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I'd love to manage those companies. I'll add them to my list of poorly managed businesses turned around with decisive and effective decisions. Give my management consulting company 5 years of leadership at GM and we'll see a downsized but healthy US auto industry.
A perfect example of GM's idiocy can be seen in the Chevy Volt. GM has known about rising fuel prices and uncertainty in oil supply since the 70's. GM even developed a cool little car whose time would come, the EV1. However, that car was not profitable in and of itself so the plug was pulled. There was no foresight, no concern for GM's image, and no vision. The ex-CEO now admits it was his worst decision at GM.
In the meantime, we have almost a decade of rising fuel prices and another fuel crisis. Add to that an environmental movement concerned about Global Warming, and Toyota is selling every Prius they can, and Honda as well with their Hybrids. Where is GM (Ford, Chrysler as well)? By the time GM re-entered the game with a
concept Chevy Volt that still may never see the light of day, they are so far behind the curve as to be headed for bankruptcy. Had GM continued with the EV1, the Volt could have been ready a decade earlier, according to GM's own head of R&D, Larry Burns. How many Volt's would GM have sold in the last 2 years?
Of course, the above is just an example, and the Big 3 have come out with some competitive products over the years. The trouble is, there is no
consistency. Here is an excellent WIKI entry for Car and Driver's Ten Best cars. Note how relatively few and far between US cars make the list with the exception of the Corvette. Also note how the US entries seem to be a specific refreshed model that then falls back out of favor a couple of years later.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_and_Driver_Ten_Best
Check out
Consumer Reports, and look at all the nice red circles for Honda and Toyota products. Note the prevalence of black marks around US cars.
Check out ALG lease residuals...US cars fare poorly in resale value as well. Or as an example use KBB.com to price out a 3 year old, 30,000 mile Accord and any Big 3 competitor same miles same year with the same or more features and MSRP.
Check out JD Power ratings, again we have spotty and inconsistent records from the Big 3. And where US cars do fare well, their desirability rankings are in the toilet.
Bottom line, I'm sick of people suggesting the Big 3's troubles are anything but a product of their own poor management.
Finally, a few comments about specific cars in your list:
Suggesting the BMW 3 series is an economy car is really burying your head in the sand. Many very automobile knowledgeable persons like myself whom can afford almost any car we want, consider it the best all-around car in the world. Cobalt SS? Cheap azz interior lets down otherwise great potential. Ford Fusion/Mazda 6? I test drove one about a month ago, boring as hell. CTS-V? Fantastic car if you can live with 14 mpg and poor resale record.
We can agree on the Corvette as world class...while still wondering why we have to live with a leaf spring suspension.