<VV> GM QUALITY (no CORVAIR)

[Robert Marlow]

It's the dealer.

I have been driving Chrysler products for more than the past two 
decades.  Why?  In my hometome, GM decided to close the 65-year-old 
Chevy dealership in favor of "highway locations."  Literally across the 
street was the Chrysler store, and at the time they had just gotten 
these new minivan things.  Minivans were hot in 1985, and most 
dealerships were marking them up.  This small-town dealer discounted the 
van, and through that van and several more, plus a Plymouth Scamp pickup 
and a PT Cruiser, has given me attentive service and value.

Were the cars better or worse than GM (or other) vehicles?  Pure 
personal opinion.  But that dealership treated me so well that I kept 
coming back.  Example:  The 1990 minivan was the first year for the 
UltraDrive automatic transmission, which quickly built a reputation for 
problems.  Sure enough, the one in my van failed.  The dealer gave me a 
loaner car, the dealer OWNER met with me personally to update me on the 
progress of the repair, and when a repair could not be effected, the 
entire transmission was replaced under warranty.  All while I drove a 
rather nice loaner.  So what easily could have been "I'll never drive 
another Chrysler!" became a painless experience, due to the dealer.

Now, if GM had not closed that Chevy store, where my grandfather, my 
father, and I had purchased cars and where I also enjoyed a high level 
of service, I probably would have stayed in GM products.  But the 
"highway stores" were further from me and they were impersonal at best 
and crooks at worst, this latter point documented in periodic news articles.

It's the dealer.

--Bob
Currently the owner of (1) Chrysler, (1) Ford, (1) GM, (1) VW, and (4) 
Corvairs.