GM Turning the Corner?

In the past two weeks I've driven five different GM cars...and I must say that I really liked them all. Not, "really liked them, as GM cars go" or "really liked them, despite their GM-ness." No, I just plain liked them.

2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 -- Of course many will say this car is a unique offering from GM, or that at $70,000 it better be good, but even so the car means nothing to most normal people. Whatever. This car offers masssive performance regardless of its price point. The fact that it's among the 10 quickest cars ever made, but anywhere from 1/2 to 1/12 the cost of the other nine is damn impressive. I wish it had a better transmission, but it's easier to live with on a daily basis than most of the other nine "quickest cars" too. Very cool car!

2006 Pontiac Solstice -- I know our comparison test put the Miata ahead of the Solstice, but I personally would take the Solstice any day over the Miata -- and twice on Sunday. Great value, great styling, great interior design, excellent performance. Both the engine and transmission could be better, but they aren't terrible -- or even bad -- and at this price point the car is simply a great value.

2006 Pontiac Torrent -- I already liked the Equinox, so this isn't a big surprise, but after driving this car 150 miles I got out of it and couldn't think of anything I could seriously mark it down for. Some of the interior plastics could be better, but just like with the Z06 and Solstice it represents a solid value overall. Great engine/tranny, solid handling and ride quality, comfortable seats, great sound system. Just a fine SUV by every important measurement.

2006 Chevy Trailblazer SS -- This car was just plain fun! We had it at the track Friday for instrumented testing, and it was very fast (low 14s in the 1/4 mile). It also had a great automatic transmission with some of the most rewarding upshifts I've felt since driving the shift-kitted 727 torqueflight in my GTX. It really slingshots forward during upshifts (without feeling at all harsh or "clunky"), which is exactly how a performance automatic should feel. Handling was solid, and it even looked really cool, too, with the upgraded wheel/tire package. I turned off the traction and stability control (our test car was rear-wheel drive) and couldn't stop grinning as I was steering it with the throttle at our test facility. I was actually running the "sell" conversation with the wife through my head after driving it. "But honey, think of all the room for carrying the kids' bikes when going to the park with them."

2006 Impala SS -- While not a redesign, GM did wonders with the existing platform. Steering feel is much better than I expected -- and "good" by any standards for a 2006 family sedan. Firm and responsive without being too heavy. Interior design/materials were also good, as was seat comfort. The V8 in the SS was excellent in terms of torque and smoothness, and despite the high power output there was no torque steer when flooring it from a dead stop. Very impresive! I wish it had a more controlled ride quality (especially since this was the "SS" version), and the brakes could have been stronger (it took 140 feet to stop from 60 mph). But neither of those items will be issues for 90-plus percent of customers 90-plus percent of the time. The rest of the time this car will offer more comfort, interior room and performance than comparably priced family sedans.

Anyway, I'm still not a huge fan of some of their recent introductions (HHR, Grand Prix GXP, Cobalt), but I thought it was worth noting that everything I drove from GM in the past two weeks I really liked -- certainly more than I expected to. Maybe we're past the "darkest" and into the "dawn"...

Posted by

Karl Brauer October 30, 2005, 4:04 PM

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Chevrolet, Domestic Manufacturers Problems/Challenges, Pontiac