10 Cars Detroit Should Copy

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/980/10-cars-detroit-should-copy/;_ylc=X3oDMTE4ODg3YnIzBF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEc2VjA2ZwLXRv ZGF5BHNsawNkZXRyb2l0LWNvcHk-

Discuss

Honda Fit - Ford Fiesta

Volkswagen Tiguan - Ford Escape

Infiniti EX - Cadillac SRX Lincoln MKX

Honda Insight - One of the big 3 defiantly needs a stand alone hybrid model. Ford has some great stuff but it doesn't get the press the stand alone models do.

Audi A4 - I'd pass of this WV rebadge :o How about an American BMW 3 series instead.

Mazda MX-5 - Solstice :death:

Volkswagen GTI - Cruze SS?

Hyundai Genesis - We had the Pontiac G8 :cry: When does the next Charger come out 2011MY?

Mazda 5 - Chevy Orlando concept would be a nice HHR replacement

Subaru Forester - Nice car but why on earth would I want this over a 2010 Equinox?

Car buffs don't love the Fit

Fixed.

This writer doesn't know what he is talking about. In most cases.

The Tiguan and EX are in a small crossover class which I find terrible. The HHR fits into that class, but I don't like it either. But, GM and Chrysler have vehicles there.

The Honda Fit is a good little car, but car guys will never want it. It is very practical little car. It wouldn't be bad for GM to have a car like this. Like the Aveo 5 but better.

Ford's new Fusion I think is better than the Insight. I guess if we want to lower costs, Ford can make a no frills Focus that looks like a bubble and put a hybrid power train in it. GM's hybrid will cost much more upfront.

I think the A4 will have plenty of competition with the new Buick Regal, and it undercuts it on price. The Buick LaCrosse is a much bigger car, that dollar for dollar will have much more features (and looks better).

VW GTI, gets run over by a Cobalt SS, but not when it comes to the interior. So GM should copy this car... mmmmk. Cruze SS should take it down. If the new Focus comes over with the high HP model, it will kill this thing.

Is the Hyundai Genesis a success now? Sure, it is a great car, but are people buying it? I wouldn't want a Chevy or Ford sedan that starts out a $32k. I do think they could make a Buick like this, but why should Detroit copy a car that might not sell in the numbers that were first thought to be selling in.

The Mazda 5 will have competition soon. Cars like this exist in Europe today and will be brought over. Funny how Detriot should copy this car when there is only ONE manufacture selling it today in the US.

The MX-5 has competition, but not for long. If the solstice/sky had a better trunk, it would have killed this car. This car lost it sales lead to GM with the solstice and sky. And how many brands are offering 2 seat roadsters. It is a very short list. Why should this be copied?

The Forester should not be copied. No no no no no. People who want a quirky station wagon like this will go get a Forester. The new Equinox is just fine.

There should be a list of 10 "American" the "Foreign" makers should look at.

Camaro...
Mustang...
CTS...
CTS/V...
etc...

discuss...

Audi A4 - I'd pass of this WV rebadge :o How about an American BMW 3 series instead.
The A4 isn't even remotely close to a VW rebadge. In fact the only models the A4 shares its platform with are other Audis (the A5 and Q5)... same with almost all other parts used on the car.

Not to be an ass here, but I can only hope the gloomy statements you make about the economy are as poorly backed/researched as some of the 'facts' I see you stating about cars and computers. In the case of cars and computers I know enough to see where you're pulling stuff out of your butt. With the economy I don't know enough to know if you reallly know what you're talking about.

Hyundai Genesis - We had the Pontiac G8 :cry: When does the next Charger come out 2011MY?
You've obviously never driven or ridden in a Genesis sedan and/or a G8. The driving experiences are nothing even remotely close to each other, for better for worse. Same with the charger

I think there actually are a couple of foreign cars that Detroit should copy, but none of them are on that list.

3 Series (both coupe and sedan)
Impreza (including WRX)
European Focus (maybe this doesn't count, but just bring it here already for crying out loud)
A mid-engined sports car (we briefly had the Ford GT, but that's it)
A four-seat luxury grand touring coupe, preferably with a convertible variant (CTS coupe might fit the bill; something like a Jag XF)

When I say copy, I don't mean they should make a lookalike. I mean they should make a similarly sized and priced car with an equivalent drivetrain.

There should be a list of 10 "American" the "Foreign" makers should look at.

Camaro...
Mustang...
CTS...
CTS/V...
etc...

Camaro & Mustang: Genesis coupe, 135i
CTS: 5-series, E-class
CTS-V: M5, E63 AMG

Personnally,

I don't feel GM needs to be copying off of anybody. If anything, they need to focus on developing new and innovative projects of their own.

I think Detroit has plenty of good products. The writer of this article probably has very little seat time in them, and lacks confidence in our domestic auto manufacturers. That in itself is a major problem for FOMOCO, GM, and Chrysler. The American people simply don't believe in them anymore. And don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying that isn't their fault.

I for one would take a Cobalt SS over a GTI any day of the week, I don't care if the damn thing has HID's.

I think there actually are a couple of foreign cars that Detroit should copy, but none of them are on that list.

3 Series (both coupe and sedan)


They've already copied that one. It's called the Pontiac G8 GT.

Volkswagen GTI ($23,230): It's not just a muscle car, it's a poor man's race car, with taut handling, amped-up brakes, and a sizzling 200-horsepower, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine that might provide more thrill per dollar than any other car on the road. Detroit muscle cars tend to be all about the engine, which is unfortunate, since big V-8s are falling out of favor. The Chevy Cobalt SS is a GTI imitator, but it's based on a middling economy car and isn't nearly as refined. Keep trying.



This writer doesn't know what he is talking about. In most cases.
Yep, I'd have to agree

Screw the brands and models of the cars "Detroit needs to copy."

Why aren't they murdering the competition on those lists?

The Cobalt SS is a motor in a shopping cart.

The G8 is a rental car with a V8. 3 Series? 5 Series? Hahahaa...G6 on steroids.

The HHR is a blown up Cobalt. I don't see AWD or any offroad capability like the Tiguan has (not that it has much)--or even an automatic with more than 4 speeds.

Don't get me wrong...I like some of GM's cars in their own light. But it baffles me why GM can't put out a car that absolutely floors people in terms of quality, design, materials. They've got engines down to a science. Now, build the rest of Rome........

The Cobalt SS is a motor in a shopping cart.


That beats the GTI on the 'ring:o

The G8 is a rental car with a V8.

:no::shame: Where are you renting cars? Vegas strip?

The A4 isn't even remotely close to a VW rebadge. In fact the only models the A4 shares its platform with are other Audis (the A5 and Q5)... same with almost all other parts used on the car.

Not to be an ass here, but I can only hope the gloomy statements you make about the economy are as poorly backed/researched as some of the 'facts' I see you stating about cars and computers. In the case of cars and computers I know enough to see where you're pulling stuff out of your butt. With the economy I don't know enough to know if you reallly know what you're talking about.

I'm not a big Audi/WV fan/follower but they used to share platforms, so I assumed they always would http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Group_B_platform.

Looks like the A4 and Passat still share a lot (GMT355 vs. GMT345?) and based on very similar styling, most Audi's look like rebadged VW and a lot of people assume they are, even if the guts are different.

Looks like criticizing Audi touched a nerve with you :lol: I don't follow some brands as much as others, I'm mostly a Ford/GM and anything RWD kind of guy. I don't really pay much attention to foreign FWD bias cars.

:no::shame: Where are you renting cars? Vegas strip?

I'm baffled as well, I thought the G8 was well executed inside and out?

I'm not a big Audi/WV fan/follower but they used to share platforms, so I assumed they always would http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Group_B_platform.

Looks like the A4 and Passat still share a lot (GMT355 vs. GMT345?) and based on very similar styling, most Audi's look like rebadged VW and a lot of people assume they are, even if the guts are different.

That last time they rode on a similar platform was the 2002 model year. Since then their platforms have gone off in very different directions.
And they share virtually nothing today. I also can't begin to see where you find their styling to be similar.

Looks like criticizing Audi touched a nerve with you :lol:
I'm most definitely not an Audi fanboy, so that's not it. I already said what touched a nerve with me.

I don't follow some brands as much as others, I'm mostly a Ford/GM and anything RWD kind of guy. I don't really pay much attention to foreign FWD bias cars.
The Genesis sedan is RWD. If anything from GM is going to compete with the Genesis anytime soon it's going to be the LaCrosse, not the G8. I know the drive wheels are opposite, but to 98% of the buying public that doesn't matter when it comes to cars like those.

A mid-engined sports car (we briefly had the Ford GT, but that's it)

They never seem to do well in the arena of the average guy with the exception of the Boxster.

The list could also be called "Top Ten Cars I Wouldn't Be Cought Dead In."

:no:

That last time they rode on a similar platform was the 2002 model year. Since then their platforms have gone off in very different directions.
And they share virtually nothing today. I also can't begin to see where you find their styling to be similar.

Jelly bean styling :shrug:

http://image.automobilemag.com/f/new_and_future_cars/2008/8032723/0712_03_z%2B2009_audi_a4%2Bside_view.jpg
http://images.motortrend.com/autoshows/coverage/112_05gen_passat05_z.jpg


The Genesis sedan is RWD. If anything from GM is going to compete with the Genesis anytime soon it's going to be the LaCrosse, not the G8. I know the drive wheels are opposite, but to 98% of the buying public that doesn't matter when it comes to cars like those.

I've yet to sit in a Genesis. I've read a lot of positive things about the car, but it just seems like a different type of buyer than the traditional near/mid luxury buyer. I see a lot of Buick Lacrosse - Lexus ES cross shopping, but I just don't see someone test driving a Lexus and then saying "lets go see what Hyundia has".

Then again in a recent CNN.com article about cars, a guy didn't like the options on a Fusion Hybrid so he bought a Honda Pilot. Go figure, maybe I just don't get how people shop :irk:


I'm most definitely not an Audi fanboy, so that's not it. I already said what touched a nerve with me.

Lack of VW knowledge? :o

And I read a lot about car, just imagine what the average joe on the street thinks about VW and Audi.

A nice interior wrapped in a bland exterior is not what the American car companies need. A4 is a nice car, but not something I'd consider a home run that American companies must copy.

They never seem to do well in the arena of the average guy with the exception of the Boxster.

You guys have overlooked the Fiero, it sold 370,000 units in only 5 years.

You guys have overlooked the Fiero, it sold 370,000 units in only 5 years.

I didn't forget about it, the Fiero like the MR2 and the X1/9 as well as cars like the NSX and Pantera just didn't stand the test of time like say Corvette or 911. Out of the ME bunch IIRC MR2 lasted the longest from 1985 to 2007.

--->edit<---
Hmmmm... given that, I wonder how long Boxster/Cayman will last? For whatever reason ME cars for the average guy just doesn't seem to have any long term appeal.

The fact of the matter is...GM could sell a hybrid powered solid block of gold encrusted with diamonds, and 50% of the buying public would still not set foot in a GM dealer...and this was before the bankruptcy.

GM is not hopeless...I mean companies like Walmart and McDonald's have overcome a negative image. The difference of course is that they are will capitalized, and did not head 30 years in the wrong direction.