PurdueGuy

blech. Interior looks fine. Exterior... blech.

keep in mind that the turbo'd 2.0L on the Solstice is set up for RWD. They would have to reconfigure it for FWD for a Cobalt/G5. Doable, but not a direct swap-in.

that sounds... absolutely gross.

Story makes sense, but is aboslutely no excuse.

that's some serious stupidity and a good reason to go elsewhere. Unfortunately, idiots, jerks, racists, etc, know no race, sex, or... manufacturer. A dealership is as good as it's people, and while there is some variation from brand to brand, every brand has its glowing beacons and rotten apples.

Yeah, the charging was another aspect that limited the car's function largely to commuter use (charge overnight, possibly charge while you work). The inductive charging system was pretty cool though - no metal to metal contact, no risk of electrocution, even if you were charging in the rain (though I'm not sure if any of the chargers were ever really exposed to rain).

Well, the EV1, while a fantastic vehicle (for what it was) just didn't make economic sense to... almost anyone. They were leased for about $500/month, so only the wealthy could afford them. Then add their limited usefulness (2 seats and minimal cargo space), and they became a status vehicle. With a lower cost, they might have been able to be a pretty good commuter vehicle - they had a range of up to 120 miles IIRC, once they replaced the lead-acid batteries with NiMH. Not too bad for a commuter car (though not good enough for a main or only vehicle).

I think an all RWD lineup would make TOO much sense for Pontiac. It would immidiately create their nitch in the market and reinforce their image as a performance brand. I could see a base FWD car, though. Realistically, it probably won't happen, as has been said.

that's quite the intercooler.

I doubt it. They actually use really small cars over there - a Cobalt would probably be a bit big to be called a small car in that market, I expect. Plus, they don't have to meet nearly as many safety standards, so they can build a lighter/cheaper car.

Dune buggy. :D

'99 Saturn SC1 Getting about 30 city, 37 highway. A little dissapointing, actually, since its EPA for highway is 40. *shrug* Might have something to do with my, uh, "spirited" driving.

Crumple zones? lol I also find it ironic that there is rule after rule after rule after rule about saftey equipment & standards for cars... or you can throw it all out the window & ride a motorcycle. Is there no room in between for someone who wants an uber-light vehicle with a bit of a cabin and be allowed on the road? Not sure I'd be one - I like safety, but still. I'm not anti-motorcycle, nor anti-safety standard, but it is an interesting paradox. I think it results from politicians doing 2 things they do well: doing whatever appeals to the public (increased safety standards), and protecting their own interests (I'm sure plenty of politicians enjoy motorcycles). A simmilar paradox was pointed out with noise ordinances that exist in many areas against modified, noisy exhuast systems on cars, while motorcycles are far louder. Again, I'm not a fan of loud, obnoxious exhausts either, but it's an interesting paradox. Summary: I don't disagree with how things are, but could understand where someone might.

eeeeh, not sure I like it. Looks ok, I guess, but it just looks kind of awkward to me.

According to a friend of mine, the newer Crown Vic/Grand Marquis' are E85 compatible, and they had to put harder pistons in for it. The old style were too soft and the high octane would burn holes in them eventually. But yeah, most vehicles the company just has to upgrade gaskets & fuel lines & such.

Actually, sadly enough, Saturn dealerships are just like any other brand's dealerships - there are some great ones, and there are some stinkers. Yes, they all use the no-haggle policy, but even that seems somewhat violated when some of them do things like tack an extra $5K on the price tag of the new Sky. The one local to me is medocre - it is owned by the same company that owns the local Toyota/Scion, Honda, Kia, Mitsu, Suzuki, Hyundai, Lincoln, and Mercury dealerships. It's just another brand to them, too, and the Saturn culture is very watered down. Sadly, I think Saturn dealers have become just like any other brand's dealers - it just depends on which one you go to.

It is sad. I love Saturn because it is different, and did so many things right, especially in worker relations. A factory with a good culture is a great place to work, and has awesome productivity at the same time. Sorry 'bout the misunderstanding before - I gotcha now.

The current emblems are 3D.

It's not a dumb reason at all. It's vital to a company trying to push increasing quality standards (requires employee involvement, not just engineers pushing for things to be done differently) and lean manufacturing (again requires employee involvment, trust, and cooperation). Saturn encompassed much of the best buisiness practices of GMs competitors - something that couldn't be done in any current factory due to barriers held by traditional union/management relations. I really think the only reason that Saturn didn't thrive in its original cultural form is because it was starved for product. Economy cars (S-Series) dont' make enough profit to have allowed Saturn to develop their own independently designed 2nd or 3rd vehicle, so they got nothing forever, followed by a buggy reskinned Opel in the L-Series. Saturn now has a decent lineup, but GM wouldn't give it to them until after making Saturn "just another brand" due to internal politics.

They'd better do it right if they're gonna do it. They'd be the... what... 150th brand in the US? They'll either find their nitch or die in this market.

Sounds like it's not an uncommon thing for a Mitsu dealership to be a hole-in-the-wall place. Perhaps if Mitsu decides to stay, they ought to have more stringent guidelines on what is acceptable for their dealerships. (I know it's unlikely the one local to me will spend the $ to change a thing without outside pressure.)

In the case of Saturn, there was once a special union contract that would indicate differently. In fact, a whole culture that couldn't have just been created in any existing brand. Too bad GM gave up on it dispite it's success and made Saturn just another brand.

You have an awefully large definition of "local". lol As satty said, I meant the local dealership. It's the size of a small convenience store for both brands, wedged tightly between Honda & Saturn.

That may be, but it's one thing to sell some 18 gauge, it's another to supply a suspension system.

While it does sound like the guys got a bum deal, why is this not just left at a lawsuit? While this sounds legit, and I don't feel bad for this employer (assuming that the article fairly represents the situation), I can imagine employees with more... selfish motives... causing some major damage to an employer for some personal gain. In this case, there is a clear and definate legal procedure to receive compensation, and IMO, that and that alone should be used. Not that they can't badmouth the company to their friends and make the media aware of the lawsuit... lol