Driving down the road to change

Current Saturn Mailing: "Saturn 360" ^ | Spring, 2009 | Steve Krause

[Monterrosa-24]

Saturn caravan helps welcome new president, promotes energy conservation.

"Change starts in your driveway!" declared Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak, as she launched the trip outside the North American International Auto Show in downtown Detroit.

...To gather promises and greetings, the VUE's planned stopovers at Saturn retailers, grade schools and colleges, including three of the 17 involved in the EcoCAR contest--Ohio State, Penn State, and Howard University...

Here students and others signed oversized greeting cards (infused with plantable wildflower seeds) for the newly elected chief executive. The card read: "Change: Thanks to you the word is no longer a cliche. Congratulations, President Obama."

[Monterrosa-24]

This article and 26-page Saturn mailer were adorned with more "green" articles and photo pledge cards filled with promises to help the environment: "I pledge to drive less and walk more", I pledge to keep my tires inflated" (a blonde taking Obama's energy plan to heart), "I pledge to unplug my cell phone charger when not in use", "I pledge to turn the water off when I brush my teeth", and many more. These pledge cards were made by adults. Is it any wonder that GM is in crises when it sends out 26 pages (very ungreen) of such an advertisement to Alabama where it will practically guarentee that recepients will not buy such a brain dead trendy-set product?

[Nervous Tick]

>> “Change starts in your driveway!”

OK, next time I change my oil in my driveway, I’ll just let it run off into the lawn instead of catching it in a pan.

Hey, maybe I’ll even set it on fire!

That the sort of change we’re looking for?

[Monterrosa-24]

“...OK, next time I change my oil in my driveway, I’ll just let it run off into the lawn instead of catching it in a pan...”

I don’t think Saturn 360 will display your pledge on their web site.

[Spktyr]

I pledge that the next time I’m shopping for a new car, it won’t be a Saturn.

[Nervous Tick]

I don’t think Saturn 360 will display your pledge on their web site.

heh heh... think again...

[Monterrosa-24]

“I pledge that the next time I’m shopping for a new car, it won’t be a Saturn.”

That will be the reaction of lots of us. I bought a Saturn S-1 and later bought a made-in-Tennessee VUE that I still drive. But I guess GM thinks they will make up for the offending of NASCAR types and conservatives by casting for those who pledge to walk more and drive less (who really don’t like cars).

[Monterrosa-24]

GM will provide no “plantable wildflower seeds” for you. So There!!!

[Wife of D]

le sigh.......

Yeah, I got my Saturn in 2000 and it still drives like a top at 110k +.

I may have to set it on fire and go buy a ..... crap damn - I have some research to do....

[Monterrosa-24]

I can’t believe Saturn produced this “Go Green” magazine and fawned over Obama in such a way.

GM muddied the whole American vs. import car issue more by stripping Ions and VUEs out of Tennessee and sending their assembly south-of-the-border. So we consumers are supposed to be happy with GM continuing to support unionized closed-shop plants in right-to-work states while finally cashing out and jumping for foreign assembly lines.

You’re right that it takes reserch now to find a car that is over 80 percent American made.

[Spktyr]

That Jag I posted above is well over 200K. Since it was never a paragon of reliability, I suggest that 100K is not “a great achievement” for a car, but the lowest threshold of acceptability.