Edmunds' Report Showing Pontiac Owners Sticking With GM

William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com

October 29, 2011

The big question for General Motors when they showed Pontiac the door was, would they be able to keep many owners from going away? The answer seems to be yes.

Edmunds recently analyzed data to see where Pontiac owners are heading to pick up their new car. Almost 40% of former Pontiac owners stuck with General Motors, with 28.1% going with the Chevrolet. Most of that can be put on incentive programs in January and February of this year.

Following behind GM is Ford with 9.4% of Pontiac owners, Honda and Toyota are next with 7.4%.

Source: Edmunds Auto Observer

Avis probably had a contract with GM that they couldn't get out of.

My anecdotal observation has been, at least locally, they go straight to Hyundai. Of course it probably has something to do with the fact that not one, but two of our largest Pontiac dealers became Hyundai stores.

Neighbor across the street:

Torrent -> Santa Fe

Sunfire -> Elantra

Still have a Vibe

Friends with G6es -> Sonata

One neighbor next door went Vibe -> Rogue

Dear Edmunds - let us twist it another way - 60% of Pontiac owners are NOT staying with GM.

Edmunds recently analyzed data to see where Pontiac owners are heading to pick up their new car. Almost 40% of former Pontiac owners stuck with General Motors, with 28.1% going with the Chevrolet. Most of that can be put on incentive programs in January and February of this year.

So wait... 40% are buying GM vehicles... based on incentives? Like cheap prices? And they're migrating to brands like Hyundai? Hyundai isn't exciting.

So I guess Pontiac vehicles don't sell based on EXCITEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! after all!. But C&G told me that they're the most excitingly exciting exciters that mankind has ever known!

Given where owners went, I think its safe to say Pontiac buyers were not into sporty cars.

Edmunds recently analyzed data to see where Pontiac owners are heading to pick up their new car. Almost 40% of former Pontiac owners stuck with General Motors, with 28.1% going with the Chevrolet. Most of that can be put on incentive programs in January and February of this year.

So wait... 40% are buying GM vehicles... based on incentives? Like cheap prices? And they're migrating to brands like Hyundai? Hyundai isn't exciting.

So I guess Pontiac vehicles don't sell based on EXCITEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! after all!. But C&G told me that they're the most excitingly exciting exciters that mankind has ever known!

Hyundais are cheap and flashy, which the non-exciting Pontiacs tended to be...

Of course you had 2 tiers of Pontiacs at the end; the GTO, G8 and Solstice.... and those other things.

None of those 1st tier were 'cheap, flashy & boring'.

Of course you had 2 tiers of Pontiacs at the end; the GTO, G8 and Solstice.... and those other things.

None of those 1st tier were 'cheap, flashy & boring'.

Yes..the RWD good stuff and the forgettable FWD models.

And very different buyers.

Dear Edmunds - let us twist it another way - 60% of Pontiac owners are NOT staying with GM.

Key point.

Last time we had this conversation there was a chart that showed the industry average retention rate was 48%. With that for some perspective, 40% doesn't seem very bad.

Not that we'll ever get to see it, but I do wonder what GM's internal cost/benefit analysis would show for this. For the other killed brands as well.

Another aspect that hasn't been touched upon is the loyalty of buyers of "the good stuff" at Pontiac. That's the sort of thing that has to be earned, and they tossed it out with the junk.