De-FUD: A Letter From An Uniformed, Yet Educated, Critic

This article is part of the GM Authority De-FUD segment, where we take the Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt (FUD) and other BS out of articles, letters, competitive advertisements, and more! If you come across an article that’s full of it, please send it to us here.

Following is a letter GM Authority received earlier this week from Winthrope (first name changed and last name omitted for the sake of saving Winthrope some face). We were so shocked at the contents of the letter, that we felt the necessity to publish it and take the FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) out of the equation. To do so, we’ll comment when and where we see fit. Here’s how the letter begins (no joke):

…and this site is still on the web close to a year later?

Yes, Winthrope. That’s because “this site” is GM Authority — the best independent source for anything related to General Motors — we’re not owned, sponsored, or otherwise condoned by General Motors. But even if you did think we were GM (as in General Motors), then their website (and individual brand websites) are still “on the web” as well. In fact, they’re very much alive and kicking… because, you know, GM is the largest auto manufacturer in the world.

Winthrope continues:

GM vehicles, with the exception of the Camaro exterior, are less than exciting. Even so, who can forget March 29, 2009? Rick Wagoner, a pioneer in profiteering. Yes, the man who let an American icon drift into near oblivion—the darkness of the under-verse left to those remaining to clean up the mess. A man who admitted to “profit over quality” for thirty years!!

Can GM shake the “Wagoner Syndrome?” Not sure, although I believe with a little talent the design of GM vehicles may be able to rebound. Time will tell the tale of this epic saga.

Let’s get a few things straight: first of all, Rick Wagoner became GM President and CEO in June of 2000. He was elected chairman on May 1, 2003. Nine years (not thirty) isn’t enough to let a company as big as GM “drift into near oblivion”. No, the real damage, in our opinion, was done by Roger Smith in 1984, who eliminated divisional autonomy at General Motors.

As for GM vehicles being “less than exciting”… boy are you mistaken here. Sure, you mention the Camaro as the “exception” to that statement. But how about the Corvette, CTS-V range, and Buick Regal? If these vehicles don’t strike you as exciting, dear Winthrope, then perhaps a Fiat 500 is much more so?

I’m not even sure why I am emailing this ad hoc, year old request for a writer. A writer…? Who needs writing when nearly all of your vehicles are floundering in the banal, and less than stimulating driving experience?

That’s because, dear Winthrope, you seem to lack the very simple capacity to read. You’re not on a General Motors website. You’re at GM Authority — The Ultimate Independent Destination For Everything GM. And writing, among other things, is what we do here.
As for who needs writing when “nearly all of your vehicles are floundering in the banal” and are “less than exciting to drive” — what about the vehicles mentioned earlier? The CTS-V, Regal, Regal Turbo, and Regal GS? How about the Chevy Cruze, for crying out loud — which is much more “exciting to drive” than a Corolla, Sentra, or Civic? Are you actually familiar with GM’s current product portfolio? Doesn’t seem like you are…

I test drove the new Camaro when it hit the showroom floor. Exciting as it was to look at, the car still had mediocrity written all over the body. The overly massive Chevy badge, the unpainted roof-top antennae—which would weather terribly, and I’m sure many owners have found themselves applying Amor-All to make it look black again.

And what happened to the design of that grill? For some bizarre reason it reminded me of having braces all over again. What happened there? Then the salesman tells me if I want the body trim, it comes from the factory unpainted. Dreadfully unaware he may have been, but it seemed that the real selling point from his perspective was the lion under the hood. That was impressive! But anyone can make an engine sound good. Want to hear my truck exhaust? A little cold-air intake and new exhaust piping can go a long way.

Styling is subjective. But let’s take a look at what “mediocrity written all over the body” means to you: 1) an “overly massive Chevy badge”, 2) “unpainted rooftop antenna”, and 3) a grille that you don’t like. Right. Since when is a big, prominent logo a bad thing? Maybe if you’re driving a Tata Nano… but not when it comes to one of the hottest-looking cars on the planet!

And for the record, the Ford Mustang doesn’t even have a fin in most configurations, instead offering a body-mounted antenna that’s about a foot in length. We wonder what you have to say about that. Either way, you do know that you were looking at the bottom-of-the-line Camaro — the LS V6. Right? That’s the Camaro you get if you’re on a budget.

The only thing with which we can agree with you is the fact that the ground effects package is unpainted from the factory. That’s weak — and we know it. But other than that… let’s continue:

Although, for me to trust GM to make button shifters behind the steering wheel that would continue to work over time, would be similar to hoping they would work after the warranty expired. Hope isn’t something I indulge in when purchasing a vehicle. Some people may have the money to do so, but that’s not how I work.

Uh, what? Those “button shifters” are more like paddle shifters, Winthrope. And if you manage to break one off, we begin to wonder if you’re one of those people who breaks off other things (like steering wheels, door handles, and gear selectors) as well.

You may or may not be asking about me. Probably not… I’m an architect in Salt Lake City, a painting and drawing addict, and a critic of everything that has four wheels. I love cars, I have since I was smoking the tires of my Mustang in high school.

So, there’s my bit. Take it to the “Mocking Room” and laugh while I hit the Toyota lot…

We heeded your advice, Winthrope — and did take it to our own mocking room — this very GM Authority De-FUD article. But here’s our question: when you hit the Toyota lot, which bevy of exciting vehicles will you be looking at? We hear the Corolla, Camry, and Avalon make for fine Camaro competitors…

Moral of the story: be informed, read before you speak (and/or write), and… well, be informed. Personally, we feel ten percent dumber for having read through Winthrope’s letter. May God have mercy on your soul, Winthrope.

That said, we wonder how many other Winthropes are out there who have no idea what they’re taking about, what’s right and what’s wrong, or what website they’re perusing at the moment.

This article is part of the GM Authority De-FUD segment, where we take the Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt (FUD) and other BS out of articles, letters, competitive advertisements, and more! If you come across an article that’s full of it, please send it to us here.