GM pushes the envelope

wade, buffalo, new york — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:09:32 GMT

Why does the media always bad mouth GM and put foreign car makers on a pedestal.They are no better or no worse then GM.GM never got credit for what they did after 9/11 . They started the 0 financing even thought they couldn't afford it and it kept country from going into deep recession.They couldnt make the cars and trucks fast enough and it kept the factories running on full speed and all their suppliers working and all the other automakers follow suit .It kept america working and should be recognized for it

GM pushes the envelope

Bill Sands, Kansas City Missouri — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:01:23 GMT

The large Yukon Hybrid is A step in the right directon but the price tag is out of the reach of
most buyers. The savings in gas is more than off set
by the high price. It seem that Yukon hybrid is more of a public relations ploy to make GM seem heading in the right directon.
It is going to take a change of mind in the American public that the only way to get better gas mileage is to downsize. We really have no options as they do in Europe when it comes to stylish fuel efficent cars. Automakers should try and make the end of the market profitable.
Bill
KCMO

GM pushes the envelope

me, city in, georgia — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:25:07 GMT

It's a Hybrid and it only gets 21mpg? HAHA, what a joke. Way to go, another piece of gas guzzling crap on the road. Foreign cars Rule!

GM pushes the envelope

Ed Gonzalez — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:33:04 GMT

Incredible. You ld think that the GM SUV's were the bloated pigs of the car world after reading this article. This green Yukon might only get 21 mpg in the city, but Toyota's Landcruiser only gets 13 MPG in the city AND 18 HIGHWAY. Did I mention that the Toyota starts at nearly $64,000? The GM SUV's are technological marvels, and that tech does not come cheap, but a lot cheaper than the more gas consuming Toyota.

GM pushes the envelope

Chas, Evansville, Indiana — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:38:06 GMT

Once again american car makers are playing follow-the-leader. When will they learn that cutting the R&D budget so they can overpay executives only undercuts their sales. The old saying is true. Companies are built from the bottom up and destroyed from the top down.

GM pushes the envelope

J. McCright - La Plata, MD — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:39:58 GMT

It is one thing to design and engineer a hybrid vehicle that can withstand the rigors of commuter driving in the city...the perfect niche for the Prius. It is quite another to design one that can also scale mountainous terrain, river fording, and perform off-road in much less than ideal road conditions as needed (I say as needed because we know that it is unlikely that anyone of these Yukon buyers would drive their $50,000 trucks off-road). You can't just "super-size" a Prius and expect it to perform like a Yukon. Components will inevitably be either under- or over-engineered, compromising performance.

GMC has engineering and performance standards for all their vehicles to ensure that any one of their trucks will do what the buyer wants it to do, when they need it...much like Jeep has with their Rubicon trail acid-test for the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee.

My point is that GM did not arrive late in offering a hybrid SUV, they simply had to wait out the advancement of engineering and materials technologies to allow a hybrid system to accommodate a more capable vehicle such as the Yukon. Should that cost an extra $14,000? My gut says no, but Toyota and Honda charged quite a premium in the beginning to flesh out their first hybrids as well.

GM pushes the envelope

Margaret, Richmond, VA — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:45:45 GMT

It amazes me to see the American car companies being hammered by the media for building gas hogs when Toyota, Nissen, and Honda build them, too. You don't hear the media knocking them. Or is this bias? Neither of these are exactly frugal with gas. ALL of them are gas hogs and all of the companies will build them as long as people buy them. Americans pay lip service to high gas prices, but they still pump the gas hogs and complain. It's time everyone gets off their high horse (pun?) and get into a decent size vehicle, for safety and environmental reasons. But I don't think tiny Priuses are the only answer. Standard sedans do just as well. If you can't fit luggage and junk into a sedan, you've got too much. It never ceases to amaze me to see a large SUV piled high inside with a large roof rack on top! Now folks, do you really need all of that stuff?

GM pushes the envelope

allen — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:50:01 GMT

Why doesnt GM copy the design of a honda prius and make the same car here? Problem solved. Maybe their engineers, designers and upper management could learn something.

GM pushes the envelope

allen, houston, texas — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:51:52 GMT

Why doesnt GM copy the design of a honda prius and make the same car here? Problem solved. Maybe their engineers, designers and upper management could learn something.

GM pushes the envelope

Joe, Dallas, TX — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:56:30 GMT

I drive a Prius but, I have recently come around to agreeing that hybrid-izing big trucks and SUVs first is a good idea. Yes, 21 MPG is pathetic, but keep reading and see that it is 50% better mileage than the gas version. Due to the selfishness of the people in the US, it's useless to expect everyone to dump their 8 passenger vehicles ("because it's big and safe", they say) for an economy size car overnight. So, if those people aren't going to downsize, at least make their full-size vehicle "better", until they learn that they can survive with a smaller car.

Incremental change is going to get us through this, instead of expecting everyone to go "green" overnight.

GM pushes the envelope

Mike, Muncie, Indiana — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:59:02 GMT

Allen, you may have a bit more credibility if you would get the make and model correct. It is the Toyota Prius, not Honda. Toyota and GM do have a joint venture, the Vibe/Matrix, that just went through a complete makeover. Oh, by the way, in our region, the Vibe sells 2:1 over the Matrix.

GM pushes the envelope

Clark, Los Angeles, CA — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:19:57 GMT

The biggest tragedy in all of this is GM WAS at one point a leader in this field with the release of the EV1. But rather than grow that emerging green market, they decided to kill it. All those folks who paid a premium to get a Prius probably would have bought an electric GM car (myself included). Frankly they should go bankrupt and let the American auto industry start over again.

GM pushes the envelope

Ron Cladrak, Crosslake, Minn. — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:20:51 GMT

GM spin!! What a crock! They say that safe Lithium-ion batteries are not available yet; but Lithium Technologies, Inc., Plymouth Meeting, PA, does make a Lithium-ion iron-phosphate battery right now, that is safe, powerful, and lightweight. GM, like other US auto makers, will only reach the great green land of opportunity, kicking and dragging their feet all the way. How sad. How unfortunate for the American people, and the world. If we're "addicted" to oil, and we are, it's the GM's of the world who are the "pushers"!!

GM pushes the envelope

LowBlow, Lost Angels, Ca — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:22:46 GMT

American car companies fortunally can not make cars the american people want to buy, So American car makers Suck! I hope they rut to hell

GM pushes the envelope

Chris , chicago, IL — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:36:42 GMT

Large vehicals, like SUVs, are where the hybrid technology needs to be, in the Yukon the addition of a hybrid improves the gas milage by something like 30%. That's an accomplishment. As for the cost, yes, it's a bit of money, but 10 years ago what did a cell phone cost, what did a DVD player cost? This is where most innovation starts, with those willing to pay for it.

GM pushes the envelope

Mark, West Palm Beach, Florida — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:39:48 GMT

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. A GM Hummer is actually more enviromentally friendlier then a Prius. Do a little homework and find out for yourself. Also, look at the 2007 recall list and you will be surprised to find that the biggest number of recalled cars are foreign made.

GM pushes the envelope

Steve N, MN — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:54:24 GMT

America does not want a Prius. They want what they've traditionally driven all of their lives...big, flashy, fast, fun, capable cars. GM is an American car company giving Americans the cars that they want. Even Toyota and Honda are continually up-sizing their cars for the US market. Remember when the Accord was a compact? The Civic a sub-compact?

If you want GM, Ford, or any of the others to build fuel-efficient, alternative energy vehicles, you, as a consumer, must do your part and BUY them.

It is not GM's fault if they sold a bunch of SUV's. They built what the consumer demanded. And the consumer bought alot of them! It used to be that mini-vans were the virus infecting our highways...now it's the SUV. And the fault lies with the consumer, not the companies providing the goods.

All companies, no matter what they build or sell, look to fill a market. You are the market. If you change yourself, the companies providing you goods will be forced to change or go out of business.

GM pushes the envelope

Joel, Middletown, PA — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:09:20 GMT

It’s even more cliché to bad mouth domestic automakers than it is to drive a ‘green car’. But hey, I got an idea! Why don’t we keep kicking them while they’re down? That’ll help spark the US auto industry/economy. Good idea… right?

GM pushes the envelope

Phil, Turnersville, New Jersey — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:13:57 GMT

Anybody remember the GM produced EV-1? They introduced it in the early 90's and went on to discontinue it and have them all destroyed. They said an electric car wasn't practical for the American public, even after California passed new emission laws
and invested in recharging infrastructure. Granted, GM wasnt the only company who discontinued their electric cars, Toyota, Honda and Ford followed suit.
Had these programs have been allowed to thrive we wouldn't have to rely on oil any longer and not worry about emissions. Sad, just sad.

GM pushes the envelope

Dave - Columbus, Ohio — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:29:17 GMT

Honda builds gas guzzlers? That's interesting. I seem to recall Honda being the most fuel-efficient auto manufacturer.

I read an article on CNN/Money or MSN's Business about 6 or 7 years ago regarding the engineering for the Acura MDX SUV. the engineer wanted to put a big V8 in it because we Americans wanted more power and didn't care about the cost of gas. Honda executives refused to allow it, only allowing a V6 because they wanted the best gas milage for the class.

American car manufacturers are behind the times and they're paying the consequences. I don't feel badly for them whatsoever. They dug their own graves.

GM pushes the envelope

Mike D. Massena, NY — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:32:07 GMT

People forget that Toyota trucks have some of the worst gas mileage. GM finally brought a usefull hybrid to the market. It will tow 6000 pounds and you can still get 21mpg. What a great idea. It is easy to build a small car that gets good mileage. Remember that you can get a Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris for almost $10,000 less than the mighty Prius and only sacrifice about 5-10mpg. The Prius is still expensive compared to its non-hybrid competition. The GMC Yukon and Chevy Tahoe will come down in price one the technology starts paying for itself. They are completly different than the Prius, the electric motors are built into the transmission rather than attached to the motor. Also this technology was developed not only by GM but Mercedes, BMW and Chrylser all working together. This is the best system for the worst offenders.

GM pushes the envelope

Dave, Dallas, TX — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:35:10 GMT

PLEEASEEE as an owner of my first 'Import' a Nissan Titan - trust me the Foreign producers make gas guzzlers too. Wish I had a GMC again, my friends 4x4 GMC beats my 2 wheel Titan by at least 3 miles to the gallon. This thing is a pig and definately not better built than my last GMC was. Definately at the bottom of the mileage ratings.

GM pushes the envelope

Willy, Litchfield Park, AZ — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:50:47 GMT

'93 Honda Civic VX hatchback, nicely carried my 300 lb self while attaining 44mpg in combined city/hiway (realworld) driving, ice cold air blasting from the dash, smooth as glass at 75mph, with over 180,000 miles on the clock. And did I mention the nice cup holders?
I'm not so sure that hybrid technology is the best answer.

GM pushes the envelope

DEBI IN TEXAS — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:03:42 GMT

GM HAS SEVERAL SEDANS THAT GET OVER 30 MPG- SAME AS TOYOTA AND HONDA- WHY WOULD YOU WISH SUCH A LARGE EMPLOYER OF AMERICANS OUT OF BUSINESS?

GM pushes the envelope

Doug, Richmond, VA — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:10:20 GMT

I'm talking a fireign make here, but my Subaru Outback is an example of what can be. It doesn't look like an SUV. It doesn't look big. Park it next to a Maxima, and you realize how big it is. It's 170 horsepower in a 3,300 pound package. Carries five adults comfortably. Gets 22+ miles per gallon city and is PZEV. AND I can take the beast off the pavement. Its a tough car to beat.

GM pushes the envelope

Simon, Ypsilanti, MI — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:21:23 GMT

All you guys writing about how GM "killed the electric car" are not quite right. It just didn't sell. People want this and they want that, but don't want to pay for it. Simple as that.
Now with the new hybrid SUV's, how in the world can you guys complain about that? They get the same city mpg as a Toyota, andyour still going to gripe?
Come on, people just like to put GM down. They could come out with a car that is as big as a Yukon, get 100 miles per gallon, cost $35,000 and people will come up with "but it doesn't have a place to set my MP3 player. WWWWAAAAAAA

GM pushes the envelope

cr,columbus,ga — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:50:33 GMT

While the Yukon may "start" at 36000 of the eleven sitting on the storage lot outside of my office, nine are over 50000 and none of them are Hybred.

GM pushes the envelope

Chris Godsoe, Harltnad, ME — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:59:23 GMT

Guys, this is what you get when you drag someone out of the fashion/advertising department to write an automotive piece. Grossly misinformed.

GM pushes the envelope

Darral Ying III, Rockford,IL — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:14:21 GMT

My whole family worked for GM at some point, most have moved on to bigger and better things, however, we all agree; American car making policy is outdated. Bigger is not better, and we should have learned that when the first Toyota Tercel hit the market in the early 70's. America needs to wake up, including GM. The world does not care if we can manufacture the biggest boat on the road, rather, can we mass produce an efficient vehicle that is affordable and stylish. It is 2008, no more boxy monsters that eat fuel and break down. Its time our quality control and R&D standards match and exceed our competitors. REMEMBER: We invented the automobile.

GM pushes the envelope

cmac LA, CA — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:46:40 GMT

GM is a dinosaur. They are still using their one tool (a hammer) to try and pound a square peg into a round hole. Instead of retooling to make new and exciting American hybrids, they are just changing the drivetrains on their old, tired, heavy truck designs because that's all they know how to sell! I would hate to see them lose more business and put American workers out of jobs, but if the upper management there doesn't get a clue soon that's exactly what will happen. It simply isn't that hard to change. It must be assumed they are so short-sighted that they can't see their own eventual demise if they don't change.

GM pushes the envelope

Gerry G., Weatherly, PA — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:48:00 GMT

I think it's selfish of people to assume that everyone can adapt seamlessly to green cars like the Prius.

It is one thing for a single person to drive down the road in a Suburban, but my immediate family has 6 people. Even as children there was not even room for 5 of us to comfortably fit in a "family sedan". My brothers and I are tall and broad. Without these SUVs (or similarly gas consuming vans) there is no way for us to travel anywhere as a family. It would have been impossible for my family to go anywhere together my entire childhood without large vehicles. Maybe in China where they were limiting family size a Prius would be just fine to pack full for a weekend roadtrip, but here we fill a vehicle with persons let alone baggage.

My youth would not have produced the person I am today without such valuable family time spent on 8 hour journeys to Wally World and the like. Every time you see someone driving down the road in a vehicle that costs a fortune to fuel, rather than criticizing, imagine just how many parents drive that SUV to and from work so they can have the leisure of traveling together with the other 4, 5, or more members for family functions.

One day, I hope to have a large family as well. There is no doubt that I will also one day drive a vehicle that can carry my family and will surely appreciate one better on gas than it's predecessor.

I too commend GM on their progress in making these "large family vehicles" more environmentally friendly.

GM pushes the envelope

David, Washington — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:52:16 GMT

Yes, the Yukon/Tahoe hybrid "only" gets 21 MPG - and a 4-cylinder Toyota Camry also gets "only" 21 MPG. So what is the point?

GM pushes the envelope

Rick D, Portland, OR — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:02:25 GMT

A moderately clever ad that completely lacks sincerity. GM is in the hybrid market only as a reluctant response to dramatically declining market share. They finally got the message, but what took so long!? And a 20-mpg hybrid SUV for $50,000??? Are you kidding? Even when they get the message that hybrid is the future, they apply the concept in a totally backwards way. Knucklheads.

To answer the very first comment in this thread, the media puts foreign car manufacturers on a pedestal because they are the ones innovating the industry, leading on quality, and, in general, having the business sense to see where the industry is going BEFORE it goes there. They're on the pedestal because their market share is rapidly increasing, consumer advocate for their products, and their business is strong. GM, Ford and most of the other US manufacturers are pathetic when it comes to strategy; they can't think ahead, can't execute and are totally responsive to what foreign manufacturers are doing. Cadillac may be the one exception.

Let's look a few years back - who brought the Prius to market, and who brought the HUMMER to market? That tells us all we need to know about the vision and long-term health of the US auto industry.

GM pushes the envelope

David, Washington — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:07:38 GMT

After inserting my own comment I went back and read a lot of what others have written, so here is a quiz for you.

1) What company makes the pickup truck with the lowest V6 fuel economy?

A. Chevrolet
B. Honda
C. Toyota
D. Dodge
E. Ford

2) Which company makes the minivan with the lowest V6 fuel economy?

A. Toyota
B. Saturn
C. Nissan
D. Chrsyler
E. Ford

3) Which gets the best mileage?

A. Toyota Sienna AWD minivan
B. GMC Acadia AWD SUV
C. Toyota Tundra crewcab pickup 4WD
D. Honda Pilot AWD
E. Hummer H3 4WD

4) Who has the WORST fullsize truck and SUV fleet EPA average?

A. Toyota
B. General Motors
C. Chrysler
D. Nissan
E. Ford

5) Which company increased infastructure and capacity to more than double fullsize truck and SUV manufacturing capacity in the United States last year?

A. Nissan
B. Toyota
C. Chrysler
D. Ford
E. General Motors

Read for the answers?

1) B - Honda - the Honda Ridgeline offers V8 fuel economy in a V6 package

2) A - Toyota - the Toyota Sienna gets the worst fuel economy of any minivan in the United States, and is on the list of ten "meanest" vehicles on the greenest/meanest list based on category

3) C - GMC - The GMC Acadia SUV in AWD actually gets better MPG than the other vehicles on that list. It also does it while offering a 272 HP V6 under the hood.

4) A Toyota - the Tundra and Sequoia get the worst MPG in their class no matter how you slice up the data. Toyota did nothing to improve the EPA figures on its 4.7L V8 - and interestingly the bigger, beefier 5.7L V8 gets 1 MPG better highway mileage than its smaller cousin.

5) B - Toyota - not only does Toyota get the worst fleet economy for fullsize trucks and SUVs, but they increased their manufacuturing capacity last year 2X by building a new plant in Texas, and sold almost 200,000 Tundra pickup trucks last calendar year.

And you thought Toyota and Honda were green? Do a little research.

GM pushes the envelope

Loren, SF Bay Area, CA — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:16:49 GMT

People want big, burly vehicles because the American auto industry has been hyping them in advertising for the last fifty years. They've been conditioned. But rather than saying, "Sorry; we apologize for convincing you that Big Is Best," they blame it on "what consumers want."

Anyone remember how the American car companies tried to deal with the first round of foreign competition? It wasn't by building better vehicles; it was by lobbying for import quotas, domestic manufacturing, etc.

Any one of the Japanese imports I've owned, the past thirty-some years, has lasted longer, with fewer problems, than all *three* of the US vehicles I have owned put together. When I buy a Toyota, I know that I can drive it 200K miles over ten years and it'll still be getting me around reliably at the end of that time.

GM pushes the envelope

John, Lawton, OK — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:27:19 GMT

We still live in a free market, I'm sure some of the posters here would love it if our government "overlords" dictated what we all drive but thankfully we still live in a free country. If large pickups/SUV's are still profitable it's because people, voting with their own money, dictate it to be so. GM has developed this new hybrid technology (as another poster mentioned) with BMW, Mercedes and Chrysler so the consumers that want to spend the extra money at vehicle purchase can get much better fuel economy. And it is better, MUCH better city (and highway for that matter) economy than a non hybrid large SUV. A Yukon/Tahoe 2wd hybrid has the same city fuel economy as a 4 cyl Honda Accord (21 city for both). A 4x4 Yukon/Tahoe gets 20 city/20 Highway....far better than the comparable Toyota Sequoia (13 city/ 18 Highway) Don't believe me? Go do the research yourself.

GM pushes the envelope

Chris, Chicagoland , IL — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:27:43 GMT

What most people do not realize is that GM has been at the forefront of all vehicle green technologies for many years. They are, and have been, the largest manufacturer of hybrid vehicles in the world. GM manufactures hybrid buses that have been on the streets for nearly a decade. Their hybrid position was to develope the technology for use in the most poluting and least efficient vehicles first, and then move to other platforms. Seems like the right thing to do for the environment.

I've owned a Ford Mustand, Renault, Toyota, VW, Pontiac and several Chevrolets. The most reliable was the Toyota, but followed VERY closely are my Chevrolets. I still own them. The 2000 Impala has about 150,000 miles and I have not had ONE problem!

Give GM a break! I did, and I'm very happy with their products.

We Americans need to do what EVERY other Nation on Earth does: Support the Environment & OUR OWN COMPANIES!!!!

GM pushes the envelope

Steve, MIllbrook, NY — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:37:32 GMT

Unfortunatly, for those of us with more than 1.6 kids, we have 3, 14 year olds that are 6'2" and have a 90 lb golden retriever, we need something that the entire family can fit into. Mini vans don't cut it so we buy a large SUV with a V8. After many years of owning multiple V8s, we are now down to one and now have a fuel efficient commuter car for daily work travel. It seemed like the responsible thing to do. There is a place in our society for the family cruiser and we should continue to buy them when necessary. I applaud GM for making an attempt at a fuel efficient SUV. Lets see how quickly Honda and Toyota respond.

GM pushes the envelope

Chuck, Buffalo, NY — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:58:53 GMT

a Joint venture by GM and Chrystler is currently working on the Hybrid 2 engin for trucks and SUVs. The purpose is to create a hybrid engine that can provide the needed tork and still give great gass milage. Until then we make do.

As for the belief that these companies need to go belly up, these companies are keeping some communities and cities like Buffalo, NY afloat. If it weren't for GM and Ford, there would be thousands of people without jobs. Plus GM is into more than vehicles. to have a company life GM go belly-up would spell demise for millions of families.

GM pushes the envelope

Fury, WASHINGTON — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:05:26 GMT

Geez - reading through this thread really makes me realize how ashamed I am of my fellow americans. It is amazing what people will come up with to justify their selfishness. "They are driving an SUV to work so I can have family outtings." boo-hoo - poor soccder mom. Moron - buy a cheap, used 4-cylinder foreign car for the commute. leave your freakin SUV in the driveway at home. But you won't do that will you? because it isn't about family outtings - it is about your ego... So I say - keep driving those SUVs. That way I can keep track of how many morons there really are in the country.

GM pushes the envelope

Swifty, Spring Hill, Florida — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:25:17 GMT

I have been an auto mechanic for most of my life. Let me start with this all car makers make junk in one way or another. All car makers make cars that the public wants to buy. All car makers invest billions of dollars to make cars safer and more efficient. For a truck to get 21 in the city is great most cars don't get that. I own a 07 Chevy Silverado 1500 w/5.3 liter V8. It makes 300 plus horsepower and driving it a very even mix of city and highway gets me 19.5 miles per gallon. I dare anyone to find better mileage from any other truck maker. Oh by the way GM has also invested over a billion bucks in hydrogen power. Which in another 10 years or so will take the place of hybirds. Then we will bad mouth all who do not offer this new technology at rock bottom prices. We will all have to pay to be clean. So all of you who want to bash American Cars take a good objective view at the car you drive! Auto technology changes as fast as computer technology so what was true 2 years ago is not so today. Chevy's Rule!!!!!!!!!

GM pushes the envelope

Antonio Jimenez — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:29:03 GMT

As always American car companies following someone else rather than thinking outside the box. What is worse, that so called clever commercial, is also a perfect copy of an award winning animation short, from Europe from around 1980's.

GM pushes the envelope

Angi — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:30:18 GMT

Don't ask me! I drive a '74 VW Bug. It still runs great after 34 years, looks cute, replacing parts usually costs me about $30, and I get about 30 MPG.
Go, German engineering!

BTW, from an advertising view, it's an ineffective ad. Simple line art isn't going to help GM's problems.

GM pushes the envelope

Rick D, Portland, OR — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:39:06 GMT

You can't compare a hybrid SUV to a Honda Accord as an example of GM being smarter or better than their foreign competitors. That's flawed logic.

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.

Who cares if GM's SUV gets better mileage than a Honda Accord or a Toyota Camry? It's an interesting factoid, but totally meaningless. They're totally different markets. The guy considering an SUV doesn't value fuel economy as much as the guy considering an Accord; he has other priorities, like passenger space, cargo space and accessibility. He might value fuel economy, but only after other higher priorities that have greater influence on his decision.

Putting a hybrid engine in an SUV is not nearly as wise an investment as putting a hybrid engine in a much smaller car, one that appeals to people whose main concern actually IS fuel economy. It's not sophisticated marketing, it's just common sense. And it's another reason that GM gets consistently outperformed - they're constantly reacting to market changes instead of leading them, and their reactions are consistently illogical and reflect a lack of understanding of their customers' priorities.

GM pushes the envelope

Jean Lecaros — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:41:37 GMT

It's time GM got their heads out of the sand, it's the same cars and trucks coming off the assembly line year after year, they need some new blood at the top, risk takers, new designs, fuel econony, I can't imagine GM going down but if they don't have the Come to Jesus Meeting real soon there won't be a GM...........

GM pushes the envelope

Darkvette, Baltimore, MD — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:59:20 GMT

Ya know, I really don't see why people keep saying foreign is better - a car is a car is a car. The Japanese brands don't offer anything better than what GM has to offer. 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.

GM has played a huge part in America's industrial might, and by the way, without GM, we would not have won World War II. They may be down, but they'll come back. They've had to adapt before, and they will again.

Let us not forget that 2008 marks GM's 100th anniversary. 100 years? Has Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and others been around 100 years? I don't think so. The reason GM has been around so long is their ability to adapt. They survived 2 World Wars, the Great Depression, and numerous other things, and they're still here. I don't see a foreign brand boasting those claims, or for that matter having a car that is among the World's Best Sports Cars - The Corvette. Yeah Honda has the NSX, but it doesn't hold a candle to the Corvette.

GM pushes the envelope

Bill, Rochester NY — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:04:36 GMT

The automotive press, even Consumer Reports, does car tests in groups. The biggest and fastest in the group typically gets the best report; auto writers don't pay for gas. The Honda Civic was a 2000# car when it was introduced in 1972. Now its over 3000# and its bigger than the first Accords. Japanese cars are not the size of American full size cars, but the public still thinks of them as small fuel efficient cars.
Several of the previous posters slam GM for a full size SUV that gets 21 miles/gallon in the city. 30 years ago, it was only the 4 cylinder manual transmission Civics and Corrola that could meet that mileage, and now they aren't much better. Sure the Prius gets much better mileage, but can it haul 6 people plus luggage and tow a boat or trailer. The hybrid Tahoe is a great advance.
The GM electric was killed by GM because the public did not buy the electric car. They wanted a car that could far from home and did not want to worry about finding a charging station. The press did not support it. As usual they published negative stories about all the drawbacks because it was a GM product. Had it been a Toyota and Ralph Nader said it was good, the story might have been different even if the product was the same.
GM has been getting undeserved bad press for so long its standard practice with the automotive press.
People need to drive the cars and compare for themselves. Cars are bigger, trucks are heavier, because the press has hyped horsepower and a smooth ride over gas mileage or practicality.

GM pushes the envelope

Bob Eicholz, Hollywood, CA — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:58:34 GMT

The Yukon hybrid is a road-hogging, gas guzzling, pathetic attempt to create the impression GM has well-built, economical cars. All the expensive ads in the word won't change what informed people know: GM has a long way to go. I look forward to buying an American car when American manufacturers are competitive and innovative again. Until then, my Prius rocks!

GM pushes the envelope

Victor — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:12:39 GMT

That is awesome that they are moving in the right direction. I think everyone was to buy american its just that the products havent been there. GM is probably the american company with the best effort and I think its going to start paying off.

I've bought 2 lines of Toyota, Scion and Lexus, and I would of loved to buy american if they had what I wanted.

I want my next car to be american!

I say Kudos to 21 MPG in a yukon.

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David, Washington — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:50:52 GMT

Actually, Toyota's own primary research, and can be found in their SEC filings, indicate that the average Prius buyer does NOT buy a Prius for fuel efficiency and to be "green."

They buy it as a status symbol to say, "look at me, I AM green."

Experts in the industry cite weak sales on other vehicles, including the rest of Toyota's hybrid lineup and the more fun to drive Honda Civic (with more horsepower and almost Prius mileage) because these cars and small SUV's don't LOOK like a hybrid.

It's not about the green people - wake up. And as everyone chest thumps about the virtue of the Prius they ignore the fact that Toyota sold more planet destroying gas guzzling V8 powered Tundra pickup trucks last year than Priuses - and the Tundra gets the WORST fuel economy of any fullsize pickup truck on the market - and I'm comparing apples to apples, not V8s to V6s or V8s to hybrid models. Look it up yourself.

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John Scott Mount Morris,IL — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:35:57 GMT

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!

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An American, Pa. — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:16:40 GMT

"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.

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Phil Houston — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:53:06 GMT

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

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Amy, Tulsa — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:59:48 GMT

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

GM pushes the envelope

Matt, Boston Mass — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:21:15 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Rick — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:37:08 GMT

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]

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RicK PHX AZ — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:39:33 GMT

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!

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Ed Buchmann — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:42:44 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Philip — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:08:36 GMT

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.

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Gary, Minneapolis — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:32:36 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

M. Feroglia Vancouver wa. — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:40:55 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

doeslogicwork — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:09:19 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Jay, Chicago — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:46:27 GMT

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?

GM pushes the envelope

wade, buffalo, ny — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:30:08 GMT

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

GM pushes the envelope

Phil, Des Plaines — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:32:54 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Doug, Denver CO — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:08:17 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Chris Philips — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 08:47:16 GMT

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..

GM pushes the envelope

LEE, CLINTON TWP., MICHIGAN — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:34:10 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Scott Tucson — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:30:45 GMT

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!

GM pushes the envelope

Asian chick in CT — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:25:18 GMT

"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.

GM pushes the envelope

Doug, Denver — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:41:55 GMT

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!

GM pushes the envelope

Bill, Tucson, AZ — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:33:48 GMT

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.

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Jeff Mitchell, Wenatchee Washington — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:26:22 GMT

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

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Ron — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:37:40 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Stop the excuses, Freehold, NJ — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:19:16 GMT

"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!!

GM pushes the envelope

Mike, South Haven, MI — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:19:20 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Bonzai, Alamogordo, NM — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:53:28 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Bonzai, Alamogordo, NM — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:17:50 GMT

"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.

GM pushes the envelope

Brian, Covington WA — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:24:15 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Jack Westford, Billerica, MA — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:58:17 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

clint, stamford, ct — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:21:07 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

clint, stamford, ct — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:32:40 GMT

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)

GM pushes the envelope

Jack Shaw, Denver, CO — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:48:06 GMT

"...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...".

GM pushes the envelope

Laura, Orlando, FL — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:14:25 GMT

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.

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Mark, Los Angeles — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 23:57:57 GMT

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

GM pushes the envelope

MB, Alto, Michigan — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:13:18 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Barry — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:13:25 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Rob Haskell — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:51:17 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

america the beautiful — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:08:41 GMT

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

GM pushes the envelope

Bob Nelson, Bradenton, Fl — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:15:10 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Mike, Raleigh NC — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:23:25 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Mike Then, Rocky Mount, NC — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:10:53 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

John Mack, Fairway, KS — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 05:49:18 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Rob, Boston, MA — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:58:38 GMT

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!

GM pushes the envelope

tonie — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:07:27 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Michael Christy — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:07:08 GMT

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".

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Sat, 19 Apr 2008 05:41:00 GMT

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!!

GM pushes the envelope

jay — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:31:30 GMT

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

GM pushes the envelope

Ed, New York — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:53:28 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Geoffrey O. Hartwig, Austin, Texas — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:56:36 GMT

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.

GM pushes the envelope

Denis Darcy — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:23:16 GMT

Darral Jing lll
The automobile was not invented in America.
The developement covered decades and although some of the work was done in the U.S., much more was done in Europe, especially Germany. Germany was the first to develope a "practical" or "useful" automobile in the 1880's.

GM pushes the envelope

Hans, Indianapolis, IN — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:39:39 GMT

Pick a car manufacturer, any of them, and look at the wimp. Find one that builds cars that run on air, and the MPG become meaningless. It is already done in France, where compressed air powered vehicles deliver goods to customers. Now yer talking.

GM pushes the envelope

Ryan somewhere ohio — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 07:10:21 GMT

my Jeep has a inline 6 in it and Im getting 25 MPG Highway and 18 City and ofc Im a car tech so I know how to tune my cars/suvs

GM pushes the envelope

Shane, norfolk va — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:58:13 GMT

okay so I have been reading all these posting about who makes the better gas car who makes the better hybrid car...First off to those that think that the answer to the nation's problem is for everone to have a hybrid car, how do you think that all those repair/construction workers are going to look with an extention ladder sticking out of their compact car! I think that having hybrids of all classes is the best thing they can do! No you will not see the masses running out to spend 50k on a pickup, but for those that want to it is an option. I currently have a side business that requires me to drive around with a ton of tools and when i realized that i needed a new truck I shopped around for the most reliable gas saver that I could find. I settled on the new dodge hemi. it has a system that cuts it back to a 4 cyl when on the hiway. it is not a hybrid but the 5.7 ltr engine gets better milage than my old 4.7 ltr. the point is we will not wake up tomorrow and have any car that can run for 1k miles with no emissions on water, just will not happen! however, I will do my part to find the best of what is out there when I am in the market and if that is a 50k truck that is hybird then I will buy it if nothing more than to dump muney into the system that will make the next better than the last.

GM pushes the envelope

Steve S,, Michigan — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:35:44 GMT

GM's electric car was never made available to purchase; only lease. Get your facts straight... that's how they were able pull them all from the market and destroy every last one of them. However; if they were successfully developed once - why is it taking so long for it to happen again? Ancillary markets perhaps? The fact that parts simply lasted much longer in electric vehicles than in internal combustion-base engines? "Who Killed the Electric Car?" - an informative documentary produced a couple of years ago can provide some provocative insight...

GM pushes the envelope

John, Boston, MA — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:20:33 GMT

The bottom line is that GM failed to see that demand would change for SUV's and Hummers, once the energy costs started to rise. I remember thinking back in 2003, when gas prices weren't nearly what they are now, that GM needs to revamp their operations or they are going to go down. It' about supply and demand, and if the people are conviced that a hybrid is going to help the environment, and will allow them to drive longer on a tank of gas, than GM needs to respond. Although, Hybrids take 3 times the amount of oil to manufacture and the batteries are worse for the environment, GM still should have responded to the masses that don't read or understand Engineering. We are all in a catch 22 and GM needs to come up with some extreme Engineering in order to win over the masses. Hydrogen won't work because it's not an energy source, it's an energy carrier, which means it takes more energy to rip the Hydrogen off of an Oxygen or Carbon, than the actual energy you get from the Hydrogen. This leaves GM with only once choice. To manufacture smaller cars that get better gas mileage, and try to come up with a better alternative or they will go like the dinosaurs.

GM pushes the envelope

Scott pojack, lakewood,Co — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:03:09 GMT

I have worked in a rather large toyota service department for several years and was shocked to say the least. The many serious issues these vehicals i witnessed sure do not reflect the reputation they have built over the years. Customers saying this was the last Toyota they would purchase. recalls and TSB lists going back to the early 90's are very surprising and very shocking pages and pages of problems. Spend a day in a toyota service department you wont want one.employees I worked with say they are over rated and overpriced plus high maintenance. Toyota must be paying off Consumer reports.