Does GM make decent cars nowadays?

[robkelk]

I'm currently driving a seven-year-old Mazda, and on the whole I'm still happy with it. But we have nearly $10,000 worth of credit for a GM vehicle, that's going to expire at the end of this calendar year because the credit-card points plan is going away.

How good, bad, or otherwise are GM vehicles nowadays? Will I be happy, unhappy, or nonplussed if I was to switch to a new one in the next month or two? If it makes a difference, I don't want a truck or a big car, just something to drive to and from work daily and on road trips once or twice a year.

[Dartz]

As in, they'll loan you ten grand to buy one?

They certainly don't make 'bad' cars. The days of the 'bad' car are long since past. But at the same time, I've always seen GM cars and US cars in general as being very 'guilded'. They're all about giving the impression of a premium experience, while being built down to a price in the places you can't really see. They are heavily value engineered. I couldn't recommend a particular model since the NA range is different from ours.

But, the Germans have gotten so much worse for that lately it's not even funny. German cars are very much warranty engineered. They have plastic bits in the stupidest places - where they'll just disintegrate and fall into the engine.

We don't get that much from GM. Chevrolet are Korean rebages, but some people like Opels. You might have them under a different name.

If you've no real reasons to change, I wouldn't. If the Mazda's threatening to expire, then maybe. But I've got a 12yo Mazda still humming along at 146k+ and, while it's showing its age at this point, it's still reliable. Mazda's run well, even if they do rust.

[robkelk]

As in, they'll loan you ten grand to buy one?

More like "give me ten grand to buy one, as long as I spend at least ten grand too." And I have the ten grand.

They certainly don't make 'bad' cars. The days of the 'bad' car are long since past. But at the same time, I've always seen GM cars and US cars in general as being very 'guilded'. They're all about giving the impression of a premium experience, while being built down to a price in the places you can't really see. They are heavily value engineered. I couldn't recommend a particular model since the NA range is different from ours.

Hmmmmm... There was a time when our family wouldn't buy anything that wasn't a Ford. But that time's long gone now.

If you've no real reasons to change, I wouldn't. If the Mazda's threatening to expire, then maybe. But I've got a 12yo Mazda still humming along at 146k+ and, while it's showing its age at this point, it's still reliable. Mazda's run well, even if they do rust.

The only non-cosmetic thing wrong with the Mazda is that the air conditioning doesn't work. I've put 98k on her in those seven years, and I'm the only owner... I think I'm talking myself out of buying a new car here, which wasn't what I started this thread to do. I need more data.

[Black Aeronaut]

Look at it this way, Rob - the car you buy with that credit will depreciate a lot more slowly than that $10,000 credit at this point.

[Dartz]

And now I suddenly have the idea of buring a 20k car, flipping it for 15 and walking away with 5 in profit because that 10k is free....

Theres porobably a Tand C against something clever like that.

[robkelk]

Probably, yes - I haven't read the fine print yet.

Besides, the standard procedure for buying a new car around here involves trading in the old car.