Read some facts that the public just does not get exposed to from the MSM:

6 Myths About the Detroit 3
Detroit Free Press
By Mark Phelan
Nov. 17, 2008

The debate over aid to the Detroit-based automakers is awash with half-truths and misrepresentations that are endlessly repeated by everyone from members of Congress to journalists. Here are six myths about the companies and their vehicles, and the reality in each case.

Myth No. 1: Nobody buys their vehicles.

Reality: General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC sold 8.5 million vehicles in the United States last year and millions more around the world. GM outsold Toyota by about 1.2 million vehicles in the United States last year and holds a U.S. lead over Toyota of about 560,000 so far this year. Globally, GM in 2007 remained the world's largest automaker, selling 9,369,524 vehicles worldwide -- about 3,000 more than Toyota.

Ford outsold Honda by about 850,000 and Nissan by more than 1.3 million vehicles in the United States last year.

Chrysler sold more vehicles here than Nissan and Hyundai combined in 2007 and so far this year.

Myth No. 2: They build unreliable junk.

Reality: The creaky, leaky vehicles of the 1980s and '90s are long gone. Consumer Reports recently found that "Ford's reliability is now on par with good Japanese automakers." The independent J.D. Power Initial Quality Study scored Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Mercury, Pontiac and Lincoln brands' overall quality as high or higher than that of Acura, Audi, BMW, Honda, Nissan, Scion, Volkswagen and Volvo.

Power rated the Chevrolet Malibu the highest-quality midsize sedan. Both the Malibu and Ford Fusion scored better than the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.

Myth No. 3: They build gas-guzzlers.

Reality: All of the Detroit Three build midsize sedans the Environmental Protection Agency rates at 29-33 miles per gallon on the highway. The most fuel-efficient Chevrolet Malibu gets 33 m.p.g. on the highway, 2 m.p.g. better than the best Honda Accord. The most fuel-efficient Ford Focus has the same highway fuel economy ratings as the most efficient Toyota Corolla. The most fuel-efficient Chevrolet Cobalt has the same city fuel economy and better highway fuel economy than the most efficient non-hybrid Honda Civic. A recent study by Edmunds.com found that the Chevrolet Aveo subcompact is the least expensive car to buy and operate.

Myth No. 4: They already got a $25-billion bailout.

Reality: None of that money has been lent out and may not be for more than a year. In addition, it can, by law, be used only to invest in future vehicles and technology, so it has no effect on the shortage of operating cash the companies face because of the economic slowdown that's killing them now.

Myth No. 5: GM, Ford and Chrysler are idiots for investing in pickups and SUVs.

Reality: The domestic companies' lineup has been truck-heavy, but Toyota, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz and BMW have all spent billions of dollars on pickups and SUVs because trucks are a large and historically profitable part of the auto industry. The most fuel-efficient full-size pickups from GM, Ford and Chrysler all have higher EPA fuel economy ratings than Toyota and Nissan's full-size pickups.

Myth No. 6: They don't build hybrids.

Reality: The Detroit Three got into the hybrid business late, but Ford and GM each now offers more hybrid models than Honda or Nissan, with several more due to hit the road in early 2009.

Before expressing you opinions, get your facts straight. Apparently you have no clue about GM or its business or its dealerships. GM has over 15 cars that get over 30 MPG. No other company can say that.

It's interesting that everyone thinks GM build's cars that customers don't want! Until the recent gas problem SUV's and big trucks are what people were buying. And did anyone notice that Toyota's "new" big product is their full-size Tundra....that's gets worse gas mileage than GM's pick-up's?

Bankruptcy and reorganization (including cost cutting) is the only way to go. Handing out billions solves no problem, it only exacerbates an already no win situation!!

Chapter 11 is the only way to go. Having bought companies out of bankruptcy and managing a pre-packaged Chapter 11 it is not as toxic as pundits, congress and auto management is making it sound. The company will survive and be better for it as will America. There are just too many things that need to be drastically reorganized and negotiated....money won't solve the problem....actually adding more leverage will only make matter worse.

no mention of the fuel efficiencies already attained by most of GM's offerings, ie: the Malibu gets better mileage than the Camry, and rates higher on initial quality then the Camry. BAD PRESS Bigoted press. GM has 30 or more vehicles that get more than 30 MPG. Why doesn't anyone know this?

Has anyone in the media noticed how far off Toyota and Nissan sales are off? Apparently, it only sales newspapers and magazines and only gets ratings if we put down the BIG 3! The Japanese countries went down the same path as the American companies, the only difference is, they didn't have to deal with Unions sucking them dry along the way.

Why hasn't anyone brought up the dissolution of the Union agreements and starting from square one. GM would never has made it in any market because it's cost for health care and retirement are absurd. Let the chips fall where they will and GM can restructure and start with new agreements.
Why shouldn't the Union participate in the recovery of this company they have taken the most out of it.

GM's problem is theirs and it is clear and simple. They need to learn how to make a competetive automobile in quality and price. Bailing them out is no solution. Paulson says their is no play book for our crisis. Paulson doesn't know what he is talking about. So what, let GM go bankrupt. Use the money to create some useful govt programs like road building etc. That will put some people to work and hopefully not at $88/hour. GM needs to go out of buisness, start over own their own and learn how to compete in a world economy.
Jack

What I want to know is when did it become necessary for the Big Three
to have to redistribute thier wealth with
foreign producers in America. Either crush
the UAW or require all auto producers in America to be part of the UAW with a level playing field. The Big Three did not become the Big Three because they produced vehicles America did not want.
Many of the foreign auto builders here have joined in the monster SUV and Pick-
market. I guess thts because America does not want those hogs !!!!

Filing bankruptcy for the big three makes good economic sense, just like it has worked for the airlines. Firing the top management is a must at General Motors. Ford and Chrysler have already gone outside the auto industry to get their CEO's. Once their cost structures are back in line the next step is to eliminate auto lines like Pontiac, Saab, Saturn at GM and Mercury at Ford Motors. Chrysler could disappear and no one would miss them much. They have been a non starter for years now.

Let the goverment provide the DIP financing post bankruptcy.

Looking at the brands, I would think it would make more sense to minimize competition be consolidating car brands and lineups, minimizing the sell-offs.

Saab has to go. Merge the GMC and Chevy lines (too much overlap on the truck and SUV side), dump Saturn (the Chinese or Koreans would be logical buyers), and pare down Pontiac.

Pontiac is the only one I disagree with dumping. It has solid quality, though the brand has too many vehicles.

The revised lineup would look like this: Cadillac (higher end), Chevy/GMC (light trucks and mid-range sedans), Pontiac (make them more fuel efficient and lower-mid-range), and position Buick just below Cadillac.

Again Cohan and the uninformed want BANKRUPTCY without knowing the consequences !

Guys it is easy to fly on an airline in bankruptcy, it is a one time event lasting only a few hours at a time !. Buying a car that may not be around for warranties (reserved funds) or worse spare parts is a six year nightmare !

Loan the money, make the IDIOTS who brought their companies to this stage work for a pittance. If they quit, no pensions, no Gokden Oarachutes.....

Unions need to be disbanded, the market will set the competitive wages,,,,,,new unions limited to job environment, safety & discrimination can be allowed.

When GM goes under and the UAW health care for retirees and workers are gone as well ,then I say to all who have paid health care through their work ,say good bye to their coverage as well.A person doesn't have to be in Auto industry to receive health care paid for.Most health care coverages were modeled after the Auto industry.So when they fail and go under ,I would say to a person who has paid coverage where they work,you had better look over your shoulder ,your next,be you a school teacher ,who the taxpayer pay for or any other worker !!!

NO more bail outs! Let them go 11 and renegotiate the retirements and salaries of the workers. Let the executives renegotiate their pay and packages. Thats how business works! No one is bailing out the little guys that are going through the same thing without 20million dollar salaries and perc. Let them go!!!!

Is the skill level of a UAW worker worth $88.00 dollars an hour? In protecting the workers pay and benifits and closing a blind eye to international competition, the UAW has slowly killed the US auto industry. As hard as it sounds, it may be time to allow the auto industry and the UAW to fail and out of it's failure, build a new industry that can compete internationaly.

GM, Ford have many models with high quality and fuel efficiency ratings, some better than the Japs.
If we need to help them out, the Fed should offer incentives (tax credits) to entice buyers into the showroom.
Further than that, it may be necessary for the Fed. to take over the pension plan.
The Big 3 allowed the union to get powerful, and conceded to fund high cost pensions. But the prospect now of millions of unemployed workers is not pretty.
With a $2,000. / vehicle legacy cost, it is difficult to call this a level playing field.

We offered incentives (TIFs, etc.) for the Japs to come here and take away our American jobs. And they did.
Ads should state the domestic content (by man hours) of the vehicles.
It needs to be again become "patriotic" to own an American car. (Over 50% domestic content, by man hours) Buy a car made (not just assembled) in this country or put your neighbor out of work. If your neighbor does not work, you can feed his family, and pay his taxes.
People should live in the country where their vehicle is made.

I have a saturn AURA that gets 22 mph in city and 32 mph highway

Step number ONE, should be to reign in all the Unions and cut the wages of workers making insane amounts of money to do menial tasks! If you look at how ALL of these unions operate, they push for higher wages, less working hours, which ALL result in higher priced cars in the long run. What's mind-boggling is that the Japanese can put out a refined, superior product without all the union BS that we have to suffer.