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General Motors’ Director of News Relations, Tom Wilkinson, sent the following email to Industry Analysts today concerning the AutoPacific/IntelliChoice Motorist Choice Awards. I think you will be interested in his spin on General Motors’ performance.
“We know some of you have seen the release on the Motorist Choice Awards from IntelliChoice and AutoPacfic, and that several of you work for the companies that produce the awards. But in case you missed it, we wanted to forward a copy of the release, along with a few observations.
For starters, we think the awards reflect the ongoing progress GM has made in solidifying its leadership in trucks, and the challenges we know we face in becoming a leader in cars. We think we are continuing to make real progress here. But we also know we cannot underestimate the competition.
Like others, we noted that these awards often defy conventional wisdom, and that brands and vehicles that fall at midpack (or below) in other rankings rose to the top here. As we have said before, we think it is getting harder and harder to find substantial differences in quality or reliability, which leaves customers a wide range of vehicles to chose from — and fall in love with.
We also suspect that the internet is making information on price, cost of ownership, repair history, fuel economy, etc. more and more transparent. It stands to reason that someone who falls in love with a vehicle after researching its strengths and weaknesses is going to be happier in the long run.
Thanks for your time.”
Tom Wilkinson
Director, GM News Relations