GM has hurt itself by offering incentives every few months. Its the only way they can get people into their vehicles. On the other hand Toyota and Honda better handle markets and look further ahead then GM and Ford.
They would rather spend money trying to convince you to buy their vehicles. Then just developing vehicles that sell themselves. When will they ever learn!

"So I say - keep driving those SUVs. That way I can keep track of how many morons there really are in the country."
Fury, WASHINGTON
At least we know there's one moron in WASHINGTON.

The choice to buy a Jap/German car shows disrespect to those who died in WWII to give you the freedom of choice. Support American industry

Here is a link to the full animation directed by Marcell Jankovics - Hungary, 1975. I remember it from my childhood.
http://livinganimationfest.blogspot.com/2007/01/sisyphus.html

The price difference is not for the hybrid technology alone.  The hybrid model only comes with a range of other features and upgrades.  If you got a similarly equipped non-hybrid vehicle, the price difference is around $3-4,000.  Please get the facts right!  They do not offer hybrid technology on every option pack because that drives up the cost tremendously.  Hyrbid models have to have a completely separate production line, so you offset that cost with more standardization and the inclusion of lots of options as part of the higher standard price.

I have news for GM and all auto manufacturers.
"What’s more, prices start at around $50,000, compared to around $36,000 for the regular Yukon -- not exactly in most family’s budgets."
At $36k it's not exactly in most family's budgets!
[Red Foreman]
Dumbass!
[/Red Foreman]

Rick D.
"Success in the hybrid market isn't about who delivers the best gas mileage.  It's about who delivers the best gas mileage to only those customers who CARE about gas mileage, and are willing to pay for it."

Success in the Hybrid market will depend on who designs a non-combustible engine first that can travel for at least 8 hours with out refueling.
GM, Ford and Chrysler should team together to find this answer!

Very interesting reading all these people have to say.
I am happy more than 50% of them are on the American side and are more realistic comparing real research on prices, quality, technology and (market, a company sells only what people will buy). The other side go by missiformation of ads placed by the foreign competition. Unfortunately it is true, bad ads make the minds of a lot of people. The the good ads may be difficult for those people to understand, but that's ok, the ads were not intended for them.

All hybrids are marketing ploys. Its the automakers trying to look good and caring about the environment.  At least GM is not just making hybrid cars, but branching out to the larger SUVs, while toyota is throwing their "crown jewel" of a gas guzzler 5.7L in every thing they can find. Too bad there are too many foreign nut huggers out there to actually appreciate what GM is doing.

Does the writer of this article really mean to say "plundering?"  This implies robbing, stealing or some act related to theft.  I would submit that "thundering" may have been a better choice.

See the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car"  

GMC had this technology long ago.  But they dumped it. They could have been innovators--but now they are just imitators.  

Well finally the automotive electrical engineers are starting to get things right in their way of thinking about the powering of hybrid vehicles. Super capacitors are available now and also are under development in several places. These capacitors enable a hybrid drive system to completely power an electric car as they are instantly charged up and they also have the property of holding a charge like a battery so there is no need to put expensive batteries in the car for power unless it is a pure electric vehicle and even pure electric vehicles can benefit from using super capacitors because they even the load out for the batteries so that they don't get too much resistance internally under a heavy demand for power. Unlike batteries capacitors are charged instantly so they can store the energy from regenerative breaking while batteries can only store a little of this energy. Its all about energy management , I have known about this for over thirty years and I hope that they figure out how to do it soon as I feel bad to see them stumble along in the dark until they figure out how to properly manage the energy contained in a gallon of gas. I am sorry , but 21 miles to a gallon is terrible and it doesn't make any difference who makes the cars , trucks, or suv , it is just poor mileage.

David,

Nice posts!  

Funny how Toyota talked up it's 2007 goal of selling 200,000 new Tundra's, which is less than the number of Prius they sold.  

Also, let's look at some other new models Toytoa rolled out in 2007:

08 Land Cruiser - 13/18
08 LX570 - 12/18
08 Scion xB 22/28 (the 06 xB had significant better gas mileage at 27/35)

So I wonder why Toyota would produce these types of vehicles if 1. consumers don't want them & 2. It's the American companies that push big SUVs on the public?

I have another point I'd like to make. With so many foreign cars on the road, especially japanese cars, and they are built so good and to last, why haven't we seen any major or small auto repair shops going under or even complaining about lack of business? I thought when you bought a toyota or honda they never broke or nothing ever wears out or never needs to be repaired, my perception must be wrong. Oh by the way anyone hear about honda big recall from their acrua division? I know it was buried on back page not very noticeable. If that was GM it would have made the top story on all major papers and news stations

What is so unfortunate is that Americans blame everyone else for the problems that we encounter.  It's GM's fault that we decided we would buy HUGE quanities of SUV's throughout the Clinton 90's?  It's GM's fault that they built the cars for the masses?  They are supposed to design cars that no one wants to buy?  People, let's get real.  If we demand it, they will build it.  Is the 5500 pound Tahoe the way to go when it comes to hybrid technology?  I think, at this point in time, it certainly is.  Is it perfect?  No, of course it isn't.  Don't blame the car companies for building gas guzzlers.  Blame yourselves for buying them.  

And quit slamming American products...I have had a Honda that is possibly the worst car I have ever owned (even worse than a 1990 Chevy Lumina that was a tough competitor for that title).  My parents have always driven GM cars and have had few if any problems with them.  The American car companies have had their problems - but they are now building cars (Chevy Malibu, Caddy CTS, Ford Fusion) that rival their foreign competitors in every way.  

If we all take a step back and think about the current add campaign that Toyota has set loose we will be reminded of that fact that Toyota has now entered the, before now american truck market.  Aren't they the ones touting the 10000 lb towing capacity?  Isn't Toyota the one with more horsepower, more towing capacity, bigger brakes, bigger and better everything?  Why not slam them for developing the so called gas guzzler, road hog piece of junk that you are all critisizing?   Wonder why they got in the market for these vehicles?  Is it beacuse we as Americans them?  Where is Toyota's answer to GM's SUV Hybrid?  Let's see a Toyota SUV Hybrid that can rock crawl or do real 4WD things not just drive around town on slick city streets.  The Japanese and other foreign car makers (for the most part) talk about All Wheel Drive.  Great for the urban jungle. Not that great for real 4WD needs, try that in your pathetic Subaru.

Honda, Toyota, and Nissan won the public over by listening to comments about quality.  Instead of competing brands built on identical platforms (Chevy Cavalier/Pontiac Sunfire & Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable) each won their niche with only two cars.  Honda did it with the Accord and Civic, Toyota with the Camry and Corolla, and Nissan with the Maxima and the Sentra.  They took one model and just kept making it better and better.  That is how the big three got beat on their own turf.  It really is all about quality and dependablity.  I've owned about a dozen cars thus far in my lifetime and my firsthand experience bears out that the japanese made cars run longer, are more fuel efficient and have fewer mechanical hang-ups than domestic models.  I currently drive a Subaru Outback wagon.  I call it the swiss army knife of the automobile world.  It has plenty of room, is economical to run (4 cyl engine and 5 speed manual transmission) and the AWD just about guarantees my mobility regardless of the weather here in the Omaha area. Fuel is not getting cheaper, and with the horsepower output of modern 4 cyl engines (170 hp in a 2.5 liter 4 vs 140 hp in a 302 cu. in. V-8 circa 1976 - think mustang II) there really is no reason to drive a V-8 powered vehicle when 99 out every hundred trips are made with less than 3 people in the car.  Europeans have gotten this message as our fuel prices are still just approaching what they have been shelling out for decades.  Get past the advertising and really think about what your needs are..  

Being a proud American, I tip my hat to a great American company and industry. The American automotive industry made America strong during WWII and other crucial times. Buy American made. Keep
America strong.

If you really want to be patriotic  stop buying american built Japanese and Korean vehicles whose profit goes off shore frome each and every sale.  We are stupid americans who see factory jobs in America by Honda and all others as a good thing.  Stupid Stupid Stupid  and to be fair tell GM and Ford to stop assembling in Mexico and Canada and come home and put The U.S.A. First! Unions should be ashamed of forcing the proce so high!

"If you want your "Japanese" rice-burner, remember that most of everything you own is probably made in a Japanese country or is of some Japanese brand anyway.  If you hate American industry so much, then why don't you vote in a Japanese President and sell out our country completely."

Darkvette, just exactly how many 'Japanese' countries are there? Considering that most of our imported goods come from China, I'm gonna guess that you're putting down Asia in general? Look at a world map and get your facts straight before you make a comment and look like a fool.
Btw, I'm an Asian girl who has always bought American cars because I want to support American industry. Some of the foreign brands do have plants here in America, so would those cars not be considered to be 'rice-burners' by people like yourself? The ignorance of people never fails to astound me.
 

I have heard for years of the great feats of engineering accomplished by the foreign car makers. How do you get 170 HP in a 4 cylinder engine?  Is it engineering?  Please explain to me why it is the 4 cylinder 170 HP engine in a lighter Subaru seems so inadequate when the old reliable 302 cubic inch V8 had the same HP and was so wonderfully responsive to throttle.  The power and response of a V8 powered  rear wheel drive vehicle excites the senses and the power and response of a 4 cylinder AWD vehicle leaves you feeling like you are driving Grandpa's Rambler. I may be considered foolish but there must be some magical engineering feat that changes the way HP is measured.  If changing the way HP is measured is an engineering feat, I too can greatly improve the specifications of numerous products.  Now that's engineering at it's finest!

Come on people, get some reality here! Your hybrids are powered by engines 20% efficient. Considering compression ignition engines are 40% efficent and VM, owned by GM would be a far better choice as a powerplant. Now discuss hybrid! Now you have mileage, performance, power and efficency!

If you want to know what's wrong, quit thinking with the masses, see what's out there and use the best technology there is. Look around and ask yourself why do the auto makers coddle Europe with diesels yet Americans are stuck with the fuel guzzling spark igniters? Every maker has diesel powered vehicles in Europe. If you want to get on their case do it right and lobby the diesel technology here... otherwise, you're equally responsible for the consequences.

As for Toyota and Nissan, their pickup/suv mileage is disgusting.  

I think everyone should drive a Prius so there will be more gas left for those of us who prefer to drive large trucks or suvs & enjoy recreating with boats, 2 stroke snowmobiles & other gas guzzling toys. I'm sure the semi-truck drivers & farmers across the country could use a break form high fuel prices

The point is not that Toyota makes gas guzzlers, it's that they offer a choice. If gas goes to $5.00 a gallon, they're ready. If scientists invent a bacteria that eats CO2 and pees out high-test gasoline, they're ready. Show me GM's fuel-efficient, high-quality offering.

"Why does the media always bad mouth GM and put foreign car makers on a pedestal"?  Because they do absolutely nothing innovative, that's why.  How tough is it to put out a BS hybrid truck after Toyota takes on all the risk of developing the market?  If GM really wants to do something innovative, they should get a hydrogen vehicle or home chargable hybrid vehicle to market AHEAD OF THE JAPANESE!!  

I don't think it's all about gas milage. Toyota is doing well because of quality. Ever notice a Toyota on the side of the road very often? Toyota vehicles get over 300,000 miles on them all the time with little money spent in maintenance. The fact is, Toyota engines are built to tighter tolerances and higher standards. If people are thinking like me, they don't feel like paying $30,000 for something that's not gonna last 5 yrs. WHO gives a rat's arse about GREEN when you're paying $100 a month in repair bills. :p

Also, buying American is not always buying American. Take a good look at where the parts are manufactured. Many of the parts are from Mexico, Canada, China, Tiawan, etc. My 93' Toyota T-100 has a radiator built by GM. Many Toyota's are built right here in the US.

Wow!  Many of you are very passionate about this issue.  My two cents is this.  People will buy and drive what fits their lifestyle.  There's no way I'm fitting three kids, two dogs & luggage into a Prius.  I don't live in the city, so wouldn't benefit from the hybrid technology any ways.  For those who have to sit in hours upon hours of stop/go traffic; a hybrid may be the way to go.  But when you have to drive an hour to get to the mall, a nonhybrid is way to go.  Theres alot of hype about about hybrids and I think most buy them to feel like they are contributing to reduce oil consumption and help global warming.  But a hybrid vehicles cost more to purchase, so your gas savings will take 4 years to recoup on average.  What happens when your "power cell" goes out?  Has anyone priced one recently?  I called the local Ford dealer and priced the power cell for the hybrid Escape...it's $6300.  You can buy another engine for that price.  When asked if Ford will charge the customer for a disposal fee, the parts guy didn't know because the technology is too new.  So I were to buy a hybrid Escape, it would cost me $4k more than a "normal" one, then an additional $6K later for the power cell.  What gets me is the emmisions on hybrids are higher than those PZEV vehicles they compete against.  There are 8 models of PZEV vehicle out there on the market, but no one is pushing those vehicle and on average those vehicle get one mile a gallon less than the hybrids (combine city/highway mileage).

If the market doesn't drive what the auto maker are manufacturering, then why did Toy and Nissan come out with "larger" full size pickups and SUVs?  Why has the size of the accord, camry, RAV4 grown in size.  It's what you, the American consumer wanted.  So don't blame the auto makers.  I've had Japanese and American cars.  Each had their perks and faults.  I buy what's good for my family, lifestyle and wallet.  If you want to feel good about yourself and buy a "green" car, do so; but don't chatise those who don't suscripe to your view point.  

Finally, auto writers are skewed; most live and work in metro areas.  Most never truly use their SUVs for the intended purpose.  Try taking camping/hunting gear w/you in an Outback, RAV4 and hauling back an Elk or deer.  Try taking your soccer team to a game in the same vehicle...give me a break.  We like to blame other rather than ourselves.  I drive what you consider and ungreen vehicle, but it's my money that's paying for the gas.  

"Ever notice a Toyota on the side of the road very often?"  Yes I have, I was driving it; Camry in fact.  I'm a Toyota fan, have been since my 84 4Runner; but like all companies, when they get too big, quality begins to suffer.  This was Toyota's worst year for quality control.  So much so that the President of Toyota sent a memo out stating this fact and urging the plants to refocus on this issue.  

BTW: I sold my Camry and now have an American SUV.  I get 2MPG less than my Camry, but I can haul more and tow now.  

For those who do not think that American car makers are actually doing something positive, please check out the Chevy Volt http://www.chevrolet.com/electriccar/. The only non-American items in the field are glorified golf-carts.

Hydrogen powered cars are the way to go.

They don't have the range problems of electrics, and don't use gas. They don't burn ethenol, so our farmers can focus on growing food, not fuel. They exaust water vapor, so no CO2 to worry about.

We just need the hydrogen refueling station infrastructure. The technology is here already.

This country is all about waste, with car/suv sizes and gas being the leaders.  There's no incentive to develop alternative technology because the price of gas is so low.  Even at $4/gal.  Toyota and Honda have taken measures to develop real world efficient cars that can go for more than 100k.  It's great that GM and Ford are now trying to follow the leaders.  I'm not saying Toyota is a saint because they're loving the lax regulations over here in terms of mpg.  The bottom line is the Toyotas and Hondas have the ability to cut back on the SUV's and trucks and rely on smaller more efficient vehicles whereas GM and Ford are getting burned because they can't.  

Steve N, MN - the problem with your post is that govt determines the market not us the consumer.  If the TRUE price of oil was reflected at the pump (ie costs associated with going to war, funding veteran's programs, maintaining a puppet govt in Iraq, paying for the effects on the environment, reducing subsidies to oil companies ...etc) then the price of gas would be about $7/gal, and trust me then, car companies would develop more efficient vehicles.  And then GM and Ford (the American car companies, who manufacture parts/cars in Mexico and Canada) would be out run by the foreign companies of Honda and Toyota (who set up shop all over the US)

"...hold a candle to a Corvette..."? Wouldn't all that petro-plastic catch fire?

As for them thar "furrin" cars, most of them are made right here in North America. Only the engineering is done overseas where the engineers are more professional and creative. After all, until a few months ago Chrysler was one of those "furrin" companies. Subarus are from Indiana, Hyundais are from Alabama, Mercedes SUVs from Mississippi, BMWs from South Carolina...etc. Oh, but your Ford Fusion and it's carbon copy Merc. and Lincoln (all of which get pretty high marks from owners)...all from Mexico!

And what other car co. has endured 100 years? Try Daimler-Benz. They invented the car, after all.

So keep on truckin', America. And SUVin', and Hummerin'. But quit claiming GM is "where it's at" when all they and the "big three" can do is build land yachts and imitate 'yesteryear' retros because they lack the ingenuity to outdo Toyota's Prius, Honda's Civic and the other innovative autos.

Sure, those co's. may build gas-guzzling behemoths too, but that's only because you, America, asked for them after trying your F150 and finding it sucked. And you needed it, after all, to haul a loaf of bread home from the supermarket...not to ford streams (you'd scratch that candy apple metallic paint), climb trees or the stuff you're claiming you need it for. In their defense, those nasty "furrin" co's. also offer eco-friendly alternatives while GM offers only excuses or "we're working on it...".

Mark in West Palm Beach recommended doing the research in regards to his statement "A Toyota Prius is one of the most enviromentally damaging cars manufactured. The process involved to make the battery for the Prius has devastated an area around Sudberry Canada so badly that it looks the moon. "

Sudbury Basin is believed to be the result of a 1.85-billion year old meteorite impact crater. The area also has an unusually high concentration of sulfur. Local smelting of the ore (going on for over 100 years) released the sulfur into the atmosphere.  There it combined with water vapour to form sulfuric acid, contributing to acid rain.

The damage to the area caused by acid rain occured long before Toyota started making the Prius.  Since the early 1970s the area has seen a marked improvement in the landscape due in part to environmental efforts and improvements in mining.  In 1992 the United Nations Earth Summit honored the city for its environmental reclamation efforts.

Mark should do his own research before making such outrageous claims.  

Cheers to those families that fill their SUVs - i live in Los Angeles, and I've never seen a full one

To repay the $14,000 premium, assuming $3/gallon and 20 mpg (which is a generous average!) you would break even when the vehicle hit just over 93,000 miles. Also, studies have shown that more greenhouse polutants are produced during the manufacturing of current technology hybrids than each of them saves being driven. We need wholistic evaluations, not just "feel good" solutions.

This is such a no brainer. Pump all the oil from Iraq and send it here. This country should be ashamed of itself the day that Toyota over took GM. Did we not nuke these bastards in WWII. Evidently 2 bombs were not enough. Maybe six was a better number.

This is the reason why American car companies like GM are failing. First, they are late to the dance and still they are the last picked to dance with. Their R&D departments have nothing on the Japanese. It's not the green thing at all. It is a lower quality car. As a former GM owner I can tell you that my car spent more time in the shop then on the road. I now own a honda that gets 30 to 40 mpg, hasn't been in the shop at all in the 60,000 miles. I've had it and runs like brand new, as compared to a GM in 60K miles that was in the shop quite frequently for engine and transmission troubles, ball joints and squeeks and rattles. I can't speak for Toyota, but you won't find one eight cylinder monster in the entire Honda line up. Their larger 6 cylinders get around 17 to 21 mpg without hybrid technology.

the Big 3 have known for over 40 years that better fuel economy and better quality were needed. The gas crisis of the 70s was a wake up call for alternative fuel.
In answer to this, car comanies came up with great answers:
BMW started work on a hydrogen powered vehicle
Toyota and Honda worked on ultra low emissions
Chrysler asked our government for a bailout and kept building the same type of vehicles.
The Big 3 lobbied congress to change the tax laws of larger vehicles and thereby make the larger vehicles cheaper for the customer
GM built the Hummer

The American Automakers had years to change the way they did business- they neglected that and now they are paying for their poor decisions

Want to thank GM? Sure, lets start with their destroying of the EV1 as well as the rights to the specifications for it's batteries! The battery rights were sold to the gas industry for "safe keeping". If you are not aware of what i refer to, just google "EV1", it's a real eye opener.

I use to be a loyal consumer of American  cars. But years of poor quality and design of cars that dont interest anyone has turned me off. After spending alot of money out over the years fixing different US cars I owned I finally bought my first Honda in 97 (of several since) and have had no issues with the car. Good gas mileage, Quality and looks. A very simple equation to gain the US consumer back. Just remember one year of good quality and looks doesnt equal a trend to bring back the consumers.

Thank you, GM, for continuing to build gas-guzzling SUVs that, while may be a bit more on the environmentally-friendly side, will continue to push gas prices even higher.  Calling all soccer mommies!  Run, don't walk, to your nearest GM dealership and buy one of these abominations!  My wallet is already groaning when I fill up, thanks to you!  Must be nice to be able to afford a $100/week tank of gas.

Ford and GM vehicles suck.  They always have, and they always will.  Thankfully, our family got off the American-made bandwagon in 1968.  Since then, we have been Toyota buyers through and through.  As a kid, I remember the pathetic problems we used to have with our new Oldsmobiles, which back then was normal.  I have raised my kids to also despise GM and Ford vehicles.  Even the Pontiac Vibe, made by Toyota for GM, is stupid.  Once a Vibe is purchased, it is instantly worth about $2000 less than a Matrix, just because it is a Pontiac.  

The best thing that can happen to America is for GM to finally do as a company what some of their cars do after being parked, and that is go up in a ball of flames.

As I read these posts. Some of the posts on here remind me why America is in trouble. Ignorant bigotry is alive and well! Those of you who are bringing up the Germans and the Japanese and what they did in WWII, the 1940's called they want their idiots back. Hey guys, war is over, it's over 50 years old now! It's the companies like GM fault for producing an inferior product, bottom line. As soon as GM stops building product in Mexico, maybe I'll buy one!

I work for a GM dealer, my family owns a Yukon XL. It has the feature that allows it to cycle between 4 and 8 cylinders as needed. We recently drove from NJ to TN on one tank of gas. If I can get that kind of highway mileage from my non-hybrid Yukon, I can only imagine how well the hybrid would do.

Everyone has opinions, but after reading this blog, I'm afraid foreign car lovers are some of the worst informed buyers. In my lifetime, I've had Chevy, Ford, Hillman,(English)Opel, (German)Chrysler, and various other brands. All the brands have their cachet, but American cars have served me best.This blog woundn't even be taking place if gas were still $.99/gallion. Next I expect someone will bring up the carborater that "gives 100 miles per gallon, if only the oil companies would allow it to be released" Cars today are amazing. They do more things better and have better reliability than ever. This blog is nothing other than the "greens " against the average Joe's and it makes me sick, Nobody appreciates America and if I remember rightly, many foreign car manufacturers wouldn't be making cars if we didn't help them after WW II. Sure, it's easy to critisize, just remember freedom is located in the "Good Ol' US of A".

Our US egos. Bigger is better. Show your wealth. He who dies with the most toys wins. Support the money grabbers that will call in your debt soon. I'll see you on the streets. KEEP US WITH THE BUSHE'S!!

i think we need to start trying to find out how to commute like the jetsons

I can't speak too much about SUVs as I don't own one nor do I wish to. However, I do own a Chevy Impala. A full size car that seats 6 and averages 25 MPG in mixed driving and has got me 32MPG on the open highway with a passenger and a trunk full of luggage. Do that comfortably in a sub compact.

After looking at stock price histories for Ford and GM I would think that someone in those two companies would get the hint about building economical AND affordable vehicles.  Here is a hint for all the "big boys" of the auto industry: Whatever you build needs to have a range good enough to drive across Texas at modest highway speeds, deliver 40 plus MPG and cost less than $15,000. If the Americans can build this vehicle they can beat their world competition. The resulting surge in our economy would put us back in the drivers seat.  

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