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Coming from GM: A 60-Day Money-Back Guarantee?

Автор: HallieGuy | пятница, 11 сентября 2009 г.

GM: Love it or your money back!

According to the New York Times, GM is preparing to launch a program designed to build trust and get you behind the wheel of a new General Motors vehicle: a 60-day money-back guarantee for any buyer who isn’t completely satisfied with his or her purchase.

The new ad campaign will feature chairman Ed Whitacre, Jr., announcing the program and spewing cliches like this: “We’re putting our money where our mouth is,” and “May the best car win.”

Whitacre probably should have said, “We’re putting YOUR money where our mouth is,” but who am I to argue the details?

Further evidence that GM is up to something is here – a Web site challenging users to pick the cars they think have the best reliability, fuel efficiency, and safety ratings, followed by a cryptic message that says,

On September 13, one car company is putting it all on the table. The cars will speak for themselves. And the facts just might change some opinions.

Hmm… more general cliches that can come only from General Motors. Guess it doesn’t take much to work in advertising these days.

Still, GM is taking a bold step by offering a money-back guarantee. I won’t be sold on the program until I can read the specifics, but I hardly doubt unhappy customers would get all their money back. If that were the case, I’d buy a Corvette, take it to the track once a day for 58 days, then return it, saying I wasn’t happy with the acceleration.

Watch for an official announcement on Monday. That’s when we’ll know if this is just another desperate gimmick to sell some cars, or if GM is actually stepping up its game.

Would a 60-day money-back guarantee get you to consider a GM vehicle?

-tgriffith

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Monterey 2009: Not Just the Classics

Автор: HallieGuy | пятница, 21 августа 2009 г.

Aston Martin One-77

I have a certain appreciation for classic cars. But it’s the designs and technology of today that really get me excited.

The fact that the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance had its share of new-car debuts mixed in with the classics was great news for people like me. Even better were the kinds of cars that bowed down in California this weekend: A $500,000 American supercar, a Japanese sport sedan, an exclusive Spyder, and an all-new Bentley are among the favorites.

If you’re in the market for an ultra-exclusive supercar, you typically look to Europe and search the offerings from Italy, Britain, and Germany. But if you want to buy domestic, now you have a real option in the 2010 Devon GTX. This American-made work of art will cost you a half-million dollars, but provides a carbon-fiber body, an 8.4-liter V10 engine, and 650 hp. Get in line now, because only 36 will get built per year!

2010 Devon GTX

Even the Dutch came to play in California, as Spyker unveiled the C8 Aileron Spyder, a convertible masterpiece with an Audi 4.2-liter, 400-hp engine. Check it out:

Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder

Dropping down the exclusivity scale a few notches, Infiniti showed off its new M sedan, which thankfully took styling cues from the absolutely stunning Essence concept. While the “wow” factor of the Essence didn’t translate fully into the sedan, it still looks like the car can beat BMW and Mercedes, at least in the design department.

2011 Infiniti M

And then came Bentley… waiting until the last day of the concours to unveil the all-new Mulsanne. I know a lot of people out there love Bentley, but seriously, I still maintain that it’s the least-attractive member of the ultra-car club. While the headlight placement on the Mulsanne is a definite improvement, it still has a most unfortunate Chrysler-like grille. The rest of the car looks like a droopy hearse. If I were developing a TV show based around an ugly-but-likable car, I’d call it “Ugly Bentley.”

I'll pass, thanks

If I’m dropping enough money to buy a (really) nice house, I’m opting for something more along the lines of the Aston Martin One-77, pictured at the top of this story. Now THAT is classy!

Which of these cars would you want to grace your driveway?

-tgriffith

There Are Supercars and There Are Supercars

Автор: HallieGuy | среда, 19 августа 2009 г.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage I would put supercars in two classes: the near-racers and the refined. The near-racers, like the older Lambos, are fast turning into cars like the Ferrari 458 that tgriffith recently oogled over. Why so? There’s no place to really drive these beasts, and people want to show off and have fun with something they paid 300-large for.

Cars like the Aston Martin V12 Vantage are just too special to hide—not to mention too expensive to buy for the masses. Such cars represent a certain peak of the automaking art, and in that regard some would consider the Vantage, at $250,000 or so, a bargain.

With 510 bhp, 420 lb-ft of torque, 4.1 seconds to 60 mph, etc., etc., you don’t worry about performance. You luxuriate in it.

Some of these thoughts are occasioned by Jeremy Clarkson’s video as he drives the car and muses that these vehicles may well be coming to the end of their road. I hope he’s wrong, but you decide.

Do you believe the days of such supercars are numbered? Give us your thoughts.

—jgoods

Vintage Imagery

Hands-Free and Brain-Free Driving

Автор: HallieGuy | суббота, 8 августа 2009 г.

Ballmer-Mulally-and-Fusion-with-Sync Back in January we spoke some unkind words about the Ford-Microsoft Sync venture. Namely, that super-connectivity (music, phone, media, driver directions, etc.) could only distract drivers from the most important - and hazardous - task at hand. What a stupid thing to say. Everyone loves it, and 80 percent of new Fords are ordered with Sync. Of course people want to be distracted from driving: It’s just too boring.

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, recently took personal delivery from Alan Mulally, Ford CEO, of a new Fusion, all Synced out and with media coverage to boot. Steve was so excited that he reportedly exclaimed, “Hehehe! Hahaha! Beautiful, man!” and ran to greet Mulally and the press, assembled for the self-effacing sales pitch you’ll see and hear below.

Don’tcha just love Alan talking about “another node on the big Internet in the sky”? And, as he further said, “We all want to be connected.” Well, pretty soon we will likely have not just the “hands-free functionality” of Sync, but the functionality of hands-free driving—the next step on the road to mass distraction.

Okay, I’m jaundiced, but don’t you think Sync could contribute to driver distraction? Give us your thoughts.

—jgoods

Joining Forces to Conquer (and Confuse?) the Car World

Автор: HallieGuy | четверг, 6 августа 2009 г.

Wolfgang Porsche

I honestly don’t know what to make of this story. Porsche, as we reported two weeks ago, was about to sell its sports-car business to Volkswagen, then denied it. Yesterday, the two families that control the companies announced they had a deal to merge them, with Porsche remaining “independent” and issuing stock to help pay down its corporate debt of some $12 billion.

The financing and other details have yet to be revealed, so this Porsche story is really just a teaser. What we do know is that Wolfgang Porsche (Porsche board chairman) and his cousin Ferdinand Piëch (VW’s chairman) have been feuding for years, but finally (pending another denial) have come to some kind of agreement, which in turn is pending approval by the workers’ union and the state of Lower Saxony, which owns 20 percent of VW.

Ferdinand Piëch

The family history is fascinating:

Piëch’s grandfather, Ferdinand Porsche, was behind Hitler’s People’s Car, eventually to become the VW Beetle. Post-Second World War investigations into links between the Nazi regime and Ferdinand Porsche, his son Ferry, and son-in-law Anton Piëch, created an uneasy tension within the family.
The Porsches and the Piëchs settled in Austria, hand-building sports cars and creating a distribution network for VW cars. After his schooling in Switzerland, Ferdinand Piëch joined Porsche as an engineer, and in the 1960s designed the company’s ground-breaking 917 racing car.
Aggressive, brooding, but above all strong-willed, Piëch rose to become an influential figure in Europe’s motor industry, and few people were surprised when in 1993 he became chief executive of Volkswagen. But his management style was not to everyone’s taste. German newspapers called him “Lord of the Manor.” A General Motors executive called him “quasi-psychotic.”

What’s interesting beyond the family drama is the present push to combine, á la Fiat, and create a ten-brand car-making enterprise that would be one of the world’s largest. I can think of only eight, however: Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT, Skoda, and VW. Take that, Marchionne!

What does it all mean? Too soon to tell, but clearly the U.S. is selling brands; the Europeans are buying them. Carmakers are looking for scale, even as the industry contracts. If you can make sense out of these contradictions, please leave us a comment.

Will the Porsche-VW deal be a good one for car buyers?

—jgoods

Why Chrysler’s bankruptcy is a good thing

Автор: HallieGuy | среда, 5 августа 2009 г.

I’ve never liked Chrysler.

It’s no secret to regular readers that very few Chrysler vehicles have ever impressed me. My dislike began when my parents used a 1987 LeBaron to drive my brother and me to San Diego. My brother got locked in by a seat belt that wouldn’t unlatch, and then the engine exploded. Thankfully not on the same day.

I’ve kept a wary eye on Chrysler products ever since. When I wasn’t able to talk my sister-in-law out of a 1997 Sebring convertible, I managed to keep the “I told you so”s to a minimum when she’d finally had enough and took a major hit on its trade-in value.

That said, I’m relieved to see the company begin a bankruptcy process that I hope will inspire real change and begin a new era of quality cars.

I also want to take a moment and acknowledge some of the Chrysler vehicles that were actually pretty darned good, in spite of the spectacular failures that have seemed to define the company.

Chrysler’s entire minivan lineup can be summed up with the word “innovative.” From DVD systems to dual sliding doors to stow-n-go to swivel-n-go seating, Chrysler defined the minivan in the 1980s and then redefined it through the years.

2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser

I mention this car mostly because Chrysler has sold so many of them. From the day it was introduced in 2000, I’ve thought the PT Cruiser is one of the ugliest bodies to ever sit atop four tires. Since more than 1 million of my fellow Americans disagree and seem to adore their PT more than the kids they haul in it, I’m forced to acknowledge that it must be a dang good car.

300c-srt-8

This car has a 6.1-liter, 425-hp Hemi and brakes good enough to stop all 4,160 pounds of it in just 110 feet. That’s right up there with the mighty BMW M5.

Well done, Chrysler.

In Chrysler’s future, I hope to see more of the innovation, fun, and quality I know the company is capable of. Help from Fiat might be just what it’s needed.

What are some of your favorite Chrysler vehicles? Any you hope to never see again?

-tgriffith

April Fool’s Day Roundup

Автор: HallieGuy | пятница, 31 июля 2009 г.

Since my trusty and humorous colleagues tgriffith and jgoods have left me driving our blog, among other things, alone while they’re on vacation, I’m taking a quick and easy approach to inject a little April Fool’s Day humor. Here’s a list of some of my favorite funny posts from around the auto-blog world today - please feel free to share yours with a comment. Enjoy!

Please share any of your favorite car-related April Fool’s Day posts we haven’t mentioned in a comment.

-Steve Halloran

The Future Looks Clearer . . . and Dimmer

Автор: HallieGuy | четверг, 23 июля 2009 г.

Chrysler Assembly Plant, Belvedere, IL

Yesterday we explored some headlines about the auto industry bailout.

Today we create three more, based on what Chrysler and GM revealed in their submissions to the feds yesterday:

We Need $21.6 Billion More Now, $39 Billion by 2012

GM Says Bankruptcy Would Cost the Government up to $100 Billion

Nobody Is Going to Be Willing to Foot This Bill

GM Assembly Plant, Janesville, WI

Ford Assembly Plant, Atlanta, GA

Both Chrysler and GM offered the by now familiar cost-cutting measures—and the projections of people out of work, cities in decline, factory closings, parts and feeder industries affected all make your stomach turn. See details of the companies’ proposals here. But there has to be a lot more bullet-biting. For Chrysler, the Fiat alliance won’t be enough.

And, as we all know, there are too many brands. Brands require vehicle development, production, marketing, dealers, and more. So the companies are being given old business advice: Focus on your core business. The Saturn story is a particularly sad example of how GM lost its way. That brand was left to languish for too long, and now that they have good cars that aren’t selling, they’re being put on the block. Hummer and Saab also reflect bad business decisions.

The problem goes well beyond cutting costs, however. It’s really about boosting sales, and how is that going to happen in this economy? Getting people to buy cars still comes down to the same old value proposition: Building sufficient value into the product so that “buyers” will part with their coin. Today it’s impossible to make people overcome their economic fears and forego savings to buy outmoded vehicles.

At the same time, we believe the auto industry has got to survive, and most authorities reflect that if that is to happen, there will be a whole lot more pain.

“I don’t know what you’re going to call it, but they’re going to go through bankruptcy, whether outside the bankruptcy system or with the benefit of the courts,” said Maryann Keller, who has written about the U.S. auto industry for three decades. “At the end of the day, the United Auto Workers are going to have to take a haircut, creditors are going to take a huge haircut, and equity is gone. What will effectively happen is exactly the same as bankruptcy.”

The companies’ decline (and we include Ford) didn’t happen overnight, and reconstructing the auto companies (all of them) into viable, lean competitors will take years.

Anybody reading this who has bought a Saturn? How do you feel about GM’s abandoning the brand?

—jgoods

Scanning the Auto Blogosphere

Автор: HallieGuy | понедельник, 20 июля 2009 г.

Much as we’d like to, CarGurus’ bloggers just can’t cover *all* the automotive news out there each week. So here’s a quick look at some stuff we haven’t gotten to yet. We welcome your comments - please let us know if you’d like to see more info on any of the topics addressed here (or any other topic, for that matter).

The Aptera

Electric vehicles get almost as much coverage these days as the Audi R8 and new Dodge Challenger did last year. But most, including the Tesla Roadster we’ve covered extensively, are designed to compete with supercars in both speed and price, leaving them out of reach of most auto buyers. (Lotus has worked on a few of them, too, so many look similar as well.) But Aptera, a southern California start-up, plans to produce electric cars that will cost $25,000 to $45,000 dollars, and they certainly don’t look like Lotuses. They’ll be available only in California at launch, but the company hopes to take them nationwide ASAP. Wired’s Autopia posted a great article with technical details and a nice photo gallery - that is, if you like cars that look like spaceships. You can reserve one at Aptera’s website, but it will cost you $500.

Another unavoidable topic these days is the Fiat-Chrysler “strategic alliance.” We covered that story last week and share most car fans’ enthusiasm for the possibility of buying a new Fiat 500 or Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione here in the U.S., but many have taken the time since then to note that Fiat’s CEO visited Chrysler headquarters on Saturday, without providing much detail on what happened. Of all the coverage out there, though, we most appreciate Car Envy’s post, which has a great headline and includes a music video featuring two great cars. That singer’s voice is annoying, but can you name the other car in the video?

Two studies on traffic tickets drew attention recently. The first will get published in the Journal of Law and Economics, and while it’s not surprising, it’s bad news for Americans for at least the next couple of years. Looking at 14 years’ worth of data from North Carolina, the study’s authors determined that more traffic tickets get issued the year after a drop in revenue. Given what’s happening all over the U.S. right now, I’d guess most states already have and will likely continue to up traffic enforcement to combat revenue shortfalls.

The second study looked at what kinds of cars are most likely to get tickets. The two cars determined most likely to get tickets - the Hummer H2 and the Scion tC - don’t have much in common, but they’re both more than four times as likely to get a ticket as the average car. Ouch! Least likely to get a ticket? The Jaguar XJ. Maybe there’s something to that British elegance and reserve after all.

And we were a little amused by Car and Driver’s recent article on “aggressive” car-buying tactics. The article basically lists eight statements or scenarios that will likely come up if a typical car salesman’s trying to close a deal with you quickly, and tells you to counter most of them with pretty much the same statement, changing one word to make yourself the subject or the victim. While the article’s advice may very well work, following it will make your new-car negotiations sound like the prelude to a high-school fight: Oh yeah? *I’m* already losing a hell of a lot of money on this deal!

What would you like to see covered on the CarGurus Blog?

-Steve Halloran

Is this the flying car we’ve been waiting for?

Автор: HallieGuy | воскресенье, 19 июля 2009 г.

Imagine pulling out of the garage in your new $200,000 car.

You roll down the windows, feel the breeze and smile, knowing that your car has the power and speed to fly past any other car on the road.

Terrafugia Literally.

The Transition, built by Terrafugia of Woburn, Mass., has been generating some buzz for at least a year. Now, the company plans to deliver the first vehicles in 2010.

The Transistion can be parked in your garage, drive on regular roads enroute to the runway, unfold its wings, and fly up to 500 miles - without jet fuel. In fact, the Transition can run on the same juice that fuels a regular old Honda.

I was in junior high when the 1980s gave way to 1990, and I remember how futuristic that date looked flashing high above Times Square. I thought surely now that we were in the ’90s, flying cars couldn’t be far away. Of course, they never materialized. Now, though, I have to wonder if the Transition is the flying car people like me have been waiting for.

Officially, the makers of the Transition are reluctant to call it a flying car, because it won’t replace anyone’s car for daily driving and requires a general aviation airport for takeoffs and landings. However, they say it’s perfect for trips of 100 to 500 miles, and such airports are within an average of 30 miles from any point in the U.S.

On the ground, the wings fold up, and the car can be driven on any road and even park in regular parking spots. Once on the runway, the driver/pilot unfolds the wings with a push of a button, engine power is redirected to the propeller, and the plane can take off.

The Transition can cruise in the sky at 115 miles per hour and achieves 30 miles per gallon on the highway. Potential buyers can earn the required Sport Pilot License in just 20 hours of flight time.

Still not convinced? Buyers can also order a full-vehicle parachute, just in case their landing skills still need some work.

Do you think a vehicle like the Transition can succeed?

-tgriffith

The best of Detroit’s auto show… so far!

Автор: HallieGuy |

The 2009 North American International Auto Show is in full swing, and there have been some amazing cars unveiled!

Fisker Karma

My favorite from the land of electric cars comes from a company called Fisker, who unveiled their Karma S, a stunningly exotic and curvy convertible roadster. The sedan version is set to go on sale in November for about $88,000, beating all other plug-in electrics to market.

This rocket has 408 horsepower and two electric motors, along with a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder that acts as a generator to recharge the car’s battery packs. It boasts a 0-60 time of 5.8 seconds.

GM and Chrysler showed some promise with electric vehicle concepts of their own, though it’s got to be quite the slap in the face to get beat to market by Fisker. Regardless, the Cadillac Converj concept and the Fisker-esque Dodge Circuit EV are worth keeping an eye on.

Ford Taurus

On the other end of the spectrum, I’m initially impressed by the new Ford Taurus which has finally dropped its air of conservativeness and features a strong, chiseled new look. It’ll be available with Ford’s EcoBoost 355-hp, 3.5-liter V6. Then there’s the massaging seats and adaptive cruise control, which are sure to translate into a winner that Ford desperately needs.

Brilliance M2

Perhaps most surprising is the prominence of two Chinese automakers: Brilliance and BYD. Both promise to enter the American market with economical commuter cars sure to undercut the competition on price. Of course, look for quality levels that are beneath their competitors’ as well. Who knows? Maybe we’ll be surprised, but I have my doubts about how these cars will measure up.

Are you following the developments at the Detroit auto show? Let us know what you like best so far!

-tgriffith

Latest Auto News Blog

Blog Archive

Coming from GM: A 60-Day Money-Back Guarantee?

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