has built in a long time.
Quote:
If you're looking for signs of continuous improvement at General Motors (GM) , the 2017 Chevrolet Cruze would be an excellent start.
GM's new compact is arguably the first impressive mass-market small car the No. 1 U.S. automaker has built since the Corvair (apologies to Ralph Nader, who documented flaws in the Corvair in the 1960s). That's quite a statement coming from me after driving dozens of GM small cars over the years from the Chevrolet Cavalier to the Geo Metro to the previous Cruze.
Not only Chevrolet Cruze is pretty good, many Buick sedans are very good too, much better than any GM produced 10-15 years ago.
Quote:
The new Cruze, available now as a sedan and this fall as a hatchback, is winning respectful reviews at a moment when consumers seem to prefer larger SUVs and crossovers. Still, demand for the car is strong, prompting GM last week to announce it is importing Cruzes for the first time from its plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. GM's massive factory Lordstown, Ohio, can't keep up with demand even working three shifts a day.
Dealers like Spitzer Chevrolet near the Lordstown plant said they need more inventory and expect more cars to arrive soon.
Sales for the 2017 Cruze are just beginning. In May, GM sold 16,671 Cruze cars in the U.S., according to Kelley Blue Book, up 17.8% from the same month last year as the automaker closed out the previous year's model.
Don't blame consumers for not buying your inferior products, blame yourself for not producing products your customers want to own. When you have good cars or better than your competitors, you will sell as many as you can make.
Quote:
Sure, most auto enthusiasts still rate the Honda (HMC) Civic and Mazda 3 higher. Reviewers also ding GM for failing to include automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control as safety features but most of them give the new Cruze credit for attractive styling, as well as high marks for build quality and adequate power from the 153 horsepower, 1.4-liter turbocharged engine.
I drove the car a few hundred miles and found it to be quiet, responsive, comfortable and attractive, a reasonable alternative to the Hondas and Toyotas my family has owned over the years.
May be not as good, but close enough to extract a lot more customers.
Quote:
The parade of Honda Civics and Accords, and Toyota's (TM) Corollas and Camrys marked the beginning of GM's relative market decline in the 1980s. Detroit executives simply couldn't or wouldn't believe that American consumers preferred Japanese imports, soon to be manufactured in the U.S.
By the time GM realized its mistake, the automaker had shifted its resources to profitable full-size pickups and other variants based on the pickup architecture. Supposedly improved GM small-car models like the Chevrolet Cobalt lagged far behind the Japanese cars, which continued to improve.
I remember in the 80's GM CEO said something like this "There is no problem with GM products, there is problem with American consumers".
GM blamed consumers for buying competitors cars not their. American consumers care most for their pocket, if they can buy a better product for less they will, regardless of where it is made.
Accord, Civic, Corolla, Camry ... of the 80's and 90's were much better than any sub-compact and compact car that Detroit an muster at that time, that why they sold all the were allowed to import into America at that time. American government imposed "volunteered import quota" from Japanese automakers in the 80's till early 90's.
https://www.thestreet.com/story/13608523...&yptr=yahoo
Summary: Build better mousetrap then you will sell as many as you can build. Have lousy mousetrap then file for bankruptcy.
Quote:
If you're looking for signs of continuous improvement at General Motors (GM) , the 2017 Chevrolet Cruze would be an excellent start.
GM's new compact is arguably the first impressive mass-market small car the No. 1 U.S. automaker has built since the Corvair (apologies to Ralph Nader, who documented flaws in the Corvair in the 1960s). That's quite a statement coming from me after driving dozens of GM small cars over the years from the Chevrolet Cavalier to the Geo Metro to the previous Cruze.
Not only Chevrolet Cruze is pretty good, many Buick sedans are very good too, much better than any GM produced 10-15 years ago.
Quote:
The new Cruze, available now as a sedan and this fall as a hatchback, is winning respectful reviews at a moment when consumers seem to prefer larger SUVs and crossovers. Still, demand for the car is strong, prompting GM last week to announce it is importing Cruzes for the first time from its plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. GM's massive factory Lordstown, Ohio, can't keep up with demand even working three shifts a day.
Dealers like Spitzer Chevrolet near the Lordstown plant said they need more inventory and expect more cars to arrive soon.
Sales for the 2017 Cruze are just beginning. In May, GM sold 16,671 Cruze cars in the U.S., according to Kelley Blue Book, up 17.8% from the same month last year as the automaker closed out the previous year's model.
Don't blame consumers for not buying your inferior products, blame yourself for not producing products your customers want to own. When you have good cars or better than your competitors, you will sell as many as you can make.
Quote:
Sure, most auto enthusiasts still rate the Honda (HMC) Civic and Mazda 3 higher. Reviewers also ding GM for failing to include automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control as safety features but most of them give the new Cruze credit for attractive styling, as well as high marks for build quality and adequate power from the 153 horsepower, 1.4-liter turbocharged engine.
I drove the car a few hundred miles and found it to be quiet, responsive, comfortable and attractive, a reasonable alternative to the Hondas and Toyotas my family has owned over the years.
May be not as good, but close enough to extract a lot more customers.
Quote:
The parade of Honda Civics and Accords, and Toyota's (TM) Corollas and Camrys marked the beginning of GM's relative market decline in the 1980s. Detroit executives simply couldn't or wouldn't believe that American consumers preferred Japanese imports, soon to be manufactured in the U.S.
By the time GM realized its mistake, the automaker had shifted its resources to profitable full-size pickups and other variants based on the pickup architecture. Supposedly improved GM small-car models like the Chevrolet Cobalt lagged far behind the Japanese cars, which continued to improve.
I remember in the 80's GM CEO said something like this "There is no problem with GM products, there is problem with American consumers".
GM blamed consumers for buying competitors cars not their. American consumers care most for their pocket, if they can buy a better product for less they will, regardless of where it is made.
Accord, Civic, Corolla, Camry ... of the 80's and 90's were much better than any sub-compact and compact car that Detroit an muster at that time, that why they sold all the were allowed to import into America at that time. American government imposed "volunteered import quota" from Japanese automakers in the 80's till early 90's.
https://www.thestreet.com/story/13608523...&yptr=yahoo
Summary: Build better mousetrap then you will sell as many as you can build. Have lousy mousetrap then file for bankruptcy.
