Why fight it? Just build great product.

The only words missing from Wagoner’s comments were “discount” and “rebate” and “huge incentives”.

It sounds like he/they are a bit more fired up than FORD is. I know they both are trying to get out of the rut they are in, and it seems that they are both doing it, but they have more work to do. I own GM, and am looking to buy again, but I also own Honda, and have had Toyota and Ford in my family as well. I have liked all of them for what they are (fit the need).

Like I said, at least he is fired up and ready to fight, rather than the attitide of complacency!

while i dont want to say “just sit back and face facts” thats waht they need to do. they are going to lose #1, why cheapen the products even more to put up numbers that arent going to matter anyway.

Maybe time for another “Road to Redemption” campiagn?

Seriously, GM doesn’t deserve the title… Haven’t for decades.

build them as good as Toyota does and you’ll KEEP the #1 title…. simple as that…

GM can start with a diesel for the 1500 series trucks. Now, please.

Does that mean that the Kappas and the GMT900’s didn’t save the company? Shucks.

Look a Toyota!!! DESTROY IT!!! (:

Fight for every sale! The Game is over! The buzzer rang! You’re walking off the court!
It would take a complete line of exciting, reliable, well prices vehicles. Great cars are made by evolution. You don’t have any good genes!

MyGodBeatsYourGod,
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Right on the money!

As if now a days Toyota isn’t using huge discounts and rebates to sell their products. I saw where you can now get 0% long term financing on the Sienna and Tundra and some others now. And thier rebates on some of thier light trucks and SUV’s are starting to rival those of the big 3

Start by educating the dealers on how to properly treat potential customers and that in itself will be a huge leap forward.

In 2002 I looked at buying a Trans Am WS6 because I wanted something kind of goofy with lots of power. The dealers I went to actually had markups on the cars because “they’re the last ones and are very special.” I bought something else and every time I drove by the dealers, the same cars I had looked at months earlier still sat there.

Fast forward to 2004 with the GTO. Same exact attitude, the cars all had additional dealer markups and they would not even let me test drive one because they were so unique. You all know how the GTO sales story ended.

This has happened to me so many times when trying to buy a GM car that the GTO was the last straw. They could be making great cars but I’ll never know because I’ve been treated like dirt so many times by GM dealers that I won’t return until they change their tune (likely never).

This is what they should have been saying 5-10 years ago, not when they are months away from losing the title. If they started designing decent cars then, they would have them on lots right now. But now its just to late and the title is effectively gone already to Toyota stop fighting to HOLD ON TO IT AND TRY MAKING BETTER CARS TO REGAIN IT.

P.S. Interesting fact – Toyota will be the first non american company too have the “Worlds biggest car maker” title EVER nad only the third maker after GM and Ford.

Toyota is discounting the SUVs and Trucks because there sales are slowing. Go find me a Camary with a discount on it. i bet i can find an impala. Toyota is only discounting the cars they want to move…NOT THE WHOLE LINE!

There is also a new Tundra coming out and a new Highlander later this year. people know this and are probably holding off their purchase for the new ones. Highlander sales are still strong even being a 5 year old design.

Biggest incentive outside of the 0% financing has been 1750 cash on Tundras. In comparison, Tahoes and Suburbans should be in the 6 – 12k dollars off come springtime.

Memo to Wagoner: The horse has left… you can close the barn door now.

@BrokenCadillac–

The GMT900s are doing quite well, thank you.

@GL1–

Toyota’s recalls are currently exceeding those from GM.

@GarbageMotorsCo, Shoot2Thrill, and buenos–

Don’t count your crossed oval-T’s before they’re hatched. Toyota is still fighting with Ford for No. 2 in the US. GM is still losing marketshare, but it has clearly positioned itself to reverse this trend in North America and around the World. The General has risen to claim the No. 2 position in Korea in just a few years after taking over Daewoo. GM is also in a fantastic position in China. There is no way that Toyota will be able to hang with GM in the world’s most populace country. GM’s decision to shift a substantial portion of its engineering to the Holden facility in Austrailia allows it to cut its development costs by nearly an order of magnitude. This will allow the General to serve the mass market in countries where it currently serves mostly the rich.

GM has a very bright future.

U.S. yes, GM still ahead, but losing ground year after year. Worldwide things are a wee bit different and not so rosy for our friends in Detroit…

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aMJaXwwhOvdQ&refer=worldwide

“Toyota’s gains may help it end GM’s reign as the world’s largest automaker during 2007. Through nine months this year, Toyota’s global sales rose 8 percent to 6.61 million while GM’s fell 2.5 percent to 6.89 million.”

Just a matter of time…

GM sales worldwide are growing, but Toyota is right on their tail. Something like 300,000 cars off? The new Tundra could make up a good chunk of those sales when it debuts here in the US and the new Corolla to follow should be a winner.

Toyota is just chipping away…

OOps, thanks GarbageMotorsCo, you beat me to the punch.

Richard, I have said it before, and I will say it again. I do not want to see GM fail. However, rhetoric does not sell cars. GM’s position in Korea has much more to do with it’s acquisition of Daewoo then it’s ability to sell it’s own products. And in terms of quality and or recalls.. GM has very little new product, and therefore shouldn’t be having recalls. If you build a vehicle on an ancient platform with ancient drivetrains, it should be recall free.

Sales blues?

Nothing a few million FLEET SALES can’t cure…

a few months ago they didnt care about being #1. now they do? thats GM for ya, cant stick with one corporate idea. doesnt sound too confident anyway, if you follow up a quote with, ‘IF’ we get passed up…

The funny thing is that all of this about how great Toyota and Honda are is all a bunch of crap. Take a look at Richard comments, he made an interesting point. Did anyone realize that the chev Impala beat everyone at overall quality last year. Gee… the Ford Fusion won the title this year along with several others. Has anyone realized that no one can even compete with a domestic pickup for the past forever.
I hate to say it, but I feel that the morons that actually pay up for Toyota, Honda, and other foreign brands are stupid. A car is a car, it’s going to break down. Guess what parts are the most expensive to replace.. that’s right jackass, the parts on that Toyota Camry you just payed sticker for LOL!
After these comments I guarentee some moron that bought one of these vehicles is going to come back at me about something stupid and that’s fine. I would want to come up with an excuse to for paying way to much for something that all in all is just a chunk of aluminum and rubber.

kill toyota kill all those foreghn basterds!!

Just to let you all know. The comments I posted earlier about the aluminum and rubber go for all auto companies. We all have to put everything into perspective here. Vehicle are made to make people money, people become assholes when you talk about money. Wait people are assholes in general, me included.

1) Wagoner sounds like Al Bundy recollecting his past football fame.
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2) I can pick up a 2007 Camry SE for about dealer invoice any day. MSRP is for retards.
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3) Toyota builds/sells very very little exciting product, so that is not it. If they surpass GM, the world has simply replaced vanilla with vanilla – no reason for an enthusiast to rejoice.
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4) GM/Ford et al never learned how to make money on small production runs of lower priced cars (GM is learning that on the Solstice). The japs do this well, which is why they can build so many niche vehicles, and when they do get a runner (like a Camry) it rakes in a mint. Gringo companies have to learn how to do this to compete.
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5) My US cars have generally been more problem free than my Japanese cars (built in Japan, no less).

toyota blows

Somehow I expected that from you buenos. Anyway, like MyGodBeatsYourGod says, if they build good cars they can increase their marketshare. That does *NOT* include Daewoo building even ****tier cars for you and plastering a Chevy badge on them. That’s just wrong and will ruin GM’s reputation. The day that we see a Corvette made by Daewoo is the day that GM will cease to exist, ’cause everyone will burn their damn HQ to the ground.

Well wonder how many times he got knocked out selling a malibu toa camry buyer

GM… this was meant for the cadillac article but hey.. read on.

I am a bonafied Cadillac buyer, driver, supporter and fan! I love all kinds of cadillacs and I think Cadillac is shootin itself in the foot!

AND I AM TELLIN YOU!!!!! —->>>>They are LOSING in this automobile race!

They need to think about what everybody wants now… Sleek designs and big rims. Thats why everybody is buying a 300C… or a Infiniti G35… instead of the CTS, STS…

If anything.. revamp the CTS, STS, SRX… XLR is fine the way it is! Probably the best thing to happen to Cadillac since the CTS design.

1. Make the wheel wells bigger.. This is the future… Big rims is what sells! Its what looks good. Some people buy their cars based on how big of a rim they can put on the car!!! 20″ is probably the max you can put on an STS let alone a CTS. I know the SRX u can fit 22″… but hell make it 24″. Why do you think the 300C is such a big seller…

2. The back end is real high and all these models… actually the whole car is kinda tall.. squish it down a few inches.. or several.. make it a couple inches wider… make it more sleek but mix it in with those sharp edges… The XLR is beautiful!!! use that as an example!

3. Most importantly!! COUPE! Make the option of a 2 door on EVERY model! Some people want 2 doors damnit!! U see 2 door G35’s, accords, bmw’s benz’s… everything.. except the Cadillac.. minus the XLR!!!

4. Drop the Wagon… Cadillac is not a low budget family car… like a Ford Taurus??? Come on… I didnt fall in love with my ‘84 Fleetwood Brougham D’Elegance 2 door cuz it looked like a 82 Grand Marquis station wagon!?!?

*****
DO NOT DROP the Sixteen… WHY?????? BIG MISTAKE!!!! The best design EVER since the ‘59 Eldorado!!!.. 24″ rims stock!!! BEAUTIFUL!!! If anything make it affordable or more economically reasonable… make it a V8 but keep the same body… features etc.. and change the name. They did it big.. when they came up with the concept design… and now we want to see it on the road.. and own one!! The style and luxury is comparable to the Maybach…. but it murders the Maybach hands down! The rims are big, the style is sleek and still has those Cadillac features! DO NOT DROP THIS… am i right??? Cadillac needs this one… AND if you look REAL close… doesn’t the new Lincoln MKR look like the twin of the Sixteen??? I bet you my arm and my ‘84 coupe… that this will be the next big seller (cuz if u cant have the Sixteen.. you might as well buy the closest thing to it)!! Don’t sleep….

Also… for the big boys… put the Cien into production! It would be nice to have a high end cadillac in the couple hundred thousand $$ range… comparable to a Ferrari or Lambo!

We all need to complain to Cadillac BEFORE ITS TOO LATE! The imports are winning and we need put Cadillac back at the top.. even among its American competitors like Chrysler, and Lincoln!

Mo Suntzu
http://www.CampArmy.com

Down with the imperialistic Toyota!!

toyotas suck kill them all!

A company should concentrate at making first class products rather than focusing on selling the most. This goes for both Toyota and GM, the sales race is stupid.

Honestly, what will be different when Toyota overtakes GM? I’d say other than bragging rights, nothing.

Also, chevy490, you should let your balls drop before posting on the Internet. Seriously, grow up, then you can at least make your point more clear by having learnt how to spell foreign.

WEKS, it is bragging rights, but even the most diehard of GM fans can admit that Toyota has worked their asses off to get to the position they are in and they deserve it.

Ask the GM fans what is so damn special about their favorite automaker and you’ll get nothing but a blank stare. GM is a leader of nothing.