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Here's your chance to suggest something directly to GM - don't waste it...

5K views 66 replies 23 participants last post by  Koooop 
#1 ·
It's a long story but I have a meeting with GM executives in about a week. I was invited to the GM Proving Grounds as well as the Detroit Auto Show during the week of "media only" - otherwise I'd have worked on meeting those of you out in Detroit during the main show..

ANYWAY. The question is: What should GM do going forward?

I'd like to get as many good answers as possible.. Please speak your mind...

Thank you!
 
#3 ·
First and foremost put the emphasis on quality, then on reliability and then on great, attractive exterior and interior designs. GM should become a leader again in styling, if they have to copy someone copy VW/Audi not the next "Bangle-Butted" fad from a mislead maker.

Each division should be distinctive and have a clearly identified automotive objective and should have a suitable flagship with the parameters of the division's market/performance segment.

Cadillac should have high quality products suitable to satisfying customers in "executive/luxury" segment. It should also have a product that can capture acceptance and desirability among the world's power elite. Not some hokey frosted truck, but an luxury passenger car that conveys the prestige of the owner or his office.

Buick should build cars suitable to the upper middle class socially and economically. This lineup should include some perform ace models like the "Wildcats" of the sixties. Buick not market cars meant for middle income folks leave that segment to Chevrolet.

Chevrolet should have a broad spectrum of vehicles suitable for the various tasks middle class families are called upon to perform, but not to include trucks (leave trucks to GMC).
 
#4 ·
Wow, your able to meet up with GM executives? How is that possible?

Anyways, I would love for you to tell then, that they have let down many car enthusiast of the world, people that live in die for Cadillac, and we are watching and waiting for the company to bring out something that catches our eye, because so far GM isn't listening to us car lovers, but more so to what the "Market" thinks is needed.

Also tell them, to stop acting like executive businessmen for once, and become a fan, tell them to tell the bean counters to go screw themselves, because these bastards are destroying the industry.

Last thing, bring back the FLEETWOOD! Make it $80,000 for crying out loud, they need something in the higher end bracket for consumers, go above and beyond, show the world that Cadillac is serious. People will buy big cars, look at the 300, it all depends on the design, they can do it, someone just needs to take the risk to make it happen.
 
#5 ·
"Stop smoking." -- Bad habits are hard to break. Its too easy to run an organization without a long-term vision, without regard for stakeholders in the interest of short-term profitability. I don't know what GM wants to be in 10, 20, or 30 years from now since its been in survival mode for the past decade. "Be really big and profitable!" isn't a vision. A corporate vision is a dream, set in place by leadership, of what an ideal General Motors would be, what it would produce, what it would mean to the public, and how it would function.

Whatever happened over the last 30 years, study and review those mistakes tirelessly and don't ever do it again.
 
#6 ·
Assumptions are that the build quality and reliability are there -- which should be a given. As well as appropriate and timely updates of their current offerings.

CHEVROLET is in pretty good shape:
-- The trucks need more rear seat legroom, even if bed length has to be cut by a few inches. Just don't take it out of the front, like they did on the Tundra.
-- A new compact pickup is needed. Think '80s Mazda B2000, only updated but cheap enough to be worth buying.
-- Screw CAFE -- do not get rid of the Suburban/Tahoe/Avalanche.
-- The Impala needs to be RWD, and a V8 optional. (Smaller Holden)
-- A Caprice needs to be added that is bigger, RWD, and a V8 optional. (Larger Holden)
-- REPLACE THE MONTE CARLO...
-- The small cars and the sports cars are pretty much where they need to be.

BUICK/GMC
(See notes on Chevrolet trucks)
-- Bring over the large Holden RWD sedan and give it a premium interior and a V8 option.
-- Make a new Riviera that is NOT that hideous 2 seater. Large, COMFORTABLE 4 seater, short trunk/long hood. Either V8 or 3.6DI powered.

CADILLAC is about to become a hot mess!
-- Quit relying on the 18 versions of the CTS to save your bacon.
-- REPLACE THE NORTHSTAR and make it optional for the XTS. (The concept was gorgeous...however V6 only is FAIL.)
-- Make a SWB and LWB "Flagship/Sport'ish" sedan, RWD, V8 only (LS powered if necessary), positioned in between the LS and the 7-Series/S-Class. Price it between the Equus and the LS. If you think you're going to get 7 or S money, you're crazed.
-- Make a Lambda CUV if you want, but not at the expense of the Escalade.
-- Make a larger coupe that does not bow at the altar of the Infiniti G's rear end -- short trunk, long hood, V8 only, COMFORTABLE 4 seater...a true successor to the Eldorado.

If you're able to get this ship righted, then we can think of more things for you to do...

Oh, and give me back my stock that I got screwed out of.
 
#7 ·
Cadillac needs that $70-90k flagship RIGHT NOW.


Throw the LSA motor into a reg cab/short box 2wd silverado. Put a lowered sport suspension on it, but make sure you can still use it as a truck, ie it will tow, haul crap, etc. Maybe put it also in a 4 door silverado, since those seem to be all the rage now days so it will actually have a volume seller.
 
#8 · (Edited)
the little features like interior lighting and making them work together, like fan speed and volume reduction for incoming phone calls. more of that

"integration"

rented an Escalade on two occasions and it was those little things that made me go wow.

//also ask about the flying cars please thanks :-D
 
#13 ·
This is probably the single most important quote in this entire thread so far.

Next...

Buick:
Quit pussfooting around with the Buick Regal and put a proper powerplant in there.

Cadillac:
Throw the Northstar engineering schematics in the trash and burn them... hell throw any residual engineers from that project in the pile too... Then devote resources ASAP to building a PROPER, RELIABLE all aluminum V8 for your premier luxury brand, then introduce this engine in a PROPER RWD luxury sedan with decent quality, and an appropriate price. Understand that regardless of energy market trends, you can NOT have a luxury brand without a dedicated V8 engine

That is all.
 
#11 ·
I love my 2005 CTS-V. The new CTS-V is very sweet, but please offer up a second trim level with an LS3 and no supercharger, while many of us love all the power you can offer up it's just not for all. The Northstar has no low end, please put it out of it's misery and give us pushrods. I have yet to hear complaints about the LS1, LS2, LS3 or LS6 (okay, the LS6 is a gas hog).

CTS wagon. Super good looking, but my wife isn't going to drive it, if you want me to drive it, it needs a pushrod V8. V6 is "for the woman".

Speaking of women. My wife needs a new minivan, the Olds Silo Premiere is getting tired. If you insist on using the Northstar, a minivan would be an excellent location for it. The next minivan I buy is going to be a top of the line Chrysler since GM doesn't make one. Please don't make me suffer in some POS Chrysler minivan. It's bad enough that I have to ride around in a Minivan, if it was a Cadillac I wouldn't have to tint the windows!

I don't make my Northstar comments lightly, there have been a few in the family. Currently my Dad has an XLR. Lets face it, I could barely get out off the line ahead of a pool guy in an F150. I suppose the lack of low end is okay for my 70 (something) Pop's, but not me!
 
#14 ·
Yeah, the one thing that is most embarrassing to me is watching Ford drop 4 new engines in its F-150 lineup, with new engines showing up throughout their product line while GM is relying on too few engines with very little in the pipeline...
 
#15 ·
And we have an entire industry that was left alone by Lincoln. The Town Car is just about done and the MKT is what they're trying to sell us on. GM needs the XTS to work for the limousine industry. A proper trunk, good rear leg room, a reliable drivetrain...
 
#17 · (Edited)
No offense, but why should GM listen to anything we have to say?

I've said this before, but 95% of this forum won't buy a new Cadillac off the showroom floor, whether that's because they can't afford it or because they refuse to take the depreciation hit of buying a new car. Most who have commented in this thread have admitted or displayed this in one way or another at some point.

Much of this forum is all about bang for the buck, value; comfortable, decent performing cars that don't break the wallet on initial buy-in. There's nothing wrong with that and that's why most of us have purchased our Cadillac vehicles used. However, this place is riddled with comments about how that is exactly the customer that Cadillac should NOT be chasing (and, arguably, ARE chasing with the current lineup), which is absolutely correct.

No doubt that there are some interesting ideas here, but we really don't have the money in our hands while foaming at the mouth, ready to it hand over to GM even if our ideas come real. That really doesn't make anything in this thread valuable to them. We are the enthusiasts, but only if it's cheap enough. We rattle off all of the ideas in this thread, and think about how great it would be to have one of these in a few years after they've been through the hands of the initial owners for some time. How does GM benefit from that?

Sal will go over there representing CF.com, they'll research us a little bit and find a bunch of threads about how most of us purchased our Cadillacs when they were 5+ years old for $15k or less: used.

Those that actually have interest in purchasing the said $80k Fleetwood or any of the other ideas new, from GM, are really the only ones that GM should be listening to. If those are the ones who have actually posted the said ideas, then great, I'll say no more. But somehow, I doubt that. Sal is really the only one here who I recall actually expressing the want to purchase a new Cadillac.

If they can't even sell our own ideas to us, the supposed enthusiasts, then why should they consider it?
 
#18 ·
No offense, but why should GM listen to anything we have to say?

I've said this before, but 95% of this forum won't buy a new Cadillac off the showroom floor, whether that's because they can't afford it or refuse to take the depreciation hit of buying a new car. Most who have commented in this thread have admitted or displayed this in one way or another at some point.

Much of this forum is all about bang for the buck, value; comfortable, decent performing cars that don't break the wallet on initial buy-in. There's nothing wrong with that and that's why most of us have purchased our Cadillac vehicles used. However, this place is riddled with comments about how that is exactly the customer that Cadillac should NOT be chasing (and, arguably, ARE chasing with the current lineup), which is absolutely correct.

No doubt that there are some interesting ideas here, but we really don't have the money in our hands while foaming at the mouth, ready to it hand over to GM even if our ideas come real. That really doesn't make anything in this thread valuable to them. We are the enthusiasts, but only if it's cheap enough. We rattle off all of the ideas in this thread, and think about how great it would be to have one of these in a few years after they've been through the hands of the initial owners for some time. How does GM benefit from that?

Sal will go over there representing CF.com, they'll research us a little bit and find a bunch of threads about how most of us purchased our Cadillacs when they were 5+ years old for $15k or less: used.

Those that actually have interest in purchasing the said $80k Fleetwood or any of the other ideas new, from GM, are really the only ones that GM should be listening to. If those are the ones who have actually posted the said ideas, then great, I'll say no more. But somehow, I doubt that.
Oh, the irony...

There are plenty of people who post in the new sections of the forum -- A

The people here know about the product...good and bad -- B

And so what if a lot or most of the people here bought used...what do you think drives resale value? -- C

D, anyone?
 
#21 ·
Bring back a few of the Old Body Styles personaly i like the older Impalas not the new body style ones
Bring back the Eldorado And the Seville put a RWD in them or even a 4 wheel drive

build something that can show up to the LS the S make something that can lead flagship again
 
#22 ·
Drew makes a good point. I've tossed my hat in several conversations here where members are calling for huge, floaty, RWD V8 sedans with tufted leather called "Fleetwood" to save Cadillac- because it's ludicrous.

Cadillac is headed in the direction of Mercedes and Audi, so even their flagship car is going to be a high performance car. It'll be called the XYZ or ABC, because words like Fleetwood and Eldorado bring up memories of gas guzzling, unreliable and poorly built cars today's high line buyers' grandmother owned.

The best feedback you can get for this is going to come from the new CTS and SRX forums, Sal, and most of that is going to focus on reliability, fixing quality issues like squeaks and rattles, and offering more content. The other sections of the forum, especially this one, are largely populated by people (with a few exceptions, of course) who are driving older GM products, are stuck in the past and think a huge Impala or Brougham would sell in today's market. The past is what nearly killed GM, people- time to move forward.
 
#23 ·
I work for a living--I'm not too good to buy used. The sooner these features show up, the sooner I get them :) I'm already happy with what I'm looking to have in 2 years.. The '09, hopefully

Girls don't know my V isn't the latest gen, I get remarks all the time. Who's being smart? This guy.
 
#32 ·
You mean the one Consumer Reports just trashed as being obtuse, slow to react and difficult to use? No thanks.

The current crop of Cadillacs, especially the SRX, have a very nicely integrated infotainment hub to control the Nav, iPod, Bluetooth, etc. Other than the voice control requiring too many command strings, it works beautifully.
 
#33 ·
They do need to continually improve and innovate, however. It does seem that the electronics are just on the backside of what's revolutionary in today's markets. Computers are coming to the automobile. I want to see GM stay in touch, tis all...
 
#26 ·
All I am trying to say is Cadillac desperately needs a flagship vehicle, the DTS isn't cutting it anymore.

I do like the XTS, hopefully Cadillac will make some small improvements before it goes into production.

The biggest problem for taller than normal car buyers today, is they don't have too many options when it comes to big cars with good rear seat leg room. Hopefully the XTS will have rear seat leg room of about 41-42 inches, to help big guys feel comfortable back there.

Even for families, the days of loading up your 4 door sedan with 6 people are over, even 5 is getting harder to squeeze in. I just want Caddy to have a car that truly is a flagship, no I am not asking for a massive Fleetwood size car like mine, but something slightly smaller that still has a presence (215 inches long), which could be called a Fleetwood or whatever FW or BRO maybe XTS Bro or XTS FW lol. The CTS, nor does the DTS give you that feeling.

They can work around the short length, by adding a lot of body to the exterior. Kinda like the 300, it's short and stubby, but still looks big and buff, this gives it a presence.
 
#29 ·
Cadillac needs a full size, V8 RWD flagship to compete with the S Class/A8/XJ/LS, etc etc. I don't care what they name it, but it has to be:
-Big (atleast 210 inches)
-RWD (possibly offering an AWD variant)
-V8 (maybe not standard, but definitely offered)
 
#31 ·
I love the name Fleetwood. It sounds fast (Fleet) and luxurious (wood), but it wouldn't sell nowadays. Maybe if they made it a package or something for their full sized car, then it would work, but who knows.
 
#35 ·
Consumer Reports is the LAST publication I trust to know SQUAT about anything they are reviewing, especially with the way they've incessantly trashed domestic marques up until very recently. I trust them even LESS on electronics and technology.

As someone who follows the tech industry obsessively I can tell you that Ford's Sync version 1 and MyFordTouch (version 2 of Microsoft "Car") are absolute marvels at what they do, and do it WELL. I could only wish that some of the foreign makes I like could get it half together enough to put such a seamlessly integrated and simple system in their cars. It is universally compatible with just about ANYTHING you can plug or Bluetooth into it, it increases safety by READING your incoming texts back to you on a connected Bluetooth phone, manages playlists, identifies playlists and a lot more. It is everything we had hoped to come to the automobile from an automation standpoint. In fact, if I had a single complaint about the whole thing it would be the fact that Ford has it locked in right now. And this is just version 2....

I do agree that you can not call anything "Fleetwood", "Deville", or even "Eldorado" anymore. That time has passed, but the need for a RWD V8 powered sedan (and I certainly didn't say it had to be a cush-mobile, just a proper entry into that market) is very real.
 
#39 ·
Consumer Reports is the LAST publication I trust to know SQUAT about anything they are reviewing, especially with the way they've incessantly trashed domestic marques up until very recently. I trust them even LESS on electronics and technology.

As someone who follows the tech industry obsessively I can tell you that Ford's Sync version 1 and MyFordTouch (version 2 of Microsoft "Car") are absolute marvels at what they do, and do it WELL. I could only wish that some of the foreign makes I like could get it half together enough to put such a seamlessly integrated and simple system in their cars. It is universally compatible with just about ANYTHING you can plug or Bluetooth into it, it increases safety by READING your incoming texts back to you on a connected Bluetooth phone, manages playlists, identifies playlists and a lot more. It is everything we had hoped to come to the automobile from an automation standpoint. In fact, if I had a single complaint about the whole thing it would be the fact that Ford has it locked in right now. And this is just version 2....
well, hopefully MyFordTouch works. Many of the Ford guys have had their share of problems with the Sync system...
 
#36 ·
the navigation side of the infotainment system is severely lacking (in my opinion, and i'm sure i'm not the only one with such dour views of the nav system)

google's navigation app for android has got to be the best navigation experience ever - and they will pay GM to use it!
it's called the less than free business model

and since android is opensource GM can add to it and change it how they see fit - instead of contracting with some other company (like they currently do with alpine) they could be in control of their infotainment destiny
 
#37 ·
The Nav unit could use some improvement, but dismissing CR scores is a mistake. Regardless of the fact they're a bunch of buffoons who know nothing about cars, a lot of buyers put stock in their opinions.

Like 'em or not, right or not, the manufacturers need to please them. A whole lot of the public believes what they read in that rag.
 
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