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Originally Posted by NoMoGMPG
I will not dispute that GM, along with every other multi-line franchise i.e Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, etc, utilizes platforms. They will vary the design to appeal to as many potential customers as possible to offset the incredible tooling, R&D, and marketing costs bringing a new vehicle to market entails.
Just because two or more vehicles share a powertrain option does not make them equal, it makes them better able to be serviced though in the event of a product failure. I can tell you from my own 30+ years of GM experience, that failure rates are at an all-time low per vehicle in the GM lineup and I attribute that to superior pre-release testing and lessons learned from decades past. Warranty repairs per vehicle are fewer than Toyota and Nissan, and on par with Honda. But you never hear that on the evening news, do you? The news only puts out the negative as they see it, never anything positive about the domestic manufacturers. Pisses me off.
This is not the 70's-90's. The domestic manufacturers took quite a beating doing exactly what you point out, when the vehicles were cookie-cutter. I personally don't think a Saab looks anything like a G6, nor does a G6 look like a Malibu. What ticked me off was your assertion that the H2 was a modified Tahoe, which is ludicrious given the boxed frame structural design, the first time ever electric locker, 3500 front diff, etc. None of which ever saw a Tahoe, but when pointed out to you was dismissed as "how innovative". The H2 was not built to be an innovation, it was built to be a capable off-roader with luxury attributes. I think it accomplished those goals.
Now if you want innovation, the Chevy Volt, which has been given an accelerated production date of 2010, has my interest. I am on the list for the first ones in Colorado. There are also 9 other vehicles GM is releasing over the next 3-4 years on fuel cell technology, all based on a single platform. Why? Because the platform is the basis of the R&D, to make it affordable. They will get family cars, minivans, and even an El Camino like vehicle out of this particular platform.
But you will scoff, probably bring up the EV1 and "Who killed the Electric Car" or some BS about it being all the same platform, blah blah. If you have or had family members who worked for GM at the level you claim, I'm sure they would appreciate a little loyalty. Is that asking too much?
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I think this is going far out of the stratosphere. As far as loyalty is concerned, I drive a Saab 9-3 and an H3. When they come out with these green/efficient vehicles (like the Saab bio-hybrid, and fuel cell cars you mention) i'll take notice like any other rational consumer. But I dont think dismissing current issues with how they have run things for years based on what they haven't even accomplished yet is remotely a rational argument.
However, I pay GM money for their product, what is more loyal than that. I think their product is fine for what they cost the consumer, but regardless they have been coming up short for quite a long time now haven't they? - profit wise. Perhaps they are too big (law of diminishing returns, etc.).
Furthermore, if you want to talk about loyalty - my grandfather, the retired engineer whose existence is evidently in question for some reason- is getting his health benefits suspended because GM cant make up for their deficient marketing and economic strategies. But I guess all the retired employees, be it engineers or blue collar joe's should just suck it up and be grateful that they had the opportunity to dedicate their lives to such a wonderful company.
Lastly, I never brought up the media or the quality of a GM product. I think they make a fine product although the compass is broken already on my h3 with only 3000 miles on it. I was referring to their strategy for making profits - xeroxing cars doesn't necessarily make them bad cars, but making the same car that people are not already buying in different trims and divisions doesn't necessarily make that car more profitable.
I hope this clears things up a bit.