Top 7 Good Cars From Bad GM
Jun 2, 2009
- Pontiac Vibe
- We're not going to tell you that the 2009 Pontiac Vibe is a particularly lustworthy vehicle, 'cause it's not. What is is, though, is thoroughly competent, eminently practical, relatively inexpensive and, to some eyes at least, more attractive than its Toyota-branded sibling, the Matrix. As Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson puts it, "There's really nothing wrong with the Vibe. Its only problem right now is that it is a Pontiac."
Toyota has said time and again that it would like to continue working with GM on its joint venture and keep the lines running at the New United Motor Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) facility in California, which is where the Matrix and Pontiac Vibe twins are manufacturered. It's plausible (if unlikely), then, that General Motors may keep the Vibe platform around for a little while longer wearing the badge of one of its four favored nameplates. Click above to continue.
-
- Pontiac Vibe
- We're not going to tell you that the 2009 Pontiac Vibe is a particularly lustworthy vehicle, 'cause it's not. What is is, though, is thoroughly competent, eminently practical, relatively inexpensive and, to some eyes at least, more attractive than its Toyota-branded sibling, the Matrix. As Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson puts it, "There's really nothing wrong with the Vibe. Its only problem right now is that it is a Pontiac."
Toyota has said time and again that it would like to continue working with GM on its joint venture and keep the lines running at the New United Motor Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) facility in California, which is where the Matrix and Pontiac Vibe twins are manufacturered. It's plausible (if unlikely), then, that General Motors may keep the Vibe platform around for a little while longer wearing the badge of one of its four favored nameplates. Click above to continue.
-
- Saturn Aura
- General Motors has two separate Epsilon-based midsize family sedans on the way out the door, and that's not really a bad thing. After all, there's no need for GM's internal brands to steal sales from one another, right? Between the Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura, we'll give the nod to the interplanetary offering for its arguably more attractive looks and because it more closely matches its stated intent of offering a Euro-flavored driving experience in America.
In its base form, the Saturn Aura is powered by an Ecotec four-cylinder engine, which at various times has been mated up to either an archaic four-speed or more desirable six-speed automatic transmission. In its sportiest XR trim, GM's excellent 3.6-liter high-feature V6 engine is used along with another six-speed slushbox. In between, there's both a (mild) hybrid that returns decent fuel mileage and a mid-level 3.5-liter pushrod V6 with 211 horses. It's a good car, but it's overshadowed by the newer Chevrolet Malibu that shares some of its basic chassis bits and offers a more compelling alternative to the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. Click above to move along.
-
- Hummer H3T Alpha
- GM's controlling interest in the brand may have started all the way back in 1998, but it took Hummer a decade to produce the kind of vehicle we feel it should have been making all along. The Hummer H3T is a true multipurpose vehicle that's capable of hauling you, a few of your friends and all your associated gear all over creation, whether that's over city roads, rough roads or no roads at all.
If you're planning to acquire a H3T, we suggest opting for the Alpha model, which comes equipped with one of GM's capable 5.3L V8 engines. After all, few Hummers are likely to be purchased by the environmentally-concerned set, and the gas mileage penalty from the inline-five to the V8 is practically non-existent. Click on the image above to continue.
-
- Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky
- We understand why the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky have to die. For an ailing automaker like General Motors, these roadsters aren't ever going to be capable of bringing in nearly enough revenue to earn their keep in the automaker's lineup. Fine, we get it... but that doesn't mean we have to like it.
While neither the Sky or the Solstice is particularly practical - especially when driven back-to-back with the Mazda MX5 Miata, the duo's most natural competitor and perhaps the quintessential modern-day sportscar - they are an undeniably attractive set of twins. We are especially mournful over the loss of the Solstice GXP and Sky Redline, which used their parent company's superlative 2.0-liter direct injected and turbocharged Ecotec powerplant, mated up with a fine six-speed manual transmission.
Precious few buyers will have the pleasure of living with that engine combination in the Solstice Coupe as The General only plans to build a few hundred examples, and three-quarters of those are likely to be GXPs. It seems unlikely, but there's actually a chance the two sportscars will be picked up by some other automaker, so there's still some fleeting hope that these twins will live on past the '09 model year. if they can manage to sort out the cramped, discount interior and the maddening top mechanism, they may just be on to something truly great. Click above to continue.
