GM Sales

[Rob Gerace #16100]

Did any of you hear that GM is offering their employee discount to everybody until the 5th of next month.  Sounds pretty desperate to me.  Heres a couple of links.  One is from GM itself.

http://www.gm.com/employeediscount.do?cmp= TARGET=_blank>http://www.gm.com/employeediscount.do?cmp=

http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102505 TARGET=_blank>http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102505

Rob

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

Well Rob,

Next thing they will offer zero percent financing, and a carport with each sale.

But, it is a well known fact that the profit in manufacturing cars isnt in the selling of them, but the selling of the parts, and the servicing.   This trade goes on well after the car has been sold.  

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le), who will never buy a new car,
60 CDV

P.S.   I wonder if the GM Employees will go on strike for GM allowing non GM employees to get their same discount.   The workers perks are being eroded.

[Dick Heller]

Anybody negotiate a lower price than listed in the lease agreement, GM appears to be flexible, Ford does not negotiate, cars go straight to auction where dealers grab them.

[Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397]

When I leased my VW, the finance manager told me that if I were interested in buying the car at lease end, to offer them less than the residual and they may well take it or take a figure in between mine and theirs.  He said they would rather sell it to the leasee than have to put it on the market, maybe have it sit for months and possibly still not get the residual amount for it. I would guess that other car maufacturers leasing departments would feel the same way and the worst that could happen would be to have them say no.

[Porter 21919]

Rob,

They have to turn the corner. At least six out of ten trucks on the road in Maine are GMC/Chevy. They havent lost market share with trucks. The locals buy the 4x4s and put 250,000 miles on them and sell them for $ 3K after ten years.

Their auto (car) products must be competitve and be well rated by the automoitve pundits. Decades of mismangement dug a big hole. The unions have agreed to renogiate health care benefits, GMs cost achilles heel, highest in the industry.

I spoke to a local that has a CTS V6, she said it is very peppy and she loves the car.

It is time for Americans to consider GM cars and not run down to the Asian car dealer right off the bat. I always compare the product when I buy anything. A new Chevy Impala was at the recyling center this morning, very sharp looking.

I know someone that bought a new Sentra and it was a lemon, traded it in for an Altima an received another lemon, nothing but trouble. Another local bought a new Nissan frontier pickup truck, nothing but trouble, very dissatified.

Granted the Honda & Toyota cars are top notch, no arguement here.

I know plenty of people that are very happy with their GM cars and trucks, the employee discount offer is the deal of  lifetime IMO.

I think they finally got it right with the CTS series, V8 pushrod engines and RWD. Havent read much about the new STS, the new DTS should be the real flagship. Id take a new XLR in a heartbeat.

Porter

[Johnny]

The price of buying a car/truck at the end of lease, like all other   prices, depends on the market place.  If the car is worth less the  residual, you might have a shot of getting it at a lower price, it all depends on who you leased the car from.  I have been leasing for the last 15 years, and allow me to offer a few tips.

For most individuals leasing is only beneficial, if you want to have a new car every 3 years, and do less then the alloted miles, usually 12,000 a year. If this is not you, then leasing is not for you.  Sure you can get more car, for less money down, and usually a lower monthly payment, but you might find yourself locked into being a repeat lease customer, unless you can save the money to come up with a substantional down payment.  I lease because I do like a new car every 3 years, and the only thing I have to pay for is oil changes and gas, plus the added peace of mind of trouble free driving.

I strongly advise against buying the car at the end of the lease!  Why?  Its really not cost effective to buy a 3 year old used car, that you already put money into!  In most cases you end up having a car payment on the same vehicle for 6-7 years, plus all the extra interest, plus the repairs that might come up because of the age of the car.

With all the incentives that GM is giving now, it is cheaper to buy now then lease!

[denise 20352]

  That is exactly the way I perceived it...what theyre doing is not giving you any discount but taking it away from the employees.

-denise

[denise]

  What does Impala have to offer that I cant get anywhere else?  Chevy Impalas changes were one of the biggest mistakes that GM has made, IMO.  They lost all of the police, fleet and taxi business to Ford.  Cadillac also lost the limo business to Ford by changing their entire line to EuroJap clones.   These markets may not have been moneymakers, but thats not a decision that you can make strictly by the bottom line.  GM was an icon that is now fading into obscurity.  If it werent for their financial troubles, most people wouldnt even hear the name mentioned anymore.  GM will most likely not be able to compete in the very tough EuroJap market because they have nothing unique to offer, so what will steer future car buyers to them?  Sheesh, even the folks here on the Cadillac board recommended that I buy a Ford.

-denise

[Porter 21919]

Maybe so but without havent driven a specific car I couldnt really have an opinion of the driveability.

[Glenn #8092]

Ive done it twice. My Cadillac dealer confessed that the residual value, especially on the two year Cadillac leases was greatly overstated. He inidcated if I wanted to buy the car, He would sell it to me for $350 over what GMAC would sell it to them for. When I bought My 96 Impala SS The residual after three years was half of the current retail value. My dealer offered my $10,ooo to give it back to them.
I kept it, still holding its value better than teh Brougham I couldnt make a deal on.

Glenn

[Rich Sullivan CLC #11473]

Here is an article previewing the many new GM models about to be unveiled--including the next-generation (2007) CTS. It sounds encouraging, and I hope these new vehicles help GM to recapture market share!

http://www.detnews.com/2005/insiders/0506/15/D01-216346.htm TARGET=_blank>http://www.detnews.com/2005/insiders/0506/15/D01-216346.htm