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UAW-made vehicles lead in J.D. Power quality rankings

by rockylee on Sun Aug 24 17:09:08 PDT 2008

Friday, July 18, 2008 UAW-made vehicles lead in J.D. Power quality rankings No one needs to tell UAW members at General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC that the state of the industry and the national economy present difficult challenges. But even in these exceptionally hard business conditions, UAW members rise to the occasion. Recent developments at each automaker illustrate how our members fight through the bad news and work hard to produce exceptional vehicles for the public. In the J.D. Power and Associates' recently released Initial Quality Survey (IQS), Ford improved at a rate faster than the industry average, beating its 2007 score by eight points. It placed two UAW-built vehicles, the Lincoln Navigator and Ford E-Series van, as highest ranked and followed it with the Ford Ranger and Mercury Sable taking second-place awards. And in J.D. Power's Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study, Ford improved by 12 points, driven by the Ford Focus, which improved by a whopping 88 points, the single most improved vehicle in that study. The Mercury brand notched a 12-point improvement. "The study confirms what we've always known: UAW members have been building top-quality cars and trucks for years," said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. "We can be proud that our members are the most productive and skilled workers in the manufacturing world." Chrysler was up 19 points in the APEAL survey, with the Town and Country minivan leading the way. The Dodge Caravan helped that division improve by 10 points. GM, not to be outdone, saw its Cadillac division improve by nine points, while the Acadia crossover helped GM post a 10-point gain. J.D. Power wasn't the only recent study praising the work by UAW members: The 2008 Harbour Report said Chrysler tied Toyota as the most efficient automaker in North America, while GM and Ford have eliminated the productivity gap with the foreign-based automakers. Chrysler improved its productivity by 7.7 percent. Productivity is measured by how many hours it takes an automaker to make a vehicle. In 2001 Chrysler was 12.65 hours behind Toyota. Plants in Toledo, Ohio, and Belvidere, Ill., led the way for Chrysler. Ford and GM also posted productivity gains in the report. GM also had the 2008 North America Car of the Year, the Chevrolet Malibu, beating 15 other nominees at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit earlier this year. And like its two domestic counterparts who are looking to a future beyond gasoline, GM is moving ahead. The automaker's much-anticipated Chevrolet Volt, its first electrically powered car, is slated for production in 2010. http://www.uaw.org/news/features/vw_fst1.cfm?fstId=51 -Rocky

Re: Finny> [andys120]

by andre1969 on Wed Jul 09 17:31:08 PDT 2008

The script on the fender reads: Regent. The Dodge Regent was equivalent to a Belvidere IIRC. I saw at a car show whose plate read "PLODGE". I googled around on the web, and info on the Canadian Plodges is sketchy at best. I recall a car called the Dodge Crusader, and also one called the Mayfair, but this is the first time I've heard of a Regent. I think Crusader was the cheap model, which in Plymouth nomenclature would have been a Plaza. Wikipedia said that Mayfair was the top line, which would have equated to a Belvedere. So maybe Regent was the mid-line? That would make sense I guess, as that Plodge above looks a bit low-line to me. So maybe the Regent equated to a Plymouth Savoy? FWIW, there was also a, for lack of a better word, "PleSoto", which was a Plymouth with DeSoto sheetmetal. It was called the Diplomat, and I think it actually outlived the domestic built DeSoto by a year or two. It was a Plymouth with a DeSoto grille and trim. It was rather popular in export markets for awhile.

Re: Finny> [lemko]

by andys120 on Wed Jul 09 13:14:06 PDT 2008

That's it Lemko, I figured I'd sneak that one past youse. ;) The script on the fender reads: Regent. The Dodge Regent was equivalent to a Belvidere IIRC. I saw at a car show whose plate read "PLODGE".

Re: Ride of my life...'08 Z06 [starrow68]

by gbjerke on Sat May 10 16:36:58 PDT 2008

Randy-- Their first track day....in a Z06??? That should be illegal...LOL! Seriously, that is WAY too much car for a first timer unless they are good students and listen real well. Even then, I'd be nervous in the passenger seat. I started with Supra TT's and while it was great fun, I wanted to use all the horses and as a result I went like crazy in the straights but continually screwed up the corners. Yup, an instructors worst nightmare. Thankfully, with some very good instructors I got the message and actually obtained instructor status. Looking back though, I'm not so sure that novice students should not all drive something like a BMW 318. Something that comes out of the box with great handling and good brakes but not an abundance of horses. It would be a superior "learning" vehicle in my mind. I still cannot believe how impressed I was with the new Z06 but that positive thought should be tempered with the fact that the driver was incredibly talented.

Ride of my life...'08 Z06

by gbjerke on Sat May 03 16:10:15 PDT 2008

Up at Road America last weekend for a driving school and had the "blessing" of riding in above. Observation: INSANE, OBSCENE....what else to say...., INCREDIBLE!!!I I've attended schools for 11-12 years, driving Supra TT's, '01 Z06 and '03 Z06 and now an '08 coupe. Anyway, I met this fellow a number of years ago when he drove a Zanardi NSX. He is an instructor and drives his cars extremely well. He traded his Zanardi for a Stradale maybe 2 years ago and he gave me a ride in that...WOW! He sold the Stradale a couple months ago and was really in the hunt for a GT3; even went to look at a couple of them but they were disappointing to him so he gravitated to the Z06. Bought it Wednesday night, left Friday a.m. with 80 miles on the clock and drove up to RA. He is TOTALLY impressed with the Z06. I wanted a ride and got it. I just can't fathom the difference between my '03 w/ 405 ponies and his w/ 505. Sure, I expected more grunt and I knew the brakes were much improved w/ 6/4 pistons but damn, the car was so well balanced, all I could do was giggle and smile. He didn't even have time to change brake fluid nor upgrade pads so it was bone stock. All weekend, no fade, and no spongy pedal. I knew I'd be impressed but had no idea as to how much I would be impressed. Truly, the ride of my life.

Re: How much $ for a new 2007 [c5_4fun]

by gbjerke on Wed Apr 09 14:08:18 PDT 2008

I hear you on the Monty Red. Also loved the previous Mag Red. I was very close to pulling the trigger on the new Crystal but it just didn't do it for me when I saw it in real life. It sat next to an Atomic Orange so that became my choice. I'd had 2 previous Yellow Z06's so it was time for a change. Obviously the '07 you are looking at is a vert and I agree 10k off is not enough. Just saw where Kerbeck is going 9k off on '08 Verts and 8k off on coupes. Tough choice for you because of color and if your '01 has only 5k on the clock you will not be putting a ton of miles on the new one so whether it's an '07 or '08 may not be that big of a deal, providing you can buy the '07 for the right price. As so value of your '01, I would check some "for sale" sites such as Cars.com or Autotrader.com That may at least give you some guidelines. Good luck, and keep us posted on your hunt.