Gojirra99

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Business Insider

Consumer Reports has long been a burr under the Big Three's saddle. The influential magazine has consistently rated domestic vehicles well below their Asian competitors. This year, for the first time, Japanese makes were named the top vehicle in all 10 categories.

Lori Queen, a GM executive for small cars, couldn't take it anymore. In an e-mail exchange with Automotive News, she wrote that the editors and reporters who put together the Consumer Reports auto issue are "the most unprofessional group of people I have ever worked with."

She added: "They are totally nonobjective and go to great extremes to paint a picture for their paid subscription readers, who primarily buy Japanese cars.

"They don't consider price or price differences, they don't consider model mix or consumer preferences, they buy the cheapest car they can find (generally), and then base all their opinions on a limited sample."

Queen may have been upset with the mag's brutal assessment of the Chevrolet Cobalt, which was developed under her watch.

In any case, the fallout was immediate. GM CEO Rick Wagoner personally called David Champion, Consumer Reports' head of auto testing, to apologize and assure him the comments didn't reflect GM's opinion.

On Monday, a letter signed by Wagoner is expected to be published in Auto News that will make the same point, said GM spokesman Janine Fruehan.

Memo to Queen: Forcing an embattled CEO to apologize for your hot-headed rant is a bad career move.



Lori Queen

source : detnews

Sv.Tequila

Why she so pissed that its a fact that Japanese cars are better than the domestic cars, in her case against her "cobalt" small car division? Shouldn't take it up the butt, making it seem like she's not getting paid! Plus, If she knew that Consumer Report was doing this for a while and was for foreign "Japanese" makers, why could've she have left GM and worked with a foreign company....AHH DUH

I'd bet she'll look uglier when she's mad

Botox...............It's about time lady!

Lexmex

"They don't consider price or price differences, they don't consider model mix or consumer preferences, they buy the cheapest car they can find (generally), and then base all their opinions on a limited sample."

If GM could make something with quality, regardless of price, I would be interested to hear Ms. Queen out.

encore888

I think she's just frustrated that her efforts haven't been acknowledged. I think that whatever progress is made, it will take a while for the press to reflect that the giant ship is being turned around...if at all...

rominl

iTrader: (4)

she's an idiot. being an executive and say stuff like that, even went as far as writing it down in emails? imho she should be fired, period.

GRAND_LS 4

iTrader: (2)

Outch, there goes someones career.

She may well end up driving that car she helped put together.

mmarshall

Take a look at the new Tahoe and the other new GM full-size SUV's built on its platform.....I don't think you will be dissappointed.

When Consumer Reports tests these, I think they will have a considerably higher opinon of them than they do the Cobalt.
The Cobalt actually is not a bad car....it is head and shoulders above the Cavalier it replaces, ( which, trust me, WAS a piece of junk ) but still has some of that basic GM cheapness in body and hardware that the company just can't seem to get rid of....except for the new full-size SUV's.

In the meantime, like it or not, Ms. Queen is just going to have to accept the fact that the Cobalt, while improved over the Cavalier, is still not up to snuff yet compared to Japanese-designed compacts....providing, of course, she keeps her job in the first place.

picus

What he said.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Consumer Reports though will probably moan that it drinks too much gas instead. CR is in love with Japanese vehicles (really only Toyota and Honda), and has been for over a decade, but for good reason - they make wonderfully reliable and well thought out vehicles. For GM to change PERCEPTIONS is hugely difficult.

Somehow I think Ms. Queen's bonus is going to be small.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

i agree. while not 100% but i agree with most of CR stuff. i think they are trying to be as objective as they can about reviews and stats

toy4two

have you guys seen the rear suspension on the colbalt, even the SS?

Anyway, CR has to put their *** on the line for its reader. If Grandma Smith needs a low maintence car, and her FORD dies on the road, she is going to blame CR. CR has to be conservative and recommend the most reliable product.

Is the Colbalt a good car? Yes. Is it better than a Civic, maybe, but it needs at least 5 years to prove it.

mmarshall

No.......there's no maybe about it.....not IMO. The Cobalt, especially its interior, is a much better car than the Cavalier it replaces, but you cannot compare its quality to a Civic...especially body and hardware. I have seen and inspected both cars....and reviewed the new Civic in depth. The new Civic, however, is goofy-looking in several places....and that might drive some looks-conscious people over to the better-looking Cobalt, but more likely, IMO, to the Corolla or Mazda 3.

LexFather

Is her daughter the girl in your sig?

I agree, and clearly she is one of many idiots GM has working for them.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

oh boy for sure i hope not, otherwise i will need a new sig

seriously, instead of immediately self-evaluating yourself and see how to improve, she went and balled out on CR's people balantly, real matured, way to go....

cantsleepnk

All what I have to tell Mrs. Queen is to go DRIVE any Corolla or Civic to really understand why the Cobalt is not in the same league. A couple of months ago I had a Cobalt rental when my Maxima was in for service and all I can say is that CR are spot on. I would never spend my own money on that car no matter how inexpensive it was. Everything about the driving experience was supbar to any Japanese competitor. Steering,brakes and ride all felt artificial and were a notch below any japanese car. The steering wheel/seat/ pedal relationship felt really weird and I could never get comfortable driving that car,something that the japanese companies have gotten right DECADEs ago. The engine felt weak and agricultural when revved hard something that would never be acceptable even in a base Corolla or Civic engine. After 24 hrs I couldn't wait to get back into my 9 year old Maxima with 120k miles and get rid of that POS.

My advise to Mrs. Queen is stop complaining about honest magazine reviews and to go back and beg Toyota to revive the joint venture they had when they built the Geo Prisim on the Corolla platform. You would think GM would've learned something from Toyota then , but I guess they haven't and will never learn how to build a desirable small car.