GM Employee Discount for Everyone until July 5th

[Clocker]

I don't get around here much as I'm too busy with other stuff. But I thought some of you may find this of benefit to your wallets. You can save some $eriou$ ca$h.

http://www.gm.com/employeediscount.do?cmp=JB_Offline

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2005/06/01/110786.html

GM Offers Employee Discount to Everyone

DETROIT, June 1, 2005; For the first time in its history, GM is offering its employee discount to everyone who takes delivery of a new 2005 GM car or truck from June 1 through July 5, 2005.

"Our employees are extremely proud of the company they work for and the products they build," said Brent Dewar, GM North America vice president of Marketing and Advertising. "In recent months there has been plenty of news about GM, but not enough said about our industry leading product line-up. We want to bring the focus back to what drives our business -- great cars and trucks. This program gives everybody a chance to drive the vehicles that we drive and pay the price that we pay.

"It also is a great opportunity for America to experience high quality vehicles such as the Chevrolet Malibu, GMC Sierra HD and Chevrolet Suburban, which were the highest ranked Entry Midsize, Heavy Duty Full-Size Pickup and Full-Size Sport Utility Vehicle in Initial Quality in the recent J.D. Power and Associates 2005 Initial Quality Study or one of our 19 models that achieve at least 30 miles per gallon fuel economy on the highway," Dewar added.

The 'GM Employee Discount for Everyone' provides consumers with a great price right up front. Prices are prominently displayed on eligible vehicles at participating GM dealerships and take into account available rebates, but exclude taxes, title and dealer fees. Consumers also can confirm the price of a specific vehicle by entering the vehicle's VIN number on http://www.gmbuypower.com .

"We firmly believe that once consumers have the opportunity to drive a GM vehicle, they'll know what we, and millions of loyal GM customers, already know about the value represented by the cars and trucks that we build," Dewar said. "The 'GM Employee Discount for Everyone' provides very simple, very compelling prices for consumers and clarity regarding the final purchase price. We believe it will cut through the clutter of all the other offers currently in the market. This is what we mean when we say we want to offer a transparent total value proposition to our consumers."

The 'GM Discount for Everyone' program includes all 2005 GM cars and trucks, except for Chevrolet Corvette and GMC medium duty trucks and is compatible with most other incentives currently available.

The program will be supported by significant broadcast, print and online media featuring GM employees. Advertising will begin on June 3.

 

[Groltz]

Damnit Clocker, the GMT-900 generation trucks aren't going to be out until MY2007.

 

[Clocker]

Sorry. We can't get them out fast enough. Takes a long time to retool 9 assembly plants. GMT900's budget is bigger than the GDP of many countries.

My program just got pulled a considerable amount of time. More casual OT...

 

[Clocker]

BTW, I saw the 900 at our build site. Sweeeeet! The interior is just plan awsome. I think I might be getting one of the big 'utes when their available.

C

 

[Clocker]

Damn, Their = They're. Too busy to thing straight.

 

[Pradeep]

Better than the F-150 interior?

I hope so, the current GM trucks are pretty agricultural. I would hate to think what would happen to GM if the 900 series doesn't do very well.

 

[Groltz]

...the current GM trucks are pretty agricultural.

"GMT900" is the internal code for the next generation Chevy trucks too...not just GM. At least from what I've been able to determine from forums.

 

[Pradeep]

GM, Chevy, same thing

My wife's grandparents bought an 05 Chevy Colorado, the frigging bumper has huge gaps (several inches) where it attaches to the front end, I thought it was some installation screw up but no, all of them are like that.

 

[CougTek]

"GMT900" is the internal code for the next generation Chevy trucks too...not just GM.

I think it should be the other way around. Chevy is a division from GM, just like Cadillac, Saab, Pontiac, etc.

 

[CougTek]

For the first time in history, everyone in America gets the GM Employee Discount.

I don't see any promotion like that on their Canadian web site. United States of America isn't everyone in America. There's a world outside your borders, you know.

What's the typical GM employee discount? 15%?

 

[Pradeep]

I'm pretty sure Central and South America aren't included either Coug, so you're not alone.

If they wanted to include you guys they would probably have said "everyone in North America"

 

[LOST6200]

So are GM sales down or what?

 

[Pradeep]

Down the crapper as it were. I think 5% down on same time last year.

The GM employee price is nice, the problem is, what do they make that people want to buy, at any price?

Apart from the Corvette of course.

 

[Stereodude]

For the first time in history, everyone in America gets the GM Employee Discount.

I don't see any promotion like that on their Canadian web site. United States of America isn't everyone in America. There's a world outside your borders, you know.

What's the typical GM employee discount? 15%?

Hahaha... No, it doesn't end up being anything like that.

No it's more like ~10% off sticker, but no one pays sticker for a GM car. In a major metrolpolitan market like the Detroit Metro Area, most people can walk out of the dealer with a deal that's nearly as low as the employee price without a lot of effort.

So, the employee discount is really only useful on GM cars that are selling reasonably well around sticker price (like the Cadillac CTS-V).

 

[Handruin]

Hmm...so this may actually be a way for them to get more money for the same vehicle...tell all the consumers they are offering an employee discount, and all those who would normally haggle, now pay more.

I'll be honest, outside of the corvette (which i can't afford anyways), there isn't much that interests me from GM. Possibly the GTO, but the gas consumption is huge for a daily commuter (which it isn't meant for).

 

[Clocker]

GM, Chevy, same thing

My wife's grandparents bought an 05 Chevy Colorado, the frigging bumper has huge gaps (several inches) where it attaches to the front end, I thought it was some installation screw up but no, all of them are like that.

'deep-
The primary reason for that is that the bumper is mounted to the frame (not the body). The bumper reacts better in a crash when mounted to the frame and results in less damage to the front end sheetmetal (FESM). When the bumper is mounted to the FESM, there's obviously much more damage during bumper crashes (even at low speed). Also, the tolerance stack-up can get pretty big when you're talking about dropping a BIW on the frame during body drop at the plant.

Nonetheless, attaching to the body DOES look better. Just goes to show how things look rather than work tends to win in the market place. We recognize that and are developing solutions that perform & look good. Drive some of our new vehicles, I think you'll find the quality / value & performance will exceed your expectations.

Grolitz-
The utes are coming out before the p/u's because that market is more styling consious and they need to be refreshed sooner. Sorry but the pickups are last from what I have heard at www.gminsidenews.com

C

 

[Clocker]

I'm really excited about some of our upcoming products. '06 Impala is nice. I really like the interior and the available 300HP DoD (Displacement on Demand) V8 will make it a sleeper.

Here's a cool bit of info on the Z06.

Sky and Solstice will be very popular although production won't be huge.

The 2006 H3 is our kinder gentler Hummer for those of you who think the H2 is to mean for the environment..

G6 coupe and convertible will be pretty compelling, IMO. Here's the convertible hardtop in action. No vehicles in that price class with a top like that and less than 30 seconds to drop the top is very good.

I think the CTS is one of the best kept secrets at GM & is a great car. I've had one since November and I just love driving it. I actually look forward to my commute! I've forgotten how great a ~260HP car with RWD and great vehicle dynamics can transform the driving experience.

I just wish the products I am working on would come out sooner. I'm really proud of everything we're doing. I didn't realize a job could be so rewarding until I actually saw the prototype parts I designed being put together to form a vehicle.

The press loves to beat on GM these days and it's just not fashionable to laud any GM products. I can see how that affects public opinion but I know it will eventually wear off. Our current and future products will just have to speak for themselves. And, only GM vehicles are available with the safety advantage of Onstar.

I guess that's enough for my GM Infomercial. I'll bow out of the thread I get too carried away. Chat with you all again in another 6 months.

 

[CougTek]

The most interesting GM vehicule to my eyes is the Saab 9-3. It's probably the safest car GM builds. It's one of the very few that scored a good rating on both the frontal AND lateral impact tests from the IIHS. It also has AWD and various traction and stability electronic systems, so its passive and active safety is excellent. And its 2.0L engine doesn't drink too much (31MPG for the manual transmission).

Everyone has their own priorities but mine are safety and environmental friendliness. I don't need a 300hp engine to get driving sensations. I only drive a Corolla and I often eat BMW in curves (at least those with women behind the well ;-) ) so I would probably kill myself with a powerful car. The 175hp of the 9-3 would be well enough for my right foot.

There's a small promotion for the Saab 9-3 here currently. The usual MSRP is 35495$ ad they are advertising it for 33995$. 1500$ off is better than nothing. It won't make me switch my car (not even two years old), but if someone ask me for advices, the 9-3 will be one of the few I'll name.

 

[LOST6200]

I usually must rent GM cars when traveling for business. Although they are getting better over the years, GM is still not a brand that I would purchase, special deal or no.

Everybody does not need to drive like a maniac. I would prefer less effort spent on the HP wars and more emphasis on comfort, better seats, quieter engines, smoother transmissions and better suspensions. And I don't like the idea of Onstar and Big Brother.

 

[CougTek]

at least those with women behind the well

Oh shit, I'm tired. I meant "behing the wheel"

And I agree with Clocker on one thing : current and upcoming GM cars are way better than their lineup from ~2001. The chassis (Delta and Epsilon) are a lot sturdier than those they replaced. I remember the lemons that were the past generation Malibu, Grand AM and Cavalier/Sunfire. Gone and not missed.

Now the worst irritant are the 4-speed automatic transmission and low-power V6 engine that are often found inside new GM cars. Japanese (and Corean!) V6 are now 230hp and above while not more thirsty than GM's 200hp V6, like the one inside the G6. That should be improved IMO.

 

[Handruin]

I think the V6 inside the G6 is what bugs me the most. The same as what cougtek said, you can see more efficient v6's in the Japanese and Korean markets. Why can't GM research and do the same? A naturally aspirated 3.5L V6 from Honda puts out 300 HP. 100 HP advantage is a big difference compared to the G6's 3.5 200 HP! OK, so the price of the vehicles aren't close...well, what about the I4 inside my car...it has the same HP as the G6 V6 and it's more than 1 liter smaller (2.4). And, I consistently get over 30 MPG, not to mention my car is faster to 60...so torque isn't the issue.

The Sky actually looks good. I'm not a big fan of the solstice style. Judging by the specs, I'm guessing both cars are built similarly? The Z06 looks pretty nice. $75K is a pretty big price tag. I'm guessing they won't be selling many of those at that price and also with a handle assembled engine. But if you're looking for a car to stomp a Ferrari for a lot less money, that's the car.

 

[Pradeep]

Next purchase for us once the 99 Taurus finally dies will be a minivan. Apparently Hyundai will have one out sometime next year, Honda Odyssey would be nice but at around $30K, a little expensive.

The Crysler T&C with stowNgo is also very handy, but the engine/transmission leaves something to be desired.

 

[e_dawg]

Yes, the new GM cars are actually pretty decent. While the new Malibu had a lot of potential, they had to ruin an otherwise decent car with the ugliest front end I've seen in years (the previous award goes to the Pontiac Aztek).

You know, I've heard that companies have recently been turning to advanced product research to measure participants' reactions to their products. Obviously, they want their products to elicit strong and positive emotional responses on the participants, thereby presenting the potential buyer with a more compelling purchase than a product that is simply acknowledged but does not draw a strong emotional response.

I think GM did said advanced studies with the Aztek and Malibu, but they must have messed up the research. When they thought they were getting a strong positive emotional response to the styling and design of the Aztek and Malibu, they were actually getting a strong negative instead... one of repulsion... but due to their lack of experience with this type of testing, they misinterpreted the data

 

[timwhit]

I'll be 6 feet in the ground before I ever consider a GM car.

 

[Fushigi]

GM to shed 25K jobs through 2008.

I'll freely admit that I favor the Asian brands. My experiences with the domestics has been less than stellar, so I feel my bias has been earned.

That said, GM does seem to be producing better cars with every generation. However, there are still flaws with their execution. The Cobalt, the Cavalier replacement, really still mostly looks like the 15 year old Cav. The new Pontiacs have finally shed that dumb body cladding but in the process they've gone to numb styling that does nothing to 'excite'. The powerplants and warranties are acceptable, however that's no longer good enough. The new Hyundai Sonata has a 235HP V6 and a 10/100 warranty compared to the Malibu's 200 HP and 3/36 warranty.

I hope to not be in the market for a new car for a couple more years, so I'll have to see how GM is executing then. Based on what they're doing now, though, they aren't on my radar.

 

[SYROB]

I got an SRX, great car/wagon but so many problems..

SYROB

 

[LOST6200]

I'll be 6 feet in the ground before I ever consider a GM car.

 

[e_dawg]

Hyundai Sonata, you say? Yes, Hyundai has arrived folks. My buddy is a Hyundai dealer... he is laughing all the way to the bank. He maintains that their models have all been pretty good as of late, but now he is ecstatic that corporate is finally giving him cars that almost sell themselves (kinda like BMW with their 3-series... good luck getting a discount on a 325i).

If Hyundai made an entry level sport-lux car like a Volvo S40, Acura TSX, 325i, maybe even the Acura TL, I would probably buy one. Not only do they give great warranties, but they are really delivering on build quality and reliability too. My friend tells me that, unlike Ford, quality really has been Job 1 at Hyundai for several years now, and they have been obsessed with catching up to Toyota in that regard (as opposed to GM, whose main business strategy for the near future was centered around a stronger marketing program).

 

[e_dawg]

Before we go about trashing GM too hard, we should give credit where it is due. There are a couple GM plants, maybe even three or four that are considered world class in terms of quality and productivity. I know the two plants near Toronto (GM Oshawa 1 and 2) have been racking up the awards.

GM's Oshawa 2 plant in Canada -- which produces the Buick Century, LaCrosse and Pontiac Grand Prix -- was recognized as the highest ranked in initial quality of any plant in North/South America.

GM's Oshawa 1, also in Canada, took second place, building the Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo.

Detroit Hamtramck, which produced the Buick LeSabre, Cadillac DeVille and Pontiac Bonneville during the survey window, placed third. Hamtramck is gearing up production of the 2006 Buick Lucerne and 2006 Cadillac DTS.

For the fourth consecutive year, GM earned at least the top two plant awards in North/South America. This year, overall, GM plants took six of the top ten spots.

http://finance.lycos.com/qc/news/story.aspx?symbols=NYSE:GM&story=200505181829_PRN__DEW033

http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/quality19e_20050519.htm

 

[e_dawg]

Here's an interesting article on GM's renewed plant quality excellence:

http://www.thecarconnection.com/pf/...crets_of_GMs_Quality_Comeback.S175.A7120.html

Excerpt:

LGR represents the first in North America of the new "General Motors System" (GMS) of manufacturing. Amazingly, it is based on GM's conversion of the former East German Wartburg plant at Eisenach after the two Germanys reunited following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

East German cars like the Wartburg must be the sorriest excuses for cars ever produced. They made the Yugo and Lada look like winners. Only in Hungary , where tiny pockets of Communist glory hang on, can you readily find any of these motoring disgraces still smoking up the roadways. It is hard to imagine mighty GM building on the base of a Soviet plant to achieve top quality and productivity.

But the workers at Eisenach were highly skilled and professional with a good work ethic, despite their former Red masters, according to Klaus Blacke, LGR's manufacturing engineering manager, a 35-year GM veteran and German native who graduated from the General Motors Institute (now Kettering University) in Flint.

And the timing was right, as GM used Eisenach as a first step in reinventing itself in the 1990s. Today the Eisenach plant has the highest quality of any GM plant worldwide, becoming the beacon for the New Way.

[...]

There are several elements in the GMS. Insofar as traditional American autoworkers are concerned, foremost is changing the culture of the workplace.

[...]

It is hard to imagine in an American plant, but the first shift doesn't go home until members shake hands with the incoming second shift.

[...]

The success of both these plants, and the new manufacturing concepts they stand for, depends to a high extent on union-management cooperation. Significantly, in its nearly three years of operations, LGR has experienced zero grievances - the usual sign of worker unrest - filed.

 

[LOST6200]

Great, but I don't buy manufcaturing plants, just cars. Maybe GM has some high-end robots and cyborgs desigbning and buidling everything, but then wha

 

[Computer Generated Baby]

...Apparently Hyundai will have one out sometime next year, Honda Odyssey would be nice but at around $30K, a little expensive.

The Crysler T&C with stowNgo is also very handy, but the engine/transmission leaves something to be desired.

Some of the points you've brought up is why I ended up buying a couple of years ago -- as a second automobile -- a Mazda MPV mini-van.

The modern-era MPV is as close to a sports sedan as you can get with a mini-van, which may actually cause some to avoid it since it is a bit small-ish. I can pull the middle seat out (actually, two bucket seats) and fold away the rear seat (stow-n-go style) so that I have a fairly decent sized flat bed to haul things around.

I guess it was too much to wish that I could somehow pop the front passenger's seat out on the occasion when I'm out buying long-ish hardwood rough lumber. But, I manage scooting the passenger's seat forward and covering it with a mover's blanket and use improvised cardboard wedges between the lumber and the back of the folded-down seat, as well as bungie cords to keep it all from shifting about. I use the recessed tie-downs in the back when I haul my bass or guitar rigs around.

And, to cover (mainly for security reasons) and insulate loads, I bought 3 inexpensive "hallway" rugs and leave them in the MPV at all times. These are long narrow rubber-backed rugs, normally for use a house. These hallway rugs are made from virtually the same carpet material as the van's carpet. I throw them over whatever I have in the back, so that if you look through the tinted windows from the outside you can't easily discern if there's anything at all in the back, as these rugs tend to make whatever is in the back seemingly "vanish" in the van's interior décor. Otherwise, I can put small items in the very back of the van, down into the empty seat well that the back seat would normally be stowed in, and then fold the back of the rear seat w-a-y on back until it covers the seat well, thus obscuring whatever's placed in the seat well.

 

[Mercutio]

I've been contemplating a Honda Odyssey for myself. There's a really nice-looking used one at a lot I drive by every day. It's been on my mind enough that I took it for a test drive. It's comfy and drives exactly like a sedan, which is just what I want.

I have these fantasies about putting more than five or six PCs in my car. Someday, someday...

 

[e_dawg]

Great, but I don't buy manufcaturing plants, just cars. Maybe GM has some high-end robots and cyborgs desigbning and buidling everything, but then wha

The point was that GM's cars are very well made, as their plants dominate the industry when it comes to quality control and fewest number of defects per hundred cars as measured by initial quality surveys like JD Power, etc. I know there isn't a direct correlation between quality (or especially reliability) and quality control, but it's something.

 

[e_dawg]

Let's take this a little further, because there is another layer I would like to focus on. How well does quality control and initial quality correlate with overall vehicle quality and reliability.

Overall vehicle quality is a little too vague and intangible, so let's leave that alone. Reliability is much more tangible and definable, so let's examine what the correlation is between quality control and reliability.

If you consider GM tops in quality control, how would you rate them in terms of reliability. Probably mediocre, right? At least that's the perception. In this case, quality control <> reliability.

But Toyota's plants are generally very good when it comes to QC and their cars are generally very reliable. What makes QC <> reliability for GM?

I would liken the design and construction of a car to be like that of a computer. If you think of GM as the HP-Compaq of the automotive world, this will all make sense.

Most car companies don't manufacture a lot of the components that go into their vehicles. They spec out parts for their cars from Magna, Lear, AC Delco, Bosch, Sachs-Boge, Visteon, TRW, etc. Just like if you build PC's using PC Chips motherboards, you wouldn't expect it to be reliable. You have to qualify your suppliers and select your part carefully. You might say that Magna or Bosch is to blame because they make the crappy parts that failed on your car, but ultimately, the car company is at fault because they spec'ed the cheap part to begin with.

The other factor in reliability is design and engineering. Even if you spec out slightly cheaper parts for the car, it will be okay if the overall design takes that into account.

I know there is nothing revelatory about all of this, but I think sometimes we blame the car manufacturer for building crappy cars without thinking about the reasons why. For example, a lot of people rag on VW for building their cars in Mexico. Some people say "it's those lazy Mexican workers" when in fact it's not that at all. VW's Puebla plant is one of the most advanced and automated factory in the world. Some people rag on American car companies and their "lazy UAW unionized workers". That sentiment doesn't hold up too well in the light of GM's plant quality awards.

Just some food for thought...

 

[.Nut]

What I meant above by "The modern-era MPV is as close to a sports sedan as you can get with a mini-van," is that it has the shortest wheelbase and lowest curb weight compared to all other mini-vans.

More often than not, this is NOT what mini-van buyers are looking for, however, I was. And, the no money down + 0% interest financing was more than enough for me.


Mazda MPV
wheelbase (inches): 111
curb weight (lbs) 3,772
Cargo capacity all seats removed (cu ft): 127


Honda Odyssey
wheelbase (inches): 118
curb weight (lbs): 4,378
Cargo capacity all seats removed (cu ft): 171


...a 4-door sedan for comparison:

Toyota Camry
wheelbase (inches): 107
curb weight (lbs) 3,108

 

[Handruin]

I would not expect a high QC to correlate directly to high quality. Being in a similar position of QA, we say all the time that you can "QA" quality into a product. I feel the same is true for QC...you can't build quality/reliability into the product, it has to be done at the design. The QC will catch those faulty units with misaligned hoods, and oddly placed windows, but thats just it, they are a safety net to remove the defects from the public's eyes and hands.

e_dawg, I agree with your comment on the parts of the car. It's their responsibility to test another manufacturer's component before including it in their design. Another aspect which comes into play, is the volume of cars sold per manufacturer. Selecting a cheaper part for the car may increase their profits substantially because of the number of cars they sell in a year. If GM sells 100,000 cars, and toyota sells 50,000...you can see their motivation for finding less expensive parts.

The bottom line for the consumer is that the car is either built well, or not. I enjoy discussing/learning about the root cause of the problem, but the average consume just wants to blame the parent company, and why shouldn't they.

Never having owned a GM, I can't say if they are reliable or not. Even if I did own one, given the amount of debates we have over hard drive reliability, the same could be argued about cars. We just don't have enough controlled data to make a determination.

Since the word reliability can't be linked to a binary state of "car run" or "car not run", it has to cover all the parts in the car. I could tell you my car is unreliable because of the breaks squeak, where as another person may complain about the transmission slipping...both are a measure of quality to the individual consumer, but at the same time, they can both continue use their vehicles even with the reliability issue they've experienced. I also wouldn't use JD power or consumer reports as a unit to measure reliability...I just don't trust them.

 

[Handruin]

I remember joking about the mazda MPV as a "Mostly" "Plastic" "Van" back when it first came to the market. That was when plastic was less common on cars, and people hate changes.

 

[Pradeep]

GM's Woes Bring No Joy to Toyota (from caranddriver.com)

The Daily Auto Insider
Thursday, June 9, 2005
June 2005


The chairman of Toyota Motor Corp. said he feared the possibility that U.S. policy could turn against Japanese automakers if American icons such as GM and Ford were to collapse, Reuters reported.

"Many people say the car industry wouldn't revisit the kind of trade friction we saw in the past because Japanese automakers are increasing local production in the United States, but I don't think it's that simple," Hiroshi Okuda told a news conference.

"General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. are symbols of U.S. industry, and if they were to crumble it could fan nationalistic sentiment. I always have a fear that, in turn, could manifest itself in policy decisions," he said, speaking as the head of the nation's biggest business lobby, the Japan Business Federation, Reuters noted.

Both GM and Ford have lost sales to Asian brands led by Toyota, which now controls 13.4 percent of the U.S. car market, the world's biggest, the story said.

In related news, the Dow Jones/AP newswire reported that Toyota may boost its vehicle prices to make it easier for the American automakers to compete.

 

[Onomatopoeic]

I remember joking about the mazda MPV as a "Mostly" "Plastic" "Van" back when it first came to the market...

I guess you are talking about those ugly-ass little MPV shoe boxes from the '80s onwards -- the ones which frequently came with strangely curious metallic paint finishes.


Around 2000, the MPV was completely redesigned. The MPV is a hell of a lot nicer these days, otherwise, I would have not bought one. The only large plastic pieces on my MPV are the two "walls" (i.e. -- panels) back in the cargo area. I use those light tan throw rugs (I mentioned up above, earlier) to protect the light tan ABS plastic interior side panels just in case I'm hauling something around that might scuff them. There are tie-down hooks in the back in that area as well, and I use them if I can.


The one thing I do notice is that out of all the mini-vans from the past, I see more of these ancient MPVs by far than any other mini-van -- usually beat to hell with faded and oxidised metallic paint.