We recently had the opportunity to drive the new 2011 Silverado HD and Sierra HD pickups. They may not look very different, but with an all-new frame and chassis and an improved powertrain these vehicles should be considered all-new.
New and improved is the theme, at least in every aspect except exterior and interior appearance.
Continue reading "Driving Impressions: 2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD " »
The data for April 2010 new vehicle sales are now in, and there is some dramatic news in the full-size pickup arena.
When compared with April 2009, Ford's F-Series share of the full-size pick segment is up...way up! Up from 34.3% of segment last year to 39.1% of segment this year -- an increase of 4.8%.
The Dodge Ram share of segment is down by an equally impressive amount, from 18.8% of segment to 12.6%, a 6.6% loss.
The GM entries (Chevrolet Silverado, and Avalanche, GMC Sierra and Cadillac Escalade) and the Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan have all about maintained share of segment. The results are very similar if you compare April 2010 to April 2009 or if you look at the first four months of 2010 with the first four months of 2009.
What did Ford do right? No doubt the current F-150 and F-250/350 Super Duty models are as good as any vehicles in their segment. That helps! But what happened to the Dodge Ram? Both the Ram 1500 and Ram 2500/3500 heavy Duty models are great products - especially with the Ram's Cummins I6 diesel. As far as I can tell, pricing and incentives are also competitive. So what's the problem? My speculation (and it is no more than that) is that pickup-truck buyers concern about Chrysler's future may be at the heart of the problem.
PickupTucks.com and AutoPacific have taken a look at all the new trucks sold in the past 10 years and made their picks for the most significant trucks of the decade. The trucks that made the list introduced cutting edge technologies and pushed the segment into new territory.
"Despite the economic challenges of the past two years, it's hard not to look back at the last ten years without calling it the decade of the pickup truck," said PickupTrucks.com editor Mike Levine. "Sales of full-size pickups hit 2.56 million units in 2004 and Ford's F-Series trucks remain the nation's best-selling vehicles, 33 years in a row."
Though there are many trucks that had a significant impact in the last decade, it's clear that the 2009 Ford F-150 earned the title of "Most Significant".
"On balance, we thought the 2009 Ford F-150 was the most significant pickup of the last decade," said Jim Hossack, vice president of consulting for AutoPacific. "It sells in high volume, owners like it and its body, chassis and powertrain are all first rate. Features abound, and there are more models, series and options than can be counted. It's a good looking truck and suitable for the widest possible range of tasks and uses."
After the jump are those trucks deemed most significant, in no particular order.
Public Responds Positively to Ford's Actions, but Some Still Have Reservations
TUSTIN, Calif. (June 17, 2009) -- American consumers' opinions about Ford Motor Company have been positively influenced by the company's decision not to accept government bailout funds, and by the bankruptcy filings of rivals General Motors and Chrysler. Automotive research and analysis firm AutoPacfic conducted an online survey of more than 900 U.S. consumers regarding their purchase intent and opinions of individual car companies. Highlights include:
* Asian and European manufacturers scored highest when the survey asked "How concerned are you about buying/leasing a vehicle from" a particular maker, with an average of 61% "Not concerned at all." Ford scored 48%, far ahead of GM's 15% and Chrysler's 14%.
Continue reading "Survey Indicates Ford Benefits From Troubles Of Others And Not Taking Bailout" »
The Detroit Big Three soon will consist of the New General Motors, New Chrysler and Old Ford, or better... the New Old Ford. Ford has benefited from a major restructuring begun with the arrival of Alan Mulally in 2006. Like most other automakers today, their sales are way down and they are hemorrhaging cash at an alarming rate. But they seem to have a plan. They have a viable short term product plan, have aggressively rightsized their organization and have not taken federal bailout money and have not undergone bankruptcy, It's a wonder that all sounds like good news.
A VehicleVoice Internet survey of over 900 respondents in the field from June 3 through June 8 asked several questions concerning Ford's position in the market while General Motors and Chrysler are in bankruptcy...
Continue reading "Ford Benefits from GM/Chrysler Bankruptcies" »
A just-completed national survey shows American consumers are skeptical of the U.S. government's involvement in the auto industry, with 81 percent of respondents agreeing that the faster the government gets out of the auto business, the better.
Following General Motors' Chapter 11 bankruptcy announcement last week, automotive research and analysis firm AutoPacific conducted an online survey regarding government involvement in the auto industry. Highlights from this survey of more than 900 U.S. consumers include:
• Eighty-one percent of the respondents AGREE that the faster the government gets out of the auto business, the better.
Continue reading "Bankruptcy Makes Americans Skeptical of GM and Chrysler" »
General Motors' June 1 bankruptcy declaration was quickly followed by the announced sale of HUMMER to China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company (June 2) and Saturn to Roger Penske's Penske Automotive Group (June 5). Having the futures of both of these brands out from under the General Motors umbrella can give many American dealerships and their communities cause for celebration.
Continue reading "GM's Chips Begin to Fall - HUMMER and Saturn Sold" »
President Barack Obama delivered an address to the nation this morning at 11AM where he summarized the results of review of General Motors and Chrysler by The Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry. The conclusion of the report was that neither of the plans presented to the Task Force by GM and Chrysler are viable.
Wagoner Gone - Replaced by Henderson: Immediately, General Motors' Chairman Rick Wagoner was let go to be replaced by Fritz Henderson - a very capable and experienced senior executive. Clearly, the Task Force determined that the GM plan did not go far enough. GM now has another sixty days to rework the plan and come back with a viable approach. If they do not, the government can move the Corp into bankruptcy to get its house in order.
Our question is "What will GM's brand and vehicle line profile look like on June 1?"
Chrysler and Fiat Agree to the Framework of a Tie-Up: Minutes after Obama's speech, Chrysler announced the it had reached developed a framework for a tie-up with Fiat with the blessing of the Treasury Department. Fiat receives a third share of Chrysler for technology sharing allowing Chrysler to launch competitive new products based on Fiat powertrains and platforms. This is needed to keep Chrysler competitive. Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli keeps his job because he has been at the helm for a relatively short time (since August 2007) compared with Wagoner's eight years at the helm.
Government to Guarantee Warranties (Warrantees): Obama stated that beginning today the warranties offered by GM and Chrysler are stronger than they have ever been because they would be guaranteed by the government. Also, adopting a spelling not seen for decades, the government refers to these plans as "warrantees". This support by the government is to create confidence in purchasing a new General Motors or Chrysler vehicle today.
Other Actions - Tax Credits, Scrappage Plans, Etc: Obama also mentioned the sales tax credit for purchasing a new vehicle that has been approved by Congress. Pending are plans for incentives to scrap older, gross polluters.
Further Question: Ford: Ford Motor Company has not taken part in government loan guarantees having planned financially for tough years back in 2006. While Ford is struggling like GM and Chrysler it does not seem to be hurt as much in the market as they are. Market share is not down as much.
How will Ford be impacted by the statements of the President, The Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry, and the restructuring forced on GM and Chrysler by the government? Will Ford thrive or continue to struggle?
Another Question: Financial Company CEOs: Rick Wagoner fell on the sword for General Motors performance during his tenure but you can argue that the performance of the financial community has been much worse and much more damaging to the economy. Where can we see the heads of the banks, investment banks, and insurance company CEOs rolling down Main Street?
Continue reading "Does Bailout Money End Up Killing GM?" »
The March 23 Los Angeles Times editorial 'You can depend on Detroit" hits the mark; today's auto industry is a tremendously competitive place. Consumers can now choose cars and trucks from domestic (Detroit) automakers that match the quality and reliability of vehicles from Japanese or European makers. So why won't Americans buy American cars?
Buyers have long memories. In the late '70s through the early '90s American manufacturers dropped the ball in product quality, reliability and customer service. While those problems have largely been corrected, the stark reality is that many people were burned during those years and they will forever be biased against the Detroit Big Three. Parents have influenced their children. Friends have influenced neighbors. Worrisome for the domestic makers, many Americans today have never, never owned an American car. They have no point of reference or familiarity with today's domestic offerings.
During the auto industry bailout testimony by the Detroit Big Three, Senator after Congressman castigated the DB3 management for selling vehicles Americans did not want to buy. Based on AutoPacific research, it is the government officials who are out of touch with today's reality, not the U.S. automakers. In fact, in AutoPacific's most recent research with owners of new cars and trucks, and echoed by other automotive researchers, both General Motors and Ford Motor Company products won more than their fair share of awards for satisfying their customers and developing vehicles ideal for their target customers.
Lexus builds outstanding vehicles supported by a great dealership experience. But its position atop durability studies is not unassailable. Today, American consumers have terrific choices - foreign AND domestic.
The Place: The Capitol, Washington D.C. The Players: Three captains of industry (Rick Wagoner of GM, Alan Mulally of Ford and Bob Nardelli of Chrysler), one union leader (Ron Gettelfinger of the UAW) and a big angry Congress.
And then there's me, your humble chronicler, the only person left behind at Vehicle Voice World Internet Headquarters and Decorative Bamboo Plantation to tell this story, because everyone else is at the L.A. Auto Show. Follow me behind the cut, and let's talk about the Detroit 3 (plus one)'s adventures in Washington.
That's…ominious.
Continue reading "Road Noise: Congressional Rumble All-Out Attack!" »
Are we nearing the end of Chrysler? Or the beginning of a new blended family? Or just another day at the rumor mill?
Late on Friday, the first stories began appearing about GM and Chrysler in possible merger talks. And at least in Detroit, dominated the weekend news cycle. GM's stock went up this morning, but given that the Dow was up 5.6% and GM went up only about 3%, the stock bump might have happened without merger talk. GM closed on Friday at $4.89, a number some say is actually less than the company would be worth in capital assets alone.
All of this merger talk, whether these deals are realistic or not, does nothing good for public perception. The economy is weak, last week's events on the stock market don't reassure anyone, and talking about GM and Chrysler perhaps needing to merge to survive only further erodes confidence in American business. While GM and Chrysler LLC, as well as any other maker in trouble right now, needs to consider even unthinkable options and test our common assumptions as they get out of this trouble, this merger does not inspire hope.
Continue reading "Exhaust Notes #32: More Detroit Merger Talk" »
Last week, General Motors wrapped up its centennial celebration. If one thinks about GM’s prominence on the world landscape, it’s easy to see just how significant of an event this is. Even if you’ve never owned a GM vehicle yourself, think about the company’s impact on the American and global economies and its products’ impact on popular culture. Can you imagine an America where Chevrolet didn’t exist? What if there had never been songs about GTO’s or Cadillacs? How about a world where the word Camaro was simply French slang for “friend” or a Corvette was just a small gunboat used to escort convoys?
Continue reading "Exhaust Notes #29: GM Celebrates 100 Years And…Hey, Where’s the Party?" »
Another day, another mess of press releases clogging the inbox here at Vehicle Voice World Internet Headquarters and Half-Price Seafood Buffet.
Let's see...Corporate community outreach: I’ll pass. Buy 14 tires, get the 15th free: To the Recycle Bin! Exciting new car air freshener: This isn’t news.
Oooh, here’s one: “GM launches new site to clarify misconceptions about the company.” Sounds like fun; let’s roll.
This is gonna be like Mythbusters, but without the explosions or the entertainment.
Continue reading "Road Noise: Because We Said So, That's Why!" »
Last week, GM loudly trumpeted the pending arrival of the Chevrolet Cruze compact car, to be officially unveiled at next month’s Mondial de l’Automobile (that’s Paris Motor Show to us ‘Murricans). First, they unveiled photos of the car and then revealed the real thing at the Lordstown, OH plant where the car will be built for American consumers.
As earlier spy photos had suggested, the Cruze, which in the US will effectively be the next generation Cobalt, is a very handsome compact sedan. It’s as appealing as the Cobalt is appliance-like. There’s some real design going on here with a sleek profile and great surface tension and great interaction between the exterior’s various design elements. GM also promises a very intriguing efficient powertrain choice in the form of a tiny 1.4L direct injection turbo engine. This engine is rumored to produce at least 140HP (on par with much larger engines) while achieving 45 miles per gallon. It will also be among the first compacts available with a 6-speed automatic.
Continue reading "Exhaust Note #26: Don’t Just Cruze Along, GM; You’re Not Out of the Woods Yet" »
On August 3, I finally returned to one of my favorite summer events, the annual Meadow Brook Concours d' Elegance. Held the first weekend of August every year since 1979, this Concours is one of the premier events of its type. Not quite as prestigious as the Pebble Beach Concours happening the weekend of August 16 (yes, the same weekend as Detroit's Woodward Dream Cruise), Meadow Brook has earned a strong reputation. For me, it's simply a chance to wander among cars from storied brands of today and yesterday. Delahaye, Packard, Auburn, Duesenburg, Pierce-Arrow, Studebaker, Peugeot, Ferrari, Cadillac, Lincoln, Chrysler, Rolls-Royce, the list goes on and on.
Meadow Brook is home to a mansion of the same name built by the widow of John Dodge, one of the two Dodge brothers that helped establish the automotive industry we know today. The home and its property now belongs to Oakland University. Aside from the sheer joy and pleasure of celebrating the automobile as an art from, the event's purpose is to raise funds for upkeep of the 88,000-square-foot mansion and its grounds. Seems a fitting choice of fundraising event.
Continue reading "2008 Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance" »
Green technology at the Woodward Dream Cruise? Hmmm. You could fit a whole Prius under this baby’s hood, I guess.
Continue reading "Road Noise: The Green Parade" »
What a disappointing day today turned out to be. I was supposed to represent VehicleVoice at Chevrolet’s unveiling of the long-awaited new Camaro up in North Hollywood this afternoon. Unfortunately, a three-car pileup on the I-5 North brought my northward progress to a halt, effectively making it impossible for me to get to the press conference. Beaten, I turned around and drove back to the office.
Continue reading "Exhaust Note #21: Is the New Camaro the Way Forward or a Wistful Diversion?" »
So, first Volkswagen announces that they’re building their new plant in Tennessee, and then like two hours later, General Motors comes out with another little ray of sunshine: No more health care for salaried retirees, bonuses for nobody, and they’re closing the hell out of a bunch of plants.
You know, times have been tough, but even taking that into account, we’ve had better Tuesdays, you know?
The manufacturing economy. (Artist's rendering)
Continue reading "Blue Tuesday" »
I recently got a chance to spend a weekend driving the Hummer H3. Needless to say, I was very excited! There is just something about the looks of the vehicle that says, “I can conquer the world”…or at least my suburb. The H3 looks pretty macho with its mil-spec styling cues, despite it being the downsized junior of the Hummer lineup. Overall, the H3 lived up to my expectations initially, but ultimately reality set in regarding its lack of practicality and ease of use for everyday errands and life. It must be noted that I never took the H3 off-road, which is the vehicle’s true strength. Rather, I used it in the context that most Hummer products are used – around town, in the ‘burbs, on freshly paved roads.
Continue reading "2008 Hummer H3: Shock and Awe for the 'Burbs" »
Tracinda Corporation Buying Into Ford Motor Company
Kirk Kerkorian, the incredibly wealthy 90-year-old investor and businessman, has long been well known among auto-industry watchers. He was first involved with Chrysler, back in the days when Lee Iacocca was turning things around. Later, his takeover attempt also sparked the notion of merging the company with another, which ultimately led to the creation of DaimlerChrysler. There are few today, other some who retired well off the deal, who would say that was a merger that was beneficial for either company, equals or not.
After eventually getting out of the Chrysler business, Tracinda bought enough of General Motors to get a seat on the board. Company man Jerry York held that seat and pushed for a GM-Renault-Nissan tie-up. Bound by duty to stockholders to explore the option instead of dismissing it outright, Rick Wagoner and GM staff worked with Renault-Nissan for a few months to prove what we all seemed to know in the first place: A Renault-GM tie-up didn't make much sense. Kerkorian's Tracinda sold off its GM stake and went home. The end of that story, right?
Well, yes and no. Whether by the "third time's a charm" or "try, try again" schools of thought, Tracinda has been accumulating shares of Ford Motor Company since April 2, 2008, and offered today to buy more. And by more we mean enough to give Tracinda 5.6% of FoMoCo. But what does Tracinda really want? Does the company want take over a Detroit car company, no matter which? It does seem that Kerkorian is obsessed with making a major, direct impact on the automotive industry. His efforts so far have succeeded in shaking things up, often when it can be most disruptive, but not in improving the business overall.
Continue reading "Exhaust Note #9: Kerkorian is Back" »
Much has been made of the recent onslaught of really great cars and trucks from General Motors. It’s particularly amazing for me, an automotive analyst in his thirties, to witness. You see, until very recently, GM – for my whole life – has always been the perpetual underachieving giant; in many ways a symbol of everything wrong with Detroit. I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s – a time when more and more of my generation’s Baby Boomer parents were abandoning GM clunkers in favor of far higher quality imports. Even throughout my adult years, GM hardly represented the “Mark of Excellence” its corporate slogan claimed. As long as I could remember, GM products (large trucks excepted) were rarely world class; in my mind, price and patriotism were the only real reasons to buy them.
For the last year and a half, however, I’ve been forced to rethink this notion that had been one of the true constants in my life. Beautifully rendered and engineered vehicles that truly needed no excuses began to trickle from GM factories. Truly drool-worthy GM cars began showing up in real dealerships, not just the auto show turntables. It has truly been an amazing experience to witness all this happen before my eyes.
Continue reading "Exhaust Note #2: GM’s Comeback Trail" »
In some ways, the 2008 North American Automobile Show was like most other recent major auto shows. Once again, automakers went out of their way to show us how hard they are trying to protect the environment and reduce our dependent for foreign oil.
General Motors and Toyota lead the rhetoric. Each claims to have a broad spectrum of programs that range from alternate fuels for internal combustion engines to full electric vehicles. I have to weigh in on this issue, because I’m seeing two strategies that are very different and tell you a lot about the companies they come from.
General Motors spent a lot of time talking about Ethanol, and is clearly lobbying for greater distribution outlets for the fuel. Has GM chosen to expend their efforts in a political battle to increase the availability of Ethanol as their primary tool to solve this issue? Ethanol-capable vehicle conversion is inexpensive, but the end result may leave consumers unsatisfied. Surprisingly, Rick Wagoner, GM's Chairman, advocated Federal regulations mandating ethanol distribution across the country (won't Iowa be proud?).
Continue reading "The Greenest Detroit Auto Show Ever" »
The Motorist Choice Award is in its second year and is a collaboration between AutoPacific and IntelliChoice.com. AutoPacific, widely known for its industry expertise and research, and IntelliChoice, known for its comprehensive cost of ownership information, designed the Motorist Choice Award to help consumers identify the most satisfying cars and trucks that are also the least expensive to own.
Using data from AutoPacific's national Vehicle Satisfaction research and the IntelliChoice Best Overall Value information, AutoPacific and IntelliChoice have developed a unique tool that can be used by consumers to help them sort through the myriad of choices in today's automotive marketplace.
Here are the 2007 Winners of the 25 individual segment awards:
SEGMENT - Winner
Aspirational Luxury Car - Lexus IS
Compact Car - Mazda3
Compact Crossover SUV - Chevrolet HHR
Compact Pickup - Toyota Tacoma
Compact Sport Utility/ORV - Toyota Tacoma
Economy Car - Honda Fit
Image Compact Car - Volkswagen GTi
Large Car - Toyota Avalon
Large Heavy Duty Pickup - Chevrolet Silverado HD
Large Light Duty Pickup - Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Large Luxury Car - Cadillac DTS
Large Sport Utility - GMC Yukon XL
Luxury Crossover SUV - Acura MDX
Luxury Mid-Size Car - Nissan Maxima
Luxury Sport Utility - Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Mid-Size Car - Volkswagen Jetta
Mid-Size Crossover SUV - Honda CR-V
Mid-Size Sport Utility - Toyota 4Runner
Minivan - Honda Odyssey
Premium Luxury Car - Lexus LS
Premium Mid-Size Car - Nissan Altima
Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV - Nissan Murano
Premium Sports Car - Lexus SC
Sports Car - Porsche Boxster
Sporty Car - Scion tC
The press release can be found below the fold.
Continue reading "2007 Motorist Choice Awards Announced" »
General Motors has now completed the launch of its Lambda platform Large Crossover SUVs. The Lambda platform includes vehicles from Saturn - the Outlook, GMC - the Acadia (not ARcadia) and Buick - the Enclave). Eventually, a Chevrolet version will be added as well.
These are the landmark vehicles that represent the end of the classic body-on-frame V8 powered SUV. They are that good.
I just returned from a driving event for the recently introduced Buick Enclave in St. Louis, Missouri. When I got into the office there was a Saturn Outlook in the parking lot for the AutoPacific and VehicleVoice staff to evaluate. Great opportunity for a back to back comparison of two Lambda crossovers. This story will concentrate on the Enclave - a future story will showcase the Outlook.
Buick Enclave - First Drive
First, lets talk about the Buick. This is a vehicle that I have been waiting to drive for two years now. I think I have been to three events where Enclave was a featured subject, but this was the first opportunity I have had to drive it. Why was I looking forward to the Enclave? From my perspective it is a good size, has expressive styling inside and out, and is an example of the latest General Motors platform architecture.
Was it what I was expecting? Yeah, I guess so. First, I had to calibrate myself to the fact that the Enclave is a BUICK and what General Motors was attempting to achieve when they developed the vehicle. They wanted a vehicle with Buick ambiance - expressive, upscale styling inside and out. They wanted a spacious crossover capable of seating seven or eight passengers in three rows of seats. It was to have excellent ergonomics and be very pleasant to drive. It was to be very quiet. Check the boxes and the Lambda design and development team appears to have achieved their objectives.
Continue reading "2008 Buick Enclave - Top Line GM Lambda Crossover SUV" »
