucker and Deming... and maybe even Sloan. Aided by the American revolutions in computers and industrial manufacturing techniques.
So it's not as if American automakers were totally blindsided. They just had all the pieces in their hands and kept fumbling them.
In the early 90s I was working for a small company that was partnered with GM. We worked with a "team" of GM engineers, including a "quality engineer" and at one point he gave us a "course." This guy was pretty good and he included a lot of information on the things that GM was doing wrong and Toyota for example was doing right including all the philosophies and methods that Nords mentioned above.
At least on that level GM knew what they needed to do to build a better product and I think that they have actually implemented much of it and improved their quality by a huge amount since then (although I agree with most in that I don't think they are even with Toyota and Honda yet). The problems is just they dug themselves into such a deep hole (versus the Japanese) and then focused so much on large vehicles that now it is going to be really tough getting out.
CA is frequently a leader in these sort of trends and in CA the US big 3 now have a market share of less than 20%. Not a good omen for the future of the big 3.
MB