What are your thoughts on gm killing off the cruze and impala .

[javadog]

We do not need self driving cars.

[Rtrorkt]

Hey, don't worry. The trumpster has said he spoke "very strongly" to the GM CEO. Expect her to say, oops didn't mean that and keep the US plants open. Gotta follow the leader

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by javadog

Bad management. Corporate America is increasingly run by people that cannot make good decisions and they are going to run this country into the ground.

Why is it bad management to drop car lines that are not selling and not profitable?

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by Sooner or later

GM did go bankrupt,

The bigger crime was bailing out Chrysler and selling them to Fiat.

If we had let GM and Chrysler go out of business the entire supplier chain when have followed suit. It would have been disastrous

All bailout money was paid back

And FCA has no small sedans having dropped the Dart and 200. They still have the old school RWD cars which seem to be doing OK. You can even still get a manual in the Challenger.

[flipper35]

I have to admit I don't get the CUV thing. Our Avenger has more legroom and more usable space than our Rogue. It rides better, gets better mileage even though it has 100hp more and is better built. (Hard to believe I said that right?)

The Rogue does have more cargo space and for taking the dogs along to the lake it works better, but on a road trip we can fit as much in the sedan as the CUV since you can only stack so high in the back before if starts falling in to the passengers.

I might also be a bit biased because the Rogue is a piece of crap.

Personally I would rather drive the sedan or a larger unit like the Durango. I would rather have a minivan than a crossover. That is a good use of space.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

They are closing the plant that makes the Volt, but the Volt concept isn't going anywhere. GM is still putting millions into development of the drive train. They are introducing a new charging system and improved battery in 2019. The Volt's biggest problem is that, like the Impala and the Cruz, it is saddled with a sedan body. I love my Volt, but I would like it more if it was more SUV-like. The sedan body is going the way of the Cruz and Impala, and a Volt-based crossover SUV is expected in 2020 or 2021.

I have opposite POV. I would love to see more coupes, sedans, and wagons. SUVs and trucks have just gotten stupid over the years. But, unfortunately, I must be in the minority.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Why is it bad management to drop car lines that are not selling and not profitable?

It's a knee-jerk reaction made at a time when GM is reporting record profits. Let's also say that they have a track record of investing in products that nobody wants and failing to build products that sell well. They can't seem to plan ahead, they can't seem to build with the public wants, and they overreact when they perceive things are not going well.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by javadog

It's a knee-jerk reaction made at a time when GM is reporting record profits. Let's also say that they have a track record of investing in products that nobody wants and failing to build products that sell well. They can't seem to plan ahead, they can't seem to build with the public wants, and they overreact when they perceive things are not going well.

Mary Barra is being proactive. Design cycles are pretty long, and some of these vehicles were in the pipeline before she became CEO. She’s unwilling to hang on too long to vehicles that aren’t going to do enough for future earnings. So, Barra is pruning while the company is healthy, so she can afford to invest more in GM’s future. As a shareholder, I like it!

[lendaddy]

It's not that "no one" wants small cars and sedans, it's more so that those who do aren't willing to pay a premium for a US branded version. The love affair with the generic automobile is essentially dead, emotional decisions are reserved for luxury brands/models. No one rolls into their driveway in their new Cruze or Impala soaking in the envy of their neighbors (as used to happen with even entry level "latest" models), that emotional side of the purchase allowed for much larger margins. People now buy such cars because they have to drive something, no more emotional profits to be had. People today are more proud of owning the latest cellphone and thus willing to fork over the emotional premium.

My point is that we can't win a race to the bottom on basic cars, we just can't.

[Mark Henry]

My close family friend was (died cancer 4years ago) 3rd-4th from the top of GM canada, she told me they couldn't compete with small/economy cars because every single GM car/truck/SUV has about $3k tacked on it for pension and benefits. GM only made money on the bigger more profitable vehicles.
At the time she predicted that GM cars would be gone in ten years, she was right, just happened a bit quicker than she thought.

I used to live in Oshawa, still have friends and family there, the writing has been on the wall for the last 10+ years. Almost every year in that time they have shut down a line.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by javadog

It's a knee-jerk reaction made at a time when GM is reporting record profits. Let's also say that they have a track record of investing in products that nobody wants and failing to build products that sell well. They can't seem to plan ahead, they can't seem to build with the public wants, and they overreact when they perceive things are not going well.

This move seems to be the opposite of what you are saying. They are saying they are NOT going to invest in sedans, which are not popular. Seems like they are planning ahead - stop wasting time on vehicles that aren't selling well and put development money into something for the future.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by lendaddy

It's not that "no one" wants small cars and sedans, it's more so that those who do aren't willing to pay a premium for a US branded version. The love affair with the generic automobile is essentially dead, emotional decisions are reserved for luxury brands/models. No one rolls into their driveway in their new Cruze or Impala soaking in the envy of their neighbors (as used to happen with even entry level "latest" models), that emotional side of the purchase allowed for much larger margins. People now buy such cars because they have to drive something, no more emotional profits to be had. People today are more proud of owning the latest cellphone and thus willing to fork over the emotional premium.

My point is that we can't win a race to the bottom on basic cars, we just can't.

Great post. It's a different culture now. I do remember when my uncle would show up at Thanksgiving with a new Oldsmobile every other year. It was a big deal and the whole family came out to ooh and ahh. Now, nobody can tell an Impala from a Focus - they just don't care.

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

I have opposite POV. I would love to see more coupes, sedans, and wagons. SUVs and trucks have just gotten stupid over the years. But, unfortunately, I must be in the minority.

I am in that same minority, but the sales all go to the CUV/SUV/Pickups.

Pickups are the new Delta 88 or other big American sedan of your choice.

[pavulon]

I have a '14 Cruze diesel that is my 3 season commute appliance. It's comfortable and gets good fuel mileage but it's not inspired , the transmission sort of sucks and it has a penchant for CELs related to emissions. The Impalas were even less inspiring imo. If the close out the new cruze TDs, I may look for a good deal...or not and not lose any sleep over it.

Just read they are killing the CTS-V and ATS-v now too. WTF?

[masraum]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I guess they killed Pontiac and Oldsmobile wholesale. Soon the only "cars" they will make are Corvettes, Camaros, and whatever the cops can use.

Buick, Cadillac, Chevy Sonic, Volt, Spark, Camaro, Corvette, etc...



Most of the police vehicles around here are things like Explorers.

[javadog]

A little over a third of all vehicles sold are crossovers, roughly a third are cars of all sizes, the rest are pick ups and SUVs and vans. I think there's enough market for a decent car, I suppose the hard part for GM is building a decent one. I've always thought of most of their products as built to a price point, nothing more. Maybe they just need better product planners or better market research.

I went to the grocery store yesterday and the only vehicle that caught my eye as I was walking through the parking lot turned out to be a Buick sedan. Everything else was just cookie-cutter horse**** in dark colors.

[flipper35]

Our car is this color.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Great post. It's a different culture now. I do remember when my uncle would show up at Thanksgiving with a new Oldsmobile every other year. It was a big deal and the whole family came out to ooh and ahh. Now, nobody can tell an Impala from a Focus - they just don't care.

Yeah, we are all gaga when my Dad brought home the new Impala convertible, and the new Firebird, and the new Monte Carlo, and then US cars started to suck.

[flipper35]

A 1976 Monte Carlo, copper colored with the swivel front buckets was the last GM mom and dad bought. He always had Mopar maxi-vans for his work (commercial flooring) and they would run 150k to 200k miles with only a timing chain around 90k miles. Started driving Mopar cars then minivans after the MC. After he retired he got rid of the big van for a minivan also.

This new stuff is why we all look at the older cars.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Why? The answer is taxes. Imported goods are not taxed the same way as goods made in the USA. If only we could level the playing field....

The answer is getting rid of any type of income tax and going to a consumption tax. Then you will see the difference between USA manufacturing and the rest of the world.

While I’m not questioning your statement about the disparity between domestic and import goods, most of the “import” cars are actually now made in the USA. They just do it better.