GM Really Hurting

When I went to the NY Auto Show, I said to myself GM can't chop off Olds, Buick, Pontiac and Hummer soon enough. What dead weight. That's just my opinion. ;)
 
They never cut costs when they had a chance. Now they are going to have to make some deep cuts and become a smaller company to survive. Another problem is the over-production of Cadillacs and Hummers. They also need to win some major labor union concessions.
 
They all need to lower prices so the working man can afford to buy their cars!



I don't like the new chevy's, but the new GMC's are good looking--kinda relate back to the OBS in a small way.



Ford super duty is smacking the chevy/gmc HD lineup's on the ***. The down side for ford is the UGLY and plain interior, That's what turned me away from the F250 SD vs my GMC HD.



GMC/Chevy has the interior going for them, and engine choices--if you get one without piston slap!
 
...and among many other things, they need to raise the quality of their vehicles. $30-50,000,000 for a Chevy or GM branded SUV or truck should get you quality materials, not hard, cheap feeling plastics.
 
the only good value out of GM for the last 15 years is the corvette.



the trucks haven't been competetive with dodge and ford, and now nissan of all people.



The sedans are weaker than toothpicks, despite have 2 really good core engine blocks in the 60degree and the 90degree. Only this year does a 60degree FINALLY get a VVT engine...



they went TOTAL euro sellout when they overhauled the impala, and noone was impressed.



they've relied too much on the markup of SUVs and H2s to float them during rough waters and now with the gas pinch on, they're going to be hurting for hybrid technology that toyota and honda have a big head start on.



They're overpriced. Big time. If a japanese car maker can offer an argueabley just as good quality piece of equipment for close to the same price, even after considering the tariffs enforced on imports, the cost of doing business overseas, and every other stupid tax businesses have to pay in america, then someone is doing something really wrong at GM....
 
Kanchou said:
They're overpriced. Big time. If a japanese car maker can offer an argueabley just as good quality piece of equipment for close to the same price, even after considering the tariffs enforced on imports, the cost of doing business overseas, and every other stupid tax businesses have to pay in america, then someone is doing something really wrong at GM....
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No offense, but "an arguably just as good quality piece of equipment" is an insult to Japanese manufacturers. Their material quality and refinement is far head of that from GM.
 
Kanchou said:
If a japanese car maker can offer an argueabley just as good quality piece of equipment for close to the same price, even after considering the tariffs enforced on imports, the cost of doing business overseas, and every other stupid tax businesses have to pay in america,
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Huh? AFAIK, there haven't been tariffs for a long time, the cost of doing business overseas is less, and the stupid taxes would help manufacturers who don't make here...all would seem to be the opposite of the point you are trying to make.



Kanchou said:
...then someone is doing something really wrong at GM....
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Which I think was the point of the thread...
 
Alot of Chevy's new line up not only bores me, but I hate to see them on the road. Aveo's, Cobalts, Equinox, etc.



I think they should move the entire truck segment to GMC, and let Chevy focus on the minivans and cars.



Cadillac seems like it's finally back on its feet, but alot of my neighbors who had been fans of Caddy, despise the new styling and the whole Kappa platform.



Buick... they have nothing out worthwhile, IMO. Same with Saturn. I've been in the newer Saturns, and they scream cheapness. Especially the VUE.



Does anyone still buy Saabs? It seems to me like the 9-2X is a desperate attempt at getting younger buyers. The only problem is, people can buy the same WRX brother for thousands less.



Looks like HUMMER and Cadillac are the most purchased GM's to me. This, though, is only because the media has made the H2 and Escalade extreme fad-mobiles. Once a new car shows up in a rap video, the 2 SUV's will be old news.
 
A large part of GM problem is that they design their vehicles in the same cookie-cutter model used by other car makers. It is extremely hard to distinquish a Madza, Chevy, Ford, Toyota, Pontiac, BMW, Merc, Lexus, etc without reading the name tags.



Chrysler is getting off this beaten path but their quality in still sub-par (not cool sitting by the side of the road in an uniquely styled vehicle). I grew up a Mopar fanatic and love their attempts at getting back but quality even in the 60's and 70's was not their main suit.



Thanks goodness I got my 70's Muscle Cars and last gen (4th) and final edition of the Camaro. There is not mistakening what make and model these vehicles are :D



All automakers are have a rough time. Around here they are already discounting the new Mustang to move them off the lot.
 
I don't think GM are doing to well in Europe as well. However there cars over here are improving in quality. The new Astra is a great step forward in quality from the last mk4 Astra. The problem in Europe seems to be over capacity, not just GM but a lot of the main stream car makers.
 
Spilchy--Olds is already gone, but you'd just have their product line go straight from Chevy to Caddy, with a little Saab on the side? I'll admit that Chevy and Pontiac have a lot of models...that kind of overlap, but they have cut a lot of Buicks out...by the fall Buick will only have 2 cars and 3 trucks (if you can believe that Buick will have more truck models than cars...although one "truck" is a minivan with truck styling).



Silver Lexus--overproduction of Cadillacs and Hummers? I think those are the only things that are selling. Is that what you mean, that there are too many of them on the road?



Those of you who mentioned the styling--any company that can put out the Pontiac Aztec (or as I refer to it--the "rhinoceros") needs to restaff that department.



Also, division identity is fine, but some of these cars look so similar that you have to do a double take to figure which model you're looking at. The Cadillac CTS was popular, so the STS is almost identical, not to mention if an SRX is coming straight at you it IS a CTS. Same goes for some of the Chevy's and Pontiacs.



Oh well.
 
There are very few firms who are not facing some serious problems, GM is not helped by their linkage with Fiat, who are in very serious trouble. Rover, the last volume car maker in the UK is likely to go into receivership shortly. The car market is facing very hard times.
 
Lowejackson said:
There are very few firms who are not facing some serious problems, GM is not helped by their linkage with Fiat, who are in very serious trouble. Rover, the last volume car maker in the UK is likely to go into receivership shortly. The car market is facing very hard times.
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GM recently ended their "linkage" with Fiat by paying them $2 Billion. Without going into a rant, and has been noted in the referenced articles, a large part of GM's financial difficulties are pension & benefits related--I think being the biggest, they have been the last of the US manufacturers to really confront the union on these issues. All of these huge companies have huge corporate culture problems...it takes a long time to change the direction of a big ship.
 
"Silver Lexus--overproduction of Cadillacs and Hummers? I think those are the only things that are selling. "



They are selling but I read they are still producing too many of them. This can lead to higher costs and fleet sales which hamper resale value.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Without going into a rant, and has been noted in the referenced articles, a large part of GM's financial difficulties are pension & benefits related--I think being the biggest, they have been the last of the US manufacturers to really confront the union on these issues. All of these huge companies have huge corporate culture problems...it takes a long time to change the direction of a big ship.
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The present US government is on track for the rescue. :rolleyes:

The legality of shifting workers that had company paid medical benefits was affirmed and companies will be able to tell Medicare eligible former employees that they must use this form of coverage (US governmentsupported - Medicare) and will not receive medical benefits from their former employer.

Another form of big private company welfare paid for by us, the US tax payers. :mad:
 
blkZ28Conv said:
Another form of big private company welfare paid for by us, the US tax payers. :mad:
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Um...I wasn't suggesting or supporting the taxpayer taking on the GM health care problem. It's been publicized that GM UAW workers pay zero healthcare premiums, before and after they are retired, and their copay is very small. I don't know about you, but it's been a long time since I've had an employer pay 100% of my healthcare premium (15 years or so). I guess my point is that it's probably long overdue for that benefit to have parity with most other employers.
 
Hi Mike,

What I was stating was that this corporate handout will alleviate a great deal of employer expenses (healthcare benefits promised to retirees) because they no longer must carry the bills for medical care for Medicare eligible retired associates. We do.
 
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