Comments on: Why Pontiac Was Great…and Got What It Deserved

By: G-Forza

G-Forza — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 23:47:30 +0000

I’m still crying on the inside that they killed the ‘88 Fiero GT.
Still believe GM had a big say in that. They were shittin’ their pants because the lovely Fiero was out-performing the Corvette. And they couldn’t have that. Now the ‘88 with the new suspension, vented disc breaks all around and the new models around the corner – the Corvette would have looked like a sissy.

Sometimes I love to read user reviews of Fieros. To 99% they all love the car and some who have a ‘88 Fiero and a Corvette from the same year or 5 years later say that the Fiero turns better and just makes more fun.

Rich earlier on wrote: “Funny is that an ‘88 V6 Fiero has almost the exact same performance numbers as a normally aspirated Solstice showing how little progress GM made in almost 20 years. That’s very telling.”

I rather say – The almost exact same performance numbers of the Fiero and the Solstice were because the ‘88 Fiero was so much it’s time ahead. And if I’m right, that tells even more.

By: rob

rob — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:31:19 +0000

I think you miss the boat on the GTO… The 2004 was a good enough car, but the 2005 with the ls2 version was nothing short of a corvette with four seats!!!! It seems you had more to say with style than performance.. What was more ugly than the Mopars of the early 60’s, but who will deny their performance!!!!The 2005 GTO DEFINITELY deserves GTO status…Afterall it was by far faster out of the BOX than most of them!!!!!!!! I think the sleeper looks make the car an understated terror at the traffic lights of America…

By: Brendan

Brendan — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:35:48 +0000

So far with the exception of the Pontiac Aztek and Astre all the Garbage cars were the first in a new attempt at a car model so you can’t attack Pontiac for say the Fiero since these cars were still going through the refinement process on and off the assembly line.

By: T-Dog

T-Dog — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 19:44:42 +0000

I own a 2004 Pontiac GTO and would say…garbage? I think not. I bought it for its understated looks and the fit and finish is amazing. Is it perfect, no. It could’ve used a better gearbox and a stiffer suspension and the radio is not competitive at all for this class. But the foundation is there…gear head heaven. The G8 is just the culmination of everything the GTO was suppose to be to the american public. Better handling, better gearbox and four door practicality in none racer styling. It’s a shame, I think GM’s failure is that it didn’t have a high tolerance for risk. Because, as you stated, by the time they did get it right it was to late. They’re concepts never quite made the same impression on the consumer by the time they hit the showroom floor. It’s the details they always seem to miss. How can you make a modern sport car and not throw in a short throw??? Anyway, GTO is awesome and the ride leaves a smile on my face everytime…not to mention the reliability.

By: liquid_overdose

liquid_overdose — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 10:45:22 +0000

You know, in Spanish speaking countries the Chevy “NOVA” did very very bad. Why? Because is spanish “No…Va” means “dons’t go”. So the name matters. As for the solstice, I have one. Yes, it is underpowered, the top sucks (the seals are flawed) and the cheap plastic dash is wrong. they deserve to go under. But like women, I am sucker for a hot body and crappy interior. I feel like bond when I walk to my car.

By: Keith Buglewicz

Keith Buglewicz — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:58:09 +0000

@qwikgta:
As I said, the GTO wasn’t really a bad car, just sorely misnamed. As much as I’m generally opposed to heavy-handed retro styling (check out my review of the 2010 Mustang GT), I think the modern GTO’s plain-as-a-cheese-sandwich styling really hurt it. Granted, the original ‘64 didn’t look much different from a standard Tempest, but by the time the Judge rolled around, the GTO had a style all its own. The modern GTO just looked like a Monaro with a Pontiac nose, and the plain wrapper just didn’t send the right message.

By: Keith Buglewicz

Keith Buglewicz — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:51:24 +0000

@ Neal J:
Yeah, I remember that car. Was the first thing I ever drove. Looked almost exactly like this: http://www.jagille.com/HTML/AUTOMOBILES/PONTIAC/1973_GRAND_AM/1973PontiacGAm.jpg

By: qwikgta

qwikgta — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:57:11 +0000

I have an 2005 GTO. I have to tell you its a great car. Great suspension, great ride, great interior. Whats not to love. Yes some folks don’t like the name GTO attached to this car, but it does everything that a GTO should do. IT will run the quarter mile in low 13’s stock and with the LS2 and some easy mods your in the 12’s. I would bet anyone who drives one, will love them

Robert.

By: ExploreX4

ExploreX4 — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:35:53 +0000

What I find interesting is Pontiac was brought about to save GM during a time of financial struggle, and now it will exit under those same circumstances. It began life as a subsidiary of the Oakland Motor Corporation and was the only marque to have the distinction of outlasting it’s parent company. Now it will join Oakland in the hereafter, but only if Pontiac isn’t sent on a fire and brimstone vacation for inflicting the Aztek on the world first.

By: Rich Truesdell

Rich Truesdell — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:31:35 +0000

Keith,

While you are entitled to your opinion, I take except with you catagorizing the early Fieros as garbage. Yes they have the dreadful Chevette front suspensions but in reality, even the 1984s were solid, if unspectacular cars. Remember…well you might be too young to…but the only reason they got built at all was that they were marketed internally as high mileage commuter cars. Each year afterwards, they were improved; in ‘85 the V6 was offered, in ‘86 the semi-fastback body style, and then the whole program came together with the ‘88 refresh.

I have both an ‘84 and an ‘88 and love them both, albeit, for different reasons. My ‘84 is a one-off, custom-bodied SEMA Show car, the first Fiero ever built with T-Tops and behind the wheel, with the tops stowed in the trunk, it’s 1984 and I’m 30 years old again.

The ‘88? It’s a base coupe with 70,000 miles, the air blows ice cold, and on the freeway on my commutes up to Orange County it gets 34-36 MPG. What’s not to like?

Early Fieros got a bad rap, undeservedly for engine fires (when you don’t keep a 4 QT capacity system filled, fires can happen by statistically far less than Fords equipped with destective steering columns) but by 1985, they were solid, reliable cars, and with the V6 (I’ve owned two), were quick for their time. And what can you say about their handling other than it was nearly supercar state-of-the art for its era.

Too bad it was killed in ‘88. The ‘89-’90 was well along in their development and quite possibly would been a world beater. With a Quad4 or even a supercharged 3.8-liter V6, two popular conversions to this day, it’s something to think about. Funny is that an ‘88 V6 Fiero has almost the exact same performance numbers as a normally aspirated Solstice showing how little progress GM made in almost 20 years. That’s very telling.

As a Fiero owner I’m sad for Pontiac’s demise and am pulling for GM to get through this crisis.

Richard Truesdell
Editorial Director, automotivetraveler.com