Truckers' strike/slowdown

[tw]

Originally Posted by sycamore

Current best mpg for 2008 compact cars, with 1998 mpg in parentheses (some comparable models used):

Chevy Cobalt: 25/36 (Cavalier: 21/31)
Ford Focus: 24/35 (Escort: 24/34)
Honda Civic: 26/34 (30/39)
Saturn Astra: 24/32 (S-series: 24/36)
Toyota Corolla: 28/37 (27/34)
Kia Spectra: 24/32 (Sephia: 21/28)
VW Jetta: 22/29 (21/28)
Mazda 3: 24/32 (26/33)
Nissan Sentra: 25/33 (25/35)

And those numbers come from where? Well understood are tricks GM uses to optimize vehicles for the EPA test rather than for real world drivers. A famous example. Corvettes' computer would change engine performance and bypass second gear when computer detected EPA testing parameters. This to make the Corvettes' EPA mileage higher. To do this, GM sold Corvette's only with automatics. Every five years, GM must resort to a new trick before the old ones become too commonly known.

I routinely get or exceed EPA highway mileage in most cars. But could never get GM's highway mileage. GM has history - numerous decades of outright lying. Suddenly GM is honest? Any claim about a GM product must include details (not above sound byte logic) because GM lies so often.

In a GM dealer, I was told to get out my warranty repair parts. GM sends someone from Detroit to negotiate. A $1 failed part got us between $0.10 and $0.25 reimbursement. DeLorean states same in his book complete with reasons why. Standard GM policy is to create profits. After all, what is the purpose of a company? Its products? Not at GM. GM's concern for profits is why GM has a long history of lying.

Warranty costs dumped on dealers who were making profits. So we did everything possible to not honor GM warranties.

Well, last year, we were discussing this in a Cadillac dealer. A new Cadillac with numerous defects (new car) had just been fixed. Detroit sent out the man. Found two tires that were 2 PSI low on pressure. All warranty reimbursement on that Cadillac denied. Any excuse to dump warranty costs on others. No honest automaker does that. When doing that reimbursement, gas mileage numbers also get ... fixed.

Did you do numbers on that Saturn Astra? It finally has what has been standard all over the world for almost 20 years - the 70 HP/liter engine. So gas mileage increases. So Saturn is competitive? Yes if this is 1992.

Praising GM is what same people were doing 10 years ago, 20 years ago, and 30 years ago. Every five years, GM again preaches their new found religion. GM stock shows how bad all GM products have been when products suddenly got better. If GM products are better, then why another $3billion loss just in this quarter? Call me when GM has not been uncovered lying anytime in 5 years.

A friend who has a hybrid reports a repeated 48 MPG. Remember that hybrid that GM promised in 1994 to build in exchange for $million of government money. Honesty says GM admits to doing nothing alongside another admission about how accountants also destroyed the EV-1. Another confession would identify the bean counters (not car guys) who promoted hydrogen as a fuel. Oh. But two years later, GM is suddenly better? They could not even be honest about hydrogen because top management does not even drive cars.

Honesty is not GM which is why every tribute without caveats leaves the lauder with a serious credibility problem.

Cobalt, Cavalier, and Vega are J-body cars. Vega even got Motor Trends' Car of the Year award with same massive hype and praise I now see applied here. Vega was one of the worst vehicles in American auto history. So now they call it the Cobalt. Meanwhile George Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" - and the many were also brainwashed as to believe that.

Let's see Chevy Cobalt and same car sold as Cavalier. Bad or Worse ratings for the past six years (according to Consumer Reports) on fuel system, electrical, climate control, suspension, brakes, paint/trim, body integrity, body hardware, and power equipment. Consumer Reports list of "Used Cars to Avoid: Cavalier coup in 2002. 1998 Sedan. Then Cavalier got worse when renamed Cobalt. Avoid all Chevy Cobalts from 2005 and 2006.

Well at least Cobalt did not appear in the 30 worst cars – that included Chevy Astro, Blazer, Colorado, S-10, Uplander, and Venture. GM is getting better but dominates the list entitled “Worst of the Worst”.

Oh. But in one year, GM went from the worst of the worst to better? Not when the top man is a bean counter, does not drive, and got promoted after posting record losses in GM North America. To praise GM as now better is like knowing Saddam had WMDs. In both cases, the numbers say otherwise - including how many reasons why posted here?