GM’s Barra Tells Employees “No Crappy Cars”
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"The marketing teams at large companies spend thousands of hours and even more dollars to develop effective campaigns and slogans to cast their companies in just the right light."
That's the problem with "marketing", if it's done this way, it's being done ass backwards and is really "sales". True marketing is finding out what customers want and delivering it to them; it's done before production. Sales is taking what you have and ramming it down someone's throat.
Just deliver what you promise and if it's the right product, it will sell. Over promise and under deliver, well, that don't work so well...
That's the problem with "marketing", if it's done this way, it's being done ass backwards and is really "sales". True marketing is finding out what customers want and delivering it to them; it's done before production. Sales is taking what you have and ramming it down someone's throat.
Just deliver what you promise and if it's the right product, it will sell. Over promise and under deliver, well, that don't work so well...
pdm4606
Super Member
GM cars
I think that the choice by a popular group of the Chevy Impala as the best car ever has given them much respect and responsibility. Just think if they make a junker?
The Impala was a fluke?
They don't charge any less for a good car than a junker.
They have a tough act to follow.
(I am an ex GM child)
Paul
I think that the choice by a popular group of the Chevy Impala as the best car ever has given them much respect and responsibility. Just think if they make a junker?
The Impala was a fluke?
They don't charge any less for a good car than a junker.
They have a tough act to follow.
(I am an ex GM child)
Paul
Mary was plant manager at my Cadillac plant in the late nineties---Great to work for --but a no Bull$hit lady. I believe she will make a good upcoming president. She has what it takes ...but on the other hand a very nice lady and leader.
I have met her and spoken to her in my days at General Motors. I retired in 2008 from General Motors.
I have met her and spoken to her in my days at General Motors. I retired in 2008 from General Motors.
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Good to know my last 2 GM vehicles were a 2003 GMC 1500 Sierra
had some parts failures and and quality issues too many for 45K miles
including an instrument cluster ,noisy lifters ,headliner detachment numerous rattles including doors , center console hinge failed ,brake wear, steering coupler rattle ,dash rattle ,door lock, inner tie rods . would not recommend to a friend
Next one much better still have it 2006 GMC sierra ext cab no issues outside of a starter,battery and free electrical on GM repair not bad for 60K ofc the battery is normal wear item 60K miles good build quality not one rattle all in all much better than the 03 model.still runs and drives as new. would recommend to a friend.
ofc I was aware that many design and parts changes and other revisions occurred between the two models including build quality improvements otherwise I would have bought something else.
Both were purchased new. if this one wasn't in such good shape
I would be looking to score a leftover 2013 Silverado or Sierra .
Looks like GM is making some decent stuff now
Good to see the Impala and Malibu (and other models including Cadillac ) succeed.
I've had quite a few RWD GM cars in years past all were pretty good .
Mostly considered myself a GM person ( 13 Gm products ) except for 4 Fords and 4 imports .
company provided cars varied . Some of my GM cars were end of lease company cars .
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Everyone thinks a pretty car is a good car.
The devil is in the details.
What is a "crappy" car now days?
As far as I'm concerned, they are all crap. 10 years/100000 miles and then throw them away.
Too many designers, too many engineers, all trying to justify their paycheck. Making too many changes.
A "good" car is easy to service, easy to repair, and lasts 10000000 miles.
Bring back the 1957 Bel-Air and the 1960 Impala both hard top and convertible. Update the engine/tranny, keep it around 25-30K, and watch the sales go though the roof.
The devil is in the details.
What is a "crappy" car now days?
As far as I'm concerned, they are all crap. 10 years/100000 miles and then throw them away.
Too many designers, too many engineers, all trying to justify their paycheck. Making too many changes.
A "good" car is easy to service, easy to repair, and lasts 10000000 miles.
Bring back the 1957 Bel-Air and the 1960 Impala both hard top and convertible. Update the engine/tranny, keep it around 25-30K, and watch the sales go though the roof.
A million mile car sure would be nice for consumers but who would drive a car for 50 years at 20k per?
100, 000 miles is no problem today on modern cars and 200,000 or more is a regular occurence.
All my cars have 100, 000 plus on them and two have 140, 000 plus that I'd drive 500 miles plus in w/o batting an eyelash.
Cars are far better today than they were back in the 60s and 70s...No question about it.
100, 000 miles is no problem today on modern cars and 200,000 or more is a regular occurence.
All my cars have 100, 000 plus on them and two have 140, 000 plus that I'd drive 500 miles plus in w/o batting an eyelash.
Cars are far better today than they were back in the 60s and 70s...No question about it.
mhardy6647
Lunatic Member
Cars today are far more reliable than they "used to be" - kind of astonishing (almost counter-intuitive) given the level of complexity in their design and construction.
Mrs H's 2005 Escape Hybrid has almost 190k miles on it... and my old 2000 Focus ZX3 5-speed is still goin' strong - in the hands of my daughter and son-in-law - with over 210k miles (and its original clutch).
Mrs H's 2005 Escape Hybrid has almost 190k miles on it... and my old 2000 Focus ZX3 5-speed is still goin' strong - in the hands of my daughter and son-in-law - with over 210k miles (and its original clutch).
I think cars are better engineered today with CHEAPER lighter materials designed to last a certain time frame (7 year payment?) with the utmost of reliability during said time frame. The average American consumer will hardly tolerate a dead battery anymore. Gone are they days of old world craftmanship such as Connolly leather and hand leaded doors. They have been replaced by a $0.19 ipod connector made from the finest post consumer recycled plastic.
240sx4u
Lunatic Member
Seriously? You want hand leaded doors? To meet stringent EPA guidelines they need to make cars as light and safe as possible. I don't think lead is a good choice both from an environmental standpoint or weight.
I doubt you'd be willing to pay for a hand-stitched interior if it were an option, or am I wrong?
57 chevy? Seriously? From what I remember and understand the average car of that age was pretty well trashed at the 100k mile mark. I don't own a single car with under 130k on it now, and they don't give me a teeny bit of headache. I also don't buy the "but you can't service them". I have been taking care of our 2005 dodge magnum for the last 80k miles. It's had absolutely no electrical or engine problems. When engine problems do arise, I do a code scan and the car tells me what's wrong!
bshorey
Super Member
We always considered inbound marketing to be the requirements gathering stuff, outbound marketing to be the generations of slogans, literature, etc, and sales to be the act of talking to customers, generating orders, ..
bs
bshorey
Super Member
That's pretty funny. I rented a Malibu a couple of years ago and flogged the living day lights out of it on a race track in Kentucky. I was kind of impressed. If that's the worst product they're building, then they have a bright future.
bs
I'm old enough to remember the good old days of 1960s automotive engineering and manufacturing. To put it bluntly, they weren't that good.
Driving a car from that era past 100,000 miles was a rare adventure -- rare because most of them had major powertrain problems or rusted out before they reached 100k, and an adventure because you never knew what was going to fail next. My dad used to trade his cars in around 50k because his job involved lots of driving and he needed a car he could trust. When he changed jobs in the early 1970s and started keeping his cars longer, he discovered a whole new world of interesting and expensive repairs.
Today's cars will easily run for 100,000 miles with little more than routine maintenance and replacements of wear items such as tires and brakes. With a few more parts replacements, most cars will reach 150k without a major failure and a large percentage will make it past 200k. My current daily driver, a 2000 Mercury Sable, runs well and is still very pleasant to drive at 163,000 miles. My wife's 2005 Chrysler minivan has required a few more repairs than the Sable has, but it's still trustworthy at 153,000 miles.
Driving a car from that era past 100,000 miles was a rare adventure -- rare because most of them had major powertrain problems or rusted out before they reached 100k, and an adventure because you never knew what was going to fail next. My dad used to trade his cars in around 50k because his job involved lots of driving and he needed a car he could trust. When he changed jobs in the early 1970s and started keeping his cars longer, he discovered a whole new world of interesting and expensive repairs.
Today's cars will easily run for 100,000 miles with little more than routine maintenance and replacements of wear items such as tires and brakes. With a few more parts replacements, most cars will reach 150k without a major failure and a large percentage will make it past 200k. My current daily driver, a 2000 Mercury Sable, runs well and is still very pleasant to drive at 163,000 miles. My wife's 2005 Chrysler minivan has required a few more repairs than the Sable has, but it's still trustworthy at 153,000 miles.
So what are you driving with one million miles on it we all want one?
I have owned both a 57 bel air and 60 impala sports coupe
while they were fine in their day even into the mid 60's
their reliability like any car from that area would be unacceptable today
that includes the body /frame structure the frt K members were notorious for sagging on those.
like most of the GM all the way through the 70's some Mopars were even worse for sagging /breaking K frames
Valve grinds with the unhardened valve seats of the day were
not uncommon well before 100K.
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Kismet1968
:)
Working in Consumer Protection Law - I have seen 1 major re-occurring complaint for the past year in vehicles made by auto manufacturers: SYNC- Bluetooth - Blue Link - does not pair with users phones resulting in numerous malfunctions in the consumers Nav/Phone/Audio sysytems. Lucrative for us - seems like manufacturers would be all over this to find "the fix" :scratch2: