GM to merge with Chrysler? DISCUSS

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

The foreign companies can go in the wrong direction too sometimes. I liked my '97 Tacoma better then the '07 I have now. The '07 has been too "Americanized," that being too big and frumpy looking. It it also slower, heavier, and gets worse MPG than the '97. It's really no longer a compact pickup, more of a midsize like the Dodge Dakota. I think they took the Tacoma in the worng direction. I don't recall anyone who owned an older Tacoma saying they wanted it bigger, so I don't know what marketing research that decision came from. But I will say this, the '07 Tacoma is still light years better than that POS '02 Ranger I had. It was the last chance I gave to Ford, and they failed me terribly.

-UT-

I agree wholeheartedly. When Nissan came out with the D40 Frontiers I shuddered in horror. Too big and inefficient. That's why I like my D22 Frontier so much more. The D21 hardbodies are also excellent and last forever. The older Nissan and Toyota small 4 cylinder manual trans trucks are some of the best vehicles ever made for long term reliability. Too bad they had to go and mess them up. I know that at least in the case of the D40 Frontier, they went with a inferior engine with the QR25DE from the Altima S to replace the KA24DE in the D22. The KA is basically an updated version of the old L20B from the 1968 Datsun PL510 and is nearly indestructible. The QR is nothing but trouble.

 

[olds307 and 403]

The main reason GM isn't the company it used to be? NO competition between divisions and increased foreign pressure. GM had unique body, motors and a seperate indentity for it's divisions. They might as well keep Chebby and dump the rest. I think the big three should join and compete like GM's divisions use to. Unfortunately unrealistic, greedy profit expectations are killing all North American business. Stop shipping jobs to China and Mexico before there are no employed consumers left. The unions also played a big part in ridiculous high wages also in the big three plants, but look at any CEO wage, astronomical.

 

[Uncletruck]

That was always the union's past big arguing point- the amount of money managers made vs. the pay of production workers. The whole thing has escalated to where the production workers easily make more money than the plant floor managers do. The managers have littte to no empowerment over the workers, and it becomes very frustrating to get things done properly.

The thing the union doesn't consider is the education the managers needed to get their jobs, the difficulty level of the problems they have to solve, the amount of time solutions to problems have to be reached, consiqence levels of poor decisions, and that these managers are salaried and do not get paid for overtime. Frustrating when Johnny impact wrench is asked to work overtime on a Saturday morning for $43.50 an hour to meet production goals. He agrees, yet he stays out partying Friday night and doesn't show up for work in the morning. Happens all the time.

-UT-

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

A good CEO is worth paying for. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be any good ones left. A good CEO cares about the long term stability and profitability of the company he/she heads, and not just a quick buck and a big bonus check before going out the door. What these people have done is basically rape the companies they are paid to protect for their own benefit. That's not capitalism, that's fraud. Capitalism does work when done legitimately. We don't need a Communist agitator like Obama as president to fix what is wrong either. We do need stockholders to have a bigger say in choosing the officers of the companies they invest in, and new officers should have to campaign to the stockholders for their jobs-not just be nominated and rubber stamped. Likewise, stockholders need to take the time to research the candidates who will be managing their money. CEO should not be a job someone holds in multiple companies over a short period of time. If someone has done that, it shows a lack of stability with that person and people should think twice about hiring them.

 

[midwestls]

Guess we'll have to wait and see what happens here. Can't wait to go buy a new Mitsubishi Corvette!