About the 6 Cars that GM decided to discontinue...

This is just a quick note on some recent happenings with my favorite automaker. I don't usually get upset when an automaker shuts down a few plants and reorganizes things. Business is business. However, what GM had to do recently actually does break my heart. The factories going away isn't what upsets me, though. It's some of the vehicles that are now going away.

Here's the list of them:

• Buick LaCrosse
• Cadillac CT6
• Cadillac XTS
• Chevrolet Cruze
• Chevy Impala
• Chevy Volt

Notice anything about all these vehicles? That's right, they are all coupes & sedans. The consumer trend now is split 70/30 between truck-based vehicles (Pick-Up Trucks, SUV's and Crossovers) and ordinary cars. Plus, sales were slipping for all of these models. GM had no choice. And that is what saddens me the most. Also, I'm not happy with President Trump trying to badmouth GM Chairwoman/CEO Mary Barra for this move. The market forced her hand, Donald. She didn't want to have to shut down factories and lay off employees. I swear, even when we get a businessman for President, the politicians STILL DON'T understand the car business... And I fully expected that because the car business is a really strange & tough business.

I'm actually surprised that the Impala started seeing its sales slip. That model has historically been extremely popular. Hell, I recently bought a used one to replace the truck that was wrecked in August. However, the Impala has died and been resurrected several times before. It first launched for the 1958 model year and was discontinued in 1985. Then, it came back in 1994 and left again in 1996. Then, it came back in 1999 and will be discontinued again after 2019. However, I am sure it will someday return. That nameplate is just as iconic as the Camaro or the Corvette. It can't go away forever.

It's also too bad that there was not much consumer demand for the Buick LaCrosse. That model was the closest modern equivalent to the Buick Riviera, a model I have been wanting GM to bring back for some time. The Riviera name could still come back as a 'halo car' for Buick, but a new Grand National would probably be the better choice for a Buick halo car. I'd be happy with either one, though.

All this being said, I am not sure what the automotive future is going to be anymore. Does this mean that I am stuck with having to buy a truck or SUV for the next vehicle in a few years? I really hope not. Those vehicles do have a lot of utility, which is why they sell so well. However, they also have really terrible gas mileage compared to cars. They are also never going to have very good balance and handling compared to cars when it comes to high speed driving performance. There's just no way a Tahoe can outmaneuver a Corvette. That would defy the laws of physics as we know them. (Or, utilize some technology that hasn't been developed yet.)

Either way, I lament this trend in the auto industry.

- Lord Publius