Weekend With a ‘Bu
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
One of the most important passenger car launches in recent General Motors history is nearly upon us: the all-new 2008 Chevrolet Malibu.
We’ve put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this vehicle and we are very excited to get it out there and see how the press and the public receive it.
I had the pleasure of some Malibu driving last weekend. And, although we have a few final tweaks and improvements to make, I just feel that, if we market this vehicle properly, it should be a huge success.
I had two late builds at home for a test-drive: a base four-cylinder with a well-matched four-speed automatic transmission (there will also be an optional six-speed automatic available with the four, shortly after introduction), 16-inch steel wheels, cloth, and few accoutrements save power windows; and also a loaded LTZ V6 with two-tone all-leather interior and 3.6-liter 252-hp engine.
The four was silky-silent, had nice power delivery, a very nice ride, and a beautiful base interior… and although we haven’t announced official pricing, it will be around 20 grand, and I think it’s a great deal. I’ll let others be the judge of that, however! But, really, I came to the conclusion that, realistically, rationally, and forgetting emotions, nobody “needs” more car than that. Roomy, beautiful, refined, silent, inexpensive, but doesn’t look it.
The V6 is terrific, with the 18-inch wheels and the paddle-shifter transmission. Considering its ride, handling, steering, interior, performance, silence, at a price in the mid-to-upper $20s, again unofficially, I was unable to find any hugely discernible difference to cars costing $35,000 or even $45,000. I may be overstating it (a bit) due to my excitement, but I’ll let you decide that for yourself. Honestly, I am personally very, very pleased with how this car turned out, and am quite proud of the team.
The Saturn Aura took North American Car of the Year honors last year. The Malibu is right there. Of course, that’s me speaking, and I may be biased! We’ll see what the media have to say. Let us know what you think… more info on the Malibu can be found at here.
- Posted in Bob Lutz
Frank
Great Job guys, First the Enclave now the Malibu…Keep um coming!
P.S. 2010 V8 RWD Monte Carlo SS and AWD V8 Monte Carlo Sport….The AWD option for the old fogeys and people that live in the mountains =)
Damien Cooke
There’s actually an American car that I can actually dream about. I think of this car day and night almost to the point of being slightly obsessed with it. It’s the new Cadillac CTS…actually it’s the CTS-V. If the CTS is this good the CTS-V is going to be a real prize! I just hope dealers won’t take advantage of demand and over price this car. I’m really impressed with what’s been happening at GM…someone is really kicking you know what and it’s starting to show. Hopefully by this time next year I’m in my new CTS-V.
PS…Bob! Give the CTS-V interesting colors…enough with the basic silver, black, red, etc….spice it up a bit!
PPS FANTASTIC JOB !
Paul
I don’t think I’ll ever own a sedan the size of the Malibu, but it’s to see you’ll be offering a six-speed transmission.
Any word of possibly putting a hybrid system in a Malibu, or making a wagon?
Damien Cooke
I should have mentioned that the Malibu is also a commendable car. I would also put down my dollars for that but I’m looking to move a bit more upscale…like the CTS. I can’t get this thing off my mind!
André
I’m also one that liked the new Malibu. Could this car knock out the Camry? Because Impala already passed the Accord in sales (let’s see if it’ll keep the position as the second best-seller when Honda releases the new-gen Accord).
If you release the new ‘Bu sufficiently after the new Accord, maybe you’ll gain a lot of sales, because it’s as good as any Honda or Toyota, even technically speaking.
I’m part of the ones who liked the plenty of options in interior colors and layouts. You’re being bold to give the option of a red interior in a mass-market car, and I liked, as also liked the other colors. Also is apparently good the fit and finish of the cabin. Did you had classes with Opel’s and Holden’s people in how to do a proper interior?
But, as a Brazilian and seeing how boring are our car interiors, it’d be good for you to give us the choice of which interior color a Brazilian wants for his/her brand-new GM. We now only see a lot of black plastic all-around the cabins. Gone are the full door inserts in cloth, as are also gone beige and grey interior options for the same model, remembering that you even gave us the option of a full red interior in the 80s. But I think that our any-interior-color-so-long-as-it’s-black option of nowadays is in part due to the dealers, which sells to the customer the car that they (dealers) wanted to resell easier, maybe an explanation that also fits in why we only see silver painted cars in road. It’s also a very big lie that cars with bold colors don’t achieve higher resale value. In the past year, I sold my 1997 Corsa, painted in a very unusual metallic blue color for an excellent price, maybe higher than a lot of silver ones. And also in a very short time.
Well, not only GM’s dealer network is blame for all the huge majority of silver-outside-black-inside brand-new rides in the world, but it’d be good for you to talk closer to the dealers, talking them to act in a less imposing way to the buyers. Obviously that is cheaper to a factory to make a majority of cars in just one color combination, but this kind of mentality only works well for fleet sales. For final customers, you must learn to hear what they want, instead of imposing one buy because the dealer wants a supposely easier to sell car.
alex
@paul - The Malibu will get the same mild hybrid system the Aura has.
antoine cadillac
Besides the Chevy brand name, what is going to differentiate the Malibu from the Auru and the G6? It’s hard to tell that a G6 and Aura are kissing cousins, but the general look, floorplan, engines, hybrid setup, etc. between the Chevy and the Saturn are not that far apart.
Any chance you will be taking $99 deposits like the Smart Fortwo? We want the Chevy mini-triplets or Mini-fighters. Please think out of the box!!!! It’s (y)our future.
kurtW
I’m glad to see the Malibu get a major improvement. It’ll be interesting to how its interior and other aspects compare to its Saturn Aura cousin.
But it’s sad the Maxx variant is gone. Given automotive mags liked that Malibu variant the best (I’ve found it far more flexible than any sedan, the new ‘bu included), it’s puzzling Chevrolet could not figure out how to effectively market it. The rear styling could certainly have been tweaked for a sleaker look.
At least it lives on in the Saab Sport Combi which, given upcoming AWD and a refined engine, should give the overpriced Euro-only imports a run for their money!
Joe D., Cleveland
Bob,
It looks like the Malibu is going to be a winner. But I continue to be disapointed in GM’s lack of true manual transmissions. I won’t drive an automatic, simply because I like to drive stick and cross any car not available with stick off of my list before I even start shoping. That limits my selection. GM makes some great cars now, but none of the cars I’m interested in (save the Camaro) are available with a 6 speed manual and a V6. Now, I know in your mind there’s just soooooooo little demand for manuals that you can’t justify the cost to produce them at low numbers. I ask you, is it that, or is it the fact that there just aren’t any good cars from GM that come in a stick, so people simply look elsewhere? I know Honda and Nissan aren’t second guessing the decision to build the Accord and Altima, both with V6 engines and manual transmissions. Why not offer a stick in the Malibu? I think the car would be a hit with a manual and the 3.6. I said the same thing when you brought out the Aura. In fact, I’ll say the same thing every time you bring out another great mid-size sedan that has the potential to appeal to enthusiasts for the price and style and performance, but won’t because you don’t think you’ll make much money off of it.
Like I’ve said, I’ll have that Camaro in my garage, right next to an Accord or Altima sedan, when instead it COULD be an Aura or Malibu. It’s not about the quality anymore because I do believe GM has attained world class quality levels. It’s about the purist in me that thumbs their nose the prevailing notion that says since no one learns to drive stick anymore, the manual transmission is in danger of vanishing.
I’d sooner keep a 20 year old car with a stick and keep repairing it than go out and buy a new one if no one built sticks anymore.
Tyler
Who are you fooling Bob? I sat in the new Malibu at the LA/OC Rev-It-Up. Yes, the exterior styling is beautiful. If it drives as well as the Aura (emphasize “if”) it should be a good driver too. However, the interior was horrible. The plastics were about the cheapest I have ever seen in a car, and it was not well put together at all. The sliding cover over the cup holders and storage compartment wouldn’t stay put; it slid open every time I tried to shut it. Even with the cover fully shut, the compartment wasn’t even completely enclosed. Bottom line, the interior was even worse than the interior in my Cobalt. I thought GM was on the comeback, but after sitting in it I realized GM just doesn’t care about their product at all. I was all set to buy a Camaro when the new ones come out, but I have no faith that it will be anywhere near a quality product. I’ll spend my money elsewhere, thank you. Way to lose more product share Bob.
John Wellauer
Bob~
Good to see you back at the blog! The Malibu is a very nice looking car and from what I’ve read derived from good stock. Speaking of good stock, when are we going to get more info on the Pontiac G8? Seems like we got the intro at the car show thing and since then NOTHING! IF its an early ‘08 (like JAN-FEB) product shouldn’t we have seen some more info on it by now? Got to keep all us potential buyers eager for its arrival!
Michael Vallone
Bob,
After you finish with the Malibu, please take a few minutes to consider..
1. launch Firebird as a NON-Camaro clone.
2. research GM’s notes on DeLorean’s approach to the original GTO and try it again the right way:
a. take an inexpensive LeMans-like model,
b. offer an affordable GTO option package using great engines, manual 6 speeds, hot rear axle ratio options, stiff springs, a GTO nameplate and a full set of gauges (yes, Bob, I wrote you before about losing idiot lights - they give no feel for what is going on),
c. I’ll repeat… Make it affordable, not some overpriced, upscale product manager’s vision he/she thought people would buy. The original GTO was an enthusiast’s car, not an exercise in getting people to write fat checks. Chrysler’s Road Runner also was a light on frills street warrior.
d. Go for it, Bob.
Pontiac needs smart concepts coupled with a heritage people can wrap their arms around. As a marketing executive, I am very aware of and receptive to trends and change, but sense has to be part of the equation.
* G5, G6 etc…does the G747 come next? Pontiac spent years developing brand names - Catalina, Star Chief, Bonneville, LeMans, Grand Prix, Firebird & Grand Am.
* It trademarked engineering concepts as the “Wide Track Ride” and “The Wide Track Tigers.”
* It had identifiable engines - 389 & 421. Chrysler’s restoration of the Hemi concept is brilliant.
Why toss identifiable brands out? Correct past mistakes combining legacy with innovation. Ford saw that with the Taurus nameplate. And go ask Forbes’ Jerry Flint.
I think the Camaro will be hot and a winner. But Mustang has already set the pace, showing you can take a great concept and rise to greater heights. The Challenger will be a fantastic looking street monster. I want one!!
Therefore, a new GTO and Firebird should be unique. Make the Firebird smaller than the GTO, just like the original pair in the 60s. V-8s are a must, but offer V-6 and turbo 4s as options too.
Bob, make me a decent offer, and I’ll work for you on the project. It’s time to grab market share, not pick at it, and force outside companies to play catch up. While not knocking foreign makers, I would like to see US car companies get off the deck, create great cars, and lots of jobs. It is mission-critical.
LastTango
Bob,
Two Malibus ago, the ad slogan was “The Car You Always Knew America Could Build.” One Malibu ago, you said “It’s a great car. There’s nothing wrong with it!” So what are you saying now Bob? Again?
The 2008 Malibu really looks like it will give the competition, the Impala, (current) Malibu, G6, Gran Prix, LaCrosse, Saab 9-3, Aura and CTS a run for the money!!
Jasmine
As good as the new Malibu appears to be, all I can say is: Congratulation on just catching up to the competition (that is, once you FINALLY get that 6-speed with the four cylinder). Can’t you even get that detail in order for it’s debut??
Perhaps if GM wasn’t so preoccupied with turning third-world countries into the next Detroit, they could concentrate on what’s sitting at the local Chevy dealer.
Josh E. Oliver
The Malibu will be 2008 Car of the Year.
I wonder when the last time GM had back to back car of the year designations.
Also truck.
I think GM can sweep this year as well just like the 2007 awards.
designeraccd
Compared to the pleasant looking Harry Bradley designed original ‘64-’65 Malibu, this should please my eyes….why? When GM gets back to creating distinctive, original designs give me a call; until then I’ll stick with my Accord coupe and C5 Corvette. DFO
m
the Malibu seems like a rental winner! GM needs to be original to raise the game cut your brands to 2. Have chevy and Cadillac, your buicks seem too nice and the hummers could easily just be Chevys, GMC I don’t even get that brand, its just a trim level? I liked Le Salle, but Pontiac is just so not relevant today… A rebel brand- whatever the g5 g6 g8 are way more bland than saturns which should be Chevys anyway.
acutusnothus
I had prom dates that didn’t look this good. Saw a mock-up at the KC Auto Show; nice work; looking forward to a test drive.
joe l
I have a 04 Malibu, will let the 08 pass. My next car will be a hybrid, I don’t drive much anymore at $3 a gallon.
Gary Dikkers
Joe D. in Cleveland said:
Same here Joe. But that’s just part of GM’s arrogance — they know what is better for us than we do. So, if GM doesn’t wish to offer a manual transmission — I’ll buy elsewhere. (In my case, GM had no diesel with a stick so I bought elsewhere.)
There are at least two good cases for manuals:
Best regards,
Gary Dikkers
By the Way: I haven’t seen a real Malibu and have no idea whether it will be a good or bad car, but I do anticipate it won’t be long until some wag calls it the Mali-boo-boo. The opportunity for a cheap laugh is just too lucrative.
Jimal
How about a proper manual transmission option for the Malibu and the Aura for that matter? Paddle-shifted automatics are okay, but there are people out there who won’t consider a car without a clutch pedal. The main foreign competition for these car are available with a stick. The engineering expenses would be minimal, the sales incremental, and CAFE would get at least a small boost. Win-win-win.
Paul
That’s unfortunate. The mild hybrid system does little more than turn the car off when it’s stopped and doesn’t really justify the added expense. Why not put in a two-mode hybrid system that really improves mileage?
Steve Edgett
I’m glad to hear that you’re high on the new Malibu; it’s nice to know that someone at corporate actually drove one before it was launched on the public. I’m hoping that the ’silky four cylinder’ is not just another variant on the old Ecotec, since these seem incapable of matching the NVH of the four-cylinder variants available from Toyota and Honda.
Believe it or not, there are a lot of us rooting for GM to get back into the car business. Before I bought my last car (a BMW 3-series), I drove the CTS, hoping to find a first class RWD platform. And indeed it is, despite the total lack of art in the “Art and Science” high beltline and sharp fenders. I could’ve even looked past the godawful “styling” (I did buy the admittedly “Bangled” BMW), but the switchgear screamed “Aveo” and certainly not Cadillac. Alas, the accounting department worked overtime on the CTS.
Take a drive sometime in an Audi, or an Acura, and you’ll get some idea of the quality of switchgear many of us expect in a $35k car.
You’ve shown the world that GM can produce a world-class car in the Corvette, and kudos to all who have contributed to making the C6 the exceptional car it is. Unfortunately, every other GM car offered still falls victim to the cheap in the details.
Worse than that is the Filene’s Basement ‘marketing’ which tries to make up for overproduction by rebating nearly every automobile and truck offered. This cheats anyone who buys an early model, before the overproduction lowers the price, and says that the only reason to buy one is that it represents incredible value once it has been rebated to death.
Go get em Bob, and please make sure that the beancounters drive your competitors offerings before making their “contribution” to the product.
Lou
I like the new Malibu I saw it up close at the Chevy Rev It Up event. Looks very American, yet toe to toe with the imports. Nice job guys. On a side note… What of camless valve technology at GM?
Gereon Langlitz (Germany)
“Any word of possibly putting a hybrid system in a Malibu, or making a wagon?”
Hi Paul,
if I am not mistaken, there actually had been announcements about a Malibu Hybrid, according to the Saturn Aura Green Line.
Dear Mr. Lutz,
what about bringing the Malibu to Europe, either? In my opinion there’s a model missing above the Chevrolet Epica 2.5 LT. Maybe it would be a good idea to offer the Malibu Hybrid over here, too, even more since the Euro/Dollar exchange-rate is extremely favorable for GMNA-Products in Europe. Thanks for paying attention.
Tim H
On the success of the Malibu - I guess we’ll soon see who won the battle, the designers/engineers or the beancounters. As with most everything else from GM these days, my money is on the beancounters. The media and the buying public WILL be the judge, just as they have shown through the continuing decline in GM’s sales. No amount of marketing spin can make up for cheap content, poor quality or lack of features (i.e the continued wrath of the GM beancounters). I really hope I’m wrong, but if not, please Bob, give Bo a swift kick in the a$$ and a one way ticket back to his homecountry. Time to put American car guys in charge across the executive board.
Michael
Ah, once again, the height of arrogance coming from Mr. Bob “I’m smarter than the average consumer” Lutz. The new Malibu is good enough, is it? Sorry, but knowing how unreliable GM cars were, are, and will be in the foreseeable future, I highly doubt the new ‘bu would be on my radar screen (not to mention it’s just plain UGLY, once again). The best thing GM could do for itself (and the rest of us) is to hire car designers with a modicum of taste and style (is there ANY car in the Chevy lineup with class?), and then send its engineers to Japan to learn how to build quality cars that won’t fall apart in six months (or in some cases I know about, even less than that). Boy, Bob, you really do know how to push people’s buttons–the wrong way. Arrogance, more arrogance, and the utomost arrogance. That’s the GM way.
ghent
first of all, bob, you are facing a very entrenched competitor: the Camry, which is tops in quality, has quiet ride and has great styling. A Camry Hybrid gives 34 mpg whereas Malibu Hybrid gives 32 mpg. I really think if you can solve the pension problem this summer, you should consider making all cars RWD. The ES is the only model in the Lexus lineup that is FWD. The rest:IS,GS,LS are RWD. Lexus is deemphasizing ES to compete with BMW. Only CTS and STS in the Cadillac lineup are RWD. You should also consider joint purchasing and sharing more parts with Ford and Chrysler.
Andy
The Malibu looks good, and I hope it makes for a better value then the Accord or Camry–which are getting too expensive. I look forward to the reviews.
Greg Harrison
I had a thought the other day about the Malibu hybrid (which I’m really looking forward to): One of the reasons the Toyota Prius sells as well as it does is that it looks unique, in addition to getting good gas mileage. One of the reasons some other hybrids haven’t taken off as well sales-wise is because the people flocking to hybrids want their neighbors to know they’re driving a hybrid, and the Prius is the only car currently that more or less screams “I’m a hybrid” from any angle.
I wonder if it might make sense to offer something like fender skirts exclusively on the Malibu (and/or Aura) hybrids, maybe as a delete option at least? They might not have any impact on gas mileage at all, but that way the folks who want to be noticed for driving a hybrid could do so, and those who don’t (or who decide not to later) could simply have them removed.
I just know from discussions I’ve had about the Malibu hybrid on various online forums there are people complaining about the perceived “minor” increase in gas mileage versus say a Camry hybrid (which cost thousands more, and which you’d have to drive for 200,000 miles to “save” enough money on fuel to make up the difference). If the Malibu hybrid looked a little more unique versus the standard versions, it might help draw buyers in that direction.
Rick Lupori
Mr. Lutz: If your prices are correct, I will be looking elsewhere to replace my 1998 Malibu LS. I was hoping GM would offer the 3500 VVT V6 with 6-speed auto with the STANDARD equipment my 1998 LS has: Cloth 6-way power seat.
Alloy wheels.
Fog Lights.
And in addtion to the 3500/6-speed add Side Curtain Air Bags and Stabiltrak for a price around 20K and no more than $22,500
I must have V6 since I have to deal with many hills and I-4’s don’t have the torque for it, and as good as the 3.6L is the MPG is no where near acceptable, nor is the high initial cost.
I love the 24 to 30 MPG my ‘Bu gets as well as the large amount of interior space it as. It is a great car and my niece and her husband can’t wait to get it.
But for me, it looks like there is a Ford in my future.
Justin
“well-matched 4-speed automatic”
“optional 6-speed after introduction”
What is it about competitive that Chevrolet doesn’t get? Make the 6-speed standard! Dump the 4-speed. Your competition isn’t putting it in their $18k base model Camry, why are you?
Austin
The Malibu certainly looks good, with a real sense of style, soliditiy and a visually interesting interior. Why can’t we have it in Europe instead of the forgettable Epica which has been receiving “distinctly average” reviews over the last few weeks? The Malibu fits the Chevy brand better than a rebadged Daewoo.
James
Bob, the Malibu looks great. My only suggestion would be to make the 3500 V6 an available engine on this vehicle. It’s an economical and fuel efficient medium between the 2.4 Ecotec and 3.6 High Feature. Given the powertrain is in the Saturn Aura, It shouldn’t be cost prohibitive to add this engine to the lineup.
Come’on, Bob!
Sheth Jones
I am excited to see more on the Malibu. I saw it in the flesh at the local Auto Show and it looked as good as it did in the pics, if not better. Honestly, I cant think of too many things the car should have that it doesnt already. I do wish navigation was offered though. That said, aftermarket systems are so popular it doesnt even matter. It would be good to have to silence the critics however. I think the 18″ wheel design is one of the best GM has out right now and one of the best in this market. It blows away the dull wheels on the Altima and Camry.
Jared
Bob:
The Malibu does look nice. But there are still a few things that make it a non-starter for me. First off, the mileage just isn’t good enough. Secondly, gimme a freakin’ manual transmission option.
edvard
Bob,
I actually saw the pre-production version of this car at “Rev It Up” in California several weeks ago. To say the least, I do think the styling, interior, and character of the car is aligned correctly with the likes of Camry, Accord, and the new Taurus.
I recall driving a Pontiac Grand Prix last year and if the new Malibu is further up in terms of refinement than the Pontiac I drove, then the car will present a true level of value for the consumer.
I look forward to seeing the production version of this car in the fall at the local showroom.My wife’s 17 year old car is about to bite the dust. I might be one of your first customers for one.
Mbuku Kanyau
Bob, That you for the great review.
My only hope is that you offer Navigation in the malibu and bluetooth. I know your insiders may think its not necessary, but everyone in the segment including Chrysler and Ford offer it. I do not understand how you can justify not having bluetooth or Navigation.
We bought a HHR last year, and would have loved to have Navigation. The Dealer installed a Delphi unit for us, that was revenue you lost.
Now, I think I might buy a Mazda 6 or Mercury since Aura or Malibu do not offer either.
I do not want to switch from sprint to your phone service. Why can I not have bluetooth in your car??
Sincirely
Mbuku
Onell
Michael,
You mean American car designer should go to Japan to learn how to design cars like Ridgeline, Element, XB, Solara, Privia, and Eco?
Buick Diesel
Posted by: Michael on July 29, 2007 11:49 AM
That was some rant, Michael. The Malibu is “just plain UGLY”?
Whatever Michael………
Jeff
Reading some of these comments makes me wonder why some of you post, it doesn’t matter how well the product is designed or how well put together, it is just another opportunity to vent your spleen. This is what I see, a fine 3.6 DOHC engine that really rocks for a change and a sweet 6 speed transmission that is one up on the competition. I remember that the reviews of the Aura the reviewers were down to picking on a couple of plastic pieces and the lack of a trunk lever… sheesh. Chevrolet is about to get a really competitive product in the white hot mid sized sedan segment. Just looking at the stats its going to rival any of its competitors. It makes me wonder of some of you are just afraid that you might have to start considering GM in car choices again? Before picking at quality and reliability how about we let the product hit the street and see how it actually does before trashing it?
Chris
Sorry if this is off topic, there seems to be no way to address general questions to Bob, so I’m posting here.
Your Japanese and European competitors are both developing standardized operating systems that will run vehicles across multiple models and manufacturers. (look for the recent story on cnet.com) Here is yet another opportunity for GM to prove they are not straggling behind everyone else in terms of cutting edge technology. This would be a HUGE cost savings for GM to not have to develop proprietary ECUs and communications architectures for vehicle electronics, not to mention new interfaces for entertainment and navigation systems. Standardizing the radio was a great step forward- the current unit shared across brands has a great interface and a competent feature set. Now let’s move ahead again- within the next decade, every car on the road will have a customer-facing computer interface for nav/entertainment/HVAC or some combination thereof, here’s a chance to be prepared for that and prove to consumers that GM is on top of new technology.
Gereon Langlitz (Germany)
“…and then send its engineers to Japan to learn how to build quality cars…”
Michael,
sorry, your comment is absolutely lacking any objective content and just servicing prejudice. What’s up with Japanese quality, as there are reports about rusting rocker-panels (e. g. Prius) or about 10 recalls for Toyota in 2006, in Germany alone? Even Mr. Watanabe himself admits the existence of quality-issues!!! I’d recommend watching the facts instead of blindly repeating the same old praising of Japanese car-industry. Nissan almost was out of business in 1999. And what about Mitsubishi’s serious troubles? There had been no headlines, like these are written about the US car-industry. In my opinion a considerable part of the media is biased and is manipulating public opinion by providing or also not providing certain information, regarding the auto industry.
My 2001 Alero actually IS very reliable. Even more reliable than those high-priced, so-called German “Premium”-cars, which I also used to drive from time to time.
motorman
i believe that std shift cars cause a separate problem with coast down emissions that requires very expensive govt tests and there may not be enough market for sticks to justify these costs. i do not think the MPG between the the auto and the stick is not very much. there is less than 1 MPG in a corvette.
J Reid
Maximum Bob:
It looks like the new Malibu will be a step up from the last version and you guys should sell a lot of them.
For me, I am waiting to see what is going on with the next generation Pontiac GTO before I make any purchases. I hope your styling department does a better job with this one than the 04 to 06. The GTO needs destinctive sheet metal. Please dont take the G8 and just make a two door coupe out of it. If you do that I think it will probably fail again. Get your styling people to look at the old GTOs and the concept GTO that was put out in 1999. Make the styling acceptable to both people that own the old GTOs and new buyers who dont have any experience with the car. Please dont make the styling cartoonish (which I think you are bordering on with the Camaro).
John
So Bob, will GM actually SURPASS the Camry and Accord with this car, or will it be yet another “almost as good” option from GM?
Nobody wants to buy a second-rate new car, as GM’s constantly slipping market share shows.
It’s not that much more difficult to design a top-notch vehicle than it is to design something mediocre.
With the housing correction going on, and the corresponding reduction in HELOC loans, it’s going to be hard enough to sell new cars, so you need to make sure the vehicles you bring out are truly top-notch.
And the “upper-20s” for a new Malibu V6? When the current Malibu V6 range is from $20k to just over $23k?
If this is truly one of the most important launches in GM’s history, you need to figure out how to lop a few grand off that number.
If you price it realistically from the beginning, you’ll build sales momentum and sell plenty of them.
If you price it high, you’ll kill the buyers’ interest and enthusiasm, stop the momentum, and then have to beg buyers to come into the showroom by offering them serious incentives, which will make GM look desperate and kill the momentum further.
Come on GM!
“I was unable to find any hugely discernible difference to cars costing $35,000 or even $45,000.”
If that’s true, you and GM are in even bigger trouble than I thought.
Adam
Bob–
I have to say that, as a big GM fan, I’m very pleased with the Malibu. The side profile is gorgeous, the front is pretty good (I’m still not sold on the Chevy double-bar grille, but it looks fine), and the rear seems nice (thank goodness a new car has been released without teardrop, triangular taillights).
However, I’m still waiting for GM to buck the current styling trends, and invent something new. I, for one, am getting tired of the long hood/short deck profile; the trapezoidal grill and triangular headlights on every car; the trapezoidal body cuts at the trunk line; high belt lines; and all of the now clicheed design cues.
Bring us a new car that’s vastly different. Remember the 1986 Taurus that you were so proud of? Remember how revolutionary it was (compare a 1986 Oldsmobile Delta 88 with a 1986 Taurus)? Why can’t GM give us something of that magnitude.
Sure, the Enclave is great. The new Malibu is nice too. But, they’re all designed with cues that were all started with your 1986 Taurus. That’s 20 years of little design progress. It’s time for a change.
Oh, and while you’re at it, I think I have another answer to complement Buick’s upcoming portfolio: GRAND NATIONAL.
Give us a RWD car that exudes masculinity, power, and speed standing still–but in a different way. Keep the beltline low, the tumblehome to a minimum, the backlight near upright (like the original), and let it have a sheer street presence like no other car on the road today. A long hood–and a long trunk.
Give it a unique powertrain that no other car has…the 5.3L V8 with a turbocharger (a GN MUST have a turbocharger). Give it an ad campaign that conjures up testosterone in every man (see Pontiac ads in the 1980s). Give it a great platform and interior.
I’m telling you, Bob…it’ll be a BIG winner. And I never thought I’d drool over a Buick until I was, well, your age
Best wishes for a successful Malibu launch!
Joe Gakenheimer
To Tyler,
Obviously a show car is not going to be complete or be a finished product; it is a display, that’s all. And as far as the quality of the Malibu, that still remains a somewhat mystery. But in any car purchase, from toyoda to yugo, you have to look at the fine points before any purchase. If someone told me the Matrix is the best vehicle on the face of the earth I wouldn’t purchase it unless it met MY criteria. I have noticed that the Matrix has uneven and large body panel gaps, thus I would not buy the Vibe either; they are both inferior to the Cobalts I have scene. Thus if you really like the Camaro, I’d get one! But I would not chose the first one, I’d investigate the entire car, truck and body panels, the hood, the interior fit and finish, and of course the under-body. If it passes my criteria, it is probably a quality product, otherwise I’d go and inspect another; the name or a car show display will not dictate that.
Lorenzo Patlan
GM has been doing all the right things for the past 2 years. The Cobalt SS supercharged has held its own against the import tuners, though this is a market GM should jump on, no offense to the 30 and over, us 20 and overs are getting better jobs by the month and 20K and under vehicles are what we’re looking at! Nevertheless the New CTS is a grand slam! the New 9-3 looks like a formidable alternative to the Euro-Comp, although the Solstice and Sky are not getting the attention they deserve from the Automotive media, they’re on a roll and the Corvette is proving itself as the American Icon it is! What has recently got me excited was the speculation that a smaller Rear Wheel drive vehicle is being considered for the Cadillac/Pontiac lineup. according to my recent issue of MotorTrend, Holden has a Torana tt36 concept based loosely off the Kappa architecture. WOW! A rear wheel drive compact… are you kidding me! For enthusiasts it could be like Evo’s and STi’s don’t even exist. A rear wheel drive compact for Pontiac is just what the brand needs, now that’ll be driving excitement. Let’s see… who offers a rear wheel drive compact… in the states… other than the roadsters, nobody! Imagine… A compact four door, slightly larger than a Cobalt, slightly smaller than a G6… let’s call it a G4… stardard ecotec 4 w/ 180 horsepower, optional turbo 4 with 260 horsepower, rear wheel drive, standard 17s, and a base price of $15,900 topping out at $23,900. Then you could make a TRUE G5, same as mentioned above but only 2 doors. We really don’t need a rebadged Camaro, all we’d need is a 3.6L Turbo stuffed in a 2 door G5 (based off the mentioned above) with ehh… 350 horsepower, and Pontiac gots a pony car of it’s own!
Share the architecture with Cadillac to make a 3 series competitor by stretching out the platform a tad! Start it out with the Turbo four, or for caddy only, offer the 3.6L with 252 Horsepower, this way you don’t invade in the CTS near 300 mark.
The way I see it, Infiniti and BMW got it right… luxury matters but it doesn’t hurt to inject some good ole’ fashion, tire burning, neck jerking excitement. Down the ladder from Infiniti, Nissan is using the same formula. Pontiac is the perfect brand to compete with Nissan/Infiniti and a cost effecient alternative to BMW. Cadillac should set it’s eyes on MB who also got the sporty excitement bug! Buick… well… bring over the LaCrosse from Shanghai and give it a Zeta four door flagship and 2 door, you might find Lexus shaking in their kimonos. in my opinion, the RX350 just got a reality check with the Enclave introduced!
I’d sure like to know what you, Bob, and the other loggers think…
TaylorM
Bob, It’s quite clear from the posts here that your “word” just doesn’t carry too far anymore. And your “we know better then you,” pompus attitude is a dinosaur in the new world of the Internet, where truth cuts down spin, and bad news travels fast.
John Delorian once wrote that the wealthy GM executives were approving cars for the middle-class families, when they didn’t have a clue was what good or bad, or what was important. I see nothing has changed.
Regarding the manual transmission on the Malice-Boo-Boo, I’ll take the automatic. Have we all forgot how bad the feel and operation the GM manuals were? Yecch.
Tom
“About 20k” for a car without power windows sounds a little high, Bob.
jg
The Malibu is a great for GM, but as a Buick fan, I am waiting for the Riviera or next generation LaCrosse.
Jim
Responding to Michael. Is it arrogance to believe that the Malibu could be as good or better than a Camry? The current Malibu and Malibu Maxx are both Consumer Reports recommended buys. Do you really believe it is arrogant to believe that the new Malibu can achieve the same result? Educate yourself and quit spreading your “opinion” that is contradicted by fact.
Gereon Langlitz (Germany)
Hi Austin,
I agree with you that the Malibu should be exported to Europe either. But I wouldn’t call the Epica “forgettable”. I don’t know where you are living in Europe, but here in Germany the reviews about the Epica mainly had been positive, even more since this model is available as a Common-Rail-Diesel now. In addition, I think there’s no reason to underestimate GM Daewoo. Their “re-badged Chevys”, after all, were ranking higher at the Quality-Report from German “Auto-Bild”-magazine than Audi! Just look at their figures. In the meanwhile GM Daewoo outsold Kia (Hyundai-subsidiary) and I could imagine that it’s just a matter of time until they outsell Hyundai itself. This wouldn’t be possible with good products, right?
Matt
Bob,
Since the manual transmission topic has been brought up several times already, I need to chime in as well. My wife and I own a total of eight vehicles, five 4-wheelers and three 2-wheelers. Every one has either a clutch pedal or lever. Three of those vehicles are Chevrolets (one Silverado diesel and two Corvettes). When we go to look for a new vehicle, the very first thing we look for is a manual transmission. No stick, no consideration.
My dad has a similar affliction. In 1993 he bought a new Chevrolet pickup with a 5-speed manual transmission. He enjoyed the truck, so after a few years he traded up and bought another one. He then got into the cycle of buying a new Chevrolet 3/4 ton pickup with a manual transmission every two years. That cycle stopped last summer. When the GMT-900 came out, a manual transmission was no longer offered. Right now he’s holding on to his current pickup, hoping that a manual will be offered again. In the meantime, his neighbor just took delivery of a new crew cab diesel Ford F350 with a manual transmission and reminds my dad about it every chance he gets. Here is an instance where a loyal repeat customer has been effectively shunned by General Motors. He is not interested in an automatic, and GM has eliminated the vehicle option configuration that he wants and will buy. I question how much it really costs to develop, certify, and build a manual transmission truck compared to the volume of sales. I’ve heard a number of 5% as the penetration of manual transmissions in pickups. If GM sells 900,000 pickups per year, that equates to 45,000 trucks. How many Solstices, Skys, and Opel GTs does GM build each year? What did it cost to develop those cars and configure an assembly plant for them? I’m guessing the trucks would be a comparative bargain.
I have a feeling the low manual transmission vehicle sales rate is a somewhat self-fulfilling prophecy. I’ve attempted to test drive manual transmission vehicles at GM dealers. The recurring answer from the sales people is that people don’t buy manuals, so dealers don’t stock them. Heck, the only manual transmission Corvettes I see on dealer lots are Z06’s because that’s all they’re available with. I have special ordered my cars and trucks to get what I wanted, but I would guess most people buy whatever is on the dealer lot. I understand that this is anecdotal evidence, but I have talked to at least three people who would have preferred a manual transmission but bought an automatic because that’s all that was available. I applaud the availability of a manual transmission in the 2008 Cadillac CTS. That vehicle is targeting the BMW crowd, and the available stick helps make the “as good as or better than” claim believable. GM also needs to offer manual transmission vehicles at a price point below Cadillac. A young father may need a family car, but wants a sports car. Why not give him a $25,000 sporty sedan with a stick? Saturn is supposed to be GM’s euro-brand. Opel vehicles have manuals, why doesn’t the Aura? The 2007 G6 had a manual available, but I don’t see it for 2008. That doesn’t seem right for the performance division.
Some people who would like a manual will settle for an automatic, but the true clutch pedal crowd will keep looking until they find what they want. Please don’t ignore us.
Mark
Michael Vallone wrote:
“Pontiac spent years developing brand names - Catalina, Star Chief, Bonneville, LeMans, Grand Prix, Firebird & Grand Am….why toss identifiable brands out?”
Catalina? Star Chief? Sorry, all these names mean nothing to young people, except maybe Firebird. My 16 year old will be in the market for a new car in 2013. If a third gen G6 is available by then, and it’s quality and value has built up it’s brand equity, then it will be in the same place the Accord is in now. These old names are distant history, and carry some 80s baggage. Leave ‘em in the past.
J.Crew
Dikkers and Joe H. WOW, you guys have not been paying attention.
Good job on turning the ship around Bob. You grabbed GM by the boot straps and got them in the right direction. Car and Truck of the Year, returned to profitability, and now the Malibu will keep the ball rolling forward. I hope you have a great launch and get rewarded for all the hard work you guys have put into this new product.
motorman
the surveys say less than 5% of the car buyers want a stick shift.even in corvettes it is less than 50% and that is a sports car. so spending all that money for engineering and testing would be a money loosing deal unless you stick shift guy would pay a premium for the trans.
anthony
NO MANUAL TRANS….NO SALE!!!
I can not wait until I get my 2008 Honda Accord with a manual transmission. I would pay a premium for a manual trans in a Malibu or an Aura. No, I don’t want a Saab.
sj
To the myriad of GM bashers here I think it’s worth noting that most competing midsize cars do NOT have 6 speed autos. Most have 5 speed autos and a few have 4 speeds standard including Sonata, Sebring and Avenger. It is ridiculous to say GM is “late” with the 6 speed 4 cylinder combo when Camry and Accord have no such combination available.
whomever said the mileage isnt good enough should check out the 2008 Mileage of the Malibu’s competitors before further comment. The Malibu gets 22/31 with the four under the new standards, that is as good or better than Accord and Camry 4 cylinders. It would be helpful to know a little about the car before critizing it.
Rob
We just turned in our 2003 LW300 lease and bought a 2007 Honda Accord Special Edition. The transmission on the Saturn (a car we loved BTW) shifted roughly under 30K miles. We have had good experiences with Honda. While we liked the Saturn the transmission issue did not give us the “warm & fuzzies.
Matt
Motorman,
Some people buy manual transmissions because they’re cheaper. Others buy manuals because they want to. If you look at the demographics for new Corvette buyers, you’ll find that it’s an older bunch of people. I’m sure that’s due to the cost of the vehicles, but I’m sure that also explains why more than half of the cars are ordered with automatics. I’ll have to get my Corvette Black Book out when I get home to verify the numbers, but I’m pretty sure you’ll see that the number of manual transmission Corvettes built has increased considerably over the last decade.
As far as the cost goes, when I ordered my 1996 Corvette, I checked the option box for the LT4 engine and the 6-speed manual transmission. That was the only way to get a manual transmission in that car and it cost an extra $1400 on top of the automatic LT1 version. Yes, I’ll pay more for a manual, and I have.
noel park
The Nissan Versa with the CVT actually gets marginally BETTER mileage than with the 6 speed manual.
PeterB
I’ve been raving about the new Malibu to anybody who’ll stop long enough to listen. I took my four boys to the 2007 Toronto Auto Show and when I saw the new Malibu in sheet metal it was a jaw-dropping event. If this is a glimpse of our future, I think we’re on a firm footing to start taking back market share. I read an article a while back that hinted that the Chev marketing folks were thinking about bringing Camries into the showroom to allow customers a head to head comparison. I felt so strongly that we should step up to the competition that I emailed the General Director of Chev Car Marketing, Cheryl Catton to say “bring it on.” We have the product now to compete, lets get out and fight for sales!
P.S. I’ve been a cynic like many inside and outside the company but this is a vehicle to get the pulse racing again. Great job of execution.
Kincaid
Good luck with the Malibu. It certainly looks the part. Just came back from a vacation in Colorado where I rented an Impala. The car got great gas mileage but the powertrain people need to get out to the mountains once in a while. This thing with its antique 4speed trans has virtually no engine braking in any gear and all of the gears are wrong. Can only use the bottom three going uphill and the bottom two going downhill. They need to learn how to close the throttle when decelerating. No wonder the car has poor brake life.
Sure hope the six speed will help. If the Impala outsells the Accord, it only shows that the supply of ignorant, non cross shoppers is good.
mark
A dealers perspective on
manual transmissions.
When you place a car with a manual on your lot you just cut your customers who can drive the car by 50%, of which, half of those don’t want one anyway and those that do only want them because, A, they’re cheaper, or B, like myself, we love the way they drive.
So that could leave a car on the lot for long periods of time. And when the floor planning comes knocking and you pay the cost of having the car on the lot—multiply that cost by the number of cars, and that is a substantial monthly amount only to have a limited market to sell them to.
As to the prospective buyers,they’re usually young people looking for a cheap payment. [I don't know about the masses, but to have a driver jambing gears,talking on a cell phone in traffic, is just too scarey.] Not to mention the fact with new drivers most drivers ed courses don’t teach the art of shifting a manual.
Then there is resale. Even though you usually have manual transmissions standard on low end cars, when getting a value from the wholesale market, a manual transmission is death to a car.It could cost you 15-20% of the value.
So in short to say GM is being arrogant on this matter is a total uninformed opinion, and should be treated as such. The fact is, all manufacturers get the orders from the dealers who are just selling cars that sell, be it American, Japanese,or Korean.
And michael, If you think any automaker is different from another, face it, “YOUR NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE”. They’re there to make money, and in toyota’s case, hide all the recalls they have. No other automaker hides them quite as well as they do. wake up Dorthy [oops] I mean Mikey
Luke Scharf
whomever said the mileage isnt good enough should check out the 2008 Mileage of the Malibu’s competitors before further comment. The Malibu gets 22/31 with the four under the new standards…
SJ,
22/31 mileage isn’t good enough for me. My Jetta GLS TDI gets a solid 40mpg on my real-world commute and highway driving. As far as a daily-driver is concerned, nothing from any manufacturer with less than 40mpg (combined) is even on the table.
I’m a lot more flexible with the mileage for a machine that isn’t a daily driver, though, since the mileage doesn’t matter muich when I only drive the machine 5000 miles a year. But my daily-driver gets closer to 35000 miles a year these days — so the mileage is pretty-much non-negotiable.
edvard
There’s been some comments regarding a manual transmission option for this car. First of all, the Malibu isn’t a 4-wheeler, truck,cheapo econo car, sports car, or exotic luxury car. It is what it is supposed to be: a comfortable, respectable, American family sedan. That means the average buyer is middle class with children. The people who buy them want a no-nonsense grocery-getter. The vast majority will want an automatic. I myself drive a stick shift truck. If I were to buy a family car, I’d prefer automatic as well.
I have respect for a executive who takes home a family car like this for his own personal assessment, which makes sense due to the fact that Mr. Lutz has a vested interest in seeing through products that sell. The comment pertaining to Delorean… Last time I checked, Delorean went bankrupt.
There were two people who mentioned that the Malibu should be imported to Europe. Not sure if I agree with that either. For one, the car looks distinctly American, which would set them far apart from the current Daewoo derivative. The car would need an optional diesel powerplant since the North American spec engines get 30MPG. Great for US standards, but just ok in Europe. I think if it were to sell there, it would be a niche product. Then again- perhaps it would stick out amongst the others and do well. I’m no marketing person.
Tyler
Someone earlier said something to the effect of “stop nitpicking the details, Aura won car of the year, that’s good enough”. Yes Aura won car of the year, but how many of them do you see on the road? Their sales, like the sales of most GM cars are in the toilet. All reviews of the Aura have routinely criticized their interior quality, same as all of GMs cars. They can put a class-leading interior in their pickup trucks, which no one is buying anyway right now, but when it comes to making good cars in the segments people are buying into now, GM just doesn’t care. I just don’t understand why it is so difficult for GM to understand that they have to really make something that is truly better than the competition, not just better than the old, really crappy model. I was set on buying a new Camaro in ‘10, but instead I think I’ll go for the BMW 1 series. It has less power, but it is lighter, so it will be pretty much just as fast in a straight line, and much more nimble in the corners. It would be around the same price, but the interior would actually be well built. Seriously GM, better than before just isn’t cutting it, and you know it. How can you possibly watch as your sales collapse (imports have finally outsold domestics here) and think you’re actually doing things right. Why isn’t it obvious that you have to change something? Anyway all this to say I predict very confidently that the Malibu will be a complete failure when it goes on sale.
Rick Lupori
Mr. Lutz: Am I seeing things on the EPA mileage site or will GM offer the 3500 V6 with 4-speed automatic?
(should be the 6-speed like the VUE).
This would truly make the new Malibu a much better value than any of it’s competitors, while buyers wanting the 2.4L or 3.6L have those options.
The EPA site shows the
2.4L 4-speed at 22/30
3.5L 4-speed at 18/29
3.6L 6-speed at 17/26
No numbers yet on the 2.4L with 6-speed.
If GM offered the 3500 with 6-speed it seems the EPA numbers would be 19/30 at least.
Offer the 3500 V6 with 6-speed and I may be back in a GM showroom, otherwise it will be a Fusion or Milan, and the new Avenger is looking attractive.
The high MPG / low cost 3500 V6 is what attracts me to GM products and the 18/29 numbers will easily translate into 25/32 in my real world driving.
Gary Dikkers
Lutz said:
Mr Lutz,
I find that a really interesting comment: What you seem to be saying is that most of the cars GM builds are meant to fill an emotional need instead of a transportation need.
If I understand you correctly, you’re saying no one actually needs one of your $60,000 (or more) Caddies.
Of course, that leads me to ask, “Which of GM’s cars is your primary ride?” Will you have a $20,000 ‘Bu parked in your garage as your main ride ready to fulfill your basic transportation needs, or do you use one of the more luxurious (and expensive) models that fully meets your emotional needs?
Of course I already knew this, but your statement reaffirms why your ad campaigns so seldom emphasize the transportation qualities of your cars, but instead usually make the case that owning a GM car will make one sexier, or be able to drive around in virgin forests high in the Colorado Rockies.
Most of GM’s profits come from fulfilling emotional needs — not transportation needs, which explains why you so robustly resist a higher CAFE standard.
A need the new ‘Bu doesn’t fill
I will suggest that you need to add a hatchback or station wagon to your ‘Bu stable. If your going to push the Malibu as fulfilling basic transportion needs, it needs more utility than a sedan can provide. It should also be able to haul a few bags of fertilizer after a trip to the home improvement store on weekends, or even a few 2 x 4s by opening the hatch and folding the seats down.
V/R
Gary Dikkers
SteveG
Doesnt matter what it looks like, people still dont trust GM products.
10 Year Powertrain Warranty
5 Year Bumper to Bumper
Thats the only thing that will save GM.
Eric Planey
Hi Bob-
The Malibu looks like a winner. It may be competing against the Impala, given its success!
I just walked a black Buick Park Avenue here in Shanghai. It is so friggin nice. It has that typical big Aussie boot, but besides that it is tight looking. It can be mistaken for an Audi A8 or Infiniti from certain profiles. If your bringing the G8 to the US, why cant you make a 10,000 Parks for the US market as a Buick Halo project?
And I just read on Autoweek about the G6 replacement. I know that given the CAFE debate its hard to decide on FWD vs RWD. All I can say is dont put off a G6 replacement until 2011 or 2012. The Grand Am was Pontiac’s best seller for years. Dont let this model sink into GM-blah. I know GM is already selling the car into fleets as the old Malibu is offline now. Make a decision (as you know), and execute on it quickly. Why can Pontiac have a G37/BMW3 fighter?
Otherwise, keep up the GREAT work!!!!!
motorman
kincade the reason the trans has no hold back on hills is because for emission reasons the torque converter unlocks on coast down.trucks with a “tow mode” keep the converter locked going down hills for engine braking
motorman
matt,as a 73 year old corvette owner since 1959 with a 2008 on order these new auto trans shift faster and better with the paddle shift than you can do with a stick and the auto trans is a $1250 extra cost option. bad thing about a stick shift the clutch is not covered under the 5 year/100,000 mile warranty but the auto trans is so in that 5year/100,000 period the stick shift owner could be in for a very large repair bill not covereed by warranty if he needs a clutch.
Chris (Toronto)
Tyler said “Anyway all this to say I predict very confidently that the Malibu will be a complete failure when it goes on sale.”
Hey Tyler, those are most certainly words that will come back to haunt you.
Care to make any predictions about the new CTS, while you’re at it ?
Phil
After that post Bob, you really better hope all the car mags back you up on interior quality, or your credibility will be GONE FOREVER.
Moreover, you better BASE-PRICE THIS MALIBU LOWER THAN ALL COMPETITORS, AT ALL TRIM LEVELS, because if not EVERYONE WILL JUST CONTINUE TO BUY IMPALAS, CAMRY’S nad ACCORDS. THIS IS A FACT!
JUST ASK WAL-MART ABOUT WHAT EFFECT THE PRICE-LEADER STRATEGY HAS! The people walk down the aisle and now don’t question the price of the ‘OPTIONS’ THEY BUY AT A HIGHER MARKUP. Your dealers profit from it in accesory sales to customers who are happy to buy them rather than squinty-eyed sceptics!
AGAIN, YOU DON’T HAVE A 25-YEAR QUALITY REPUTATION TO JUSTIFY HIGHER PRICING! YOU HAVE JUST THE OPPOSITE!
GOVERN YOUR ACTIONS ACCORDINGLY!
Cae
I love Malibus but I’m looking for a Hybrid car. Hopefully they will come out with one eventually..
David
Gary,
If all vehicles did was satisfy a transportation need there would only be one brand of car like in Soviet Union before communism fell..
Of course no one NEEDS more car than the Malibu. To be totally serious; very few people NEED more than the Aveo sedan. But if the world’s vehicle population was 96% Aveo sedans; it would be a mighty boring place..
David
Tyler,
You might take note that GM’s RETAIL sales were actually up over 12% in July. That means more actual customers went into actual GM dealerships and bought vehicles in 2007 than in 2006. The difference is that GM is no longer giving away thousands of units of rental cars that come out fleets only to undermine new car sales in 6 months. If all of GM’s sales were “in the toilet”; there would not be a 12% increase in individual retail customers buying product would there?
CoolWill
Bob,
Thanks for your preview of the new Bu’. I was even more impressed with its exterior styling then the 08 CTS when I saw it in person at the Atlanta Auto Show. I guess I was expecting the new CTS to be a stunner not the new Bu’.
On a side note please make a mini Buick Enclave like the size of the new Saturn Vue’s. It would compete against the X3s and RDXs of the world. It would be a little money machine. Also, please put the upcoming 2.9L turbodiesel V6 in the GMC Acadia in 2010 or maybe even the 4.5L turbodiesel V8 and give the Acadia the Denali trim level. I will get a Blk/Tan one in 2011 or 2012 (for the family) to replace the 03 Audi A6 4.2. But in the meantime I will be getting the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT Blk/Blk to go with my current 1999 Camaro SS Sil/Blk. The wife and kids starting to cramp the SS style.
Thanks for finally bringing over the four door Beasst from the little island down under. Its been a long time coming…
CoolWill
CoolWill again,
Also Bob I am predicting here first that the 2008 Cadillac CTS will be North American Car of the Year and the 2008 Buick Enclave will be North American Truck/SUV of the Year.
Top of the Line Products, Trumps Beancounters Any Day!
GM Car Blitz is On!!! Thanks Again
Edward Hayes
Congrats on the Malibu.
Still a Wrangler success story is good enough to turn around Chrysler but GM is bigger; but it’s still very simple. You don’t do a product at a time you launch or relaunch a brand at a time- like what you are doing with Saturn.
Tundra, one small ripple in the pond can erode a sturdy shoreline. That is why I told you no product or category is insignificant. Even if Toyota fails or fall short in this category it has already been successful at eroding the one island of sanctuary left for the Detroit automakers.
Like I said return the favor, go after the mini-car and the minivan, thy hype-bred and the Highlander, the 4-Runner too.
Does GM have to work harder, not necessarily, just smarter.
How?
Ronald Reagan. The great communicator, because he laid out a vision that was so clear everybody knew exactly what to do. How GM.
Lay out a clear vision for each brand and then get the He** out of the way. You see GM management likes to hang around and watch. No, lay out the vision and then leave.
Look this is not about a car or a company, it’s not about Toyota or control. This is all about making GM a better company. PERIOD!!!!!!!
America has three wishes.
1. Energy Independence
2. Trade Parity - getting rid of the trade imbalance.
I forgot the other one- it’s late!!
But our goals cannot be won without GM, Period.
And Exxon is mobile but the U. S. is not, and Microsoft can’t find enough rooms to store their money. But what little GM has is changing the world for the better as we know it.
Electric cars, energy independence through alternative energy, workers that can work with dignity.
I’ll stop there or they will think I work for you. Look if I worked for GM everybody would be driving a Buick.
Bottom Line
Don’t get me started, GM is on a roll and you are luck I don’t have video.
And this will not be edited.- GM great free speech automaker.
Jack
25% of all GM’s US sales are fleet. A few days ago, GM’s Ballew said the automaker is behind on its goal to sell three million vehicles at retail this year. GM’s US sales is something like 4.2M, and falling. (That’s down from 5M in 1999.) That’s mainly lost customers, not lost fleet sales. GM’s lower fleet sales only account for 15 percent of the annual, June market share crash. Half of current Impala and G6 sales go to fleets. GM is just found a new way to spin failure.
gtjeff
Why is there no coupe version of the Malibu? Since Chevy is GM’s volume brand they should have a coupe in this segment.
Hopefully the new model will have better brakes and rotors than the old model.
Take a look at the frequency of waranty claims on the current car.
Chris B
Bob said “I came to the conclusion that, realistically, rationally, and forgetting emotions, nobody “needs” more car than that. Roomy, beautiful, refined, silent, inexpensive, but doesn’t look it.”
…And he’s right.
My wife and I are both driving the ‘06 Maxx LTZ. The car is so perfect for our needs that when I bought mine, my wife fell in love with the comfort, performance and economy and asked to replace her car with another Maxx. So I did, about a month after I bought mine. And neither of us have regretted our purchase. The car is everything we “need”, and it cost about as much as a Honda Civic EX, which itself is little more than a shopping cart with a roof and a trunk the size of an Igloo cooler.
So let’s address all the typical anti-GM rhetoric and compare my experience-
- “The interior is all cheap plastic” - To me, it’s just fine, and it doesn’t buckle or crack or glare like the plastics in the imports. The seats are a good grade of leather for a car in the low 20k range. I would rather have “cheap plastic” than a Honda Accordion with a blown transmission, A Toymota Crappy with a sludged up motor or failed head gasket, or a VW of any kind that gets towed back to the dealer once a week.
- “The four speed is archaic and out of place when others offer 5 or 6 speeds” - The 3500V6 does not need to rev to 7000rpm like the chainsaw motors used by the imports. My car accelerates from 35mph in 3rd with the torque converter locked - and accelerates while driving uphill. This “old throwback to the 80s” means I don’t have to redline the engine all the time. My reward - over 6k between oil changes (based on the OLS) and over 30mpg city/highway.
The benchmark of the segment - the allegedly well-built Camry - can’t compare. My sister has one. She’s miffed that I’m getting 30+mpg while she can’t get more than 24 in her Camry. She’s having rough idle issues and transmission problems (the Avalon slam-shift issue), while my car has been running perfectly. She’s seeing the light, though. After this experience with “Toyota quality”, she is now looking at the G6 to replace her car when its lease runs out.
- “GM’s typical poor fuel economy” - Ask the man (or woman) who owns one. My average city/highway mpg has been 30-32 for the time I’ve owned the car, except when the winter tires are installed - then it’s about 27-28. On one recent highway trip, I gassed up and the “Miles to empty” read 610 miles. I thought something was wrong with it, as the tank only hold 16 gallons. But it was functioning perfectly - I was getting an average of 38mpg on the trip. And don’t tell me it’s an anomaly, as my wife’s Maxx is also getting 30mpg average. “Your mileage may vary”, but not if you drive like you want to live to see tomorrow. I recently inflated my tires to 42/38psi and on my last tank, I am getting 31.8 average. With the tires at 32/32, as it says on the door jam, 30.2 to 30.8 has been the average mpg. So a note to all the eco-pests - If you want to save the planet, buy a GM car. Their real-world MPG is better than the EPA estimate, while the imports never attain much more than the ‘city’ rating.
Consider Bob’s observation that nobody “needs” more car than that. He’s right. The ‘08 addresses all the alleged shortcomings of the car I have now, and so it will be as good as (or better than) what I have now. I could easily afford the Buick/Cadillac models, or (if I wanted to wrestle with reliability issues) an import, but The Heartbeat of America gives me everything I need for my transportation requirements. Both cars are close to two years old now and have been completely faultless.
GM still has a perception problem, and I have personal experience with it. My brother’s mother-in-law was looking for a midsize car with lots of room and excellent fuel economy as a replacement for her SUV. My brother described my car - V6 power, over 30mpg, room for five, and a hatchback that holds a 46″ LCD TV or large bookshelf. She said that she had a “Malibu” back in the late ’70s and it was a lemon, so she would never buy a “Malibu”. My brother explained that my car is not a Malibu, but a GM Epsilon car with the letters “M A L I B U” glued on the trunklid. It’s just a G6/Aura/9-3/BLS/Vectra with a bow-tie on the grille. She wouldn’t hear of it. She ended up with a Passat. EPA rating said 22/31 or similar. Well, she is averaging 17mpg and is already having trouble with it. I feel bad when I hear of anyone having issues with a $30k car, but at least we shared our experience before she signed for the other car. It’s sad that someone who had trouble with a GM car 30 years ago will avoid what is now one of the most reliable options out there, but they get what they deserve. Times change, cars change, and you need to look at what’s out there now, not what was out there one generation ago.
So I say congrats to Bob and the entire GM organization for quietly and diligently producing and selling excellent cars and trucks. As time goes by, more people will have their positive testimonies of GM performance, and those listening may “take another chance with GM” and be pleasantly surprised. And for the record, I do not work for GM, nor do I blindly purchase GM products based on loyalty. I compare among all manufacturers and brands and select what best suits my needs. Yes, I own non-GM cars. So far, the GM vehicles have been the better value.
I saw the “New Bu” at the auto show and I would have no problem recommending it to anyone looking for an economical and reliable midsize sedan.
All my Maxx is missing is a “Bob Lutz for President” bumper sticker. Bob, you have my vote!
Edwin
Bob,
The Malibu looks great. Offering a manual transmission would be just the thing to put the icing on the cake. It should be an option if it can be. That would add to the car’s universal appeal.
Matt
Motorman,
There are a lot of logical reasons why the new automatic transmissions are better than manuals. For me, though, I personally enjoy shifting the transmission and value it as a skill, so it is something I demand when I buy a car. Other members of my family (thankfully not my wife) prefer the ease of an automatic. I respect that opinion, but I contend that’s why cars are available with options. Let the buyer chose. Maybe the Malibu is not the right car for a manual transmission, but I ask GM to be sure there are choices within the GM stable (maybe Saturn, maybe Pontiac).
Regarding the clutch life comment, it’s true that if a clutch wears out within the warranty period it will be considered a normal wear item and therefore will not be covered. That’s a risk the owner would take. Since I currently own one vehicle with 97,000 miles and another one with 90,000 miles both on their original clutches I am optimistic they will both last beyond 100,000 miles. Ask me in another year and I’ll let you know.
Enjoy your new toy when it comes in. They are fun cars.
sheth
luke,
I assume you know that the Malibu isnt a diesel and thus cannot match the mileage of a weak Jetta TDI. I also assume you know that the 2008 EPA standards are different and the Malibu would probably get 25/34 under the old standards. Compared to gas powered midsize four cylinder sedans the Malibu is more than competitive.
Paul
I don’t need more car than that. Indeed, I’d rather have much less car than that.
Agreed. But making another midsize sedan, especially one that has a name with a history of poor performance, isn’t going to cut it.
What would change the perception in my eyes? Bringing over all the European vehicles with all the engine options. GM makes fantastic cars in Europe; cars that someone like me, who isn’t even looking if it’s not rated over 40mpg, would actually buy!
BTW, my dad bought a Passat 1.8T wagon and is regularly getting 25-35mpg with no problems other than a mechanic who can’t seem to understand him when he says “SYNTHETIC ONLY.” And I’m looking at replacing my Mazda Protege with either a VW Golf TDI or a Prius. Why? Because GM can’t seem to make a car that gets over 40 mpg.
Noel Park
We own 4 Chevrolet vehicles 1995 - 2006. They have all been dead reliable. I agree that the reliability issue is about perception and urban legend, not today’s reality.
Even so, I agree with Paul. If it doesn’t get 40 mpg COMBINED, I’m not looking. If that means we have to wait 4 years, or forever, for the Volt, so be it.
Noel Park
Also, our 2000 S-10 has 185,000 miles on the original clutch. It is getting a bit weak, but I keep babying it along, hoping to make 200k.
Granted, it is a 2.2 four cylinder. Not the biggest powerhouse in the corporate lineup, but still 185k is not too bad.
It got 26 mpg in combined city and highway driving on the last fill up. Better than any Colorado, alas.
Tyler
Chris wrote:
“Hey Tyler, those are most certainly words that will come back to haunt you.
Care to make any predictions about the new CTS, while you’re at it ?”
The new CTS will be a success, like the previous one. Cadillac is actually making competitive cars.
Chevy isn’t Cadillac. There are two reasons people will buy a Chevy: one, they have a nostalgic need to buy an American Chevy, or two, because after the thousands of dollars in discounts you can get a new Chevy for dirt cheap.
The Malibu is essentially a down-market version of the Aura. From every review I’ve read on it, the general consensus is that it is good by GM standards, but nothing that will break the rule of the Camry or the Accord. You can tell that is an accurate judgment by looking at its commercial success. I see a dozen or so each of brand new Camrys and Accords every day on my way to and from work. I’ve seen maybe a dozen Auras on the street since they have come out.
The reason for this lack of success is that GM is always playing catch up. They build a car for so long that is well below the standards of the competition that people get a firm negative impression of that car. Then they finally make a new one that is far and away better, but still just barely competitive. Then the competition moves up again, and GM’s new car is left in the dust before people have time to begin changing their perception.
GM needs to actually leapfrog the competition. The very successful and favorably-reviewed full size crossovers (Acadia, Enclave, Outlook) are a perfect example of this. GM made truly exceptional vehicles, and people noticed.
You may think I hate GM, but I’m only looking out for its best interest. They are near death, and they just keep digging a deeper hole. I really want GM to succeed, but I have to say that after sitting in the new Malibu, there is no way I would buy one. It is just plain cheap and crude. I was talking to a salesman at a Chevy dealership, and he lamented to me that no one would buy a Chevy until they’re offered with 0% financing. If no one will buy an Aura, why would they buy an even less-nice version (the Malibu)unless it was practically given away?
As I said before, I really want GM to succeed. It frustrates me so much to see their shares steadily slide and the rapid trip towards bankruptcy and business failure. I am writing this in the hopes that someone who can actually do something about it will understand that all the car buyers really want is a car that is actually better than the competition. We want a car that is truly excellent and ground breaking, not just a prettier rental car. Please, for the sake of all of us GM fans, make a car we can be proud of. Make a car that we actually want to buy. Make a car that we will pay MSRP for, just because it is THAT GOOD.
ghent
A Camry Hybrid gets 34 mpg(both highway and combined)
whereas a Malibu hybrid gets 32 mpg highway. I also found out this article at http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=121033 titled IL Exclusive: GM’s Project Alpha Takes Shape. While all divisions will at long last get RWD, Cadillac DTS should definitely be RWD. The next-generation 5 Series is going to blow away the competition. It is gorgeous! Mercedes and Cadillac will find it hard to compete with BMW, just like the old 5 Series before Chris Bangle arrived at BMW. I know this because BMW released its concept online to a prominent online auto magazine and i emailed them u should definitely make it. i will definitely stock up on BMW shares. i know how but i am not gonna tell.
Gary Dikkers
Lutz said:
Gee Mr Lutz, I’m not sure what to think about that. If I were buying a used car, I might be able to overlook some blood, sweat, and tears in the vehicle — especially if I could get a really good deal.
But I usually prefer my new cars without the blood, sweat, and tears — they detract too much from that new car smell we pay so much extra for.
Cheers,
Gary Dikkers
Jeff
So what is the market share goal of GM? Seems to be headed out of business in North America. From 50% to 23% today.
Chad Campbell
Great job on the Malibu,….I recently read that GM was considering a smaller rear drive platform based on the Holden TT36 concept of 2004 for Cadillac and Pontiac. I think Pontiac could defintely use a midsize rear-driver. Pontiac should be a sort-of American Porshe….consintrating on performance first,…practicallity seconed. Buick could also use a midsize rear-driver,…it would help bolster a more premium image for the brand. Ofcourse it would have to have styling and a personality consistent with Buicks new direction. Anyway it looks like GM will be producing lots of exciting cars in years to come.
David
It’s too bad that Paul limits himself to 40 mpg or more. I have (and LOVE)a Buick Lacrosse that gets 32 mpg @55 mph and 30 mpg @70 mph! Plus it is a full size 4 DR sedan!! So don’t tell me that your Passat or Golf TDI would even compare unless your hatred for anything GM trumps all else!!
Gary Dikkers
Matt said:
Good points Matt,
Like you, I always special order a car to get what I want — In fact, the only cars I haven’t special ordered are a couple of used cars I bought.
I’ve often wondered why the business model for selling new cars is to have the factories make tens of thousands of new cars, and then “force” the dealers to buy them and have them sitting on the dealer lots waiting for someone to buy, whether or not that car is exactly what any car buyer (or dealer) wants. I understand why a dealer might not want cars with manual transmissions sitting on his/er lot for several weeks, but I don’t understand why I can’t even order a Malibu with a stick.
Internet ordering to exact specifications
In this day of the Internet, and just in time deliveries, why don’t the U.S. auto companies emphasize building cars to customer specifications and delivering them in a few days?
Were I in charge of GM, here’s what I’d do:
A la Carte Ordering
There is no reason the bulk of American car buyers shouldn’t be ordering the exact car they want over the Internet, and then having GM build and deliver that car in just a few days.
U.S. car companies could exploit ordering to specs and just-in-time delivery
In fact, that is something U.S. car companies could exploit to their advantage. GM, Chrysler, or Ford should be able to build and deliver a car to exact customer specs in only a few days — something no car company in Japan, Korea, Germany, or China could hope to do unless they have a plant in the U.S. using American workers. (Which of course, I realize many now do.)
Best,
Gary Dikkers
Tyler
I agree with Chad. A smaller Cadillac would be excellent. The new CTS is amazing, but it is closer to the BMW 5 series/Audi A6, etc by size, but I’d prefer something more 3-series size. I really would like something 1-series sized, but I don’t know how the business case for that would turn out.
Also, with a smaller rear-drive Pontiac, my thought on that would be to make something similar to the WRX or Evo. Rallying is really getting more popular in the US, and a car like that would really fit well with Pontiac’s affordable/youth oriented performance market. Plus it would allow Pontiac to break into rally racing and all the publicity that comes with that.
Anyway back on topic with the Malibu. I know I’ve been really hard on it, but I did like some things on it. The styling is gorgeous. It looks European - sophisticated, tasteful, but still grabs a proper amount of good attention. The interior design is great. I just hated the materials and the fit/finish. The fit/finish could have been an issue caused by the stresses of touring the show circuit and tons of people playing around in it, but the materials were still Cobalt quality, or should I say lack-of-quality. The seats were wonderfully comfortable though, and I loved the two-tone leather. I wouldn’t mind a decently long road trip riding shotgun in this car, especially with the satellite radio. Features list was pretty good too. So I think it is a good car, but it could/should have been a lot better.
GM, you’re doing a lot wrong but also a lot right (CTS and the Outlook/Acadia/Enclave being the best examples). Play your cards right, and you can be back on top. Lets hope that when the Camaro comes out it impresses me and you earn my business.
Paul
While I’m sure it’s a nice car, and I’m certainly not comparing an economy car like the Golf to a Buick, I am not in the market for anything larger. I live in the city and I’m force to parallel park on my street, so buying something the size of a Buick Lacrosse would not be practical. Our Vibe is almost too big and hard to park (with the ascending beltline cutting off rearward visibility) for my situation.
And lest you think I’m hating on GM, I think the new Camry is also far too large for me. I’m just one of those weird Americans who prefers small cars over V-8 powered land yachts.
However, I do see two advantages to the Buick that the Golf has. First, the TDI engine gets 40-50 mpg and can run biodiesel which is readily available in my area. This is why I’d like to see GM bring over their diesel engines from Europe for the new Astra.
Second, I’m only 25 and Buicks have a stigma of being “old people” cars. Indeed, most of the Buicks I see are usually going 5 mph under the speed limit with their blinkers on!
Chris (Toronto)
Hi Tyler,
I just wanted to that you for your posts after my comment regarding your Malibu sales prediction. You have offered a lot of valuable opinions that were of great interest to me and probably many other bloggers as well.
Cheers,
Chris (Toronto)
Paul
Now that would be really cool. And it would be even better if it was driven to your house with all the paperwork ready for you to sign. No need to haggle about a price or deal with pushy salesmen. My wife and I visited a Toyota dealership to look at a Yaris and the guy was really pushy even though we told him explicitly that we weren’t going to be buying anything, which put us off that dealership entirely.
I’ve never understood the reason why you have to haggle about the price of a new car anyway. Shouldn’t a car cost what a car’s supposed to cost? Used vehicles, sure, you can haggle about wear and tear, but why new cars?
If a dealer or car company offered that kind of service they’d definitely get on my list. But only if they made something that was rated over 40 mpg and had a hatchback!
Josh
GARY D.. Nice thoughts but you have NO IDEA how a auto company works. Your idea is not even remotely feasible. First you have contracts with suppliers, where you are committed to buy “X” amount of “Y” units. Then you have certifications, did you know that almost every combo of factory options have to be certified by the govt as being safe. For example the wheels have to be certified to run with the locking diff.. Hear is a real life example. Lets say you have a PETA member who wants to buy a Saab 9-7X but does not want leather because of how they feel about animals. Now you would think that they could just grab a trail blazer cloth seat and bolt it in. NOT so, as that seat was not certified to be fitted into the 9-7X. Also how long do you think it takes to build a car from order to dealer?? The answer is best case a month, and in most cases longer. Again nice thought, but not practical..
AS of why would a dealer not carry a manual trans car in stock?? A dealer pays what is known as floor plan from the moment the car hits there lot. This is basically interest charged by a finance bank who owns the car. That’s right folks, most dealers do not own there inventory. The banks do just like John “Q” public, so a dealer is not going to rush out and take chances when ordering units. They want what they can sell today, not 2 months from now.. Maybe.
.
motorman
gary dikkers there are way too many combinations for the car companies to allow everyone to pick options. they need to order this material in bulk to get a good price so with “packages” they have a very good idea how many of this or that they will sell.
Anthony
Definitely looking at the LTZ Malibu for my next purchase. I like the exterior which I saw at the NY autoshow, and the interior from what I could tell. It’ll come to relative price against competitors and seeing if it handles as good as it looks.
supernerdio
I like the new designs as well.
Noel park
Back in the 60’s, in the days of 10 key adding machines and Frieden calculators, you used to be able to go down the list of individual options and order your Chevy exactly the way you wanted it.
Don’t take my word for it, it’s documented history. Maybe it took 6 weeks to get the car, but who cared, if it was the way you wanted it.
Now, in the days of computers and the Internet, it’s too hard? Come on.
David
Paul, If the only thing you can do is using insults to get your point across I find that very childish! Time to grow up and see that there is more in this world than you having problems parking your car! I myself, do not have any problems parking!
George
As one of the current owners of a 2006 Malibu Maxx, let me say that we love it. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a car so versatile. The car is comfortable and carries a fair amount of groceries/luggage. Absolutely no major maintenance issues over 15,000+ miles. There’s plenty of room in the back for my teenagers and dogs. We just completed a day trip (275 miles) this weekend, 28.6 MPG, mostly freeway driving, but some back road passing too. All on regular gas. Hard to complain about that kind of performance.
All that said, I’m sad to see the Maxx body style discontinued. I think the new car is very attractive and I will be highly interested in it when the lease is up on the Maxx.
Gary Dikkers
Josh said:
Josh,
What I hear you saying is, “They can’t do that, because they’ve never done it that way.”
I’ll counter by suggesting that it’s time GM try something new. They’ve been losing market share for the last 20 years. There are two ways to fight that:
1. Build superior cars at a fair price.
2. And, find a new business model for selling cars to people. A model that stresses customer satisfaction and allows them to buy exactly the car they want, not the car on the dealer’s lot they find least objectionable.
When Boeing sells one of their new 787 Dreamliners to an airline, the airline buys the airplane with exactly the options and equipment they want — not what Boeing built that day and parks on the ramp outside the factory. That’s called customer service.
It’s the same when we buy a computer from Dell or Gateway: We tell them how much memory we’d like, what processor to install, what kind of video card to install, whether we want a CD/DVD burner, how many USB ports we want, etc. They build the computer to our specs and deliver it. We don’t have to buy only what they decided to build.
It should be the same when we buy cars.
If GM wants to increase their market share, not only do they need to design and build better cars, but they need to figure out how to build those cars to exact customer specifications and deliver them in a matter of days.
It’s a new world of connectivity and just-in-time delivery. Customers should refuse to be satisifed with having to choose from a dealer’s lot full of cars that were built to the lowest common denominator — cars that the dealer hopes no one will find too objectionable, even though none may be the car anyone actually wants.
Example: There’s a Ford dealer not too far from me. I went by there earlier today and almost every car in the lot is white, black, or silver. Why is that? Because the dealer knows few people find those colors objectionable, even though many might actually like a different color.
Somewhere out there is a buyer who wants a purple Ford, but what dealer can take the chance and order one to put on the lot? That purple car might sit there for months.
So why not try to satisfy the people who want purple cars by letting them have the opportunity to order a car to their exact specs, and then deliver that car the week after the customer orders it?
Instead of car factories building tens of thousands of cars and pushing them out to dealers where they sit on lots until the car companies need major rebate programs to move them, why not shift to a demand business model. A model where customers decide exactly what cars they want to buy, order them, and have them delivered to their door?
It sounds radical, but the first U.S. car company that can figure out how to do it, will have stolen a march on the others.
Motorman sad:
Motorman,
Another example of, “We can’t do that because we’ve never done it.”
First and foremost, car companies are in the business of satisfying customers. Instead of having the arrogant attitude of, “We’ll decide how to build the cars and what packages to put on them.” why not change to an attitude of, “You tell us what options you’d like on the car we’ll build for you?”
Best,
Gary Dikkers
Frank
For once I agree with Gary. If I want leather seats, why do I need to buy a “Package” that comes with 50 other things and costs $4,000 more. I don’t want leather and a moonroof, I don’t want leather and a shiny shift knob, just give me what I want.
David
Paul
You don’t have to dicker over price. Just pay what the window says.
Matt
When I ordered my MINI Cooper S, back in 2002, the procedure was to use their web site to configure the car, print out the final page, and take it to the dealer. The web page offered option packages, but I was allowed to opt out of the packages if I wanted to do things differently. For instance, a package was available with a sunroof, automatic air conditioning, and a trip computer. I wanted the sunroof, but I prefer manual air conditioning controls, and I didn’t want to pay for the trip computer. The web page suggested the option package, but then let me turn it down to get the combination I wanted. I was also able to pick blue exterior paint, with a white roof and mirrors, white 16″ wheels (instead of 17″), black and blue leather interior (instead of a number of other cloth and leather options), and silver interior trim (instead of a darker gray or black). The options list continued on to allow me to effectively order a “factory custom” car.
Once my car was ordered, the MINI web page let me track its progress through assembly and shipping. Granted, because of the waiting list at the time, it took six months to actually get my car, but in my case the wait only added to the anticipation. MINI’s system isn’t quite what Gary described, but it seems like a step in that direction.
Josh
Again I am not saying you are wrong, Im just saying it is not even close to fesable. Or I should say in the time frame you are talking about. YOU CAN go into a dealer and with in reason order a car to your specs if you are willing to wait for it.
Also know that factory’s run on a just in time basis as far as parts go. They do not have a warehouse of parts, for the cars they build. Most plants have at most 2-3 days worth of parts on hand. Changing this would cost ANY company MILLIONS, if not Billions of $$$, and logistically it would be a nightmare.
As to why cant I order “X” option with out “Y” package. Again I agree with you, but the reason is to help keep the possibility of builds under control. Think about it if there are 1000’s of parts that make up a car, and lets say 200 of them can be customized (color, radio, etc).. That creates the possibility of 40000 different builds (if I did the math right). THERE is NO WAY one factory can have that kind of flexibility, and still build a quality product in a timely manor. Remember a factory gets graded on how fast it builds a car among other things.
Again your thoughts are good, but from a practical stand point it is not possible, that is why the aftermarket accessory business is about 35 BILLION a year..
motorman
the CAFE tests are also run with certain options because the weight enters in the test procedure. what if you ordered a oddball combination and when it comes in you do not take it,the dealer is stuck.are you willing to pay up front for the car when you order it with no refund if you refuse the car?
Paul
I apologize if I insulted you, and I can assure you it was not intended.
But it’s well known that Buicks have a stigma of being “old people cars, and I generally see people over 60 driving Buicks, not people my age.
Besides, there isn’t a Buick that gets over 40 mpg, so I’m not really the target market for those cars anyway.
Sounds like the problem here is the dealership, not the car company.
Why is it that Dell can offer custom-built PCs with as little as a week lead-time? Because they don’t have to ship them to brick-and-mortar stores where they sit on the shelves.
Why can’t GM or some other car company offer the same service? Buy directly from GM, using GM’s web site to pick just the options you want and then have it delivered to your house with all the forms you’ll need to sign.
What Gary is talking about is a completely new paradigm in car buying. Eliminate the thing most people hate the most about buying a car: The dealerships and the haggling. Saturn carved out a niche for itself by taking away all the negative aspects of a dealership, why not go a step further and eliminate the need for the brick-and-mortar store entirely?
Rick Lupori
Gary and Matt bring up some good ideas that GM should thinking about.
When I bought my 1998 Malibu LS, the fact that everything I wanted was standard on the LS package 3.1L V6, 6-way Power Seat, Fog Lights, Alloy Wheels, CD Player was a major factor.
GM went away from putting things like Fog Lights and 6-way power seats on midsize cars to either save money or “Stick it” to customers by making more profit per car.
Sales have fallen in response.
Items like Fog lights and 6-way power seats often require different wiring harnesses and in the case of Fog Lights, a different front facia and light switch or a second light switch. This complicates the build process and requires dealers to stock more vehicles.
Adding these features along with heated outside mirrors and a 2 position memory to the 6-way seat (should be 8-way so you don’t have to keep leaning forward and back to get the seat back angle “right”) would only add about $300 to the price of car and give buyers usable features. The kind of features buyers may not think they need but would not do without after having them.
It would save GM money by reducing the total part count needed for a model and improve productivity by making fewer variations as well as the need to make thousands of cars just to have enough variety on the dealer lots.
GM can do many things to help itself without redesigning the entire lineup and increase sales in California while doing it.
Anytime GM wants to increase individual dealer sales by 10% (minumum) and increase total California market share by 10% call me.
Alicia has my contact info.
Michael
Okay, I do find the need to defend myself a bit. I know GM keeps saying its quality is better, but in truth, my last GM car had its rear end nearly fall off just two weeks after leaving the showroom. I have also owned Toyotas that have never given me a bit of trouble (same with two Infinitis, but not Honda–go figure). Every GM car I’ve owned over the last 37 years has given me trouble. (Has any car company besides GM sold premium cars [that is Cadillac] with faulty catalytic converters? My Caddy died (literally in the middle of a highway) due to this problem.
I spent the last six months looking for a new car, and I tried just about every car company’s offerings, including GM. I hated the styling (which looks dated and dowdy now, even the newest models), and I found many cars to be flimsy (would you believe a knob on a Cadillac fell off in my hand; the salesperson said that seemed to happen a lot). I am trying to be a good American buyer, but GM makes the process difficult. Toyota makes it easy and offers a real hybrid (not a quasi-hybrid like Saturn) and overall excellent quality. Its cars don’t feel flimsy. Even Caddies feel like they were made without regard for overall quality.
Mr. Lutz is the epitome of GM arrogance; it’s our way or no way. He and GM don’t listen to customers because, well, that is just being silly. It is infuriating. Nothing GM offers now is truly high quality. Within six months (after the JD Powers survey), something major will probably go wrong with your new GM car. It is now a given (go to the shop in back of the dealer and see how many late model cars are in for repairs; GM has the greatest number of any dealerships). I have tried to be loyal to GM, but GM makes it impossible.
Until GM can find a way to really improve its products (and not by throwing JD Powers at us, since those ratings are bought and sold like commodity items), it will continue to lose customers. Like the writer whose mother won’t buy anything with MALIBU stamped on the back, Baby Boomers are becoming loathe to buy anything with that little GM plate on the right front fender.
It’s arrogance. It’s low quality manufacturing. It’s time for GM to do better. But I fear with people such as Mr. Lutz at the helm, we’ll not see GM where it once was.
Noel Park
We bought our last two Chevy trucks right off the Chevrolet website. Granted they were out of dealer inventory. We plugged in the options we wanted, searched the dealer inventories for matches, and asked for quotes.
We didn’t get them exactly as we would have ordered, but pretty close. We are such bottom feeders that we do it at the end of the model year.
In both cases, the quotes that came back from the particular dealers were so good that we just drove down there and signed up. No dickering, no hassle. Unless, of course you count the spiel from the “finance” closer. At the second dealership, they even made a conscious effort to minimize that.
This is not exactly what you guys are talking about, but a big step toward it. We are the farthest thing in the world from computer whizzes, but it really was better for us than trundling around to dealerships.
I guess you know by now that I can be pretty critical of GM (arrogant blogger?), but credit where credit is due.
Eric Matthew Vest
Dear Mr. Lutz,
It looks like the new Malibu will be very competitive. Congratulations and best of luck for success in the market place.
Tyler,
You should wait to judge the interior plastics when the production cars come out. It is my understanding that the Malibu at the LA/OC RevItUp was a pre-production Malibu. Preproduction vehicles do not have the high quality interior plastics that production vehicles have. I have seen many pre-production Honda and Toyota products that have rough, ungrained interior plastics. Manufacturers do not cut the grain into their plastic molds until late in the product development process. You will have to wait for the production Malibu and then judge.
Tyler
Eric
That is good to hear. I wrote on other forums that I hoped that the Malibu I sat in was preproduction, but the responses I heard did not really back that up. I’ll have to wait and see for sure, but remember, the Aura’s interior materials were routinely criticized, and it is supposed to be more refined than the Malibu.
Steve Williams
I hope chevy has made improvements on the bu. We are into our second one and at 9700 miles it has some suspension issues. I prefer to drive my 134,000 mile 88 Fiero. There seems to be something loose in the front end. Cradle or? It started around 5000. Our 2004 did the same thing. I am not happy with chevy. Also the frontt struts are worn already. The car is a 2006. It is my wifes car. She drives like a granny. This will probably be our last. I prefer Pontiac. So I hope you have indeed made some changes to the chevy.
Jody Williams
Michael is absolutely correct in his comments - to a point. The fault with GM isn’t entirely with Mr. Lutz, it is squarely on the head of GM global purchasing. The beancounters set the direction for cheap cost over decent quality. And this ALWAYS shows up in the final product. You get what you pay for, and the beancounters do not get judged on GM sales, only on the cost. Until this problem gets fixed, you can expect more of the same. High quality, high reliability, and highly featured cars cost premium money to build. You can’t expect to drink fine wine on a beer budget.
Gary Dikkers
Frank,
At last, common ground. You said what I was trying to say but said it much more directly.
Best,
Gary Dikkers
Robert
I saw the Malibu at the Chicago show and was excited especially when I heard that the four cylinder would be available with the six speed. At last they will let me buy the good car, I thought, without the gas guzzling engine. I will be able to buy a LTZ with the hybrid power train.
I am disappointed to see that as with the Aura you will not be able to buy a Malibu hybrid with a leather interior. Are you not making money on the hybrid? It seems like you are trying to dissuade people from buying it. The Saturn sales people whom I spoke to complained that they could not get the leather that the people wanted or just the hybrid car period.
I believe the price benefit ratio argument for the belt alternator hybrid system is compelling. It does not follow that I want to spend the next several years driving around in a car with the mouse fur interior. I want to pay you for my optional leather heated seats etc. Why won’t you sell me one?
motorman
the heated leather seat will add weight to the car causing a CAFE rating difference. even adding cruise control changes the CAFE is rated. you guys do not understand how these govt rules work. the car companies have very little to do with a lot of this stuff
David
Paul, I agree that the dealer can be troublesome. I also agree that Saturn dealer’s are the way to go in the future. I do not enjoy haggling over anything, just show me your best deal UPFRONT and I can make my decision. I also know that Buick isn’t targeting younger people as yourself, but remember that your tastes and aspirations change as you grow (a little ) older. but then again i’m only 48. But I still LOVE my Lacrosse!
Bob
Bob,
I drove the 2008 Malibu with the 4 cylinder a couple of weeks ago. The exterior and interior are a big step up from the previous model. Fit/finish are great. I really like the front end. The most obvious problem was the transmission. To me, the 4 speed makes the whole driving experience just horrible.
The bar has been set: new models need automatics with at least 5 speeds to be competitive (even with base engines). If the 08 ‘bu wins car of the year (for the LTZ), customers are going to be put off when they test drive one with the 4 speed. I think this same issue plagues the Aura. Contrast GM’s approach to the choices Ford made with the Fusion transmission.
BTW, it looks like the Saturn Astra will also have a 4 speed automatic standard, which I think will keep it from being a hit
Could you please commit to selling new vehicles with only 5+ speed transmissions?!?!
motorman
my concern is that these new cars do not give the MPG of the older ones. the mrs 2004 3800 impala get 20/22 everyday and 28/30 on open road trips. we averaged 26 MPG for a 4000 mile trip to Fla last winter. these are calculated MPG not what is displayed on the DIC.