GM closes 4 plants, considers ditching Hummer brand as fuel pri...

Bye bye, Hummer, you overblown, fatuous beast. You shan't be missed.

Bye bye Union jobs, you overblown, fatuous beast. You shan't be missed.

vag's

I hope all the environmentalists are happy...they just cost some hard working Americans jobs.

Blame the environmentalists?

What's THAT all about!?

Even an elementary student could understand the gist of the article: "It's about the fuel prices, stupid!" (to co-opt a political machination from the distant past)...

What GM COULD to is start to manufacture - domestically - a vehicle already present in their European stable.. the Opal Agila (one of 11 models in the Opal line)- which achieves 52+ mpg utilizing a 1.0 litre gasoline and 1.3 litre CDTI (Ecotoec common-rail, turbo-diesel)...

And perhaps either manufacture or import any number of similarly efficient vehicles from among the plethora of brands and models they currently manufacture everywhere ELSE in the world...

And "bir"? In case you haven't noticed, sometime in the past century the rest of us came to realize and embrace a concept known as "worldwide economy" - you know, that community where foreigners USED to buy our domestically produced goods because they once represented the best quality that the rest of the world envied?

Between "big business" and "organized labor" we've somehow lost perspective with regard to the value placed on dedicated, loyal employees and taking pride in the workmanship of a job well done (respectively)..

How do we find our way back to a world that includes those once-esteemed considerations?

The Hummer and SUV's are not going down the drain because of enviormental concerns, but high gas prices and the lousy economy. You enviormentalists need to realize that people worried about making ends meet are not that worried about how much carbon dioxide is going into the air. As for our domestic auto makers, I don't feel sorry for them at all. It's not like we haven't known the price of oil has been going up for the last several years. Yet they still kept relying on their big profits from SUV's without looking to the future like the foreign manufacturers did. So now they finally realize it or admit it when they can hardly give their products away. I guess their employees will just have to "man up" and adjust to the world economy like all other industries have had too.

Its about time they woke up and are getting headed in the right direction. Now the billion dollar question is can they complete with Japan and Korea.

Why on earth would anyone in a civilian setting need a beast like a Hummer? In the military, fine. But it's an unnecessary behemoth for regular folks and I'm elated to see its demise.

It is unfortunate that jobs will be lost in the short term. And it's more unfortunate that it took crazy gas prices and a weak economy for GM, Ford, et. al. to consider the value in building quality, more fuel-efficient vehicles. It's about time!

okbyajc wrote:

Why on earth would anyone in a civilian setting need a beast like a Hummer?

Having a civilian Hummer is nothing but a status symbol. It meant that you were wealthy enough to buy one and to buy the gas to run it. It didn't and doesn't serve any other purpose than that.

Good riddence to the SUV in general. What a waste of money and resources.

Sarah wrote:

<quoted text>
Having a civilian Hummer is nothing but a status symbol. It meant that you were wealthy enough to buy one and to buy the gas to run it. It didn't and doesn't serve any other purpose than that.

I am all of that and more, thank you.
U R small, shallow and and and so common.

Seeing the Light wrote:

Good riddence to the SUV in general. What a waste of money and resources.

I disagree. Many people actually use SUV's for their intended use. I am not an owner of one, but I can understand that some people may actually have a need for one.

On the other hand, I also realize many people who own one have never towed anything or left the pavement with it. However, your statement was blatantly generalized.

Josh V wrote:

Many people actually use SUV's for their intended use.

Statistics indicate that trucks and SUVs, including commercial vehicles (excluding vehicles used for shipping), are used, at most, 5% of the time in a way that cannot be done by other vehicle types.

For personal users, that number is likely in the 1-2% range, to be generous.

Gas prices change and we buy smaller vehicles.

Simple economics.

Will be interesting to see what the banks and CUs do with all the newer SUVs they end up with when the owners dump them, to expensive to drive.

Be carefull when buying things like the Prius, it has a very hefty price tag when compared to conventional powered cars. I always wondered where the heat comes from in a Prius, the gas motor runs to generate the heat needed by passengers. Seems kind of backward to me.

Take your usage profile and compute the various cars to make sure you don't get the wrong one. Minnesota is cold for 6 months of the year.

[QUOTE who=" **** Hum"]Bye bye, Hummer, you overblown, fatuous beast. You shan't be missed.[/QUOTE]

HUM THIS !

Bob wrote:

Be carefull when buying things like the Prius, it has a very hefty price tag when compared to conventional powered cars. I always wondered where the heat comes from in a Prius, the gas motor runs to generate the heat needed by passengers. Seems kind of backward to me.

A Prius costs about 1/3 less than the average new vehicle in the US and uses 425 fewer gallons per year than the average vehicle - worth $1,700. Its price premium is under $4,000, so it repays that in a little over two years. This ongoing value is reflected in its very low depreciation rate as well.

As for heat, it is a parallel, not a series hybrid. The gas motor cycles on and off frequently, and is always on above certain speeds. It generates heat that way just like any other vehicle.

fran wrote:

<quoted text>
A Prius costs about 1/3 less than the average new vehicle in the US and uses 425 fewer gallons per year than the average vehicle - worth $1,700. Its price premium is under $4,000, so it repays that in a little over two years. This ongoing value is reflected in its very low depreciation rate as well.
As for heat, it is a parallel, not a series hybrid. The gas motor cycles on and off frequently, and is always on above certain speeds. It generates heat that way just like any other vehicle.

Prius is about the same size as a Chevy Cobalt. Cobalt's price tag is $15k, but with incentives is closer to $12,500. How much price premium for a Prius again?

Pragmatist wrote:

<quoted text>Prius is about the same size as a Chevy Cobalt.

The EPA size class of a Cobalt is subcompact. The Prius is midsize.

Pragmatist wrote:

Cobalt's price tag is $15k, but with incentives is closer to $12,500. How much price premium for a Prius again?

The 5 year true cost to own of a Prius is $34,899. A Cobalt is $36,129.

If you're going to make comparisons, make sure you have comparable vehicles - same size class, same relative amenities and performance.

Prius=highly acclaimed and rated by almost everyone except those with their heads ithe sand.Cobalt= GM Junk like the Vega of years back.

fran wrote:

<quoted text>
The EPA size class of a Cobalt is subcompact. The Prius is midsize.
<quoted text>
The 5 year true cost to own of a Prius is $34,899. A Cobalt is $36,129.
If you're going to make comparisons, make sure you have comparable vehicles - same size class, same relative amenities and performance.

1) Size class is dependent on interior room only. So that actual physical dimensions of the car have nothing to do with size class. The Prius and the Cobalt are within 3 in. wheelbase, have the EXACT same width, and within 1" in height. The overall length of a cobalt is actually longer (180 in. vs. 175 in.). 2) Relative amenities are very similar between a prius and cobalt; most of the options (other than hybrid powertrain, obviously) that you can get on one you can get on the other. 3) In terms of performance, the cobalt excels in acceleration and handling, but falls short to the Prius in fuel economy and braking.

My argument is that these are very comparable vehicles if you look beyond an EPA definition and instead use real-world factors. I am not arguing that 5 year TOC of a Prius is better. Although if you drive very little every year (<10K miles), the advantage would fall to the Cobalt,(according to edmunds.com ).