GMness

[280Z Turbo]

What do you guys think? Has GM finally shed its stodgy image?

I feel like up until very recently all GM products have been bland and cheap. They were never terrible, but just unappealing.

I look at Ford now, and it seems like they've got a lot more style, better engines, more features, and better interiors.

[SVT666]

I still don't trust GM reliability.  Every GM product I or my family has owned has been shit, except for our old Olds Alero.  That was actually fairly decent.  Even the new GMs I have seen or sat in still don't feel as upscale as the new Fords or even the new Chryslers.  Granted, I have not been anywhere near the interior of the new Malibu, so that may have changed.  I really don't like the new GM corporate grille either...though, I'm not really digging the new Ford corporate grille either (Focus and Escape).

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I think they're on the rite track. The expensive flagships are as good if not better than the Germans and the mainstremers are very competitive. I'm hoping next year the C7 will be the icing on the cake!

[SVT666]

I think they're on the rite track. The expensive flagships are as good if not better than the Germans and the mainstremers are very competitive.

The CTS is not.  It plays third fiddle behind BMW and Infiniti.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I was refering to the CTS-V and Z06/ZR1. IMHO it's time for an overhaul on the CTS.

[S204STi]

From my time working on cars for a living, my general impression was that GM powertrain reliability was overall pretty good, even if you got one of the leaky-ass OHV V-6 engines.  Electrical reliability was a bit of a concern, as was overall build quality and materials.  When I left the industry, GM's electrical reliability was dropping rapidly, IMO, while the powertrain  reliability and build quality improved, dramatically in the case of the latter.

[CJ]

  Granted, I have not been anywhere near the interior of the new Malibu, so that may have changed. 

Hint: It hasn't. The 2008-2012 Malibu's interior was nicer, I thought.

[MrH]

Hint: It hasn't. The 2008-2012 Malibu's interior was nicer, I thought.

Agreed.

I still don't trust GM reliability.  Every GM product I or my family has owned has been shit, except for our old Olds Alero.  That was actually fairly decent.  Even the new GMs I have seen or sat in still don't feel as upscale as the new Fords or even the new Chryslers.  Granted, I have not been anywhere near the interior of the new Malibu, so that may have changed.  I really don't like the new GM corporate grille either...though, I'm not really digging the new Ford corporate grille either (Focus and Escape).

Generalizations like this are idiotic.  Reliability must be looked at on a model by model basis.  Gross oversimplifications of an entire brand based on 10 year old, anecdotal evidence is beyond asinine.

[GoCougs]

This thread will turn out well...

[S204STi]

Let the misinformation flow freely, like diarrhea.

[280Z Turbo]

I kinda of feel like we've been promised "The New GM" more than a few times in the past ten years, but we still got cars like the Cobalt.

Even the NACOTY 2008 Malibu has ugly rough plastic inside and just ditched its 4 speed auto.

And then there's the chrome wheels GM still puts on cars. They need to stop.

[MrH]

GM sometimes seems to mix up chrome for styling.  Tons of buyers like it though, so you can't seem to blame them too much.  Hell, look how many cars have tacky chrome window trim, fender trim, door trim, etc.  Why they think it looks good is beyond me.

[280Z Turbo]

GM sometimes seems to mix up chrome for styling.  Tons of buyers like it though, so you can't seem to blame them too much.  Hell, look how many cars have tacky chrome window trim, fender trim, door trim, etc.  Why they think it looks good is beyond me.

It would be nice if it didn't peel off their wheels, though.

[GoCougs]

GM has had made major strides the last ~5 years; Malibu, Camaro, Equinox, and the Cruze are gigantic leaps forward from their predecessors and have overall been successes both in sales and in elevating the brand. Cadillac is doing far better than competitor domestic brands even though it's primarily riding on only two good models (CTS and SRX). The upcoming Impala, ATS, and Corvette look to further the trend.

[CJ]

The Cruze is GM's best car right now.  It's well built, has great interior materials, comfortable, and gets excellent gas mileage.  The new Malibu is almost identical in interior dimensions, so why get the significantly more expensive and less fuel efficient Malibu? 

[2o6]

Ford seems to be style over substance, though. The Fiesta is still rather tight inside, and the powertrain isn't as advanced as other makes (until the 1.0T comes to the US, though). Focus is also tight inside, and dynamics aren't as good as it used to be. Taurus's space efficiency is very poor, and it's a fat cow. Fusion is unproven, as is the new Escape.


Ford is definitely going for a sportier, high-style edge, whereas GM is going for a blander, more mainstream model. Both have their missteps, but they both make competent products.

I kinda of feel like we've been promised "The New GM" more than a few times in the past ten years, but we still got cars like the Cobalt.

Even the NACOTY 2008 Malibu has ugly rough plastic inside and just ditched its 4 speed auto.

And then there's the chrome wheels GM still puts on cars. They need to stop.

Yeah, but now their products are directly comparable to other makes, beating them in some regards.

Let the misinformation flow freely, like diarrhea.

+1. Never understood the recent hate, but Honda's lack of improvement and overall sterilization gets a pass.

[S204STi]

Pft.  Ford's small cars have been usually better than its domestic counterparts for about a decade now.  Cheap plastics aside, the first-gen Focus was a better car than its domestic contemporaries for most of its life, till that half-assed refresh.  I'd still take the current model over anything small from GM or Chrysler, and a lot of imports too.

[2o6]

Pft.  Ford's small cars have been usually better than its domestic counterparts for about a decade now.  Cheap plastics aside, the first-gen Focus was a better car than its domestic contemporaries for most of its life, till that half-assed refresh.  I'd still take the current model over anything small from GM or Chrysler, and a lot of imports too.

Yeah, I have to agree there.

[280Z Turbo]

Pft.  Ford's small cars have been usually better than its domestic counterparts for about a decade now.  Cheap plastics aside, the first-gen Focus was a better car than its domestic contemporaries for most of its life, till that half-assed refresh.  I'd still take the current model over anything small from GM or Chrysler, and a lot of imports too.

The Focus actually has more attractive plastics than most new cars. It has a nice grain pattern on the dash, soft door panels, attractive finishes, etc.

The cheapness shows through in the poor corrosion resistance.

[2o6]

The Focus actually has more attractive plastics than most new cars. It has a nice grain pattern on the dash, soft door panels, attractive finishes, etc.

Did we own the same car?

[CJ]

Yeah, but now their products are directly comparable to other makes, beating them in some regards.

The Cruze is the only one that's directly comparable. 

[2o6]

The Cruze is the only one that's directly comparable. 

....What?

[280Z Turbo]

Did we own the same car?

Nope.

[2o6]

Nope.

Unless something changed from MY 2000 to MY 2002, I don't agree at all.

[CJ]

....What?

GM still doesn't really know how to build an interior.  The best interior they have is the Cruze.

[2o6]

GM still doesn't really know how to build an interior.  The best interior they have is the Cruze.

What does that have to do with making a car comparable to the competition?

[280Z Turbo]

GM still doesn't really know how to build an interior.  The best interior they have is the Cruze.

They know how to metalize the trim around gauges and air vents. Silver paint makes it look expensive too.

[2o6]

....so is this a rag on GM thread? It's not like all the other automakers are doing THAT much better.

[280Z Turbo]

....so is this a rag on GM thread? It's not like all the other automakers are doing THAT much better.

This is my thread. I am the arbiter.

[2o6]

blah blah blah snide snide snide