Buick and the Detroit Zombies

64 Responses to “ Buick and the Detroit Zombies ”

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• Skooter :
  April 26th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
  
  

  You have to admit, the CTS is sharp. Not like the G35. Which has all the excitement of a warm glass of milk.

• Skooter :
  April 26th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
  
  

  “Less adventurous Europeans? Um, have you ever visited Europe? Have you ever seen a recent Alfa? Or a Fiat, for that matter? If you think Caddies are adventurous, take a look at a Renault or Citroen.

  They still make that stuff somewhere?

  Does anybody buy?

• p00ch :
  April 26th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
  
  

  There’s nothing wrong with building cars for an older demographic, especially now that boomers represent such a large chunk of the population. The problem is, more and more boomers/retirees seem to be choosing Camrys, Accords, Corollas, etc. So, instead of chasing the younger, stylish crowd (Enclave), perhaps GM should devote more resources to making Buick a perfect retiree car.

• Theodore :
  April 26th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
  
  

  p00ch :
  April 26th, 2008 at 8:27 pm

  The problem is, more and more boomers/retirees seem to be choosing Camrys, Accords, Corollas, etc.

  You mean GM can’t even get boring right???

• golden2husky :
  April 27th, 2008 at 10:21 am
  
  

  Since Euro marques are for BBC/Guardian fans, I suppose that makes the Caddy the top choice for the CNN/Fox News faithful.

  I know of no CNN viewer that would even consider watching Fox.

  All joking aside, I think that today’s Buicks are far better than most would give them credit for. Problem is, nobody bothers to look. Who’s fault is that? Why the General himself, that’s who. At the last car show, the Buick display was nearly vacant while Avalons were in demand. The high end Lucerne was every much an equal to the Avalon, at least in appearance and interior materials. They may not be mechanically equal, but the point here is that potential buyers never even got far enough to consider that issue, because they never looked in the first place.

• jthorner :
  April 27th, 2008 at 10:43 am
  
  

  Compare Avalon and Lucerne resale values and you will find one really good reason for a new car buyer to ignore the Lucerne.

  Also, part of Buick’s considering problem is that they got rid of all their traditional names. That sent a signal to any remaining loyal Buick owners that they were no longer wanted.

  Someone ready to trade in their five year old LeSabre on a new one quickly learns that the LeSabre was apparently such a bad car that Buick doesn’t make them anymore. This renaming rookie mistake has become standard practice with the 2.8 and like big mergers, it rarely works as planned.

• Steven Lang :
  April 27th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
  
  

  Sorry jt, but I will have to respectfully disagree with you here.

  The Lucerne has a far better reliability rating according to Consumer Reports, J.D. Power, and even among my own auctioneering brethren. The 2005 model of the Avalon is a particularly dreadful example and unlike the Lucerne, rattles are aplenty in that model. The Avalon more or less represents decontenting gone awry for Toyota, as does their V6 Camry.

  Your comment on the LeSabre contradicts everything I’ve read and experienced. These models are among the few full sized vehicles that can give you 30 highway miles per gallon and 200,000+ miles with proper care. In fact GM highlighted the LeSabre for it’s quality and the plant that it’s built in has been among the best in the world. Along with the Bonneville, they are among the most purchased road cars in my business due to their simple maintenance, comfortable ride, and low ownership costs.

  GM may not be much for small cars in the North American market. But their full-sized models are among the best in the industry. I wouldn’t think twice about buying, selling or driving one given the right prior owner.

• Scottie :
  April 27th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
  
  

  Would anyone even notice if Buick Pontiac and GMC were wiped away. I mean i’m sure all those Canyon, and G5 buyers wouldn’t want to be seen in a Chevy.

• Dynamic88 :
  April 27th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
  
  

  Would anyone even notice if Buick Pontiac and GMC were wiped away.

  IMO, yes, lots of people would notice. B/P/G together accounted for over one million sales in ‘07. That was about 27% of GM’s total sales.

  So, the question is, where would these customers go if they couldn’t buy Buicks, Pontiacs, and GMCs? I freely admit I don’t know, but then I’m not sure anyone else does either. I’m not at all sure they’d go to other GM divisions.

  I think many of us here, including me, have been advocating killing off some GM brands. I’m having second thoughts, becuase I don’t know where the customers would go. Even if GM could retain say 2/3s of these customers, that would still be a 9% sales drop. Can GM afford this?

• AGR :
  April 27th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
  
  

  Dynamic88,

  You make a valid point, where would these people go?

  Steven Lang,

  They are good cars and exceptional value for the money. Its fascinating to watch people pay for imports even Hyundai these days, compared to domestic brands that have fallen off the radar screen like Buick or Mercury.

  jthorner,

  The individual that drives an Avalon conveys the same message as the individual that drives a Buick. With the exception that the Buick has more history than the Avalon.

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