I probably should have done some research before posting this, but I did not have time so here goes. As I was driving past the Buick/Chevrolet dealership I looked onto the lot and saw what looked like SUV's or Vans that had snouts on them like a PIG. Am I the only person to see these new vehicles in this ridiculous way or have others thought the same thing. Needless to say I did not care for them. Who would want to drive around in a PIG with a BIG SNOUT on wheels? I thought they were humerous and that the GM designers should go back to the drawing boards with the cartoons turned off. Good Luck!

 

They better get their act together quickly!

As I was reading in the paper when I was working in Lousyana last hitch, GM blows chunks because the Asstek was someone's idea of a vehicle that caters to the "young female that goes rock climbing on a weekend" (paraphrase). I would not date that particular woman, IF that's what came to mind....

Also, GM moving swiftly with their Freestyle fighter known as the Buick Centieme....all ready to go in (drum roll please) 2007 to 2009 model year!

But, their struggles are for other threads.

 

If you are talking about the Chevrolet Uplander, then I would have to agree with you. Since this is "Ford vs. the competition", I will start with a generic statement. I do not care for the looks of any new vehicle. But, as stated by the threadstarter, these things are atrocious. The Uplander is a Venture with different front fenders, lights, and grille...everything else is the same.

I have the luxury of working on these things almost daily (the door mouldings fall off) and just 3 days ago had to put an engine in one that only had 10,850 miles on it. POLARBEAR keep your service department up on the #05548 recall when you get them in!!! Seems Juan or Jose in the Mexico assembly plant had too many beers the night before and forgot to tighten the harmonic balancer bolts as the engines went by on the assembly line. The engine job is a ripoff that only pays 7.2 hours warranty time....takes about 9 (take care of your techs!!!)

Here's a comparison for you:

Look at an Uplander straight on parked next to a brand new Durango. See the difference? Nope, me neither.



Cody

 

I'm having trouble deciphering this. How does a GM go about blowing chunks?

 

GOP, I think he is refering to them being sick after building such a mistake vehicle. That is what I got out of it. Good Luck!

 

Cody- you mean you guys actually sold one???

 

Yeah, we've sold a TON!!! There's a local security armored place that bought a FLEET of these godawful things. Theirs is one that got the engine.......

Cody

 

An interesting comment from the editor-in-chief of Automotive News, maybe a week ago:

"For 25 years, GM has been promising that there's some great new product arriving, right around the corner. I'm still waiting..." For those not familiar, Automotive News is the go-to, accurate source for information in the automotive world; their publication probably carries more weight than any other.

These so-called "SUV minivans" are just one more example of GMs inability to read the marketplace. To be fair, I think they have a winner in the Malibu Maxx (nice roofline, versatile interior), but beyond that- ouch. Aztek, Ion, SSR, Uplander, Colorado- these are all vehicles that don't sell, or were absolutely trashed by the motoring press. It's even more incredible when you consider all the homeruns GM once had (any '60s Impala or Riviera, original and second-edition Camaro/ Firebird, '67 Eldorado, etc...). There was a time when it seemed they could do no wrong in the marketplace. Sad, really...

 

Jeff, if you pull the Colorado out of that, it's a fair comment. The Colorado/Canyon have been the surprise home-run of the past couple of years.

 

If GM would wake up and come out with something like a new version 69 Camaro to compete with the new Mustang it would be the same ole competition that kept them going in the past. That is just one thing I think could bring GM back to the marketplace, besides I had a 69 SS Camaro and loved that car. Good Luck! EDIT:
If they remake the 69 Camaro like they did the new GTO, forget it, because that is not what the public majority wants.

 

Ernie, I knew you'd chime in with that, which is why I said, "..these are all vehicles that don't sell, OR were absolutely trashed by the motoring press..."

20 years in this business, and 3 years on this board causes one to choose their words VERY carefully!

 

The Colarado does not do well here.....simply because it's a noisy (interior), rough-riding El Camino. It's not really good for anything in my opinion and it's kind of useless. Maybe it's just because I expect a truck to be just that; a truck. I'm not a fan of any mini-truck, but the interiors of the S-10 series had the Colarado beat all to heck.

Don't get me wrong, I don't (didn't) like the S-10s either except for the money I made working on them, but the CO is a far cry from perfect. Maybe if they'd have put in a 4.3L and less plastic in the interior.

Cody

 

The Chev/Buick snout nosed vans are the General's latest attempt to be all things to all people. Their attempts to sell almost all of their different products in all their divisions is the same thing. The products lose their idendity and end up being a generic GM product and that is not the way to grow your market.

 

Its classified as a van on the chevy website, but i would classify it under POS->SEND TO LANDFILL
EDIT this is classifed on the chevy website as a SPORT VAN

 

I would argue it doesn't do well out there because it's a compact truck in Montana. On the other hand, I see you guy's sales numbers ( ) and it does better than you think. Out here close to granola-land (Portland metro) we sell a surprising number of them- but most of them wind up in the suburbs, not the local area.