tinman

I think that 'Consumer reports' has had an anti-American streak of bias for 25+ years.....
I also think that if GM would get back into the car business instead of all sorts of other things (american-standard plumbing& Electro-motive) for just 2 examples and get back into the car business letting car guy's build car instead of the bean counters they would be well ahead.
The story' labor and pension costs' are a ploy by the management levels, they don't speak of what they get in bonus $$ do they? Or the perks either.
If GM could away with paying the workers $9 an hour they would and then they would still whine about labor cost...
Also, what about all the home mortgages that GM holds? Tell me they are out of $$ when they are advertising all over about there low % rates.......

Redline03GT

Ok i like GM and i respect them as a company, big vette fan and all, but lets be honest, some of the stuff they are coming out with lately really makes me think i know why they are going down the drain. It seems like the Vette sucked up all of chevys attention and whatever was left was used to make the hhr and the ssr (no offense to anyone just my personal opinion) and with Toyota #1 in ranks you bet they wont let it go easy

757GT

Toyota is not that great, I have never understood the hype. I used to sell toyotas and there were plenty coming back for stupid issues. A good friend of my dad has a sienna minivan. It needed a new tranny at 30k miles. It is now on its third tranny and has only 100k miles. GM will not go under. They are having issues now but like what has already been said so have the other U.S. auto makers. I don't want Toyota as number 1, I like domestics, GM will get back in the game, no doubt about it.

badtzmaru

I was reading the new 2006 "Consumer Report" and I was reading the auto section, I could not believe it how favorable CR was toward foreign cars, especially japanese autos. I wanted more information on how they got their information to base their reviews but I could not find anything. All I am saying I do not trust CR with their reviews.

Sidewayz6.0

A lot of you guys are WAY off. Sure. GM's sales are down. But not any farther than any other manufacturer. The problem is that they still have so many people still on the old UAW contract that healthcare costs are killing them. That is their #1 drain at the moment. They also have to pay each employee 90% of their salary after they get laid off. IF and this is a big IF. GM were to file Bankruptcy it's only to get out from under the contracts they have with the union. They will NOT go out of business. And those of you that say "Good, I hope they do" are in for a big surprise. You won't like what happens to the economy if the worlds largest auto manufacturer were to go out of business. But it won't happen. The government will bail them out LONG before that happens.

MikeHawke

I would also like to add that they dug their own grave by lending out so much money at really low finance rates in order to move vehicles.

It doesn't matter though. They will file for chapter 11 and negotiate a 10 cents on the dollar settlement with their creditors and start up the business again.

They can't go under. They are too big. It would take down a huge portion of the north american economy with them. Neither government (Canada or US) would allow that.

Besides, if they are going bankrupt because they own too much money, don;t you think that the creditors would rather have the 10 cents on the dollar than the nothing they would get in the case of a bankruptcy?

Sidewayz6.0

Everyone else did 0% loans too. And you're right. If they filed, they would just restructure and keep going. There is 0 chance of them actually going out of business, or stopping production all together.

MikeHawke

true, everyone DID do the 0% loans too.

That is actually part of the equation. By offering all those loans at low interest rates, they are buying themselves time until the rates go back up. Onece the rates go up they can file for bankruptcy but still show the auditors that they remain a financially viable company if they can resrtructure.

Lee Willis

Yeah, I like cars too much to be on just any one company's car forum. I drive a Porsche because it is the best driving street car I've ever been in, I own the vette and Camaro and beause I really believe it is the best overall internal combustion engine ever built, with no exceptions for even Porsche or Ferrari (I'm not looking to start and argument with any Ford proponents, that's just how I feel and give me credit for practicing what I believe -- I own five of the engines).

ANYWAY, about Consumers Reports. Guys, don't beat them up. They're dull, but they're right. Of course they prefer Japenese cars and have for 20 years, THEY ARE BETTER CARS. Most people don't want a car that can do 13-second quarter miles. They want an inexpensive, no hassle, quiet car with lots of cup holders, comfortable seats, and wipers that simple effective controls, one that is RELIABLE and feels like QUALITY despite costing not too much.Japan figured this out years ago. We had a '94 Accord that was just the perfect automotive "appliance" -- and just about as exciting as a Sunbeam toaster, too. That's what most people want. Consumer reports measures that, evaluates that, and reports that. And they are right.

On the other hand, Detriot is catching on. You know, the new Ford Fusion is a pretty damn good car. But it takes time to turn around market perception. Ford is on its way. GM is only just waking up.

denizen

Late at night sometimes I get stuck at the railroad tracks and a long freight train will go by filled with SUVs and trucks. Then, when I pass the Ford or Chevy dealerships they have promotions advertising "Prices so low we're giving them away!" (and it's actually almost clost to the truth). The gas pinch is mighty. I think where are these trucks and suvs going? The scrapyard? ok that's a dramatic statement but my point is -- do you think the gas prices have anything to do with it?