I think one could argue that the name change hasn't hurt the Lucerne, and in fact helped it. Perhaps because it was a redesign worthy of a new name, while the Lacrosse wasn't.

 

Right..but think of it...you ask a few people what do you drive..

ohh I drive an Acura MDX..
me?...I drive a Lincoln Aviator
well I drive a 300C
I drive a buick Lacrosse..

a what?? lacrosse?? what the heck is a lacrosse?? Isnt that a sport??

Ohh Pontiac is dropping the Vibe name and renaming it the Ping Pong..

 

Honestly, I don't think LaCrosse is bad looking from the profile, or the back... the front just has always had that mid-90's Taurus look.

If that gets fixed, and it may, it might do a lot better.

 

Agreed.

An EPII FWD high content sedan will do well for Buick. They need a smaller car than Lucerne, I know that most dealers will carry B/P/GMC but still the G6 can't compete with the Lexus ES. Buick needs more than 1 sedan it can't survive on 1 car and 1 truck. It would die a rather quick death at that rate.

 

You are right the LeSabre name should have been kept. Lutz was dead wrong in changing all these names. Buick in 2005 was rated like the 3rd highest brand in initial quality on JD Powers survey in large part to awards won by LeSabre and Century. With them gone, Buick in 2006 dropped to like 21st place. This one goes under the saying, if its not broke, dont fix it. Wasnt having the best initial quality of ANY GM brand good enough? Then on top of that look at all the extra money wasted on advertising new names. This meant less capital available for even more new products. This is the problem when one person has too much power and should instead be more focused on listening to what his customers want.

With baby boomers aging, Buicks potential customer base will greatly expand in the next 20 years. They want names they are familar with. Many of their customers are very loyal to one specific model. Eliminating that model may alienate them. Isnt the goal to expand your market share?

 

When he was at Ford and Chrysler and now at GM, Lutz has always loved to change names. Automotive News said that he may change the name of the Impala when/if it goes to the Zeta platform.

 

The Impala name has a rich heritage, Lutz doesnt understand marketing. I can imagine the battle in keeping the Camaro name, may explain the write in campaign. GM talks about heritage, but why then is there talk of renaming the Grand Prix as well? The car won its segment in the 2006 JD Power initial quality awards.

Lutz has improved the vehicle interiors and sped up the new car process, but mistakes were made in not listening to what people wanted in the new GTO, and how about those Saturn buyers who feel plastic panels are a key product attribute. So much for "giving the people what they want."

 

Hmm -- you guys make it sound like Lutz just making it up as he goes along, and GM doesn't have a marketing department doing surveys and determining the actual value of their legacy nameplates. Just maybe they did the legwork and found out that few Buick buyers actually care if it's named "Regal" or not?

(I'm just going on the assumption that GM marketing isn't a total clusterf*** here ... but maybe I'm assuming too much.)

GM has some iconic names (Camaro, GTO, Impala, etc), but my gut instinct is that their second-tier nameplates (LeSabre, Grand Prix, Malibu, etc) aren't worth all that much. For every loyal buyer, you've got someone who got one at the airport rental lot and hated it. Changing the name gets that latter group to take a second look. And the loyal buyers will figure things out for themselves.

The problem with the Lacrosse was that it's obviously an old W-Car/3800/4-Speed holdover designed to fill the plant until the real replacement comes. It's dumb to get people to "take a second look" when it's the same ol crap.

Now is this car really not selling because Gramps is mad about the Regal being cancelled? Or is it because it's such a snoozer that even the folks in the retirement complex find it dull?

 

Buick needs a real good product under the Lucerene. I don't think Buick really needs a RWD car. GM has Pontiac and Cadillac for that. FWD luxury at a good price is what Buick is to me. Leave the flashiness for Caddy and Pontiac.

 

It seems to me that marketing isnt calling the shots here. Those old familar names are very important to Buick buyers. It all boils down to understanding your customer. The Grand Prix isnt a 2nd tier name, it has been around since 1962.

GM has a rich heritage, something the Japanese dont have. When people go to classic car shows, what are they going to look at? American cars. Time to play on your strengths.

 

Very too. GM needs to make American cars (like the Charger, Mustang, and 300C) and stop trying to make Japanese cars.

 

Actually, Lutz understands marketing better than than just about anyone. It's just that he likes to push the envelope... exactly what GM needs and why Wagoner yanked him out of retirement.

The battle in keeping the Camaro name dates back to the "Chevy GTO" back when Zeta was a much bigger plan and the Chevy performance coupe was (litterally) a much bigger car. The G8 name was for the Bonneville replacement which would have been out by now based on the original NA Zeta timetable.

The GTO was based on what everyone here and in every car magazine wanted.... bringing the Holden here. The only people who complained about the GTO were those who forgot that the original GTO was a sleeper. When dealers finally stopped gouging, and GM got the price (and production projections) right, the car still outsold Ford's special Mustangs combined.

Saturn losing it's plastic panels is the direct result of improving the quality of the car. They aren't likely to lose customers going to metal bodies (GM studies this type of stuff to death) but they're likely to gain customers by the improved perception of quality from the smaller gaps of a steel body.

 

Buick is on it's way out.

 

Lucerne is brand new and pretty successful by most accounts, and Enclave has been heralded as one of the best concept/preview vehicles from the auto show circuit last year... that's saying a lot when you figure Camaro AND Challenger ate up most of the spotlight.

I don't think I'd say Buick is on it's way out... seems like it may finally be finding some direction.

 

instead of these gobblygook names the should bring back some of the better buick nameplates..