Proof the new GM has changed

[Dsuupr]

For those that say GM is not changing. The Cavalier is and has been at the bottom since it was introduced. The Cobalt however is the top rated small car in crash saftey.

IIHS crash saftey ratings

The more modern products / platforms, continue to rate near the top.

[I hope GMRULES again]

Great but the side air bags need to be standard now like the competition is doing.

[Cremazie]

It's awesome that they have this, safety is important to buget minded people.. I am loving this!

[pow]

I think with a torso airbag in addition to the curtains, it'd score even higher. This is a midyear upgrade that makes much more sense than AWD.

[regfootball]

Great but the side air bags need to be standard now like the competition is doing.

[post="12958"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

yup

the focus and cobalt test the same on front and side impact, without the side airbags. Edited September 13, 2005 by regfootball

[CARBIZ]

The truth is, people won't pay for saftey. GM tried this when ABS was standard on everything, then 2 years ago they yanked it out of most entry level and mid-sized cars. The customers didn't care! On a $15,000 car, people won't pay $400 for side air bags or $600 for ABS. They'd rather have power windows and keyless! Kudos to GM for trying, but as with OnStar, the public doesn't understand and (for the most part) give a damn. Besides, am I the only person to notice that when people get surrounded by "safety features," they get lazy, complacent and become bad drivers? A lot of Volvo drivers I know are terrible. Last winter, I watched a woman in a Volvo do a 180 in the middle of the intersection and I thought, "Gad. she needs a Volvo, the way she drives!"

[Dsuupr]

Who cares about the details of the bags, they should advertise it like everyone else does. Why not sell the car instead of the fire sale.

[regfootball]

The truth is, people won't pay for saftey.  GM tried this when ABS was standard on everything, then 2 years ago they yanked it out of most entry level and  mid-sized cars.  The customers didn't care!
  On a $15,000 car, people won't pay $400 for side air bags or $600 for ABS.  They'd rather have power windows and keyless!
  Kudos to GM for trying, but as with OnStar, the public doesn't understand and (for the most part) give a damn.

  Besides, am I the only person to notice that when people get surrounded by "safety features," they get lazy, complacent and become bad drivers?  A lot of Volvo drivers I know are terrible.  Last winter, I watched a woman in a Volvo do a 180 in the middle of the intersection and I thought, "Gad. she needs a Volvo, the way she drives!"

[post="13364"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

side airbags and stability control is becoming a necessity in many classes now. Even cars like the Fusion get ripped for not having them standard like the Sonata, which is the new annointed one.

Not having ABS standard is a major faux pas. People want keyless entry AND all the safety features standard, and within a year or two it will be the accepted norm.

And, obviously, you must not ever have been close to woman. All women, especially ones with children, are huge into auto safety and women affect more car purchase decisions than men.

Moms with newborns, safety is like their number one criteria.

sadly enough, rear wheels drive and smoky burnouts don't even make the top twenty wants in most people's new cars........but safety is right up there at the top. Edited September 13, 2005 by regfootball

[CARBIZ]

.....until you ask them to pay for it. Sure, hide the safety features in the price and people will line up, but put two cars side by side - one that is loaded with toys and the other that has "safety featuers," then make the loaded with toys one $15 a month cheaper on a lease and, well, you get the point. Chrysler proved this back in 2001 with their cheapy mini van - it outsold the Venture 2:1 in this market. They both leased for the same price, but the Chrysler had power windows, locks, mirrors, etc. The Venture had side air bags and ABS, but only power door locks, a/c and Cd. Couldn't give them away. Finally, in 2003, GM ditched the safety stuff and added toys - voila! big sales increase.

[Dsuupr]

side airbags and stability control is becoming a necessity in many classes now.  Even cars like the Fusion get ripped for not having them standard like the Sonata, which is the new annointed one.

Not having ABS standard is a major faux pas.  People want keyless entry AND all the safety features standard, and within a year or two it will be the accepted norm.

And, obviously, you must not ever have been close to woman.  All women, especially ones with children, are huge into auto safety and women affect more car purchase decisions than men.

Moms with newborns, safety is like their number one criteria.

sadly enough, rear wheels drive and smoky burnouts don't even make the top twenty wants in most people's new cars........but safety is right up there at the top.

[post="13506"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Funny u say that, as I was the one that wanted a more top of the line model for those features, my wife didn't.

[I hope GMRULES again]

[quote name='CARBIZ' date='Sep 12 2005, 10:08 PM']
The truth is, people won't pay for saftey. GM tried this when ABS was standard on everything, then 2 years ago they yanked it out of most entry level and mid-sized cars. The customers didn't care!
On a $15,000 car, people won't pay $400 for side air bags or $600 for ABS. They'd rather have power windows and keyless!
Kudos to GM for trying, but as with OnStar, the public doesn't understand and (for the most part) give a damn.

Your right that people won't pay more for safety but as the competition adds things like side air bags as standard equipment GM no choice but to jump in and stay competitive even if it means absorbing the costs. Their doing it with Impala for 06 but they need to do it with all their cars. I'm interested in a G6 GT but the side air bags are nearly a $1000 option, Are they nuts? Why would I pay an extra grand for them on a G6 when they cost 0 on an Impala? They gotta get their act together with things like this.

[CARBIZ]

They are: it's called marketing. An Impala buyer is more apt to be safety conscious than a G-6 buyer. Slightly different target market. Case in point: our first SS Cobalt sat for 3 months because it had On Star and side air bags - nobody wanted to pay the extra money. We've ordered none since with those two features and can't keep them in stock. With finite amounts of money to spend on product development and construction, creature comfort things like automatic headlights, retained accessory power, etc. will score higher on people's lists. When a reporter or market analyst shoves a microphone in someone's face and asks if safety is important, what is the person going to say? "No, I want my kids dead, and while you're at it kill a few baby seals!" Not likely. They'll say what is expected of them, but you get a different response when their checkbook comes out.

[I hope GMRULES again]

So why not add the safety features and absorb the costs, that way you won't scare people off when they see these inflated options on the MSRP. Let's face it, it doesn't cost $1000 bucks to add side air bags to a G6. It might be good marketing for people who are not informed but next year when I'm in the market for a new car I'm going to have some tough questions for the salesman such as, why do I have to pay an extra $2000 CDN for OnStar and side air bags on a G6 GT when they come standard on an Impala? I know they're targeted at different people but it still doesn't make sense. The G6 doesn't even offer child locks, what kind of safety thinking went into that decision? This makes me feel like I have to choose between the sporty car I really want, the G6 GT,or maybe going for an Impala LT cause its a bigger car and I can get 3 safety features for $2000 less.

[sciguy_0504]

I don't know about you, but I'd gladly pay for side airbags and maybe even stability control. Granted, not $1,000 like the G6 but I'd still pay. I think they should be standard, though, on almost every car. Getting into a car accident is one of my biggest fears. The Insurance Institute did a study on side airbags and I believe the risk of serious head injuries decreased around 90%. That's a huge margin. I think the government will make side airbags standard in a few years, just like it implemented the front impact airbag standards.

[knightfan26917]

A little anecdote to "back up" those crash test ratings....

If any of you are in the Chicagoland area, then perhaps you saw the story about the volleyball coach that was rearended in her new Chevrolet Cobalt ... a semi rear ended her and crushed her car into the semi in front of her. Not only is she alive, but she dropped by the school today to visit her team.....


Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 31swm/pig valve/pacemaker
MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/
Models.HO = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/trainroom.html
"Nothing lasts forever" ... Simple Plan ... 'Perfect'

[regfootball]

well, kia rios and spectras have the side bags standard and the sonatas have em. new accents maybe too. point is, in about 6-12 months consumers who comparison shop will be asking, 'why doesn't the chevy have the side airbags standard?' because chevy would rather charge you extra for safety, ma'am. they'd prefer to see your head popped in a side impact, or they will bend you over for extra cost of the car. "Safety don't come standard on our cars ma'am."

[pow]

I don't know about you, but I'd gladly pay for side airbags and maybe even stability control.  Granted, not $1,000 like the G6 but I'd still pay.  I think they should be standard, though, on almost every car.  Getting into a car accident is one of my biggest fears.

The Insurance Institute did a study on side airbags and I believe the risk of serious head injuries decreased around 90%.  That's a huge margin.  I think the government will make side airbags standard in a few years, just like it implemented the front impact airbag standards.

[post="13943"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Yep, no car has ever received an acceptable rating for their side crash without side airbags. The dummies head will always, always bash into the hood of the car that's crashing into you. The $400 Chevy charges for curtains on the Cobalt is much less costly than a skull fracture.

[regfootball]

Yep, no car has ever received an acceptable rating for their side crash without side airbags. The dummies head will always, always bash into the hood of the car that's crashing into you. The $400 Chevy charges for curtains on the Cobalt is much less costly than a skull fracture.

[post="13996"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Skull. Fracture.

i hate the sound of that. Wish the side airbags were standard.

[CARBIZ]

Don't criticize GM for not making them standard: GM has gone down this road before with ABS that was standard on every car she made, until 2003. People won't pay for safety unless it is shoved down there throat. The proof is that everyone would be CLAMORING for OnStar, but they aren't. I am assuming that most people posting on this board are a little more informed than the average consumer. It is the average consumer who buys the Cobalt or Impala. They will mutter the expected platitudes about safety, but won't pay for them. Power windows they use every day. An air bag - well, who even wants to think about using an air bag? As humans, we have to have our noses rubbed in it (like a near fatal car crash) before we'll do anything. INstant gratification (power windows) or saving for the future (air bags.) If you feel so strongly about this, then pressure Washington (or Ottawa) to make them mandatory, then that will put all the car manufactureres on the same playing field. Until you are upside down in a ditch and can't reach your cellphone, then and only then, will you wish you had OnStar or side air bags, or whatever.

[I hope GMRULES again]

I know its a cost thing an all but if they wanted to play it smart they sould make them standard. When the Cobalt was first released it was tested and received the highest score possible in crash testing, WITH side air bags like this article says. Then some other insurance institute group (can't remember who it was) tested the Cobalt WITHOUT side air bags and gave it a poor rating and then GM had to go into damage control mode. I expect them to be standard in all cars in a few years but in order to avoid confusing customers, please make them standard.

[CARBIZ]

The Corolla and the Cobalt were the only two small cars that passed the side crash test last year, but both had to be equipped with side air bags to pass - they both failed without them. Neither of them offer side air bags as standard. I suspect GM is watching what Toyota and Ford is doing, not what the other makes are. Perhaps Kia/Hyundai is trying to get noticed with all their air bags, but their sales are so far under the radar (at least in the U.S.) nobody is paying them attention. Then again, GM and Ford ignored Toyota and Honda 25 years ago, too.

[regfootball]

Don't criticize GM for not making them standard:  GM has gone down this road before with ABS that was standard on every car she made, until 2003.
  People won't pay for safety unless it is shoved down there throat.  The proof is that everyone would be CLAMORING for OnStar, but they aren't.
  I am assuming that most people posting on this board are a little more informed than the average consumer.  It is the average consumer who buys the Cobalt or Impala.  They will mutter the expected platitudes about safety, but won't pay for them.  Power windows they use every day.  An air bag - well, who even wants to think about using an air bag?
  As humans, we have to have our noses rubbed in it (like a near fatal car crash) before we'll do anything.  INstant gratification (power windows) or saving for the future (air bags.)
  If you feel so strongly about this, then pressure Washington (or Ottawa) to make them mandatory, then that will put all the car manufactureres on the same playing field.
  Until you are upside down in a ditch and can't reach your cellphone, then and only then, will you wish you had OnStar or side air bags, or whatever.

[post="14027"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

love your attitude. you sell cars and simply don't believe that safety is of importance in a vehicle. nice.

[CARBIZ]

My opinion doesn't count. It is the customer's opinion that counts. You see, I deal in realities because I deal with the public at all levels. I don't deal in fantasy, or "gee, wouldn't it be nice" wishful thinking. We had an SS Cobalt sit for 3 months, while all other dealers sold out theirs. The reason: OnStar and side air bags. NOw, I am sure the lousy $400 for the airbags wouldn't have stopped people, but the combination did. We learned our lesson and don't order them with it any more. On a $30,000 Equinox, it isn't as sensitive. But on a $15,000 Cobalt, you bet it is. You also forget that GM tried the high road with ABS. Every vehicle had them for years and years. Nobody followed suit. Not your precious Toyota, not Ford, not even the vaunted Honda. It put the Cavalier at a serioius price disadvantage with the Civic, Escort, etc. Now I WISH the public believed in safety. I am from the snowbelt area and I BELIEVE in ABS and air bags; in fact, it was the reason I chose my '91 Caprice over the Previa (among other reasons, too). If safety was EVERYTHING, don't you think Volvo would outsell GM? Clearly, safety isn't everything. There are other factors, price being a BIG one. I WISH ABS, 50 air bags, stabilitrak and OnStar were legally mandated, but isn't government intervention wonderful?

[evok]

Curtains and thorax bags will be standard really soon.

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2003/12/04/173880.html

[daves87rs]

Curtains and thorax bags will be standard really soon.

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2003/12/04/173880.html

[post="14683"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Yep, so I wouldn't even worry about it.I'm sure by the time most of the 07s and
08s roll out, stanard is what they will be.

Sometimes I just don't understand why it is such a big deal. When a neighbor bought a cavalier last year for his commuter car, he was going to just pick
a a base car, but for a little over a grand more (ABS, side airbags) he was
going to save around 50 bucks a month on car insurance!

Heck, the few extra bucks on the car are worth the savings in car insurance alone
after a few years... :)

[Dsuupr]

My wife and I both wish we would have found a car with the extras to pick from.