What is Digg?90 Comments
- bitterg, on 10/12/2007, -1/+31Yeah, but the styling doesn't NEED to suck.
- hackntossh, on 08/27/2008, -6/+27It is a nice looking car. There is too much stigma in the US about the quality of American cars for it to sell like Buick would probably want. In China driving a Buick is a sign of status. In the US we go for BMW : Audi : Mercedes : Lexus : ect.
Wonder what the MSRP on it is? - 13B1303, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15that's the worst part, we're not buying em. The auto industry is tanking and they stiiiill keep pushing the same ole same ole out on the showroom floor.
- mfhughes, on 10/12/2007, -8/+22The "status" cars in China are BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes, and Audi. Just like everywhere ELSE in the world.
You think they don't buy German and Japanese luxury cars there?? wtf?? - Tunguska, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16That's an Australian made car, the Statesman, originally a Holden here, we've had it since last November.
http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/action/modeloverview?modelid=8000 - cliffzdude, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14"The "status" cars in China are BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes, and Audi. Just like everywhere ELSE in the world.
You think they don't buy German and Japanese luxury cars there?? wtf??"
Odd, but Buick is THE car to have in China right now. GM rocks there. Remember, a $20k GM is a big investment in China.
Sources:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12801549/
"In China, Buick bucks the trend"
"In China, Buicks mean status - The Boston Globe"
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/08/20/in_china_buicks_mean_status?mode=PF - Tunguska, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11WTF do you mean blatant ripoff?
The GTO IS the Monaro - Wolfie351, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Same thing goes for the Fords they build in Australia
- brucerchapman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8In Australia that car costs the equivalent of about US$58,000 with a 6.0 V8 Auto and all the good bits.
It's an Australian designed and built car, which is why it doesn't look anything like an American car. However, Americans will be getting the Pontiac G8, which is made on the same platform, but will come with a 6.0 litre V8 and 6sp manual. The first models will be built in Australia, then if sales take off, a US production line will be set up (according to the scuttlebut)
see http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070212/FREE/70212003/1024/autoshows for the G8
BTW you would get more Australian made cars in the USA (all the good Ford's and GM's) except the UAW gets very upset whenever the issue of importing Australian cars comes up. However, I'd say the main reason that the USA doesn't get this car is that the Australian production line couldn't keep up with the demand, given it supplies cars to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa the Middle East and China already, and the USA market would dwarf all those put together.
But Americans keep buying subpar cars *with extra chrome*, your unions go on strike every time a foreign assembled Ford or GM gets mentioned, and as a result you get stuck with the dregs dribbling off the lines in Michigan and clogging up dealers everywhere. A couple more years, maybe a chapter 11 for GM or Ford and they might wake up.
There hasn't been an American car made for 35 years that I would buy. - Sargasso_C, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Yes, I agree, the Aussie built Fords and GMs are phenominally good cars and are exporting very well, except to the US.
- insomuchas, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12Buick used to be status. then they started selling ***** cars. If the good cars come back the status comes back.
Right now Cadillac is the only decent GM car. - EndersGame, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6My friend who just turned 20 just bought a '87 Buick Grand National and no joke the thing is a beast. Its one of the baddest cars I have ever been in. If you know anything about cars you know what a Grand National is, age shouldn't matter.
- theblooms, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8@ guomen
"regardless, i have yet to see anyone under 70 with a buick"
Well, it's pretty ***** obvious you are under 30, and probably under 21. The Buick Grand National was THE Most Balls-To-The-Wall Righteous Mother-*****' car to ever roll out of Detroit. And they haven't made it for 20 years.
With it's V-6, it will STILL toast 95+% of cars you can buy today. It will STILL take out a regular Corvette, (which is why GM Corporate killed it in the first place! It absolutely crushed the contemporary GM flagship 'performance cars', the Corvette and the Camaro IROC-Z ). And even now, stock it will give a Z06 a run for it's money. With some minor mods, (external hop-ups, no head or cam removal) the Bad Ass Buick will take out said Z06. Port the heads, change the cam, and do some chassis work, and you just got yourself a street-legal 9 second car. FASTER THAN A BUGATTI VEYRON. I ***** you not.
Though a 2 door, by interior volume, most considered it a sedan, and stock, it is still one of the fastest sedans the world has ever seen. - JPDyno, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4completely different car, your trippin.
- Slovenian6474, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I do believe the Saturn Aura won North American Car of the Year at the North American International Auto Show.
- aussieNickuss, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Ford US really need to consider importing the Aussie FPV or Falcon lines...
http://www.fpv.com.au/index.aspx
http://www.ford.com.au/servlet/ContentServer?cid=1137385365703&pagename=Page&c=DFYPage - Ibox, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Well we keep buying the crap, they'll keep selling it to us. This happens in almost every thing sold in america.
- allaboutdatiki, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Gray market Buicks, anyone?
- Philodox, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Considering I find most of GM's card hideously ugly, that is a nice car. Maybe if American car makers could make more cars looking like that they wouldn't be taking it so hard.
- monkeyrun, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4meh, all car companies downgrade their car for the America market.
- ooMissioNoo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5this guy is PISSED, he really wanted that damn buick!
- Ransomowris, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Calm down, man.
- radio1mike, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3China does not have 'higher' emission standards than the US. Google it.
The only way they have higher standards, is how much more pollution can come out of their cars than in the US. - corvairkid, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@ slomo
Ford Falcon XR6 Ute = Ranchero
Holden Ute = El Camino
http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/action/modeloverview?modelid=15002 - MrKite, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Cars are overrated. Teleportation is way overdue.
- dirtyfratboy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6"The "status" cars in China are BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes, and Audi. Just like everywhere ELSE in the world."
He's right. I've been back many times and if you visit the larger cities (Beijing, Shanghai, etc.), you'll see tons of those "status" cars, including Buicks. Almost all of them in black too, so looking at traffic gets repetitive pretty damn quickly.
We used to own a Buick (here in the states), which I thought was a boring car considering 90% of the drivers are old, but apparently our family members back in China thought we were super well-off. Weird stuff. - Ibox, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Rumors are that Cummins is working on a V6 diesel for the F-150's... Heard it a year ago but don't know if it is true or not.
- argoff, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The US market is really bad for car makers and buyers:
First we patent the ***** out of everything, like ford that got sued for 200 million for an adjustable windshield wiper
Then we unionize the ***** out of everything - making quality and cost an impossible dream in the states.
Then we put in place massive tarrifs, ahh but you say there are no tarrifs, yeah - we don't impose them but they are "voluntary agreements" negotiated with the leaders of other countries.
Then we finance the ***** out of everything, a dealer actually gets more cash selling a car on credit and reselling the loan than he does if you pay for the car cash.
Then we regulate the ***** out of everything, not only do the regulatory costs make new entrants into the market impossible, but they also are designed to drive used cars out (and you thought smog regs were for the environment and safety checks were for safety)
Finally, we "planned obselence" everything. If they know that the average car user will open and close the door 50000 times in the first 5 years of car ownership, then they design it's joints with metal that wears apart after 60000 rubs.
Between all these you are guaranteed to be stuck with a piece of ***** car that falls apart just after the payemnts are paid off.
oh one more thing, all the makers consider the US a "high end" market. Meaning they target market expensive and disposable cars rather than cheap and reliable ones. - phairphair, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This car has nothing to do with American GM. Different engineers, component manufacturers, production lines, expense structure (i.e. no rediculously huge pension to pay into). Essentially the Buick name is a license.
- fabiolover2002, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3American car-makers need to get their heads out of their asses, and realize that people like nice looking cars that aren't covered in cheap Mach3 chrome bumpers and that bland black plastic.
- wassim2k, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Those in America that buy American cars don't like their cars to look good. They like their cars to look good to them only, which is usually something that looks ugly. There is no sophistication in the design, no ergonomics in the interior, and no sense of quality in ownership. They're fine with their flat dashboards, big flat seats, and puzzle-like assembly that loses its "like new" luster after a month.
- dimplemonkey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Maybe I need to make a WMD to get some pull around here!
- ghinch, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I've been traveling in China for about a month now, and before I got here I really didn't even know Buick still existed, as I rarely see them in the States. They're everywhere here. It's THE luxury car to have pretty much, like BMW or Mercedes (which you also see occasionally here, but Buick is much more common).
- pat7089, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Buicks sure sell well around here (in Florida). It seems like everyone over the age of 60 owns one. Either that, or a Mercury or Oldsmobile. There's one reason they're not selling well: they don't appeal to younger people, no matter who their spokesman is.
- Ibox, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2yes I love ford line up in Austrailia.
- corvairkid, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Not quite. The Lucerne is FWD. This is RWD.
I'd say that's a BIG difference. - misfit815, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'm shopping for a new car right now. I really liked how the Colorado/Canyon looked, but b) the engine choices are lousy and c) I can't get a quad cab with a stick shift. Instead, my current favorite is a Toyota Tacoma. Where was a), you might ask? Well, that's the V6/V8 turbo diesel that I wish somebody would offer in the American light truck market. It seems that we have a bazillion choices here, but nothing we really want.
- acherion, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4Can anyone say rebadged Holden Statesman/Caprice?
- MrVent, on 01/26/2008, -0/+0May they are becoming unnationalistic.... But still I do like German cars too.... When it comes to fuel efficiency, that is....
Buick Rendezvous Tornado Fuel Saver - http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/shop_parts/torna ... - tendonut, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4The first thing that came to my mind was that the Chinese (I can only assume) don't have this undying allegiance to American car manufacturers that Americans do, thus Buick actually has to make a good car for it to sell. Over here, you can sell a piece of ***** on an axle and slap a Ford or Chevrolet logo on it, and it will sell like hotcakes, because you are "helping the economy". I seem to be the only person here that buys the best quality car for the money. I am looking our for my own personal interests. I don't want a lemon like my last 3 American cars. I am happy with my Mazda3 and my mother is proud of her
Accord.
I also get a kick out of the fact that Toyota is the only real American car, since Chevy's are primarily Canadian and Fords are primarily Mexican.
(Yes, I see the irony that Mazda is owned by Ford, but it is 99% made in Japan - brucerchapman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0@AussieNickuss
It's true that Holden has laid off workers and closed down one shift for production, however, the G8 is seen as the fix to all that - but only for a short term. However, if the G8 becomes a hit in the US and they reinstate the shift to ramp up production, it still won't be enough to satisfy even moderate demand in the US. It would be great for Australian workers in the start, but if it goes very well (G8 sales) soon enough they won't come off Australian lines again and they'll be laying off workers again. It would actually better for the G8 to become a niche hit that a steady flow of buyers keeps buying, but not enough to open a US production line.
Ford is even worse - no export markets for the Falcon, probably no funding for a new model from Ford HQ after the next one gets released in '09. There is no LHD version, there are no exports - Ford AU is fast heading into a cul-de-sac. Despite all the rhetoric and weekend racing, Australian buyers are deserting the full-size Australian cars for either premium imports, 4wd's or economy cars. At least Holden has got export markets lined up all over the world - Ford has got nothing but hopes pinned on a revived local market. I wouldn't buy a Falcon or Commodore, and I can't think of a single friend of mine that would either. That's not to say that people won't keep buying them - there will always be a hardcore group of fans that will - but they are just not the default choice of families anymore. - CamperBob, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Calmer'n you.
- aussieNickuss, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2"Australian production line couldn't keep up with the demand"
If Holden and Ford keep laying off workers, of course there not going to be able to keep up. - zdiggler, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3People in .au wants Full Size Chevy/GMC Sierra's and Ford 150 Trucks. They wish GM and Ford will bring them over there!
They're sick and tired of their small tiny el camino looking trucks! - ctishman, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3"GM owns Holden, the Pontiac GTO is a blatant ripoff of the Holden Monaro coupe." -allaboutdatiki
Uh, the Pontiac GTO in the U.S. WAS the Holden Monaro coupe, rebadged. Not a ripoff, just a rename. - tazz1973, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0It is not a Buick Lucerne! They are 2 COMPLETELY different cars.
- HappyScrappy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3When you and 30,000 others are ready to spend US$58K (the price of this car in Australia) for a Buick, GM is surely ready to build one and sell it.
Buick is considered a premium marque (THE premium marque) in China, so they can support a Buick that is this expensive. In the US, there's no way. - Teamslayer76, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Hmm.. I'd love to see this car in the North American market.
- dennisbier, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2It seems China is becoming more "America" than the US itself...or maybe they are simply preparing to take over as world leader. Why do I say this?
Well, for one, China is already beating the USA in terms of key entertainment sectors http://weekendeconomist.blogspot.com/2007/02/31-entertainment-for-superpower.html (evey superpower needs entertainment)
China is becoming a major polluter very much on par with the US, but not getting equal heat for it http://weekendeconomist.blogspot.com/2007/01/24-cough-too-far.html
They are winning the trade battle with the US in the Middle East, viewed as a great alternative there http://weekendeconomist.blogspot.com/2007/01/22-new-silk-road.html
And, quite fankly, one of the main reasons for being so present in Africa is to train in the ways of a superpower without people watching too closely http://weekendeconomist.blogspot.com/2006/12/3-africa-chinas-training-ground.html - DaveyDeadite, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11970's Buicks FTW!
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