Cue a whole bunch of Chevy’s with Buick and Pontiac badges on.

Updated Pontiac Aztek?

the comments above would have been funnier 5, even 3 years ago – but face it GM’s newest models are impressive and it appears they are on an upward swing. I think GM does a better job of ‘rebadging’ vehicles than toyota does these days. I can’t wait to see what’s coming next from the General and i hope they continue to improve their products and increase sales and loyalty.

Scion-fighters anyone? No? yea probably not.. too smart a move for GM, haha

Sorry Syclone, you’re right, they’ll probably be Holdens

Scion fighters? No, GM is not looking to sell to the mentally retarded or confused retirees.

——————> I can’t wait to see that blasted Cadillac CTC…….QUESTION: will they make a CTC-V???? man thatta be so freakin awesome…….

79TA, GM is looking to sell anything to anyone that will by it or that they think will buy it and if they think they can get “retards and confussed retires” to part with their money for a Scion look alike GM will be happy to build it. They’ve tried it quite a few times in the past, Aztek, Cimmaron, Cavalier (Oh wait those two are the same car) and the list goes on.

Ha Ha jonstew brought up the Cimmaron. I thought that that was one vehicle that people were just not supposed to talk about anymore (so it would go away).

I do think GM is doing a much better job at designing their cars. I also think they’ve put a little bit better thought into their interior quality, perhaps the most they’ve ever put into a car in their entire history.

With that said… a lot of magazines are raising the hype meter on all of this to 11 (Spinal Tap style) yet it’s not perceived quality that has made the imports outsell the domestics. It’s real-world quality, statistics, and long-term quality that they have to overcome. That’s not something that any magazine can pick out in the course of 12 months, much less in a single drive. Motor Trend Car of the Year is fine and dandy considering you only have a small subset of your real world competition to beat (whatever comes out that year, always have felt it’s a silly barometer for a car’s success as reigning and current champs for the segment might be a couple of years old)… but what’s the thing going to look and run like in 36-52 months time? What will the cost of ownership be then? Are the unseen things brought up to the same quality levels as the things you can touch and feel? Is the paint going to last 10 years without falling off? Will the brakes become pitted, pock-marked, or warped from damp conditions compared to what their competitors’ reliability standard is in that area?

While GM has gone a long way towards making things better (still room to improve as always), they still need to stay the course and have to be able to weather scrutiny until they can prove on paper and in long-term real world driving over the course of numerous years that they’re on par with their competition. Once that’s established, they need not squander their new reputation but cling to it like their life depends on it. It is then, and only then, that GM will finally be back on track IMHO.

What ever! I think GM interiors if nothing have gone down in quality. Mainly due to all this new crap their putting out. Just like Chrysler. I liked what they did wiwth the Pntiacs a couple of years back.
As far as overall product quality. I feel the domestic products have been as good if not better than any imports in the past. Take a look at what is actually out their. I see 5 10 year old Escorts to every 1 Honda, notice I’m not being spacific to which Honda. I almost never see a Toyota that is more than 10 years old. I happen to have a 92′Nissan pickup that I will say has ran well through the years, but I can say the same for any domestic. And I don’t have to worry about timing belts ever 60k or the exterior rusting out, or the interior rotting apart. Which are things you have to worry about in any old foreign vehicle.

” but what’s the thing going to look and run like in 36-52 months time? What will the cost of ownership be then? ” Comment by IVIIVI4ck3y27, posted on March22 at 7:49 am

Hmmm, let’s see: My 1999 Suburban is 102 months old, has 160k miles on it, and runs and looks like new. EVERYTHING still works on it, and mine is loaded with plenty of options to break (seat heaters, power lumbar, rear seat A/C, etc.) Cost of ownership? I’m averaging less than $1k per year in repair and maintenance costs. Pretty good for a large vehicle of this age and mileage.

My 2002 Corvette Z06 is 60 months old, has 32k miles on it, and has been almost completely trouble-free, despite being driven very hard on tracks, autocross, and high speed canyon drives. It still drives like new and has no rattles. The same cannot be said for my ‘03 Infiniti G35 Coupe which I owned, which rattled the moment I drove it off the dealer’s lot brand new, and needed a new transmission at 20k miles.

Have I just been lucky with GM vehicles? Maybe, but I’ll go with real personal experience over Consumer Reports everytime.

90% of the Toyota, Hondas, Nissans over 5 years old I see on the road are beaters on their last legs. You rarely see a Hundi over 3 years old and I think I know why. Pealing paint floping plastic exterior trim, suspension shot, in short….toast. Tell me again why they are soooooooooooo superior?

To me the most amazing point of this story is that if some of these are totally new models, that GM has been able to keep them a total secret this far along in their creation. Typically they are using every opportunity for media exposure, ie the upcoming Camaro that we read about here every 15 minutes or so.

Awesome! I’ll be up there, I can’t wait! I love everything GM has been doing since 2004 (with the exception of whoring out SS and GXP badges).

I wonder if the reason they let the press get to the Camaro so easily is to distract from all their other projects? I mean, if it wasn’t for the retards running the Pontiac stage in Chicago, the actual look of the G8 GT would’ve been a secret till the moment it drove out there.

seven new products?

dag. GM just keeps rolling.

and yeah, they’re keeping things under wraps very well! i’m actually a little excited to see what they’re bringing even though i’m not the biggest GM fan ever.

I’m so happy with the new cars GM has been producing. I had all but written them off a few years ago, but they’ve certainly made some strong steps in the right direction. To continue to compete, GM has to make cars that not only Americans will love and buy, but the rest of the world will buy as well. They’ve been dogged for years because of their poor interior design and build quality. They have certainly come a long way in this area… A LONG WAY!!!

IVII has a great point, though… they’ve got to continue to EARN an excellent reputation. They can’t just have a few shining stars… their entire line-up must exude excellence in design and build quality… and then prove excellent reliability year after year. To their credit, they’ve extended some of their warranties, to help ease the concerns of their customers.

GM’s shear size will hurt and help in this process. They have resources to call upon (a world-wide network of engineers, designers, etc.) but they’ve got a lot of brands and cars to update. Some of these need immediate attention before they lose mindshare in the marketplace (Saab, especially).

When I bought my last 3 cars… I shopped around a lot. And GM didn’t have a single compelling vehicle for me to consider. Now, there are several I’ll seriously consider. If GM is really ready to throw half a dozen new designs our way… I say good for them!

bring on holdens and opels, im all for it
i hope they unveil them while im at the show

What they SHOULD show:

1–RWD Impala
2–Corvette SS
3&4–Caddy CTC and Big Caddy
5&6–Then the two Buick Supers…and they’d better be super.

What they WILL show:

1&2–The Buick Supers…and they won’t be super.
3&4–Lacrosse and Lucerne facelifts
5&6–Various versions of their half-ass hybrids

I’m all for the Holden Australian connection as it is one of the few very positive aspects at GM these days. Since the show is not here yet it is hard to comment on the models to be released, and the surprises.

Don’t get your panties in a bunch, GM hasn’t done anything “impressive” since they bent over to the oil industry and killed the EV… I’m sure they will find a way once again to let us down.

mujician, the fact that you think Pontiac interiors of a few years back are impressive says enough about your taste in cars. My girlfriend drives a 98 Toyota RAV4 with 200K miles on it and it drives like it was brand new. My parents 2002 Grand Caravan with 100K miles drives like a 10 year old truck though. I’m not an import lover though, I’m a car lover. My two favorite car companies are Dodge and Infiniti. The domestics are getting better, but not fast enough.

I have a 9 year old Nissan Altima and it is in pretty good shape and not on it’s last legs by any means. Paint will last a really long time as long as you keep it clean and wax it occasionally. Any car will last long as long as you take care of it

“Any car will last long as long as you take care of it.” – Maximus

Very true, Maximus.

Mujician, I see LOADS of old Camrys though, and I know ppl who have them. They run perfectly, and I mean REALLY well.

Z06ified, you must have gotten a Lemon, I know ppl with old infiniti’s that run perfectly too.

Otherwise I agree with you guys in that there are a lot more American cars running just fine then a lot of people think.

Here are my guesses:

- A new Saab 9^3 or a 9^1 based on the Cobalt/G5 platform with the 260HP Turbo Ecotec

- At least one mid-size sedan with a hybrid option. Try the Pontiac G6 or the Malibu Maxx

- While were on hybrids, an new hybrid large platform like the Suburban that will get 20+ MPG.

- A new entry Buick sedan to replace the LaCrosse, which is dying a slow death in dealerships

- A new Saturn crossover to replace the Vue and Relay lines

- The new Pontiac Vibe, which has been rumored for a while

- The concept car will be a turbo ethanol hybrid Camaro/Firebird

I hope the new cars don’t have the black “floor mat” dashboard material GM is using in everything from the chevy to the caddy. Ugly looking stuff turns off half the buyers who sit in one of their cars.

PS- Buick has the best interiors at GM right now.

Dear Maximus and Lotusfire:

I challenge you to purchase and keep the Dodge Intrepid.

To global_lightning:

- At least one mid-size sedan with a hybrid option. Try the Pontiac G6 or the Malibu Maxx
Saturn Aura Green Line

- A new entry Buick sedan to replace the LaCrosse, which is dying a slow death in dealerships
Won’t happen, they are releasing the LaCrosse Super they won’t release it’s successor at the same time.

- A new Saturn crossover to replace the Vue and Relay lines
They’ve already released a new VUE and the Outlook…

Have you been living under a rock?

Dear Get Real-
Would my 76 Fiat Spider be more reliable?

Get Real,

Actually, I’ve had some not so happy experiences with dodges.

You know I don’t ever understand all the hate for GM vehicles, from the sound of a lot of these comments most of you must also post at streetfire. Rice love.

I personally own a Cobalt and I have sat in a Impreza, Civic, Sentra, and Corolla. The only one that had a better interior feel was the Impreza which has a padded dash. None of those other cars have a padded dash the Civic feels no better than the Cobalt and the Sentra and Corolla fell worse. Thats not even mentioned the plastic horrible love-fest in the Caliber and Focus. It honestly sounds like none of you people have sat in a GM car since 2001. I also own a 2001 Grand Prix and yes complaints about GM’s quality were very valid then. But I’ve driven an Aura and a G6 and it is a complete turn around. That being said I’ve also sat in a Camry, Legacy, and Accord and again the only one that was any better in interior quality and feel was the Legacy.

JUST KILL THE BUICK NAME ALREADY

it just screams “old white person”, as in, people who were old in 1976! they’re all dead

buick is probably the only dealership that hands out geritol instead of coffee

i heard the new lucerne will feature a handy storage area for soiled depends undergarments

onstar will be replaced with that “i’ve fallen and can’t get up” service

jesus GM, its like you WANT to die

someone needs to walk into the boardroom and break it to them that buick is a dead name

by the way here are my suggestion for seven GM announcements:

1. we are buying tesla motors (not being sarcastic)

2. we are eliminating the buick, pontiac and saturn names

3. we will sell saab to the first bidder

4. all of the major execs are being fired

5. we no longer work at all with the uaw or any other union

6. we are going to start taking back stock options from execs who think selling to hertz at a discount is an solution

7. we are going to copy everything toyota does until we figure out what the hell is going on

europerspective: haha you’re right man, totally right

Wow this will sure be exciting, I can’t tell you all how many hours of sleep each night I’ve been losing over the arrival of the Lacrosse and Lucerne facelifts!

if they go #7 they will have to recall millions, dont forget toyota is the new recall king.

Awsome, looking forward to that!

The newer GM models aren’t bad. They’re not what I would call top-notch, but they’re definitely a rather large step in the right direction. The Malibu is still kind of a joke, and most other models pre-2004 are bunk as far as interior quality goes. Some of them still had some pretty decent reliability ratings though.

Wasn’t an HHR SS supposed to be coming out? As well as a facelifted Cobalt, with the SS possibly getting the turbo motor?

And when are they going to announce an Astra Redline?

zerotosixty, they probably hate GM so much because they’re closed-minded and not willing or able to think for themselves. Some people (usually the young tikes) are really gullible. Plus – a common hatred gives shallow people lots of shallow stuff to talk about. No thinking required, just insults and closed-mindedness.

Whoopee is an idiot. Quit reading foreign-biased magazines and actually go sit in one of the new GM cars. toyota has extremely low build quality, low reliability, and their MPG isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And who actually aspires to own a toyota anyway. Saturn is doing a major turnaround (their oldest model is the sky, which is an ‘06), Buick is selling perfectly fine, and Pontiac has some very exciting models out or coming out (G8 and Solstice GXP).

My list:
1. 2009 CTS-V (600hp sedan!!!)
2. 2009 CTC/ CTW (Coupe and Wagon)
3. 2010 CTC-V (600hp coupe!!!)
4. 2010 V12 Cadillac
5. Solstice Coupe (with GXP version)
6. Solstice GXP-R (although the GXP is no slouch, 325hp would be awesome)
7. Corvette Stingray

im looking forwars to NY so much
pleased to hear lots of u guys like Holden

V-series, I just read on another site that the new Tundra failed to meet the 5-star frontal crash-test rating that both Ford and GM trucks currently achieve (”according to new tests by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration”). Toyota themselves said this is their most important vehicle launch in its entire history; a 4-star rating in this crucial category could prove to be a thorn in Toyota’s side. If an American car company’s most important vehicle launch acheived only 4 out of 5 stars in a most critical safety test, could you imagine the comments? They’d probably be branded as murderers.

—–>gbb “90% of the Toyota, Hondas, Nissans over 5 years old I see on the road are beaters on their last legs.”
**** dawg, you must live in the ghetto. LOL. I own a ‘95 integra & it’s perfect. You should have put Ford, Chevy, GMC.

to meekin, Holdens are kickass. I sort of wish they’d just call them Holden instead of Pontiac though. You see all sorts of people rebadging their GTO’s as Holdens and I’ve never heard of a Holden being rebadged as a Pontiac (and yes I’m in Australia regularly).
Even so, the best thing GM has done in the past couple of years is bring in (rebadged) Holden and Opel vehicles to the U.S.

I admit, I haven’t been the biggest fan of GM in the past, but you people who are blindly bashing GM are morons. Have you driven these cars? No you haven’t; they’re not out yet. So calm down. Have you even driven a GM recently?
The Import fanboys and Domestic fanboys just need to chillllll a bit.
The industry has gotten to the point where the brand of a car alone is not enough to say it’s a piece of **** (unless it’s made in China, in which case it probably is, but my prediction is that will improve in 10 years as well).

I do wish GM would just start calling the new Saturns Opels because of the negative stigma that Saturn has had in the past, and do away with (or drastically overhaul, which might actually happen) the Buick name.

Look, ironically enough, the tagline for my car’s brand is “there is no substitute”.
Fair enough. But I’ve driven the new Z06 (FAST and LOUD and several GTO’s (Holden!) and guess what? They’re nice cars. People find all sorts of things to bash on them about, but I bet if you guys would just take one for a spin, you’d like it. Just a thought…

In my second sentence, what I meant was that GM should call Holdens in the U.S. Holdens as well instead of Pontiacs. Sorry about that mistake.

Any chance one of the vehicles to be announced is an H4??

Z06ified has been taking his smart pills! Consumer Reports might have credibility when it coe s to suggesting cassette players or toaster ovens, but they lost it all on cars when the recommended the Honda Civic. Worst car I ever had (by a huuuuge margin) was a Civic, and I’ve also owned a Ford Tempo. CR is full of excrement. CR doesn’t say what a “problem” is. I think there’s a difference between a glove compartment knob that comes off in your hand (typical GM problem) and an electrical system that makes turning on the dome light a gamble0 (Typical Honda problem)
But. I think someone should be caned for caling anything V6 anf FWD an impala. GM should make a microvan.

i mean come on already streetfire has posts of kids videogames in it, how can anybody there be taken serious after posting video game videos.

Has anyone who visits this site ever looked at who’s on Ford’s or GM’s board of directors? The ONLY people on either board with any automotive background are Bill Jr. and Wagoner. It’s no wonder they have so many problems. These people might be smart, but I don’t see a shred of evidence of anything automotive in their backgrounds. They’re accountants, drug pushers (drug companies), and other “business” people. Toyota doesn’t release that type of info, but I have no doubt their board is stacked with engineers.

“6 new never-before-seen production models” might mean some of the exciting new vehicles you guys are proposing, but my guess is more than a few are going to be existing vehicles with powertrain or simple bodystyle variations. My predictions for the production debuts:

1. Buick LaCrosse Super
2. Buick Lucerne Super
3. Chevy Malibu Hybrid
4. Chevy Silverado Hybrid
5. GMC Sierra Hybrid
6. Pontiac Vibe (G3?)

and the concept will be:

1. Saturn Aura GTC coupe (Opel GTC coupe concept)

Some other ideas:

1. Buick Enclave Super (drop in the LS7)
2. Chevy Malibu Maxx and/or Saturn Aura wagon (based on Opel Vectra wagon)
3. Hummer H2 Hybrid (Ahhhhnold would LOVE it!)

It can’t be the Tahoe and Yukon hybrids, they have already been shown in LA — I have the brochure in my hand.

Someone asked why the hatred about GM and American cars in general – I’ll tell you why. Most of us haters would really, really love to see great American cars, we really would. We see nice prototypes of what is possible, but the end product comes out pretty lame usually.

Personally I want to see performance, style, and class. When people get rich, I would want them to WANT to buy American cars, not Bentley, Ferrari, Porsche, Lambos, Rolls, etc. If you hit the lottery the only American cars worth buying would be Ford GT and a Corvette Z06 and a Viper. Not a single one of those has any style, refinement or class though. It’s like yeehaw, hit the gas and let’s haul ass and that’s it. I guess that’s just the American way though.

Why are we not building the best cars on the planet? Why are we not building the most stylish cars on the planet? Why are we not building the fastest cars on the planet? Why are we not building the most expensive cars on the planet?

Because were too busy building the Malibu. I honestly drew better looking cars than that in the first grade. We’re too busy building Pontiacs and Buicks – someone has to build ugly cars for old people I guess. I do like the Soltice – it’s a nice car. Now put 300hp in it and crush the competition. Why not make it the number one sports car? Why settle for less?

American car companies only think of cheaper and sometimes they build something fast, but the design and interior quality usually suck. When the price
is cheap, the status and class are low and so goes your whole brand and that’s just the way it is. It’s about image. Mercedes builds less expensive cars and go all the way up the food chain, so why doesn’t GM? Drop lame brands like Pontiac, Buick, & Saab.

The Vette has been unfortunately taken over by the hairy chest / gold chain crowd, so I cannot buy one of those. The CTS-V runs great, but falls short in the interior. It’s not even close to Audi or BMW interiors.

All we do is rehash old crap. Ford brings back the Mustang, Chevy comes out w/ Camaro, then we get Dodge Challenger, etc. Real effort and thinking there guys.

I got an idea, how about building a new car that hasn’t been built before? Wow, imagine that. How about putting a kick ass engine, awesome handling and a first class interior that doesn’t equal Audi, BMW, Mercedes or Porsche, but blows them away. Charge 50k, 75k, 100k or 150k. Who cares? Do something to get your mojo back.

When might we see a next-generation GTO!?! I want a new GTO concept although I suspect you wouldn’t see that until after the Camaro launch.