What business strategy do you guys think can save GM or Delta from going under?

[Granderoho]

I think a big problem with the new GM products is word of mouth, everyone knows what a Civic, Camery and Maxima is. But what the hell is a C6 or a G8, those are crappy names, they should of kept the names of there previous cars so that people could recognize them.

[Bojack]

Slowly waiting for public image to turn around is the ONLY thing that will save the big 3. Until dipshits stop saying shit like "My old Chevy Citation was a shitbox... TOYOTA FOR LIIIIIIFE!" they really have no chance. The Imports got lucky back in the late 70's and had labor so dirt cheap they could over engineer the fuck out of their cars and still chun tidy profits and were getting rocked in the SUV craze until they got lucky again when gas got pricey.

[gamevet]

...isn't really true. American build and interior quality was pretty lax 5-10 years ago, but actual reliability wasn't any worse than anything else. The build and interior quality points are definitely being addressed in new products from GM. My relatively modern GM car has better interior than any other car in its approximate class.

I'm not necessarily talking about the interior build, though the overuse of plastic parts in doors and seats wasn't all that great.

GM and Ford have been using the same engine blocks for over 3 decades. The Ford Mustang didn't have an overhead cam until 1996. And it was almost unheard of, for an American vehicle to last over 140,000 miles. Heading into the mid 90's, that track record has improved, but the reliability of cars made by Honda and Toyota, really took a dump on what American car manufacturers had been offering.

[MarkRyan]

My engine doesn't have an overhead cam, either. I don't miss the extra weight.

[Frogacuda]

Digital distribution.

[cka]

GM needs to start selling japanese style cars to keep their auto division afloat

I'll hit you with my GM Yamamoko, and it will fold around you like a sheet of tin foil

[Drewbacca]

The only thing that is going to save GM is building their cars as well as the Japanese car manufacturers do. I don't buy a GM car because after 80,000 km's you start hearing plastic rattles all over the place and have to get things like the speedometer checked because for some reason it deflates to 10 when you're gunning it in to overdrive while getting on the highway. Or for some reason it just decides not to turn on, yet when you call someone to check it out for you it turns on at the drop of a hat. I've never had an issue with a Toyota or a Honda.

Whether the problem is unions bleeding you dry or tired manufacturing processes that need some rethinking isn't my problem. I don't consider a 32,000 purchase a small decision and I don't want a car company treating their products like over sized toys instead of quality machinery people rely heavily on to live their lives. I'm not brand loyal to anything. I'll turn my back on Toyota tomorrow if GM can produce something competitive and offer something they can't. Do that and I'll buy a car from you.

[Othello Harrington]

Hi Daddy Warbuck$

HI!

[sphere79]

And it was almost unheard of, for an American vehicle to last over 140,000 miles. Heading into the mid 90's, that track record has improved, but the reliability of cars made by Honda and Toyota, really took a dump on what American car manufacturers had been offering.

I have owned at least three American cars over that mileage - in my '78 Olds I drove in high-school (in the 90's) I had rolled the OD TWICE. Yes it was a gas-guzzling boat, but it was easy to work on and you could swap out half of GM's parts between cars. I'm driving a 91 S-10 winter-beater now with around 310,000 miles on it. Bike in the summer, spring and fall - beater in the winter. Cheap insurance and over-all (considering the 55 mpg of the bike) lower gas prices - works for me. And I don't have to drive some ugly-ass Prius (with the lowest resale value of any current Toyota...) either. It wouldn't work so well if I didn't work 15 minutes from home, but I'll enjoy it while I can.

I know it's only anecdotal evidence, and it's also worth noting I stay away from the known-to-be-crappy American cars. A big chunk of the shitty American cars today are coming out of Mexico. But don't worry - VW, Nissan and Toyota are spending millions making less-reliable cars down there too. Toyota's quality dropped last year to it's lowest point in over a decade. Last years JD Power reports had Lexus (made in Japan) tied with Buick (made in the US/Canada) for quality.

The only thing that is going to save GM is building their cars as well as the Japanese car manufacturers do.

Check out the last Motor Trend issue - it actually pained them to say it but the new Chevy Malibu beat their favorite the Honda Accord in every category possible. Half of the letters are from readers complaining about the look of the new Accord. They would have given the Malibu "Car of the Year" but that went to GM's new Caddy.

GM HAS turned around. It remains to be seen whether or not they'll sell more cars because of it. I think Chrysler Corp. is making some good management decisions now that they are private, slashing non-sellers and streamlining for the future. Ford I'm not too sure about....

[Othello Harrington]

What do you mean save GM? They already did by making the union pony up for medical care for their retired folks. Please read the business section before posting this assinine stuff. Also, GM still sells more cars than anyone if you include the entire world. They are doing much better than they let on.