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Sedans Pontiac G8 2008 Pontiac G8
1265 messages, Last post on Jul 21, 2009 at 10:14 AM
You are in the Pontiac G8 Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: paisan (May 28, 2008 6:15 pm) Regards, OW |
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Replying to: athens (May 28, 2008 9:11 am) The Aurion is Toyota's attempt to muscle into the large car segment in Australia, though it's really only a 6 cylinder Camry. The Aurion has slipped downward in sales here since its launch last year and it's now selling at just over half the volume of the Commodore. As far as the Nissan Maxima goes it's never threatened anyone in sales volumes. It has never made the top 20 best selling cars list in Australia. I personally think the Maxima is a good car but it achieves very modest sale volumes here. |
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Replying to: athens (May 28, 2008 7:23 pm) I certainly will not debate Pontiac's markeplace logic, as there are WAY too many variables that I could not possibly be aware of. I do know, however, that what we see on the showroom floor today was locked in at least two years ago, when gas was close to half the price it is now. GM has no crystal ball; they merely try to follow trends as they present themselves. People wanted and purchased (in large numbers) trucks and SUVs, therefore that's where GM put their emphasis. The market has changed rapidly and the domestic manufacturers are playing catch-up with european and asian automakers, who had the advantage of merely exporting vehicles they had been selling in their home markets for years because of artificially high gas prices due to high gas taxes. And, in my opinion, the G6 is, for the most part, fine for the market it serves with one exception: the interior is a joke. They sell a bunch of them, but it should be better. Problem is there are just so many dollars and GM has a lots of "irons in the fire." The cost to bring the G8 to the U.S. was practically nothing. Will it assure Pontiac' future as a successful car company? Of course not. But the return on investment will be good and it helps build brand recognition. The G8 GT could serve the same purpose as a Chevy Tahoe for most people and gets 40% better gas mileage.
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Folks, Please see the definition of "Forum". http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forum "a medium (as a newspaper or online service) of open discussion or expression of ideas" I thought I was participating in an intellectual FORUM, not a cheerleading section. And not a sales brochure. A means to discuss the merits and demerits of the topic: the G8 and it's place in the US/ global auto market. Having an "Axe to Grind" implies that one wishes to express themselves based on anger. I express only disappointment and hope for something that will benefit all American consumers given the current perilous economic predicament rather than just a select few. GM's B of D only needs account to me if it wishes to do business with me. It is not participating in this supposedly "open forum". I am neither an employee of the company nor do I hold stock ownership in it. It is to those people that the board of GM has to answer. It's just that lately the company (like so many others) hasn't done as good job of answering. I'd like to know how a loss of 50% of market share in 35 years has sat with those folks. Yet I have heard of instances where some companies do observe the goings on and debates in forums such as these. In years past GM's board likely only wanted to hear fawning and flattery. I think that nowadays GM's Board Members, employees and shareholders would rather hear debate of reason rather than pure unadulterated passion. If anyone is really interested in the future of GM I suggest the following article which I have come across. It is thoughtfully written and insightful. http://www.politicsandcurrentaffairs.co.uk/Forum/peak-oil-economics-environment/- - - 48680-gm-live-green-die.html Cheers folks.
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Replying to: athens (May 29, 2008 6:12 am) In this G8 ‘sub-forum’, it seems to me that the posts ought to be rather directly related to the G8. As opposed to more generic subjects, such as GM’s overall direction & market strategy & market share, etc. There are plenty of other ‘sub-forums’ here at Edmunds ( and elsewhere ) that are more broadly focused – and posts there may result in responses more like what you seem to want. I have certainly posted ‘critical’ posts here – that would not be termed ‘cheers’. But I believe that they were related to things like: The G8’s relatively high weight, the GT’s six speed automatic behavior, the lack of some available options ( HUD, a lighter color interior ) that I’d prefer, etc. If I wanted to criticize GM’s future, Pontiac’s future ( and use the G8 as one example ) I’d personally post elsewhere. But waddo I know . . .?? - Ray Seeing a $1,300+ increase in the GT’s MSRP for 2009 as rather excessive . . .
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Replying to: athens (May 28, 2008 7:23 pm)  LOL! Let's see how far removed we can get this, guys! A neighbor of some relatives who owns a large Mercedes/Porsche dealership on the affluent North Shore suburbs in Chicago a city in Illinois a state in the U.S. of A. a country in North America... Keep it rolling, guys! Let's take this astronomical and back through time (but keep it granular so it'll last longer!) 
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Replying to: white6 (May 29, 2008 6:03 am) The taxes placed atop the retail selling price of gasoline in Europe were intended to offset the cost to the economy of a trade deficit and to pay for new, clean and efficient public transport systems accessible to all. In most European cities 70% of commuters travel by public transport on clean and efficient mass transit systems. In large American cities, most of which have crumbling mass transit rail systems, rail cars reeking of urine, the proportion of mass transit commuters is an appalling 30%!!! See: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/14/us/14drive.html?fta=y Only oil producing nations and the US have historically had artificially suppressed gasoline prices. In the Arabian peninsula, the governments which own the crude oil and the means of refining and distributing gasoline subsidize the cost. And in America relatively little tax is imposed on the refined product so everyone can afford pile in their cars for their commute (no car pooling please). Look at Phoenix. Newer growing city. Population in Metro area jumped from 250K in late 1970s to over 2 million today. Only now they are implementing a limited light rail system. Yet dedicated car pool lanes on Phoenix area freeways remain empty. This is the direct consequence of historically artificial "Cheap Fuel". As stated in my earlier post GM for many years has had access to the geological data on the exhaustion of the oil supply that would be readily and cheaply accessible. GM Chairman Rick Waggoner now all but admits that they (GM and other large auto making concerns) buried their heads in the sand over the issue of ever diminishing global oil supply. Now that that appetite is rapidly shrinking GM, it's domestic competitors ,and in the end consumers will have a significant price to pay for that ignorance. For such a large manufacturing business concern such as GM, which employs several 100,000 employees globally, which has billions expended and borrowed for capitalization of its operations, it cannot simply jump from one trend to another. Product lines have to be planned for and invested in for a minimum of a half decade in advance. We are discussing real world tangible factors here. Jumping from trend to trend every year might be in the purview of the fashion industry. It is not within the affordable purview of the mass market auto industry. |
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Thanks for the clarification of the new meaning of open debate. Accordingly, it is permissible for a contributor to propose that the G8 or any other similar product's excessive weight and high fuel consumption are of concern. Or to propose that there are a number of competing products exist in the market place which improve on the G8 in one way way or another. Then it is also permissible reply posts to remark that those concerns are overstated or irrelevant It is further acceptable for some to reply that rising gas prices will not affect car purchases in many segments of the market But it is not acceptable to request a reasonable articulation of such replies? Or to articulate the position which is denounced out of hand? LOL |
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Replying to: rayainsw (May 29, 2008 6:41 am)
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Replying to: white6 (May 29, 2008 6:03 am) Huh. I gotta wonder why, if that was a concern, you chose the 335i coupe over the sedan?
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