GM/Chevy: Truth in advertizing?

Question

Is anyone else offended by the GM ads wher they say: "From gas-friendly to gas-free"? This is the biggest farce I've ever seen! They don't have one decent car that gets 30+ MPG, plus they sell the top gas-guzzlers in the market. The Volt is 3 years away, best case. Can't something be done, from a legal standpoint, to stop this deceptive ad campaign?

Answer 1

The best you can do is boycott their trash.  I worked for them as a toolmaker for 14 years.  I took a buyout cuz I couldn't stand the union or the company.  I bought a Ford truck 2 months later (used of course).  I'll never buy a GM product again.  I could fill a book with the deception that is GM, advertising is low on the list but you're right they're playing to the non-discriminating consumer (dumb azz).

Answer 2

Well, I am not a huge GM fan or anything, but I can tell you that my Impala company cars got about 30MPG.  A smaller car with the same engine will get better mileage than that.

Answer 3

I believe it, because my Cobalt that I just bought gets 37 mpg highway, and with today's gas prices, I really can't complain. Chevrolet does have good gas mileage, the impala is a huge car and stills gets 29-30 highway, thats excellent! Sure, they Tahoe and TrailBlazer get mediocre mileage, but the smaller cars they have make up for it, and thats how they get the average of around 30 between all cars.

Why would the ad campaign need to be stopped? It's no lie, Chevy does make cars that are gas-friendly to gas-free.

Answer 4

I feel the same way, every time I see the add I just say to myself,"yeah right GM...give me a break"!

My '96 Cavalier gets better mileage than GMs latest and best and their old 97 Geo typically got 42 plus...and GM just keeps advertising and whining that increasing mileage is just to tough.

Answer 5

I don't know about the legal standpoint question, but it's certainly a deceptive ad.

They certainly don't start at "gas friendly".  GM makes more than its fair share of gas guzzlers, so to be honest, the ad should start "from gas guzzling to...".

They also certainly don't have any gas-free vehicles.  Even when the Chevy Volt comes out (expected in late 2010), it's still not a gas-free vehicle, it's a gas/electric plug-in hybrid.  Theoretically it can be used as gas-free, if never driven more than 40 miles before being recharged, but it's still designed to use gas.

So a realistic ad would read "From gas guzzling to gas friendly".  I always scoff when I see these ridiculous GM ads.

Answer 6

Truth and advertising, are exact opposites, by all modern standards. Madison ave, has never told the truth yet, and won't start now.

Answer 7

Wise up.

Answer 8

In a way, I agree with you - the typical response to a crisis in Detroit is to think of a new slogan. ("Ford has a better idea." "Quality is Job One."  "Not your Father's Oldsmobile.")

However, I am under the impression that GM is spending a lot of money on the Volt.  I hope it pays off.