It's the Consumer's fault that North America's "Big Three" are facing troubles... HARDLY!

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090220/detroit_three_090221/20090221?hub=TopStories

Ok, so in brief, this article says that because consumers were buying big SUVs, we led the collapse of North America's 'Big Three'. Ok, so let me get this straight: because I may have wanted an SUV (there are only two really that I'd take: BMW X5/6, Infiniti FX35/45), it clearly means that I wanted a gas-guzzler. So most SUVs are regarded in this way and it's just not true. It's not so much what's under the hood but how it's driven. I would bet anything that a Honda Civic can be driven in such a fashion that it would consume more fuel than a typical American SUV.

So, getting back to the assumption that the consumer wanted gas guzzlers. Well that's just not true. The consumer wanted a large, capable vehicle, whether it be for work-related reasons or for large families, (I don't count the 'poseurs'... because.... well, they're POSEURS and they ruined the image of a Hummer, it used to be a truck, now it's a joke!) Living in the 'snow-band', I see the logic of having an SUV, most of which is simply related to the fact that they're All-Wheel-Drive and have a huge cargo capacity.

But to apply the logic of the article and the industry-insider's opinion that it's our fault, well, that means, 'oh since I want an SUV, I ONLY want a big honkin' cast-iron block, tree-burning, Earth-choking monstrosity because I want to 'be seen'! Nothing could be further from the truth!

It's insulting to the consumer to suggest it's our fault that GM and F*rd paid their execs such exorbitant salaries and re-invested so little of their profits back into development. Yes, the consumer is not only smarter when it comes to buying a car but now we know more about the cars and what we want and don't want from the cars. We've been demanding more and more from the cars in the last 30 years, in safety, features, value and build quality. I wouldn't want to undo that.

Although it still stuns me that I know more about any specific car I'm looking at than the salesperson, I wouldn't want it any other way. Would you? So if being informed and well aware of what we want, deserve and demand is why the Big three are in trouble, then I bloody well wear the label of fault proudly. I won't accept anything less and neither should you.