CaddyXLR-V

I lost my job while I owned a house and car. I didn't lose everything. In fact, I now own a second house, possibly a 3rd shortly, and I'm going to try a business within the next year. We are not in the middle of a great depression. Unemployment is not going to hit 25%. There are already signs the economy may be headed back up. Unemployment will probably peak the end of this year, beginning of next, then start to go back down as well.

The banks won't be nationalized, nor should they be. Government regulations are as much to blame for the mess created. There are some banks who are still thriving, and are about to report a record profit for this quarter. Some banks got greedy, and they are mostly gone now, taken over by the more responsible banks. That is how capitalism works. The consumer is just as much to blame as well. People walked away from their mortgages even though they could afford them, because they bought a house at half the price and just moved into that house instead. The consumers got greedy as well, buying houses much bigger than what they needed, knowing they couldn't afford them.

They are expensive, but I'm working towards the point where that won't be an issue. I have been lusting after one ever since I found a 99 for $19,000, and was ready to buy it, but found out my insurance would be $600 a month. The Cayman S is nice, but only has 320hp.

Instead of a BMW, or a Cobalt, why not a GTO? You can get a used one with a lot less miles than the BMW, for about the same price. It will be faster, handle just as good, and get the same gas mileage. Insurance rates for me are even cheaper on the GTO. Then you don't even have to worry about buying a non GM car.

That sounds like the cars I will be shopping next time I buy a car, with the exception of the Cayman, I prefer the 911. Though by the time I buy any from my list, it's going to be new. I'm not buying for a while though, since all my money is going towards buying a business. If that's successful, I'm leaning heavily towards a new 911.

I agree. But even with those there was a problem with some counties setting the timing on the cameras below the legal limit, so you would get ticketed even when you think your driving through a yellow light. Here is AZ, I think they are only triggered if you drive throught them at speeds higher than 12 miles an hour.

You do make some good points. The GTO backseat is comfortable, once you get back there. The car is wide. It just needs to lose some lbs not by shrinking, but with some lighter materials. The Camaro is wide, but the backseat wont be nearly as spacious, and is still heavier. There is nothing out there that is compelling to current GTO owners. Everything seems like a step back in one way or another.

Still too heavy, I like the G8 interior, don't like the retro interior of the Chevy, and just plain don't want a Chevy. I would like a G8 if it came in coupe form. Though I wish the base V8 had 400hp like my GTO, without having to pay $10k extra to get the GXP. Otherwise it seems like a step backwards for me. Ideally, I want something with the same power or less weight, or the same weight with more power. Both the Camaro and G8 are heavier than my car.

I agree the GTO is just the right size, I just wish it weighed about 400lbs less. Although it doesn't feel like it weighs 3800lbs, I imagine it would handle so much better and be a lot quicker if it weighed only 3400lbs. The 330Ci is roughly the same size, maybe slightly smaller, but I can't justify spending over $50,000 on it.

This isn't an issue about right or wrong, it is safe or unsafe. There was an incident recently where a football player's father-in-law I believe, was in the hospital dying. He got to a red light, stopped to make sure it was clear, then drove through it. That does not sound unsafe to me, yet he was harrassed outside the hospital by a police officer for breaking the law, and never made it into the hospital until his father-in-law had already passed. And our speed limits are set low, because they know people will drive at a speed limit they feel safe at, which are usually higher than the posted speed limit, and they can be ticketed. If you came across an open highway with a speed limit of 10, but you felt it was safe to drive 60, would you still drive 10?

Another thing, I think part of the reason GM's decision about Pontiac ticks me off so much, is because it is like GM is abandoning affordable performance cars. Chevy doesn't have the floor space for more cars, and I don't buy into the idea of sporty Buicks. Pontiac just happens to be my favorite brand, and seems like the best outlet for the cars I desire, and fits with their traditional image of offering performance.

I was just thinking the same thing. If you want a car with performance, you have to put up over $50,000, and take all the extra stuff you don't need or want with it. If I want a mid-size rwd car with good performance, my choices are 330Ci or IS350. I want something for under $30,000.

This poll still answered the questions I had. It was mainly to see if GM would keep Pontiac buyers or lose them, and if they lost them, would they going to other brands perceived as sporty. The answer to those 2 questions are Lose them, and yes they will go to other sporty brands, or switch to another domestic automaker, about evenly split between sporty or domestic.

I just felt like singling out Buick from the rest of GM Hey maybe they will be Chinese owned shortly. Then there would be nothing odd about my grouping.

Was still valuable to me. The one person who didn't vote, is probably someone who wouldn't buy a Pontiac in the first place and would buy a Buick anyway. The poll was meant for people whos brand of choice is Pontiac or is at least considering purchasing one, not Buick.

I wish people wouldn't condemn Pontiac without giving them a chance, but since that will never happen, why should Buick get a free pass?

How does that matter if their sales go to 0 in the US, which is the market I'm referring to?

So someone won't pick their BRAND of choice, because it's not lumped in together with other brands, that makes it invalid? Your brand of choice is your brand of choice whether the answer is Chevy/Buick or just Buick. Since I didn't ask people to pick multiple brands, I feel it is completely valid.

GM has a track record..... And it isn't full of success

And a side note to any Buick fan who is ok with Pontiac being cancelled, once Pontiac is gone, Buick won't survive too much longer. I think the best chance of Buick surviving depends on Pontiac surviving also.

I just wanted to see how many would go to Buick, which couldn't be done if it was grouped together with Chevy and GMC.

Another interesting thing is that not a single person picked Buick. How is Buick going to pick up the slack from losing Pontiac? And less traffic in the dealership when Pontiac is gone, means even less sales for Buick.

And my opinion is that those posted speeds are set at a safe limit for a below average driver, and so they have a way to generate income through tickets. Just because a sign says the speed limit is 50, that doesn't automatically make 75 unsafe. Less safe, maybe, but not unsafe. That depends on the road of course.

I know, but when people aren't driving those posted speeds, what effect do those posted speeds have? It's still safer to let the person pass. It doesn't matter if I was driving 100 in a 70. If the person behind me were going 130, I would still move out of the way.

Well the problem is, some people feel like they should regulate traffic. If they are going 75 in a 70, and someone wants to go faster, they think it is ok to block them, which it is not. The safest thing to do is move over, and let them pass, regardless if the other person is right or wrong for the speed they are driving. Think of the autobahn. If you think 80 is the fastest it is safe to drive, would you drive in that lane going 80 or slower? Are you saving that persons life by doing it? No, your endangering both of your lives.