Would You Buy from a Bankrupt GM?

I wouldn’t buy a GM product even without the threat of bankruptcy. They don’t hold the right combination of quality, price, features, and zest that other offerings have. Seems like they offer up to 3 of these 4 things, but not all. Sadly, their most interesting products now originate overseas.

By the way, GM is not without blame for their current plight. All manufacturers are riding into this ‘perfect storm’ together, but not all may survive. Just compare them to Hyundai.

CleanMPG.com linked to this WSJ column today:

Highlights:

- GM is saying now the Volt may need a sticker price of $45,000.
- The company has already started signaling it expects Washington to provide a whopping $7,000 tax credit to Volt purchasers.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121495482307421193.html?mod=autos_feature_articles

I believe that GM has the least chance of going into bankruptcy among the domestic big three. Chrysler and Ford are in worse shape than GM so they will fall much sooner than GM. IF that doesn’t happen, chances are that they will all survive. But the question is what will remain of them in this transitional period of high gas prices and people dumping their larger SUV’s in favor of smaller cars. Having said that, I still won’t compare GM to Hyundai. GM has much better cars and I’m not just talking about fuel efficient cars. If gas mileage is the ONLY measuring stick, Japanese and Korean car companies have more diverse product offering there. But not everyone can downsize to small 4 banger, unless they are single or married with no kids or pets and don’t have to tow anything large.

yes absolutely. We must be patriotic and help each of us.

Absolutely. Can you imagine the savings you could get on a new car from a bankrupt GM??

IT’s cause of people like GAS that domestic have problems.
Cause they buy japcrap. Take a look at the new Malibu.
It puts any Import in the drain.

J-F Houle—- you must be joking!!!
What does being patriotic have to do with supporting a corporation that does not give a rat’s @$# about you????
GM has been moving production to Mexico, Russia, Korea and elsewhere to save money for years! This puts AMERICANS out of work! How PATRIOTIC is that?
If it were not for simple minded people like yourself, GM would have been in this amount of trouble 10 years ago.
If you feel so patriotic towards GM you should take all your lifes savings and buy GM stocks, that would really help them out, and it would be a smart investment plan for you.

The media has been saying for years that the Big 3 make vehicles that now one wants, however the F150 has been the top selling vehicle (until last month). GM’s Trucks and SUV’s get better mileage than ANY comparable vehicle (Silverado / Tahoe) So I’m calling BS. I’m tired of being told that our products aren’t as good when they are. I own stock in GM and Ford and I’ve taken a beating, unless they go bankrupt, I believe things will turn around.

Yeah Shannon..Spot on. Way to stick it to GM.
Let’s not buy any of their products. Forget the fact that they still employ more people in the US than all the Japanese manufacturers, forget the 4000 odd dealers that sell GM cars, or the companies that supply GM with parts. Yeah just keep ridiculing guys like J-F Houle for having some patriotism while you go purchase a shiny new HOnda. Yup. Toyota & Honda sure care alot more about the American people than bad old GM. Shame on GM for trying to stay competitive in a market where some governments subsidize their manufacturers, or where they keep their markets shut to imports, or where they manipulate their currency.
Yeah maybe GM should just shut down all their NA operations and only sell in China. There they’re respected.

Why not . . . they won’t go bankrupt . . . their new Malibu is light-years better than the foreign competition for the money . . . H and T build their attempt at a Mazda 6, with a BMW trunk. People are buying Civics in record numbers . . . only folks that are really happy about that are the Undertakers.
When a civic meets an F150 people die . . . fact!
Only sedans with a 5 star crash rating on all 4 sides, and under 30 k is the Taurus and Malibu . . .
When your 4 cylinder Camry is going down the highway at 70 mph, with the air on, four people and luggage, check the mileage . . . about the same as an SUV!!!

Perhaps, if GM spent more time on trying to really improve the quality of their vehicles, rather than trying to hype the Volt (Too little, too late, too expensive, and it will probably never really turn a wheel), they just might not be having the problems they now have.
The old “what’s good for GM is good for America” has an axiom. “Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye likewise unto them.” The inside-outside of this is “You will get in your eye, exactly what you have done unto others.” GM has spent decades not worrying about taking proper care of their customers and now are reaping what they sowed.
BTW: I was up one of the local canyons 15 miles from our home and overnight got another 8 inches of that white, fluffy stuff we call Global Warming.
Tote
Tote

Shannon, there are plenty of models assembled here. Also, the head offices of our companies employed a lot of good engeeners and other support tech jobs making r/d. Our domestic brands are good now. Hunday, Honda and other foreign manufacturers make there r/d elswhere.

Simple mind yourself. You were certainly disapointed on 4th of july when you hit a closed door of your local Wal-Mart, you couldn’t buy cheap things made by childs in the third world.

NO ?.

LET THEM all FALL and start over again.

I’ll buy a Corvette or two once it’s confirmed GM is going bankrupt. It’s a good car (the only decent thing GM makes?) and you’d have an instant classic that would only appreciate in value. The Chinese or the Indian version just won’t be the same

GM has to wake up to the fact that potential buyers are looking at the MPG numbers again. If I’m looking at the Hyundai Sonata and the Chevy Malibu, and they both have comparable quality and features (which they do), but the Sonata has 10% better gas mileage, I’m going for the Sonata.

GM management and the UAW have both shot themselves in the feet with poor-long-term decision making. Americans are tired of buying American products just to subsidize this bad behavior.

I wouldn’t buy one now just because of the fuel economy. I work at a car dealer, and every other trade in is someone trying to get out of a Hummer. They have absolutely NO RESALE VALUE!!! I would avoid like the plague!

SS - hate to tell you this, but as I alluded to earlier, the Epsilon platform the Malibu is built on originates in EUROPE.
The “japcrap” you refer to has been eating the lunch of the domestics for years.
Incidentally, I’ve had just as many bad imports as bad domestic cars, and just last year traded a 2005 Honda Odyssey lemon for a 1998 Dodge Caravan, and have never been happier.

No. Sorry. I have been poorly served, abused and mistreated by the Det 3. I keep hearing how they “get it” now, and how their quality is OK now. Well, it wasn’t ten years ago when I last bought one. If the Det 3 are still around ten years from now, and they have PROVEN that their cars are durable and trouble-free, then we’ll talk.

Let me ask you this.
Who killed the electric car?
Oh, that’s right GM did! Why cause they don’t care about you or the country. If they did they wouldn’t be in this bad a shape. think where they could be today had they not destroyed the best car they ever produced.
the electric car.

I don’t know who is to blame - the mindless GM auto executives who announced in the 1970’s that “we don’t want to build econoboxes” . Hence no entry level vehicles ignoring the whole system of starter cars and upgrades that was gms whole business success
On the other side is the auto union leaders - who with not even a high school education bullied the auto consumers into paying for all their demands.
You would think that between the auto executives , on the top floors taking huge self proclaimed bonuses and the auto unions that GMs business was in providing big bonuses for the execs ( while the company went to hell in a handbasket) and providing health care and retirement benefits to workers
Making a car that consumers wanted seemed to be nowhere in the picture
The problem is that the jobs have gone overseas

I doubt I will ever buy a GM, or any american car.. at least not in the near future. The problem, american cars are crap. Their engines are huge and put out a minisule ammount of power for their size compaired to their competitors in Europe. Whats worse is that even the US manufactures tend to leave the dross here in NA and ship the good stuff overseas! Euro Spec Ford Focus anyone? Anyone who watches Top Gear knows that selection and quality is far better is Europe. We get huge, over priced gas guzzleing cars, ugly massive trucks build on technology from last centruy, or crappy econoboxes built to the lowest bidder. The interiors are plastic and unpleasant, the styling is brash and garish and the selection is horible. Name me a single US vehicle that is as cool, stylish and affordable as the Fiat 500. How about the lack of affordable foldig hardtops we have here. Never mind that American cars are designed to fall apart after 10 years (don’t you just LOVE planned obslencene!). In the UK many manufactures have inovated sales deals such as paying for insurance or gas for a year. We have none of that here.

If GM, or any of the big three want to fend off their creditor they had better start making a product that people want to buy! If they don’t then I for one won’t be sad, in any way, to see them go.

Not unless you want to lose a lot of money.

What’s the resell value on a car who’s maker is out of business? What about parts, what about service? There is no way I would buy a GM right now.

This article is clearly anti-domestic. Why should it matter if the company goes into bankruptcy? Bankruptcy is the best thing that can happen to GM at this moment. It will allow them to get out of many of the legacy costs and give them a fresh start. GM and many other auto companies have either hit bankruptcy or come close to it, but have in most cases come out of it even stronger than before. If a car company goes bankrupt it does not mean it will stop selling cars and servicing your vehicle.

GM builds better vehicles in nearly all aspects than any other auto manufacturer. Toyota has inferior products (Camry vs Malibu/Aura, Sequoia vs Enclave/Acadia, Echo vs Astra,…). GM has the most vehicles with more than 30 mpg, their quality numbers are at par or above par with its competitors, stunning array of reviews and awards on all their new cars,…

The Vue Plugin is coming out in 2009 and the Volt in the 2010. The Vue should be priced reasonably and be a knock out, provided it can get proper marketing. The Volt, which is intended to be priced at $40k is about on par with the price of a Prius. The Japanese government subsidizes every Prius as well, if the US government does not do the same with the Volt they will be to blame for many other problems. The Japanese give Toyota nearly $15k per Prius, why couldn’t the US government at least give $10k in a form of research monies or even vehicle subsidizing?

GM is stuck in a time warp. Everything they touch wreaks of 1930’s automotive school theorem. to see what can be done, look up the Aptera Typ - 1e or the VW Polo. If you can’t fit your ass into one of these, you are too fat for the 21st Century. Remember: it takes one little yellow lady in China to replace the daily output of four American workers, and they do it for a bag of rice! The folks in India have ravaged our American computer workers, they work night and day, no unions, 24/7, and are thankful for their bag of rice! Can you imagine, the South Korean worker, who refuses to eat American beef for fear of becoming like us! They out-work us, take a bag of rice gratefully, and riot in the streets against adding our beef to their diet! GM is not the problem, we are! GM is actually turning a good profit selling Buicks, made and sold in China! Hang onto your hats yanks, you are about to get your asses reamed.

GM is the only one of the big 3 that has a chance, and DESERVEDLY SO, since its cars, and esp. the lowly CHEVYS, always had far better value for the $ thaN ANY ord or Chrysler, and most imports as well, with the execption of Honda AND Toyota, perhaps.

ANd before you jump, I mean LIFECYCLE cost, where Hondas and Toyotas shine, despite their higher FIRST cost.

Ed - I find that domestic cars (even after all the incentives) are now usually more expensive than their Japanese competition (Koreans are very expensive - not sure why people buy that crap)

The mid $20s Japanese van is superior in every way to the sub 200 hp Chrysler van that approaches 30K (It was over 30K when I was shopping for my van)

What product/service do you provide and where do you live? Whatever it is, if we buy it elsewhere, will you go there to raise your family or self? Think hard about that when you have a choice to buy an American (USA) product. It all starts in our own back yard.

GM just cant compete with honda or toyotas, why because of better fuel economy better looking, better quality. gm is always talking about how fuel good their cars are but its always their manual transmision cars and with two wheel drive, well most people drive automatics, beacuse its easier to drive in our long, bumper to bumper commutes. also theres is no auto manufacture that cares about our people and that includes honda, fords, chev, toyotas, nissan ect, they just want to sell and cruch the competitors. but at end all i care is a car that its cheap, good quality, and good looking, but yeah gms sucks they r always trying to cutdow their productio cost, a good example is chevy silverado which they eliminated their back disc brakes for drums, and move form 5 speed trans to a 4 speed trans, common just givi it up why not just focus on making commercial vehicles such as heavy duty and let the sedan to the japannese