Are there any vehicles in the GM lineup that would be worth going with if we are able to get a steep discount?

Unless we are talking about heavy duty trucks (2500+ series and higher), the answer is No.

No doubt the average Toyota will have better reliability than the average GM.  But let’s not get carried away.  Like in Scotty’s video yesterday about the Dodge minivan, even a Chrysler product can last if you maintain aggressively and drive conservatively.  

A few thoughts to make buying a GM car a reasonable option:

• Avoid turbos and electrified cars; buy a naturally aspirated engine
• Avoid unnecessary electronic options; buy the base model
• Know the details of what transmission you are getting and which ones to avoid
• Look for final assembly in the US
• Dont lock yourself in to long term ownership; be ready to get out when it goes off warranty
• Identify the most reputable/ ethical dealer in your area 

Gotta say, compact SUVs are not GMs strong suit.  But if you are thoughtful you can make it work.

@daywalker is right. 

Also, if the discount was steep enough, it may be worth getting something, KNOWING it won’t last forever like a Toyota or Honda. But it has to be super duper steep in order for that to make any mathematical sense. I must reiterate, it has to be super duper steep. If it is just a few thousand bucks, better off getting a Toyota or Honda. You’ll break even or better, easy considering the lower maintenance and repair cost for a Toyota or a Honda  

But if we are talking super duper steep discount, there may be a sweet spot where it is worth it.

I would run the numbers. The potential repair costs based on the model I would want. And see if the numbers justify even considering. 

Even with a discount, it's probably not worth the headache.

If you will be starting a family soon, and you just might, look into a compact SUV.  They are really safe, great for car seats, that hatchback is great for getting all the baby gear in and out of the vehicle.

Rav4

My 2 cents

My family used to have ties with Audi, had a cousin high up in the company. He got some great "Discounts" on Audi's for my aunt and their kids.

Those discounts evaporated quickly when the big mechanic bills started rolling in with regularity. I don't mean little bills either.

The cars drove great though, while they were running anyway.

As others have advised, best to stay away from Chevy unless it is a heavy duty truck.

We too used to get a big GM discount through my father in law who was a GM engineer. He always said the engineers designed a good car but the GM bean counters would change the designs and replace things with cheap parts. Anyway, there were 3 levels of discount and we got the best one. We bought new a 2002 GMC Yukon XL Denali which we still have at around $32,000 (MSRP was something totaling around $52,000).We got a 2003 Avalanche and a 1998 Aurora likewise for a great discount.Those discounts became much less and less and they have only one level of discount now which is a couple thousand off MSRP. You could negotiate for a better discount and probably can again in the next year.

We bought a 2019 Buick Enclave for $11,000 off MSRP. We only bought a post 2016 GM product because of this negotiated, not GM discount, sale price. I would only buy a 2500HD GM Sierra or Silverado from GM now and only if I could get many thousands off MSRP. I think $10,000 off MSRP for these overpriced trucks would be a good place to target.The 2500 series seems to be their last decent model.Otherwise I would look to Honda or Subaru. I do not want these new turbo engine cars that Toyota has gone with now. I sure wish Toyota had not made this engine change across their entire fleet.

Does the big discount apply to leases? A leased GM car is a LOT less problematical in that after 3 years and enough miles for the warranty to run out, it's somebody else's problem.

If you will be starting a family soon, and you just might, look into a compact SUV.  They are really safe, great for car seats, that hatchback is great for getting all the baby gear in and out of the vehicle.

Rav4

My 2 cents

For anything but work vehicles, avoid GM junk.

Even their halo car the Chevrolet Corvette through the generations has had issues.  Many Corvette owners extend their warranty on their vehicles and would never dream of owning without a warranty.

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Now imagine on their lesser GM vehicles (1, 2, several notches down from the Corvette) how much worse it is.

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Shop owner and Master Mechanic The Car Wizard has even warned customers not to buy a non-Toyota/Honda product that is half the price of those Toyotas/Hondas;  the cheaper price is alluring at first but ends up biting his customers later on, and then they have to go buy another vehicle a little sooner than they really should.  Well, you might as well have bought the more reliable vehicle in the first place despite paying a little more and have it last.

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You can maintain a vehicle as meticulously as you want and that might help it last longer, but quality/reliability has to be designed in from the beginning by the engineers.  That’s not been the case with GM for a while.

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2 of my existing 3 vehicles are GM products and they were from a time period where they were better built but I would never own another GM product again, as long as I am alive.  

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We had another shop owner who used to frequent this forum before who also had worked for GM for 10 years as a powertrain engineer and he attested to their poor quality and never recommends GM vehicles to his family, friends, or anyone else that asks.