Big discounts on remaining Pontiacs and Saturns, but you have to find one first

Plymouth Rock in a Saturn Astra: Plymouth, Saturn and this chicken are all gone

The Wall Street Journal ran an article today about General Motor's generous cash allowances to Pontiac and Saturn dealers to help in cleaning out remaining inventory.

View some of my favorite Pontiac and Saturn models in this linked slideshow.

Naturally, visions of tremendous discounts off highly desirable models danced in buyers's heads on boards like Slickdeals.  However, if you think the world is going to hand you a fully loaded  Astra for $13,000, you had better realign your sense of reality:  Most of the highly desirable models are already gone.

I ran Pontiac's inventory checker to see what was left here in the San Francisco Bay Area, here is what I found:

One 2009 G6 GT Convertible
Three 2009 G5 Coupes

That's right folks, no G8 sedans, Solstice coupes or Vibes are left in the immediate area.  That is not to say that a dealer could not locate one for you, there are more Pontiacs available if you look further beyond your zip code, but obviously there is less incentive to offer a cut throat price on a vehicle a dealer has to get from somewhere else.

At the beginning of December, there were only 14,500 Pontiacs and Saturns left system wide.  Spread out over the United States, that yields a pretty slim selection for buyers to pick from.  For California buyers looking to perhaps score an extra good deal from a hard hit dealer in another state, factor in that all cars with less than 7,500 miles need to meet California emissions standards, so make absolutely sure that the emissions sticker states that it meets California standards.

All of this is not to say that an enterprising buyer cannot score one heck of a deal, but keep in mind that most of the low hanging fruit has been picked.

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Sun sets on General Motors Sky and Solstice plant

The Pontiac Solstice coupe is drop dead gorgeous

As General Motors begins to take some of its product lines out behind the barn and shoot them, it’s hard not to get a bit misty eyed. Take for example the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky, two American kids growing up in the heartland (okay, actually Delaware).

I remember the first time I laid eyes on the Pontiac Solstice. It was at a GM ride and drive event that was touring the country. The line to test drive the car was long, the day was hot and my wife was questioning exactly why we had to wait in line for this particular car when the line for the Tony Stewart Signature Series Monte Carlo (with orange trim) had no one in line. I gave her the “Surely you must be joking” look and then continued to count the minutes. A fight broke out in the front of the line when someone either tried to score another drive or cut in front, either way no other GM car on the test track inspired that kind of passion. When we finally reached the front of the line, I was practically salivating. We sat down low in the seat, almost so low that my wife could hardly see over the dash. I shifted into first and the Solstice squirted forward. I was quite smitten with the car, even after just a few minutes in the driver’s seat.


My next encounter with the Solstice and Sky wouldn’t be until 2007 when I was invited to GM’s Milford proving grounds for a sampling of their 2008 lineup. Driving around those hallowed grounds was a real treat made even more special when driving with the top down in a Saturn Sky. Yes, the hood shook when I drove over rough patches and the cabin materials were on the hard, cheap-ish side of things, but who cared? I was driving the whee out of a red convertible on GM’s dime and all I had to do was steer clear of the GM proving ground police. As luck would have it, I took a few wrong turns in the in the Sky and ended up with an extended tour of Milford. While I half-heartedly tried to find my way back, a procession of a Buick Enclave, Cadillac CTS and Saturn Sky passed me in the other direction. It was hard not to admire the brilliant styling of those cars. Thank you Bob Lutz I muttered under my breath. You can watch my awkward interview in a YouTube clip shown below.

The Sky and Solstice would have had brilliant successors, I can just feel it. Whatever shortcomings the current models had, GM would have been able to smooth over. Sadly, that day will never come and GM leaves this segment behind. To be certain, sales of convertibles is mercurial at best. The Kappa twins had issues from an intruding gasoline tank, mere suggestions of cup holders and overall refinement that could not best the Miata. Still I am very torn up about the loss of these two gems, more so even than the loss of the Pontiac G8 (which doesn’t make a lot of sense). We can hope that one day GM will be in a position to once again offer up such models to the buying public. However, any such models would be far down the road.

I have always told myself that I’ll buy one of these convertibles on the used market someday. Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubt if I will ever come back. There will be hot new models and I’ll forget all about these two stylish, but flawed machines. One day I'll be watching an auction like Barrett-Jackson and my memories will all come flooding back. The lights will turn off at General Motors’ assembly plant in Wilmington, Delaware at the end of the month. Not only will this be the end of era of GM assembly in Delaware, it is the last auto assembly plant in Delaware. Farewell my little twins, you will be missed.

Here is my tear jerkingly bad interview. I swear I was ambushed by the camera!

Here is another tear jerker. This video was shot when the Kappa cars were first beginning production. There was such hope and optism by the workers. Now that we know the ultimate fate of the plant, it's a little tough to watch without feeling bad for some of these people.

For more info: If you want to know more about the plant's closing, check out this Wilmington News Journal / USA Today piece.

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General Motors loses its Vibe: Pontiac Vibe a goner by the end of August 2009

2009 Pontiac Vibe

The Toyota Matrix will soon lose a sister as GM will cease production of the Fremont, CA assembled Pontiac Vibe by no later than the end of August. The Fremont plant, NUMMI, is a joint venture between Toyota and GM. In the past, NUMMI has assembled the 1985-1988 Chevrolet Nova and the 1989-1997 Geo / Chevrolet Prizm for GM. GM and Toyota are not yet commenting on what vehicle might replace the Vibe.

Direct from the GM press office:

As part of its long-term viability plan and recent decision to phase out the Pontiac brand, General Motors has decided to discontinue production of the Pontiac Vibe by the end of August 2009. The Vibe is produced at the New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated (NUMMI) facility jointly operated by GM and Toyota in Fremont, California. While no replacement for Vibe production has been determined, GM and Toyota remain in active discussions regarding potential future production at NUMMI.

For more info: Visit Pontiac.com

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Official: Pontiac is a Goner

Since word had already "leaked" out last week, no one was shocked today when GM announced the death of the sporty brand. Eliminating Pontiac means that there will be one less distraction for the General as it attempts to heal thyself. GM said that no Pontiac models will be rebadged as Chevrolets, but that won't stop me from speculating.

It might be curtains for the sexy Solstice roadster. Since Saturn is leaving the GM fold one way or the other and Opel's relationship with GM is in flux there really is no place for the roadster in the grand scheme of things. Oh sure, GM could make it a Chevrolet or spruce it up and make it a Buick, but I sincerely doubt it. The volume just isn't there to justify this. I'll never forget zipping around GM's proving grounds in one of these roadsters several years ago. The air was crisp, the paint was bright and I was having a blast. I still hope to own one of these cars someday.

The G8 sedan is a different story. GM's Australian brand, Holden, needs the volume and this sedan is actually very competent and favorably reviewed. Since all the work has been done, it would make a lot of sense to offer this sedan as a Chevrolet, especially since they do it in the Middle East already (see above photo). However, given fuel economy standards, GM may decide that it is not worth the trouble to keep this model in the States.

The Vibe is the only other model I can think of in the Pontiac range that has a chance. The sharp looking hatchback built in cooperation with Toyota has a loyal following. It would seem a shame to lose all that equity. The problem is, Chevrolet dealers are stuffed to the gills. It's a great problem to have, but still one that needs to be thought about. Since the HHR hatch will be moving up in size when the Orlando hits, it would make sense that the Vibe could slide in to fill the gap. Given the unique way in which the Vibe is made, I'm not sure how much the General makes on each model sold. It might not be worth the trouble to keep the Vibe around. Instead, what might happen is that GM phases out its agreement with Toyota and then eventually places a Cruze-derived hatch of similar size into the Chevrolet lineup. It's my strong belief that Chevrolet must have a hedge against the competition's hatches. While true that Chevrolet will have the Spark hatch, that vehicle will be substantially smaller. Ford will have the excellent Focus hatch, Chrysler will have any number of Fiat derived hatches, and the list goes on.

All the rest of Pontiac's "me too" lineup will undoubtedly be euthanized. It's a sad day, but sometimes you have to cut off a limb in order to survive.

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Wither Pontiac?

More and more sources are confirming that Pontiac is indeed done for. The brand has struggled with a lot of "me too" models, but I thought the G8 was a great vehicle with which to rebuild the brand. I also think the Solstice Coupe is pure sex.



In the grand scheme of things, however, offering Pontiac at the Altar of Obama is probably a wise move. Since most Pontiac dealers are paired with Buick and GMC, there should be little fuss from the troops. I don't suppose that we could get our Chinese market Buick Park Avenue now that the G8 is gone, could we?



No authentic images of Chief Pontiac are known to exist. This artistic interpretation was painted by John Mix Stanley.

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Pontiac G8 ST Could Be Dead

Given all the turmoil that currently surrounds GM as of late, the "son of El Camino" Pontiac G8 ST might fall victim to tough times. At this point there is nothing official, but word on the street is that this model is getting a close look.

I have long wondered about the sales potential of this sport truck. I know there are a lot of die hard El Camino fans out there, but how many of them are going to open their wallets for a 21st century model when times are so bad? If the economy wasn't so rotten, I'd say "Why not?" but as we sit and stare at all the unknowns that we'll face in 2009, maybe the ST had better stay down under and work on its tan. Now bring over the G8 wagon! Just kidding :-)

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One Week 2009 Pontiac G8 GT Test Drive

"We don't normally drive like this" quipped my wife rather excitedly as I flung the Pontiac G8 GT onto the freeway on-ramp and nailed the throttle. The 6.0 liter V8 roared as we reached warp speed merging onto 280. My son shouted "Whee!" from his perch in the back seat. I quickly remembered who I was driving and scaled things back to a more sedate pace. That's the thing about this G8, though, it can really make you want to get a little crazy. So begins my review of the 2009 Pontiac G8 GT: a car that isn't perhaps equipped quite how I'd like it to be, but is dynamically everything I'd hoped for.

Like its departed relative, the GTO, the G8 GT is a bit of an odd bird. The Pontiac has an engine made in Mexico, a transmission from the U.S., and is assembled in Australia. That's quite an international heritage! What do you get for you hard earned dollar? For my money, one fantastically well sorted out driving machine. I found the ride to be right in my comfort zone, nothing too plush but not harsh like a 328xi I recently drove. The six speed automatic had crisp shifts and I never felt it was out of sync with how I was driving. During partial throttle applications, the transmission would sometimes hang onto a higher gear, but I never found it intrusive and I'm sure it helped fuel economy a bit. As expected the throttle response was phenomenal, a great rush of acceleration that impressed friends and family.

It's all pretty positive so far, right? Yes, on the basis of driving the G8 GT it is a true winner. Unfortunately, when it comes to the complete package is where it will probably lose some buyers. The problem certainly isn't the price. My loaner stickered around $32k, and given the size and specs of the car that isn't an unreasonable price. The cabin certainly has soft touch plastics in most places, suffered from no rattles and generally had good fit and finish. Interior room is generous and passengers reported being comfortable from all seating positions. My car was equipped with leather, but sadly it didn't have the two-tone color scheme and was very somber and monochromatic. Bringing things down further was the fact that the car was not equipped with a sunroof to let in a bit more light. But hey, a sunroof is available and when it comes to somber interiors, look no further than the Germans, so I'm not dinging the car for that.

Navigation is not available on the G8 and I will grump about that. Oh sure, you can get a portable unit that sits on the dash, but I've done that and it's a pain in the tush. You worry about it getting stolen. In California you can't mount it on the windshield so you've got to place an adhesive disc on the dash so that the suction mount will work properly. Then there is the power cord flopping around. Because it's portable you'll probably move it to other cars or leave it in the house and when you need to find the nearest Burger King so that your two-year-old son can get his apple fries, well, it won't be there. "Ah," you say "Just use the OnStar system." Well, let me tell you all about that. Firstly, you've got to make chit-chat with the operator. I supposed you could be blunt, but I just can't do it, so I have to talk about the weather and hear all about the operator's last visit to the area, all the while the kid is screaming about his freakin' fries. The the operator tells you that they are happy to assist you in finding a Burger King and proceed to tell you about the Burger Kings that are miles away because they've typed in San Francisco when you are already in Daly City. In the end I just gave up and went to the one BK that I do know about 20 miles down the road. So, yes I want navigation built into the car and I'll pay the price for it.

Bluetooth is currently not available, but it should be offered later on in the model year. There are no auto-dimming mirrors and that's unfortunate. A car in this price class should have at least an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The driver and front passenger do not have assist handles, It'd be nice for at least the passenger to have one (a couple of my co-pilots reached for the non-existent handle). There are cupholders in the rear center, but not in the armrest, rather you have to open the entire trunk-pass thru to find them. I found that to be a bit odd. You can't get xenons on this car, something that most sedans in this class offer.

I don't want to nitpick, but here are few examples of why I'm not enamored with the interior. Firstly, the digital voltmeter and oil pressure gauges have been removed due to complaints they looked silly, but now there is just a back plastic cave in their place. How is that any better? Here's a an odd one, the dome lights look cheap. I haven't even thought about a dome light in years, but the plastic lens on the G8's are just a frosted piece of plastic that really looks like its out of my aunt's '78 Skylark. How much would it cost to mold a more technical piece? The emergency brake lever has an odd shape that on occasion would jab me, it's styled to fit into the center console, but there's got to be a better way. At least leather wrap the lever! It's small items like these that add up to hurt the G8. A few extra dollars spent inside the cabin would pole vault the entire G8 to a much higher level.

I find the exterior's styling to be innocuous, but does not induce Homer Simpson-like "Must have donut" drooling. I'm not a fan of the hood scoops, but I actually like the fender vent: something I almost universally hate on every other car.

I also really like the front fenders. I find the muscular bulge really helps to add some excitement to the otherwise milquetoast front quarter.

I learned several things from this test drive experience. Firstly, a car of this size can work for a family of four. Whereas in the Astra, X-Type and 328 the kids were hitting each other and kicking the front seats, there was plenty of space for them to co-exist peacefully in the G8. There trunk easily swallowed all our Trader Joe's bags and the double stroller. Certainly it was no minivan, but we didn't suffer. Another thing I learned is that the Zeta platform that underpins this car is fantastic and that bodes extremely well for the forthcoming Camaro which is also Zeta based.

For GM, the car's platform is a tremendous achievement. As much as I complained about the interior, don't lose sight of the fact that from a performance perspective the G8 is a gem. The heavy lifting has been done and all that remains is some fine tuning. The G8 does require its buyer to make some sacrifices in terms of available options. For some folks, they simply can't forgo a classier interior, navi, xenons, Bluetooth, etc and will search elsewhere. However, there are many who love the rumble of a V8 and excellent mix of ride/handling and will appreciate the G8 for what it is: a large BMW-like sports sedan at a bargain price.

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Pontiac Solstice Coupe

Here's one car that didn't need any help getting its share of attention. The super hot Solstice Coupe is a fantastic addition to the Pontiac lineup. It would have cost GM too much to engineer a regular hardtop, so it went with a targa-style, removable roof panel. This car is so hot, you'd leave the light on (if you catch my drift). Since the convertible top is such a PITA, the Solstice Coupe is totally the way to go, plus you pick up a slight amount of cargo room: winner winner chicken dinner!

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O Canada! 2009 Vibe Wins Best New Small Car over $18,000

The 2009 Pontiac Vibe has been named the as the “Best New Small Car over $18,000” by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada. “The heart of Canada’s vehicle market is the highly competitive small car segment, so we are particularly excited about this award for the 2009 Pontiac Vibe which has seen a sales increase of over 30% this year,” said Marc Comeau, vice president of sales, service and marketing for GM of Canada. “The versatile new Vibe provides a combination of style, utility and excellent fuel efficiency that is clearly resonating with Canadian consumers.”

The award for the Vibe is the second consecutive small car segment victory for GM at the annual AJAC CCOTY competition, following on last year’s win for the 2008 Saturn Astra. The Vibe and Astra join over 15 other GM models that achieve better than 7 L/100kms in highway driving.

The Vibe is featured in this post because GM sent a press release to me. Below is a list of all the winners (there are a lot of categories):

BEST NEW SMALL CAR (under $18k): Toyota Corolla
BEST NEW SMALL CAR (over $18k): Pontiac Vibe
BEST NEW FAMILY CAR ($22k-$30k): Mazda6
BEST NEW FAMILY CAR (over $30k): Volkswagen Passat CC
BEST NEW LUXURY CAR (under $50k): Hyundai Genesis
BEST NEW LUXURY CAR (over $50k): Audi A4
BEST NEW PRESTIGE CAR: Mercedes-Benz CL550 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG
BEST NEW SPORTS / PERFORMANCE CAR (under $50k): BMW 135i Coupe
BEST NEW SPORTS / PERFORMANCE CAR (over $50k): Lexus IS F
BEST NEW CONVERTIBLE: Audi TTS
BEST NEW PICKUP TRUCK: Dodge Ram
BEST NEW SUV / CUV (under $35k): Subaru Forester
BEST NEW SUV / CUV ($35k-$60k): Ford Flex
BEST NEW SUV / CUV (over $60k): Mercedes-Benz M-Class BlueTEC

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Pontiac G3 to US? (Update: For Reals)

9/18/08 Update: My original post in June showed a sedan, but the press release only talks about the hatch (probably because Aveo sales skew so heavily to the 5-door). The Pontiac nose is an improvement, but for anyone who remembers the "bad old days" of badge engineering this is a reminder of how blatant things used to be. Given that the G5 is a direct lift of the Cobalt, Pontiac's small car offerings all copies of Chevrolets. My opinion? I'd have rebadged the lesser known Saturn Astra and given it to Pontiac. The Astra could use a boost in awareness and extra volume and I think the Astra fits pretty nicely with Pontiac's sporting intentions. Certainly the price points are different between Astra and Aveo G3, but that's how I would have called it.

Original 6/1/08 Post:

Update: Here's the story link.

Outside of the US, Pontiac has a version of the Aveo called the G3 (Wave). Automotive News is reporting that GM may bring the G3 to the US now that fuel economy is king. I don't have a story link for you yet, but as soon as one is available, you'll see it posted here.

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Pontiac G8 Sport Truck Becomes G8 ST

The return of the "El Camino" is almost upon us with the Pontiac G8 ST arriving in late 2009 as a 2010 model. The name El Camino was actually considered, but GM elected not to raid Chevrolet's closet and went with G8 ST. I'd wager that we'll soon see El Camino re-badge kits available from the aftermarket.

I would have been inclined to give Chevrolet the vehicle in the first place. The truck doesn't fit Pontiac's image (at least in my mind) except for the fact that it's RWD and has a V8. Given the drastic difference in body style between the sedan and the sport truck, I don't see how folks could have complained about badge engineering. If anything, I would have given the truck to Chevy, the sedan to Pontiac and created a Buick Electra wagon complete with a "vista style" panoramic roof.

Well, reality is what it is. You can check out the full press release by clicking here.

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