Ford Sweeps Car and Truck of the Year

[RLJ676]

Way to go Ford! I'll take anything I can to help sales!

Have you guys had much interest in the transit connect?

I'm guessing the Fusion Hybrid's move as fast as they land on the lot?

[Tommy Gun]

How's that exactly?

Like I've said, there's nothing saying this won't be paid back. That equals saving a ton of jobs, and preventing a lengthening/deepening of a pretty bad recession for free? We know the worst case cost, but we don't know the best case (which would be a net positive return- unlikely).

Do we really know the worst case...do have a crystal ball? WTF do you think will happen if they go under now? After all there's nothing saying it WILL be paid back.

[BUIZILLA]

actually, the GM president was smooching with Pelosi, and said there will be a landslide payback.... I guess we'll see...

[RLJ676]

Do we really know the worst case...do have a crystal ball? WTF do you think will happen if they go under now? After all there's nothing saying it WILL be paid back.

Worst case is all the money invested is lost. Thought that was clear.

[Blue Oval]

Have you guys had much interest in the transit connect?

I'm guessing the Fusion Hybrid's move as fast as they land on the lot?

We have not sold a Transit Connect, lost 4 restaurants in town in the last year, great van for food service or light delivery, all the places that could use them are fightig to stay in buisness!

[Tommy Gun]

Worst case is all the money invested is lost. Thought that was clear.

Yea, taxpayers money...and the "disaster" that was averted would just be postponed.

I really like the way Pelosi is patting herself on the back...wonder how good sales would have been if the Gov't didn't subsidize them too????????????????

[Knot 4 Me]

Been a GM man since '79 with well over 30 GM purchases made. And based on all that hands-on experience, I have not owned a GM car since 2001. Toyota has since filled the bill for my cars with 2 sitting in my garage right now. They simply do not go in to to the shop for anything and perform exactly as needed for my wife and son. I'm the last GM hold out in the family with a '06 Denali XL. With the exception of an '88 Calais I owned with the infamous Quad 4 motor, the Denali is hands down the worst GM vehicle I have owned in terms of quality. I can tell you that the odds of it being replaced with another GM product are quite slim. I'm looking to trade it off this weekend so we'll see what I come up with. I've been quite impressed with Ford's current lineup. Much more so than GM's lineup. And as a taxpayer, I like that Ford did not take any of my money to stay in business. That just might earn them my business after all these years.

[DollaBill]

And what will you say if the return is ZERO????

Fact is the UAW was paid off for its support in the election and the bondholders got screwed when, according to backruptcy law, they would have recieved more than the unions in a bankruptcy. NO Gov't Motors ever for me...until or if they ever pay the gov't back. NO MORE SOCIALISM.

Thank you. I was starting to think I was the only one around here thinking clearly.

[DollaBill]

Yea, taxpayers money...and the "disaster" that was averted would just be postponed.

I really like the way Pelosi is patting herself on the back...wonder how good sales would have been if the Gov't didn't subsidize them too????????????????

It's just like the real estate/banking bail out disaster. Everything done was just a delay of whats going to happen anyway. And it's coming.

[sledge]

You guys that think GM/Fiat should've been shut down....how much do you think it would've cost to support all the people that would've been out of work? Don't forget to include all the collateral damage.

Consider the idea that taking care of all these people would've been a much greater example of socialism than trying to keep the business going.

I'd much rather borrow $50Billion @ .25% to have a shot at getting some/most/all of it back, rather than just throwing $50B at people with no chance of ever getting it back.

I like the new Buicks, would drive a Caddy and will continue to drive GM trucks.

[Wobble]

Been a GM man since '79 with well over 30 GM purchases made. And based on all that hands-on experience, I have not owned a GM car since 2001. Toyota has since filled the bill for my cars with 2 sitting in my garage right now. They simply do not go in to to the shop for anything and perform exactly as needed for my wife and son. I'm the last GM hold out in the family with a '06 Denali XL. With the exception of an '88 Calais I owned with the infamous Quad 4 motor, the Denali is hands down the worst GM vehicle I have owned in terms of quality. I can tell you that the odds of it being replaced with another GM product are quite slim. I'm looking to trade it off this weekend so we'll see what I come up with. I've been quite impressed with Ford's current lineup. Much more so than GM's lineup. And as a taxpayer, I like that Ford did not take any of my money to stay in business. That just might earn them my business after all these years.

I have been a GM buyer for the same period, probably close to sixty vehicles. You will not find an import car or truck on my property, period.

In all those vehicles which we run to 225,000 or 250,000 miles I have only been inside one engine, (lifter noise on a 96 Tahoe). Less than 8 transmission rebuilds and two for rear end work (1 under warranty)

I'm not saying a Toyota couldn't do the same (after all they have done well by copying us and listening to our experts), but I am not spending my money there when I can buy American.

[rschap1]

Personally I am a Ford fan and glad to see them get any good press they can. I also have a lot of former co-workers and friends that are GM employees. Would love to see them and GM do as well as possible, but the last few years I have really soured towards GM trucks, cars, dealers, service, and policies. I have gotten treated poorly by local dealer, and some of the recall driven "fixes" are worse than the problem that they were forced to fix. While I wish all the workers well, I do have to say GM's troubles do not surprise me. Not to say that it doesn't look like the media is just "jumping on a bandwagon" either. It has been a LONG time since I have seen Ford (or any domestic) rated better than an import, but it seems to be what everyone wants to say these days. Going with the flow...

My .02 (from personal experiences)

[Hard Charger]

Competition coupled with incentive is what made this country great. That’s what inspires people to succeed not leveling the playing field, bailouts and government control. That’s a one way ticket to mediocritize and Socialism…

No where in the Constitution or Bill of Rights states the Government was created to provide for us. The Revolutionary War (War of Independence for those who don’t follow history) was fought for fewer reasons than we’re currently facing.

[Knot 4 Me]

I have been a GM buyer for the same period, probably close to sixty vehicles. You will not find an import car or truck on my property, period.

In all those vehicles which we run to 225,000 or 250,000 miles I have only been inside one engine, (lifter noise on a 96 Tahoe). Less than 8 transmission rebuilds and two for rear end work (1 under warranty)

I'm not saying a Toyota couldn't do the same (after all they have done well by copying us and listening to our experts), but I am not spending my money there when I can buy American.

Coming from a UAW family, I used to be the same way (no foreign vehicles on my property). I fault no one who has this philosophy. I also offer no apologies for having two of those damn furrin' cars in my garage. I believe my ratio keeps me in the pro-American lot. My trucks will always be American. My cars will be whatever fancies my wife. And right now she fancies Toyota. I believe I heard her mention Nissan the other day. Oh my!

[Tommy Gun]

You guys that think GM/Fiat should've been shut down....how much do you think it would've cost to support all the people that would've been out of work? Don't forget to include all the collateral damage.

Consider the idea that taking care of all these people would've been a much greater example of socialism than trying to keep the business going.

I'd much rather borrow $50Billion @ .25% to have a shot at getting some/most/all of it back, rather than just throwing $50B at people with no chance of ever getting it back.

I like the new Buicks, would drive a Caddy and will continue to drive GM trucks.

Is every company that declared bankruptcy out of business? NO. The assets would have been spun off and sold to the highest bidder; someone would have stepped in to buy the compnay or parts of it and restored it to health with a competetive approach; more union concessions or no union workers and built a solid company or companies based on sound business practices. Happens every day. Look whats happening anyway...no Saturn, no Pontiac...this all could have been done without taxpayer money. This is ALL ABOUT POLITICAL PAYBACK TO THE UAW. Geeez, they ended up declaring bankrupcy anyway just to screw certain creditors; borders on criminal if you ask me.

[Five Cent Worth]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36x8rTb3jI

That's f'n unreal.....

Love me some Ford's. Have had the old SHO, Lightning, Supercoupe, reg. Thunderbird and now the Fusion.

[RLJ676]

Is every company that declared bankruptcy out of business? NO. The assets would have been spun off and sold to the highest bidder; someone would have stepped in to buy the compnay or parts of it and restored it to health with a competetive approach; more union concessions or no union workers and built a solid company or companies based on sound business practices. Happens every day. Look whats happening anyway...no Saturn, no Pontiac...this all could have been done without taxpayer money. This is ALL ABOUT POLITICAL PAYBACK TO THE UAW. Geeez, they ended up declaring bankrupcy anyway just to screw certain creditors; borders on criminal if you ask me.

Yeah, because sales of auto mfg's have all gone real well. That capacity would not have been bought or bought for pennies on the dollar. GM would be liquidated, a tiny fraction bought, and more former great US things owned by foreigners. That would be real great for the US (oh, and the lenders all end up completely screwed anyways).

This country's lack of realization that the market is not free, and the competition values their big industry and protects them is pathetic. I'm so ****ing sick of uninformed "Americans" rooting against the home team, while the competition they root for (and site for not needing this help or that) has been propped up by their gov'ts all along.

Go sell a foreign car in Japan, Korea, China and see how that goes as a foreign entity. Yet here we are dumb enough to root for them to win. They get it, we don't. Modern "war" is economic, and we are going down the ****ter. What happens when they decide they no longer want to keep buying our debt in USD, or at all? We have a constant flow out of money, combined with huge debt to everyone. Real power is earned by being a lender, not owing everyone.

So keep rooting for GM to fail to prove some idiotic point of yours, so that you lose your tax investment.

You can't claim " let capitalism decide" for the US when you are competing on a foreign stage that has no concept of a "fair fight". But I guess you guys think all this country needs is bankers and waiters, why make anything or actually create value.

[Lee]

Yeah, because sales of auto mfg's have all gone real well. That capacity would not have been bought or bought for pennies on the dollar. GM would be liquidated, a tiny fraction bought, and more former great US things owned by foreigners. That would be real great for the US (oh, and the lenders all end up completely screwed anyways).

This country's lack of realization that the market is not free, and the competition values their big industry and protects them is pathetic. I'm so ****ing sick of uninformed "Americans" rooting against the home team, while the competition they root for (and site for not needing this help or that) has been propped up by their gov'ts all along.

Go sell a foreign car in Japan, Korea, China and see how that goes as a foreign entity. Yet here we are dumb enough to root for them to win. They get it, we don't. Modern "war" is economic, and we are going down the ****ter. What happens when they decide they no longer want to keep buying our debt in USD, or at all? We have a constant flow out of money, combined with huge debt to everyone. Real power is earned by being a lender, not owing everyone.

So keep rooting for GM to fail to prove some idiotic point of yours, so that you lose your tax investment.

You can't claim " let capitalism decide" for the US when you are competing on a foreign stage that has no concept of a "fair fight". But I guess you guys think all this country needs is bankers and waiters, why make anything or actually create value.

+1 Great post

[DollaBill]

Yeah, because sales of auto mfg's have all gone real well. That capacity would not have been bought or bought for pennies on the dollar. GM would be liquidated, a tiny fraction bought, and more former great US things owned by foreigners. That would be real great for the US (oh, and the lenders all end up completely screwed anyways).

This country's lack of realization that the market is not free, and the competition values their big industry and protects them is pathetic. I'm so ****ing sick of uninformed "Americans" rooting against the home team, while the competition they root for (and site for not needing this help or that) has been propped up by their gov'ts all along.

Go sell a foreign car in Japan, Korea, China and see how that goes as a foreign entity. Yet here we are dumb enough to root for them to win. They get it, we don't. Modern "war" is economic, and we are going down the ****ter. What happens when they decide they no longer want to keep buying our debt in USD, or at all? We have a constant flow out of money, combined with huge debt to everyone. Real power is earned by being a lender, not owing everyone.

So keep rooting for GM to fail to prove some idiotic point of yours, so that you lose your tax investment.

You can't claim " let capitalism decide" for the US when you are competing on a foreign stage that has no concept of a "fair fight". But I guess you guys think all this country needs is bankers and waiters, why make anything or actually create value.

Create value? last time I checked the only thing that depreciated faster than our boats were the vehicles towing them.

[Wobble]

Yeah, because sales of auto mfg's have all gone real well. That capacity would not have been bought or bought for pennies on the dollar. GM would be liquidated, a tiny fraction bought, and more former great US things owned by foreigners. That would be real great for the US (oh, and the lenders all end up completely screwed anyways).

This country's lack of realization that the market is not free, and the competition values their big industry and protects them is pathetic. I'm so ****ing sick of uninformed "Americans" rooting against the home team, while the competition they root for (and site for not needing this help or that) has been propped up by their gov'ts all along.

Go sell a foreign car in Japan, Korea, China and see how that goes as a foreign entity. Yet here we are dumb enough to root for them to win. They get it, we don't. Modern "war" is economic, and we are going down the ****ter. What happens when they decide they no longer want to keep buying our debt in USD, or at all? We have a constant flow out of money, combined with huge debt to everyone. Real power is earned by being a lender, not owing everyone.

So keep rooting for GM to fail to prove some idiotic point of yours, so that you lose your tax investment.

You can't claim " let capitalism decide" for the US when you are competing on a foreign stage that has no concept of a "fair fight". But I guess you guys think all this country needs is bankers and waiters, why make anything or actually create value.

Great post.

I have travelled extensively and cant remember how many times that I have been told that they would love to own a Mustang, Corvette, Camaro even full size pickups etc. But they never would because import duties on foreign made cars, especially American made were prohibitive.