The truth about the G8

[Camino LS6]

Read and learn:

http://www.camaroz28.com/forums/showthread.php?t=671345

DISCLAIMER: May endanger sacred cows and conventional wisdom.

[Camino LS6]

My favortite factoid is that the G8 outsold all of Saturn last month.

:rotflmao:

[Robert Hall]

My favortite factoid is that the G8 outsold all of Saturn last month.

:rotflmao:

That's a pretty amazing statistic!

[Camino LS6]

That's a pretty amazing statistic!

Shh!

Don't tell PCS!

[Satty]

Cars that either outsold or nearly matched the the G8 (1479) in December:

Toyota Venza-1474

Toyota Avalon-2436

Lexus IS-1451

Nissan Pathfinder-1551

Kia Optima-1410

Lincoln Town Car-1368

Chrysler Aspen-1515

Just sayin'

Edited March 13, 2009 by Satty

[FAPTurbo]

Cars that either outsold or nearly matched the the G8 (1479) in December:

Chrysler Aspen-1515

oooooh, $h!ty....

[Satty]

And Pontiac as a whole is down 51% compared to the first 2 months of 2008.

And the G8 only came close to outselling Saturn if you dont count the VUE in with Saturn sales.

Edited March 13, 2009 by Satty

[Intrepidation]

Also: Charger...........6,703

Just saying.

[Oracle of Delphi]

Shh!

Don't tell PCS!

Not to worry, PCS knows that the G8 is not long for this world, and as GM has already stated, that when this model ends, there won't be anymore coming to North American shores.

[Satty]

The list goes a hell of a lot longer if we start listing every car whose sales totals were 450% of the G8's.

[Intrepidation]

LOL Well I was just using it's main competition.

[Satty]

Feb 2008

G8-2,705

Saturn-6,338

Yep, totally outsold it. Dont believe me? See for yourself

[Satty]

LOL Well I was just using it's main competition.

People on here like to say the G8 competes with the BMW 5-Series. Well, in December BMW sold 3699 5ers. In February it was 3191.

An aside, there are almost no sales recaps from January or February posted in our Sales Ticker forum. I hate doing the research on this stuff.

I will congratulate Pontiac on finally having the G8 outsell the Avalon in Feb. But Toyota sold three times as many Prius' as Poncho sold G8s.

Edited March 13, 2009 by Satty

[Intrepidation]

Yeah...should try to post some sales tickers.

[Cory Wolfe]

My favortite factoid is that the G8 outsold all of Saturn last month.

:rotflmao:

I don't see Saturn... but I see Hummer. Brainfart?

[Sixty8panther]

Not to worry, PCS knows that the G8 is not long for this world, and as GM has already stated, that when this model ends, there won't be anymore coming to North American shores.

I'm thrilled that once AGAIN GM has managed

to extinguish my dreams.

So it's gonna be a World Government issued

Camry Hybrid for all, huh?

[the_yellow_dart]

I'm thrilled that once AGAIN, BASIC SALES FIGURES have managed

to extinguish my dreams.

So it's gonna be a Japanese Government issued

Altima Hybrid for all, huh?

Fixed.

Edited March 13, 2009 by the_yellow_dart

[FloydHendershot]

Ferrari sold more cars in 2008 than it did in 2007 and increased profit.

[Robert Hall]

So it's gonna be a World Government issued

Camry Hybrid for all, huh?

Or a Prius....one world, one Toyota for all! After all, Toyota's logo looks like a T against a globe..

[z28luvr01]

So much disdain for one of the best cars GM has ever made. You know what? We deserve what we get. Enjoy your Toyotas.

[trinacriabob]

So why did this happen?

The car looks good, supposedly drives well, is reasonably priced (in V6 form). Did I mention it looks good?

So was it timing, advertising, crowded market niche, association with Pontiac, or another easily forgettable alpha-numeric name?

[Oracle of Delphi]

So why did this happen?

The car looks good, supposedly drives well, is reasonably priced (in V6 form). Did I mention it looks good?

So was it timing, advertising, crowded market niche, association with Pontiac, or another easily forgettable alpha-numeric name?

I gave it the mal occhio ...

[buyacargetacheck]

The sales figures GM supplies reflect what the dealers are buying not actual retail demand. That's why even though G8 sales have been fairly steady there are too many of them sitting on dealer lots too long. For example, Pontiac had a 283 day supply (60 days is considered healthy) at the end of 2008. It's probably worse now.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/slow-sales-thr...g8s-future.html

Edited March 13, 2009 by buyacargetacheck

[GMTruckGuy74]

I for one would be more than happy to go to a Pontiac dealer and sign on the line for a brand new 2009 Pontiac G8 GT Sedan right now if I knew I had a job in September and could get a loan for the car (oh yeah, and could afford the payments too on a $32k GT model ). Depending on how things play out between now and when my SmartLease ends in November, the G8 is still on my shopping list. Not everyone here at C&G hates this car

[Intrepidation]

Pssh, it's in my sig with my other favorite sedan, I love it. I think timing (being at least 2 years late to the party) and lack of advertising is the car's problem. The car itself is one of GM's very best. Read any review about it.

[Robert Hall]

Pssh, it's in my sig with my other favorite sedan, I love it. I think timing (being at least 2 years late to the party) and lack of advertising is the car's problem. The car itself is one of GM's very best. Read any review about it.

Timing, bad economy, lack of advertising. Had this car been out in '05-06, it could have been a hit (had GM been able to produce it without limited manufacturing capacity). It's the best thing to wear a Pontiac badge in a long time, IMHO.

[Intrepidation]

GM did indeed miss the boat (so did Ford) on large RWD cars, and it seems only by being an established player had the Charger kept its sales.

[Satty]

This thread is titled "The truth about the G8" yet the second post in the thread is, at best, dishonest, at worst a flat-out deceptive lie. The G8 is a fine car, but its not going to save Pontiac, or GM.

[Camino LS6]

Did you guys even read the thread?

Sheesh!

The G8 is one of GM's few bright spots, and its sales are actually increasing!

Oh forget it.

Like Z said, enjoy your Toyotas.

You guys love this decline too much for me.

[Satty]

G8 sales are increasing, but still below the much more expensive BMW 5-Series that C&Gers like to say is half the car the Poncho is. The 528i starts at almost $5000 more than a loaded G8 GXP. And the brand as a whole is down huge. What part of that is good news?

[Camino LS6]

G8 sales are increasing, but still below the much more expensive BMW 5-Series that C&Gers like to say is half the car the Poncho is. The 528i starts at almost $5000 more than a loaded G8 GXP. And the brand as a whole is down huge. What part of that is good news?

The G8 itself is the good news. For a car like that to be up in this economy is simply amazing, and to expect such a new model to compete saleswise with BMW's decades of worship is absurd on its face.

Did you see the long list of other GM product it is outselling?

And get this, quite a few 5s have been traded-in on new G8s, so that should tell you something about what BMW owners with brains are buying.

[Intrepidation]

Not to rain on the parade...but the BMW is much more niche than the G8, so the G8 should easily outsell it. Again, the G8 itself is not at fault, the car is great, but clearly something is wrong.

[Satty]

I'll happily take a look at cold-hard facts (not antecdotal evidence) that says 5 buyers are flocking to Pontiac.

The G8 isn't selling 10k/month or even 5k per month or even 3k per month. And there is $3,000 on the G8's hood. It isn't a profit machine, and it isn't going to save the brand or the company.

[Camino LS6]

Not to rain on the parade...but the BMW is much more niche than the G8, so the G8 should easily outsell it. Again, the G8 itself is not at fault, the car is great, but clearly something is wrong.

Are you kidding?

BMW is far from niche, and quite well entrenched in the market.

The G8 is doing absolutely great considering this environment and its recent introduction.

[Intrepidation]

When a luxury car outsells a mainstream SEDAN there is something wrong.

[Satty]

Anybody else notice that G8 sales increased when the rebates ramped up?

[Robert Hall]

Anybody else notice that G8 sales increased when the rebates ramped up?

Not surprising...rebates always seem to help GM sales.

[Robert Hall]

When a luxury car outsells a mainstream SEDAN there is something wrong.

It just says there are more buyers of luxury-brand sports sedans than mainstream-brand sports sedans. The sales #s says mainstream-brand sedan buyers prefer their vanilla FWD sedans.

[Camino LS6]

I'll happily take a look at cold-hard facts (not antecdotal evidence) that says 5 buyers are flocking to Pontiac.

The G8 isn't selling 10k/month or even 5k per month or even 3k per month. And there is $3,000 on the G8's hood. It isn't a profit machine, and it isn't going to save the brand or the company.

1) Go to a G8 board and read about the actual owners who went from a BMW to the G8 - These guys are happy campers.

2) Don't put words in my mouth, at no time did I use the word "flocking".

3) The G8 was never intended to sell 10k per month in a good economy - in fact, they can't even build that many!

4) Rebates are a way of life right now (just ask Toyota).

5) The G8's sales are increasing in the worst economy in 75 years!

5) Again, don't put words in my mouth - I never said that the G8 was going to "save" Pontiac. But a full lineup with equal quality could.

6) As for saving GM, that won't happen with or without the G8 if they don't learn how to manage what they have and make decisions that aren't suicidal once per week.

[Satty]

Not surprising...rebates always seem to help GM sales.

But couldn't get the G8 within 600 sales of the 5-Series, which had no rebates and a not particularly enticing lease offer. GM sold 1000 more G8s in February than in December, but with $3k on the hood of each of them, thats $3,000,000 GM just gave away. That doesn't help the company.

[Camino LS6]

When a luxury car outsells a mainstream SEDAN there is something wrong.

The G8 is FAR from mainstream, and you completely miss the point about being established in the marketplace.

Anyone who buys a 5 series over a G8 has more money than brains.

[Robert Hall]

Anyone who buys a 5 series over a G8 has more money than brains.

I wouldn't say that, both are excellent cars, but targeting different buyers..the 5- series interior is definitely more luxurious, and offers NAV (which isn't even offered on the G8, I believe).

[Satty]

The Charger sells nearly 7,000/month. Even if half of those are fleet sales, thats still outselling th Pontiac. Shouldn't the G8 be able to outsell something it might actually be compared against?

[Intrepidation]

Especially since the Charger has been out since `05 (I think).

[Robert Hall]

The Charger sells nearly 7,000/month. Even if half of those are fleet sales, thats still outselling th Pontiac. Shouldn't the G8 be able to outsell something it might actually be compared against?

Well, the Charger is in it's 4th year..it's an established model. Maybe it's the economy, maybe it's Pontiac's brand image, maybe it's GM's marketing..but the G8 just isn't connecting with the market as much as it could.

[Camino LS6]

IT CAN'T outsell the Charger no matter what!

Holden simply can't build the car at that rate!

SHEESH!

[Robert Hall]

IT CAN'T outsell the Charger no matter what!

Holden simply can't build the car at that rate!

SHEESH!

Which is GM's fault, of course.

[Camino LS6]

Which is GM's fault, of course.

True.

But such numbers are not required for profitability on the G8, I suspect they are on the Charger.

[Intrepidation]

That's the problem. Something isn't being done right, because the G8 should be selling at least double what it currently is. Even in a down market the Charger sells more, and the Charger is the G8's real competition. The Charger has been out longer to build awareness, but it's also older, and in most ways the G8 is the better car (being newer and all).

[Robert Hall]

True.

But such numbers are not required for profitability on the G8, I suspect they are on the Charger.

Maybe, maybe not..since the Charger shares a platform w/ 3 other models (now 2) I would think it would be profitable 4 years in..