GMTruckGuy74

Okay, apparently the wife is trying to drive me nuts - - first she tells me I have to part ways with my 'baby", and then the AURA too. Now tonight at dinner she tells me that she has found a way for us to keep the AURA and Envoy and still be okay each month (unfortunately, the "governor" has not called in with a repreive for the SKY). So please, for the time being, disregard this topic, unless you know of someone looking to buy a SKY.

Okay, by now you've seen that I'm going to sell the SKY soon and it's apparent that I am also trying to get rid of the AURA too. Not that there's anything wrong with either car (how I'd love to kkeep them both), but the wife informed me recently that we are living way beyond our means. After making as many changes as possible to help save where we could, it still boils down that the SKY needs to be sold to pay off other debt, and triming our remaining car payments down would really help too. She said for the Envoy to go, but I told her that the lease has 11 months remaining and I really like the Envoy. So that leads to the AURA having to go, which I'm working on with someone here (if it works out for them). So I've begun looking at used cars in and around the $5,000 price range. I lost out on a '96 Olds 98 with 44k at $3,995 by a week. But now I seek advice from my peeps here at C&G on what I should be looking at. I have to have GM, it must be good on gas, must be a reliable vehicle (the wife will use it mostly on her 64-mile roundtrip commute), and it has to be comfortable. I would appreciate any first-hand expeireinces too with the car you suggest. If a lease on a leftover '07 suggestion can be figured out for cheap (no money down), I would also float that by her too. Again, I want to remain within the GM family. Hopefully this will not be the way it has to be for a long time. I like having new cars every 30-36 months and this will be a hard pill to swallow (hopefully my goal of getting a new Sierra or Acadia next year can still be fulfilled ). If you know anyone looking for an AURA or SKY, please let them know I have mine available.

Not a bad looking p[roject car. I just didn't start liking Saturn's, I've always liked them from day one in 1991. The wife and I looked into leasing a 2000 SC2 7 years ago, but couldn't find the right one (we ended up with a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix GT instead). I've always liked the look of the '97-'00 SC2... sporty-yet-practical!!!

GMC Centaur (half man/half horse = half car/half truck) Please leave the Syclone name in the past where it belones, on an AWD small pickup. "Palomino" is a 1957 GMC concept/showtruck name, and really doesn't resonate with today's market (how many Western/cowboy movies <outside of Brokeback Mountain> are made today? How many kids still play "cowboys and indians"???). Too many people will think of a cell phone company with "Sprint" (plus OnStar uses Verizon ), and Caballero would only work if Chevy had an El Camino (that's why there was a Spanish theme going on with the renaming in '78). Can't use "Granite", as MACK trucks has the trademark on that for their current truckline. Acadia, Denali and, to an extent Canyon, are named after U.S. National Parks. Biscayne is a national park name, but was also used on Chevy models. You can see the emense listing of U.S. national parks here, if you can find one appropriate: wikipedia Yukon comes from the Canadian Yukon Territory, Savana (savannah) is a type of grassland, Sierra is spanish-language for mountain ranges. I presume the word Sonoma was named for teh Californian wine valley, and while not currently in use, could be resurrected for the Ute. Of course, mountain ranges have many names available from the North Atlantiac region, click here. I was going to suggest "Cascadia" too!

Wait a minute... did Holden officially release the wagon yet to teh public? How come this is the first time I'm seeing it? Anyway, I would be extremely ecstatic if it too came over here for 2008 as a Pontiac. It definitely has my attention.

Most definitely. I would seriously consider a G8 wagon next summer if it was available when my Envoy lease expires. Come on GM... don't disappoint us!

Okay PCS, I understand that you can't just spit out stuff that GM hasn't officially announce yet. But, can you give us an approximate timeframe of when we should expect to start hearing "official" things from GM? That would be helpful for some.

Okay, I really can't stand seeing all of these posts saying to call it "Syclone". That would be like calling the '90s Grand Am a "GTO", the Baretta a "Camaro", or the Malibu SS a "Chevelle". It just doesn't fit (an AWD version might make it more acceptable). This will be the third time I say this here... call it the GMC Centaur (the half man/half horse concept translates very well to the half car/half truck concept). GMC used this name on a 1988 conept truck that was in the veins of the Ute. I don't want it called "Caballero" or "Sprint" either... every Tom, Dick and Harry with an older one will think theirs is worth extra now. Those nameplates need to remain in the past... and Syclone does too. GMC Centaur... it fits perfectly within the current GMC naming scheme better than Caballero and maybe the AWD, V8 version could be called Syclone instead of Denali. I have to say that while I'm happy to learn that GM is going to give a truck-like vehicle to the Truck Division without much of a fight, it did shock me. Camino, like the saying goes, "A rose by any other name is still a rose", don't let this change your desire to have a modern day version of the vehicle that you are really passionate about. And if the styling isn't dramatically changed from the Ute, maybe you can source Middle East Chevy parts to make it into an El Camino? I agree with Fly's reasons for it being a GMC, plus the added facts that it's limited production availability will not be a good thing for a mass-marketed Chevy. Maybe if demand for one increases, and production can be moved here to the US, a Chevy version could be added two or three years after the GMC debuts to give GMC a unique vehicle to sell for a while. I still say that GMC could benefit from an Avalache too (with the Sierra's frontend styling).

The original goal was to sell 20,000 Pontiac Solstices, 10,000 Saturn SKYs, and the remaining 10,000 worth of SKY production was going to be split however between the Deawoo G2X and the Opel GT. So when you look at sales figures (Sol vs SKY), the Solstice will always *appear* to sell more than the SKY. PCS may be able shed more light, if he's allowed, on what the actual Sol vs SKY mix really is. When I was at the plant tour in May, there seemed to be more SKY RLs on the assembly line than Solstices (but that is just by my observation, I didn't actually count the cars, and I'm more baised towards the SKY anyway). I will say this, a good majority of the people I meet and talk to about the SKY vs the Solstice tend to like the chisled shape of the SKY over the jellybean look of the Solstice. When I took my SKY to a local car show in May, the local Pontiac dealer had one of their many Solstices on display, about 500 feet away from my car. I overheard many people compare the two, saying they liked the SKY better (and most didn't know I was the owner of the SKY, because I wasn't sitting in or near my car most of the time). One funny thing to realize is that when you drive by a Pontiac dealership, you'll see 2 or more Solstices on the lot. Try doing that with many of the Saturn dealerships around. Saturn was originally not allowing dealers to order SKYs for inventory (you had to have customer's info in order to place the order). I know my selling dealership only had SKYs on hand when the customer cancelled their order (didn't want to wait, changed to the RL model from their ordered base model, or went with another car). But this is just really a pissing contest... we should be more concerned on how the Kappa twins are selling combined against their competition.

I for one am happy to hear that this may be a GMC rather than a Chevy. However, I think the nameplate "Caballero" needs to remain in the past and I suggest Centaur (half man/half horse = half car/half truck). I suggested this over in the Holden Ute thread too. No charge GM for using this name, should you decide to use it :AH-HA_wink: And I agree with you Moltar, die-hard Chevy El Camino fans will outsource parts from the Middle East Chevies if they have to to make the change from a GMC to a Chevy. PCS, you better start doing more than singing! You seem to know a lot of what's going to change within GM. It's not nice to keep secrets from your friends!!!

No, please keep GMC alive. It is doing well and making money for GM. Plus I know many people that won;t buy one or the other. PCS, I can understand your position on Chevy-as-the-global brand. When the GMC Typhoon was exported outside of the US, it was rebadged as the Chevy Typhoon (and the grille had a Chevy bowtie instead of the three ruby red letters). I don't agree with it, but outside of the US GMC has little brand awareness. I still don't want to see GM kill off GMC.

Funny, the wife said that to comfort me!However, while I love the car, I think a 4-passenger convertible would make more sence than a 2-passenger roadster. It would see more usage and therefore be more reasonable, especially with having a 2-year old and a 13 year-old. I do like the Camaro Convertible concept, but would much rather have a Pontiac Firebird or GTO version (don't like any of my local Chevy dealers that much). So time will tell. I'm a big believer in the saying, "When one door closes, another one opens", so I'm not saying that there will never be another "fun" vehicle in my driveway again. I just have to be patient and get our finances in order first (will take some time, especially with limited income coming in during July & August) and then I can concentrate on additional vehicles. Maybe a classic is in order next?

+1I don't tow, I don't go off-roading, and I don't like many any of the current minivan offerings (although the power sliding dual doors are a cool feature). Crossovers appeal to me the most, especially with two kids and the desire to travel with more than 5 people in one vehicle. Personally, I like trucks and would rather have a truck-baed/BOF SUV over a crossover, but a Yukon Denali XL is a little out of the question price-wise when compared to the Acadia!!! However, my love of the GMC Sierra Crew Cab 4WD overides common sence and I'd gladly take it over a BOF suv or crossover

Well, I know the wife said money would be needed by the middle of September, so if you can give me a timeframe of when your friend could possibly buy it, that would help in telling this to the wife. We actually decided tonight that there are at least two places we want to go with the SKY, and it can't be sold until then I was going to approach my selling Saturn dealership this upcoming week, figuring if the price is right, the cash would come pretty fast. But it is a dealer, and I'm sure the offer would be a low-ball one at that; and the wife and I want to take it out atleast to two more places. I need to see what they're going for online (AutoShopper/AutoTrader, Saturn dealers, eBay, etc) to figure out what reasonable price I can set the price at for my extremely low mileage SKY.Thanks for the kind words Camino, it is my baby but I'd be in worse shape if it was a mid-'50s GMC pickup or a '91 Syclone that I'd be parting with :AH-HA_wink:

Update in the original post (title changed too).

Money is not a great thing... having said that, the wife has brought to my attention that financially we're not in a "good place". Having bought the SKY last year and it's limited use has always been a sore spot with the wife (the home equity loan payment plus full insurance coverage don't help). She feels that by selling the car to pay off other debts would be the best thing financially, although she does say that she doesn't want the car to go. So anyway, if I had to sell the SKY, is anyone here interested in buying it? I'm trying to weigh out my options, like going back to my selling Saturn dealer and seeing what they'd offer to buy it, put an ad in AutoShopper or AutoTrader, see what CarMax or CarSense will offer, see if anyone over at skyroadster.com wants it....... you get the point. PM me if you think you;d be interested. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update 8/24... after the wife has spent the last 24 hours going over our bills, other debts, and ways to cut expenses, it still boils down that selling the SKY would be a great big help to our debt load. Neither of us wants to part with it, even after a nice little ride in it last night. But being able to afford other things (vacations, holidays, etc) has more meaning than a car sitting in a garage most of the time. So if you know anyone looking to buy a SKY, let them know I have one for sale (I'll figure out my asking price by tomorrow).

No. Remember, Pontiac is to be strictly cars from now on. It could work though in the same showroom, as a GMC, where trucks in the B-P-G lineup belong (even if it's car-based; reference the '71-'77 Sprint & '78-'87 Caballero). My suggestion for a name? Easy... GMC Centaur (half man/half horse = half car/half truck). And of course this wouldn't be the first time that name was used on a GMC (1988's concept GMC was called "Centaur"):

As a high school teacher, I've seen the bolded part above WAY TOO MUCH. There are kids who curse out the principal, and when the parents come in, they talk the same way to the man too. You see the acorn doesn't fall too far from the tree. Parents have actually complained to our superintendent that they feel the school should teach more "character education" to kids today... isn't this the parent's responsibility from DAY ONE???For the older owners here, you better enjoy the good service you're getting before it disappears. With so much turnover in the auto business (sales & service fields), newer people don't offer the same level of common sense service as those who've been in the field a long time. With multiple dealerships being owned by one person, you're less likely to find the caring owner on-site to ensure their customers are happy and willing-to-return again. And since the almighty $$DOLLAR$$ runs the business anymore, you're going to find businesses more willing to let an unhappy customer go somewhere else and try to reach out to someone else.

This is one of the reasons I won't buy a Chevy. I purchased my '04 Malibu from another dealership than the local (at the time) dealership because it was in November ('03) and not too many LT's were available at the time. I intended to use the local dealership for convenience. They were great for the first year & a half, until both of their great service writers left for other dealerships. This is when things went downhill, both with the new service writer and the not-so new-service manager. My experiences were similar to yours, with the writer not using anyones name, not giving info unless you asked for it, and the car being returned in not-so-clean condition. When I complained to their "customer care rep", she basically told me that their service dept was undergoing employee changes and things will "eventually" return to normal (apparently she was dealing with a lot of unhappy customers). Overall, their attitude was accept it or find a new dealership to use. I did one better - I got rid of my Chevy and bought (leased) a Saturn AURA. The level of service I receive there, and at the GMC dealership where I get the Envoy serviced (non-selling dealer), are worlds better. Next summer when the Envoy lease expires, I have all intentions to purchase from this GMC dealership because of the level of service I receive (instead of the cold, uncaring dealership where I leased the Envoy). Good luck with the Buick and finding a more caring service center.

I'd take one if it had a GMC emblem on the front and a Denali package.

Yup, in this hypothetical situation, GM sponsors a contest where the winner is to receive any new, 2008 GM model of their choice - no trim/engine/trans/color/price/etc restrictions. Whatever the winner desires from GM, GM builds and delivers to them at their local dealer.Wouldn't this be a cool contest for real? Imagine the amount of entries GM would receive, even if they only allowed one-per-person? They could intro this at the first major auto show of the season, run through the last (New York?), and conduct the drawing in May with the winner getting their as-ordered vehicle no later than in July. It would draw a lot of attention to GM and hopefully make one GM enthusiast really happy. It would still cost a lot less than one concept car and bring in the people to GM's displays. I know Saturn is currently running a contest like this, where the winner will get to choose any Saturn vehicle of their choice. But I'm sure there's a price limit and it will likely be a base model.

My deepest sympathies on the loss of you father. You and yours will be in my prayers duringt these trying times.

Okay, I went back in to my original post and made it clear that it has to be a brand new 2008 GM vehicle. And I'm @ Fly's choice!!!

Let's say you enter a contest where the prize was a brand new 2008 GM vehicle of your choice (no MSRP restrictions). You win and have to make a decision on which brand new 2008 GM vehicle you will claim as your prize. What would it be and why? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mine is easy... the all-new GMC Sierra Denali in Summit White. To me, the Sierra Denali is the modern day version of the mid-'50s GMC Suburban Carrier (aka Cameo) pickup. It can be used for work/play, but also for a night out on the town. It's the most luxurious pickup in GMC's stable, and has performance manners to boot. I couldn't afford to own one otherwise, so if I won this fictional contest I'd claim the Sierra Denali as my prize.

Can't wait to see what it will look like!