GM proves it understands its mistakes, releases brilliant new model for 2010:

[Occam Bandage]

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/autoshows/newyork/2009/2010gmcterraindebutnews.html

The GMC Terrain: another pug-ugly, inefficient SUV. But this one's a crossover, and those were kinda popular last year, so that's clearly the direction GM should be headed. Just once--just once--I would like to see GM release a new vehicle line that was not aimed at the previous year's market.

[pleah]

1. I feel sorry for all the workers at GM, but I hope they go bankrupt.

What a useless car company.

[navarth]

5. heh?

you hope they go bankrupt but you have sympathy for the workers? doesn't make sense.

[pleah]

8. The workers don't have control over what cars are built.

If they had a say in what they were building, maybe it would not have come to this.

Maybe, if they protested what GM was proposing to build until they came up with descent, well built cars that were affordable, they would be in better shape.

As is, they make junk. I have a GM car and it is a piece of crap.

[Occam Bandage]

12. I don't expect autoworkers to protest their employer's design decisions.

Autoworkers are paid to build cars, engineers are paid to design cars, marketers are paid to sell cars, and executives are paid to choose the direction of the company. I don't expect the autoworkers to have a clearer eye towards design, marketing, or direction than the experts of those fields.


Of those four groups listed, the executives are the only ones who have failed to live up to their duties to the company. The backwards-looking design and lack of attention to quality in many of GM's lineups have been a deliberate command decision.

[pleah]

37. Yeah, I know, but what do the executives care, they got their millions.

It seems to be that way at almost all companies these days. Just crank the shit out, sell it and let the company go down when they don't create new ideas for the future. I call it slash and burn mentality.:(

[GoesTo11]

46. The executives care - they got a lot fewer millions than they hoped

They're not hurting, but they are probably looking at their counterparts at Ford and Kellogg and thinking they really screwed up and aren't getting that much.

[jus_the_facts]

31. I still have a 1989 Chevy Corsica....and still see a lot of them around these parts

....not all of their cars are pieces of crap.

[pleah]

41. What they made twenty years ago was a better lot, wasn't it?

;-)

[Occam Bandage]

6. I'd rather they recover. Of course, part of that is trying to make

the cars that people will want to buy and not the cars that people did want to buy.

[BobRossi]

17. Cars people want to buy? Like this?

"Chevrolet on Wednesday reported that sales of its crossovers, like the Equinox, increased 19 percent versus February 2009 sales. Overall GM sales were down 45 percent in March versus a year ago."

Up 19% how's that compare with Honda?

[Occam Bandage]

22. Yes. Cars people wanted to buy over the last year.

This is what GM does. It only focuses on what people wanted to buy over the last year, with absolutely no eye towards the direction of the market. That's how it got itself in such a terrible situation; it was invested entirely in SUVs when they were popular, even though everyone with a brain could see that market was headed for collapse. Hey, whaddya know, SUVs collapsed and now GM's bankrupt. More backwards-looking design won't pull them out.

[Kalyke]

53. But the new designs are pitifully ugly.

I'm serious - most Americans don't like the way hybrids look because they are UGLY.

The Prius is the ugliest car I've seen of late. Just horrid.

I'm not big on crossovers, either, but this doesn't look like something Glenda the Good Witch would pop over in.

[AndyTiedye]

60. I Actually Like the Prius II's UFO-ish Styling

I am really turned off by the blocky, overbearing styling of many recent GM products, including this new SUV.

I could not bring myself to buy one of these.
Besides, I already own a Ford:

[Deja Q]

28. The management are idiots. Who are they listening to?!?!

The workers are not to blame.

[pleah]

38. I didn't blame the workers.

[proud patriot]

35. My husband was a salesman at a GM Dealership

Laid off just over a month ago . He was just hired at a Dodge
Dealership . :eyes:

He is also studying to pass the NCLB Paraprofessional Test .
Hopefully He'll find something away from cars soon .

I wish Obama would Pay him to Go to School to Learn Solar
or Wind , something with the new energy of tomorrow.

He's got a family to think of so we can't just go without
an income , but he is eager to change professions .

[pleah]

39. I wish him all the luck in the world.

I am looking for work, too. I even applied at the local Sonic!:puke:

[proud patriot]

56. Best of luck for you as well

Yeah he is even thinking of the local Kmart..

Anything within our city limits at this point .

[AndyTiedye]

45. I'd Like to See the Union Buy Them Out

The union folks couldn't do any worse than the management GM has now.

[pleah]

59. I thought about that, too.

:hi:

[stevedeshazer]

2. Tone deaf.

*sigh*

Unbelievably bad.

[navarth]

3. some folks will still need SUVs

but the rest of their products need to be changed like yesterday. I hear they're going to be piping in some of their Opel products that do so well in Europe. If true, that's a really good move, they'll sell a lot of them.

Last time we visited Sicily, we rented a little diesel Opel that got a gazillion miles to the gallon. There are possibilities.......hopefully the procto-cranial insertion is a thing of the past with GM.

[tammywammy]

10. Will that diesel pass our current EPA standards in the US? n/t

[BlooInBloo]

4. BWAHAHAAHAAAA!!!!!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

7. Epic Fail.

Carful of Stupid.

[BobRossi]

9. Yeah, this is so much nicer.

http://www.motorauthority.com/spy-shots-bmw-x5-facelift.html

[flvegan]

11. Base model is a 4 cylinder, and GMC only builds trucks/SUVs.

The V6 is directly in line with the Mazda CX7. Sounds about right. It looks huge from the front, but it obviously isn't.

[tammywammy]

15. Shush you

According to some on DU no one should ever be allowed to drive a SUV or crossover.

[Occam Bandage]

19. Sure, people can drive them. But given that SUV sales are sharply down from last year,

even with gas under two bucks, I really have to wonder why GM believes that it should be investing more in unexceptional SUV crossovers.

GMC shouldn't even exist as a marque. It's all just rebranded Chevy. It accomplishes nothing but increased inefficiency and market self-cannibalization.

[tammywammy]

26. Because the money was already spent coming out with this vehicle

And yes there is a market for it. It's not like the Prius is flying off showroom floors either, sales are down across the board.

Plus, people with a couple of kids, need the room that something like a crossover can provide. Should I look down at my brother & SIL with 3 kids that have a GMC Arcadia from my little Beetle TDI?

There is still a market for SUVs and crossover vehicles.

Now, if you want to discuss GMC vs Chevy, that's a different topic.

[Occam Bandage]

29. Oh, sure, there's still a market.

Just like there was still a huge market for SUVs in 2006. GM is fatally backwards-looking, not forward-looking.

I don't know why you keep talking about "looking down on people with SUVs." I don't care what people drive.

[tammywammy]

30. But they are forward looking

You're stuck on this one vehicle. What about the Volt?

[Occam Bandage]

34. The Volt is a good idea. I wish that kind of innovation

was seen throughout the company, and not concentrated in one model. I hope GM sticks with the Volt long enough for it to turn into something more than a low-production symbol of progress. If Congress gets oversight powers over GM, I think they'll ensure that happens.

[JVS]

49. Sales of all models are sharply down. People aren't rushing out to buy hybrids either.

[notadmblnd]

62. one of the things that I have noticed where I live.....

is that people are giving their children their SUV's and buying smaller cars for themselves. I don't think it's a bad thing either. one- they use more gas, so if your a parent that tells their child they have to afford their own car, it keeps the distance they travel closer to home and two- they're safer in them than they are in the smaller cars. My son gets his license tomorrow, he's going to be driving the family SUV.

[BobRossi]

13. Inefficient?

"Like the Equinox, the Terrain gets a base 182-horsepower 2.4-liter inline-4 engine. GM said it will deliver an estimated 21 mpg in city driving and 30 mpg on the highway. The EPA has yet to certify those numbers."

Lexus should be so efficient.

[Occam Bandage]

16. Yes. 21 city is not good for a 4-cylinder engine,

especially since these are aimed at urban markets. An urban market that is already saturated with crossovers, I might add.

[BobRossi]

18. Comparisons.

http://www.hybridsuv.com/announcements/best-suv-gas-mileage

[Occam Bandage]

24. You're stuck in the SUV mindset, and that's my point.

GM still isn't innovating. Their biggest release for next year is another ass-ugly, inefficient SUV. There's still some residual market for that, but that's ultimately a shrinking and not a growing one.

[Reterr]

48. "Their biggest release for next year is another ass-ugly, inefficient SUV"

Exactly :thumbsup:

[Time for change]

58. Delete

[TheBigotBasher]

50. THESE SHOULD BE BANNED

BMW X3 19 mpg Mid-Sized
Ford Escape (V6) 19 mpg Small
Land Rover LR2 19 mpg Small
Lexus RX 19 mpg Mid-Sized
Mazda Tribute (V6) 19 mpg Small
Mercury Mariner (V6) 19 mpg Small
Mitsubishi Outlander 19 mpg Small
Acura RDX 18 mpg Mid-Sized
Chevrolet Equinox 18 mpg Small
Hyundai Santa Fe 18 mpg Mid-Sized
Hyundai Tucson 18 mpg Small
Infiniti FX 18 mpg Mid-Sized
Kia Sportage 18 mpg Small
Mazda CX-7 18 mpg Mid-Sized
Pontiac Torrent 18 mpg Small
Suzuki Grand Vitara 18 mpg Small
Toyota Highlander (V6) 18 mpg Mid-Sized
Acura MDX 17 mpg Mid-Sized
BMW X5 17 mpg Mid-Sized
Honda Pilot 17 mpg Mid-Sized
Hyundai Veracruz 17 mpg Mid-Sized
Kia Sorento 17 mpg Small
Nissan Xterra 17 mpg Small
Saturn Vue (V6) 17 mpg Small
Suzuki XL-7 17 mpg Small
Toyota FJ Cruiser 17 mpg Small
Cadillac SRX (V6) 16 mpg Mid-Sized
Chrysler Pacifica 16 mpg Mid-Sized
Dodge Nitro 16 mpg Small
Ford Edge 16 mpg Mid-Sized
Ford Taurus X 16 mpg Mid-Sized
GMC Acadia 16 mpg Large
Jeep Liberty 16 mpg Small
Lincoln MKX 16 mpg Mid-Sized
Mazda CX-9 16 mpg Mid-Sized
Mercedes Benz M Class 16 mpg Mid-Sized
Mitsubishi Endeavor 16 mpg Mid-Sized
Saturn Outlook 16 mpg Mid-Sized
Suburu Tribeca 16 mpg Mid-Sized
Toyota 4Runner 16 mpg Mid-Sized
Volvo XC90 16 mpg Mid-Sized
Audi Q7 15 mpg Mid-Sized
Buick Enclave 15 mpg Large
Chevrolet Trailblazer 15 mpg Mid-Sized
Ford Explorer (V6) 15 mpg Mid-Sized
GMC Envoy 15 mpg Mid-Sized
Jeep Grand Cherokee 15 mpg Mid-Sized
Jeep Wrangler 15 mpg Small
Lexus GX 15 mpg Mid-Sized
Mercedes Benz GL Class 15 mpg Large
Mercury Mountaineer (V6) 15 mpg Mid-Sized
Nissan Pathfinder 15 mpg Mid-Sized
Chevrolet Suburban 14 mpg Large
Chevrolet Tahoe 14 mpg Large
Ford Explorer (V8) 14 mpg Mid-Sized
GMC Yukon XL 14 mpg Large
Hummer H3 14 mpg Mid-Sized
Mercury Mountaineer (V8) 14 mpg Mid-Sized
Cadillac Escalade 13 mpg Large
Chrysler Aspen 13 mpg Large
Dodge Durango 13 mpg Large
Ford Expedition 13 mpg Large
Jeep Commander 13 mpg Mid-Sized
Land Rover LR3 13 mpg Mid-Sized
Nissan Armada 13 mpg Large

[AndyTiedye]

57. They Can Do A Whole Lot Better!

Ford Escape (V6) 19 mpg Small

Paradoxically, the Ford Escape Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient American car on the market, and has been for 5 consecutive model years.
(31 highway/34: city EPA).

[BobRossi]

14. self delete

[TwilightGardener]

20. I guess there must be something wrong with me, because I'm not seeing

what's so awful. But then, I drive an American-built SUV.

[BobRossi]

21. Obviously......

The OP didn't read very far and is going for knee jerk reaction.

[TwilightGardener]

25. And aside from mileage arguments, I don't think it's ugly at all. Beauty/eye/beholder, I guess.

I think there's just a strong impulse to kick an American company when it's down--that's always a fun sport here on DU.

[BobRossi]

33. Amen.

I couldn't agree more.

[Mari333]

23. looks like I am keeping my crappy old car with 125,000 miles on it

I swear I would buy a new car if they made something fuel efficient. I wont now.

[tammywammy]

27. Yes, because ALL GM makes is SUVs n/t

:eyes:

[Mari333]

32. if they pull a good hybrid out their arse thats reasonably priced

I will buy it. and I live in MI.

[blue_onyx]

42. They have the Chevy Cruze coming out next year

It's not a hybrid but is expected to get at least 40 mpg on the highway. It will cost $15,000. I think this will be a big hit for GM.

[Mari333]

44. hooah I will keep my eyes open for it. nt thanks

[LWolf]

36. I don't need an SUV.

I do need 4wd, and I do need relatively high clearance, since I don't have a snow plow to plow my 100 yard gravel driveway, and there is no plow for the 2 miles of private dirt and graveled county road from the driveway out to a paved, maintained road.

So I drive my 4 cyl 4wd Tacoma, which handles the snow and ice well, and gets mediocre gas mileage.

I've looked at the hybrids, and I see some come in awd. I want 4wd that I can engage myself, not awd. When spring arrives, I can turn off the 4wd, go back to 2wd, and I automatically get better gas mileage. I can pick "low" or "high" for both 2wd and 4wd, depending on what I'm doing.

I guess my little truck is the best choice for now.

[AndyTiedye]

51. Would the Escape Hybrid Work For You?

I don't know how deep the snow gets there. SUVs usually don't have quite as much ground clearance as pickup trucks.

It does not have the manually-switchable 4wd, so there is a mileage penalty for that, but it still gets much better mileage than a Tacoma.

If you are thinking of getting a snow plow, then you will need the Tacoma for that, obviously.

[LWolf]

55. I looked at the Escape.

It's a possibility. Of course, until the economy, and my personal finances, recover, the Tacoma will have to do. I'm not in any position to shell out the $$$$$$$ a new vehicle costs.

I'm hoping that there will be greener, more economical, choices for people living rurally by the time that I am.

I'm not going to get a plow. I do drag an old gate around behind the tacoma to flatten things, and a rusty old harrow when necessary. ;)

[kestrel91316]

40. Wow, look at that aerodynamic profile. I bet it gets GREAT mileage.

:sarcasm:

[spoony]

43. You're acting like it's GM's only model

There are plenty of efficient models to choose from as well. I'm tempted to use the term poutrage.

[AndyTiedye]

47. Who designs these ugly things?

It looks as if the target market is someone who would buy a Hummer if they could afford one.

They just ASSume you want something that looks like a big car, even if you aren't buying a big car.

It is like some of those stupid Cadillacs with the huge engine compartment and the sawed-off trunk.
It's all about first impressions. How dumb do they think we are?

[Kalyke]

52. Just once - just once - I would like for DUers to understand

that they don't live in a bubble.

The top selling cars are still, even after gasoline-price scares, SUVs and trucks (and crossovers).

Most Americans really don't like the green market cars most companies are offering because they're ugly and/or too expensive for their rather bubbly looks.

[Fumesucker]

61. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder..

I think the Dodge RAM PU is stupendously ugly, but they sold an assload of them to people who want to look like they're driving a slightly shrunken semi.

The Prius on the other hand I kind of like the look of, there are better looking cars true, but the aerodynamically efficient shape has an aesthetic appeal to me.

My own vehicle is lardbutt ugly, a 92 Trooper with 4WD, but I paid almost nothing for it and it doubles as a tractor around the property and triples as self propelled blind for my wildlife photography. There is no way in hell I would drive a nicer vehicle some of the places I go or do some of the thing I do with my hooptiemobile.

[Urban Prairie]

54. Our income has been more than halved since the Chimp

took office in '01, and that doesn't include the higher cost of living necessities, food, utilities, clothing, insurance...

But if I had the cash/credit to buy a vehicle like the Terrain, I would. I am almost 6'6 " tall and have always been uncomfortable in autos that are primarily designed with the average-sized person in mind, which forced me to gnaw on my kneecaps while driving or riding in most automobiles, until I finally was able to afford an extended-cab PU truck during Clinton's first term of office. Now we cannot afford to own ANY vehicle, since I became disabled and on a fixed income, and my wife working PT @ minimum wage which is less than a fifth of what she used to earn, not including medical/dental and term life insurance from her former employer that outsourced her job to India two and a half years ago.

Just wait until most, if not all of the 20th century "middle-class" becomes the 21st century "lower class", after the monopolistic global corporate capitalists finish outsourcing and offshoring as many jobs as possible, that aren't nailed down here in the US by physical necessity. China and India will eventually be permitted to export their cheap and crappy vehicles to the US, likely sometime during the next decade, and they will eventually dominate the US auto market, that is, whatever will be left of it.

President Obama has stated that those former US jobs will never return. If I could ask him just ONE question about US jobs, I would ask him WHY he thinks that any "new" jobs that will be created here in the US are not going to be vulnerable to outsoucing or offshoring as well, unless they are government or infrastructure related employment opportunities???

I will be sad to see my hometown's domestic automakers disappear, and I personally believe that propping them up with loans is just delaying the inevitable, but to be honest, I will be absolutely thrilled to see the trade protectionist Japanese and Koreans get their collective asses handed to them by the Chinese and maybe India as well.