|
Browse by Tags
All Tags » Car Buying » Chevrolet » GM ( RSS)
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , Chevrolet , GM , GMC , Pontiac It's not that General Motors doesn't want its dealer body to shift certified pre-owned Impalas, G6s, Silverados, or Sierras. GM rolled out a program to help make the used cars attractive by offering 60 month loans with a 3.9 percent interest rate between October 1st and January 5th, thus helping dealers close deals on higher-margin inventory. Just a month in, however, GM is folding up its incentive tent and going home, leaving dealers holding the bag on lots full of cars they'd bought in anticipation of selling as part of the program. GM's reason for killing the incentive program on November 3rd is a lack of credit, though the automaker plans to introduce a new certified pre-owned incentive on November 4th. In the meantime, you can likely get a lightly used example of the featured cars for a very attractive price. [Source: Auto News - sub req] GM pulls out early of used-car incentive, dealers not happy originally appeared...
|
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , Coupes , Chevrolet , GM Click above for high-res gallery of the 2010 Chevy Camaro The highly anticipated 2010 Chevy Camaro is now only a few months from hitting the showroom floor, and we're just getting the final scoop on standard and optional content that will be available for all five Camaro variants. Customers wanting to order a Camaro can choose from LS, 1LT, 2LT, 1SS and 2SS models, and standard and optional equipment varies greatly between each package. The base model LS comes equipped with OnStar, 18-inch rims, and a 300-hp V6 engine, and the only optional item is floor mats. The 1LT package includes optional 19-inch rims, a Boston Acoustics sound system and a sunroof. The 2LT gets standard 19s, the sound system, leather seats, ambient lighting and Bluetooth and USB connections. If you want your Camaro to include a 422-hp V8, you'll need to step up to the SS . The 1SS package includes standard 20-inch rims, four-piston Brembo brakes, a limited-slip...
|
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , Chevrolet , GM Bill Heard Chevrolet, which had been the largest Chevy dealer in the world by volume, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week after closing down all of its 13 stores last week, and the tale of financial ruin is surprisingly bad. The dealer conglomerate owes $229 million to GMAC financing, BMW financing, and JP Morgan Chase, but with the Chapter 11 filing, much of the money owed will likely never see the light of day. Bill Heard Chevrolet was the self-proclaimed "Mr. Big Volume" car shopping superstore that pushed Motown metal out its showroom doors even for customers with bad credit. The Georgia-based dealer seems to have had as many enemies as it had vehicle sales, and the state of Georgia just last month accused it of misleading business practices and forging signatures. The over 2,000 employees at the 14 dealerships are also considering a class action wrongful termination lawsuit that stems from the abrupt conclusion of...
|
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , Chevrolet Bill Heard Enterprises sells more Chevy cars and trucks than any dealer in the world, but that distinction isn't enough to keep the doors open at the dealer's 13 stores. The soft economy, fuel prices and an over-reliance on the sales of trucks and SUVs were the reasons stated for the demise of these Chevy superstores. Another possible reason for the mass closure could have something to do with a pending suit against Bill Heard Enterprises involving signature forgery and deceptive marketing that could result in up to $50 million in fines. 2,700 people worked at the stores, and now all of those workers are out of a job. The dealer consortium didn't give workers any notice, either. Managers were told yesterday at 2PM that the stores were closing, and the doors are locked today. Customers with vehicles in the service area were told to pick up their cars, fixed or not, and customers arriving to pick up their new cars were given back their trade...
|
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Chevrolet , GM Click above for gallery of the 2011 Chevy Volt in more colors Reaction to the production 2011 Chevy Volt and its aerodynamic design appears to be split, with the majority of folks favoring the more macho flanks of the Volt Concept. But the production Volt's shape is a concession to function, being as aerodynamic as possible to improve the efficacy of the car's regenerative braking system. While the shape of the car isn't going to change, you will be able to order your Volt in colors other than Baby Blue hue it's wearing in the leaked images from yesterday. Autoblog reader Jesse Shipe was kind enough to photoshop some quick color changes on the Volt, and we've decide to take ours in black. Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt - colors Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , Buick , Cadillac , Chevrolet , GM , HUMMER , Pontiac , Saab , Saturn Wow, there are some great deals to be had at the moment from General Motors. Not the least of which is on the Corvette, specifically the Z06 model, which we've had nothing but good things to say about, even at its $72K asking price. Now that GM is offering all of its models at employee prices, that cost drops by about ten grand! A Z06 for $62,653? Yes please... if only our meager blogging budgets would allow it. Similarly, a Caddy XLR-V can be had for $84,771.80 -- about a $15,000 discount. Need an SUV? May we suggest a Hummer H3 for about $23K? Those in the market for a luxury sedan could certainly do worse than a Cadillac STS-V for $66,640.88 after some $14K in savings. Of course, practical shoppers can take five-grand off their Saturn Aura XR sedan and end up paying just $21,634.28 for the privilege. We're having way too much fun with this and there is plenty of other news we need to...
|
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , Marketing/Advertising , Buick , Cadillac , Chevrolet , GM , GMC , HUMMER , Saab , Saturn It is no secret that the automotive industry is hurting for sales to close out 2008. Over the past few months incentives have been thrown out left and right to draw in more buyers. The deals have not done enough to bring folks into the showroom, though. With all the media talk of bleeding Detroit, consumers know that the domestic manufacturers have been holding out on their best offers. Perhaps the memory of 2005's employee pricing incentives has kept many waiting on the fence. With 2009 models heading to dealerships as we speak, General Motors is hoping to end the stalemate. It will be testing the waters of employee pricing yet again beginning Wednesday, August 20th and running through September 2nd. The employee discount program will apply across all 8 GM brands. Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealers will mark down 91 percent of their inventory on all 2008 models, along with...
|
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , Crossovers/CUVs , Chevrolet , GM Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Chevy Traverse The fourth addition to General Motors' lineup of Lambda CUVs, the 2009 Chevy Traverse, has officially been priced from $28,990, which includes a $735 destination charge. As with most Chevy models, the Traverse can be had in LS, LT and LTZ models. It will be the first and only Lambda CUV to be equipped with the direct-inject version of GM's 3.6L V6, which must irritate Buick Enclave owners who have paid a lot more for their Lambda sans DI, that will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The 3.6L DI V6 produces 288 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque in the Traverse, and can power the front wheels or all four in AWD models. The Traverse can also carry eight people if you opt for the second-row bench, though we imagine those several passengers stuffed in the way back will not be your friends anymore upon arrival. Unfortunately, Chevy has not released...
|
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , Buick , Cadillac , Chevrolet , GM , GMC , Pontiac , Saturn During a dealer teleconference today, General Motors announced it would be launching a zero-percent financing sale beginning tomorrow, while simultaneously raising the prices of its 2009 vehicles. The "72-hour sale" will run from June 24th through the 30th, and will offer customers 0-percent interest rates for 72 months on most Chevys, Buicks, Pontiacs and GMC vehicles. So far, there's no word on whether the offer will extend to Cadillac and Saturn. GM will also offer $500 in "bonus cash" to buyers who opt to purchase GM products outright rather than leasing them. At the same time, the General is going to be raising the prices of 2009 models by an average of 3.5-percent "across the board," something that was bound to happen, according to Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president of vehicles sales, service and marketing. On the production front, GM will be adding a third shift...
|
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Green , Chevrolet , GM Bob Lutz revealed to the Seattle Times that the price point for his company's Chevy Volt series hybrid electric vehicle will be $40,000, or around $10,000 more than originally estimated. Lutz also told the paper that the first-generation of the Volt would generate no profit for General Motors. There's still hope for buyers who were hoping to snag a Volt closer to $30,000, as potential tax incentives on state and federal levels could trim the price substantially. Congress is currently considering proposed legislation for plug-in hybrid tax credits on the order of around $7,000. Still, there's no telling what demand there will be for the Volt, and if it's higher than the supply, we could see markups on GM's high-tech hybrid from dealers who are trying to survive this transition from a market dominated by profitable trucks and SUVs to smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles. According to Lutz...
|
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , Coupes , Supercars , Chevrolet , GM Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Corvette ZR1 General Motors and Chevrolet have just released all their official numbers for the 2009 Corvette ZR1 and... hold on to your butts... its base MSRP (including destination charges) will be $103,300. Add to that a $1,700 Gas guzzler tax, $2,000 for chrome wheels and another $10,000 for the only Option package available that adds upgraded seats, side air bags, Bose audio, a nav system, Bluetooth, power tilt/telescoping steering wheel and leather-wrapped interior, and you're looking at a grand total of $117,000. We believe that may make the Corvette ZR1 the most expensive product ever offered by GM, but consider what you get. The ZR1 is a 638-hp supercar that can reach 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, run the quarter mile in 11.3 seconds at 131 mph (!) and top out at 205 mph, all while returning 14 mpg city and 20 mpg highway. Unfortunately, Chevy didn't hit its target of having...
|
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , Trends , Hybrids/Alternative , SUVs , Trucks/Pickups , Green , Chevrolet , GM , GMC , Earnings/Financials click above image for a high-res gallery of the Chevy Tahoe 2-mode Hybrid We've been waiting for General Motors to step up to the plate with its own incentives now that Ford has offered employee pricing on its F-Series trucks and Dodge has offered $2.99 fuel to go along with its various incentives for the Ram. It seems that GM has finally anted up and increased the incentives for the Silverado, Avalanche and Sierra trucks, along with the Tahoe, Yukon, Escalade and Suburban. The pickups all get $2,000 in customer cash to go along with an extra $3,000 if you already own a GM product for a total of $5,000 total off the sticker price. Those shopping for an SUV will even get an extra grand. In what may be an even larger sign of the times, for the first time ever GM's hybrid Tahoe and Yukon get $4,000 off, but only if you already own a product from the General...
|
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , Buick , Cadillac , Chevrolet , GM , GMC , Pontiac , Saab We don't normally cover every little change an automaker makes to its lineup as the model year clicks over, but General Motors has some significant features its adding for 2009 that shouldn't fall through the cracks. For one, Bluetooth will finally become on nearly all of GM's cars and trucks. For the longest time, only the Cadillac STS was available with Bluetooth phone integration, which ends with MY2009. Second, the six-speed automatic transmission that before was not widely available in the General's half-ton trucks and SUVs has spread like wildfire across the GMT900 lineup and will now be standard or optional in such vehicles as the Avalanche, Silverado and Sierra 1500, Suburban, Yukon and Yukon XL. Curiously, though, it's still not available on the Tahoe. Other items of note include a new 6-speed automatic for the Pontiac G6 to replace its underwhelming 4-speed, the replacement of...
|
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , Marketing/Advertising , Chevrolet , GM , UK Click above for a high-res gallery of Chevy's "fitting rooms" In what has to be the most ridiculous or utterly ingenious marketing ploy to date, Chevrolet has set up a drive-in fitting room outside a London dealership to allow consumers to "try on" their car before they buy. According to GM's research and marketing hacks, three out of four consumers consider their car to be a status symbol, despite 95-percent of people having no idea what they look like inside their car. As strange and admittedly vain as this campaign is, we can't help but think that it isn't an entirely bad idea. However, we doubt that it's going to make the trek across the pond and redefine our dealership experience. GM's full press release is available after the jump. Gallery: Chevrolet Drive-In Fitting Room Continue reading Chevy caters to insecurity, trials drive-in fitting room Permalink | Email this ...
|
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , Sedans/Saloons , Chevrolet , GM The 2008 Chevy Malibu has snatched up awards and media accolades, and JD Power data shows that customers are paying Chevy dealers handsomely to own one. The average transaction price of a Chevy Malibu is $22,358 -- $5,000 higher than the inherently uncool last-gen 'Bu. Twenty-one percent of buyers are also opting for the top-of-the-line LTZ vs. only 5% for the outgoing model. The news isn't all rosy, however, as most of these customers are trading in other GM products to get themselves into the North American Car of the Year. Only 1.4% of buyers traded in a Toyota Camry, 1.3% swapped a Nissan Altima, and less than 1% turned in a Honda Accord. Those aren't exactly the kind of numbers GM will want to brag about, but at least the General is pulling in the equivalent of two Tata Nanos more per car than the last generation model did. [Source: Detroit News ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
More Posts Next page »
|
|
|