tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427940.post2678912965706123036..comments2023-12-05T07:50:19.855-05:00Comments on No Oil for Pacifists: QOTD@nooil4pacifistshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16688417615117569825noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427940.post-73657537982646575192009-02-28T19:52:00.000-05:002009-02-28T19:52:00.000-05:00I bought a car last year. My first choice was a S...I bought a car last year. My first choice was a <A HREF="http://www.saturn.com/vehicles/2009/sky/overview.do?seo=goo_%7C_2008_Saturn_Retention_%7C_IMG_Saturn_SKY_Red_Line_%7C_Red_Line_HV_%7C_saturn_sky_red_line" REL="nofollow">Saturn Sky Red Line</A>--I still think it among the best looking cars on the road. Like all American cars, the interior felt a bit cheap, but it drove well and I might have purchased it--except for the fact that it had essentially no trunk at all. There wasn't enough space to pack enough clothes for two people on a weekend get-away.<BR/><BR/>How could anyone design such a car? It wasn't until later I realized that this flaw embodied a fundamental failure of Big-3 management.@nooil4pacifistshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16688417615117569825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427940.post-29515137271449686592009-02-27T18:03:00.000-05:002009-02-27T18:03:00.000-05:00My brother loves Saturns. That's all he's been buy...My brother loves Saturns. That's all he's been buying since his first one. <BR/><BR/>As to the union fiasco, it's a determined attempt by corrupt union officials to retain power by denying reality. <BR/><BR/>Wait, that sounds sort of familiar....MaxedOutMamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08011469804162511617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427940.post-42602893108961418102009-02-27T15:33:00.000-05:002009-02-27T15:33:00.000-05:00> What they haven't explained is why their ...> What they haven't explained is why their company would keep these money-losers around for nearly 20 years.<BR/><BR/>Well, I have no idea about Saab, beyond retaining the option to always be able to tell a Saab story...<BR/><BR/>(sorry, couldn't resist)<BR/><BR/>...but for Saturn, it's probably one of the very few American brands that can get real testimonials and can depend on real customer loyalty.<BR/><BR/>I don't know a single person who owns a Saturn who isn't happy with it, from a reliability, performance, or service standpoint. Every single person I know who owns one would be happy to own one again, and it's probably at the top of their lists for consideration whenever they do replace the one they own.<BR/><BR/>I don't think it's a statistical universe, but it's enough that, were I looking for the kind of car that they sell, it's the only American brand I'd definitely consider, with one other possible other exception being Buick (I've heard mostly good things about them, too).<BR/><BR/>That's gotta be thought of as worth something.<BR/><BR/>I suppose the real question is, how to shift the brand into profitability while retaining that kind of loyalty and satisfaction.<BR/><BR/>But also -- they should be studying WHY it is that Saturn does so well, to see what they can do to instill the same things into other brands.OBloodyHellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09992539380115488567noreply@blogger.com