GMTruckGuy74

You know gm4life, you just painted a bullseye on yourself for all of the Pontiac haters to target you now I'm curious as to why you don't recommend the HHR? One of the main reasons I like the HHR is that it offers some utility in that it is a wagon-esque type of vehicle. The G6 can't carry any real large boxy items, and the downside to the trunk of the G5 is that it has a very narrow opening (Cobalt too). The practicality of the extra set of doors on the HHR vs. the G5 is a big benefit too. Now if I were to buy the HHR, it would be my car and my wife would hate every moment she'd have to spend in it. If I go with the G5, she'd be the primary driver of that and I'd inherit the G6 as my daily driver. I'm not 100% happy with the prospect of owning a 4cyl-equipped car for daily driving (though the fuel economy & savings would be nice), and not sure I'd be comfortable in a compact/small car, so that's two votes against the HHR (the G5 would be an occasional use car for me since the wife would drive it the most). Since GMAC did not change the pull-ahead offer to include November leases for May (plus I think it is back to two-payments only and not five like last month), I have another 30 days or so to sit on this debate. Of course I will likely test drive the G5 GT this month when I take the wife's car for service. What I also want to drive is a V6-equipped G8 Sedan... I want to see if it's something I could live with (I really want the 6.0L V8 GT model, but if my selling dealership can make a G8 V6 deal happen for me, I think I could settle with that). And since new car sales are still down and V6 G8 inventory is stockpiling, maybe more incentives will come as the summer approaches?

And red backlighting to go with it. I've always wondered if the Acadia was changed last-minute from a Pontiac Montana-replacement vehicle (which would explain the red backlighting on that model). All other GM vehicles carry a blue backlight (I think the Canyon may use a yellow or white backlight - I've never driven one at nght to see).

and to you!!

Again, thanks for all of the input. I will not be changing the Dexcool until it is time, and I will make sure I get periodic checks to make sure it is still working as it should be. I appreciate all of the comments posted. I knew C&G posters would be the ones to turn to for the answer!

Test drove a 2009 HHR 2LT with the 2.4l 4cyl engine last week; I liked the layout of the car and it feels bigger than it looks. Of course I walked away wishing it had a 6 cyl engine in it; this was the first time I've driven a 4 cyl since I sold my SKY in December, 2007. Overall I would definitely put this on my list if I am going with a compact car. Now I'm waiting to test drive a 2009 Pontiac G5 GT with the 2.2l 4cyl engine. My wife's car will be due for service within the next two weeks and I'll amuse myself at that time with a test drive. The wife still wants to check out the Vibe GT too. Can anyone tell me why I should NOT consider the G5 GT as my next car? Other than it being a coupe/2-door - the wife would be the primary driver of the G5 if we get one. I'd appreciate hearing from Cobalt Coupe owners as well as any G5 owners, and anyone that has had some seat time in a G5/Cobalt Coupe.

What the hell does "1337" mean???

Thanks for the info everyone. I will leave the Dexcool in the G6 alone. BTW, I know what GM says about its lifespan (5 years), but should it be changed before that period? I want to keep up with the maintenance on this car, since we're financing it and likely to keep it 6-7 years (if not longer).

Okay all of you mechanically-inclined and talented posters, I've got a question for you. My wife's car is around 13k and we're approaching 11 months of ownership. I've been reading here and there articles or statements saying that GM's Dexcool Coolant is known to cause problems for radiators and engine parts (plastics, I think). Some sources have suggested removing the orange Dexcool coolant and replacing it with the traditional green coolant. If today's (or should I say 2008's) Dexcool coolant is not good for longevity, and since we plan on owning this car for quite some time (7 years maybe?), I was wondering if I should go ahead and get this done now. If so, what is the recommended procedure? Do I get a coolant flush? Any problems I should be aware of doing this? I'd appreciate any and all advice on this issue - whether to do it or not. Thanks in advance!!

A loyatly incentive program to current Pontiac owners - especially those within the last 5-10 years who've stuck around - would have been a nice gesture on Pontiac/GMs part. It would help encourage those Pontiac enthusiasts to maybe get their last new Pontiac while they still can, and every little incentive would possibly motivate these specific buyers to do so quickly (make it only available to Pontiac owners, especially to the people receiving these letters, so that it's targeted to a select number of people and not every Tom, Dick or Harry).

Come on Camino, go for the Pontiac G8 GXP!! So it's a sedan, who cares? That car is And then I could be jealous of you for having the G8 GXP and caddycruiser for having a G8 GT - and me not being able to afford either one

Ummm, he actually just retired from GM after 20 years and started working for BMW in Germany today...

Awaiting for me, well actually my wife since she owns the G6, was her Dear Joan letter from Pontiac. Here's the contents of the letter, in case anyone cares/wants to know: I will say that having been a GM fan all of my life (if you've read any of my posts about my grandpa's '55 GMC and how it was my childhood playground as it sat in his backyard since '80, you'll understand where I'm coming from as I declare myself a GM fan since '80 - at a mere 5 years old!), I can't say that I will not look to GM for my vehicle needs in the future. Depending on what they are, mainly the wife and her needs and how Chevy or Buick can handle them, I may stray from GM but I feel it's very unlikely (her new favorite GM vehicle is the all-new 2010 Buick LaCrosse, and the GMC Trucks brand for now has been spared death's grip). The news - including this sad letter confirming it to current Pontiac owners - doesn't help soothe the pain that Pontiac enthusiasts feel, but Pontiac was GM and GM was Pontiac, so my love of GM will go on.

While I think the design of the Insignia/Regal is nice, I like the 2010 LaCrosse styling much better. Exactly how much smaller/narrower is the Insignia/Regal from the LaCrosse??

That's because it is a G8, sort of! That's the badge-engineered Chevy Lumina SS that's sold in the Middle East, just like the post says. The ME gets this, China gets the Park Avenue, Holden has their range of VE variants, and the USA gets the G8. Also, in your original post did you mean to take the G6 COUPE or sedan to instsall the Malibu frontend on? In today's market I can't see any "Chevelle" being a four-door sedan with the Malibu around (and yes, I know the Chevelles of past were offered in sedan form, and wagon, and convertible...).

Why you lucky SOB!! I'm officially jealous.

Oh trust me DF, the G8 GT Sedan is my most desirable car right now... it's just that to be able to afford my mortgage, other car payment, auto & house insurance, our debt-load, ect. other bills and costs of life, I should be shopping the $23k-$24k MSRP range of vehicles and with Pontiac that leaves me the G3 (no way!), the Vibe (I still can't bring myself to buy a Toyota product, even in Pontiac clothing), and the G5. And you figure with incentives and a minimal down payment I'm really looking to spend $20k-$21k on my new car. There's no way possible I'm going to get a new G8 in that price range... unless dealers are saddled with inventory come late summer/early fall and start giving them away a'la 2004 GTO in 'gotta go' fire sales. And we already have a G6 Sedan - I'd love to be able to get the G6 Convertible, but for it's money I can get a G8 GT instead; same for the Torrent, the ones I want sticker between $29-$31k and I'd rather have the G8 for that kind of money. As for "brands" and "badges", yeah I drink from the GM Kool-Aid and have bought into "branding" a long time ago. When I was 9 y-o my parents bought a brand new '83 Grand Prix LJ. Mom's car took us everywhere and I learned to drive in it. My mom kept that car for slightly over 10 years and it & Pontiac made an impact on me; my uncle was a GM guy too and had many different GM cars <he leased>, but his last car was a new '87 Pontiac Bonneville SE and it kept him going until he passed in '93 (on the flipside, my aunt was an Olds woman and those too were well respected by me). Most of my neighbors had Pontiacs, Buicks, or Oldsmobiles (if they owned GM), and anyone with a Chevy usually had a economy model (mostly Celebritys, Coriscas and Berettas, with the occasional Camaro - one neighbor though had a new '91 Caprice LTZ loaded that was sharp). When I was a teenager I liked Chevies, but it was Pontiac that drew my attention more ('89-'92 model years) and was what I was inspired to own. In college I wanted many Pontiacs, especially a Grand Prix Coupe, Grand Am GT Coupe, and Trans Am. When I had the opportunity to get a car after graduating college, it was a 3 year old Trans Am T-top Coupe ('95 that I bought in '98). My first new Pontiac came almost a year later when I leased a '99 Grand Am GT1 Sedan; the wife leased a 2000 Grand Prix GT Sedan in 2000. While I was disappointed with the new-for-2004 GP styling, the G6 caught my eye and I wished I waited 6-8 months longer (I bought a '04 Malibu in November '03). I desparately wanted a '04-'05 Bonneville GXP and would have loved a GTO when they came back in 2004, but those cars were way out of my price range. And as far as classic GM cars go, it's the Pontiac division that I like the most over the course of all the years - I can't honedtly say that about Buick, Oldsmobile, and Chevy. Does this mean that with the demise of Pontiac I won't buy GM in the future? No way!! I still have GMC - my #1 favorite GM brand - and Buick has caught both me & my wife's eyes over the years (she had an '03 Rendezvous that she loved and is head-over-heels for the new 2010 LaCrosse). Just like Olds though (which besides Caddy is the only other NA GM brand that I haven't owned), I'll be sad for years to come with Pontiacs absence. And if I am able to buy a new car this year (2009), I will do my best to make it a Pontiac - for the last time (new anyway).

While I like the Cobalt and have had several students over the past couple of years buy a new one, I've preferred the look of the Pontiac twin-port grille ever since it's debut. Realistically, I know that there isn't much different between the Cobalt & G5, and the G5's radio readout/display wasn't even changed to red backlighting (it's still blue like the Cobalt). And I would have loved it if the G5 GT Sedan was available in the States; I don't think I'd be hesitating so much right now if I could have that choice. If Pontiac wasn't being killed off, I'd still be shopping the G5 GT Coupe over the Cobalt Sedan. I'd much rather have my money go to Pontiac and have a Pontiac in my driveway than a Chevy. Same holds true with the Torrent - if I was considering a CUV/SUV right now, I wouldn't even look at the Equinox at all.

There's just something about the frontend design of the Pontiac G8 that makes me like it the most out of all the VE variants (including Holden's designs). The Middle East Chevies look too Cobalt-ish with their grille design; I'm not a fan of the Holden bumber/foglight styling; and the Buick pictured above is too 'generic' looking. The G8's frontend design gets me everytime and is the area that draws my focus everytime I see one. That being said, I'd love to see the NA Zeta live on and would prefer a Buick version - even if it means it would be out of my price range.

Even though I have a family and could really benefit from the extra two doors of the Cobalt sedan, if I end up buying a Delta product this year it will be a Pontiac G5 GT Coupe. Very true... while the wife loves the new 2010 Buick LaCrosse, I forsee me ending up with a Pontiac if I am able to get a new car this year (employment/pending layoff is the holdup right now). If the Pontiacs I desire go away before I can get a brand-new one, then I will look to GMC first, then Buick, for a new vehicle... Chevy will still be low on the list (yes, I did say I want a new HHR, but the wife *loathes* them and I'd much rather have a G5 over the Cobalt).

The fully loaded, V8-equipped, 2009 GMC Canyon CrewCab SLT 4WD on display at the NYIAS was stickering a tad over $33k. A SLE equipped 5cyl Canyon CrewCab 4WD was stickering at $31K there too.

I won't lie and say I'm not saddened too by the news of Saturn's quicker demise, especially after buying two new '2007' Saturns back in 2006 (SKY in April, AURA <lease> in November). My dealership is a very good one, from the friendliness of the sales staff, to the go-above-and-beyond service department, to the fast and efficient parts department (you won't believe the Saturn stuff I;ve bought from my dealership since 2006!). Like ocnblu, I feel sorry for the entire staff at Saturn of Mount Laurel and what they must be experiencing with this latest news. But also like ocnblu, I'm more connected to Pontiac as a car brand (Pontiac is my favorite car brand, and as you all know GMC is my favorite truck brand). While I was understanding of Saturn's let-go, I still can't come to terms with Pontiac's demise. I've had one used Pontiac (bought from a Pontiac dealership back in '98) and three new Pontiacs ('99-present), so a lot of my money has gone to this brand. Of all the classic cars I like, most if not all are from Pontiac (okay, if I could have only one old classic car, it would be a '57 Olds, but a '61 or '62 Pontiac is next in line). I subscribe to Pontiac Enthusiast (have for many, many years) and usually pick up High Performance Pontiac magazine if it has enough in it to justify the cost (not too many tech articles and not too many race-ready, late model cars). And as much as posters here hate the G6, when my wife was car shopping last year I recommended the car and she fell in love with it (of course she really wanted a Vibe, but it wasn't as good of a deal as the G6 was). If I wasn't losing my job and could use more of the cash I have saved as a deposit, I was planning to replace AURA lease with a Pontiac G8 in late summer/early fall (I could still get a Pontiac though, but now it's a Vibe or G5 instead of a G8). I hope something works out for Saturn and quickly, as the dealership employees need their jobs and our economy can't keep taking hits day after day. And I hope GM doesn't sell Pontiac, unless it was to Holden, so that maybe one day at least one Pontiac car done right can return (and then be a niche offering in Buick-GMC dealerships).

I was upset by the news of Pontiac's demise yesterday - even though I knew it was coming since Friday. And go figure, what do I see a ton of on the roads yesterday? Pontiacs. As I was leaving my building, a school counselor that works out of another building was pulling up in her 2008 G6 GT Convertible, top down and enjoying a beautiful (but hot day). Stop for gas on my way home and two G5 coupes and a G6 sedan are in the station too. Ou tof the blue a G8 GT sedan in black is facing me at the traffic light after getting gas. Countless G6's pass or are parked in parking lots as I head over to CVS Pharmacy. The little guy wants to drive his Power Wheels Ford F-150 around the neighborhood and I see a Bonneville, two late-model Grand Prixs, and more G6s driving around. I guess it's true that you notice more of the cars you like when you're thinking about them more, but I thought it was ironic with the news learned earlier in the day. I've decided that I can't in good consciencousness buy a 2009 Vibe GT, even though it would be primarily for the wife. I don't think the G5 GT Coupe would be the best choice, being a 2-door, but it would be better IMO than the Vibe (which is a Pontiac in name only). I really want a G8 GT (have to have that 6.0l V8!), so maybe I'll wait until late summer, pray that I have employment, and see what deals dealers are offering on leftover G8 inventory. If I start selling off the toy collection in my basement (various scales of diecast cars & small collection of sealed plastic model kits, newer Star Wars toys <'95-up>, and whatever else I find), maybe I can try to save up some additional cash to put down on a G8. I intend to make my garage all-Pontiac while I still can

No, unfortunately I don't. My uncle held onto a lot of his toys from the late '50s/early '60s and when I was younger (in the late '70s) he'd let me play with his Tonka toys (inside, on the carpet, where they were safe). He had this blue & white '50s Ford-like Tonka pickup and trailer I used to like a lot; I think my aunt was going to make him give it to me!! By the early '80s though my two cousins came along - both female - and they inherited the trucks for their dolls & play horses. I last saw those Tonka trucks (including a Tonka construction crane & lowboy tractor-trailer) in the early '90s. Secretly I always wanted them, even as I got older, but my uncle never parted with them. I haven't spoken to my uncle (big family separation) since '95. I do have some Tonka Mighty vehicles in my collection, but they're all newer from the early to mid-'90s when my stepson was little. He rarely played with them - preferring his Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers toys instead - and now my little guy has claimed ownership of them Good luck with your hunt - I see '50s-'70s pressed-steel toys sell for quite a bit of money at toy shows I attend.

Please add my name too... I was really excited about the GMC Denali XT concept last year and had hoped it would reach production. A certain someone on here though was kind enough to inform me towards the end of last year that the program was killed due to GM's financial mess. Now it could possibly be back on??? At this point I'd be happy to get a G8 ST-turned GMC whatever, even if it's only a two-seater. The Crewman 4-door would be much more practical for me and I'd really like to see both offered by GMC, to replace the Canyon if need be. I hope mor eof this news comes out soon officially by GM.

Here are some of my pictures of the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze LT that was on display at the 2009 NYIAS: I actually like this design, though I will agree that the rear end (taillights) are Asian in style and would be the area I would address first.