Photo of the Day, Boston Style - Part Deux

[czsz]

That explains it. I was wondering why it didn't get killed instead of Pontiac, which actually had potential to be cool.

At least the Chinese weren't into Oldsmobile. Worst. Brand name. Ever.

 

[kennedy]

And it's because of Buick's popularity in China that GM's keeping the brand alive here as they dump almost everything else, which leaves Buick to play the completely superfluous middleman between Chevy and Cadillac.

If you want to talk about complete superfluity, talk about GMC and Chevrolet.

 

[kz1000ps]

^ GMC I understand, but why Chevy? What brand would you have compete with Ford, Toyota, ect.?

And yes, I'm with czsz in preferring Pontiac staying alive (over Buick, that is). As it is, Chevy takes on both the value and performance roles (the latter coulda gone to Pontiac), while Buick is going through an identity crisis as it tries to lower its average customer age and simultaneously take aim at Lexus (derrrrrrrr). Mind you Caddy is more than able to take on both the Japanese and German luxury mobiles.

Meanwhile, GMC survives for that discerning individual who demands a fancier grille.

 

[kennedy]

GMC and Chevrolet are superfluous because they are the EXACT same cars from the same company. Different badges, extremely slight changes in body shapes, but that's about it. So GM should choose which brand they want competing against Toyota and Ford - GMC or Chevy?

The GMC grille isn't even that cool, I actually prefer Chevy's.

 

[kz1000ps]

You know GMC only makes trucks, right?

Chevy would never be "replaced" by GMC because they're the ones with the Malibu, Cobalt, Camaro, Impala, ect. GMC has only retrimmed Chevy trucks and SUVs.... Sierra, Acadia, Denali...

GMC could've been given a reason to live had GM decided to keep their medium duty trucks in production, but the whole program was killed off earlier this year.

 

[kennedy]

I'm saying GMC should be killed off, or kept in a purely commercial niche. Chevy has the same trucks that GMC makes. Suburban = Yukon, Silverado = Sierra, Traverse = Acadia, etc. GM doesn't need any more redundancy.

 

[KentXie]

With all due respect, that is not sustainable on a global scale. Nor is it desirable unless we want to have paved over parks, automobile dependant suburban sprawl eating up what's left of the countryside, and a population beset with obesity and diabetes.

Oil is not the only source of energy that a car can use so we do not know if it is sustainable or not. And even so, narrowing a heavily used highway and eliminating personal vehicles are not the solutions. How else can some people from the suburb get to major cities? It's most likely not feasible to have buses and trains run to every town.

 

[statler]

One solution is to use existing tools (zoning, infrastructure spending, etc) to entice developers to build more pedestrian-oriented communities or try to retro-fit older communities (by allowing more infill and higher densities) into more pedestrian friendly area (obviously this isn't possible in a lot of modern suburbs).

If enough of these areas get developed they become cost-competitive with auto-oriented areas and with a little bit of savy marketing from developers and landlords they become as desirable as their auto-centric cousins. No banning of cars required.

Its really the same thing that is happening today:
Legislature sets the guidelines, developers & landlords follow the guidelines, the market does rest.
The only thing that needs to change are the guidelines in step one.

 

[Justin7]

Kent, no one is saying you should have a personal vehicle, but why is your convenience more important than the convenience, health, and quality of life of the people who actually live in the city?

I'm saying GMC should be killed off, or kept in a purely commercial niche. Chevy has the same trucks that GMC makes. Suburban = Yukon, Silverado = Sierra, Traverse = Acadia, etc. GM doesn't need any more redundancy.

Chevy has the worst model names possible.

"Check out my new Malibu!"

 

[Shepard]

My mother drives a Malibu and I'm always surprised at how such a fuddly-duddly car can have a name like Malibu.

Now as for my Dodge Neon, a more apt name would be "Dodge Golfcart" ... or based on the noise every single joint in the car makes, "Dodge Rattlesqueak."

 

[kz1000ps]

I'm saying GMC should be killed off, or kept in a purely commercial niche.

I figured that's what you meant, but when you wrote:

GMC and Chevrolet are superfluous because they are the EXACT same cars from the same company.

It sounded like you thought both were superfluous.