Fun car comparison - Round 1 - Solstice GXP
It's fun to watch the bemused reaction on a salseperson's face when you ask to drive a rear-drive convertible in a Colorado winter.
But drive I did. Today's entry in the fun-car comparison experiment is an example of the orphaned Pontiac Solstice, only available for one generation/three full model years before GM's bankruptcy killed the car and it's brand.
Rear-drive, direct-injected and turbocharged, two seats and a 5-speed manual, and this example came in at $17k - much below our $30k comparison ceiling. What's not to love?
As it turns out, a few things.
Other than any of the obvious things to love, like its sexy roadster curves and the abiility to let the sun shine in and its strong power from its 2.0 Ecotec 4-cylinder even with our tester's 60k miles. Ride was firm but not overly so, meaning daily driver duty is certainly justifiable.
Down-sides are plentiful, unfortunately. While the ride was acceptable, the wide 18" tires easily showed themselves as needing swapped for snow tires to improve traction in the white stuff. This weakness is exasperated by wide tread width that should shine in the warmer months. But, that's something that a purchase of new shoes would correct.
That's not the only issue the Solstice had. Some are well known, such as the trunk only being accessible by releasing the flying buttress portions of the soft-top and lifting the lid toward the rear. This also means closing and securing the lid requires a trip to both sides to push those spring-loaded portions of the top down to latch place (all after a hard slam of the lid which must be executed from the side of the car. The opening and closing the lid would be an acceptable eccentricity if the cargo space wasn't so meager as to only hold a couple plastic shopping bags. Instead, a large lump rises up and serves to support the top when lowered (at which point the trunk is largely useless).
Up front, the hood also lifts away from the passenger compartment and comprises most of the front clip. If the trunk suggests a lack of proper development, the hood behaves and feels worse. Hinged at the front, you see the panel twisting about its pivot making you doubt the longevity of the hardware.
Inside, you will either like the style of the medium grey, driver-focused cabin or not. What isn't up to interpretation is how the materials have worn with age. Parts do not meet correctly in some areas, with edges of the mismatched panels suggesting that thin parts are partly to blame. Some trim such as the brushed sill plate was peeling and the driver seat was starting to show undue signs of surface wear. Additionally, short glass all around would take adjustment to compensate for what you can't easily see with the top up.
So, as much as the Solstice looks great and checks many of the proper boxes for a sports car...it is saddled with execution and materials issues that drop it from contention.
A shame that we didn't get to see what generation 2 of this car would have been.
 |
| Great Looks - Poor Execution |
Rear-drive, direct-injected and turbocharged, two seats and a 5-speed manual, and this example came in at $17k - much below our $30k comparison ceiling. What's not to love?
As it turns out, a few things.
Other than any of the obvious things to love, like its sexy roadster curves and the abiility to let the sun shine in and its strong power from its 2.0 Ecotec 4-cylinder even with our tester's 60k miles. Ride was firm but not overly so, meaning daily driver duty is certainly justifiable.
Down-sides are plentiful, unfortunately. While the ride was acceptable, the wide 18" tires easily showed themselves as needing swapped for snow tires to improve traction in the white stuff. This weakness is exasperated by wide tread width that should shine in the warmer months. But, that's something that a purchase of new shoes would correct.
That's not the only issue the Solstice had. Some are well known, such as the trunk only being accessible by releasing the flying buttress portions of the soft-top and lifting the lid toward the rear. This also means closing and securing the lid requires a trip to both sides to push those spring-loaded portions of the top down to latch place (all after a hard slam of the lid which must be executed from the side of the car. The opening and closing the lid would be an acceptable eccentricity if the cargo space wasn't so meager as to only hold a couple plastic shopping bags. Instead, a large lump rises up and serves to support the top when lowered (at which point the trunk is largely useless).
Up front, the hood also lifts away from the passenger compartment and comprises most of the front clip. If the trunk suggests a lack of proper development, the hood behaves and feels worse. Hinged at the front, you see the panel twisting about its pivot making you doubt the longevity of the hardware.
Inside, you will either like the style of the medium grey, driver-focused cabin or not. What isn't up to interpretation is how the materials have worn with age. Parts do not meet correctly in some areas, with edges of the mismatched panels suggesting that thin parts are partly to blame. Some trim such as the brushed sill plate was peeling and the driver seat was starting to show undue signs of surface wear. Additionally, short glass all around would take adjustment to compensate for what you can't easily see with the top up.
So, as much as the Solstice looks great and checks many of the proper boxes for a sports car...it is saddled with execution and materials issues that drop it from contention.
A shame that we didn't get to see what generation 2 of this car would have been.
GM Brands - Live or Die?
I'm sure you've heard by now about the piece in Fortune (my least favorite source for automotive content) about what GM should do to get back in the game...
It's strange to me how a company that is as large and successful as GM, is the only one of the 'big 3' that isn't either in serious trouble or for sale...is considered by so many journalists as a failure.
So, Toyota sold more cars world-wide than GM in the first quarter of 2007...okay. The margin is still tight and with GM's turn-around plan fully in motion, there is no reason to believe that their market share slide will not slow, stop, or even turn around soon.
But, let's accept for a moment the concept that they have not changed enough structurally and need to do more drastic things to match the Toyota machine...do they need to slice off brands and shrink down to a more manageable size?
Fortune suggests killing off Saab, Hummer, Buick, and Pontiac. Moving GMC to a commercial-only vehicle brand, repositioning Saturn as a Scion killer, and leaving Cadillac and Chevrolet as full-line brands to compete against Lexus and Toyota.
Well - I doubt I'd go nearly that far. But, the idea of bringing some coherency to the GM lineup has some appeal.
Here's my plan for GM's brands:
Saab - this brand has no place in GM's future. As a global luxury brand - it competes with Cadillac. As a competitor to Volvo - it ends up in the no-mans land between Buick and Cadillac. As a beloved quirky brand of hatchbacks and a favorite of college profs everywhere...you're killing me with a lack of attention/attempts to mold the brand into something it isn't and shouldn't be. Find a company that could understand what Saab is about and sell it to them ASAP.
Hummer - the brand everyone loves to hate, but a success story if ever there was one. Who would have ever thought that GM could have a viable competitor to Jeep so soon after launch. Sure, there are other GM brands with trucks, but Hummer has such focus and such credibility as a producer of off-road vehicles that this brand will go down as one of the success stories of the early 21st century.
Will it sell in huge numbers? No. Should GM keep it anyway? Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. This brand shows exactly what laser-like focus on a brand's mission gives you. Everyone knows a Hummer on sight, everyone knows what it can do, and it is true to these brand traits from top to bottom.
Not to mention, that it doesn't cost a lot to keep them around and they don't compete at bit with anything else GM sells (incremental profit - thy name is Hummer).
GMC - in the dictionary under 'redundant'... GMC sells rebadged Chevrolet trucks and, in the case of the Acadia, a rebadged Saturn. I understand this brand is cheap to maintain and successful in certain markets...but unless GM is serious about 'Professional Grade' enough to drop the crossovers and light-duty trucks from GMC and drop all heavy-duty trucks from Chevy - leaving GMC as a heavy-duty and commercial truck division, then just kill them and let Sierra buyers get Silverados. I can't imagine that the extra dealer body and marketing efforts are made up for by the incremental GMC buyer who would not ever buy a Chevrolet.
Chevrolet - full line, all the time. Assuming that Chevrolet keeps their truck line (it will), then Chevy can easily become the full-line brand that Toyota is. Chevrolet should be your source for everything from micro-cars through leather-lined Impalas. It is a hodge-podge brand that can be just about anything to anyone with a smattering of high-performance products, mainstream front and rear-drive product, trucks, etc.
Cadillac - 'Standard of the World' in the making. Cadillac will be a major beneficiary of a lean, mean GM. The money saved by not supporting Saab product development and GMC can be funneled into an expansion of Cadillac into a true Mercedes/BMW killer. A smaller-than-CTS sedan and coupe, a CTS coupe and wagon, a smaller-than-XLR sports car, a small SUV, as well as an ultra sedan and coupe on the upper end would book-end GM's offerings on the upper end.
Pontiac - focused like Hummer only for the on-road enthusiast. Word is that Pontiac is going all rear-drive. This is going to tick off the Pontiac dealers that are used to being a sporty Chevy...but the success of Pontiac needs to be by offering something focused. A rear-drive line, from a sub-compact through a Grand Prix sized rear driver (the new G8) in sedans/coupes/convertibles...allowing for a resurrected GTO, the Solstice, and possibly a Firebird (as more of a 2-seat, smaller, V-8 equivalent to the GTO) - then Pontiac will mean something. Think of Pontiac as a rear-drive Mazda without the SUVs and minivans and you will see the idea.
Buick or Saturn - pick one. As you have likely heard, Buick is going after Lexus (but given Lexus is totally in Cadillac price territory...why?). Saturn is expanding with sophisticated and stylish product to compete against imports (how antiquated a niche is that in this day and age?). Both are aiming at front-drive for the majority of the lineup. However, Saturn is going for everything from mid-teens hatchbacks (the Astra) through mid-30's crossovers (Outlook).
Buick is at the early stages of a resurgence with the Enclave SUV (based on the same platform as the Saturn Outlook) and will have mid and large sedans (and coupes?) as its basis.
GM needs to make a decision here. Buick or Saturn, but not both.
Saturn is becoming a full-line manufacturer (which seems to get in the way of Chevrolet). However, on the plus side, they have a young buyer and a great reputation through their dealer body and no-hassle philosophy.
Buick, on the plus side has decades of history, loyal buyers, and would carry a stately, elegant, American Jaguar aesthetic quite well. As a softer, less sporty, front-drive alternative to Cadillac's rear-drive lineup - it could work. However, with its aging buyers and less focused niche, I'm not sure how it will fit in with smaller Cadillacs and larger Chevrolets.
I can make a case for either, but better if Chevrolet is limited to softer, middle-of-the-road, tuning for their larger stuff and by merging Buick and Saturn into a single entity that sells sophisticated, stylish, near-luxury product.
So, for me, the ultimate GM would be one that sells Saab, kills GMC, merges Buick and Saturn, moves Pontiac into a hard-core sports brand, and gives the savings to Chevrolet and Cadillac to compete with Toyota and BMW, all the while spending a little bit of money giving Hummer 3 or 4 models that are various sizes of the hard-core off-roader concept.
It isn't as shocking and likely to get me press as Fortune's story...but it might be the one that gives GM an even better shot at long-term success.
It's strange to me how a company that is as large and successful as GM, is the only one of the 'big 3' that isn't either in serious trouble or for sale...is considered by so many journalists as a failure.
So, Toyota sold more cars world-wide than GM in the first quarter of 2007...okay. The margin is still tight and with GM's turn-around plan fully in motion, there is no reason to believe that their market share slide will not slow, stop, or even turn around soon.
But, let's accept for a moment the concept that they have not changed enough structurally and need to do more drastic things to match the Toyota machine...do they need to slice off brands and shrink down to a more manageable size?
Fortune suggests killing off Saab, Hummer, Buick, and Pontiac. Moving GMC to a commercial-only vehicle brand, repositioning Saturn as a Scion killer, and leaving Cadillac and Chevrolet as full-line brands to compete against Lexus and Toyota.
Well - I doubt I'd go nearly that far. But, the idea of bringing some coherency to the GM lineup has some appeal.
Here's my plan for GM's brands:
Saab - this brand has no place in GM's future. As a global luxury brand - it competes with Cadillac. As a competitor to Volvo - it ends up in the no-mans land between Buick and Cadillac. As a beloved quirky brand of hatchbacks and a favorite of college profs everywhere...you're killing me with a lack of attention/attempts to mold the brand into something it isn't and shouldn't be. Find a company that could understand what Saab is about and sell it to them ASAP.
Hummer - the brand everyone loves to hate, but a success story if ever there was one. Who would have ever thought that GM could have a viable competitor to Jeep so soon after launch. Sure, there are other GM brands with trucks, but Hummer has such focus and such credibility as a producer of off-road vehicles that this brand will go down as one of the success stories of the early 21st century.
Will it sell in huge numbers? No. Should GM keep it anyway? Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. This brand shows exactly what laser-like focus on a brand's mission gives you. Everyone knows a Hummer on sight, everyone knows what it can do, and it is true to these brand traits from top to bottom.
Not to mention, that it doesn't cost a lot to keep them around and they don't compete at bit with anything else GM sells (incremental profit - thy name is Hummer).
GMC - in the dictionary under 'redundant'... GMC sells rebadged Chevrolet trucks and, in the case of the Acadia, a rebadged Saturn. I understand this brand is cheap to maintain and successful in certain markets...but unless GM is serious about 'Professional Grade' enough to drop the crossovers and light-duty trucks from GMC and drop all heavy-duty trucks from Chevy - leaving GMC as a heavy-duty and commercial truck division, then just kill them and let Sierra buyers get Silverados. I can't imagine that the extra dealer body and marketing efforts are made up for by the incremental GMC buyer who would not ever buy a Chevrolet.
Chevrolet - full line, all the time. Assuming that Chevrolet keeps their truck line (it will), then Chevy can easily become the full-line brand that Toyota is. Chevrolet should be your source for everything from micro-cars through leather-lined Impalas. It is a hodge-podge brand that can be just about anything to anyone with a smattering of high-performance products, mainstream front and rear-drive product, trucks, etc.
Cadillac - 'Standard of the World' in the making. Cadillac will be a major beneficiary of a lean, mean GM. The money saved by not supporting Saab product development and GMC can be funneled into an expansion of Cadillac into a true Mercedes/BMW killer. A smaller-than-CTS sedan and coupe, a CTS coupe and wagon, a smaller-than-XLR sports car, a small SUV, as well as an ultra sedan and coupe on the upper end would book-end GM's offerings on the upper end.
Pontiac - focused like Hummer only for the on-road enthusiast. Word is that Pontiac is going all rear-drive. This is going to tick off the Pontiac dealers that are used to being a sporty Chevy...but the success of Pontiac needs to be by offering something focused. A rear-drive line, from a sub-compact through a Grand Prix sized rear driver (the new G8) in sedans/coupes/convertibles...allowing for a resurrected GTO, the Solstice, and possibly a Firebird (as more of a 2-seat, smaller, V-8 equivalent to the GTO) - then Pontiac will mean something. Think of Pontiac as a rear-drive Mazda without the SUVs and minivans and you will see the idea.
Buick or Saturn - pick one. As you have likely heard, Buick is going after Lexus (but given Lexus is totally in Cadillac price territory...why?). Saturn is expanding with sophisticated and stylish product to compete against imports (how antiquated a niche is that in this day and age?). Both are aiming at front-drive for the majority of the lineup. However, Saturn is going for everything from mid-teens hatchbacks (the Astra) through mid-30's crossovers (Outlook).
Buick is at the early stages of a resurgence with the Enclave SUV (based on the same platform as the Saturn Outlook) and will have mid and large sedans (and coupes?) as its basis.
GM needs to make a decision here. Buick or Saturn, but not both.
Saturn is becoming a full-line manufacturer (which seems to get in the way of Chevrolet). However, on the plus side, they have a young buyer and a great reputation through their dealer body and no-hassle philosophy.
Buick, on the plus side has decades of history, loyal buyers, and would carry a stately, elegant, American Jaguar aesthetic quite well. As a softer, less sporty, front-drive alternative to Cadillac's rear-drive lineup - it could work. However, with its aging buyers and less focused niche, I'm not sure how it will fit in with smaller Cadillacs and larger Chevrolets.
I can make a case for either, but better if Chevrolet is limited to softer, middle-of-the-road, tuning for their larger stuff and by merging Buick and Saturn into a single entity that sells sophisticated, stylish, near-luxury product.
So, for me, the ultimate GM would be one that sells Saab, kills GMC, merges Buick and Saturn, moves Pontiac into a hard-core sports brand, and gives the savings to Chevrolet and Cadillac to compete with Toyota and BMW, all the while spending a little bit of money giving Hummer 3 or 4 models that are various sizes of the hard-core off-roader concept.
It isn't as shocking and likely to get me press as Fortune's story...but it might be the one that gives GM an even better shot at long-term success.
Kappa + Zeta = Alpha? Pontiac G6 to go rear-drive
Gotta love those crazy engineers at GM.
For some time now, we've been hearing that GM planned to take the Pontiac line in a rear-drive-only direction.
The Solstice, while an example of this, certainly was no proof. Then the Grand Prix replacement went to the Zeta chassis as the G8 it started to look like there might be something to all this talk.
However, it has always bothered me that the G6 could not easily make the transition. It is based on GM's Epsilon global front-drive platform. Even though the 2nd generation Epsilon2 is supposed to have all-wheel drive as an option...all-wheel drive just isn't the same as rear-wheel drive. Especially to enthusiasts. How did GM plan to take a mid-sized sedan to this new rear-drive Pontiac ethic?
Now, word comes that GM is far into development of a new platform...part Kappa, part Zeta...and going by the name 'Alpha'.
This chassis will serve as the basis for both the next generation G6 as well as it's Euro-cousin in the Cadillac lineup, the BLS.
Now that this puzzle piece has fallen into place, we can only hope that we will soon hear rumblings of a Kappa based small sedan/coupe to replace the current Cobalt-clone G5...perhaps with the G4 name.
Ah, a fun time to be a GM fan no matter how you slice it.
Winding Road: GM's Next RWD Platform: Alpha
For some time now, we've been hearing that GM planned to take the Pontiac line in a rear-drive-only direction.
The Solstice, while an example of this, certainly was no proof. Then the Grand Prix replacement went to the Zeta chassis as the G8 it started to look like there might be something to all this talk.However, it has always bothered me that the G6 could not easily make the transition. It is based on GM's Epsilon global front-drive platform. Even though the 2nd generation Epsilon2 is supposed to have all-wheel drive as an option...all-wheel drive just isn't the same as rear-wheel drive. Especially to enthusiasts. How did GM plan to take a mid-sized sedan to this new rear-drive Pontiac ethic?
Now, word comes that GM is far into development of a new platform...part Kappa, part Zeta...and going by the name 'Alpha'.
This chassis will serve as the basis for both the next generation G6 as well as it's Euro-cousin in the Cadillac lineup, the BLS.
Now that this puzzle piece has fallen into place, we can only hope that we will soon hear rumblings of a Kappa based small sedan/coupe to replace the current Cobalt-clone G5...perhaps with the G4 name.
Ah, a fun time to be a GM fan no matter how you slice it.
Winding Road: GM's Next RWD Platform: Alpha
Geez...Pontiac replacing the Vibe
Just when you thought GM's product planners had a good idea for Pontiac...
It appears that the Vibe will return for a second generation. Expect sportier handling, more refined interior, etc. in this twin to the Toyota Matrix (rumored to be called Blade in its second generation).
What happened to the RWD plan for Pontiac? Like the G5 coupe (twin to the Cobalt coupe from Chevrolet), it appears the GM is simply unable to tell their dealers 'no.'
Expect the Vibe replacement to continue Pontiac's move to a G'x' naming scheme.
See a larger version of this spy shot over at:
The Car Connection: Spies catch the next Pontiac Vibe
It appears that the Vibe will return for a second generation. Expect sportier handling, more refined interior, etc. in this twin to the Toyota Matrix (rumored to be called Blade in its second generation).What happened to the RWD plan for Pontiac? Like the G5 coupe (twin to the Cobalt coupe from Chevrolet), it appears the GM is simply unable to tell their dealers 'no.'
Expect the Vibe replacement to continue Pontiac's move to a G'x' naming scheme.
See a larger version of this spy shot over at:
The Car Connection: Spies catch the next Pontiac Vibe
Why the G8 will succeed where GTO failed
Pontiac is going rear-drive with their new top sedan with the Holden/Zeta based G8.
Basically, this is a Holden Commodore with a Pontiac grill and bumper. You might think..."didn't GM fail miserably by taking the Holden Monaro and putting a Pontiac grill and bumpers on it and calling it a GTO?".
Here's where I think they went wrong with the GTO and how it is all going to succeed insanely well with the G8...
What was really wrong with the GTO?
Really? Not that much. The GTO had insane power, the best interior in the US GM lineup at the time, great handling, room for 4 adults, and fuel economy that cracked the upper 20's with the 6-speed manual.
Where GM missed the boat is in underestimating how much people expected a GTO to look a specific way. The GTO was based on an almost 10-year old design that had styling more in common with the old Cavalier coupe than the in-your-face designs of the past GTOs. A GTO was expected to be aggressive, unapologetic, and a man's car in every sense of the word. The 2004-06 GTO was smooth, sophisticated, and elegant in design...it's no wonder that the manly-men that wanted a 'real' GTO stayed away in droves.
That said, I've driven the GTO (2005, 6.0l 400hp V8, 6-speed manual) and can attest that this was one of the performance standouts of recent memory...but if you can't get the customers in the seats to find out...then you won't move the metal.
What's right with the G8?
The G8 skirts just about every negative above while maintaining the positives that made the GTO a great driver's car.
G8 is a new nameplate, so there's no preconceived notion from consumers as to what this car is supposed to be. Grand Prix buyers, especially the middle-aged, female NASCAR demographic might not be too happy with losing their front-drive sedans - but they should be easily replaced by an enthusiast buyer who wants rear drive but can't give up the back seat. The V-8 should draw 300c buyers from Chrysler, especially the ones that lament the lack of a manual in the Chrysler. Pontiac doesn't seem to think so, but I believe a manual with the 3.6l V-6 would be a hot seller as well, maybe if gas prices spike some more.
Also, the sophistication that didn't play well for the GTO works wonderfully well in a sports sedan. On top of this, the G8 is on the brand new Zeta chassis, so an even better ride/handling compromise should be in the cards.
So, G8 should show exactly how much better this cross-pacific platform sharing works with a couple extra doors. Now, if the new GTO that is rumored to be coming in a year or so skirts the negatives of the 04-06 GTO...Pontiac's resurgence should be well on its way.
Basically, this is a Holden Commodore with a Pontiac grill and bumper. You might think..."didn't GM fail miserably by taking the Holden Monaro and putting a Pontiac grill and bumpers on it and calling it a GTO?".
Here's where I think they went wrong with the GTO and how it is all going to succeed insanely well with the G8...
What was really wrong with the GTO?
Really? Not that much. The GTO had insane power, the best interior in the US GM lineup at the time, great handling, room for 4 adults, and fuel economy that cracked the upper 20's with the 6-speed manual.
Where GM missed the boat is in underestimating how much people expected a GTO to look a specific way. The GTO was based on an almost 10-year old design that had styling more in common with the old Cavalier coupe than the in-your-face designs of the past GTOs. A GTO was expected to be aggressive, unapologetic, and a man's car in every sense of the word. The 2004-06 GTO was smooth, sophisticated, and elegant in design...it's no wonder that the manly-men that wanted a 'real' GTO stayed away in droves.
That said, I've driven the GTO (2005, 6.0l 400hp V8, 6-speed manual) and can attest that this was one of the performance standouts of recent memory...but if you can't get the customers in the seats to find out...then you won't move the metal.
What's right with the G8?The G8 skirts just about every negative above while maintaining the positives that made the GTO a great driver's car.
G8 is a new nameplate, so there's no preconceived notion from consumers as to what this car is supposed to be. Grand Prix buyers, especially the middle-aged, female NASCAR demographic might not be too happy with losing their front-drive sedans - but they should be easily replaced by an enthusiast buyer who wants rear drive but can't give up the back seat. The V-8 should draw 300c buyers from Chrysler, especially the ones that lament the lack of a manual in the Chrysler. Pontiac doesn't seem to think so, but I believe a manual with the 3.6l V-6 would be a hot seller as well, maybe if gas prices spike some more.
Also, the sophistication that didn't play well for the GTO works wonderfully well in a sports sedan. On top of this, the G8 is on the brand new Zeta chassis, so an even better ride/handling compromise should be in the cards.
So, G8 should show exactly how much better this cross-pacific platform sharing works with a couple extra doors. Now, if the new GTO that is rumored to be coming in a year or so skirts the negatives of the 04-06 GTO...Pontiac's resurgence should be well on its way.