Filed under: Trends, Etc., Daimler, Ford, GM
Fox News' Geraldo Rivera goes 'nucular' on GM, Ford
None other than Geraldo 'Take-Him-Or-Leave-Him' Rivera whipped out a Dubya-style haymaker
on General Motors and Ford Wednesday, calling the automakers' present fiscal and public-relations gulag the result of
'whining' management and too many 'crap' cars. Not exactly the prose of florid journalist, or even as carefully
measured as George Bush's
call for domestics to build more 'relevant' products, Rivera unloads:
Among the lowest rated vehicles on the Consumer Reports list are the once mighty, now tired, Ford Taurus, the homely Pontiac Grand Prix, and the dreadful Chevy Equinox. And unless you live in Kabul or Baghdad, isn’t the Hummer the ugliest, dumbest vehicle on the road today?
Rivera gives DaimlerChrysler a 'pass,' a move one might expect given his admission that he owns a 300.
We're not exactly sure what qualifies Mr. Rivera to comment with authority on such issues, and as such, what weight (if any) our readers give to his latest rant is a purely individual thing. Feel free to leave a 'haymaker' or 'kudos' of your own in the comments.
[Sources: GeraldoAtLarge.com and Dave Clegg]
(Tip-top, Jennifer W!)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Chris H 11:13AM (3/24/2006)
What qualifies him? Maybe he's actually looked at the sales figures and driven those awful pieces of crap. He's 100% right, and sometimes the truth hurts. GM and Ford are just starting to wake up to the fact that they've been building mostly mediocre cars for the past 20 years. Anyone that doubts this, sit in a 1998 Honda Accord then go sit in a 2002 Grand Prix or Taurus. The Accord has better fit and finish, better ergonomics, better materials, etc etc etc. The newest entries from GM and Ford aren't bad but very few of them are what any self respecting auto journalist would call 'near the top of the class'. Being 'competitive' just doesn't cut it when 40% of the US population has owned a GM or Ford at some point in their life that blew a head gasket or had a cracked block and left them stranded.
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Presto 11:14AM (3/24/2006)
Stating the obvious, but still amusing.
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who cares 11:17AM (3/24/2006)
he should talk, a ford was the first brand that he had his first gay kiss in, a chevy was his first for ass love.lol
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ATL 11:19AM (3/24/2006)
Why does Fox News hate freedom and America? (oh, and, of course, qualified or not, Geraldo is correct -- like a stopped clock)
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DriftPunch 11:28AM (3/24/2006)
The mindset of the (former) big 3 does not lend itself well to the efficient production of a quality small car. They have felt for years that a small car is an economy vechicle, and should be produced with a customer with low expectations in mind. After all, if the customer could want/afford a finer interior, they should buy a luxury car (or SUV). Fast forward to today, when the domestic fleets are barren of 'good' cars which happen to be small.
Hell, GM had the Geo band aid solution for a small car lineup, but even now that's gone. The Aveo has only about 10 MPG on the Corvette, now that's pitiful.
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Brian 11:29AM (3/24/2006)
"We're not exactly sure what qualifies Mr. Rivera to comment with authority on such issues,"
It's got to be the moustache.
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Alex 11:38AM (3/24/2006)
Geraldo, is right on some points.
I drive a GM (Not any that he mentioned).
But, my car is great.
But GM has been wasting too much time and money on crappy cars, and sharing to many sister/brother cars.
They spend the correct amount of time perfecting/evolving the Corvette, 1500 Series trucks & Full size SUVs. But, everything inbetween, at the Civic, accord level they let slide.
They need to cut the fat (Crappy cars) and build 1 good small sedan and Midsize vehicle. Give more attention to quality interior/Exterior design.
Give the younger talent a chance, the old ways of doing things is what I belive has put GM in this situation.
But, you can't stay on TOP forever?
A company needs to fall, in order to pick it self up and improve.
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Marcello Mastroianni 11:47AM (3/24/2006)
Must be a slow news week. Too bad there's not a war in the Middle East or something important like that for Geraldo to write about.
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Don T. 11:48AM (3/24/2006)
Exactly #1, that says it all, perfectly. Domestic brands are just now beginning to build cars the way the Japanese built them ten years ago. Hopefully, with offerings like the new Tahoe, Impala, Fusion and Solstice people will start looking at American brands again.
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Tad 12:06PM (3/24/2006)
#1..You may bu right on a couple points, but I have sat in and driven both a 98 Accord and 03 Grand prix...I'll take the GM thanks. The Honda was not comfortable at all, the interior was way to bland and boring, workmanship on the interior was not too much above par then the Grandprix, and frankly the performance just plain old sucked.
#8 "Domestic brands are just now beginning to build cars the way the Japanese built them ten years ago" --What? Slow, boring and ugly? Granted there are some Domestics that fit under that category as well but in my eyes a makority of Jap cars fall right under "slow, boring and ugly". Yeah yeah quality materials, workmanship blah blah blah. DO you know why those little rice burners are so cheap? Cheap sheet metal and cheap materials! My mother owns a CR-V and my Father a Toyota Camry...both with vouch that they really arent want everyone cracks them up to be.
I'm not saying Domestics are better, I'm just saying the Jap cars REALLY ARENT THAT GREAT! And frankly with the new stuff GM is coming out with (new Tahoe, Corvette) I think its far above par of any Japanese car in the same class.
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Rick M 12:07PM (3/24/2006)
Geraldo, like each of us, is more than entitled to having and stating his opinions. The problems I have with his rant are 1) He is largely basing his analysis on Consumer Reports' top-10 list. They are an influental, but certainly not comprehensive way to look at the state of the US auto industry; 2) He calls the Highlander the 'Highland' (makes him look ignorant); 3) He calls out the fleet-only Ford Taurus; 4) He excuses Chrysler from 'Crap' car status based on 1 vehicle. By that standard, you can excuse both GM (CTS-V, HHR, Tahoe, Solstice, etc) AND Ford (Fusion, Mustang, F-150, etc). Don't forget, Mopar still tries to sell their forgotten (crap?) Stratus, Avenger, Sebring, Crossfire, and others.
As for sales, yeah GM and Ford are down, but they are still ahead of most Japanese competitors (except Toyota) - How irrelevant does that make them?
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Jack 12:07PM (3/24/2006)
Whether you like it or not Geraldo is right. Recently a GM executive had the nerve to say "what we need to do is build more profitable cars" How stupid is he. What you need to do is build better cars that people will want to buy.
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Kevin O. 12:08PM (3/24/2006)
First problem with GM. They stopped listening to Middle class and lower customers. They focus on what the rich people wanted. What up with MPG! Why can't they build them? I have a blaser with 4.3 off the show home floor that made best 18 on road. Buy the time I was done treaking with not much cash spent. 18mpg is my worst in working it hard. Hwy mpg now is around 23mpg with long trips being as high as 25mpg and with all the power one would need. Camaro should had never been dropped, nor should the S-10 pickups been changed. They could of changed the name and left the 4.3 alone. This inline 5 is a crap and have heard of no one here in rural America that likes it. Now Ford is over price for all the plastics that has replace metal parts that should been left alone. All boils down to listening to the customer and there needs which are different across the regions.
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Jason 12:08PM (3/24/2006)
He's just coughing up crap he read elsewhere, he's a master of nothing with nothing to say.
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Jerry 12:08PM (3/24/2006)
I guess it takes a has-been to see one.....He isn't an authority on anything for that matter and as far as Fox News goes, what don't they make ridiculous as proven letting an unqualified hack to the article, go back to treasure hunting, ha hah ah.......
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David 12:16PM (3/24/2006)
How is he going to attack the Taurus?...Ford has already replaced it with both the Fusion AND the Five-Hundred...dumbass
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RayRay 12:26PM (3/24/2006)
Domestic automakers just don't have what it takes to make profitable influential passenger cars, family or sporty. Have you sat in a Dodge Neon... who the hell would place the trunk opener in the glove compartment? Ford Focus... the interior quality and handling doesn't quite put it up there with their Import counterparts. Hell, one thing I definitely don't understand is that the domestics sell better cars overseas than they do over here... I think I will stick with import brands when it comes to passenger, sporty, or luxury cars. Only time I might consider a domestic is if I need a good pickup truck,
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JR 12:31PM (3/24/2006)
What a laugh !
people are siding with a guy who was searching for Al Capone's hidden loot.
This guy cannot tie his shoes yet he knows GM's sales totals ?
Give me a break, the issue is people blow 8 billion bucks a month on imports, are not loyal to their own family as to protecting their jobs and whine, piss and moan about American Cars.
Any time I looked at a junk yard I see many more Non Amercian cars rotting there.
Some fad, buy a car that looks like a box, cannot go faster then 60 MPH, sounds like a 2 banger and is more boring then watching paint dry.
Wake up, that dude is a moron, as his claims all 15-20 million Illegal aliens belong here.
Just as bad as people who cannot even balance their checkbook are telling GM how to be a sucess.
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Mike G 12:33PM (3/24/2006)
Man my bud wonk the stonk then it car chug ug luggga lug lug. Me an expert man. Yee ha giddy yup, uh huh. I likem dem domestic pickee ups.
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Alfonso 12:41PM (3/24/2006)
GM is the joke of the world. A laughing stock to us all.
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