I Swear I Don't Get It:

I'm really confused about this Buick ad, likely a costly ad, on the back cover of this month's Car and Driver.

First, just WHO is the target audience? Does Buick think this will appeal to the inter-city C&D reader? The sophisticated urban-ites? The impressionable white teens in the burbs? Seriously, WHO in the world could this be targeted to?

Second, do the 4 products shown from the Renown Design Houses differ in any way other that comical wheels? i looked closely and thats all I can see these craft shops did to this clearly cutting edge automobile ("automobile" said in Mr. Burn's voice)


Sorry for the poor photography.
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Good question. I saw the same ad. Who the heck would want to 'bling' a Buick Lucerne?

 

GM doesn't have a solid marketing angle?

Oh yeah, that's news.

 

The U.S. automakers are utterly and hopelessly blind to reality. They continue to put out crap and wonder why nobody is buying. They literally don't have a clue what the public WANTS. And, if you sit in one, the dismal ergonomics make it evident that the "engineers" never once sat in the car. Fit and finish can't compare to the Japanese. It's sad, but it's hard to feel any sympathy for an industry that REFUSES to see that which is patently obvious.

Even my 67 year old dad would say those Buicks are for "old people."

Mike

 

Its GM doing what they do best. Advertising and making cars that no one buys. At least the smart people dont buy.

 

You? What's your story? What's a dazzling urbanite like you doing in a rustic setting like this?
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I think I saw that in Motor Trend magazine too. I didn't pay attention because I'm not that interested in Buick's.

 

I fully agree that a riced out Lucerne is ridiculous, and I honestly thought that Buick was going the way of the DoDo bird...but this is from Pete DeLorenzo (The Auto Extremist). Maybe the Chinese want a riced out Lucerne?

from: http://autoextremist.com/page2.shtml#Rant

 

I do remember reading a magazine article sometime last year that said that Buicks are the thing to have in China for whatever reason.
This is a funny topic for me because I drive a Buick. Check out my profile.

 

Sweeeeeet!

 

Well if you must pry.

 

Interesting comments from the Buick GM on Buick history in China:

http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/archives/2006/12/buick_is_popula.html

Also some comments on marketing in China from another source:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/02/05/business/ad06.php

Another observation was that most high-end cars in China are chauffeured, so the buyer is less interested in the driving experience and more in the rear-seat experience.

http://www.babez.de/buick/royaum.php

 

Well , it doesnt look that bad. Actually the white one looks much better than your regular sub luxury sedan.

THey are just trying to build a new image and approaching a new market.

Afterall, it only took Schwarzenegger driving a Hummer to see them multiply..

 

Sort of looks like a cheap knock-off of a riced out older Lexus (?)
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Esp with these rims:
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"I must, I must!"

 

AM I reading that right? "VIP...pronounced vipp" ????? Good lord, are they smoking something? I think someone spent too much time sucking on exhaust pipes.

 

I must! I must! (One of my favorite movies of all time)

(edit: Someone beat me to it!)

 

Are those last pics real? 4 tip exhaust? That thing is riced out with body kit and all...

 

50 Cent - How We Do

50, uhh
Buick, uhh
Em came 'n gotta wigga fresh out the 'burb
Automatic curb
Muck 'em verb-on-verb
We wrap up ya punk ass, stunt 'n disturb
Homie, it's Game time
___________

Original lyrics + translation
http://www.slangcity.com/songs/how_we_do.htm

 

That guy that sings Ridin' Dirty???
BT

 

I give it two months before I SEE TEN OF THOSE CARS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, PLAYING THAT SONG LOUDLY

Thanks but no thanks for the preview.......bleh



The 'Bling Buick' is popular here in Sac., there here if you look for them.

 

I tad bit over-simplified, and way over-generalized.

No one is buying US autos?? How about the Mustang GT? What about Ford and Chevy trucks? SUVs? Ford Fusions? Chevy Malibus?

The problem isn't that US automakers make bad cars, its that people like you have been brainwashed into thinking that Japanese cars are far-and-beyond what the US can produce. Was this true in the 80's and early 90's? Sure. But today, any US car is essentially on par with any Japanese car. Sounds silly, I know, but it's true. And based upon your biased opinion, I'd doubt that you've owned any American car for a long enough period of time to know that.

Also, simply because YOU don't like them, doesn't mean OTHER people don't as well. As much as you think you think and speak for the rest of the country, be advised that you don't.

 

Agreed. People continue to think this is 1985 and margin of quality between Japanese and US cars is vast. It is not. Its a very narrow margin of defects-per-car these days. Just look at the JD Powers data for further proof.

 

I haven't been brainwashed. I've driven a few cars in my time - in the past and the present - both U.S. and Japanese (and German for that matter). The U.S. cars are better today than they were in the 80s and 90s. But, that's not good enough. They are NOT as good as Japanese cars. I submit anyone who makes that claim is the one who is brainwashed or simply overcome with a warped sense of patriotism.

It is my contention that in order for U.S. automakers to SURVIVE, they will not need to MATCH the Japanese products. They will need to be BETTER. And, they are a LONG way from achieving that lofty notion. When I refer to quality, I'm not just talking about defects per 1000 cars and JD Powers reports. I'm talking about how the car FEELS. How the buttons feel. How the seats feel. How the door feels and sounds when it closes. How the steering feels. How the brakes feel. How the paint holds up. And so on. Of course, many of these things are subjective. But, as an example. I own a Honda Odyssey minivan (among 4 cars). When my family travels we always rent a minivan. Invariably it's an American minivan, as we all know rental fleet sales are a big part of the pie for U.S. automakers. The mere act of sitting in the Dodge, Ford, or GM minivan compared to sitting in the Honda makes many difference abundantly clear. Just the seat itself is significantly better in the Honda. Then reach for the controls, and you'll see more BIG differences. Close the door and listen. The Japanese have gotten to the level of the Germans when it comes to fit and finish and ergonomics.

I've never claimed to speak for the rest of the country. Sure, some are buying American. But, the writing is on the wall: U.S. automakers are CONSISTENTLY losing market share. GM is no longer #1. Toyota is. And, Toyota is ramping up. That's not my opinion. It's fact.

This is just the beginning. Ford and GM are losing ground and losing it fast. So, if they are on par, as you suggest, please explain the nosedive in market share. I have no personal mission against U.S. makers. I'm disappointed, really. And, I simply won't buy an American car because it's politically or socially expedient. I'm a car guy. I know quality. I know performance. I know reliability. I cannot ignore what I SEE despite being TOLD that I'm not seeing it. And, I'm not the only one.

Mike