2008 Pontiac G8

Replying to: mrpushrod (Sep 23, 2008 10:11 am)

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• KarenS (Sep 24, 2008 7:06 am)

Replying to: paisan (Sep 23, 2008 3:27 pm)

Gee, I thought I was the host here?! Yep, my name is at the top of the page as Host. And no, I won't be closing it down, but I am going to insist that derogatory comments about the intelligence of other members in this discussion cease immediately.
 
Thanks for your future cooperation!

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• holdenguy (Oct 12, 2008 6:01 am)

Replying to: circlew (Sep 16, 2008 9:57 am)

Unfortunately, in our fickle society, the name of a car means a whole lot. I never knew how true this was until the whole Ford Five Hundred-Taurus fiasco. What a load! You won't by a 500, but you'll by the exact same car with a Taurus name plate and a different grille?? Senseless. Another example is how I constantly hear people saying that they wouldn't spend over 30-grand for a HYUNDAI, because they can't get beyond the crap that Hyundai put out in the beginning. Look at the car and the service people! Not the nameplates!
 
Unfortunately, the GP, like many other cherished namesakes in the American car industry, has lost it's luster over the years. The majority of people under 35 or so hear Gran Prix and think of those years of unrefined powertrains and gaudy plastic that Pontiac slapped on every doggone thing. They don't think of the big-block, six-pack variations that were awesome! They needed to come out with new names to break from the history that's etched in so many minds. Plus, I think they sound sportier than Bonneville or Gran Prix. IMO, GTO, Z28, 350Z, 911.......they just sound better.
 
Now, I grew up in a GM household, mainly Olds, Buick, and Chevys. My dad still has the '70 Chevelle SS 396 that he bought in '72 OR '73. My 1st two cars were a '64 Impala (327 Turbo-fire) and a '78 Cutlass (305-V8 4-barrel). After my beautiful Cutlass was totalled (rear-ended on the way to school one morning), I got a Honda Accord hatchback. I was elated--probably because most of the upper class kids drove Jap cars and I liked the manual tranny for dumping the clutch. I put a 180k on it before selling it to a former neighbor who continued driving it for many years. I think bought a Mazda 626 which I sold with 247k miles on it. Next I bought a '96 Maxima which I just sold a year ago with just under 250k miles on it and, other than a starter, radiator, and temp sensor, I never did more than scheduled maintenance on it. All of them were in good running condition when I sold them. All this to say that I've been on of those, "I like how some of the US cars look, but I'll always by Japanese" people....until recently.
 
The US has always had a car here or there that I would "take a chance and buy", like the Marauder, '94-'96 Impala SS, and GTO. I just tend to put a lot of miles on a car and I've been spoiled by my Japanese models, so I have to feel that I can get 200k on a car w/out problems before I buy it. I broke down (bad choice of words)and bought a Ford Exploder.....oops! I mean Explorer...... because we were starting a family and wanted the room. MISTAKE! Including the transmission that crapped out around 80k, I spent waaaaay more in repairs in the 4 years we had it than I spent in 9 years of owning my Maxima, so we dumped it and got an Infiniti for my wife to drive. Couldn't be happier with that.
 
I personally am a Nissan guy, and still drive a Maxima. HOWEVER, I love the G8. I was planning on getting an Infiniti M after my current Maxima, but if the first few years prove them to be reliable and sturdy, I'm about 80% sure that will be my next car. It invokes the same classic, big, muscle car feeling that are reminiscent of "the good ol' days" like the '95 Impala SS, but does so in a MUCH better package. The interior and ride quality are light years ahead of past efforts, and are world-class. WAY TO GO PONTIAC!!! Now, if we could just get a comparable RWD Chevy.......

Replying to: paisan (Sep 22, 2008 5:18 pm)

It's called "Camry" - not that heard to spell. I don't own it but we almost bought the hybrid instead of the van; it was just too small but Lexus-like refined and exciting (though no V8, sub-200 HP American-style V6 or optional ABS here). Not sure what you mean by "boring" but isn't Fusion or Malibu in the same appliance category? People still buy the Toyota because, say whatever you want, long term reliability is much higher and the resale value rocks. Have you seen interiors on the Accord and Altima? They're some of the best in business and compare that to Fisher Price shiny plastics (excluding the G8 obviously) on Pontiacs and Chevys. And we're giving them $25 billion to make more of this crap, cut more corners and move even more of their production to China. It makes me sick.
 
BTW, I'm really hoping for some good GM card promotions in December (like the 5K for my GTO in 2004) As much as I love our good ole' Trooper, a nice G8 instead (and for cheap) will be a good way to prop up the Australian economy and put Exxon back on track

Replies to this message:
• tayl0rd (Oct 10, 2008 9:48 am)
  • cracovian (Oct 10, 2008 9:58 am)
    • tayl0rd (Oct 10, 2008 10:50 am)
• paisan (Oct 10, 2008 6:57 pm)

Replying to: cracovian (Oct 10, 2008 9:25 am)

...and compare that to Fisher Price shiny plastics (excluding the G8 obviously)...
 
I thought that, too, until I sat in one. I was so disappointed. The design is nice, but the materials... And when I opened the glove box, my face melted!

Replies to this message:
• cracovian (Oct 10, 2008 9:58 am)
  • tayl0rd (Oct 10, 2008 10:50 am)

Replying to: tayl0rd (Oct 10, 2008 9:48 am)

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• tayl0rd (Oct 10, 2008 10:50 am)

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• cracovian (Oct 10, 2008 6:08 pm)

Replying to: cracovian (Oct 10, 2008 9:58 am)

Replies to this message:
• tayl0rd (Oct 10, 2008 11:40 am)