GM Spreading False Rumors/Lies about the Prius

Dang, my (69-year-old) mother just called, most out-ot -touch person on earth, but....

Mom: Is that a Prius you are buying?
Me: Yes.
Mom: Do you know about the recall?
Me: There is not a recall. The problem is for last year's models. Easy to fix.
Mom: Oh. What about the Highlander? they are hybrid now.
Me: I don't have 40,000 to spend. Also, Lexus and Honda have hybrids. Mine is coming next week. GM is spreading rumours because they are going out of business.
Mom: OK.

How does mom know about "the recall?" Who is feeding her this stuff?

 

Oh guys & gals I agree the Toyota Prius has it right and all over the GM and Ford and Dodge., among others, including also Honda and Lexus hybrids both cost and performance wise. I am a political conservative, and really hated buying a foreign product. Toyota had the superior product, dollars in cost and MPG and Family situation period., it all fit, and I believe in the free market, as well as that the US needs to conserve for National Security, not the trees, we need to tell OPEC to just choke on the stuff.

BUT don't be so quick to knock the US., and all the US products. Continually the left slams the US we're bad, bad BAD., at everything. Just remember the freedoom and standard of living you enjoy was provided by this country, its economy and its manufacturing strength. Sooner or later if we continue to denegrade the US and desert the economic realities of this country, we will slide into bad times, and that fault will be yours. Many other places in the world are much worse in terms of economy, survival, food, shelter and other basic necessities., it is this country that does the most in the world to help. Our cars were inovations, the Hybrid concept was invented here, as early as the 1930's and just recently an inventor of the 70's era in this field just passed away. We do have the knowledge, and the technology, it is just sometimes market has to be more then OBVIOUS before these big auto makers take note. If and when the US automaker can make as good or superior technology in cost and performance, I will be in line to get one, till then, I'll take the Prius.

Regards Immanuel A
2005 Silver 720 miles "B" package

 

I don't think anyone is disrespecting the US products as a whole, but rather one company which would rather casts stones than to spend the time to build quality products.

Bashing GM for making crappy cars is not anti-American, expecting Americans to buy a faulty product is IMO. Besides, what is more American than having a free economy with people having choices?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(micheal\";p=\"102369)</div>

Exactly what I said Free Market decides, I am a perfect example, but if you read all the posts on this thread, you'll see exactly what I saw. A quickness in jumping on "American crap" you say crap, that is your opinion, consumers are buying the product are they not ?? GM will learn or if not they will get smaller, as for the rest of the post they just seem to delight when the US products seemed to fail. Probably go to Walmart, and then complain about getting laid off too..... I just think people will do the right thing, and also remember that America is still the greatest place on earth. I bought this product because of superiority and quality, don't forget we "rebuilt" this country at the end of the second world war. When GM or FORD or DODGE come out with something good, and I am ready to buy I will look at their product with an OPEN and patriotic mind....or have should we just desert our industry and just complain how lowsy it is???

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IALTMANN\";p=\"102388)</div>

Exactly what I said Free Market decides, I am a perfect example, but if you read all the posts on this thread, you'll see exactly what I saw. A quickness in jumping on "American crap" you say crap, that is your opinion, consumers are buying the product are they not ?? GM will learn or if not they will get smaller, as for the rest of the post they just seem to delight when the US products seemed to fail. Probably go to Walmart, and then complain about getting laid off too..... I just think people will do the right thing, and also remember that America is still the greatest place on earth. I bought this product because of superiority and quality, don't forget we "rebuilt" this country at the end of the second world war. When GM or FORD or DODGE come out with something good, and I am ready to buy I will look at their product with an OPEN and patriotic mind....or have should we just desert our industry and just complain how lowsy it is???
[/b][/quote]

OH and P.S. You do not know if it was a CORPORATE GM memo, rather doubt it...the DEALER probably was trying to SELL and used this as a tool..I am sure if you go to a TOYOTA dealer some place in the U.S. you will find one that will tell you what a bunch of JUNK U.S. cars are.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IALTMANN\";p=\"102388)</div>

I just think people will do the right thing, and also remember that America is still the greatest place on earth. I bought this product because of superiority and quality, don't forget we "rebuilt" this country at the end of the second world war. When GM or FORD or DODGE come out with something good, and I am ready to buy I will look at their product with an OPEN and patriotic mind...?[/b][/quote]

I am told by a friend who lives in Japan that they have 3 large pictures on the wall at the Toyota Auto plant. One of the pictures is of the current CEO, one is of the founding CEO. They flank the larger picture of an American, W. Edwards Deming, who is responsible for the high quality standards in Japan. Japan rebuilt themselves after the war also and drove US manufacturers nuts when they realized what had happened. Ford and GM attempted to emulate Deming in the 80's but failed miserably because of power hungry CEO's here. As wonderful as the United States is, our culture is flawed. Until we wake up to that, we will henceforth follow others. I just hope that futurists and forecasters who are saying our technological lead will disappear in a few years are wrong.

 

I agree, our culture is flawed. We want too much stuff, and we borrow too much to get it.

Look back 20, even 10 years. Did most of us have computers, DVD players, cell phones, broadband, TV in every room including the bathroom, etc.?
On top of wanting more for less, which technology has been able to supply thus far, we are taught obsolescene, which further erodes our income. I've had my 20" TV/monitor for 15 years now, works just fine. I've had my 5" color that I currently use in my bedroom for 20 years. The 20" is a bit small, so I may splurge for a 25" for the den, and put the 20" in the bedroom.

The company I work for is a distributor. I hear all the time that we need to dominate the market share over other companies, and we need to grow, grow, GROW! Well, there's just so much the world needs in the products we sell. Eventually, the market is saturated, even with periodic replacements due to obsolescence and wearout.

Even if one was a toilet paper manufacturer, they would look look to GROW the company. Guess the only way to do that, especially if you become a monopoly, is to make us fat by gorging on food, that eventually comes out the other end.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DanMan32\";p=\"102459)</div>

I consider my lifestyle today to be a rather simple one. And compared to friends, it is. But I'm amazed and appalled at my extravagance when I compare it to what life was like during my childhood.

When I was a little kid (1970 or so) we were considered unusual in our neighborhood because we had two cars (family of five). We also had one television, one stereo and I think one (or maybe two) little kid-type record player(s).

Today, I (alone) own a car, three televisions, two computers, two dvd players, two stereos, two vcrs, and a tivo box. Not too long ago I also had two motorcycles.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wolfman\";p=\"102138)</div>

That was the one great thing - perhaps the only GOOD thing - about the 2000 GMC Sierra 1500 I used to have: great towing capability.

I special ordered my extended cab 4x4 with the optional 4.10 gearing and Towing Package. Even up to 9,000 lbs, no problem. Very stable. I only wish the truck brakes wouldn't have been so anemic, I really had to crank up the trailer brakes to feel safe.

What really impressed me was the wiring harness. No more cutting and splicing and eventual failure. From the 7 pin connector at the bumper, everything was factory sealed.

Also, the trailer feeds (Running lights, left and right turn, +B to charge the trailer battery) were all separately fused. So a short in the trailer turn signal wouldn't knock out everything on the truck too.

Also I was impressed by the factory wired electric brake control. Just plug the harness into the connector under the dash and wire it up to your electric brake controller. The better electric brake controllers also come with the GM factory harness already on, just plug and play.

Now you can order a Ford Super Duty turbodiesel with factory electric brake controller already installed. It doesn't get much easier than that.

For anybody who has to tow a heavy trailer, they easily appreciate things like factory trailer wiring and optional lower gear ratios. But they're right in that it's a dumb thing to use such a vehicle for a Daily Driver.

BTW: if you want more torque out of that Cummins B motor in your Dodge, have you checked out Gale Banks??

 

"Continually the left slams the US we're bad, bad BAD., at everything. Just remember the freedoom and standard of living you enjoy was provided by this country, its economy and its manufacturing strength. Sooner or later if we continue to denegrade the US and desert the economic realities of this country, we will slide into bad times, and that fault will be yours."

I guess it is the fault of liberals that GM is going down the tubes.
Who knew?
The economic realitity is that the big 3 failed to plan for the future. They use political power to keep their existing products profitable instead of striving to evolve a better product. We all know there is a limited amount of oil on the planet. What exactly does it take to get people to conserve it? Leadership, that's what it takes. And that is what we lack in this country. At GM, and at Washington. I know, let's blame Michael Moore for GM's failure! (BTW: Liberal. left, right, conservative is all meaningless. We all live togethor in good and bad times and we'll all suffer if our leadership continues to make decisions based on who can make money instead of preparing to face the realities of energy shortage).

 

I'm not all that fond of hearing people bundle the 3 American manufacturers together in one lump. There are significant differences in terms of design, manufacturing and politics between GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler.

GM and D/C don't have current hybrid offerings, nor anything significant on the table because of management problems. GM is a "design" by committee organization. If their product doesn't get marginalzied by a marketing focus group it doesn't go to market. In other words, GM's management philosophy and design philosophy are all based upon trying to be all things to all people. We all know how well that doesn't work.

D/C has been in merger mode ever since their take over by Daimler. It wasn't a merger, it was a take over. Pure and simple. So between one being marginal to begin with and the other with dueling management you can see why they haven't exactly been focused on alternate technologies.

Ford, which I haven't mentioned to this point, has a number of things going for it. Better management. Being managed by family or having a significant family interest in the organization isn't perfect, but it usually means that there is some soul and passion for the business and keeping the business going. The Ford family still owns a significant number of shares in the organization, so failure is not a option, so to speak. Ford has a production hybrid with no plans on canceling it or halting development. It doesn't matter who they licensed the technology from, they have it and they are making it and there is demand for it, the offering is also unique compared to the other hybrid makers. Ford is more efficient overall, in their plants and offices, has better manufacturing processes, doesn't design by committee, which has been the hamstring at GM, and Ford is genuninly more willing to stick their neck out with cutting edge designs and new product concepts. Ford fit and finnish is excellent and precise. The quality of plastics and interior materials is much better than GM and generally much better than most other manufacturers at the same price point.

Given all of this, I believe that Ford will remain the premier hybrid manufacturer of the domestic manufactures and will continue to go down the hybrid path with Toyota and Honda.

 

Hey All,

Well - I've been reading a bunch of posts here. Many talking about GM and other American car manufacturers "bad mouthing" our favorite car.

There's one point that is being made that I must whole-heartedly dis-agree with.....

Many have said that Toyota doesn't need to "bad-mouth" or make inuendo about American Vehicles.

This is untrue. Toyota has simply done it in a much more "mature" fashion - They built Prius. 'nuf said.

Yoda

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Darwood\";p=\"102554)</div>

Darwood., I worked in the Energy field., oil..ps there is no shortage, even the US reserves are vast, yes it may be a finite supply at some point. Answer me this, with all this "liquid gold" why is the US way ahead in standard of living, and the Arabs so dismally poor.......(it's called Swiss Bank Accounts, and NO..the American OIL companies did not rob them).. Cost vs supply and demand and market forces dictate the price, not the shortage..there are many reserves out there, in the US try the Alaska area, in the Gulf of Mexico off TEXAS., La and the likes..plenty there, and off CALIFORNIA too...I think conservation is good to offset a higher cost, some of that cost is because we have consumed the easy to get stuff, but there is plenty there..PS at my employment (oil company) it was common knowledge that we had exhausted about 5-10% of the known world reserves at this point. I am tired of hearing about the energy shortage...speculation, and out and out greed, and not from this country is the true cause. You need to get out of your shell. I admire technology and smartness, from whomever develops it, Toyota will be handsomely rewarded for its efforts. Others will follow, others will not, those that don't may suffer the consequences, it is up to the markets. I liked the posts about the GM management, it is a management problem and lack of foresight at GM, that is for sure. I work hard for my money and do the best to spend it wisely, I walk the talk too, and did not like buying something foreign but felt little choice. I do not focus on ONE issue and have it guide my life, I carefully looked at the FORD product line for hybrids (Escape)., felt the investment was too high for too little progress. Most smart buyers here and all over the world will figure it that way. If you really cared about the end of oil, you would not use something that consumes oil., as little as the Prius does, it still needs oil. You need to do your part and start riding a bike or something...

PS the U.S. thinks it can develop a hydrogen car, that may be the wave of the future..

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IALTMANN\";p=\"102636)</div>

PS the U.S. thinks it can develop a hydrogen car, that may be the wave of the future..[/b][/quote]

If you have been reading postings in this group very long and have taken a look at documentation that has been provided, it is clear that hydrogen is NOT the answer.

Also, we may not be that close to an oil shortage, but nobody can really successfully contend that oil is not a finite resource.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Fredatgolf\";p=\"102666)</div>

PS the U.S. thinks it can develop a hydrogen car, that may be the wave of the future..[/b][/quote]

If you have been reading postings in this group very long and have taken a look at documentation that has been provided, it is clear that hydrogen is NOT the answer.

Also, we may not be that close to an oil shortage, but nobody can really successfully contend that oil is not a finite resource.
[/b][/quote]

Exactly, and don't get upity...reading posts ...whats all that..I'm an engineer and a former helicopter pilot., I understand and know a few things about machinery, cars, oil and the likes. Seems like we both agree.."Also, we may not be that close to an oil shortage, but nobody can really successfully contend that oil is not a finite resource" is that not what I said??? yea it is finite, so is the sun, the solar system and many other natural wonders, who knows when..As for Hydrogen, that was exactly what I meant., the U.S. at present politically and with some auto manufacturers, think hydrogen cars is the future., I think they are wrong simply because they cannot CANNOT build one AT reasonable cost, for the masses, whereas Toyota has proven (Honda too.., and Ford maybe) an affordable alternative now is the hybrid concept, now that battery technology can be harnested. Perhaps in the future the hydrogen concept can be developed as an affordable power source, but not in the near future, due to EXPENSIVE technology. You might revise and say hydrogen is NOT the answer NOW.

So we agree !!!

 

PS

Would not be driving a Prius if I did not believe what I just posted!!

 

New oil discoveries have been dropping for years. It isn't when we run out that the panic hits, it's when we pass the half-way mark. We are there.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IALTMANN\";p=\"102678)</div>

PS the U.S. thinks it can develop a hydrogen car, that may be the wave of the future..[/b][/quote]

If you have been reading postings in this group very long and have taken a look at documentation that has been provided, it is clear that hydrogen is NOT the answer.

Also, we may not be that close to an oil shortage, but nobody can really successfully contend that oil is not a finite resource.
[/b][/quote]

You might revise and say hydrogen is NOT the answer NOW.

So we agree !!![/b][/quote]

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IALTMANN\";p=\"102678)</div>

PS the U.S. thinks it can develop a hydrogen car, that may be the wave of the future..[/b][/quote]

If you have been reading postings in this group very long and have taken a look at documentation that has been provided, it is clear that hydrogen is NOT the answer.

Also, we may not be that close to an oil shortage, but nobody can really successfully contend that oil is not a finite resource.
[/b][/quote]

Exactly, and don't get upity... You might revise and say hydrogen is NOT the answer NOW.

So we agree !!![/b][/quote]

I revise. You have no idea how good I feel that we agree on something. Pardon me for being uppity. (spelled with two p's)