Quote:
Originally Posted by Hylton
I'm not convinced. Name me one vehicle GMC sells that does not have a Chevrolet or Cadillac counterpart?
|
I think you completely missed the point of my last post.
If GMC dies, I am more than willing to go to Chevy for my truck needs. However, there are plenty of people who drive GMC and wouldn't be caught dead in a Chevy and vice versa. A few months ago, a rumor came around on GMInsideNews that GMC was on a list of brands that could be dropped, and almost immediately there was an uproar from GMC drivers. Believe it or not, there are people out there who are detail-oriented enough to notice every difference between a Sierra and Silverado. And there are even more people out there who know that they're the same truck, but still think that the Sierra looks better.
There's also brand reputation to take into account. For many, Chevy's always been the normal, every-day, work truck, entry level car or truck or whatever. Cadillac offers all-out luxury, but at an extreme price.
I think my own hometown is a perfect example of this. I seriously see more Yukons/Yukon XLs on the road here than Tahoes or Suburbans. The majority of people here could be classified as upper middle class, probably in the $70-90k income bracket. For those who need an SUV, Cadillac is too expensive, leaving Chevy and GMC. For whatever reason, people here choose GMC.
Personally, I've attributed it to the fact that GMCs tend to look more upscale than Chevys despite being the same truck. For example, my '03 Envoy has chrome (fake) accents around the A/C ducts and gauges. The Trailblazer's A/C ducts bulge out from the paneling, which IMO, doesn't look as nice. The Trailblazer has a plastic casing which surrounds the switchgear which just looks like the gray, hard plastic which covers the entire dash, whereas my Envoy has a patterned, glossy plastic casing. The front grille of my Envoy is surrounded in chrome (fake...
), whereas the Trailblazer's grille is surrounded by body color paint.
So yes, both brands offer the same trucks. But when it comes down to a matter of personal opinion, there actually are people who prefer one brand to another. Depending on how much they prefer the brand, they may switch over, or they might not.