Solstice
07-11-2005, 03:17 PM
#41
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 553
Also on this anti-american car thing...there is a reason why they are losing market share, resorting to selling them at huge discounts, and just plain falling behind......You got young companies like Hyundai having better customer loyalty....wow.....
07-12-2005, 08:20 AM
#42
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 3,108
I like the new pontiac line up. The new G6 looks very interesting. One thing I don't like about cars from the big 3 is the lack of effort in getting the whole package complete. Most of them drive nice, have good power and such, which is great. I like looking at the numbers that road and track posts. But I also have to live with teh car.
it upsets me that when the finally finish teh car, they got the performance good and all, but they skimped out on 2-20 dollar parts. It's like they went over budget at the end and decided ok, we will raid the cavilier parts bin or take 50% off the cost of all interior peices.
Mind you i'm sure honda and toyota does the same thing, but the civic/corolla parts bin has much nicer fit and finish to begin with.
It's just that I find most affordable american cars lack the execution / package. It like they had the vision but then got caught by the management or the penny pinchers. GM needs to cut capacity, consoladate their lineup, as well as work on their brand image. Ford has done an excellent job with their image, same with daimler crysler, but I still don't like the styling of the new 300Ms, no matter how cheap they can get or how expensive.
Oh one last opinion, I don't think the solitice will fare well in a heads up sales against the miata. The miata already has it's reputation behind it, as well as similar performance figures. Unless the soltice is going to be substantially cheaper you will be hard to win over the miata. GM picked a wrong time to introduce the soltice.
it upsets me that when the finally finish teh car, they got the performance good and all, but they skimped out on 2-20 dollar parts. It's like they went over budget at the end and decided ok, we will raid the cavilier parts bin or take 50% off the cost of all interior peices.
Mind you i'm sure honda and toyota does the same thing, but the civic/corolla parts bin has much nicer fit and finish to begin with.
It's just that I find most affordable american cars lack the execution / package. It like they had the vision but then got caught by the management or the penny pinchers. GM needs to cut capacity, consoladate their lineup, as well as work on their brand image. Ford has done an excellent job with their image, same with daimler crysler, but I still don't like the styling of the new 300Ms, no matter how cheap they can get or how expensive.
Oh one last opinion, I don't think the solitice will fare well in a heads up sales against the miata. The miata already has it's reputation behind it, as well as similar performance figures. Unless the soltice is going to be substantially cheaper you will be hard to win over the miata. GM picked a wrong time to introduce the soltice.
07-12-2005, 08:51 AM
#43
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: A2, MI
Posts: 453
yea, GM did pick a bad time to launch these two cars... the new miata's coming out very soon and is only marginally heavier than the old one, whereas the solstice is a bit porky in comparison. Since they will have similiar power outputs, acceleration will prob go to the miata. As for handling, the new miata's gonna be on a cut-down RX8 platform, and mazda has plenty of experience over the past 15 years with making an open-air roadster drive really well. GM has experience here too, but with bigger cars such as the vette. Hopefully they can scale it down properly. The one thing that the Miata has that the Solstice/Sky doesnt is that the miata is already well known as a great little car for auto-x etc, and thats gonna be hard for GM to overcome
07-27-2005, 01:54 AM
#44
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 105
I just wanted to say to Cletus that Lisa Kubo is pulling 7 second 1/4 miles on a 2.2 Ecotec in her Saturn Ion. Fastest front wheel drive car and fastest female driver. 
GM engine is the excuse I use for a Saturn being able to do that. Hahaha.
GM engine is the excuse I use for a Saturn being able to do that. Hahaha.
