Saturn and Me: General Motors Loses a Customer

[Charlie]

A new feeditems entry has been added:

[drupal=3419]Saturn and Me: General Motors Loses a Customer[/drupal]

Allan Sloan from the Washington Post: Until last week I had been one of General Motors' most reliable customers for more than 15 years. But my relationship with GM ended the very day the company announced that it was closing its Saturn operation

[mike08vue]

My bet is he bought an Acura, I guess that would be about as close to the (old) Vue--Honda engine and all, as the new Equinox is to the Vue.

[AEIoUy]

Assembled in Canada, powertrain made in USA. Yes, its definitely an Acura MDX.

I concur with everything he said. GM abandon a good thing and why should I give my $$$ back to the mothership? I don't buy into this blinded "Buy American" with cars since buying a Civic supports American jobs directly and indirectly more than a overseas made Saturn Astra or Daewoo, I mean Chevy Aveo. And GM has already stated its going to source more parts overseas.

[Chazberry]

Originally Posted by AEIoUy

Assembled in Canada, powertrain made in USA. Yes, its definitely an Acura MDX.

I concur with everything he said. GM abandon a good thing and why should I give my $$$ back to the mothership? I don't buy into this blinded "Buy American" with cars since buying a Civic supports American jobs directly and indirectly more than a overseas made Saturn Astra or Daewoo, I mean Chevy Aveo. And GM has already stated its going to source more parts overseas.

You might want to read this thread . . .
http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/sho...40#post1526940

[adventureoflink]

Originally Posted by Chazberry

You might want to read this thread . . .
http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/sho...40#post1526940

heh, I like how you linked my post from that thread..

(dunno if this was your actual intent or not, but whatever.)

[Chazberry]

Originally Posted by adventureoflink

(dunno if this was your actual intent or not, but whatever.)

Actually, it wasn't. I just wanted to link him to the topic, but I guess your post was close enough.

[Kimosen]

Originally Posted by AEIoUy

Assembled in Canada, powertrain made in USA. Yes, its definitely an Acura MDX.

I concur with everything he said. GM abandon a good thing and why should I give my $$$ back to the mothership? I don't buy into this blinded "Buy American" with cars since buying a Civic supports American jobs directly and indirectly more than a overseas made Saturn Astra or Daewoo, I mean Chevy Aveo. And GM has already stated its going to source more parts overseas.

Amusingly, this describes the Chevy Equinox as well. Annoyingly, the Equinox is tip-top awesome.

I'm sick of hearing all these "boo on GM Im buying foreign now" people. Isn't blind bias what Saturn tried to eliminate?

[Kimosen]

Originally Posted by AEIoUy

Assembled in Canada, powertrain made in USA. Yes, its definitely an Acura MDX.

I concur with everything he said. GM abandon a good thing and why should I give my $$$ back to the mothership? I don't buy into this blinded "Buy American" with cars since buying a Civic supports American jobs directly and indirectly more than a overseas made Saturn Astra or Daewoo, I mean Chevy Aveo. And GM has already stated its going to source more parts overseas.

You do realize that the 2008 and up Vue was a GMDAT creation, right?

[04Pacific]

I'll buy another used Vue Redline 04-current or go with a used MDX for my next daily driver (sorry, can't afford a new one and won't spend that much money), but I don't think I will go with an Equinox unless they start offering an SS version. I miss the SS TrailBlazer, that thing was wicked.

[Kimosen]

Alas, CAFE assured the death of the Trailblazer SS - that thing WAS wicked. I remember the first time I put my foot down in one of those. I just laughed. A riot.

[danger d]

I bought GM cars since im 16 and im now 25 and the astra was my last GM.I thank them though for introducing me to european driving and i will now buy BMW products.

[MiSaturn]

My response to Mr. Sloan - Waaaa! I'm not sure what made him a more "reliable" GM customer than anyone else (esp. considering the population who uses this site), but he's more concerned about his diminished resale value than the thousands of jobs lost - and it's associated financial impact.

Fortunately, Mr. Sloan will get to see what it feels like to "be Saturn" as people continue to turn away from reading print newspapers and seek news elsewhere.

[AEIoUy]

Originally Posted by MiSaturn

My response to Mr. Sloan - Waaaa! I'm not sure what made him a more "reliable" GM customer than anyone else (esp. considering the population who uses this site), but he's more concerned about his diminished resale value than the thousands of jobs lost - and it's associated financial impact.

Fortunately, Mr. Sloan will get to see what it feels like to "be Saturn" as people continue to turn away from reading print newspapers and seek news elsewhere.

Actually, I've read Allan Sloan's articles and editorials everywhere from NPR to WashPost. But his main job is over at Fortune magazine and that magazine's circulation is healthy considering it tailors to corporation clienteles. I wouldn't get into a tit for tat with his job.

Plus, the writing on the wall were there for months and just set in stone on 9/30. I doubt him buying a Saturn would have been done anything to save the 'thousands of job lost' since GM wanted to dump the brand anyways.

[dentar]

As much as I hate to admit it, GM stung me twice. I had an Oldsmobile Intrigue.. and loved the car. After GM s###-canned it, I got a Saturn VUE which I would like much better if little things like electrical switches wouldn't break so darn much. Sadly, GM has s###-canned that brand as well and I'm done with GM. In fact, I'm thinking of being done with American cars, as horrible as that sounds in this economy. Had GM stuck with the EV-1 the story would be much different today. They were squarely seated in position to revolutionize the whole industry but politics ruled the day.

[Chazberry]

Originally Posted by dentar

As much as I hate to admit it, GM stung me twice. I had an Oldsmobile Intrigue.. and loved the car. After GM s###-canned it, I got a Saturn VUE which I would like much better if little things like electrical switches wouldn't break so darn much. Sadly, GM has s###-canned that brand as well and I'm done with GM. In fact, I'm thinking of being done with American cars, as horrible as that sounds in this economy. Had GM stuck with the EV-1 the story would be much different today. They were squarely seated in position to revolutionize the whole industry but politics ruled the day.

These are pretty much my sentiments exactly. My '83 Olds Firenza (made in Brazil) was the worst car I ever owned - and I had 2 Vegas! In 1994 I was just about done with American cars, but I decided to give GM one more chance when we bought a '94 SW2. We subsequently bought a 95 SW2 (still my daily rider), a 96 SL2 and 2 VUEs. And now Saturn joins the EV-1 and GM's legacy of great ideas. So I think I'm done with GM, but given the state of our economy today, I'm still very reluctant to go foreign.

[BobbyP]

Originally Posted by Kimosen

Amusingly, this describes the Chevy Equinox as well. Annoyingly, the Equinox is tip-top awesome.

I'm sick of hearing all these "boo on GM Im buying foreign now" people. Isn't blind bias what Saturn tried to eliminate?

The 2010 Equinox is simply a more polished Theta SUV. It still has all it's same strengths and weaknesses the chassis has had since 2002.

Saturn owners are sick of how GM destroyed Saturn, and then abandoned them. We're all very aggravated with the way GM abused Saturn and it's owners.

How is that supposed to support GM brand loyalty?

I don't fault any Saturn owner that don't want to buy another GM car.

[saturn_69]

GM making the painful business decision to excise a brand that wasn't making them money proves to me that they have changed and it makes me more confident that they'll make better decisions in the future. I'm not glad to see Saturn and Pontiac disappear, but I am glad that GM knows when to do the right thing. I'll stick with GM in the future, as I have for the past 20+ years, I see no reason to leave them.

[saturn_69]

Originally Posted by BobbyP

The 2010 Equinox is simply a more polished Theta SUV. It still has all it's same strengths and weaknesses the chassis has had since 2002.

Saturn owners are sick of how GM destroyed Saturn, and then abandoned them. We're all very aggravated with the way GM abused Saturn and it's owners.

SOME (perhaps MOST)....but not all. I don't think GM abused us at all. Brands come and go, as painful and upsetting as that may be.

Originally Posted by BobbyP

How is that supposed to support GM brand loyalty?

I don't fault any Saturn owner that don't want to buy another GM car.

Doesn't want...doesn't, not "don't want."

[davidsky]

Originally Posted by Kimosen

Amusingly, this describes the Chevy Equinox as well. Annoyingly, the Equinox is tip-top awesome.

I'm sick of hearing all these "boo on GM Im buying foreign now" people. Isn't blind bias what Saturn tried to eliminate?

I agree on this, I don't understand the people who won't buy a certain company's cars because of the business issues they have. As if it is somehow going to make the cars unreliable or dangerous. The resale argument is a load of crap too. No car is an appreciating asset. Plus if you follow the prices of Oldsmobiles from the late 90s/early 2000s before they closed up their resale is the same as Chevys and Buicks.

[davidsky]

Originally Posted by AEIoUy

I doubt him buying a Saturn would have been done anything to save the 'thousands of job lost' since GM wanted to dump the brand anyways.

Sure, but he could have bought a GM car (along with 1000s of other people who also can) and help save the 1000s of jobs of people who still work for GM. (An American owned company that probably employs more people in the US than all the foreign brands combined)