z28luvr01

Well, it took a week, and Camino and I are ready to gouge our eyes out with a melon baller, but the results of the C&G Census are in. Take a look at the numbers below and come to your own conclusion. One thing's for sure: each brand is not without its appeal in the GM hierarchy. Buick Total responses: 52 Total number of new Buicks purchased sine 1998: 24 Total number of people who have purchased new Buicks since 1998: 14 Number of people who will buy a new Buick within the next two years: 9 Number of people who will consider a new Buick within hte next two years: 10 Number of people who will not consider a new Buick: 31 --- Cadillac Total responses: 49 Total number of new Cadillacs purchased since 1998: 26 Total number of people who bought new Cadillacs since 1998: 11 Number of people who plan to purchase a new Cadillac within the next two years: 7 Number of people who would consider a new Cadillac within the next two years: 18 Number of people who will not consider a new Cadillac: 20* Note: A significant number of voters eliminated Cadillac fom consideration due to their financial situation, but expressed a desire to own one if money allowed. --- Chevrolet Total Responses - 53 Total number of new Chevrolets purchased since 1998: 63 Total number of people who purchased a new Chevrolet since 1998: 32 Number of people who are committed to purchasing a new Chevrolet within the next two years: 7 Number of people who would consider a new Chevrolet within the next two years: 24 Number of people who will not consider buying a Chevy within the next two years: 17 --- GMC Total responses: 36 Total number of new GMCs bought since 1998: 16 Total number of people who have purchased new GMCs since 1998: 11 Number of people who will buy a new GMC within the next two years: 4 Number of people who will consider a new GMC within the next two years: 9 Number of people who will not consider a new GMC: 22 --- Hummer Total responses: 34 Total number of new Hummers purchased since 1998: 0 Total number of people who have purchased a new Hummer since 1998: 0 Number of people who will buy a new Hummer: 1 Number of people who wil consider a new Hummer: 8 Number of people who will not consider a new Hummer: 21 Note: The majority of those who said they would consider a new Hummer had said their decision to buy a Hummer hinged on the availability of the Hx. --- Pontiac 52 Members answered both questions. Those members collectively purchased 55 new Pontiacs since the 1998 model year. 12 of those members intend to buy a new Pontiac in the next two model years. 31 more of those members would consider a new Pontiac in the next two model years. 9 members would not. * Note* Those members who would consider a new Pontiac ranged from very enthusiastic to lukewarm at best. The 12 members intending to buy a new Pontiac in the next 2 model years were commited to the purchase. Some of the 9 "no" votes were adamant and some had no comment. * Note also* The 55 new Pontiacs purchased by members since the 98 model year were purchased by just 25 of the 52 responding members. --- Saab Total responses: 33 Total number of new Saabs purchased since 1998: 9 Total number of people who have purchased new Saabs since 1998: 6 Number of people who will buy a new Saab within the next two years: 3 Number of people who will consider a new Saab within the next two years: 11 Number of people who will not consider a new Saab: 19 --- Saturn Total responses: 38 Total Number of new Saturns purchased since 1998: 13 Total number of people who have purchased new Saturns since 1998: 7 Number of people who will buy a new Saturn within the next two years: 1 Number of people who wil consider a new Saturn within the next two years: 11 Number of people who will not consider a new Saturn: 26

US Airways is going to rip the movie systems out of domestic flights to save fuel. clicky So, an 87,000 pound Airbus A319 that US Airways typically flies from JFK to Phoenix will now weight 86,500 pounds. Bra-vo. *golf clap*

Added a poll. Oh, and words cannot express the disgust I have for them a) getting rid of the Cobalt name when it actually had some cred, and b) replacing it with something as utterly lame as "Cruze".

I think to try to carry out what you're saying, we'd have to post this same census on BON, Allpar, Toyota Nation, TOV, Edmunds, C&D, etc. Even if everyone sampled is a "blind GM loyalist", that doesn't matter in the context of the census. Whether or not a member would consider another brand is immaterial, unless it can be inferred from the data we took shows that an alteration to GM's brand structure is a likely cause of him defecting, and at that point it doesn't even matter what brand he ends up choosing. Let's use your example, and Camino as our test case. While I probably don't need to go over what he said in the census because anyone who knows him can figure it out, the data should show that if GM were to tell him, "Sorry but we don't sell the G8 anymore. How about a nice Impala?", it would likely lose him as a customer.

I don't know why you've got your panties in a bunch, Satty. Maybe it's all that time you spend in that giant metal cockroach of yours :AH-HA_wink: Obligatory Prius dig aside, my take on the census is that, with the rumors flying around that GM is going to axe several brands soon, that it was time to find out where C&G members stood on each brand, not just in terms of loyalty, but whether or not they plan to purchase a vehicle from that brand. Hopefully we get to show that killing a brand will alienate not just enthusiasts, but potential customers who will more than likely walk away from GM rather than be shoehorned into a Chevy, Caddy, or Saturn.

Cruze?

We're taking all that into account now as we compile the results. We do intend to put up final tallies and post the results on the front page for all eyes (especially GM's) to see.

"Dear, I'm sorry you're so upset about trading in the Corvette? Don't worry, it's not like it'll be worth anything anyway."

Yes. The "feature of the moment" is the Census, but once that's over and the results are tallied, you can look for a new topic.

The guy who had your El Camino parts car was redoing a '57 Chevy panel truck not unlike this one:

1. 0 2. If the 9-1 doesn't lose much from the latest 9-x concept, then it's on the radar. Otherwise, no new Saabs (though a CPO post-refresh 9-3 is a sleeper option)

1. 0 2. No.

1. 1 (my current car and first new car) 2) The next Cobalt coupe is a possibility if it doesn't look as "Asian" as the sedan spy pics seem to hint at. I'd also like to see what they do with the next HHR. I'm putting the Camaro purchase off until after the first-on-the-block crowd buys theirs at huge markups.

Try to get your votes in by the evening of 7/6. We intend to compile the results and put them on the front page for GM to see in plain sight.

1. 0 2. A CTS coupe is on the radar if I hit it big. Most likely no.

1) 0 2) No

1) Zero 2) The next LaCrosse/Invicta is tempting, but probably no.

Let's not go there and stick to the G8 having/not having a manual, mmkay.

1. None. 2. Possibly. Depends on how finances go. The G8 ST and both Solstice variants are on the list.

Noone would trade a Millenia for a Bronco, so +1 rock. Nice. As you know I love the ol' 2dr SUVs. Need specs and pics now.

Oh baby things have gotten worse. I honestly feel sorry for the people that aren't as anal retentive as I am about my car. Here goes: MONDAY: I get a call from the shop saying that the car should be done by closing. My boss is there for the conversation, and after I hang up he tells me to go get it. I arrive at the shop just before closing, and they're still compounding it. They say it'll be done tomorrow, but I can have a look at the car in the meantime. I notice the fender/door gap is a little big and the door/quarter gap is a little small. So I ask if they could move the door forward a bit and split the difference. They give me a hard time and try saying that it's "only" a GM car and GM isn't known for properly aligning their panels. I call BS and tell them that the car had properly aligned panels before I gave it to them. They reluctantly agree to see if they can move the door. TUESDAY: I take a half day to go to my friend's wake (another post), then head off to the shop. The car is "done" and they take me out to see it. I look it over and they got the gap right. I notice something not quite right with the tint on my quarter glass but I think nothing of it. However, the black area on the door frame behind the window glass is normally covered in vinyl, as pictured here: Well, they decided that, instead of ordering the vinyl strip that goes there, that they can fool me by painting it with what feels like barbeque paint. It feels rough and doesn't have the same shine. I tell them I don't like it and I want whatever GM put there. Again, reluctantly they agree to order the GM part and fix it. They asked me if I would mind taking the car home and bring the car back when the vinyl comes in. I knew I had every right to keep my rental until the car was done to my satisfaction, but I decided to be nice and I agree to this. They pull the car out of the lot, and I notice the bodyside molding on the passenger's side was crooked by a lot. I'm really PO'd and I say, "That is wrong" while waving my arms like angry Italians so when they're mad. I show them the driver's side molding and compare it to the passenger's side. They agree that it's really bad. I tell them that I'm leaving with the Focus and to call me when the car is done. I get home and start eating dinner before heading out to spend time with friends. I get a call on my cell. It's the shop. They fixed the molding and they want to know if they can come to my house and swap my car for the rental. Again I relent when I have the right not to, and tell them that I'm leaving at about 6:45. They appear to have no problem with that and I give them directions. 7:00 comes and they still haven't showed, so I leave for my friends' house. At 8:30 they call my cell again, and apologize for not meeting me before I left, and ask me if we can meet after I leave. I agree and give them a location on my route home where they can meet me. I get there, and they arrive about five minutes after I do with my car. I made sure it was parked under a bright light so I can see everything. The molding looks good. this time. They tell me they measured it against the other side. I bite my toungue to stop myself from snapping "Why the .... didn't you do that the first time?" We swap keychains and part ways. Despite all this, the ride home brings a twinge of happiness to me. I'm back in my car; my wonderful, well-made, quiet, athletic Cobalt. Quite frankly, the Focus I just got out of wasn't fit to breathe my car's exhaust. It's that much better. I get home and am aching all over from all the tension of the day. THURSDAY: I'm backing the car out of the driveway, and I notice that there's some marks on the interior trim panel by the quarter glass. When I get into work I climb in the back seat and take a close look. The panel is all scratched up, and the imperfections I saw in the tint on Tuesday were apparently part of the same motion that scratched the panel. One corner of the panel near the window is actually broken, and another corner looks "chewed". It looked like whoever took the glass out tried to pry it out without taking the interior apart to get at it. I spend a little time looking up the part # for the panel. I find it for roughly $30 new and briefly consider just buying the panel and replacing it myself. Before long my senses come back and I decide that I'm going to make them get this car to my specs no matter how long it takes. They call me early afternoon to tell me that the vinyl strip is in. I had worked through lunch so I left early to go there. I look at the piece again, close the door, and something rattles in there. When I get to the shop I ask for someone to come out to look at my car. I get the owner of the shop this time. I show him the panel and he says, "Yeah, this is really substandard. This isn't even us. I outsource all my glass work to a glass place because I want to make sure it gets done right. This is really embarrassing." He tells me that he'll order me the panel, and get the glass guy and a tint guy there on the same day, and do all the work at once when the panel arrives. I tell him about the rattle, and he couldn't reproduce it but said he'd pull the door panel off and make sure everything is tight in there. I say OK and squeeze a rental car out of him for the day the car gets laid up. After I leave, GEICO calls and says that the insurance co. of the girl that hit me is trying to place fault on me. He's pretty confident that he'll be able to squash it based on the pictures of my damage and hers, but he asks me to do a phone interview and record it. I agree and tell him to hold on while I pull into a parking lot. He asks some basic questions like my name, birthday, etc, and asks for my account of the accident. The whole thing took about 7 minutes, after which I leave the parking lot and drive home.

So now 2 FWDs for the "Standard of the World" brand, huh? How about they just make the next CTS and DTS on Epsilon and completely castrate Caddy. ridiculous.

I wonder what GM could make there that could be built alongside the Camaro and do enough volume to keep the CAW happy. *whistles innocently*

FWIW, the take rate for M6 GTOs was very high. Any leftovers were all automatics. Ditto the last LS1 F-bodies. Don't underestimate the number of people who would want a manual G8 but don't have the dough for the GXP. Rather, spend your energy figuring out how many people GM is turning off by not offering a manual on the non-GXP cars. A M6 G8 with any engine, even the V6, should be a very easy sell.