GM sell Subaru to Toyota

[Nero Burner]

Good Ridance! Subaru was the cause of all of GMs problems! Subaru was just
dragging GM through the mud! Subaru!...Ha!...Thats prepostorous! Indeed!

 

[FanJet]

GM is expected to sell off other holdings too. Their best move would
be to sell off the CEO,CFO, chairman of the board and all board voting
members who belong to GM. i.e. start with some new blood that have a
vision to make good vehicles instead of a big paycheck next year. JMHO

Same goes for HP, Intel, Microsoft & Halliburton. But, with the inbreeding
that goes on at the top, it's just a wishful dream.

 

[James C. Reeves]

GM is expected to sell off other holdings too. Their best move would be to
sell off the CEO,CFO, chairman of the board and all board voting members
who belong to GM. i.e. start with some new blood that have a vision to
make good vehicles instead of a big paycheck next year. JMHO

GM makes some fairly decent vehicles. They just don't listen to their
customers worth a hoot though.

 

[John Horner]

Local paper reported several weeks ago this option's on the table, but
GM's still hashing over what to do w/ SAAB.

Toyota increasing it's stake in Subaru makes sense as they already have
a business relationship and their vehicle really do not compete very
much. Subaru has staked out a nice little niche with their boxer
engines and four wheel drive. The problem for GM is that nothing Subaru
does integrates well into a GM platform strategy. The marriage never
made sense.

Another factor is that GM and Toyota has a long relationship which
continues with the Nummi plant in California and it's building of the
Pontiac Vibe.

I'm sure GM would sell Saab and Ford would sell Jaguar IF there were any
buyers willing to put serious money on the table for those brands. But
who would?

Unfortunately Saab has become a don't care brand on the world stage. If
Saab closed up shop tomorrow the people directly involved would loose
financially and perhaps emotionally, but it would make ZERO difference
to the marketplace. The same is true for Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Jaguar,
Land Rover, Kia and others. Subaru has an interesting niche, but also in
the end is not a company of great consequence.

Ten years from now I predict that GM will have gone through at least one
pass at Chapter 11 bankrupcy and will be down to the Chevy and Cadillac
brand names. Ford is likely to follow the same path and in so doing
will finally wipe out the family control of the company as well as
skinnying down to the Ford and Volvo brands. Lincoln, Mercury, Jaguar,
Aston Martin and Land Rover have net negative remaining value.


John

 

[Hachiroku]

Toyota increasing it's stake in Subaru makes sense as they already have
a business relationship and their vehicle really do not compete very
much. Subaru has staked out a nice little niche with their boxer
engines and four wheel drive. The problem for GM is that nothing Subaru
does integrates well into a GM platform strategy. The marriage never
made sense.

Another factor is that GM and Toyota has a long relationship which
continues with the Nummi plant in California and it's building of the
Pontiac Vibe.

I'm sure GM would sell Saab and Ford would sell Jaguar IF there were any
buyers willing to put serious money on the table for those brands. But
who would?

Unfortunately Saab has become a don't care brand on the world stage. If
Saab closed up shop tomorrow the people directly involved would loose
financially and perhaps emotionally, but it would make ZERO difference
to the marketplace. The same is true for Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Jaguar,
Land Rover, Kia and others. Subaru has an interesting niche, but also in
the end is not a company of great consequence.

Tell that to the World Rally racers!!!

 

[Guest]

I just hope that Subaru gets Toyota RELIABILITY!!!!!!
It would be nice to go a coupla hundred thousand miles with very few
problems.

That would be something that Toyota could offer, GM couldn't!

 

[Guest]

Smallest car sold here with brand Subaru are GM Suzuki cars branded Subaru

Fake Subarus!
That wouldn't go anywhere here.

 

[Guest]

The downside is that both brands seem to design exterior bodywork on
matchbook covers. I love Toyota trucks, but I accept the fact that they
aren't the prettiest vehicles around.

IMO Toyota doesn't hire stylists.
The good news for me is I rate function ahead of style.
The bad news is I just looked at the Toyota Camry and it looks very dull
alongside my 10 yr old Chrysler Concord.

 

[Guest]

a high-output engine would be nice, but i don't think the problem is
that toyota doesn't know how to make high-output engines,

Toyota is changing.
See the new Avalon.

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

IMO Toyota doesn't hire stylists.
The good news for me is I rate function ahead of style.
The bad news is I just looked at the Toyota Camry and it looks very dull
alongside my 10 yr old Chrysler Concord.

Ya know, I agree with you. Their cars have a reputation for function and
reliability, but they seem to lag behind the other japanese co.s for
style by years! I guess the good side of that is they also don't make
styling blunders like Subaru does occasionally! lol!

Carl

 

[Grolsch]

In the 2005 Consumers Reports, Annual Auto Issue (April 2005, Page 16)
states:
"The Most reliable 2004 brand overall is now Subaru, which averages 8
problems per 100. Honda, long a reliablity leader, averaged 9 problems per
100."

Further, on page 17...

"Subaru showed significant improvement. This year, with 8 problems per 100
cars, it had the best reliability record of any 2004 make. It suffered last
year because of the poor showing of it's Baja truck."

IMO, the poor showing of the Baja truck was likely a blip. If you buy a
Japan build Subaru (ie Forester) your likely to have even better reliability
overall.

 

[Guest]

a high-output engine would be nice, but i don't think the problem is
that toyota doesn't know how to make high-output engines, i just think
they choose to optimize for longevitiy by detuning the engines a bit.

I'm with ya', but I'm thinking more of the "sportiness". Subie's H4's
LOVE R's, staying smooth as silk past the redlines of I4's and V6's[/QUOTE]
Subaru could learn a lot about engine design from Toyota, currently
Toyota is leading edge with variable valve timing. Their Avalon V6 gets
amazing fuel mileage from a very powrrfull engine.
As for the Subaru engine smoothness, I would expect that from a flat
horizontally opposed engine. My VWs were very smooth engines at high
revs for the day.

 

[Guest]

Perhaps if Toyota, Subaru and other Japanese automaker stop using their
design teams in California, they can produce much nicer looking cars.
Otherwise, they will be making those yucky styles like HHR, Pontiac
Aztek, shoe style PT Cruiser, flat face 300M, Honda element, etc.

You have a good point.
Some of the stylist in California just want to make a "different"
styling point.
However the Japanese stylists are not in my good book.
The current Subaru Outback and Forester look nicely styled to me.
The Tribeca, ugh, but what OK for the box it is.

 

[Guest]

GM is expected to sell off other holdings too. Their best move would
be to sell off the CEO,CFO, chairman of the board and all board voting
members who belong to GM. i.e. start with some new blood that have a
vision to make good vehicles instead of a big paycheck next year. JMHO

Right on. GM was once my favorite USA car company, but I haven't bought
a GM product since '71.

 

[Guest]

GM makes some fairly decent vehicles. They just don't listen to their
customers worth a hoot though.

None do, but GM has some terribly our of date technology out there.
My recent experience with the 80s transmission in the '05 Impalla really
surprised me. The criticism of GM selling outdated technology is valid
here.

 

[Jim Stewart]

You have a good point.
Some of the stylist in California just want to make a "different"
styling point.
However the Japanese stylists are not in my good book.
The current Subaru Outback and Forester look nicely styled to me.
The Tribeca, ugh, but what OK for the box it is.

A lot of it is very subjective. I like the
late-90's early-00's Outback. Nice, functional,
rounded but not too much.

I also am a big fan of the WRX sedan. Nice
low profile family car look with great performance.
No sense attracting more attention than necessary.

I can't stand the "hamstermobile" look.