GM to cut 42% of dealerships: 10 ways to profit
Waiting for a new car? Want to buy a new car for $5,000? Believe in salvaging what you can from a shipwreck?
If you answered yes to any of the above, the next year will be good to you. GM is closing 42% of its dealerships. That is a lot. And of course, Saab, Hummer, Saturn and Pontiac are all getting killed off.
Which means, that if you are buying one of these brands from a GM dealership which is going under, you are likely to get one hell of a deal.
Norms pickins' from the wreckage:
1) Sky/Solstice. See previous post, and pic of the fresh for Feb 09 targa Solstice. Sexy.
2) Pontiac G8 - this is a hell of a car. Basically a Holden Commodore and the new generation of the old GTO - this is a great car. It was already a good deal compared to other cars, and that was at list prices. Step up tothe GXP and you have a 5-series beater.
3) Pontiac Vibe- its a basic little car, but it is essentially a Toyota - and you will be getting it dirt cheap
4) Saturn Outlook - this is one of the Lambda triplets (quadruplets? I forget), and is a nice 7-passenger crossover, if thats your thing. I dont want one, but its a good car, and stacks up well against the competetion.
5) Saab 9-3 Turbo X - I specify the X because it is Saab's dyanmic AWD system similar to what is on newer Audi's, Subarus, Mitsubishis and a lot of other sports cars - it can send torque to just one wheel rather than just splitting front to back. Along with more power and a nice car overall, this makes the 9-3 Turbo X a very decent alternative to a BMW 328xi.
6) Saturn Aura (XR) - This is basically a last-gen Opel Vectra - and is quite a good car. Not really a show-stopper, but pretty good all around, and a nice car to drive. Sporty, four doors, relatively well built, decent engine, middle of the pack vs. competitors. Thats saying a lot for a GM. Just remember to get the 252-hp, DOHC 3.6-liter XR.
7) Pontiac G6 Convertible - you can get this cheap and it has a folding hard-top as a party-piece. Actually, I think that is the only reason to own one. Other than that, it is a pretty dull car - I drove one recently and the steering reminded me a lot more of my Expedition than my S4.
8) Hummer H3/H3T - Please dont shoot me or throw things. This is a nice truck killed by the fact that it looks like its out of style big brothers. The inline-5 is anemic, but the v8 is very nice. Also, go for the H3T as an alternative to a Wrangler or small pickup.
9) Models are thin on the ground at this point. I would go for a... Saab 9-7X Aero??? Its a Chevy Trailblazer made to look like a Saab, and its pretty outdated at this point, but it is almost a Chevy Trailblazer SS, but its a lot more refined, still has 390HP though. Would be a pretty sweet SUV to have.
10) Ok, not much left thats worth driving... I would think about a...errr... umm.... possibly...Saturn VUE Redline? Its really not that bad. If you like small crossover SUVs. Which often have less space than sedans - and always less space than wagons. That said, it will look like you are driving an SUV, and with 250hp, at least you will be able to get out of your own way.
So thats it. The only 10 decent models currently made by Saab, Pontiac, Hummer, and Saturn combined. Maybe one of them is your dream car. Probably not. But almost certainly there is a hell of deal in there somewhere.
If you answered yes to any of the above, the next year will be good to you. GM is closing 42% of its dealerships. That is a lot. And of course, Saab, Hummer, Saturn and Pontiac are all getting killed off.
Which means, that if you are buying one of these brands from a GM dealership which is going under, you are likely to get one hell of a deal.
Norms pickins' from the wreckage:
1) Sky/Solstice. See previous post, and pic of the fresh for Feb 09 targa Solstice. Sexy.
2) Pontiac G8 - this is a hell of a car. Basically a Holden Commodore and the new generation of the old GTO - this is a great car. It was already a good deal compared to other cars, and that was at list prices. Step up tothe GXP and you have a 5-series beater.
3) Pontiac Vibe- its a basic little car, but it is essentially a Toyota - and you will be getting it dirt cheap
4) Saturn Outlook - this is one of the Lambda triplets (quadruplets? I forget), and is a nice 7-passenger crossover, if thats your thing. I dont want one, but its a good car, and stacks up well against the competetion.
5) Saab 9-3 Turbo X - I specify the X because it is Saab's dyanmic AWD system similar to what is on newer Audi's, Subarus, Mitsubishis and a lot of other sports cars - it can send torque to just one wheel rather than just splitting front to back. Along with more power and a nice car overall, this makes the 9-3 Turbo X a very decent alternative to a BMW 328xi.
6) Saturn Aura (XR) - This is basically a last-gen Opel Vectra - and is quite a good car. Not really a show-stopper, but pretty good all around, and a nice car to drive. Sporty, four doors, relatively well built, decent engine, middle of the pack vs. competitors. Thats saying a lot for a GM. Just remember to get the 252-hp, DOHC 3.6-liter XR.
7) Pontiac G6 Convertible - you can get this cheap and it has a folding hard-top as a party-piece. Actually, I think that is the only reason to own one. Other than that, it is a pretty dull car - I drove one recently and the steering reminded me a lot more of my Expedition than my S4.
8) Hummer H3/H3T - Please dont shoot me or throw things. This is a nice truck killed by the fact that it looks like its out of style big brothers. The inline-5 is anemic, but the v8 is very nice. Also, go for the H3T as an alternative to a Wrangler or small pickup.
9) Models are thin on the ground at this point. I would go for a... Saab 9-7X Aero??? Its a Chevy Trailblazer made to look like a Saab, and its pretty outdated at this point, but it is almost a Chevy Trailblazer SS, but its a lot more refined, still has 390HP though. Would be a pretty sweet SUV to have.
10) Ok, not much left thats worth driving... I would think about a...errr... umm.... possibly...Saturn VUE Redline? Its really not that bad. If you like small crossover SUVs. Which often have less space than sedans - and always less space than wagons. That said, it will look like you are driving an SUV, and with 250hp, at least you will be able to get out of your own way.
So thats it. The only 10 decent models currently made by Saab, Pontiac, Hummer, and Saturn combined. Maybe one of them is your dream car. Probably not. But almost certainly there is a hell of deal in there somewhere.
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