I have always wondered why GM still makes the lame duck cars like the Blazer, Caviler, Century, Venture, Grand Am, Sunfire, and Saturn L300.(All of the lame duck cars for the 2005 model year)

Is there that much extra capacity at GM? Or can they still turn a profit on these cars? These cars replacements are already out on the road, so what gives?

 

GM doesn't make the Blazer, Cavalier, Grand Am or Sunfire anymore...

 

They can't sell a sports car to everyone. Or a truck for that matter. These cars outnumber higher end models by far. If you need a newer, more reliable car, they are perfect.

 

http://www.gmbuypower.com/currentOffers.bp?regionId=se&

Yes they do. Please research before posting.

 

For 2005 , for the Grand Am , I dunno about the others , the GT coupe is all that is available and only until the G6 coupe comes to market . Then the Grand AM will be entirely dead .

The Cavs most likely being built until FULL ramp up of the Cobalt happens . Right now all you see is onesy twosy Cobalts on lots . The Blazer probably nabs alot of fleet sales . I thought 2004 was the last year for the blazer though ?

 

Exactly.

Until the new car comes into full production, they still need cars to cover.

Look at Ford. They let teh old F-150 carry over as the "F-150 Heritage"...

Heck, even back in 1988, Monte Carlo carried over to the 1988 model year when the new Lumina came out for 1988.

It's not really anything new, but I do agree it seems like there is MORE of it going on right now...

 

Don't mistake the fact that because there are cars still on dealer lots that they are still being produced. Hell, you could buy a brand new '02 Camaro or TA in 2004 because a few were still on dealer lots.

Having said that, the only cars of those you mentioned I'm 99% sure they are no longer producing are the L300 and Century. The rest of them I think they are still making while production ramps up of their replacement, except for the Blazer. That is being produced because it's a cheap, 2 door alternative to the 4 door Trailblazer lineup (no 2 door Trailblazer).

 

Yeah, with the Cavelier looking better than it ever has, and having SOME aftermarket finally, and the Blazer finally with some decent looks and power, it would be perfect "GM Timing" to Pull Production on them!...

 

They continue making them because they are cheap to make. The design and tooling has already been paid for.

Randy

 

"Blazer finally with some decent looks and power"? The Blazer has basically been the same since the mid-90s. It came out in '95, got a grille/front end freshening around '98 (along with a dashboard/interior update), but since then has basically soldiered on unchanged. It has had the ~190 hp/250lb-ft 4.3L Vortec V6 for a decade or so. It's not like they just got it to its current configuration...

Or were you thinking of the Trailblazer, which is totally separate from the S10-based Blazer that is the topic of this discussion? The Trailblazer that came out as a 2002 (with the 270-275 hp 4.2L DOHC Inline 6) is not about to be cancelled, if that was your concern.

The Cavalier hasn't changed a ton since '95 either. The engine changed from the 150 hp 2.4L Quad4-based engine to the current 2.2L Ecotec, with a little less horsepower, but much better refinement and better fuel efficiency. It did get a mild styling update to the frond and rear end (which I'm not sure is better than the '95-'02 style) for the '03 MY, but basically it is the same car that has been out since '95. They are both quite at the end of their life cycle in terms of the competition, but that doesn't negate the fact that they make decent, solid, affordable transportation for many people who don't need the latest and greatest.

 

you'll need to take your own advice. That don't make them anymore. Production has ended. They are still for sale though as you have found.

 

You're right, they might have quit making some of these cars by this very date. But they still made 2005 models recently for these cars while their replacements are on the road.

 

Two words:

Fleet sales

Same reason we still have a "malibu classic", or at least had it for a while after the new Malibu came out.

I thought the blazer was down to only the 2 door version, simply because there's not a trailblazer equivalent and they sell a lot of the 2-doors to National and State Parks agencies and environmental agencies and service companies that send techs to do work at off-road locations/stations, etc.

The tooling and such have long since been paid for and there's profit on every unit sold. There's no reason to not continue to build them until such time as 1) sales drop below profitable levels, 2) new safety regs make the vehicle obsolete, or 3) a new, higher profit use is found for the plant capacity.

 

The Blazer is only down to the 2 door . The grand am only is offered in a GT coupe until the g6 coupe is released and the cavalier will wither into the sunset when cobalt production is fully ramped up

 

Yes, all of those vehicles are either no longer in production or are in their final model year and will no longer be produced. I did my research, you should try the same.