"May the best car win" ... um, they already have

You’ve heard General Motor’s ad stating “may the best car win.” This is the sort of ineptitude that resulted in their failure in the first place. Honestly, where have these people been for the last 35 or so years? How stupid do they think we are? How stupid are we?

Our immediate family has purchased 11 autos over the last couple decades: We’ve had a Ford, two Pontiacs, a GMC truck, two Chevrolets, a Dodge, three Suzukis and a Subaru. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE AMERICAN VEHICLES LEFT US STRANDED at some point – some of them several times – once on a road trip several states away – sometimes in very dangerous situations. (I will say that the GMC truck had over 150,000 miles on it before it gave us any trouble so it is excused.) The four Japanese models were/are like Energizer bunnies – they just keep going and going and going. We’ve had to pay for towing services several times for the American cars. We’ve taken the cars/truck to be serviced at the dealerships who charged us a fortune and then, as you all probably know, didn’t fix the f*cking problem. They owe us money … big time – not just for out-of-pocket expenses in the thousands of dollars but aggravation and endangerment. IF they gave me (completely free) a car AND it performed well for at least 200,000 miles THEN I would consider buying an American made car in the future. Not going to happen so good riddance.

I know I’m not alone in this. All one has to do is peruse Consumer Reports and look at the “grades.”

I live in the rural Rocky Mountains. I drive a lot. I’ve always noticed that most of the cars broken down on the side of the road are American made. Five months ago I started keeping track. Here are the results: Saturn = 1, Cadillac = 1, Oldsmobile = 1, Audi = 1, Mitsubishi = 1, Chrysler = 2, Buick = 2, Pontiac = 2, Mercury = 2, Honda = 4, Dodge = 5, Jeep = 6, Chevrolet = 8 and Ford = 11. So 88% of the breakdowns in my area are American vehicles (41 American vs. six foreign). (And no, that is no reflective of the general ratio of car makes on the road in this area. At least half the cars/trucks here are foreign makes – especially Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota.) I also asked a tow truck driver what was the most common make of vehicle he picked up and he said Ford – reaffirming my little survey. However, if you combine all the GM models then they are the worst.

If ever a company or companies did not deserve a bailout it was the American auto makers. We, their customers who’ve spent a fortune on crappy cars, are the ones who deserved a bailout. Did you get yours? Since they’ve screwed us all so thoroughly for the last three decades and since our money bailed them out we, each and every tax payer (NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT), should get stock in those companies. We should all be part-owners of General Motors and Chrysler. I want a stock certificate with my name on it. At least then we could have some motivation to actually buy their products (with crossed fingers and a prayer).

The GM ad says if you don’t like your new GM purchase you can return it within 60 days. Is that indicative of their confidence in their product? Is that supposed to be a good thing? How about “if we don’t like it the first 200,000 miles we can return it?” And if we do like it (meaning it hasn’t left us stranded) then we’ll actually pay for it. The least they could do is cover all towing and repairs with a 100% guarantee – none of this 100,000 miles nonsense. A car that only gives you 100,000 miles before giving you trouble is known as a POS.

I know I’m being demanding; but shouldn’t we be? If you spend $40,000 on a new vehicle and you are anywhere near average you are spending a year of your life to pay for it. (It could be longer because you have to pay taxes out of your income [part of which pays for their bailout] and then taxes on the vehicle – a triple screwing.) Is that a good trade? You are also probably relying on it to get you to and from that work to pay for it. You are also putting your physical safety (and that of your friends and family) at stake every time you drive it.

A car serves one primary purpose: to get you from Point A to Point B reliably and safely every single time you need to go somewhere. None of the niceties of car design matter if it doesn’t first fulfill that basic purpose. So you can take your shiny paint, butt warmers, sleek styling and great stereo and stick it unless the vehicle is reliable.

Americans certainly have the skill and resources to make great cars. We want great cars. We love great cars. (And stop whining about environmental restrictions. Sack up and make something great.) Put up or shut down.