GM failing to keep Hummer, Pontiac and Saturn buyers in the fold

[RSS Robot]

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Ford, GM, Earnings/Financials
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that General Motors has been unable to hold onto the loyalty of new car shoppers who formerly owned vehicles from one of the automakers now-defunct brands. Hummer, Pontiac and Saturn owners are now turning outside of the GM family for their new purchases.

Despite the fact that GM has offered up to $1,000 to those customers during January and February, around 71 percent of Saturn owners traded their vehicle for another brand this year. Likewise, 70 percent of Pontiac drivers opted for a different make when it came time to replace their vehicle in 2011.

While 23 percent of Saturn drivers switched for a Chevrolet, 35 percent turned in their keys for a Honda, Toyota or Ford product.

Speaking of Ford, the report notes that Blue Oval is suffering from similar woes when it comes to Mercury customers. Those buyers headed towards other automakers at a rate of 65 percent this year.GM failing to keep Hummer, Pontiac and Saturn buyers in the fold originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.


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[SandyBoy]

I miss Mercury AND Pontiac AND Imperial AND Plymouth AND American Motors, and OLDSMOBILE too.

I would NOT miss the demise of ANY foreign corporation's cars.

I am a soid "Buy American" buyer - because I am a proud American and therefore I support American goods and products. As go our products...so goes our economy, and our economy **IS** our population !

we are losing ! our own people are turing their backs to our products.

ya think ya have it hard now ????? just wait until GM goes broke and shuts its doors! CHRYSLER WILL FOLLOW AND THEN FORD.

YOU GUYS BETTER CARE !!!!! !!!!!

[simplyconnected]

Sandy, as long as Americans continue buying foreign products, GM, Ford and Chrysler will be there to offer cars they manufactured in foreign lands.

They aren't going broke. China produced 10 million cars last year. Guess what companies made them over there...

The real danger to our economy can be turned around immediately if we stop buying foreign products. Every one of us freely makes that choice at the cash register.

Now, let's see how many Americans are patriotic enough to turn things around.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, Mercury Division is still alive and selling vehicles. Buyers want the confidence to know their products will be supported in ten years. If I had a three year-old Pontiac, for example, I would be **** mad at GM for dropping 'my' car line that has been around for over fifty years.

Ford has proved a few lessons to the industry:
Ford and the UAW did everything they could to make the company profitable by working closely together. Ford has had the LEAST number of strikes among the big-3.

Remember this, every new facility always starts with NO UNION. In every one of Ford's new plants, the union was invited to supply and represent the work force.

GM has successfully demonstrated how NOT to do business with the unions and GM has a terrible track record regarding how well it treats their salaried employees. Although GM chooses to fight unions, the hourly workers still get better benefits than the salaried staff. Look where it got GM, now look at Ford. Tragic, and so unnecessary. - Dave

[SandyBoy]

I am sick. Our son has had a terrific education, and is a CPA and makes big money working in NYC. He bought a new car.
A Lexus. Why? Because the 20 30 somethings all speak against the American cars....it's just the thing to do.... These are CPAs...*** do they know about cars ? I was in the automobile business for 27 years. Whom does my son listen to ? Father with 27 years in Automobile Business..... who is 63 years old, -OR- 20-somethings who are CPAs ???
I hope if he ever needs a good dentist, he does not consult an exterior house painter !

[simplyconnected]

Mom used to say, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."

Sandy you're a good Dad, but people will do what they want. Maybe your son will see the light after the newness wears off and he finds this car to be exactly what it really is... a lot of hype.

Your boy wants to appear successful to his friends regardless of his profession but I gotta say... the bean counters of America have not helped our economy whatsoever. They are the first to move the money abroad and their allegiance is to, 'short-term profits'. - Dave Dare