Damn. Not so good news RWD fans

[exitspeed]

Article (http://www.autoilluminati.com/?p=213)

Pontiac was talking about going ALL RWD in the near future, and it looks like that's not going to happen.

At least we got the G8 in time.

[stiizy]

uwp oh well.....

Like you said G8 is all good

I think all there RWD cars now are suitable

[lflkajfj12123]

isn't pontiac on its way out?

why are they still trying

[KwKouki]

no solstice coupe.........NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO/darthvader

[exitspeed]

isn't pontiac on its way out?

why are they still trying

Nope. Pontiac is going nowhere. Anyone who thinks that GM will ax or sell Pontiac is on crack.

Sell Saab, yes. Hummer, yes.

AX GMC, possibly.

The rest are staying. It cost GM more money then it was worth to even off Oldsmobile. Put it this way, the industry is doing so bad right now, and GM as a company is doing so bad right now, that they couldn't even kill a brand if they wanted to.

They certainly can sell a brand, but Pontiac isn't going to be one of them.

It doesn't make sense for them to get rid of Buick or Saturn either.

Could Pontiac dwindle down to just a few cars? Maybe. But I doubt it. The G8 just came out, so that's locked in for a good 5 years. The Solstice has done well enough that it will get a 2nd gen. The G6 is a staple and the next gen of that should be right around the corner. The next gen G5 which will be based on the new Cruze will be so much better then the current G5 with out a doubt.

[highwaystar22]

I don't think I'd drive a pontiac or gm related rwd platform...... never had a good experience with either. Maybe I'll rent a G8 and beat on it some to change my mind, hell if it doesn't at least it might make me feel better.

I'm a hater.

[exitspeed]

I don't think I'd drive a pontiac or gm related rwd platform...... never had a good experience with either. Maybe I'll rent a G8 and beat on it some to change my mind, hell if it doesn't at least it might make me feel better.

I'm a hater.

You and everyone else.

[lflkajfj12123]

hi lol i'm everyone else

the gto is okay but even that doesn't tickle me

i don't see the desire in american cars anymore

europe and japan does everything better

[CrimsonRockett]

A week after buying a '99 Grand Am, fuel pump goes out.

Fixed that.

Month later, tranny goes ape shit.

Fixed that.

Week after that, ecu problems.

Yeah, we got rid of that pos.

Never buying/driving a Pontiac ever again.

[exitspeed]

hi lol i'm everyone else

the gto is okay but even that doesn't tickle me

i don't see the desire in american cars anymore

europe and japan does everything better

Would you buy a G8 if it was still badged as a Holden Commodore? Or a Sky if it was badged as a Opel GT? Or how about a Caviler if it was a Toyota Caviler?

A week after buying a '99 Grand Am, fuel pump goes out.

Fixed that.

Month later, tranny goes ape shit.

Fixed that.

Week after that, ecu problems.

Yeah, we got rid of that pos.

Never buying/driving a Pontiac ever again.

Funny, I had a 99 GA GT also.

I had some shit go wrong with it also.

However, GM's cars are a LOT better then they were even in 2003.

[lflkajfj12123]

no.

msglength

[ESmorz]

I could really care less.

Even Hyundai is putting out nicer cars than Pontiac...

[muddafakka]

Ehh it's not the end of the world for RWD.

Still other offerings to look forward to...especially from Nissan and Infiniti.

[ManoNegra]

American cars... yawn.

[ZX88]

uh why would they want to go rwd its not a very fuel efficient platform by todays standards. i doubt this will happen. i would drive the new el camino. i saw the Holdens in Australia and they are so bad ass.

[S14DB]

Who want's a RWD Vibe or G6?

Really 80% of the driving public can't drive worth a shit. FWD keeps them alive. if Ponticrap has to keep 80% of their cars FWD to sell enough to stay in biz and keep kool cars like the solstice on the market I'm kool with it.

Most of the auto buyers have no use for RWD.

[DOOK]

speaking of which... buddy of mine went to Baltimore tonight to pick up his black on black on black leather sky redline... wonder if he's home yet...

[axiomatik]

It's funny, because I have practically the complete opposite view as many people on here. Back in the 90's, I definitely preferred what Japan was putting out compared to american cars. But personally, there's hardly any japanese cars that interest me anymore.

Entire Toyota / Lexus line: Yawn / meh / :barf:

Fit: Yawn
Accord: Yawn
CRV: :barf:
Element: Yawn
Ridgeline: Yawn
Pilot: Yawn
Entire Acura line: Ugly (except for the TL, which I'm sure it'll be ugly next redesign)

Sentra: Yawn
Altima: Yawn
Maxima: Yawn
Rogue: Ugly
Murano: Ugly
Frontier: meh

FX: ugly
EX: meh
M35/45: meh
QX: Ugly

Basically the only japanese cars that interest me are the 350Z, G, S2000, and most of the Mazda line

[ronmcdon]

going all rwd might not be a bad idea IF it means axing everything Pontiac currently has that isn't rwd. Aside from the Matrix clone, i just don't see Pontiac non rwd models doing well. Suv's arn't selling so well these days, and the G6 supposedly has terrible reviews as a car.

the only two rides Pontiac has that has any respectability is prob just the soltice and the g8 anyways. both rwd, and seem to be well proven already.
I've never been much a fan of Chrysler and Ford (exception being their Australian muscle car offerings), but I have always liked at least some of the performance cars GM puts out.

[lflkajfj12123]

It's funny, because I have practically the complete opposite view as many people on here. Back in the 90's, I definitely preferred what Japan was putting out compared to american cars. But personally, there's hardly any japanese cars that interest me anymore.

Entire Toyota / Lexus line: Yawn / meh / :barf:

Fit: Yawn
Accord: Yawn
CRV: :barf:
Element: Yawn
Ridgeline: Yawn
Pilot: Yawn
Entire Acura line: Ugly (except for the TL, which I'm sure it'll be ugly next redesign)

Sentra: Yawn
Altima: Yawn
Maxima: Yawn
Rogue: Ugly
Murano: Ugly
Frontier: meh

FX: ugly
EX: meh
M35/45: meh
QX: Ugly

Basically the only japanese cars that interest me are the 350Z, G, S2000, and most of the Mazda line

uh huh and thats as far as sport cars go?

and you forgot europe that also makes better cars than america

i happen to like the new lexus line up

the fit is awesome x10000

but yeah nissan bores me besides z and g

have you seen the new corollas? fucking nice shit coming from toyota

mazda is so so i only like the rx8 anyways

some of the acura line up is pretty nice

[The ROMAN]

I had a 4th gen firebird years ago. It was a lot of fun and held up pretty well considering how much I abused it, although there definitely were some cheap shortcuts taken in building that car.

I really think all new cars are getting too plain, too soft and too heavy. The only thing "new" I would buy would be a cruiser for daily driving (luxury or economy depending on how much I have to spend). I get my performance kicks by building older cars up.

[SexPanda]

Lol. Toyota Cavalier... Those things are sweet! Got that TRD Body kit on my Cavalier!
(I dont own a cavalier. I do have a friend with one, and its all about TRD stuff for it lol)

In all actuality, I like GM. They've really improved on alot of things in the past few years. they make practical cars, nice cars, and fast cars. My dad's buick is probably the best car I've ever driven, as far as reliability goes. The Corvette is hands down the best bang for your buck you can get, IMO. Their SB 350 is one of the most tried and true engines out there. Yeah, they screwed up for a few years... or 20... and people started buying japanese and european cars because they were better, but these days, its really neck and neck as far as quality and reliability goes. Would I take an S2000 over a Sky? Only if it was free. Otherwise, I'd take the Sky, if only because its cheaper.

[axiomatik]

uh huh and thats as far as sport cars go?

and you forgot europe that also makes better cars than america

i happen to like the new lexus line up

the fit is awesome x10000

but yeah nissan bores me besides z and g

have you seen the new corollas? fucking nice shit coming from toyota

mazda is so so i only like the rx8 anyways

some of the acura line up is pretty nice

I used to be a big fan of BMW, but over the years, I've become less and less interested as they continue to get bigger and bigger and heavier.

Mercedes are alright. Though I can't think of any M-B models that I've ever drooled over (new C-class is pretty sharp though).

Audi - meh. A6 is Ugly. A8 is sharp, but I don't like huge cars. A5 is rather plain to me. A4 - sharp styling, but FWD, which also pushed the front wheels too far back, giving it an awkward stance. TT - first gen was sharp, 2nd gen is ok, but doesn't interest me.

VW - their whole current lineup is ugly to my eyes. Last-gen models looked much better. Plus, it's not like they have a reputation for outstanding reliability either

And the corollas? blech, it's ugly. I think they just took a model of the camry and lopped a section out of the middle. and what's the deal with the goofy round reflectors in the back bumper? They look like they were tacked on as an afterthought, they don't tie into the rest of the 'design' in any way. And this is how Toyota promotes the Corolla on their website: "Corolla is known for Toyota quality and real value. All five trim levels offer a smooth, quiet ride." oooh, that's something to get excited about.

[exitspeed]

I'm in the same boat as axiomatik. I'm all for good American cars. I'm not biased towards Japanese cars, just cause they are Japanese. I admit tht I used to be, but the more I learned and the more the GM and Ford (notice I did not say Chrysler) have improved their products the more I started coming around.

[s13dan]

screw pontiac(solstice is fine) GO Hyundia i like the genisis idea!

[ryguy]

A week after buying a '99 Grand Am, fuel pump goes out.



buying a '99 Grand Am
a '99 Grand Am
'99

Theres your problem right there. I admit GM dug itself a hole in the 80s-90s, but most anything GM from 01+ is built to last and designed well. General Motors entry level cars these days are far more exciting than anything Japan has to offer, and it's only getting better. Has anybody here even been inside a Malibu? Obviously not.

screw pontiac(solstice is fine) GO Hyundia i like the genisis idea!

Except that all Hyundais look dated the day they come out. It might have RWD and be cheap but who really gives a fuck when a 2009 Genesis looks like a 1999 Mercedes?

[muddafakka]

With the exception of a few, new cars in general really don't do anything for me. I guess I'm too nostalgic or something.

Japanese cars: Interested in stuff before 2000.

American cars: Interested in stuff from mid 60's to early 70's.

European cars: Of course I love the exotics but for regular cars, I just never really got into them. I guess it's the same like Japanese cars. Anything before 2000 really. I think cost was one of the reasons I never bothered with them.

Japanese:
Acura: Liked the RSX. Everything else is overpriced. Whether or not it's Honda's luxury marque, I can't justify spending more than 25-30 grand on a FWD car. The TLs and RLs were looking good but then came redesign time and they got fucked up. Seriously, the new ones look like shit. Oh and the only turbocharged motor they ever made got stuffed into a crossover/SUV. I don't understand the logic in that.

Honda: Loved their cars from the late 80's and early 90's. That goes for Nissan and Toyota as well. Overall their current lineup doesn't appeal to me. The Fit is nice though. I'd rock one as a daily. Redesign is hideous though. S2000 is cool too but a bit overpriced and outdated. I'm 50/50 on the new Civics. New Accords are ugly. I won't even talk about crossovers because I just don't give a damn about them. Oh and can someone explain to me why Honda keeps the Type-R cars in Japan? I really don't know why that is.

Infiniti: G coupe and sedan are cool. Prefer the G35 styling a bit more but I've warmed up to the G37 some. FX looked great but got fucked up with the redesign. Don't care about the EX or QX. The M is probably my favorite luxury sedan out there. Great lines and interior. I hope it doesn't get the stupid headlight treatment in the future. Nothing really needs to be improved on it. I think it looks gorgeous as is.

Lexus: Liked their cars from the 90s...SC, LS, and GS mainly. New stuff is alright. SC430 sucks, new LS is pretty good looking. I still prefer Infiniti though.

Mazda: Nothing really interests me from them. Hate the RX8s, long live the RX7.

Mitsubishi: Never really cared for them. New Evo is okay. Prefer the older ones though.

Nissan: Altima sedan/coupe are ok. Sentra is fucking hideous...screaming for a redesign. Frontier is opposite from the rest. Didn't like the older ones, like the newer ones more. Love the Titan. Pretty much my favorite truck. Z's are decent but need to lose weight. The new one will hopefully rectify that. Armada is probably my favorite SUV...considering I don't really care for them at all. Liked the older Pathfinders, don't care for the new ones. Liked most of the Maximas up until now. New Maximas are ugly. Headlights and Camry rear end ruin for me. Oh and the fact that there's no manual. It doesn't deserve the 4 door sports car title, especially if it's still FWD. Nissan either needs to let go of that tired idea or hand the title over the G sport sedan. GT-R...it's a love/hate thing for me. I hope the small coupe they plan on releasing doesn't disappoint...I mean my main concern is it not being a heavy pig. I must add, Nissan kept all the nice vans in Japan. I'd much rather see the Elgrand here than the ugly Quest.

Subaru: They're alright. Loved the GC8s and older Legacys. Suby had it right with the '06-'07 STi and completely fucked up with the new redesign. I've seen a few modified ones that look alright. Just can't get over that rear end though.

Toyota: I miss the Toyota from the 80's. Corollas and Celicas from the 70's were awesome as well. Loved the Cressidas. Now I'm sick of seeing convoys of Corollas and Camrys. They're so dull and boring. Even the new ones suck. Toyota kept the good shit in Japan. The Crown being one of them. Toyota's gone downhill over the years imo...I don't care how reliable they are. They don't anything for me. They should have kept the Supra as a halo vehicle but I guess making vanilla sedans are more important. For me Toyota is synonymous with boring.

American:
GM: My favorite of the big 3. In the catch-up race, GM is winning while Ford is second and Chrysler lags far behind. Corvette, G8, and the Cadillacs are obviously my favorites. Not sure about the new Camaro. The new turbocharged Cobalt is pretty nice as well. Imo the Sky's design should be Pontiac's while the Solstice should be Saturn's. I think they got that one backwards. The Sky's edgy features make it more suitable for Pontiac to me. I'd like to see the Impala go back to RWD as the Malibu has improved drastically.

Ford: I've said it before. Australia has all the good Ford sedans. The Mustang is probably the only car I like in their lineup. I think it has the Camaro and Challenger beat in the retro-muscle competition. I wouldn't be surprised in Lincoln was no more. Don't really know what else there is to say about them...aside from the fact that they need to learn how to make better decisions. Bringing the Euro Focus over here would be an example.

Chrysler: Killing off the Viper makes them earn my animosity. Jeep is cool...Grand Cherokee and Wrangler only though. Challenger is ok but it is a chunky and heavy biatch. Seen them in person and they are pretty big. The Charger does not deserve that name. It should be called something else. Chrysler's vehicles themselves have never gotten my interest. They're boring. Dodge trucks are not too bad I guess.

European:
Audi: Never really got into them. I like the A8s though. The older S8s (like the one in Ronin) are nice too.

BMW: If Bangle designed it, I don't care for it. Z4M coupe and M6 are the exceptions. New BMWs don't interest me anymore overall.

Mercedes Benz: Only one of their cars makes me drool uncontrollably: SL65 AMG Black Edition. But $300K? That's pretty steep but I guess if you have the money it's not really a problem. Their lineup isn't bad overall though. A bit overpriced imo...but it wouldn't be a Euro car company if it wasn't.

VW: All I ever hear about them are electrical gremlins and all reliability issues. I don't care for any of their offerings. Liked their stuff from the 80's and 90's.

Oh and you might notice I didn't add the Korean companies. Truth is, I still don't care about them. Genesis Coupe is okay but still a bit rough around the edges. At least Hyundai is trying with that one. The Genesis sedan looks like a mashup of a bunch of cars. MB, Infiniti, etc.

[exitspeed]

Has anybody here even been inside a Malibu? Obviously not.

Seriously. I'd buy a Malibu over a Camry or an Accord. The Malibu looks better then both IMO, and the interior is FAR better in both layout and feel. And don't kid yourself people, it's just as dependable.

[vvtisupra]

i'd buy a G8 in like 2-3 years when its droppeddown to 8-12k. Wish they came with a 6 speed

[azndoc]

I like the G8 a lot.

Like seriously.

Its cool looking.

[lflkajfj12123]

wieners are pretty cool looking

do you like those too?

[drift freaq]

Seriously. I'd buy a Malibu over a Camry or an Accord. The Malibu looks better then both IMO, and the interior is FAR better in both layout and feel. And don't kid yourself people, it's just as dependable.

I feel axiomatiks sentiment on current offerings from a lot of the Japanese companies. Most are ugly and rather yawn.
Outside of the Altima coupe,G35/37,M45 350Z, and possible the new Maxima. Some of the Mazda line( I hate RX8's and current gen Miata's).

Toyota and Lexus of late? Yuck!
Suburu? Going down the ugly road.
Mitsubushi? I don't care how bad ass the EVO is its still a Mitsushitty!

I will not buy a Korean car, sorry but they just represent a rip off of Japanese cars and till very recently very poor build quality.
Mercedes of late i.e. last ten years? While some of their upper line is nice I would not touch them with a 10 ft pole. Problem city!
Same goes for BMW of late. I also feel the 1 series is fucking ugly! Yup! I said it!
Porsche, well its Porsche will really good cars way overpriced.
Audi? Great if you own them under warranty. Once warranty goes get rid of that car and quick. LOL

Which brings us to the topic subject lol. GM, If you want to know more about my opinions on GM you should read my latest article on autoilluminati (http://www.AutoIlluminati.com). It pretty much sums up my opinion of GM. As far as the cars they are offering well I give them credit they are trying real hard. I honestly hope they succeed. I would like to see a great American car company again.

[drift freaq]

wieners are pretty cool looking

do you like those too?

Hot Dogs rock especially from Chicago! :rofl:

[s13dan]

I feel axiomatiks sentiment on current offerings from a lot of the Japanese companies. Most are ugly and rather yawn.
Outside of the Altima coupe,G35/37,M45 350Z, and possible the new Maxima. Some of the Mazda line( I hate RX8's and current gen Miata's).

Toyota and Lexus of late? Yuck!
Suburu? Going down the ugly road.
Mitsubushi? I don't care how bad ass the EVO is its still a Mitsushitty!

I will not buy a Korean car, sorry but they just represent a rip off of Japanese cars and till very recently very poor build quality.
Mercedes of late i.e. last ten years? While some of their upper line is nice I would not touch them with a 10 ft pole. Problem city!
Same goes for BMW of late. I also feel the 1 series is fucking ugly! Yup! I said it!
Porsche, well its Porsche will really good cars way overpriced.
Audi? Great if you own them under warranty. Once warranty goes get rid of that car and quick. LOL

Which brings us to the topic subject lol. GM, If you want to know more about my opinions on GM you should read my latest article on autoilluminati (http://www.AutoIlluminati.com). It pretty much sums up my opinion of GM. As far as the cars they are offering well I give them credit they are trying real hard. I honestly hope they succeed. I would like to see a great American car company again.

Do you like anything other than nissan? Seems kinda close minded. I luve nissan but respect a lot of other car makers.

[exitspeed]

Do you like anything other than nissan? Seems kinda close minded. I luve nissan but respect a lot of other car makers.

I for one do favor Nissan's, but there are a few cars outside of Nissan/Infiniti's line-ups I would buy.

2009 CTS
Saturn Sky
Pontiac G8
Chevy Malibu
2009 WRX (can't help it. It's growing on me and 265hp/AWD for $26k is tempting)

That pretty much sums up any cars I would consider buying outside of a Nissan.

[drift freaq]

Do you like anything other than nissan? Seems kinda close minded. I luve nissan but respect a lot of other car makers.

Ah, your lack of reading comprehension raises its ugly head. If you had bothered reading the post, I complimented other brands beside Nissan. Oh, but wait, you brushed right over that. I see now, why you have multiple red squares. Oh, and of course you will call me an asshole, for pointing out the cold hard truth, you can't seem to face.

Close minded, no. Particular in likes and dislikes yes. I do happen to like other cars besides Nissan's. Do I happen to have criticism of some of Nissan's stuff as well sure. Wait, you managed to miss that, I did not praise all Nissan's. I did praise some of Mazda.
I did not say Toyota sucked. I said I felt they were ugly. Thats not close mindeness. Its taste. Fact is Toyota's are well built to the point of over engineering. I just do not like the looks of the cars.
Oh I bet you own a EVO as Usually Evo owners are the ones that get their panties in a bunch about these types of posts, because guess what? I do not like Mitsushitty.

Oh and you probably did not read my article on AutoIlluminati otherwise your post would have been even more pointless.

[ronmcdon]

I like how this thread has turned out.

I think the auto market is great right now for what it is. I think I can say we arn't any worse off than the Euro or Asian markets in terms of options in autos. we have a pretty good general selection right now, perhaps better than anytime in the past. many great rwd and awd choices at reasonable entry price. there are reasonably priced german autos (A3/GTi 2.0, 135, 335 come to mind) that have good value. there are also some great used car deals no doubt. the future of new car designs could be bleak with oil prices rising, and the question of whether or not the dollar continues to drop. right now could be the best time for purchasing new performance cars.

My current new car favs are (based on what I can actually afford): Miata, MazdaSpeed 3, Cooper S, Civic Si, Saturn Astra, Sky/Solstice GXP, Forester Turbo, Legacy GT, 09 WRX, STi, Ralliart, Evo X gsr (not the MR), 128, 135, 328 sedan/wagon, 335 sedan, Audi A3 2.0, VW GTi 2.0, G8, Infiniti G35 sedan (or is it 37), Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Tundra, Nissan Titan.

I'm sure there are also some great family sedans/hatches choices, its just that I don't see myself having the need for those anytime in the near future.

Companies I have yet to have any desire for: Chrysler, Ford, Lexus, Scion, Mercedes, Saab, Hyundai, & Kia. Nothing personal and no offense intended, its just not my thing.

[FR-Tuners]

I think the RWD coupe market is about to go through a renaissance:

-Hyundai Genesis Coupe. LSD and 4cyl Evo X derivative motor.
-Toyabaru. 200hp, lsd.
-Nissan's Silvia successor.

The cars might not come specc'd from the factory how you want...but that's what the aftermarket is for :)

This is the first time that we aren't being deprived of cars that the rest of the world gets...