Mary Barra is not an idiot. Up till now, she has actually been a pretty good manager.....in some ways, clearly better than many of her predecessors. But we've seen that happen before...Alan Mulally, for example, at Ford. He also came in at first as quite a good manager, then started making mistakes.

 

This was not a mistake...GM has to make these cuts to survive. Nobody WANTS to make these cuts but they have to be made.

 

 

 

Very little..But you seem to be so well informed...Please continue to spew your extensive knowledge...

 

You (at least partly) answered your own question. We do, in fact, have some perception problems in this country, some of which are way outdated. The continuing negative view of a lot of people for Hyundais and Kias (and for some American-brand vehicles) proves it, despite the fact they those two companies have not built junk for some 20 years, and the fact, that, on average, there is little quality-difference now between most American and Asian/European brands. Even the brands at the bottom of the barrel (Jeep, Fiat, Dodge, Mitsubishi, Land-Rover, etc.....) are nothing like the lemons they once were. The Chinese public, in some ways, in today's climate, is actually more intelligent and perceptive than the Americans. That's because they make up their own minds when they buy a vehicle...at least, what their limited incomes allow for them. Here, a lot of us (and, by "us", I don't mean people like here on Car Chat that discuss vehicles every day and know vehicles inside and out), but people who either don't have the time, the desire, or the ability to do their homework, and simply let the news-media dictate to them. And the news-media, of course, is mostly interested in what will be click-bait and bring the most income for them, not necessarily presenting all the facts. Here, for example, Buick is continually derided as an Old Man's brand. The Chinese, in their intelligence, know better....and laugh at us.

 

 

So now we're blaming the news media for Buick maintaining its appeal to an older demographic as well as hiding the fact that the Chinese are laughing at us for not supporting the brand. I want to see some footage of Chinese shoppers at a Buick dealership laughing at us. Both a bit of a stretch. C'mon

 

You were so quick to jump to a conclusion and push your own view that you failed to see what I was saying...it depends on who is doing the perceiving, and what their sources are. The media, in this country, is tremendously powerful, and can skew the view of millions. Some people, though, still think for themselves.

 

Anybody can make a video.....videos prove little or nothing. Money talks. The Chinese talk (and laugh) with their wallets.....and you can see (with good reason) where those dollars are going. That is not perception, but reality. They buy Buicks because they know a nice product when they see it....even if those Buicks are not as reliable as a typical Lexus.

 

 

.......and their sedans are going to get a least some of the business that GM and Ford is going to lose. Right now, at least to an extent, I admire the Toyota and Honda leadership. They are smart enough to see the handwriting on the wall, and keeping their American-market sedans.....ditto for the Koreans. Just watch....they are going to be the winners here, not GM. And they're also not going to have Trump and Trudeau coming after them.

 

I still want proof of them doing their Buick laugh. These days (not like in years past) most Chinese consumers couldn't care less what we think about Buick in particular. They're being made there so their source is in tact. No worries for them.