The last brand new GM vehicle my parents ever bought in Blue metallic was a 1993 Oldsmobile Achieva. My dad wanted a Grand Am but I thought the Achieva had a really nice interior and was more comfortable for all our super-long road trips we used to take as a family. Even thought I was only 14 I pretty much was allowed to pick the car we'd buy since I had my head burried in car magazines 24/7. I thought Quad4 was a redundant name and years later I grew to hate it for it's lack of power. The SOHC 115HP Quad4 pretty much sucked, even new. Never any usable torque.
Anyway my parents had been talking about the posibility of trading their 1997 Grand Am in on a new car in the past few months. Even though they've always bought GM, with the exception of a 1983? VW Rabbit, they were talking about checking out Hyundais & Kias.
They have a gorgeous 2001 Grand Am GT1 that's got every option except the engine block heater.... so the second car is just a convenience for the days they can't commute to work togeather. They were not in need of anything fancy.
The problems with the aftermarket alarm & emissions systems on the Grand Am added up to like $3000 invested into the car from in the past two years. I think the problem was only partly GMs fault, the shady mechanic and $h!y aftermarket alarm was 90% of the cause for the wiring glitches and FUBARs.
In any case I did my best to have them stay with GM and buy a decent brand new car that would not blow a trans every 12K miles. *cough-KIA-COUGH, cough* Esp. since they would not consider a stick, even though both of them can drive one.
So may I present
(drumroll please)
The eigth GM car my parents have purchased since we came to the USA in 1987. A 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt Coupe.
It's the fifth brand-new GM car they've bought. I may own a Datsun & Infiniti now but my parents have never strayed from GM. They've flirted with many a car brand but never bought anything other than a Chevrolet, Oldsmobile or Pontiac.
In case you're wondering their past GM are as follows:
1989 Cavalier RS sedan It was pimped out with such options as the sporty buckets, tri tone paint (silver metallic with red & black lower body) & a lugage rack! We loved that car. I remember the day we drove it home. As we pulled out of the dealer I still had visions of Tunned Port Camaros and Beretta Z26s dancing throgh my head.
1991 Cavalier Coupe, baby-blue My dad hit a patch of black ice on a hairpin curve by Forest Hills in Boston, the '89 Cavalier slid into a wooden utility pole, the pole which was rotted snapped in half and caved in the roof of the Cavalier enough to have my parents convinced to this day that a lighter, less solid car like a Civic or Corolla would have meant certain death for my dad. The live wires pulsating with electricity were all over the icy road surface and so my dad had to stay in the car until emergency crews arrived. A few days later the car was totalled and my parents bought this 1991 Cavalier complete with the newly introduced standard ABS.
1993 Olds Achieva S sedan, medium blue 70K miles on the two & a half year old Cavalier meant it was time to trade. To this day my dad says that Achieva had one of the best laid out instrument panels ever.
1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 2dr USED, Two tone blue, cusy ride, cushy seats and a 3800. Better yet, it was RWD and it was suppossed to be my first car!
1994 Pontiac Sunbird barelly used "program car", My dad junked the Cutty and we bought a used, second car. This Sunbird was a base coupe wiht auto. But still it was my first car and even a FWD, 4-banger Automatic first car is still the key to freedom. That feeling of euphoria as you cruise down the road for the first time is something unforgetable.
1997 Grand Am V6 SE sedan Previously mentioned in this thread. It was not brand new but only had like 12K miles. Later we found out through carfax it was an Ex-rental. The a$$monkeys at Commonwealth lyed to us about how the anti-theft fuel cutoff switch was going to be like factory and the wiring harness would not be compromised. Bullllll-$h!!
2001 Pontiac Grand Am GT I was their salesman for this one. Back when they bought it brandy-new out of Bill DeLuca Chevrolet/Pontiac/Buick after the deals were tempting just post-Sept. 11th. I ordered this car wiht every damn option available. I wanteed them to live for once, screw finances and practicality. For once in their life I wanted them to get a top-of-the line trim model. The engine block heater is the only option that they do not have, and even in New England it is not neccesary. This car will most likely end up in my garage down the line.
And now the Arrival Blue Cobalt.
