On the Brink

[balthazar]

Not to long ago infinti had an econobox: the thinly-disguised rebadged sentra (g20).

[razoredge]

Buick and Pontiac are not full line brands, thus don't have econo boxes.  How many econo boxes are present in the Infiniti and Lexus brands?

196663[/snapback]

No Buick and Pontiac were always full line brands, saturin was NOT ! In fact at one time saturin was NOT......period.

It does not need to be an economy box for Buick to have a upscale small car, like BMW's 3 series. Inifinity has a small car and who care what Lexus has, whats that got to do with putting product on Buick lots that will sell to a larger consumer base. They are killing the Buick dealerships by limiting the amount of car possibilities and giving them Suvs and Crossuvs to compete against GMC, Pontiac, Chevy and saturin.

Buick was the dealership for Opel, these people need something to sell. Buick dealerships look like ghost towns around these parts. Most of the former Oldsmobile dealers picked up Pontiac when Olds was thrown away. So now they are Cadillac, Pontiac dealerships. Buick just sits with few models and GMC truck which they are competing against.

Theres rows and rows of weird gray cloth interiored Lacrosses w/ hubcaps that somehow seem to fit well with the rest of the ghost town look adorning most Buick dealerships. Just imagine if Lucerne had not come abouts as it did and we still had that awkward last generation LeSabre. Buick dealerships would already have had to throw in the towel. I think the Lucerne was simply throwing the dog a bone, same for the Enclave that is going to have competition on the very same lot with GMC and the current trend for smaller cars.

Its ALL alright though, saturin has the aura

Olds was supposedly killed so Buick and Pontiac could breath, its apparent now that is was done so saturin could have it all.

I all looks very systematic to me.

[Drew Dowdell]

Buick wasn't always a full line division, in the 40's and 50's they had maybe 4 models. In the 60s that number when up to 5 or 6.

It wasn't really till the 80s and 90s when Buick got a version of nearly every platform GM made.

So if anything, Buick is returning to its roots.

[balthazar]

Not true.

Buick matched it's sister divisions for the most part in the '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s- it was really only Chevrolet that had more than one unique model (Corvair, Corvette, Chevy II); Olds & Pontiac were always well matched with Buick. B-O-P all got A-Body intermediates at the same time... Buick got the unique Riv for '63 whereas Pontiac's '62 GP & Olds' '61 Starfire were trim & equipment variants only. Buick got an H-body when P & O did, also, same with the X-Body. Well matched over time.

[Robert Hall]

Not to long ago infinti had an econobox: the thinly-disguised rebadged sentra (g20).

196696[/snapback]

The G20 was based on the Primera,not the Sentra..though some Sentras used the same engine as the G20.

[balthazar]

Then I'm not thinking of the g20; there's another infiniti model obviously & clearly based on the sentra: same drooping-cornered rear bumper and everything, just larger taillights. Every few months I have to poke of of those POS out of a wheelwell on my truck.

[Drew Dowdell]

Then I'm not thinking of the g20; there's another infiniti model obviously & clearly based on the sentra: same drooping-cornered rear bumper and everything, just larger taillights. Every few months I have to poke of of those POS out of a wheelwell on my truck.

197077[/snapback]

Are you thinking the J30 and the first gen Altima?

[balthazar]

Hell if I know; nissans stick in my mind like water on a duck's back. You tell me. But it's a sentra- my grandmother has a '97 and the bumpers droop on it & every single other one, there's an infiniti-badged version with the same bumper & same problem.

[Robert Hall]

Are you thinking the J30 and the first gen Altima?

197080[/snapback]

Not related either, similar shape, though. The Altima was FWD, the J30 larger and RWD...

Now the I30 was retrimmed Maxima, though.

[Cory Wolfe]

Oh look... gas has yet again gone down. $2.55 for premium... BV likes. And to add to that, my Millenia is finally getting better than 20 mpg average. After    I change the spark plugs (to Bosch Platinum 2s), the oil/filter, and eventually the air filter and hose assembly, I hope to actually meet or exceed the EPA mileage (27 highway) for the first time. Sad, but funny.

196580[/snapback]

Scratch that. Now down to $2.43.

Not to long ago infinti had an econobox: the thinly-disguised rebadged sentra (g20).

196696[/snapback]

Then I'm not thinking of the g20; there's another infiniti model obviously & clearly based on the sentra: same drooping-cornered rear bumper and everything, just larger taillights. Every few months I have to poke of of those POS out of a wheelwell on my truck.

197077[/snapback]

Hell if I know; nissans stick in my mind like water on a duck's back. You tell me. But it's a sentra- my grandmother has a '97 and the bumpers droop on it & every single other one, there's an infiniti-badged version with the same bumper & same problem.

197101[/snapback]

You must be on crack.

Infiniti never, I repeat, never had anything even remotely similar to the Sentra.

1991-1996 G20, a Nissan Primera for the US

1999-2002 G20, a Nissan Primera for the US

1996-1999 I30, a Nissan Maxima in disguise

1990-1992 M30, a Nissan Leopard for the US

1993-1997 J30, a Nissan Leopard for the US

1990-1996 Q45, a Nissan President for the US

1997-2001 Q45, a Nissan Cima for the US

There's your Infiniti history lesson. Enjoy it and value it.

[razoredge]

What a bunch of ugly, dull cars. Almost felt like I was in Escort/Alliance land, cant imagine someone having an interest in knowledge about those cars.

Wasnt there a rumor floating around about Nissan having problems ?

[Robert Hall]

What a bunch of ugly, dull cars. Almost felt like I was in Escort/Alliance land, cant imagine someone having an interest in knowledge about those cars.

Wasnt there a rumor floating around about Nissan having problems ?

197225[/snapback]

I don't know, some of them are pretty interesting..I like the old Q45s and today's G35 and M series... No different than people having an interest in GM's J-bodies, FWD A-bodies, N-bodies, W-bodies (which are much, much duller cars, IMHO)..

[razoredge]

looks like something Ford from the 80's

97 - 01 was an improvement but no thanks

the Z cars are the only exciting stuff to come from Nissan

[Drew Dowdell]

I don't know, some of them are pretty interesting..I like the old Q45s and today's G35 and M series...  No different than people having an interest in GM's J-bodies, FWD A-bodies, N-bodies, W-bodies (which are much, much duller cars, IMHO)..

197229[/snapback]

Oh yes, so much duller than the Infinities of the day

*I purposely didn't include the lower end w-bodies because they weren't competing with Infinity.

[Flybrian]

The J30 was hillarious. Cavalier roominess and Samsonite carryon trunk space for a Cadillac price.

[Cory Wolfe]

I don't know, some of them are pretty interesting..I like the old Q45s and today's G35 and M series...  No different than people having an interest in GM's J-bodies, FWD A-bodies, N-bodies, W-bodies (which are much, much duller cars, IMHO)..

197229[/snapback]

And I like N bodies...

[Chicagoland]

FWD J, X, N, and A bodies are best left in the Auto GraveYard. GM's current Greek Letter cars are world's better. Next someone will be saying the Vega was a great car.

Anyway, back to topic. Looks like TTAC and Bu-Boy are way off, GM isn't drowning in unsold inventory [Mopar], or switching leaders every day [Ford]. Hmm, looks like they are doing OK. And this is coming from a harsh GM critic, as you can see in the first paragraph.

Edited September 27, 2006 by Chicagoland