I cant fall in love with most Japanese cars, especially those from Lexus/Toyota. Toyota has this habit of taking a decent design and watering it down to make it appealing to middle-aged women.
Some Nissans (original Q45, last M45, 350Z) and Mazdas (RX-7, 929) on the other hand are stunning to look at and amazing to drive. However, they are the exception, not the rule in an island nation where Toyota is top dog.
It would be foolish to doubt Lexus and Toyota quality, however. Cadillac finally caught up in initial quality (ranked #2), but now needs to move forward in customer satisfaction, where Infiniti for almost a decade ranked #1 (dont know if they still are).
Although the quality of a Lexus is excellent, it's almost too consumer friendly. They aren't exactly fun to drive. (I put 100 miles on an '04 LS430/sport yesterday) Also, they lack any originality. At the NY Auto Show, I really didn't know if I was in an Acura, Lexus, or Infiniti booth. I'm being honest. I thought I was looking at an Infiniti M and it was the new Lexus GS. At least Cadillacs are unmistakeable.
I dunno, I am think about a 2000 LS 400, those things can now be had for about 20-25K used! Fantastic comfort and reliabilty record...I think it should will be a good match for those of use bouncing in Devilles.
I have just finished writing, re-writing, and editing what turned out to be a 4 page letter to GM headquarters at Renaissance Center in Detroit. I was professional, objective, and very polite. What I did convey, is why people like myself prefer imports when most of us would buy American in a second - if the standards were up to par with the world's most renowned manufacturers. The reason I wrote it is because I'm a bit worried, quite frankly. GM is in dire straights. Sure, they have 19.8 billion in the bank, their dividens pay out 1.3 billion annually, and the money they make in interest alone outperforms some banks. But they aren't making money where it counts: cars. In the last year, GM has lost on average 5.3% of it's profit per vehicle sold! And the reason why is people aren't buying them. They are going elsewhere for vehicles in similar class and price which are built with more technology, more sophistocation, better safety records, and better reliability and quality.
GM is also far too big for it's own good. They must downsize, restructure, and concetrate on a core group of vehicles in order to stay competitive with the rest of the world. It's not just them, you see, it's the global vehicle market for 2005 and GM is still operating like it was 1950. They have no concept of the direction they are heading, as the last time they were outsold in total units for one model year was 1932. I doubt if anyone at their corporate office was even alive back then!
For a company to have more cash than income means somwhere, somehow, down the line it will have to bust. And if, God forbid, GM busts, the economy of the whole country will be seriously affected. Thing is, myself and people like me would go back to GM in an instant if their cars were up to par, but we won't follow blind allegiance just because it's "Made in the USA".
That is GM (and Ford's) dilemma, which they must address if they are to have a solid future.
One more thing - if those nuclear blast photos say anything, they say we as Americans know how to vaporize 50,000 people in a second, but have no clue how to run a car company.
I have just finished writing, re-writing, and editing what turned out to be a 4 page letter to GM headquarters at Renaissance Center in Detroit. I was professional, objective, and very polite. What I did convey, is why people like myself prefer imports when most of us would buy American in a second - if the standards were up to par with the world's most renowned manufacturers. The reason I wrote it is because I'm a bit worried, quite frankly. GM is in dire straights. Sure, they have 19.8 billion in the bank, their dividens pay out 1.3 billion annually, and the money they make in interest alone outperforms some banks. But they aren't making money where it counts: cars. In the last year, GM has lost on average 5.3% of it's profit per vehicle sold! And the reason why is people aren't buying them. They are going elsewhere for vehicles in similar class and price which are built with more technology, more sophistocation, better safety records, and better reliability and quality.
GM is also far too big for it's own good. They must downsize, restructure, and concetrate on a core group of vehicles in order to stay competitive with the rest of the world. It's not just them, you see, it's the global vehicle market for 2005 and GM is still operating like it was 1950. They have no concept of the direction they are heading, as the last time they were outsold in total units for one model year was 1932. I doubt if anyone at their corporate office was even alive back then!
For a company to have more cash than income means somwhere, somehow, down the line it will have to bust. And if, God forbid, GM busts, the economy of the whole country will be seriously affected. Thing is, myself and people like me would go back to GM in an instant if their cars were up to par, but we won't follow blind allegiance just because it's "Made in the USA".
That is GM (and Ford's) dilemma, which they must address if they are to have a solid future.
One more thing - if those nuclear blast photos say anything, they say we as Americans know how to vaporize 50,000 people in a second, but have no clue how to run a car company.
There are a couple new threads you should check out in the lounge....
It's not that GM doesn't build good cars, but there are OTHER reasons why people might be buying Japanese, for example.
One reason, I've noticed, why European luxury cars seem less appealing than their Japanese counterparts is the exchange rates. The Euro is currently much higher than the US Dollar, so the prices of their exports are going up; the Japanese Yen, though, has been kept lower, so that's reflected in the costs of Lexuses and Infinitis, etc. Therefore the prices of a Japanese luxury car seem more appealing, etc. Given what Lutz has accomplished with Cadillac is nothing short of amazing IMO!
GM may be getting on track, the new Caddys show that there are some car guys at GM. My CTS is the first new GM car I bought since 1981, it's been all Fords; Taurii, Escorts, Focii and a couple of VICs with H&P. It's not that I was a "Ford guy", just that everytime I looked at cars the Fords had alot more appeal to me.
In 1997 I got the urge to get rid of my F-150 and get back into a car. I went to a Chevy dealer and looked at 96 Caprices, new ones were still on the lots. I saw one that really appealed to me mechanically; it had the 350 with duals, handling suspension, 4-wheel discs, pretty much an Impala in sheep's clothing.
But car was simply ugly and the interior was so cheesy; digital gauges, cheap phony chrome on the handles and other ugliness, I just hated the thing.
At a Ford dealer I found a nice Vic with the H&P package: V8 with duals, handling suspension, 4-wheel discs and a self leveling rear suspension. And the styling was so clean and fresh compared to the Caprice and the interior gimmick free and with REAL GAUGES; oil pressure, temp, fuel and amps. So I bought the Ford even though I knew it was the slower car. And I ran the bejeezus out of it too, it was a good car.
But the CTS, now that car is really something. Now that the guy that turned Caddy around is in charge of GMs product department we'll see more changes.
You know, back in the day every GM division had it's own chassis's and engines. A Caddy V8 was different than a Chevy V8, same with Olds, Pontiac and Buick. GM lost a lot when their cars became generic GM cars. They need to make less cars and differentiate between divisions.
