GM to merge with Chrysler? DISCUSS

[88ss408]

i hope that GM buys out mopar b4 they sell anything that would be less of a comption against each other and more on where it should be against the foreign companys
they should eliminate what they have 2 off and only offer the best of them in most case
the chevy corvette and the viper should be keeped to battle the european super cars as they are just as competive of a lower price
the trucks i think the the silverado is the more popular of the 2 so drop the ram and for minivans i think that the caravan is more popular so drop the venture and as for suv jeep is more popular so that would take over

i dont think GM or any other american car maker makes a inferior car as everbody is saying people are just geting that idea
i am geting real good gas millage out of my impala not much less than my cuz is geting in his civic but my car is twice as comfy and i would never trade 2-5 mpg for my comfort !

 

[81_2dr_bu]

i will say this i work for GM and would not look forward to work on chryslers i think it sucks maybe its the beer talking no wait to think of working on dodge trucks makes me think it would suck on the other hand to be able to drive a new challenger hemi could bump up my enthusiasm but is the pain worth it

 

[Blake442]

What honestly do they offer the average consumer that can be considered good? None of their small and midsize cars are leaders in their markets, and neither offers anything truly fuel efficient. Both concentrated on large trucks and SUV's for far too long and only produced cars grudgingly as if to punish those buyers for not buying a truck. Lack of market diversification is what got them here, and if that is not fixed with brilliant products across the board, a merger does them no good. They need good small cars that are designed in house, not pawned off to Daewoo. Ford is about to bring it's universally acclaimed Fiesta to this country, where is GM with a competitive Vauxhall or Opel product? Anyone can make a nice expensive car, but it takes a really good company to make a nice affordable car. If they can't figure it out, they might as well just stop building cars and become truck companies. After all, it seems that is what they wish to be.

I agree that this merger isn't a good idea, and that unions have helped destroy the auto industry, but disagree with the rest of your statement.
To say that GM did this to themselves is ridiculous. This is the result of the hypocracy and stupidity of 95% of american consumers.
GM has had plenty of great small cars. Mediocre? Maybe. And sure, there's some shitty ones out there too. If you're expecting the world out of your small cheap car, you're kidding yourself. I've had plenty of 'economy' cars from GM that have all been great. Sure, they could stand to be improved, everthing can, and as years went by, they got better.
As for seemingly punishing people for not buying a truck, give me a break...
GM's small cars have been getting 25 to 30 mpg since the late '80's, I don't consider that mediocre at all. I don't know about down in Florida where you are, but Import cars older than 1990 do not exist up here. Where'd they all go? The junk yard. They were even shittier than the stuff coming out of Detroit in those years. I still see tons of pre-'90 u.s. cars running around. Also in the past few years, GM has been rated higher in initial quality than Toyota. Sure, Toyota does build a nice car, but they aren't impervious to problems either, and I don't think they deserve to be on the pedistal that everybody seems to have put them on.
You know the reason that GM hasn't had that many small cars in recent years? Nobody bought them, that's why. GM couldn't build trucks and suv's fast enough to keep them on the lots, so they cut back on what people weren't buying, and built more of what people wanted. Can you really say that is a bad business plan? It's simple, people wanted trucks, they built them. Toyota even jumped on the bandwagon here and started building full-size V8 powered trucks and suv's. Imagine that. What has created a problem is how quickly peoples perspectives have changed in light of the recent fuel price jumps, and now they're scrambling to get something more efficient.
And what are they doing to combat the situation? Cutting truck production, and increasing small car production. Amazingly simple, huh? This is supply and demand, plain and simple, and the nature of any industry. The part that's killing U.S. auto makers is that people are still so stuck in the mentality that everything coming out of Detroit is junk and the only things that are well made are from Japan.
The '70's and '80's were over a long time ago.

I think this is a bad idea. Neither company has anything to gain from joining the other as both lack marketable product lines in the current economy. They would be better served using the money instead to develop a really good small car line. Let's face it, the Cobalt and the Caliber are not up to the task of taking on the Fit, Civic, Corolla, Versa or even the Yaris. Mediocre fuel economy with the reliability and innovation of an item built by union communists does not a market leader make.

This I do agree with, I don't think that either would really gain anything from a merger, and the money could be better spent elsewhere. But there again is the negative attitude against Detroit. Does a Cobalt really have mediocre fuel economy? I think 36 mpg is pretty good, that's what my co-worker that has one is getting. How about reliabily? Well his already has over 150,000 with nothing more than plugs and oil changes. As far is innovation goes, what are you expecting out of a $12,000 car? I mean really? Be realistic.
Just think, if all those people that have bought foreign cars over the years had kept their money in the U.S. by buying something domestic, where would our economy be? People forget that their money goes right back to Japan, which doesn't help our economy, now does it?

 

[eddieb1969]

hmmmmmm

 

[Uncletruck]

Nope, Daimler of Germany said goodbye to Chrysler earlier this year. Chrysler is now owned by a holding company called Cerberus Capital Management who is trying to unload unneeded assests to pay off debts and sell the company to whomever might buy it or merge it with another auto maker. It is on its death bed, simply put, unless they can find someone to defibrillate it. Two of Cerbirus' other big holdings are Air Canada, and (ironically) GMAC financing.

-UT-

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

I expect 300,000 miles out of a small, cheap car. Nissan Sentras deliver this with smooth running engines and great fuel economy. Cavaliers don't. I have known of so many Nissans that have gone WAY past the 300,000 mile mark it that isn't even funny. Many have had poor maintenance, and were bottom of the barrel models like the old Sentra E of the 80's. My current 4 cylinder/5 speed Nissan pickup has seen 302,000 miles of pizza delivery driving, has never had it's engine out, and only uses 1 quart of oil every 3,000 miles. It has a balanced compression test too at 180psi per cylinder using the factory test procedure. It also has never had a sensor failure or an electrical problem. It even still has all it's original brake and clutch hydraulics save for one caliper. The original clutch lasted 200k miles despite smoking it a few times trying to run it down the dragstrip, off roading it through sugar sand, or using it to tow some Fords. It has in no way been driven responsibly or with moderation. The only major failure was a transmission bearing which necessitated a trans rebuild-at 264,000 miles and at a cost of $650 by a local shop. Oh, and the original starter lasted 270,000 miles despite being used every 10 miles or so. I know this because it is a one owner truck with me being pretty much the only mechanic it has seen (save the transmission). This is the way a cheap car SHOULD be made.

Also, my last Sentra had 150,000 miles on it when it met it's demise at the hands of an inattentive driver, yet it used no oil and ran so smooth I used to try to start it while it was idling because I thought it stalled. The last J body I rode in was so coarse that the dash vibrated up and down about 2 inches at idle. The Sentra also returned 55mpg on the highway with the A/C on and cruise set at 80. I live in a world where cars see 30-50k miles a year with poor maintenance and no one drives a domestic for long. They just have too many issues.

 

[Coveted]

So in other words He's saying Vote for Pedro.

 

[srercrcr]

I'll say it again...it doesn't matter the reasons, when we (and our family members) buy an import that's one more nail in the coffin for the Big 3, and when they suffer it trickles down to many American communities. If you live in Michigan, Indiana, Pa etc and see foreclosure signs, that represents underemployed and unemployed workers. Don't get caught up on the reasons, just focus on the effect.

 

[Terminated]

The GENIII three engine is very good. I dont know how comparable that is to a hemi but if they take the RWD configurations and drop in the impala LS(3'??) V8 Ecotec that would be sweet. :lol: No but seriously we need more RWD V8 cars with DOD 4dr with quality not some sh*t that is ment to break at x amount of miles . Oh and i couldnt buy a domestic car that is crap.

 

[midwestls]

Don't forget though how Mitsubishi has there hands in Chrysler's production line with most of the non V8 motors being there's. Oh and Mitsubishi isn't quite American. And isn't the Ecotech originally Isuzu? And what about Ford and the Mazda made motors??? Sorry to say it and as much as it sucks they all did it to themselves. To be an American manufacturer don't you need to use American parts? As far as I'm concerned Toyota is more American then they are. What about the Canadian and Mexican plants the 'BIG' three use to produce there vehicles? Guess they aren't so 'big' anymore huh? I won't dispute that it sucks, not in anyway. Especially since 05 when Chrysler came out with the 300's, Charger's and Magnum's. And yes I luv the Charger, but completely agree with everyone, that is not a Charger. It's a four door call it something else! But it's still a nice car. The new Challengers are unbelievable. And GM, Impala SS and Monte SS. Nice. As is the Mustang. Slow as a donkey but still a nicely designed good looking car. I can't say for all of these but the Chrysler's, my buddy had a 300C in 05. 22" wheels flowmaster exhaust, intake and a few other things here and there and let me tell you it is a very impressive car. On the highway is does as good on gas as his V6 Accord does, maybe not around town but hey it's a Hemi. And dependability, well at this point he's got just under 200k on it and it's NEVER been to the shop for anything other then routine maintenance and recall work. Except once I guess for a busted rearend. These American cars ain't that bad these day's. We've come a long way. Though pro's and con's will lead everyone in different directions with their opinions on it. Ultimately it's the manufactures fault as much as everyone
else's. Build a better car we'll buy a better car. Lower the prices some and hey maybe before I go to a Honda dealership I might go check out a Ford dealership.