Feelin' a little sad: Pontiac.

[cowboy74]

iactually test drove a aztec and montana yrs ago lolaztec tho kinda werd looking did have a few things goin for it montana was not much more then a all whhel drive chevy van and olds had a version to lol reminds ya ov the apv vans rofl!!!!!! tho true if there were not so manyvehicle manufactured out there yeahi could see olds pontiac plymouth and few others come backbut with everything the way it is now just to many diff things out there isee 1-5 gm ads on tv a day compared to 15-45 import ads ....... shakes head makes ya wonder what the next 30-60 yrs will turn into

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by dragon2368

You know as many Pontiac's that I see on the road in my area it makes me wonder how in the world it wouldn't be profitable to keep the line around?? I see them everywhere and the newly young licensed drivers here usually wind up with a Pontiac car! So I am not sure why the brand wasn't profitable???
But of course I owned an Aztek an loved that stupid thing even though it was ugly!! LOL!

Fleet sales.

Originally Posted by Bo White

Pontiac should have stayed and Buick got the axe. Guess too much money had been spent on Tiger Woods to let it go for the moment.

Or too much money was being made off Buick and no money was being made off Pontiac.

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by Lumix

Yes indeed...I miss Pontiac quite a lot.
I might easily have bought a firebird instead of camaro if it had been available.

Do you really have two Solstices?

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

Pontiac and Saturn were losing money. Buick was not (premium price) -- plus as my friend from Ohio points out -we sell many many more in China than we do the United States.

I can't fault GM for making a profit or entering any market where it can do so.

But I'm a little concerned that the Chinese influences on Buick product design might over time start creeping into GM products primarily intended for the rest of the world (and the USA & Canada in particular).


Some years ago, I bummed a few autocross runs in a friend's E-Street Prepared 4th gen Firebird. A very easy, very honest car to jump into and drive the snot out of.


Norm

[Lumix]

Originally Posted by JusticePete

Do you really have two Solstices?

This is going to be hard to believe, but I actually bought three.
2006 envious green with manual transmission.
2006 victory red with manual transmission.
2008 victory red with auto transmission.
The auto trans car was notably faster than the 5 speed manual cars.
None were GXP due to my "now confirmed" concerns about the longevity of turbo charged cars... especially from GM.
I miss the solstice...
Nice car...
Traded the '08 in for the camaro...
Never had any mechanical issues with any of the solstice...but the camaro is definitely a substantial upgrade in build quality. And despite being a thousand pounds heavier and almost twice the horsepower, camaro still gets 10-12 MPG more than the solstice. Nice.

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by Lumix

This is going to be hard to believe, but I actually bought three.
2006 envious green with manual transmission.
2006 victory red with manual transmission.
2008 victory red with auto transmission.
The auto trans car was notably faster than the 5 speed manual cars.
None were GXP due to my "now confirmed" concerns about the longevity of turbo charged cars... especially from GM.
I miss the solstice...
Nice car...
Traded the '08 in for the camaro...
Never had any mechanical issues with any of the solstice...but the camaro is definitely a substantial upgrade in build quality. And despite being a thousand pounds heavier and almost twice the horsepower, camaro still gets 10-12 MPG more than the solstice. Nice.

Very cool.

[RubyCamaro]

I still don't see why they could not make the Solstice under either the Chevy or Buick division.

[Vroom_vroom]

I have had a love affair with Pontiac (and olds) from the day I figured out how to turn the key but I have a feeling they would ruin the legacy if the tried to bring any thing back. At least Pontiac went out with some very bad ass rides in the last few years.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by RubyCamaro

I still don't see why they could not make the Solstice under either the Chevy or Buick division.

Because GM lost money on every Kappa sold.

[Lumix]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Because GM lost money on every Kappa sold.

You know, this is a popular cliche on auto forums. And it's repeated far too often.
I seriously doubt that Pontiac designed, built, and sold these cars for 5 years at a loss. Losing money on $25-$30K small four cylinder cars doesn't sound likely either. Long waiting times for delivery, high dealer mark-up, and a 5 year production doesn't sound like a sign of losing money.
Doubt, doubt and...doubt.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by Lumix

You know, this is a popular cliche on auto forums. And it's repeated far too often.
I seriously doubt that Pontiac designed, built, and sold these cars for 5 years at a loss. Losing money on $25-$30K small four cylinder cars doesn't sound likely either. Long waiting times for delivery, high dealer mark-up, and a 5 year production doesn't sound like a sign of losing money.
Doubt, doubt and...doubt.

Repeated by reputable sources.

[tonyko1]

GM's axiom: "We may be losing $1000 on each car, but we plan on making it up on volume".......... See Chevy Volt for the latest iteration.

[Bonanza7]

Originally Posted by JusticePete

Do you really have two Solstices?

I had 3. Down to one now...the only one that didn't spend it's life at the dealer for warranty work. This one is a damn fine car...but the other '08 was a nightmare. If it was part of the car, it was defective. The '06 was OK, but still nothing to write home about. Little aggravations

[Bonanza7]

Originally Posted by RubyCamaro

I still don't see why they could not make the Solstice under either the Chevy or Buick division.

They sold to most everyone who wanted that kind of car. Besides, now that the initial bloom is off it, they would have to do some major design changes. Ergonomics were terrible, no loose storage space for things like a garage door opener, and a whole slew of little things that just drove you crazy. How would you like being locked out of your trunk. NO WAY to open it, since it was electric, and the cable system broke on many of them. Some dealers could get it open, others took a crow bar and ripped the trunk lid off. Wheel studs that broke, and 10 day delivery time since they were not standard, and never in stock. I carried spare studs in my trunk after 3 broke on one wheel. Hands sliced open by the chrome coming off the interior door handle. Like I said...bad engineering. Drove great, though. But you can't drive a frame and drive train. Need a body that works.