Comments on: Consumers want their Hummers…? Pontiac and Hummer take top spots on list of GM brands auto consumers want to survive. http://www.cargurus.com/blog/2009/06/15/consumers-want-their-hummers%e2%80%a6-pontiac-and-hummer-take-top-spots-on-list-of-gm-brands-auto-consumers-want-to-survive Daily coverage of the world of cars, including upcoming cars, industry news, car politics, fun lists, and more. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:57:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: tailgate1234 http://www.cargurus.com/blog/2009/06/15/consumers-want-their-hummers%e2%80%a6-pontiac-and-hummer-take-top-spots-on-list-of-gm-brands-auto-consumers-want-to-survive/comment-page-1#comment-21506 tailgate1234 Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:58:57 +0000 http://www.cargurus.com/blog/?p=7048#comment-21506 I can't understand why GM killed Pontiac - which has outsold Buick by more than 2 to 1. Buick's core customer group are mostly old people, and its market will eventually die off - literally. I can’t understand why GM killed Pontiac – which has outsold Buick by more than 2 to 1. Buick’s core customer group are mostly old people, and its market will eventually die off – literally.

]]> By: logic http://www.cargurus.com/blog/2009/06/15/consumers-want-their-hummers%e2%80%a6-pontiac-and-hummer-take-top-spots-on-list-of-gm-brands-auto-consumers-want-to-survive/comment-page-1#comment-21493 logic Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:40:37 +0000 http://www.cargurus.com/blog/?p=7048#comment-21493 What blows my mind in reading all these articles, and ESPECIALLY the comments, is that no one seems to realize that Saturn is the brand worth keeping over any of the others. Why? Because most of the Saturn line currently is directly taken from GM's Vauxhall and Opel portfolios in Europe. These are EXACTLY the type of cars the American public SHOULD be buying right now and in the near future. Compared to any of the Pontiacs or Buicks or Chevys (vomit) currently available, the Astra and Aura (Opel Vectra) are modern European-style small and mid-size (respectively) cars, that are very popular in Great Britain and other parts of the civilized world. They also have the benefit of being relatively long-running models with nearly 20 years worth of development and refinement. The same cannot be said of any of the current Pontiacs (GTO excluded, maybe). Not to mention that the Opel connection means there should be at least SOME measure of German design and engineering in these cars' pedigree. Pontiac? Chevy? Not so much. Considering the pending sale of the Saturn brand to Penske, it remains to be seen whether the Astra and Aura will continue to be developed and refined further, or if Penske will let them run their course (until all the remaining parts stock is depleted), and will replace them with something as yet unseen. In any case, GM should at least attempt to absorb its Euro-market Vauxhalls and Opels into the Chevrolet brand portfolio. Killing these cars off will be a huge mistake. As for Pontiac and Buick and friggin HUMMER (???) - who the hell cares? Dinosaurs, all of them. GM should really take a lesson from Ford, who are making the RIGHT decisions in bringing the UK-market Focus RS and Fiesta, stateside. -- just my 2 cents. What blows my mind in reading all these articles, and ESPECIALLY the comments, is that no one seems to realize that Saturn is the brand worth keeping over any of the others. Why? Because most of the Saturn line currently is directly taken from GM’s Vauxhall and Opel portfolios in Europe. These are EXACTLY the type of cars the American public SHOULD be buying right now and in the near future. Compared to any of the Pontiacs or Buicks or Chevys (vomit) currently available, the Astra and Aura (Opel Vectra) are modern European-style small and mid-size (respectively) cars, that are very popular in Great Britain and other parts of the civilized world. They also have the benefit of being relatively long-running models with nearly 20 years worth of development and refinement. The same cannot be said of any of the current Pontiacs (GTO excluded, maybe). Not to mention that the Opel connection means there should be at least SOME measure of German design and engineering in these cars’ pedigree. Pontiac? Chevy? Not so much.

Considering the pending sale of the Saturn brand to Penske, it remains to be seen whether the Astra and Aura will continue to be developed and refined further, or if Penske will let them run their course (until all the remaining parts stock is depleted), and will replace them with something as yet unseen. In any case, GM should at least attempt to absorb its Euro-market Vauxhalls and Opels into the Chevrolet brand portfolio. Killing these cars off will be a huge mistake. As for Pontiac and Buick and friggin HUMMER (???) – who the hell cares? Dinosaurs, all of them. GM should really take a lesson from Ford, who are making the RIGHT decisions in bringing the UK-market Focus RS and Fiesta, stateside.

– just my 2 cents.

]]> By: CQ http://www.cargurus.com/blog/2009/06/15/consumers-want-their-hummers%e2%80%a6-pontiac-and-hummer-take-top-spots-on-list-of-gm-brands-auto-consumers-want-to-survive/comment-page-1#comment-21485 CQ Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:46:02 +0000 http://www.cargurus.com/blog/?p=7048#comment-21485 I like all your points except the part about Buick. Buick is a huge success for GM over in Asia so for now it will stay. I like all your points except the part about Buick. Buick is a huge success for GM over in Asia so for now it will stay.

]]> By: Kvan http://www.cargurus.com/blog/2009/06/15/consumers-want-their-hummers%e2%80%a6-pontiac-and-hummer-take-top-spots-on-list-of-gm-brands-auto-consumers-want-to-survive/comment-page-1#comment-21483 Kvan Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:41:44 +0000 http://www.cargurus.com/blog/?p=7048#comment-21483 It seems to me GM has now a long running history of ignoring consumer feedback and maximizing their profit margins. This is just another example - they eliminate one of the most popular American car icons after a nearly 30 year history of producing rebadged Chevy's. In any instance, however, it's likely GM is not selling Pontiac because they plan to bring it back in the not too distant future. Of course by then, we may not have an American automotive industry... It seems to me GM has now a long running history of ignoring consumer feedback and maximizing their profit margins. This is just another example – they eliminate one of the most popular American car icons after a nearly 30 year history of producing rebadged Chevy’s.

In any instance, however, it’s likely GM is not selling Pontiac because they plan to bring it back in the not too distant future. Of course by then, we may not have an American automotive industry…

]]> By: Ashley http://www.cargurus.com/blog/2009/06/15/consumers-want-their-hummers%e2%80%a6-pontiac-and-hummer-take-top-spots-on-list-of-gm-brands-auto-consumers-want-to-survive/comment-page-1#comment-21478 Ashley Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:08:11 +0000 http://www.cargurus.com/blog/?p=7048#comment-21478 I'm a Pontiac owner, and I must say that even though I get a supplier discount from GM, it was the only brand of theirs that had anything I was interested in (outside of the Corvette which is a total point off the curve for the Chevy brand). Buick and Caddy double up on the 50-80 year old segment of the population. Chevy is for people who want cheap basic transportaion with no style. Saturn is for nobody I can think of since they totally ditched the original concept which was about the last unique idea they'd had in the last 40 years or so... Pontiac was the only brand they had that was of interest to me, a male professional in my 30's. The problem is that GM has never been very good at marketing or selling to people like me. If I didn't get their discount, I probably wouldn't have even looked at Pontiac even though they have some very nice cars and I've thoroughly loved my Grand Prix GTP. Maybe it's becasue everyone running the joint at GM is at least 800 years old, still living GM's glory days of the 60's, and totally out of touch with the needs or wants of the modern public. A lot has changed since the 60's "my friends" and that generation is dying out quick. My suggestion, if you want to extend your business into younger generations, is to ditch Buick, bring back the only brand you had that "sold excitement", and market it accordingly to younger professionals. Follow through with the plans to bring the Volt to market, but make it a Pontiac. Keep the Solstace and the G5-8 as they were moderately priced cars with style that could attract a younger buying segment. Then a few years down the line when they've hit 50 or 60 and are extablished you can up-sell them to a Caddy. You can keep selling Chevys to the unwashed masses as there will always be a market for boring cheap cars and pickup trucks with gunracks in the midwest. That's a recipe for success as far as I'm concerned. I’m a Pontiac owner, and I must say that even though I get a supplier discount from GM, it was the only brand of theirs that had anything I was interested in (outside of the Corvette which is a total point off the curve for the Chevy brand).

Buick and Caddy double up on the 50-80 year old segment of the population. Chevy is for people who want cheap basic transportaion with no style. Saturn is for nobody I can think of since they totally ditched the original concept which was about the last unique idea they’d had in the last 40 years or so…

Pontiac was the only brand they had that was of interest to me, a male professional in my 30’s. The problem is that GM has never been very good at marketing or selling to people like me. If I didn’t get their discount, I probably wouldn’t have even looked at Pontiac even though they have some very nice cars and I’ve thoroughly loved my Grand Prix GTP.

Maybe it’s becasue everyone running the joint at GM is at least 800 years old, still living GM’s glory days of the 60’s, and totally out of touch with the needs or wants of the modern public. A lot has changed since the 60’s “my friends” and that generation is dying out quick.

My suggestion, if you want to extend your business into younger generations, is to ditch Buick, bring back the only brand you had that “sold excitement”, and market it accordingly to younger professionals. Follow through with the plans to bring the Volt to market, but make it a Pontiac. Keep the Solstace and the G5-8 as they were moderately priced cars with style that could attract a younger buying segment. Then a few years down the line when they’ve hit 50 or 60 and are extablished you can up-sell them to a Caddy. You can keep selling Chevys to the unwashed masses as there will always be a market for boring cheap cars and pickup trucks with gunracks in the midwest.

That’s a recipe for success as far as I’m concerned.

]]> By: Stephen http://www.cargurus.com/blog/2009/06/15/consumers-want-their-hummers%e2%80%a6-pontiac-and-hummer-take-top-spots-on-list-of-gm-brands-auto-consumers-want-to-survive/comment-page-1#comment-21455 Stephen Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:52:53 +0000 http://www.cargurus.com/blog/?p=7048#comment-21455 Actually Jim Waldron has offered to buy it, not once but twice. Gm is mulling it over. http://www.leftlanenews.com/gm-mulling-pontiac-sale.html Actually Jim Waldron has offered to buy it, not once but twice. Gm is mulling it over.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/gm-mulling-pontiac-sale.html

]]> By: tgriffith http://www.cargurus.com/blog/2009/06/15/consumers-want-their-hummers%e2%80%a6-pontiac-and-hummer-take-top-spots-on-list-of-gm-brands-auto-consumers-want-to-survive/comment-page-1#comment-21432 tgriffith Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:12:58 +0000 http://www.cargurus.com/blog/?p=7048#comment-21432 It's interesting that the one brand consumers care most about, Pontiac, is the only one GM is killing off, rather than selling. Hummer, Saturn and Saab all have buyers. Maybe GM is simply saying, "since we can't run Pontiac, no one will." Sad. It’s interesting that the one brand consumers care most about, Pontiac, is the only one GM is killing off, rather than selling. Hummer, Saturn and Saab all have buyers. Maybe GM is simply saying, “since we can’t run Pontiac, no one will.” Sad.

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