GMC Sierra image from bidcars.com.
As I told in an earlier chapter, I had replaced my Lemon Law ’98 Chevy Cheyenne with a ’99 GMC Sierra. Staying within GM was a questionable idea after the Cheyenne experience. Yet, within 30 days of the Sierra ownership, we were very impressed. At the time, we had no idea how hard it would get used, or how quickly the miles would rack up, which was 61,000 in the first 3 years.
During that time, the only issue that arose with the truck was that one tire was out of round. For the first oil change, I asked that they be balanced and rotated, and that’s what the dealer discovered; a brand-new set from a local tire store solved that issue. Other than that, it just didn’t break, no matter how hard we worked it; towed the largest U-Haul trailer way full, loads of lumber, dirt, and rock to build a deck, etc.
That said, readers of my pieces know that I move through cars quickly. Eventually, what caused the Sierra’s trade-in was its gauge cluster failing. You didn’t know whether the information displayed was accurate or not. And the transmission didn’t shift as crisply, so it went. And we moved on.
GMC Safari Van image from the Cohort by Hyperpack.
I’ve written here about the time when my mom requested my wife, two kids, and me on her deathbed to move back to Ohio to help my youngest sister, who at the time was raising three children alone. Well, we wanted to do everything we could, and I guess in some ways I tried to fill in between their dad’s visits. So we bought a 1997 GMC Safari Van, and it was the perfect fit for Cindy to shuttle five kids back and forth to school, events, and the like. There isn’t much to say about that van, other than it just never broke. So, despite the ’98 Cheyenne episode, we were a GM family for the immediate future.
….
So, I will finish my thoughts on GM and brand alliance. Growing up, I had certain car styles, engines, and options on my cars. And I followed my dad’s lead, for the most part, as he was a GM man all my life. That is, until his last 9 years of life, when he drove a Toyota Camry.
So, I guess I was under the spell; the target demographic, the customer that every brand loves. I liked Ford for a while, especially for things like the Taurus/Sable (owned one of each), the Fox Mustang (owned two), and the Panther Grand Marquis (owned two). We later owned many more GM cars and trucks, and I did feel a bit of an alliance. You see, when they built the Fort Wayne assembly plant, they bought 75 acres of land belonging to a very close family of mine. Further, they told the family that they could keep their home if they wanted to have it moved, and the deal couldn’t have come at a better time financially for them.
Our 2024 Nissan Rogue, in a lovely two-tone black over blue exterior with a light oyster grey interior.
We decided on the SL AWD with the Premium package, one trim below Platinum’s top level.
But in June of last year, when my beloved 2018 ruby red Sierra SLT with a “big” 39800 miles began to have transmission issues, I was frustrated. After my mechanic tried for 10 weeks to find parts to repair it, there were none available. So on June 24, praying that the torque converter wouldn’t implode, I carefully drove away from seeing my father-in-law and pulled into the local Nissan dealership. I left in a brand new Rogue, against hearing good and bad. So far, 14900 miles in, no issues.
So I’ve learned. Best price, a vehicle that fits my budget, and dependability. I don’t shop thinking that I’ll own it 250,000 miles; I shop thinking about what issue it’ll solve. And, other than the Rogue, which may be my last new car, I’ve been finding decent used cars that do the job.
Chip, so tell us about your Nissan!
I have to say that I’m also fascinated by the deal that GM made with your family members in Fort Wayne. Did they actually move the house?! That seems to be the kind of thing that a deep-pocketed corporation could do, but nevertheless exceeds expectations. Interesting.