MT reviews the Silverado

[Northstar]

Overall, they liked it, but the tone of the review was way too negative. They really had very little to complain about and even liked the 4-speed, but of course they make the review less pleasing to read by adding in a bunch of needless crap (and sometimes false, needless crap).

Here's how the review starts for example:

"First, the bad news: GM is releasing its newest pickup truck, the Silverado, into one of the most hotly contested segments around -- at a time when full-size-vehicle-bashing is fast becoming a new sport. Additionally, Toyota (whose market share continues to grow) is on the verge of releasing its first crack at this lucrative full-size pickup-truck market. And if that weren't enough, Honda and Nissan have offered their own interpretation of the full-size pickup truck for American buyers and both have hit the market with a thud."

Now, here are some blatantly wrong things:

Toyota is on its THIRD try, not first. So they get free passes until they actually make something halfway competitive?

The Titan and Ridgeline have been anything but thuds, more like duds, especially the Titan.

The Ridgeline is NOT an "interpretation" of the full-size pickup. First, they say that no Tundra has been full-size, but now they say that the Ridgeline is? Something isn't right... Didn't MT even review the Ridgeline against MIDSIZE trucks, or was that C&D?

How is the Titan a different interpretation of a truck? It offers nothing the competition doesn't.

[ocnblu]

They'll do anything to build up the puny competition.

[pow]

Overall, they liked it, but the tone of the review was way too negative. They really had very little to complain about and even liked the 4-speed, but of course they make the review less pleasing to read by adding in a bunch of needless crap (and sometimes false, needless crap).

Here's how the review starts for example:

"First, the bad news: GM is releasing its newest pickup truck, the Silverado, into one of the most hotly contested segments around -- at a time when full-size-vehicle-bashing is fast becoming a new sport. Additionally, Toyota (whose market share continues to grow) is on the verge of releasing its first crack at this lucrative full-size pickup-truck market. And if that weren't enough, Honda and Nissan have offered their own interpretation of the full-size pickup truck for American buyers and both have hit the market with a thud."

Now, here are some blatantly wrong things:

Toyota is on its THIRD try, not first. So they get free passes until they actually make something halfway competitive?

The Titan and Ridgeline have been anything but thuds, more like duds, especially the Titan.

The Ridgeline is NOT an "interpretation" of the full-size pickup. First, they say that no Tundra has been full-size, but now they say that the Ridgeline is? Something isn't right... Didn't MT even review the Ridgeline against MIDSIZE trucks, or was that C&D?

How is the Titan a different interpretation of a truck? It offers nothing the competition doesn't.

219865[/snapback]

I'd love to have dinner with you.

J/K I'm pedantic like that, too.

[CSpec]

I think they're saying the Ridgeline and Titan both failed, proving that the pickup market isn't so hot. (still doesn't really make sense)

[gm4life]

M/T well b*tch if there ice cream was cold. I think C&D will like it more.

[ocnblu]

Autoweek liked it. They were amazed at the refinement.

[Northstar]

I think they're saying the Ridgeline and Titan both failed, proving that the pickup market isn't so hot. (still doesn't really make sense)

219923[/snapback]

If that's what they meant, that's rather poor writing. Why would they say, "and if that weren't enough..." if it was something positive for GM? They're talking about how the Tundra is now big, and I think that's after where they're talking about big vehicles being bashed.

[red]

I wouldn't exactly call Motor Trend a "respected source." Their questionable methods and journalistic style change every 2+ years to satisfy the evolving goals of its publisher.

As for the Silverado, yes, it does face increased competition. However, from my judgement, this is a solid product - yes it could be better - that will fend off Toyota for a while. However, GM does need to develop a better market focus regarding this segment - the Ridgeline's price was a major fault, but the vehicle itself was innovative...I believe this segment will only grow once manufacturers get the costs down.

[siegen]

The Titan and Ridgeline have been anything but thuds, more like duds, especially the Titan.

The Ridgeline is NOT an "interpretation" of the full-size pickup.

219865[/snapback]

They said the Ridgeline was a full-sizer?

The Ridgeline is meeting sales expectations (50k per year, two years in a row now), it is anything but a dud. It wasn't meant to be a 200K+ truck.

[CARBIZ]

I have MT in my collection going back to the mid-70s. I used to look forward to their next issue. I stopped BUYING them about 5 or 6 years ago. I stopped READING them about two or three years ago.

I won't even bother reading what they actually said about the Silverado. Just reading Northstar's synopsis made me break out in hives.

NOw I feel like I need to shower.

[Northstar]

They said the Ridgeline was a full-sizer?

The Ridgeline is meeting sales expectations (50k per year, two years in a row now), it is anything but a dud. It wasn't meant to be a 200K+ truck.

220031[/snapback]

Yep, they said it's full-size but apparently the current Tundra is not.

50k per year certainly doesn't make a big thud in the pickup market. That's a tiny amount in a segment that does over 3 million per year. Whether or not it's a dud is another story, but thud, no.

[regfootball]

motor trend's journalistic credentials and professionalism have gone in the $h!ter in the last 12-18 months and as a result, MT is nothing more than a 'California Lifestyle' mag now.

Buickman has more journalistic integrity these days as far as I can tell.

The last MT i read had 3 bad typos and untruths that I found in 10 minutes after taking it out of the mailbox. They don't even proof their stuff. How unprofessional is that?

[Flybrian]

EXCLUSIVE! EXCLUSIVE! EXCLUSIVE!

That's all MT is nowadays.

[RJB]

M/T is becoming like all the European mags, anti-american which M/T is guess what run by a british editor!!

[mystik]

Ok, this article literally made me want to take the magazine over to the nearest trash bin and dispose of it there. I felt dirty and disgusted reading it. Why? Because oh so blatantly in the review of the Silverado they put a freakin 07 Tundra in there with some funny pro-import bias. Namely a line that looks like this:

"As for power, it'll offer a 5.7 liter V-8 and a six speed automatic, the former, according to our sources, capable of nearly 400 horses and over 400 pound feet. Towing? Toyota says over 10,000 pounds which likely means closer to 11,000. Bottom line: look out GM."

That line alone made me throw up a little in my mouth. How the hell does a company that has repeatedly exaggerated their power numbers get the credentials to have their 10,000 pound towing number immediately rounded to 11,000? Usually when a company is close to 11,000, they say "nearly 11,000" not "over 10,000". Just goes to show how far MT goes to glorify this new truck. The article itself starts with the words "First the bad news." I mean come freaking on. Another line:

"Even in a world of bad news, Chevy seems to have found a way to squeeze good news from the Silverado's GMT900 platform"

Squeeze good news from the GMT900s? Was there a slew of bad news that people weren't aware of?

"Will this be GM's savior? Probably not, but if it can keep a stron goothold on its full size truck market while everyone else is clawing to hang on, that may be the success story of the industry."

Summed up that means that they'd be surprised if the Silverado keeps its market share. And I wasn't aware that GM needed a savior when it still consistently sells 100,000 cars more than Toyota does monthly in the states. Also note that the Camry won car of the year.

[AxelTheRed]

I'm surprised anyone really believes the crap MT puts out. The magazine reads like propaganda.

[Cadillacfan]

Were we really expecting any objectivity from Motortrend? You were fooling yourself big time if you did. Motortrend, which I still subscribe to has some good articles but I never read any of their vehicle tests because they're always looking for problems especially in American vehicles regardless of brand.

The truth is, Motortrend is a import-lover magazine masking as one that gives every car a fair chance.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

They said the Ridgeline was a full-sizer?

The Ridgeline is meeting sales expectations (50k per year, two years in a row now), it is anything but a dud. It wasn't meant to be a 200K+ truck.

220031[/snapback]

Only when it is spoon fed to the public by the Ridgeline-happy media... And, BTW, the numbers aren't so good this month.

MT is a joke, just like ALL of the traditional auto rags (Save Autoweek maybe) What's funny is how people KNOW this to be true more and more.

MT is also THE MOST anti-domestic publication this side of Car & Driver. I remember seeing an interview with Angus McKenzie and he was gloating about how the new domestic carts were going to be so competitive, yet then we get crap like this. So which is it Motor Trend????

One reason they're probably being pessimistic is so that Toyota can get a foot hold in the market and establish themselves. They don't have to worry about that with the Tahoe and Yukon because Toyota is already a formidable competitor. But in the truck area they have to cut GM's legs out from under them to give Toyota a chance and that's probably what they're doing.

Funny they didn't mention how big of a dud the Ridgeline is or how big of a FAD the Titan was or how, if it is fashionable to bitch about big vehicles (Which it has been since the 70s--way to spot a trend MT) that TOYOTA is about to produce the largest one in this segment. They also fail to mention the CONTINUED sales success of both the F-150 and this segment in general, not to mention the continued success of the basically 8 year old GMT800s.

P.S. BTW, what does it MATTER that Nissan and Honda have already entered the market anyway?!?!? (Besides the fact that the 900s will make their products look HORRIBLY dated)

Oh and as a second BTW, Automobile has already went on record bitching about the 900s NOT being all that revolutionary and specifically "not having a locking trunk like the Ridgeline"

It's like an effin' 3 year old, that repeats himself over and over again just to be annoying.... "But it stil don't have a locking (useless) trunk like my HonDUH"

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Ok, this article literally made me want to take the magazine over to the nearest trash bin and dispose of it there. I felt dirty and disgusted reading it. Why? Because oh so blatantly in the review of the Silverado they put a freakin 07 Tundra in there with some funny pro-import bias. Namely a line that looks like this:

"As for power, it'll offer a 5.7 liter V-8 and a six speed automatic, the former, according to our sources, capable of nearly 400 horses and over 400 pound feet. Towing? Toyota says over 10,000 pounds which likely means closer to 11,000. Bottom line: look out GM."

That line alone made me throw up a little in my mouth. How the hell does a company that has repeatedly exaggerated their power numbers get the credentials to have their 10,000 pound towing number immediately rounded to 11,000? Usually when a company is close to 11,000, they say "nearly 11,000" not "over 10,000". Just goes to show how far MT goes to glorify this new truck. The article itself starts with the words "First the bad news." I mean come freaking on. Another line:

"Even in a world of bad news, Chevy seems to have found a way to squeeze good news from the Silverado's GMT900 platform"

Squeeze good news from the GMT900s? Was there a slew of bad news that people weren't aware of?

"Will this be GM's savior? Probably not, but if it can keep a stron goothold on its full size truck market while everyone else is clawing to hang on, that may be the success story of the industry."

Summed up that means that they'd be surprised if the Silverado keeps its market share. And I wasn't aware that GM needed a savior when it still consistently sells 100,000 cars more than Toyota does monthly in the states. Also note that the Camry won car of the year.

223321[/snapback]

From that it really sounds like GM is trying desperately to throwing water on a forest fire when in actuality they are launching the most formidbale full size truck ever.

Get used to it though.... This is the media we will be reading from here on out. It's sad that GM tries to debut a new model and they can't even do that without it being a cat and mouse grudge match with an asian competitor that is already the sworn winner.

I guess, the MT COTY uncheon was going on when this article was written, the Toyota PR posse must've been editing from over the shoulder.

Oh, and BTW, I guess we all know who will win TRUCK of the year next year and it won't be the home team.... ever

[Daryl Z71]

Yea they keep sending me free issues in the mail that I didn't ask for maybe its because they can't sell there crap issues because of how they are. No after reading this post I think I'll throw all of those issues into the can and $h! on them!