One other thing. Where is my center arm rest!!!
You just expect me to hold my arm up while I am driving???
I sat in an HHR way back at the auto show and it didn't have them either.
It's beyond akward trying to figure out what to do with your arm.
So unless I am missing something add arm rest to the list of standard features.

 

Both hands should be on the wheel.

 

I agree with you on cruise. I think that should be standard, but that's just me. The problem is its still $5 in cost that GM can make $245 in profit on. Profit that GM REALLY needs right now. A lot of people still don't use cruise and still don't want it. You do and that's great - but you're not the whole market here.

The $125 unit you bought on ebay likely isn't reliable enough for GM to put in the dash (I'm not kidding, I've seen reliability testing for OEM stereos). Even if it carries a warranty, most people will not use it or will loose the warranty card and the company that made it knows it. The warranty it has (if it has one) is likely less than that of what GM puts on the units in their vehicles. GM needs to cover warranty with their unit that also includes the cost to replace it. Beyond that, GM needs to actually make a PROFIT on it.

You want to include a better stock stereo, but many of the people buying a car in this segment (Aveo) can't easily afford another $300 or $400 tacked on. You've made a car more desireable to you - which is great - but we're enthusiasts on an enthusiast site. Most people don't care about a spoiler. Many people don't even care about alloy wheels. Only the few care about a better sound system. Cruise, again, is something that most people don't care about either - but pulls in a decent profit.

And now you're increasing the price by $200 to sell things just at cost - where half the people don't care or don't want that extra $200 stuck on there. Then the other people that DO care could have been charged $400 or more for those options, meaning GM has to justify the extra $200 to some customers while missing $200 in profits to the others. And then GM goes chapter 7.

People here saying that pennies are getting shaved are not stretching the truth. Sticking on a $5 standard option like cruise is $245 in lost profit.

And again, GM needs a profit margin to pay back the billions in debt.

 

Your only going to be doing this on your entry level cars in the hopes you get the younger generation hooked and then in the future they become brand loyal and move up to chevy and then caddilac.
The $245 now is nice, but we need to think long run not to get ourselves in trouble again.

But again this only applies to your entry cars.
You don't go to a caddy dealer and check a box for cruise, it's a given and the price is already inflated $245(probably more) and that's fine. You can't look at this as losing money on cruise across every model. You're only losing it across your base models and only then to gain market share and loyalty for the future.

 

Why in God's name does the Aveo RS not have the LNF? Maybe they're saving that for an SS model....

 

I think this was covered in another thread but the LNF is a different block (larger) than the family 0 Ecotecs (the 1.4) and may not fit.

 

I don't think it fits.

 

Ooops, you beat me to it....

 

I agree that more power would be nice...however I just looked up some details of the following models:

The 2009 Honda Fit has a 1.5L SOHC engine that puts out 117hp and 106lb-ft. Offers a 5 speed manual and 5 speed auto. 28/35mpg for the auto, 27/33mpg for the manual.


The 2008(?) Fiat 500 Abarth has a 1.4L turbo engine, 133hp and 130ft-lbs, apparently it has a 'sport mode' that'll up the output to 158hp and 152ft-lbs. Estimated 44mpg on the European combined cycle. I know the test cycle is different than the fuel economy test cycles that the US uses...and I think this result may use the Euro version of the gallon, which is larger than the US gallon.

2011 Ford Fiesta has a 1.6L with a 5 speed manual or 6 speed auto. 119 hp and 109 ft-lb. Projected to get 40mpg highway.


2009 Scion xD has a 1.8L good for 128 hp and 125 ft-lb. 5 speed manual for 4 speed auto. 27/33 mpg for the manual, 26/32 for the auto.

Looking over all these (I don't know if any of the powertrains have been updated...)the Aveo's output seems pretty good. Second only to the Fiat in 'sport mode'...which I didn't care to research further, there was just a blurb about it on wikipedia. And as someone said earlier, if they can manage 40mpg highway with this engine in a Cruze, you could probably do a bit more in the Aveo. It's cool that the Aveo offers both 6 speed manuals and autos, looks like everyone else has 5 speed manuals.

 

We've got some Impala 9C1s and they don't have a tach or gauges. Just a 140 mph certified speedo, fuel and temp. That was one of my big complaints when we demoed of that generation Impala. Of course all of that changed with the '06 redesign the Impala 9c1 got a tach.

 

not to bump and old thread but I just spent less then 25 seconds in an exclade. And yes in those 25 seconds I notice the following and thought of this thread.
Now I could have missed it and it could be something integrated with the LCD screen, but this is what I saw on a 60K SUV.
The same lack of volt meter and oil pressure gauge that's on my cheap impala.
I think the cost/profit argument went out the window.

 

Why is the CEL on?

 

Thats pretty much industry wide nowadays . Theres just not many cars left that offer a full set of analog gauges . ost people could care less about the volts or the oil pressure , so at a huge cost savings ...their programmed into the info center as viewable info , or info that only displays a message when a problem happens .

 

Because the ignition is on and the engine isn't running.

 

Nobody that buys a new "exclade" cares if it has those gauges.

I don't see a big deal not having a tach if it's an automatic....