Ford vs. GM – Which is Awarded 2011 Truck of the Year?

 

Three trucks qualified for the 2011, all heavy-duty variants of established players in the full-size segment: the Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty, Ford F-Series Super Duty, and GMC Sierra Heavy Duty. All we needed to make this one of our standard comparison test was the Ram Heavy Duty, but it won Truck of the year twelve months ago.

The Three Heavy-Hitters for 2011

 

The six key items that are measured during testing are: 

1. Advancement in Design
2. Engineering Excellence
3. Efficiency
4. Safety
5. Value
6. Performance of Intended Function 

As was done last year, Motor Trend elected to bring two variants from each of the qualifying brands. Along with three gas-powered single rear-wheel trucks, they selected a turbo-diesel, double cabin, and dual rear wheel “Dualie” variant of each, for a total of six trucks. 

Heavy- Duty trucks demand heavy-duty testing, so they headed to a world-class vehicle evaluation facility just outside of Phoenix, Arizona, with a professional, knowledgeable and helpful staff. Nissan’s Arizona Technical Center (ATC) is a top-notch testing facility utilized not only by Nissan and it related companies, but also a number of well-known automobile and motorcycle manufacturers and suppliers on a contract basis. 

In addition to the standard complement of acceleration, braking and handling test, they also performed acceleration tests with giant sandbag payloads ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 pounds, depending on the truck. The towing ability of each truck with 7,000 pound trailers for the gasoline trucks and 12,000 pounds for the diesels were also tested. After the empty and laden test regimen, they ran all the trucks back-to-back through a driving loop that incorporated many of ATC’s varied driving surfaces. 

Along with the testing performed at ATC, the trucks were evaluated in the real world, on a rotating schedule during the roughly 350 mile drive from Los Angeles to Phoenix. 

After all the timing and testing, sandbag loading and note taking, they sat down to discuss the test results, reviewing the driving impressions and debate the individual selections. Then all was placed into a vote. 

Here are some of the comments made about each line: 

Ford F- Series: 

• Too Much Flash
• Not as powerful as it sounds and the engine sounds great.
• Looks like a ‘Transformer’
• Tap up – tap down transmission very functional. 

Chevrolet Silverado: 

• Understated – Very low-key, clean and simple. Making this an ‘honest’ truck.
• Wonderful Dynamics
• Absorbs road bumps nicely. 

GMC Sierra HD Denali: 

• Great styling
• Extremely similar to Chevrolet
• Drives like a car 

All said and done, it was deemed that the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD would be announced by Motor Trend as the 2011 Truck of the year. This was decided based on a one-vote difference between the 2011 GMC Sierra HD Denali. The key factor is that the Denali package should be stretched more to cultivate a luxury image. 

This being said, it is clear to state that General Motors has dominated the market with their HD Trucks as compared to their all-time leading rivalry of Ford.

See How it Measured. (Video)

www.YatesBuickGMC.com 
View Our Inventory and Pricing
 

Source: www.motortrend.com

Buick Regal in High Demand, GM Tries to Keep Up

The Buick Regal has been hard to keep on the lot at dealerships nationwide. They have been practically driving themselves to the happy homes of new car owners.

Last week the turbo-charged 2.0L Ecotec-equipped Buick Regal was put into production at the plant in Russelheim, Germany, meanwhile, back in the States, General Motors Co. is seeing the Regal in popular demand– to the point they are having trouble keeping up!

2011 Buick Regal in high demand, photo via Flickr user BUICK REGAL

The market has been so receptive to the Regal, inventory is mostly bare. Re-branding efforts by Buick have been successful in attracting a variety of buyers.

Dealers are now requesting double the number of cars GM can provide during their monthly reorders.

With a base price at about $27,000 and the fully equipped models reaching over $35,000, the Buick Regal has even been pulling midsize luxury car drivers out of their BMWs and Audis in favor of the Regal.

Buick Regal popular around the world:

The U.S. (through August): 3,878 sold
China (last year): 80,000 sold
Europe (last year): 150,000 sold

If you haven’t considered a Buick during your car shopping, visit us at Yates— our selection and customer service will have you giving Buick a second look.

But before you go to visit our website and plan your visit to our dealership, Yates wants to know: What car have you been noticing on the road everywhere lately? Is there a make or model that everyone seems to be driving? Leave us your answer in the comment box below!

GM uses Enclave to win over Chinese market

Never content with a resurgence of success in the U.S., General Motors Corp. is looking to China for the next big markets to win over – and you Buick fans should be excited to hear what vehicle GM is throwing into the fray….

But first, the context: There are about 100 cities in China with populations that exceed 1 million, and by 2025 that number is expected to double. These are called second- and third-tier cities, often with populations comparable to those of Beijing and Shanghai but minus the staggering level of development.

Buick Enclave

These are the cities where GM and other competitive automakers will be fighting to gain foothold in the next few years.

And here’s the exciting news: GM has a solid head start with the Chinese market, thanks to their Buick brand. Buick was the last emperor’s preferred brand of vehicle, and his favoritism has left the general Chinese population with a lingering association between Buick and luxury.

Mike Wall, automotive analyst for IHS Automotive in Grand Rapids, is familiar with Buick’s success in China. “Buick is a strong, strong brand in China,” he says, “pretty well regarded.”

Enter the Buick Enclave.

The Lansing State Journal reports that the Enclave is one of the Buick vehicles leading GM’s charge into the second- and third-tier city markets. Last year alone 10,000 to 12,000 Enclaves were shipped from the Lansing Delta Township plant to China, and GM China outsold the U.S. sector by about 150,000 vehicles just during the first quarter of this year.

So, what is so exciting about the Enclave that GM would put it at the forefront of the Buick push in China?

A lot. For you U.S. drivers, the Enclave is equipped with a V6 engine and 6-speed transmission; it has a five-star crash test rating, four-wheel independent suspension, a rearview back-up camera, Bose surround sound system…and more.

Whether it’s the potential for success in the Chinese auto market, or just the OnStar turn-by-turn navigation you love – it’s all in the Enclave.

Check out the Enclave you could be driving: http://www.yatesbuickgmc.com.