[KingElvis]

I will fight to the death to keep that chiseled styling. Ford can have the rounded effeminate look. I'll take the sharp Chevy any day.

 

[KingElvis]

While the Colorado diesel will be nice, a 60% conquest rate is alarming.

It may certainly be time to offer a diesel engine in all of GM's full-sized trucks - Suburban, Yukon, and Escalade included.

Can you imagine the profit margin on the RAM diesel option?

Considering the engine is produced in Italy and has to be shipped across the Atlantic, I would think it's not that great. The Heavy Duty pickup diesels ask considerably more than V6 Ram.

 

[KingElvis]

One other note, the 4.5L would be a great engine...for HD trucks. Too big for light duty to really make a business case, but start going after Ford on HD trucks with better economy and you may be shocked by the response from the self employed/corporate buyers, that would make a lot of sense to them, and the customers who never use the HD truck they buy as a truck.

The 4.5 was developed to fit exactly into the space of a Chevy ohv V8. Hence the turbo between the cylinder banks. It was tested in the Trailblazer SUV at the time and was always intended to be light duty.

 

[KingElvis]

Bet the ROI on 'leather heated seats and other features' is a lot worse then the 4Gs on diesel. And it's not like you can't buy both.

The resale would be higher and if we are being fair, it factors in. But then you get into the perverse incentives of "buying a car to sell it" it ten years.

By that measure I should only buy a crew cab even if I only carry one or maybe two people max.

And as twinpeaks mentioned, to recoup your investment you have to keep it a long time - how much does resale really amount to in ten years? And if you trade it in four years then you haven't come close to recouping the fuel costs.

Back when GM was having so much success with the 379 "6.2" diesel, people were paying for the extra power - low rpm torque that is - of the big inch diesel.

Having said all that, I wonder what kind of case you could make for putting the Colo 4cyl TD in the Silvy.

They used the 195hp Vortec for - what 20 years? Seems like a 200hp, 350lb/ft diesel could get the job done in any of the configurations if you just watch the axle ratios.

IF, and its a big if, IF people are paying up front for fuel savings down the road, the smaller cheaper I4 would be in a perfect position. But again, it's an IF that I don't think has yet been proven.

 

[KingElvis]

How do you recognize a follower or a leader , well in the truck business one could say that GM revamped the pick up line in response to Ford's runaway success of its product , now Ford ups the ante with aluminum , so GM runs around securing aluminum sources to get in the game . Ram does a number with a smaller diesel engine , which meets a big customer response , so guess what GM does next here ?? RAM has steadily refined its trucks and engines and in Canada , at least , I expect it will take over No. 1 in truck sales from Ford in the next couple of years . The product is now that good , made by a separate company that just builds trucks , they all eat , sleep and work on this product exclusively . Are they leaders or followers ? What about Ford , what can you say about a company that innovates and continually refines their hugely successful product , instead of leaving on the market for years , kind of like what GM did with its previous generation of trucks ? How does GM get to focus on being the leader in its market segments ? The only division that appears to have the autonomy to be a leader is Cadillac . Make the big bucks , lose the big bucks , move on and be a hero . Who is pulling or incapable of pulling the strings in this monster convoluted company , or does this Cadillac autonomy start a new direction for the company , that of independent divisions who can mandate their vehicle selection to best serve the marketplace and perhaps be the leaders and not the followers , like Cadillac , right ??

Let's not re-write history here.

Where was Ford's quadrasteer?

Where was the Avalanche?

And just what does 'runaway success' of the 'best selling vehicle in America' mean when the 'failed' K2xx outsells it last month?

http://thenewswheel.com/ford-f-150-outsold-chevy-silverado-gmc-sierra-august/

 

[KingElvis]

How do you recognize a follower or a leader , well in the truck business one could say that GM revamped the pick up line in response to Ford's runaway success of its product , now Ford ups the ante with aluminum , so GM runs around securing aluminum sources to get in the game . Ram does a number with a smaller diesel engine , which meets a big customer response , so guess what GM does next here ?? RAM has steadily refined its trucks and engines and in Canada , at least , I expect it will take over No. 1 in truck sales from Ford in the next couple of years . The product is now that good , made by a separate company that just builds trucks , they all eat , sleep and work on this product exclusively . Are they leaders or followers ? What about Ford , what can you say about a company that innovates and continually refines their hugely successful product , instead of leaving on the market for years , kind of like what GM did with its previous generation of trucks ? How does GM get to focus on being the leader in its market segments ? The only division that appears to have the autonomy to be a leader is Cadillac . Make the big bucks , lose the big bucks , move on and be a hero . Who is pulling or incapable of pulling the strings in this monster convoluted company , or does this Cadillac autonomy start a new direction for the company , that of independent divisions who can mandate their vehicle selection to best serve the marketplace and perhaps be the leaders and not the followers , like Cadillac , right ??

Let's not re-write history here.

Where was Ford's quadrasteer?

Where was the Avalanche?

And just what does 'runaway success' of the 'best selling vehicle in America' mean when the 'failed' K2xx outsells it last month?

http://thenewswheel.com/ford-f-150-outsold-chevy-silverado-gmc-sierra-august/

 

[KingElvis]

You got a Ram right, what shape are your wheelwells?


ef·fem·i·nate (adjective)

Having or showing qualities that are considered more suited to women than to men : not manly

We're talking about the pickup, not the driver. But in any case you are covered. Thank God and Chevrolet, not necessarily in that order. ;-)

((and with this auspicious 5000th post, I have become supercharged and CTS-V worthy - ALL HAIL LS9))