truth about domestics

The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, due out around the middle of next year, is the very well designed replacement for the current Cobalt.  The Cruze features some impressive sheetmetal, as well as a well trimmed out interior.  It is also expected to hit somewhere in the 40 mpg range on the EPA test circuit.  For more details, head on over to Autoblog or Jalopnik.

(Image source: GM)

GM has released a press…release, that states their intention to debut the United States version of the Chevrolet Cruze.  This car looks miles better than the current Cobalt it replaces, not to mention the Cruze is expected to get around 40 miles per gallon!  For more information, along with GM’s official press release, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: GM)

I know there are many out there who are anti-union, and for good reason.  However, I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who would be upset at the news that General Motors is bringing 1,350 union workers back to plants in Ohio and Ontario.  The Lordstown, Ohio plant makes the Chevy Cobalt and the CAMI plant in Ontario produces the new 2010 Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain.

The reason for the increase in production?  GM says dealers have sold down on their inventories due to Cash For Clunkers.  This added shifts will put about 60,000 more cars into dealers hands over the third and fourth quarters of this year.  For the full story, and GM’s press release, head on over to Autoblog.

(Source: Blog Cleveland)

Rick Wagoner (GM)

General Motor’s CEO, Rick Wagoner, has been asked to step down by the Automotive Task Force in Washington D.C.  For the full story, and Mr. Wagoner’s press release, head on over to Autoblog.

Now that I got the official business out of the way, it’s time for one of my legendary rants.  Sure someone needs to take the blame for GM’s current position.  I mean, Rick Wagoner should have seen this coming.  Not only is GM producing it’s highest quality line of vehicles ever, they’re also the most fuel efficient, safest and most technologically advanced.  Plus, I mean, it’s totally GM’s fault that the banks collapsed, people can’t get financing to buy vehicles, gas prices hit $4+ last summer and the housing market is in shambles, so might as well blame all that on Rick Wagoner too.  Hey, wait a second!  Wasn’t Rick Wagoner CEO during 9/11?  We might want to look into that, maybe we can blame that on him too.

Glad to see that Washington thinks that because the market sucks and people aren’t buying cars, that it’s all Rick Wagoner’s fault.  If it were true that GM isn’t doing anything right, then they wouldn’t outsell Toyota and Honda and Nissan in the United States.  They wouldn’t be the second largest automaker in the world.  They wouldn’t sell cars like the Chevrolet Cobalt that gets better fuel economy than the Honda Civic or the Toyota Corolla.  They wouldn’t propose an idea like the Chevrolet Volt, a car that is expected to average 100 mpg (energy equivalent) when it’s launched late in 2010.  Sure, Mr. Wagoner could have done more.  He could have cut more jobs, he could have made more production cuts.  I hear and read hundreds of comments like that every day.  All from people who are using what they know today to look back 3 years and cast judgement.  If you were the CEO back in 2007, would you have started cutting jobs when the company was starting to show signs of improvement?  Would you have cut new product plans because, 1 year down the road gas was going to skyrocket to more than double it’s price at the time?  To anyone who says yes, I say, “bullshit.”  There was no way anyone could have seen the market collapse coming, or the high gas prices, or the lack of credit from the banks.

Hopefully Obama doesn’t abandon the Domestic automakers to the point of bankruptcy.  It sure looks as though it’s headed that way.  Oh, and to anyone who still doesn’t think the auto industry affects them, check the stock market.  I don’t care if you don’t own a share of Ford, GM or Chrysler stock, look at the market.  Rick Wagoner steps down, analysts say GM and/or Chrylser could be headed for bankruptcy and boom, the market drops 250+ points.  Weird…I didn’t think the Domestic manufacturers mattered to this country…yet their negative news spread throughout the market, causing wide spread panic and more selling.  Maybe when GM and Chrysler said they support directly and indirectly over 1 million jobs, they were telling the truth!  Are investors worried that their collapse would cause other businesses to fail?  You’re damn right they are!  Now where’s my blood pressure medication…

2008 Chevrolet Cobalt XFE

Sure, cars built by the Detroit 3 were terribly inefficient back in the 70′s, 80′s and even somewhat in the 90′s. That is no longer the case when you actually take the time to look at the D3′s products.  This is probably the subject that upsets me the most when people give their reason for buying a foreign competitor’s product.  It shows that they were lazy and didn’t do their own research, instead relying on their perceived notion of which cars are fuel efficient and which are not.  Just because a brand sells a hybrid doesn’t mean the rest of their cars are fuel efficient.  The Big 3 have been accused of building only gas guzzlers to make huge profits.  As you will see, they were not alone in this.  Toyota and Nissan have released their biggest trucks and SUV’s to date in the past 4 years, as gas prices climbed and sales dropped.  Let’s break it down into segments to show examples of how the D3 compete today.

Lets start small and work our way up, beginning with C class cars.  All cars are 2009 models unless otherwise mentioned.  Most of the numbers given below are from www.fueleconomy.gov and also the manufacturer’s own website.  They are all based on the EPA’s testing.  The Chevrolet Cobalt XFE is rated at an estimated 25 mpg / 37 mpg (city / highway), while the Ford Focus is rated at 24 / 35.  The Honda Civic stickers at 26 / 34 while the Toyota Corolla is rated at 26 / 35.  All of these numbers are fairly close, but what stands out is that the MOST fuel efficient car in the class is from one of the American 3.

Take a look at midsize sedans and you may be shocked to learn that the story is very similar here.  When equipped with 4 cylinder engines, the Americans take the lead.  The Chevrolet Malibu is rated at 22 / 33, the Ford Fusion is rated at 20 / 29, while the Dodge Avenger is rated at 21 / 30.  All very close, and very good numbers for cars of their size.  The 2010 Ford Fusion is estimated to return 33 mpg on the highway, tying it for first with the Malibu.  The Toyota Camry is rated at 21 / 31, while the Honda Accord is estimated at 22 / 31.  The Nissan Altima is rated up to 23 / 32.  Again, the D3 pulls out again in fuel economy.  That’s 2 thus far Shooter…

Say you would like your midsize sedan with more guts for merging on the freeway.  When equipped with a V6, the Ford Fusion offers 20 / 29, the Chevrolet Malibu 18 / 29, Toyota Camry 19 / 28, and Honda Accord at 19 / 29.  No clear winner, but the American offerings are very competitive.

In the small crossover arena, when equipped with 4 cylinder engines, the Ford Escape is rated at 22 / 28, while the Saturn VUE is rated at 19 / 26.  The Toyota RAV4 provides 22 / 28, and the Honda CR-V is rated at 20 / 27.  Say you need more power, and opt for the V6.  The numbers are still very close, with the Ford Escape rated at 19 / 25, Saturn VUE at 16 / 23, Toyota RAV4 at 19 / 26, and Honda CR-V with 20 / 26.

On the larger crossover side, Ford and Chevrolet tie for first with Toyota.  The Chevrolet Traverse is rated at 17 / 24, while the Ford Flex receives identical numbers.  The Dodge Journey is rated at 16 / 23.  The Toyota Highlander is rated at 18 / 24, and the Honda Pilot at 17 / 23.

The D3 continue to lead the pack in full size trucks with their new offerings in 2008 and 2009.  The 2009 Chevrolet Silverado XFE 2WD is rated at 15 / 21, identical to the all new 2009 Ford F-150 SFE at 15 / 21.  The new Dodge Ram is close behind at 14 / 20.  All three of the American models listed are equipped with V8 powertrains.  They are still fully capable of towing and hauling, as trucks are meant to do.  The Toyota Tundra rates at 15 / 19…when equipped with a V6.  Bumping up to the V8 means taking a slight hit in economy, dropping to 14 / 17 with the 4.7L engine, or 14 / 18 with the 5.7L.  The Nissan Titan, Nissan’s first full size truck, is rated at 13 / 18 with it’s only available V8 engine.

A segment where the D3 show their leadership is in large SUV’s.  The Chevrolet Tahoe SFE 2WD is rated at 15 / 21.  The Ford Expedition 2WD posts an impressive 14 / 20.  Based on the new Tundra is the Toyota Sequoia, rated at 14 / 19.  The Sequoia’s up-market brother, the Land Cruiser, comes in at 13 / 18 (only 4WD is available.)  The Nissan Armada 2WD is rated at just 12 mpg in the city, and 18 mpg on the highway.

How about alternative fuels / powertrains?  You say the D3 has fallen behind.  They may have been behind, but they have caught up rapidly and are about to pass the competition.  GM is the only auto maker to put out a full size truck and SUV hybrid in an attempt to help improve the fuel mileage on the worst offenders.  The 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid is expected to earn an EPA rating of 39 mpg in the city…6 mpg MORE than the Toyota Camry hybrid rating of 33 mpg.  It’s highway number of 37 mpg is 3 more than the Toyota Camry hybrid’s rating of 34 mpg on the highway.  In a recent media drive of the Fusion hybrid, the writers (from www.autobloggreen.com) on hand averaged 43.1 mpg in mixed driving.  That’s nearing the EPA numbers for a Prius dedicated hybrid model (48 / 45).  Since 2004, Ford has offered the most fuel efficient SUV on the planet with the Escape hybrid, rated at 34 mpg city, 31 mpg highway.

As you can clearly see, the Detroit automakers produce cars that are competitive in their segments, being as efficient or more efficient than their foreign competition.  Please, help pass this message on!  Stop listening to the people who say that Detroit doesn’t build fuel efficient vehicles.  The Japanese manufacturers are not the only option out there.  It’s not 1972 anymore, it’s 2008, there is a new D3.