I actually like the Nitro……

Driving a rental Dodge Charger this week. It’s pretty fun and rides well, and I can toss it in the corners too. So far my only quibble is the brakes which feel like they have slightly warped rotors, but it probably gets a load of abuse as a rental (13k miles right now).

I like the looks of the Nitro, but the car is crap. Chrysler will do well to sharpen their line-up. I hope the other automakers take note. I don’t need 3 cars that are based on the same platform. Make something new…

If they’re all under roof, you go like this:

Dodge – cars and pickups. economy.
Jeep – SUVs, slightly more expensive. SUVs aren’t gonna be for the masses for much longer anyways.
Chrysler – Upscale. Platform share like Lexus does with Toyota, but aim for more of the Acura level.

That covers all the bases without overlap, right?

Making changes is what they must do. But DESIGN should be at the top of the list.

The Million $ question what are they gonna replace those fantastic vehicles with.

So, they are going back to the pre-Mercedes model.

Good. Now make with the cool cars that will sell.

I had a Magnum rental for a few weeks and I thought it was a great car.

The Avenger and Sebring aren’t really twin models, as they have completely different exteriors… but they both suck so why not..

The only way I think this might make sense is if they do a coupe as a Dodge and badge the sedan as a Chrysler.

I guess this means they’re not bringing back Plymouth or Eagle

Ya know… I always liked the Crossfire. Overpriced… but a nice little sports car.

I think GM could learn a lot from this. They’ve got more identical models than you can shake a stick at… marketted under 3 or 4 different brands. If they’d cut some of them out they’d be more profitable.

I thought platfor sharing was the way to go?
It’s not shared DNA that is wrong with these cars it’s the cars themselves

i still never understood why i saw a Dodge Neon AND a Plymouth Neon, freaking EXACT same car.

The public needs REAL answers about these matters, damn it! Screw the whole idea of privately-owned car companies!

What confuses the hell out of me most is that Edy’s Ice Cream is really just badge-engineered Dreyer’s Ice Cream. As if that’s going to fool anyone.

The best thing Chrysler could do is go back to the pre-Devil…err.. Diamler days. They were profitable and made stylish cars that were also pretty darn reliable. Diamler ‘effed it all up… and I think people are finally starting to realize that.

Brendino… you pretty much nailed it. It’s still not ideal but it’s as good as it can be with the current state of things. I still think they need Plymouth… if they did, Chrysler would offer the most complete, sensible lineup of any automaker. They need Plymouth for their bread and butter cars, in a perfect world it would go like this.

Plymouth – all your basic, economy cars – mostly 4-cylinders and a few sixes, cars only.
Dodge – Pickups and performance – if there’s gonna be a Dodge branded car, it better have a V8.
Jeep – SUVs only, all shapes and sizes.
Chrysler – Cars only, very upscale versions of some existing cars, along with one completely unique to Chrysler to serve as flagship models.

As far as the comment about GM goes… there’s nothing wrong with platform sharing – there’s a big difference between that and badge engineering. Even still… they’re learning from their past mistakes, which is why they’re starting to import their overseas models. There’s nothing wrong with slapping Pontiac badges on Holdens because Holdens aren’t sold here… same goes for rebadging Opels as Saturns. When that is done, there’s also nothing wrong with Chevys and Buicks sharing mechanicals… or Buicks and Cadillacs sharing mechanicals as long as the sheetmetal and interiors are differentiated. GM has come a long, long way since the badge-engineering days of the 80s/90s.

Of the three pairs mentioned, the Nitro, Sebring sedan and Aspen should go. Expanding further to their other paired models, they should also kill the Jeep Compass and Chrysler Town & Country. Nitro and Aspen don’t require replacement, but a RWD Sebring replacement that looks similar to the recent Nassau concept might be just what Chrysler needs to boost its cred.

I think Chrysler will make it. I really hope so.

The most important thing they could do for any of their vehicles is to make them more solid – every Chrysler product I’ve driven or ridden in with over ~10k miles squeaked and rattled itself down the road. That sure doesn’t make an owner feel confident in that what they’re driving.. Ford and GM’s US offerings are better in that way..

AMGoff: what do you call the Chevy Cobalt/Pontiac G5… or the TrailBlazer/Envoy/9-7x/Rainier… or the Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade… or the Silverado/Sierra… Avalance/EXT… Colorado/Canyon… Acadia/Enclave/Outlook… Equinox/Torrent?

GM does more “badge engineering” than any company I know of. They could eliminate the entire GMC brand if they stopped.

Raine Man,

GM’s rebadging is hardly as haphazard as it used to be. You also have some outdated information in your list.

Yes, GM does a lot of rebadging and redressing, but more redressing that rebadging, as of late. Rebadging is just swapping one badge mark for another. GM has been doing much less of that. Redressing is making a totally new, at least looking and/or driving machine on the same platform.

The GMT360 platform for the Chevy Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, and SAAB 9-7x are general examples of Rebadging. They look and are equipped mostly alike. Note the BUICK Rainier was dropped for the ENCLAVE already.

GMT355 platformers, CHEVY Colorado and GMC Canyon, are lagging in sales. Though the platform is listed through the 2009 model year, I would not lay good odds on them without a severe redressing. these tucks have the same relationship GMC and CHEVROLET have with their Full-sized P/Us. But those sell much better, regardless of the times.

The GMT900 SUVs CHEVROLET Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon, and CADILLAC Escalade all fit their niches pretty well. Trucks already mentioned.

The SUTs, CHEVY Avalanche and CADILLAC Escalade EXT aren’t going to be shared with any other divisions, not even GMC.

The Theta platformers, CHEVY Equinox, SATURN VUE, and GMC Terrain, will be around a while. They fit their target groups quite well. The PONTIAC Torrent and BUICK Rendezvous are discontinued.

The Lambda Platformers, GMC Acadia, BUICK Enclave, SATURN Outlook, and CHEVY Traverse, are mixed cases of Redress and Rebadge. Between the ENCLAVE and the rest it is Redress to the point they look nearly nothing alike. The rest are varying cases of rebadge. It would not have been so bad were it that they stopped with the three but they had to add the CHEVY which will likely be even cheaper than the SATURN and less stylish as well.

The Y-bodies is shared with only two cars, the CORVETTE and the CADILLAC XLR.

There are two Kappa platformers, the SATURN Sky and the Pontiac Solstice. Though rumors of a V6-powered CHEVY version still persist. This one would share styling directly with the CORVETTE and be an even more serious performer than the Solstice GXP.

Delta platform CHEVROLET Cobalt, PONTIAC G5. GM may kill the COBALT for an ALPHA Platform FR car. A car roundly believed more fitting for PONTIAC to be shared, in any case, with either BUICK and/or CADILLAC.

ZETA, FR large car platform which could see a model in nearly every division. Most notables CHEVY Camaro (Sedan possible but rumors rule it out for a FF car.), PONTIAC G8 (coupe possible), a Production version of the GMC Denali XT concept. Possible but not altogether likely: a BUICK large sedan (Roadmaster) and/or possible production version of the Velite Coupe, and CADILLAC large sedan and possible coupe (STS and El Dorado – ETC- replacements).

GM is a company of Seven divisions. It is unrealistic, even in the best of times, to expect GM to develop totally new vehicles across the board for all their divisions. While some have made the ham-handed arguments that GM should shed more Divisions the fact is that GM admitted they made a mistake in killing OLDSMOBILE, but the damage is done but they have no plans to kill anymore divisions. They mean to make each Division stay on task and focus on their particular “mission”, be it

Luxury and Grace (BUICK)
Luxury and Performance (CADILLAC)
PERFORMANCE on a Budget (PONTIAC)
“Bread and butter” (CHEVROLET, though there is talk that CORVETTE will spin off its own Division)
European appeal and Style (SATURN made easier with actual OPEL cars)
Just Trucks and SUVS (GMC sometimes skirting areas between HUMMER and CADILLAC in terms of content and AT capabilities)
and lastly All-terrain as a Status Mark (HUMMER – needs to make a real original AT to really stand apart)

*Hypothetical: Japanese Luxury fighter (OLDSMOBILE – would be somewhere between BUICK and CADILLAC)

GM is a big company with a lot to work with. It will be a course that serves GM well in the long run if managed properly. So far there is not too much to fault them for (Traverse, GMT355 and GMT 360, and HUMMER).

I said “not too much”.

pretty darn reliable- Are you kidding me The minivans with K car transmissions that failed at 65k are reliable lol ???
MB was the best thing to ever happen to Chrysler. The 300 is basically using old E class parts and thank god it is bc it would be a TOTAL notpartial POS without it
Cerebrus is doing the right thing by killing off certain models They dont have to do it for all twin models like for instance I think the Nitro and the liberty can both sell along with the Aspen and Durango but the Jeep compass needs to die along with the Dodge Avenger. The minivans should only be a Dodge and Chrysler should have a CUV different from the Journey and more luxury based cars. Their prime comp should be Lincoln and Caddy

Blakkar- I would agree with some of your statement… Oldsmobile needed to be killed. Cadillac is going to move further upmarket soon, but Buick will always, and has almost always been the mark to look for (for) reliable, relaxed cars. Oldsmobile would not have worked out as the “import” fighter, that was the original mission of Saturn and Geo at a time, neither of which worked out. Oldsmobile has always stood for something a little upscale to me, where Buick had been in the past 15 or so years, and I doubt GM could, or would have seriously changed that. Aside from the Oldsmobile Intrigue, the Aurora went slightly “downmarket” with a V6 option, but was still getting a higher penny than most imports.

LOL!
The Taurus X is better than the Magnum or Pacifica

and the Mustang is the best convertible.

@MySi89TuNeD and HoosierHero

the Nitro is weak

@ AMGoff

The Plymouth Prowler should come back

Ford and GM’s US offerings are better in that way..

@
jayjc08 Oldsmobile was killed by Mercury

Oops!
Blonde moment!

should have said

LOL!
The Taurus X is better than the Magnum or Pacifica

and the Mustang is the best convertible.

@MySi89TuNeD and HoosierHero

the Nitro is weak

@ AMGoff

The Plymouth Prowler should come back

@
jayjc08 Oldsmobile was killed by Mercury

Funny how an 80s K-car (which was never meant to be a world-class product, simply cheap and reliable transportation) with a failed transmission at 65K is inexcusable… but ‘01 Acura CL with a failed transmission at 42K is perfectly acceptable and ignorable.

Blinding, biased ignorance is a terrible burden to deal with when trying to make a point.

Funny how you think that big brother is after you and dont realize that I dont own an 01 CL and haven’t Unlike you on your Caddy forums you dont kno what I own MR 89 Eldo/89 Grand Wagoneer/06 Liberty/75 CJ5/02 Seville-RIP
but since you want to look for stuff online lets see
HMM
http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/1403717-post22.html