GM Sweeps Car/Truck of the Year

[cincygoblue]

Silverado Article: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...SS02/612280407

Aura Article: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...SS02/612280309

Story:
MARK PHELAN: GM finally harnesses its global resources
December 28, 2006

General Motors has been promising the world for years. This year, it delivered.

The Saturn Aura midsize sedan and Chevrolet Silverado pickup, the 2007 Free Press Car and Truck of the Year, are the payoff from GM's long program to bring its worldwide engineering and design resources together.

Reasonably priced and offering useful and advanced technology, comfort, value and fuel economy, the Silverado and Aura are exceptionally strong new players in the heart of the auto market.

They do this without sacrificing power and performance, the oft-overlooked excitement variables that separate memorable cars and trucks from mere appliances.

That's vital, because in GM-speak the global engineering community that produced them sounds about as inspiring as an e-mail offering cut-rate printer cartridges.

"We're turning GM into one company around the world," company quote-master general Bob Lutz and other top executives would intone, hoping they'd be able to finish the thought before their audience drifted off to sleep.

"It's hard to make the internal workings of how a company is organized sound exciting," a GM insider admitted to me last week.

Boy, is it ever . . . . .

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...=2006612280389

While some may say the Freep is biased towards the domestics, others may say they are just absent of the East/West Coast pro-import bias. Probably a bit of each. Either way, this is good news for GM.

I continue to see the Aura being favorably compared to the Camry and Accord, and with soooooo many reporters saying how they hated to drive the new Camry (because it is sooooo boring), I'm surprized it is winning as much praise as it is. On Autoline this weekend, none of the 3 liked the Camry. Maybe the new Malibu has a shot a MT COTY for this year and many other awards from the press.

[likearock00]

Wow, any news like this is wonderful PR for GM. I am so glad GM is getting some recognition for all it's hard work this past year getting these products to market.

[Media!]

Good For GM!

[mkaresh]

This is just one reporter's opinion. And one who writes for a Detroit paper at that. The Aura is a good car, but it's hardly a breakthrough. Compared to its competition at the time, the 1998 Olds Intrigue was at least as good. And Olds still died.

[ByTheLake]

Originally Posted by mkaresh

This is just one reporter's opinion. And one who writes for a Detroit paper at that. The Aura is a good car, but it's hardly a breakthrough. Compared to its competition at the time, the 1998 Olds Intrigue was at least as good. And Olds still died.

I agree. Still, the Detroit papers had been quite harsh on the domestic auto manufacturers, so this is a nice step in the right direction.

Maybe its a sign that perception is slowly changing? I'd be happy with that alone.

[SuperSS27]

Awesome, 2 very deserving vehicles.

[kknobl]

Nice job GM!!

Folks, we seem to be quick to point out that the Detroit FP may have a bias towards domestics, but what publication doesn't have biases?? Consumer Reports, Car & Driver both have fairly obvious and prominent biases, and Motor Trend is also getting pretty bad as well...

Let's take this for what it is - deserved praise for some of GMs latest offerings - and be happy about it.

Kevin

[LAMRONH]

Originally Posted by mkaresh

This is just one reporter's opinion. And one who writes for a Detroit paper at that. The Aura is a good car, but it's hardly a breakthrough. Compared to its competition at the time, the 1998 Olds Intrigue was at least as good. And Olds still died.

Olds didn't just die. It was murdered by incompetence.

[Caddyguy57]

Nice to see some great news...wherever it may come from.

[motorman]

Originally Posted by ByTheLake

I agree. Still, the Detroit papers had been quite harsh on the domestic auto manufacturers, so this is a nice step in the right direction.

Maybe its a sign that perception is slowly changing? I'd be happy with that alone.

NO the newspaper sales are falling like a rock because unemployed people don't waste their money on newspapers and the stores do not buy ads because unemployed people also do not shop. the newspapers have figured this out so they had better stop biting the hand the feeds them the auto workers.

[BusyBody]

Good news for GM!!

[civilzues]

Originally Posted by motorman

NO the newspaper sales are falling like a rock because unemployed people don't waste their money on newspapers and the stores do not buy ads because unemployed people also do not shop. the newspapers have figured this out so they had better stop biting the hand the feeds them the auto workers.

show me some figures. the free press has ALWAYS done well

[mkaresh]

Most local newspaper subscribers are old, and their base is declining. This is everywhere, not just Detroit. Still plenty of money in Detroit. The main exceptions are, possibly, the business newspapers, though the Internet is bound to crimp them at some point.

I don't care which newspaper picks the Aura as a winner. I've driven the car, and though very good it's simply not a breakthrough except in comparison to low expectations. It's like giving a prize to a "slow" child for getting a B on a math test.

[bone]

I've been reading Mark Phalen's reviews for years and find him to be just about the best out there. If he has a bias I haven't picked it up. He is exceptionally knowledgable about the industry in general and his support of the Aura and Silverado should not be diminished in any way. By the way I begin each day in my quest for automotive news by checking these five sights in the following order;
1.Canadiandriver.com,
2.Detroit News Online(detnews.com),
3.Detroit Free Press(freep.com),
4.GM Inside News,and
5.Autoweek.

[asim]

I like Mark Phelan. He seems like a great reporter, but above all he seems like a great person. Anyhow, too bad this is just ONE person's opinion that represents ONE newspaper in the world. I hope that the real award goes to these same vehicles though. =D