Karl on Cars
Pontiac
April 28, 2009
With the death of Pontiac official I'm experiencing the same emotions any nostalgic car guy is feeling. Surprise? Shock? Disbelief? Hardly. Try relief. Like the kind you feel when you're favorite aunt finally rests in peace after suffering years of painful terminal illness. If you're a remotely functional car guy you've seen this coming since...well, that's the question.
When did the concept of Pontiac going away first strike you as a likely possibility? When did Pontiac jump the shark?
How many of you just shouted "AZTEK" at your screen? That's a reasonable response, but I would suggest the first indications of Pontiac as a "damaged brand" came much earlier.
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- Karl Brauer April 28, 2009, 6:00 AM
- Categories:
- Domestic Manufacturers Problems/Challenges, Muscle Car, Pontiac, Retro Revivals, Talk Back Tuesday
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- Pontiac Aztek Fiero
March 31, 2009
It doesn't get much more turbulent in the automobile industry than the last 24 hours, and a little birdie told me there's plenty more coming in the next couple weeks, not to mention the next 24 hours...
But for now let's focus on what we know.
We know Rick Wagoner is gone. It doesn't matter if you agree or disagree with how he ran GM. It doesn't matter if you think his dismissal was prudent change or simple posturing (one guess as to what I think). The bottom line is he's viewed as the man at the wheel when GM steered into the sun, and the president's administration wanted a "fresh" approach.
We know Obama wasn't satisfied with either Chrysler or GM's viability plans and has asked for a "do over" from both. The president seems fired up by the idea of a Chrysler/Fiat merger (more fired up than he should be?), but he was nebulous about GM's next steps. It seems "go futher" and "work harder" on restructuring is the only concrete takeaway.
We know the president left open the concept of bankruptcy as a possible pathway to viability in his speech. After the speech GM's new CEO, Fritz Henderson, reiterated the bankruptcy option and spoke of likely government aid to expedite bankruptcy proceedings.
Finally, we know the government is now guaranteeing the warranties on all domestic automobiles. This is good because it means current and potential new domestic car owners can be comfortable knowing the government has backed up their vehicles (versus leaving them "out to dry" on warranty work).
Add these indisputable facts up and I think we all know something else: A GM bankruptcy is inevitable.
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- Karl Brauer March 31, 2009, 6:00 AM
- Categories:
- Automotive News, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Domestic Manufacturers Problems/Challenges, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, Saturn, Talk Back Tuesday
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- GM Bankruptcy Automobile
June 5, 2008
When I drove the V8 version of the Pontiac G8 a few months ago I was less than thrilled with it. In a nutshell, the protracted looks, bizarre ergonmics and adequate ride/handling balance didn't impress me. Some people were touting it as an inexpensive BMW 5 Series. I wasn't buying then and I'm not buying now. It takes more than cylinder count and drivetrain layout to match BMW's driving dynamics.
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- Karl Brauer June 5, 2008, 6:00 AM
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- Honda, Pontiac, Toyota
March 19, 2008
The 2008 Pontiac G8 is better than the Holden Monaro-based GTO that came before it. But not much better.
It's better looking, but that Aussie-based GTO was no looker, so that's not saying much. It's better handling, but the GTO was blatantly floppy while the G8 is merely tippy. It's got better interior execution than the 21st Century GTO, but it still has "sewn in" rear headrests versus real ones. This move always reminds me of Bob Lutz' famous "We can cut costs where the customer doesn't care" line, in which he specifically referenced adjustable rear headrests. FWIW Bob, I care about real rear headrests in a car badged as a large, passenger-friendly sedan.
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- Karl Brauer March 19, 2008, 6:00 AM
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- Pontiac
May 25, 2007
...we've got a good one going up on Monday about Smokey and the Bandit
, a classic car movie that turns 30 this week. If you're of a certain age group this movie likely left an indelible impression on you when it premiered in 1977. It was the second-highest-grossing film of 1977 after Star Wars
(another movie that left a large impact crater on my young psyche). The harsh truth of 1977 is that there wasn't a lot to celebrate in the world of automotive enthusiasm. Cars were weak, gas was no longer cheap, and it looked like we'd all be pedaling front-wheel drive hatchbacks before the end of the decade. Bandit
was a total departure from this line of thinking, which is probably why it resonated so well across the fruited planes.
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- Karl Brauer May 25, 2007, 9:01 AM
- Categories:
- Cars in Entertainment, Muscle Car, Pontiac
January 15, 2007
I just finished driving the 2007 Pontiac G5 GT. This car is a perfect example of where GM (and Chrysler and Ford) often fall short in the face of Japanese competition. First, let's talk price. With sunroof, upgraded audio, automatic (four-speed at that) and side curtain airbags the G5 costs $20,830. Ironically, this is almost exactly $1,000 less than a Honda Civic Si -- with no options. The Si (along with every Civic) comes standard with side curtain airbags, so you don't have to add them. And while the automatic on our G5 test car added $850, I give the Si's standard six-speed manual the advantage over an optional four-speed auto or standard five-speed manual on the G5. In either case, the Honda has the more advanced tranny. Admittedly, the TMV price for an Si is equal to MSRP, while the True Market Value price on a G5 drops about $1000 below MSRP, opening up a $2,000 difference between these cars in the real world.
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- Karl Brauer January 15, 2007, 7:27 AM
- Categories:
- Domestic Manufacturers Problems/Challenges, Honda, Pontiac
December 26, 2006
You already know what Edmunds picked as the Most Significant Vehicle for 2006 -- the Pontiac Solstice
. And you may have seen our "final call" on the vehicle regarding our ownership experience for the past year
. Yeah, we weren't too impressed by Pontiac's Miata killer, primarily because of its weak interior (in both design and material quality), lackluster engine and less-than-thrilling driving dynamics.
But, I stand by the "Most Significant" award for two reasons:
1...
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- Karl Brauer December 26, 2006, 9:58 AM
- Categories:
- Pontiac, Talk Back Tuesday, Vehicle Awards
November 16, 2006
You may have noticed that we added a Chevrolet Silverado
to our long-term fleet. We also just added a Tahoe, though that introduction hasn't posted to the site yet. With all these new cars coming in you might assume we have a few to unload, and you're right. We're trying to sell our Pontiac Solstice
right now, but the off-loading process is dragging on like a congressional election...
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- Karl Brauer November 16, 2006, 2:14 PM
- Categories:
- Driving, Pontiac
May 26, 2006
Recent news out of Volkswagen
says the 2007 Eos will start at $27,990. We just had a Pontiac G6 convertible in our test fleet last week (look for the road test to go live soon) and the Pontiac folks were delighted to point out how their car would be the cheapest retractable hardtop on the market -- starting at $28,490. We asked them about the upcoming Eos, and they told us, "Oh, that car will start around $30,000." Both of these prices are for the base models, with the upgraded G6 GTP convertible and 250hp V6 Eos jumping well into the 30s (before adding options), so the price will be close for both models either way. But VW has one other card to play that Pontiac can't match -- DSG. Check our Forums section for the latest Eos
and G6 Convertible
discussions...
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- Karl Brauer May 26, 2006, 7:19 AM
- Categories:
- Pontiac, Volkswagen
March 16, 2006
We just added a "Winning Blue" 2006 Mazda Miata (in "Sport" trim) to our long-term fleet. We got the optional suspension package but otherwise we kept it pure and simple, with no extraneous luxury geegaws. I drove it home tonight, putting the first 100 miles on and, just as our comparison test stated
, this car is clearly the real "sports car" of the pair when compared to our long-term Solstice
(which I just drove home last night). I wasn't able to really push the engine, as I'm following break-in procedure and not going above 5,000 rpm...
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- Karl Brauer March 16, 2006, 8:32 PM
- Categories:
- Mazda, Pontiac
March 15, 2006
In the last three nights I've driven three GM vehicles home -- a Saab 9-5 SportCombi, a Saturn Vue Redline and a Pontiac Solstice. And while they all had similar qualities I didn't particularly appreciate (mediocre interior materials, questionable ergonomics, unrefined drivetrains) they also all had two traits that made them hard to hate. The first is power -- as in plenty of it, and the second is audio -- as in excellent quality. It's really interesting to see how the parts sharing between these three divisions (divisions most people probably see as quite diverse) come shining through when you drive these cars back-to-back. For instance, the Saab and Saturn have the exact same rearview mirror controls, but the Saab's are on the A-pillar and the Saturn's on in the center stack. Also funny that the "premium" Saab 9-5 doesn't have any one-touch windows, but the Saturn (not really a premium brand) at least gives you a one-touch down driver's window. One interior component that was identical between all three was the audio system display (and, I suspect, the head units are either identical or nearly identical in these vehicles). That means they all have XM and they all have auxiliary audio input jacks for MP3 players (I tried the Solstice's out tonight with my iPod Shuffle -- and it worked great).
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- Karl Brauer March 15, 2006, 9:42 PM
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- Pontiac, Saab, Saturn
December 13, 2005
And then there were six. The finalists for North American Car and Truck of the Year (2006) were announced today.
They are:
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- Karl Brauer December 13, 2005, 5:27 PM
- Categories:
- Pontiac, Vehicle Awards
November 19, 2005
In the last three years we've seen all-new versions of several classic nameplates, including the RX-8, 350Z, 300, Charger, GTO, Mustang and GT (Ford). All of these cars use varying amounts of the original model's styling cues, and all of them succeed to varying degress in capturing the original's "mojo" (in my totally biased opinion, I'd put the Ford GT at the "top" of the list of "cool new version of retro car" with the GTO at the bottom). While we can argue the pros and cons of looking backward for inspiration, we can't argue the popularity and improved brand equity (or "halo" effect) delivered by these vehicles. And in the spirit of "if a little is good, more is better" I'm going to do a series of "retro revival" discussions regarding cars I'd like to see brought back. First on my discussion series -- the Pontiac Firebird
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- Karl Brauer November 19, 2005, 3:11 PM
- Categories:
- Cars in Entertainment, Muscle Car, Pontiac
November 2, 2005
We announced it today -- along with all 26 winners of the 2006 Editors' Most Wanted Awards
.
The Most Significant title went to the Pontiac Solstice. I'd be happy to hear people's thoughts. BTW, I just drove our long-term Solstice (look for the introduction to post soon) from L.A. to Vegas for the show. Over 500 miles in three days. Now I really know the car well. Here are my thoughts on it:
Pros:
1. Looks cool, and the reaction from others confirms that it's not just me who feels this way
2. Ride Comfort/Seat Quality -- both are good on this car (better than the Miata, especially for a 500-mile trip on mostly highways)
3. Great audio system. Of course it has XM, but the menu system for everything from setting station memory to adjusting the clock and sound quality is very well conceived. And it sounds great, too.
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- Karl Brauer November 2, 2005, 7:56 PM
- Categories:
- Pontiac
October 30, 2005
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.
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- Karl Brauer October 30, 2005, 4:04 PM
- Categories:
- Chevrolet, Domestic Manufacturers Problems/Challenges, Pontiac
