sweet newer cars from the big 3.....

[Sandy G]

Very nice.
Looks like GM is pulling out all the stops with this one. The first no excuses small car from the Big 3 since..... The K Car maybe?

Well, see, that's the thing. The secret to the car business is NOT in how many Challengers or Camaros you bring out, its in the bread 'n' butter 4 door sedans. Can Detroit out-Accord the Accord, & out-Camry the Camry, & manage to make bucketfuls of money while they do it ? Ford had better wise up, too- You CAN'T survive forever on trucks & SUVs-Once gas gets back to 4, 5 bux a gallon-and it will- truck & SUV sales will be a fond memory.

 

[rickr15]

Ford had better wise up, too- You CAN'T survive forever on trucks & SUVs-Once gas gets back to 4, 5 bux a gallon-and it will- truck & SUV sales will be a fond memory.

Well Sandy the SUV's may go away but trucks never will. Some guys just plain need them for work. Do expect the plumber to add a gas surcharge to your bill though to help feed that truck. BTW all 3 big three manufacturers will soon have ½ ton diesels out upping the mileage considerably.

By the way nice list Henry. If you can get one of those cars I expect they will be extremely valuable in the future as the next generation fondly remembers the musclecars of their youth.

 

[Bigerik]

Well, see, that's the thing. The secret to the car business is NOT in how many Challengers or Camaros you bring out, its in the bread 'n' butter 4 door sedans. Can Detroit out-Accord the Accord, & out-Camry the Camry, & manage to make bucketfuls of money while they do it ? Ford had better wise up, too- You CAN'T survive forever on trucks & SUVs-Once gas gets back to 4, 5 bux a gallon-and it will- truck & SUV sales will be a fond memory.

Did you see the latest Car and Driver? Ford Fusion won overall as best Hybrid sedan. Beating EVERYONE else, including Toyota.
Actually, I am not worried about Ford at all. They have an incredible variety of really great new cars coming down the line in the next year or two. Should be good times for the house that Henry built.

 

[Jailtime]

+1 on the Cadillac CTS V. Love the looks, and who can resist a 556HP V8 that gets 20MPG out on the highway? Like you would actually get that! I really like the CTS with the 3.6L DI V6. It sounds great and runs 6 flat to 60. I'm a GM fan. :thmbsp:

 

[Sandy G]

Ahh, but try to convince Joe Q. Public a FORD is as good/better than a Honda/Toyota...Especially people who look at cars as mere appliances to get them from "A" to "B"....The typical 30-40something nowadays prolly has memories of his/her dad cussing a Fairmont or a Celebrity when they were kids... Detroit's transgressions years ago will haunt them-Wrongly, perhaps-but will haunt them for long after they've cleaned up their acts...

 

[Jailtime]

I will always buy American cars. I've seen way too many of my friends replacing transmissions and front ends well before 100000 miles in their Hondas. And Japanese engines have timing belts, most American engines use timing chains, lower maintenance. My 96 Cadillac SLS is pretty much problem free, and the Northstar V8 is still a beast.

 

[BadassBob]

Im a younger guy (late 20s) and despite my generations loving of FWD foreign cars, Ive never once set foot on the lot of a foreign car dealership. None of them appeal to me. I'll always sport some form of American iron. I dont get why the public is so brainwashed by American iron being unreliable gas guzzlers. I was seeing 31mpg on the highway in my '00 Grand Prix GTP. The new Accord and Corolla get less than that, yet we the American public praise them on their fuel efficiency. My Grand Prix had 130k miles on the stock trans, had mods up the ass, and I beat on it like a red-headed stepchild and it never once failed me. As long as you maintain them they last. My brother has a '95 Caprice LT1 with 190k on the clock, and it runs perfect. Hell, even in my GTO with a big 6.0L LS2 I get 26mpg on the highway...eat that Japan!

 

[Jailtime]

Caprice LT1--fearsome engine. That will stomp my Northstar. The GM transmissions, 3.8 Series II V6 and the Northstar are unstoppable. I rod mine pretty good, who wouldn't, given the sound of that glorious engine? I guess all the seniors that normally have Sevilles wouldn't!

 

[BadassBob]

The Northstar is a fine piece of machinery. As for the 3800 Series II/III, GM shouldve never stopped making that engine. The LSx series engines are excellent as well. GM makes excellent products. Here in the Detroit area, Id say maybe 75% of us drive American, but I hear in the rest of the country, most folks are sportin' rice and sauer kraut.