GM may "kill" or sell Pontiac

[98ex]

Well looks like the Vibe is unfortunately gonehttp://matrixowners.com/index....01956

[viper]

And so will be the MATRIX replaced by the Venza.

[ColonelPanic]

That's interesting..The new Matrix isn't much of a looker, but the Venza is far, far worse. Quite larger and I'm sure that they're significantly more expensive. Doesn't sound like a viable replacement for the vehicle. They'll learn what Pontiac learned when they replaced the Grand Am with the far more expensive G6 - not as many people will buy it. Plus, Toyota marketing seems to enjoy bragging about the sales volume of their cars, especially the Corolla. Which we all know they use the Matrix to pad the Corolla sales figures so that would give them less bragging rights without the Matrix in there to help them cook the books....

[AWDVIBE]

GM should focus on keeping successful car platforms regardless of nameplate. Do they need a GMC and Chevy truck division? The Vibe fits the fun and fuel efficient platform GM needs. It is a mistake to abandon this platform. I was the happy owner of a used Toyota Corolla which was my first foriegn car. Then I came back to an American nameplate with a New Chevy Prism, and Pontiac Vibe. The Vibe would be a welcome addition to the dud line up of cars Chevy has in this class. Their sad retro PT Crusier type wanna be wagon the HHR is a pathetic offering. Even the build quality of the Vibe in my opinion is far superior to Avio and Cobalt. Why not come up with the appropriate Chevy body style to put over the guts of the Vibe. I guess they don't have much of a profit margin on the Vibe platform to make it viable to keep in their eyes. But aren't we the taxpayers shareholders in GM now. We need a town hall meeting to offer our input on what cars we would like them to produce. Obviously the big wigs at GM don't know what the American buyers want. We want a Toyota Corrolla quality car built in America with an American nameplate. GM has the car people want but they are choosing to stop offering it to us. The HHR, Colbalt, and Avio must be the A game line up to save Chevy in the eyes of the big wigs They are crazy if they think they will be flying off the lots with the volumes of the Toyota Corrolla. I guess I'll be going with Toyota or maybe Ford next time. Now that they no longer produce the car I desired to purchase.Here is a last minute crazy thought why not brand the Vibe as a Buick. I have seen a lot of Buick demographic customers driving Vibes.

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by AWDVIBE »GM should focus on keeping successful car platforms regardless of nameHere is a last minute crazy thought why not brand the Vibe as a Buick. I have seen a lot of Buick demographic customers driving Vibes. I resemble that remark!

[AWDVIBE]

Maybe they could call it the Buick Tiger and have Tiger Woods promote it.

[NascarXprt]

Quote, originally posted by jake75 »I resemble that remark! i dont

[michaelgt]

Quote, originally posted by AWDVIBE »...Here is a last minute crazy thought why not brand the Vibe as a Buick. I have seen a lot of Buick demographic customers driving Vibes. It would cost GM too much to make it quiet!

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by michaelgt »It would cost GM too much to make it quiet!Ah - now I know why older people flock to the Vibe - we're all hard of hearing.

[silvrhawk7]

Quote, originally posted by kostby »Signs that Pontiac/GM management didn't know what the heck they were doing YEARS ago... Exhibit 1: Badge engineering. Worst Example: the J-body Cadillac Cimarron, a Chevy Cavalier/Pontiac Sunbird dressed in chrome and leather at double the price.Exhibit 1a: GM dealerships fighting other GM brands on price for the (primarily GM employee) customers' business because they all basically the same cars in the same colors and the same options.Exhibit 2: Ending production of high-volume rental fleet cars (6000, Grand Am) because they were low profit margin vehicles. Then customers were forced 'upscale' into much more expensive cars that didn't sell as well (no Pontiac replacement for 6000, G6).In fact, customers went elsewhere and offshore (Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Hyundai, Kia...) to get vehicles in the size and price range they wanted. And they never came back!Besides, all that volume kept thousands of workers employed and helped pay legacy costs for the tens of thousands of retirees. When the volume-sellers were dropped, the legacy-cost-per-car skyrocketed to double or triple what it had been.Exhibit 3: Spending money in the early 2000's to build and advertise 'image' vehicles (Solstice, Holden GTO) that only 5% of buyers would actually ever purchase, taking the focus and advertising dollars away from the 'bread-and-butter' cars that kept Pontiac dealerships in business.Exhibit 4: Building the Vibe, a highly fuel-efficient, highly space-efficient hatchback in a joint-venture with small-car EXPERT Toyota, and then spending virtually ZERO to advertise it when gas hit $2.50, $3, $3.50, and $4. a gallon. (The red-headed-stepchild syndrome?)Exhibit 5: Spending money to re-engineer the Vibe just in time to kill it off. (See also: Chevy Corvair, Pontiac Fiero, Oldsmobile Aurora, et al.) Yeah, you can blame Toyota, too, who put the same 2.4 into the Scion xB and also made it much bigger and heavier.Exhibit 6: Putting an optional 2.4 liter engine in the Vibe and increasing the size and weight of the vehicle, then introducing it just when gas hit $4 a gallon.Exhibit 6a: Making many desirable option packages available ONLY on the 2.4 Vibe.RIP Pontiac.I know this is old, however this is right,GM Never knew what they were doing, and always stayed 5 steps behind the competition. if they knew what they were doing, they would have used Pontiac to be the fuel efficient, top-of-the line technology. and stop using technologies and mechanical blueprints from 1982. the Vibe never got any real recognition and i agree they treated it like a red-headed stepchild. It only got recognition in two movies (Paparzzi, and The Island), and a couple of TV shows (CSI Miami being one of them). this car was like the love child between GM and Toyota that GM didnt want to advertise in Public. I had to convince someone by word of mouth at my local pontiac dealer, that this car would be great for them because of the storage space and the fuel efficency, plus the fact it was a toyota drive train (and a couple of screen shots from this website) definetly swung the descision, and that was a complete stranger. I myself will never buy another GM product again after this one. I can only hope that the New GM learns the error of its ways and can fix itself. (But im not Holden My breath) especially when workers from Chrysler and GM tell the news and people that the taxpayers owe them something.....

[scherry2]

Quote, originally posted by silvrhawk7 » especially when workers from Chrysler and GM tell the news and people that the taxpayers owe them something.....BULL SHIRT! all I see in the news is MANAGMENT pleading "we're broke" but have enough to by Delphi back out of bankruptsy (billions) while in bankruptsy. And now Toyota says "we might close NUMMI" why? because of pontiac? the lowest run vehicle that NUMMI makes is being dropped and thats a reason for closing? would they close if pontac wasn't being dropped?And you say "i'll never buy a GM after this" but you'll buy a Toyota? a company that plans to shut down an assembly plant in the U.S.? *shakes head* my $.02

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by scherry2 »BULL SHIRT! all I see in the news is MANAGMENT pleading "we're broke" but have enough to by Delphi back out of bankruptsy (billions) while in bankruptsy. And now Toyota says "we might close NUMMI" why? because of pontiac? the lowest run vehicle that NUMMI makes is being dropped and thats a reason for closing? would they close if pontac wasn't being dropped?And you say "i'll never buy a GM after this" but you'll buy a Toyota? a company that plans to shut down an assembly plant in the U.S.? *shakes head* my $.02Losing the Vibe production might have been the last straw on that Camel's back. I'd never say never in terms of ever buying a GM car again but I don't fault Toyota either if they believe a business decision to close NUMMI is in the best interests of their shareholders.

[silvrhawk7]

Quote, originally posted by scherry2 »BULL SHIRT! all I see in the news is MANAGMENT pleading "we're broke" but have enough to by Delphi back out of bankruptsy (billions) while in bankruptsy. And now Toyota says "we might close NUMMI" why? because of pontiac? the lowest run vehicle that NUMMI makes is being dropped and thats a reason for closing? would they close if pontac wasn't being dropped?And you say "i'll never buy a GM after this" but you'll buy a Toyota? a company that plans to shut down an assembly plant in the U.S.? *shakes head* my $.02I never said i would buy a toyota, however i am severly dissapoitned when i have friends and relatives tell me from the industry that the taxpayers need to fix this? I dont think so My father spent enough time working for GM and putting up with their bull, and for the exception of this car, every other GM i have owned has had a massive problem, then the dealer keeps saying there is nothing wrong with the car, when in fact was an issue that came from the factory. mostly because the two chevy dealers in my area dont want to deal with it. I spend a descent amount of money with a car company, I expect at least the basic needs and not excuses because their corporate headquarters doesnt want to fix their own mistakes....And for the record, I am looking at VW diesels or mazda diesels (if they do in fact go that route). and im not saying that their perfect either, however their CSI seems to be better. and less turnaround on the vehicles. And yes i will be upset at toyota as well if they do shut down nummi, they really should look for another car company to build with in a joint vent, or convert it to another toyota/lexus/scion plant. or even sell it to another company....there is other ways around this, rather than shutting down plants, but none of them want to see it this way.....Sorry if i am rambling... Just speaking from my own experience, thats all.......

[ashley0218]

Agreed... business is business. It's hard to know what goes on in the head offices of these places. It is what it is.