Why does everyone bash on GM and other domestic brands?

[MikeMike]

yea, they used to have some problems, have you driven their current cars/truck?

yes, i know foreign cars have better interior, even gm's vp bob lutz (correct name i believe) will admit to that.

But why do some dumbasses on here just say "GM sux" they dont give reasons, they just do.

MIKE

(grabs some popcorn)

 

[NogginBoink]

A bad reputation is hard to overcome.

 

[minendo]

Why does everyone bash on GM and other domestic brands?

It's the American way.

 

[bUnMaNGo]

because of the same reason they bash on every import owner here by calling them a ricer (well maybe not every import owner, but close)- they're ignorant.

 

[MazerRackham]

Have you been in a Pontiac lately? The interiors are just horrible.

Cadillac is starting to get things right, but they need to hurry up!

But, I also don't like VW interiors either, so my distaste is not limited to GM products I guess I'm just a honda/acura fanboy...

 

[chin311]

i dunno, ive just always thought that imports are better quality/value.....maybe its just me.

 

[isekii]

Originally posted by: chin311
i dunno, ive just always thought that imports are better quality/value.....maybe its just me.

no it's the majority of the population

The Japanese automakers built themselves a reputation for being reliable, affordable, and stylish while the domestics were on the other end of the spectrum.

 

[ILikeStuff]

Because GM SUX!!!!!!

(and I had a bad experience w/ an older GM product therefor i am jaded to all GM products)

Edit: And I'm a Nissan Fanboi

 

[NFS4]

Compare just about any domestic car/sedan to an import car/sedan of the same class/price range and you'll see why.

 

[chin311]

Originally posted by: NFS4
Compare just about any domestic car/sedan to an import car/sedan of the same class/price range and you'll see why.

DING DING DING, we have a winner.

 

[brxndxn]

The problems with Ford and GM, imo, are the quality issues.

On my Camaro 5.7l V8 6-speed, the engine is totally awesome. I run it hard and it handles it no problems.. However, the interior is lacking. I am constantly fixing rattles and the window motors have already been replaced once.. and they're starting to go again. There's stupid crap like the alarm sensors don't always register and my alarm goes off..

On my Ford Thunderbird 4.6l V8, they used a PLASTIC intake manifold.. on a V8!? Needless to say, the manifold burst and I had to go 2 weeks without my car so it could be fixed by the Ford recall. However, the interior was perfect and everything worked awesome and there were no rattles.. I could cut someones's head off with the super-powerful fast window motors.

However, having a Camaro and being able to blow by the other ricer cars is worth it. Their fart pipes are like a kid who's voice just changed; the sound of the Camaro is like a fat bearded man on a Harley (better).

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: NFS4
Compare just about any domestic car/sedan to an import car/sedan of the same class/price range and you'll see why.

Everytime I do that I end up wanting a GM or Mopar car. When it comes to trucks, imports aren't worth considering. They can't hack what everyone in my family would do with them.

 

[chin311]

i too agree that in the fullsize truck depo, i'd probably end up w/ a domestic.

 

[NFS4]

Yeah, if you want a full size truck, you have to go with a domestic.

For compact pickups though, the Tacoma and Frontier are better choices than Ranger/S-10/Sonoma in my book. That may change though with the new Chevy Colorado...but then again, the Colorado is going to be more of a mid-sized pickup like the Dakota instead of a compact.

 

[Eli]

Frankly, because they're garbage.

We do make some nice trucks, though.

 

[BigSmooth]

Japanese cars were regarded as crap many years ago, but when they started offering a superior product at lower price, people bought them. And they liked them, so they continued to buy them. They've continued to set the bar as far as reliability goes, and that has kept their sales high.
We've seen a similar situation just in the last 10 years with Korean cars - they are not there yet but they are steadily gaining respect and popularity.

Meanwhile, the domestic brands have put out many subpar products in the last 30 years. That is a fact, and top executives at each company have more or less acknowledged this.
They have recently started to turn that around, but it takes time to rebuild a reputation. GM did a study and people's perception of their quality is nowhere near their actual quality levels.

When the domestic brands start offering products that are equal to the foreign brands in value, reliability, content, etc., then they will not get "bashed" anymore. I think they are almost there, and I would definitely consider buying domestic for my next car if there is something that meets my requirements.

 

[MikeMike]

yeah the colorado should be nice cuz it is going to be based on the trailblazer platform. and the engine in the trailblazer is pretty damn powerful. trucks i have no arguement on, but cars, eben lutz will agree they need to learn the interiors better.

MIKE

 

[GroundedSailor]

Chrysler fan here - and generally prefer domestics.

A car is not simply an appliance to get you from A to B. One has to enjoy the drive and it must be fun to drive. Unfortunately most Japanese imports I've driven have severely lacked the fun quotient ? with a few exceptions. I also tend to keep my cars a long time and over time the total cost of ownership of domestic cars declines to a point where it is cheaper.

Brands I would definitely not consider:
Honda
Toyota

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: GroundedSailor
Chrysler fan here - and generally prefer domestics.

A car is not simply an appliance to get you from A to B. One has to enjoy the drive and it must be fun to drive. Unfortunately most Japanese imports I've driven have severely lacked the fun quotient ? with a few exceptions. I also tend to keep my cars a long time and over time the total cost of ownership of domestic cars declines to a point where it is cheaper.

Brands I would definitely not consider:
Honda
Toyota

oh boy, my popcorns gunna come in handy

MIKE

 

[Encryptic]

I personally don't get turned on by ANYTHING made by an American company, except for classic cars from the 50s and 60s. Japanese and German are where it's at for me, and to a lesser extent, Korean.

Pontiac is just plain FUGLY and Ford, Chevy and Dodge all need to learn that "bigger" is not always "better". How many $&*#&*@&* SUVs the size of a house do we need on our streets? ::sigh::

Not trying to start another SUV debate, but I personally think they suck ass. 'Nuff said.

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Ok...well let's look at hte marketplace from a non-enthusiast consumer point of view.

Assume someone wanted to buy a economy car that would last them 10 or so years. Why would they choose a Neon or Cavalier/Sunfire over a Civic/Corolla??
The only worthy Domestic contentder is the Focus.

Same goes for the midsize segment. Why choose a Malibu/GrandPrix/Taurus/Sebring over a Accord/Camry/Altima? On a side not, I think the Malibu is pretty good though.

Have you guys ever driven a Camry? Do you have any idea how smooth and refined it is? There are no rattles, the ride is very smooth and queit. The Malibu has noise, the interior rattles a little (not a lot though), and the ride isn't as refined.

 

[HokieESM]

Originally posted by: NogginBoink
A bad reputation is hard to overcome.

Ding ding ding! I think a lot of the GM/domestic bashing is actually due to "sins" they committed in the 70s and 80s. Back when the Civic and the Accord were little jokes and <insert Big Three bigwig voice here> "no one would ever buy a Japanese car", the domestic carmakers got complacent. Gas was expensive (including inflation, MUCH more expensive than gas today)... and here were the huge gas-guzzling domestics. And even their trademark "horsepower" was down--to deal with the new emisson requirements, they were lowering compression ratios and we had cars with 175hp 350 cubic inch V8s.

Also, during the 80s, the way Americans used their cars changed. It wasn't a big flashy vehicle that you showed off to the neighbors and replaced every three years (and you only drove it five miles to work), as the domestic carmakers were "used to" in the 1950s and 60s..... it became a real transportation device because the "commute" began in the large cities. Cars that would legitimately run for 100K miles without major maintenance became IMPORTANT to the average consumer. And frankly, in 1985 using this criterion, you were going to end up with an import.

Now, their quality is improving. The maintenance cycles are getting better. GM Powertrain is a GREAT place... the V8 and the new I6 in the TrailBlazer are great engines. Now, if they can do something about their interiors (they're WAY behind here)... and get the fit and finish up to par (look at the inconsistency on the panel gaps on a row of Cavaliers or Impalas), they can regain their market share AND reputation. But reputation is a coin that is slowly minted.... we'll need to get all of the squeaky, rattly 1980s GMs off the road first.

 

[kyutip]

For most people, a car is what it is, a transportation device from point a to b.
Unless you have money to burn, "fun" car is not the highest consideration.
If you drive to work everyday making ends meet, you will want a reliable car.
You want a car that's "boring", a car that will start every day without fail.
New Honda's ads kinda nails this. When you don't have to worry about your car, you tend to have better stuff to worry about.
If I have money, I'd go with a really fun to drive car such as M3.
But I don't, so I have to settle with my "boring" Accord.
But some people prefer to "Driving Excitement" with Pontiac

 

[Mucho]

I now own a 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier, prior to that my previous cars five of them were Japanese. I am having more trouble with this GM car than I've had with my five previous ones never ever would I consider buying another American made car!

 

[bigshot]

Originally posted by: NFS4
Yeah, if you want a full size truck, you have to go with a domestic.

For compact pickups though, the Tacoma and Frontier are better choices than Ranger/S-10/Sonoma in my book. That may change though with the new Chevy Colorado...but then again, the Colorado is going to be more of a mid-sized pickup like the Dakota instead of a compact.

doesn't the frontier have a blown 4 cylinder?
who wants a blown four cylinder to tow or haul stuff around

i admit, the import trucks look well but their engines and drivetrain dont back them up