Audi of America President: GM’s Volt as “a car for idiots"

Screw the altruism. I work hard for my dollars and when I have to give them up to buy something big, I want to make sure I'm getting maximum return or enjoyment. That's the way the capitalism is supposed to work. My last three big vehicles were all GM - Suburban, Escalade (made in Texas), Escalade (made in Mexico). Went back to get a third Escalade, however they had cheapened current model IMHO - too much plastic and fake wood inside. Instead, went for an Audi Q7 and while I was at it, traded in my older Audi A6 on a new Audi S5 Cab. Great cars and my dealer provides great service. German-made are relatively cheap right now, however that won't be the case if/when the Eurozone implodes. Lot of folks are focused on the Germans bailing out the PIIGS, however fact of the matter is that the PIIGS have neutralized what would have been a much stronger DM, which would have driven German manufacturing elsewhere.

My eldest son just started university and decided on Engineering. At first, he wanted to take Automotive Engineering, but I cautioned that he should only do that if he wanted to live out his career in Korea...
 
Paul,

My youngest daughter has an Audi A4, nice car and drives well, good gas mileage, although I won't trade for either of my Porsches. Tell your son to look into electrical enginnering (my field). With everything turning to electronics and wireless, plenty of need for new EEs everywhere. Canada has some good universities for EEs as well.
 
Thanks Mike. Son did settle on Electrical Engineering for his field.

Paul
 
skolbe said:
I own a BMW and a Mercedes - I have had a new Ford Focus as a rental car. For an entry level car it was nice. This one had leather, sunroof and nice wheels. Back in the day. I had a Taurus SHO - I loved that car. When I went to trade it in - people were bidding on it while I was trying to work a deal. Loved the SHO. Seems like the American Companies are trying. For some reason - I keeping eyeing a new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.
Click to expand...
Look very close at the Jeep before you pull the trigger. I am a jeep fan and have built a couple V-8 crawlers. I bought my wife a new 08 Rubicon and while the stereo system and road noise were greatly improved, the rest was a complete disappointment. The mini van v-6 has no power and drinks gas stock, much less add 35's programmer, intake and exhaust and she could actually get enough power to merge onto I-4 interstate! Sheet metal very thin and they even screwed up the plastic panels as the way they are designed, they scratch very easy and look terrible. Hope I don't offend anyone, but this is what we found. The plus side is they keep their value as I almost got back what I had in it.
 
BMW in-line 6, drive train and suspension, are un-matched. However, electrical/electronics are a disaster and have been. Fit and finish slipping as well of late and it looks like they are going to 4 cyl. turbo's to meet EPA - could be sad. All said, in a high speed thrill turn the car usually out-matches the driver's nerve. Audi seems in the hunt --- anyone have an input on handling? May be my next look. Tx
 
Thanks for sharing the Jeep experience.
 
I have had many cars... including 3 Chevettes (God I can't believe I admit that) over the years. I've now owned 12 Hondas... and they may not have all the bells and whistles (i.e. crap that will break) but I must say they are the best engineered cars around. I have a 20 year-old Del Sol in my shop completely disassembled at the moment and it's being restored to stock (it's about as "frame off" as you can do with a unibody... it's for my son... it'll be a $25K used car). I've owned a BMW (1999) convertible M thing... biggest piece of crap I ever owned... right up there with a Chevette. I now have a Dodge Ram truck with 70K miles and the dash fell apart... literally... there is no upper dash left as it all cracked and fell apart... not bad for a 2001.

My favorite car is my MB S500. The thing is built like a tank... and is fast.. looks new and is 10 years old. HOWEVER, it costs $3-5K/year in repairs and maintenance. Ridiculous. My wife's Honda Pilot? I just change the oil...
 
For all the Be American, Buy American strap this on. Thanks GE for using all our American money to invest in China.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904772304576467873321597208.html
Anyone so one dimensional to think that investing in any company, either by buying stock or products, will keep them producing in the US deserves to own a Volt..

The global economy is here. Thanks to our present government and union stance more companies will be jumping to other nations to do business. Forced health insurance taxes, and manufacturing regulations are killing business in the US. Foreign business can come to America, get a deal from the fed on taxes and labor and undercut any American company. Our own government sells us out.

http://washingtonindependent.com/22236/cars

You want to support the US then send people to Washington that will deregulate business and remove forced compliance to welfare programs hidden in the health care reform bill and allow them to reinvest in their business without undue tax burdens. Give our businesses the same incentives we give foreign business.

Just my opinion. Fire way you Be American, Buy American, Tax and Regulate American business into oblivion types.

Here a news flash. Folks in America love American cars because they're easy to get parts and service for.
Foreign car owners love their cars because they don't need a constant source for new parts and service.
Anyone see the irony here.
 
OldSkool said:
For all the Be American, Buy American strap this on. Thanks GE for using all our American money to invest in China.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904772304576467873321597208.html
Anyone so one dimensional to think that investing in any company, either by buying stock or products, will keep them producing in the US deserves to own a Volt..

The global economy is here. Thanks to our present government and union stance more companies will be jumping to other nations to do business. Forced health insurance taxes, and manufacturing regulations are killing business in the US. Foreign business can come to America, get a deal from the fed on taxes and labor and undercut any American company. Our own government sells us out.

http://washingtonindependent.com/22236/cars

You want to support the US then send people to Washington that will deregulate business and remove forced compliance to welfare programs hidden in the health care reform bill and allow them to reinvest in their business without undue tax burdens. Give our businesses the same incentives we give foreign business.

Just my opinion. Fire way you Be American, Buy American, Tax and Regulate American business into oblivion types.

Here a news flash. Folks in America love American cars because they're easy to get parts and service for.
Foreign car owners love their cars because they don't need a constant source for new parts and service.
Anyone see the irony here.
Click to expand...

There isn’t anything new here. I didn’t see that they were shipping any jobs over there other than a handful of executives. GE has been active world wide forever. As far as using American money to invest in China…come on…do you want some new laws that say all profits associated with a specific country must stay there? Chinas booming, big market for what this GE Division does, so they are going after some of it. Sounds American to me. GE is working to get a pc of action in all the developing countries, again, sounds American to me.
 
Good points Woody but my point is that they are using their assets to promote their best interests. They are using the Chinese to make more affordable products for whoever wants them. How is that different than buying foriegn made products in the US or American owned products made overseas? The fact is they are using poor folks in sweat shops to drive down the cost. Isn't that what everyones up in arms about?


You and I know it's not about sweat shops, it's about money exchange and getting the lowest price in manufacturing to stay competitive. Whether or not you Buy American or foreign will have no effect on global companies moving or not moving to better manufacturing climates. Volvo is spending 100m USD in Pa to produce products that will be used in the US built by US workers. The exchange rate make it more senseable to build here and sell here.
 
molding1 said:
BMW in-line 6, drive train and suspension, are un-matched. However, electrical/electronics are a disaster and have been. Fit and finish slipping as well of late and it looks like they are going to 4 cyl. turbo's to meet EPA - could be sad. All said, in a high speed thrill turn the car usually out-matches the driver's nerve. Audi seems in the hunt --- anyone have an input on handling? May be my next look. Tx
Click to expand...


Ray,

My daughter's A4 handles well and is pretty quick with the 1.8L turbo. I drove a new Ford (Focus I think) on a businees trip, very impressed with the handling. I believe Ford has the best engineered and made US vehicles, and the F150 truck IMO is the best truck overall. We have a 2005 F150 with 75K miles and it's been a good truck with little to complain about except milage. Ford has addressed this with the new direct fuel injection technology that Porsche developed in the RS Spyder and now available in the 911s and other styles.
 
dicor said:
I found this chart that identifies where cars sold in the US are made, I found it pretty interesting but not so surprising. http://www.howtobuyamerican.com/content/db/b-db-autos.shtml
Click to expand...

I further found it interesting that an entrepreneur is selling this this information and associated products (bumper stickers etc.) for the "Buy American Cause". Does that mean that American business is not leading the charge to "Buy American". Why not?

https://www.howtobuyamerican.com/store/index.php
 
This is the best explaination of why hybrids are totally over rated that I have seen to date!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=badoMjA_rW0

edit:

I am on my 2nd Audi. The first was a 2001 A6 with the 2.8. I sold it with 275,000 miles to my neighbor. It is still running with over 300k. My current is a 2006 A6 with the 3.2. It currently has 145k on it. Our next family vehicle with be a Q7 diesel when my wife's Grand Cherokee finishes dying its slow and painful death (at least she paid for the extended warranty for it).



 
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My first Audi was ordered from Germany. It was an 84 CS5000. I retired it after over 650,000 miles. Audi was notified and they recorded the mileage as legitimate. One repair...Changed out the water pump and the only reason I retired it was the heater core on the pax side started to leak inside the car and would have cost more to repair then the car was worth. Currently own a factory ordered 2001 A6 2.7T with about 130,000 miles. No repairs other than oil changes and filters... Will keep this one as long as possible. Still looks great and runs like a charm
 
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