In a strident rebuttal of yesterday's GM Death Watch 157, the Detroit Free Press' Mark Phalen is singing GM's praises. The Motown scribe proclaims that GM supporters "can be reasonably confident the light at the end of the tunnel isn't an oncoming train." Phalen bases this assessment on the fact that four of the six finalists for this year's 2008 North American Car and Truck of the Year (NACOTY) awards are from GM (Cadillac CTS, Chevy Malibu, Buick Enclave, and Chevy Tahoe Hybrid). Forty-six journalists from the US and Canada (isn't Mexico still part of North America too?) will vote later this month on the continent's top car. The winner will be announced at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) next month, the annual PR-fest sponsored by the Detroit Area Dealer's Association, to which TTAC has been denied access.
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I can’t remember where I read that the Aura got NACOTY votes because it was a good effort for GM, but far from a class-leading effort. It’s the polling equivalent of a sympathy f#$%.
The light of the tunnel isn’t an oncoming train, rather, it’s a Maglev coming at full throttle.
All Gm’s new cars seem to fall into the “best they’ve ever made” category. Sounds like we need a good ol’ fashioned comparo test. Where’s Car and Driver?
dwford:
Edmund’s V6 sedan comparison
1. Accord
2. Altima
3. Malibu
4. Camry
Give Consumer Reports another month or two, I’m sure that they’re going to say “not par with class leaders”.
Phelan's article is entitled, "Vote is in: GM rules." So what happens if the Honda Accord and Mazda CX-9 win the awards? (Fat chance of the Mazda winning, I suppose.) One thing's for sure, if that silly Tahoe Hybrid wins, I'll know the voting is rigged.
Thats funny consumers seem to be voting differently.
Motor Trend:
1. Camry V6
2. Malibu LTZ
3. Accord V6
4. Altima V6
Surprising to me!
Motor Trend: These guys have been idiots for so long I’m surprised anyone cares what they say.
Have a look at their car of the year selections for the 1970s and 80s:
1990 Lincoln Town Car
1989 Ford Thunderbird SC
1988 Pontiac Grand Prix
1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
1986 Ford Taurus LX
1985 Volkswagen GTI (
1984 Chevrolet Corvette
1983 AMC / Renault Alliance
1982 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
1981 Chrysler K Cars
1980 Chevrolet Citation
1979 Buick Riviera S
1978 Chrysler, Dodge Omni / Plymouth Horizon
1977 Chevrolet Caprice
1976 Chrysler, Dodge Aspen / Plymouth Volare
1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2
1974 Ford Mustang II
1973 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
1972 Citroën SM
1971 Chevrolet Vega
1970 Ford Torino
@ Starlight.. Great anology…
There is one big problem with the Edmund’s test, check out the versions of the cars they tested;
Accord EX-L
Altima SE
Malibu LTZ
Camry LE??????
Toyota does make an SE version of the Camry that have much better dynmaics and handling than the LE model. The SE is equiped with stiffer springs and shocks, additional structural bracing, larger 17″ rims fitted with performance tires, and it also is equiped with a quicker sterring ratio.
Needless to say the SE has considerably improved dynamics over the LE, trust me I have driven both.
To get the Malibu to outscore the Camry they had to pit a sports suspension equiped Malibu against the non-sport Camry model. Most importantly they omitted any mention of the Camry SE from the review yet are very critcal of the dynamics of the LE Camry.
Now since I know a little bit about cars I can see the “rigging” of this review. Ironically it only hurts the Mailbu by giving the impression that cheating is necessary for Edmunds to scape up only a 3rd place finish for this car.
Awards are nice, but that is only the first step.
To win consumers’ hearts and minds, that award must be backed up with a pleasant dealer experience (during sales AND service), and long-term reliability.
It will be many years before GM sees the fruits of their current-day labor….assuming they don’t screw the pooch again with crappy dealer service, and 3 year old cars that feel like 8 year old cars.
-ted
What these comparo finishing orders, with always different results, tell me is that the Malibu, Accord, Altima, Camry, and Fusion are all on the same vehicular level. It is very small things, combined with brand familiarity, that puts one over the other.
TTAC had the same person review both the Malibu and the new Accord sedan. He rated them with very similar numbers in every scoring category.
The problem with the Malibu isn’t that the car is bad (Sebring), or even that the car falls flat against the transplants. It’s GM’s reputation of building cars that fall apart combined with a bad dealer experience and unavailablitly of the Malibu that’s going to hurt it.
I don’t think that brand reputaion is a criteria in the voting, so it does have a legitimate chance. Although the show being in Detroit won’t hurt.
Does anyone do a comparison of the bare bones models. The ones 70% of americans buy, that would be more telling than a review of the most expensive models they sell.
whatdoiknow1 — Actually Edmunds tested the top-of-the line Camry XLE, not the plebian LE. But all of your points stand — there’s no difference in the suspension or driving dynamics between the LE and XLE.
Redbarchetta — I totally agree with you; these comparos should pit the bread-and-butter models against each other, certainly in the midsize family sedan segment.
Ahhh, the prestige of the NACOTY award. It’s like the star the preschool teacher stuck on every kids hand every day just because they showed up.
I know some TTAC contributor has a quick list of previous winners. I bet that’s a FINE collection of sleds.
List here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Car_of_the_Year
Past NACOTY winners are also in the linked FREEP article. The car list isn’t too bad, save for the glaring exception of the ’95 Chrysler Cirrus.
The truck list though has some real dogs, including the ’95 Blazer and ’02 TrailBlazer. And remind me what was so great about the ’98 Mercedes M class?
Lets see a Ridgeline and a Civic in the same year?Oh!and look an 04 Prius an Altima and even an Acura.
Sounds like the Bu. might be joining a nice club.
Redbarchetta-“Thats funny consumers seem to be voting differently.”
Spot on. In the end this is the only vote that matters.
Bunter
any list of good cars that includes the aspen/volare is clearly useless. we had one when I was a kid — it was the “no more chrysler cars ever” car (and my dad had been a huge dart fan).
Auto dealers are involved in this? Let’s see, the last time I visited a Chevy dealer the salesman showed me a new car without the government price sheet posted and the time before that the music was so loud at a Chevy tent sale I couldn’t hear the salesman. The last time I visited a Ford dealer the the salesman called me “buddy” 3 times after I introduced myself (my name is not buddy) and showed me a car that I clearly stated I wasn’t interested in. The last time I visited a Dodge dealer I asked about their new SUV with a diesel engine and the salesmen were unaware that such a model existed (maybe Chrysler abandonded the project before actually sending it to the dealers).
Why do we put up with this crap from dealers – because they don’t care about us and know that we will eventually buy a car from somebody in spite of the crappy front line treatment they offer us.
In the meantime they can’t expect me to believe anything they are involved in.
“Moter Trend” magazine is what we read after we buy a car to be reasured that we got the most wonderful car in the world.
The journalists who vote for the COTY award are the Jim Matejas (Chicago Tribune) and Warren Browns (Wash. Post) of the world. Hardly paragons of impartiality….suckled on the teet of automaker junkets and whose newspapers rely on $$$$ of advertising money.
I have to agree with the other posters,with the opinion,of only one poll counts.We shall see.
I can see why the owners of the Detroit Motor Show would not like to have TTAC there, such a shame too, its would do them no harm to have a rebutal from time to time, I seem to think that Detroit papers are all biased dont you think? Open Minds are not in there line of sight either!
On my scorecard the Toyota Camry Hybrid scores far higher than the Chevy Malibu or Saturn Aura.
So, are we detecting pro-Detroit bias in the car of the year election?
I definitely thought the Edmunds article was rigged as well, or at least VERY poorly thought out. The Camry XLE makes absolutely pretense of sporty driving dynamics–it’s a comfortable appliance car. They should have tested the SE if sporty was what they were looking for. I’m surprised because I usually look to Edmunds for good articles, but this is a rather ridiculous oversight and reduces their credibility in my mind.
GM can well declare victory with the introduction of new models, and declare quality parity with the leading imports.
After all, they’ve been declaring such for over 30 years.
The real problems- long term reliability, retained resale value- will take years to prove out.
GM, let’s talk again in 5 years, and then again in 10. We’ll see where we are then. Until then, I’ve heard the same old promises- this time I’m really going straight, judge, I really promise. I really learned my lesson and am turning over a new leaf.
Don’t tell us- we no longer believe you. Show us.