Video: Pontiac G8 US review

Frugal One

*****PRIMO!*****

How much cheaper is *our* SS in USA?

That suxs that like the Monaro and the Capri, they are cheaper and better equipped in the US market.

Total con, we are being scammed.

Cheers

F-0

Coz

I know its for the American market, but its a bit rough when they keep giving the Pontiac designers accolades for the car they have come up with, when that really should be directed at Australian designers. Probably because the US consumer would not buy it if they new it was made in Aust, but then again maybe they wouldnt but it if they thought in was made in US.

Captain Mainwaring

Not surprised by the enthusiastic review. This is what happens when a genuinely world-class car is measured against the trash American carmakers have been dishing up for the past two decades.

Hendrik

Its a shame credit wasn’t given where due.

Then again, Americans are idiots in general and they cant design a decent car in the first place.

Mitch

i read somewhere that its roughly 33K when you convert it back into australian dollars, what a rip off for every aussie buyer. i think Holden has alot to answer for

alec

Mitch, why don’t you do the same conversions for BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, Fiat, Toyota, Nissan etc etc etc etc. In fact most importers. Holden has nothing to answer for when compared to the other manufacturers.
Luxury brands in australia charge rediculous premiums, and thats before the government adds its TINY import tax!!

azza85

Alec, all Mitch was trying to get at was, how is it that a LOCALLY produced car is more expensive then it’s IMPORTED variety in the US. The answer to that is obvious, market position, how much are consumers willing to pay etc etc, but to have such a price difference between the locally produced car and an imported version of basically the same thing, is abit high.

azza85

Just to add, if that 33k Pontiac includes all the government taxes, import charges etc, how much does it cost to actually build the thing?

Shane

Agreed Cos, the Aussie engineers deserve to be mentioned. I have alot of relatives in the US and they all would jump at an Aussie car over a US car any day. On their last visit down under I took my uncle and cousins test driving and they all walked away in shocked at how well Aussie cars drive. They felt disgusted that the American divisions could not offer the same or more.

Rick Harris

How bad have the previous Pontiacs been? Americans are easy to please if they think a Commodore is good as this guy says. Holdens poor build quality and reliability doesnt disappear on the boat to the USA.

Mitchell

Taxes and Tarrifs is how it is. They pay roughly 35k for a SS-V.

Masynee

The G8 is priced to be competitive in the US market just as the Commodore is competitive in its market here. Holden were expecting a worst case of Aus to US dollar being 85c to help them deliver the car for the price, but with the US dollar declining so far, Holden are not making the money that had hoped for.

Still, it’s a damn fine achievement to sell a car to the US market, especially one that will win the accolades the G8 will. Nice one Holden.

http://impreza dlr1

The bottom line on US v Australian value is that the prices of both cars are dependent on one another. Without the 40-50,000 local sales per year Holden wouldn’t be able to manufacture a car here for export to the US at a price that is competitive. Just as without the similarly sized export market they wouldn’t be able to afford the 1 billon they spent developing the car.

Like it or not, they need the exports and they also need the “relatively” high local prices to make the busness plan work. Its all about economies of scale. Remeber Mitsubishi Australia?

Duck

Mitch, Holden havent got anything to explain.
In Europe all the taxis are Mercs and in australia their usually commys, falcons and sometimes aurions (also 380′s and Avalons).Holden hasnt got nothing to answer for it is the american $ that is stronger! For example when in germany u are usually in a Mercedes Taxi and your going wow! Thats because the euro is stronger than the aussie dollar and mercs cost about the same price as a normal commy falcon etc. To them in europe it just normal for them. The same with the american dollar its stronger than the aussie.

Duck

Yeah! I hated when they said that Pontiac designers have lifted their game…..yada yada yada! But they didnt design the car. They should have said it was made by the GM division Holden in Australia……..but they didnt!

Kenzo

that is what happens when you are owned by a foreign company. if its cheaper to engineer it in australia. then they will do it. talent is everywhere in the world.

thing is imports are also cheap in the us. they have alot of other choices as well.

XR2_Capri

were o were is ford australia in all of this, oversea exporting to the US and UK

Fred

Some Aussie made products are actually cheaper to buy in other countries. When Kodak was still strong with their films, the exact same products cost less in some Asian countries compared to buying it from a local photo shop. Ridiculous eh?

o

i think everyone who is going to buy a commodre dont
1.you are getting ripped off stand your ground while we pay 50 k for this thaey are paying 33k for more equiment and a better design

2.technically pontiac designed this cause if it were built there i think it would still get here under 52k
so yes im acknowlegeing pontiac for ripping us all off so u amereicans can have a bargian

golfschwein

Frugal, you started this!

Please, please stop getting tetchy about how much Aussie cars sell for in the US! All of you! You just get all upset, and for what?

It makes nooooo difference. Never has and never will. Put your calculators away. I never got mine out in the first place, cos I’m not that kinda guy

Oz.

Quote Duck: “Yeah! I hated when they said that Pontiac designers have lifted their game…..yada yada yada! But they didn’t design the car. They should have said it was made by the GM division Holden in Australia……..but they didn’t!”

Yeah, how many yanks know where it comes from? I doesn’t even look like the reviewers even know.

Phill

Holden only got one good car in there entire range and its built for the US

Joober

Dlr1 is right its about economies of scale

you can sell a car cheaper in the states because they expect to sell more of them remember quantity x price = revenue, As a business I would rather churn more cars than sell at a higher price (more brand awareness, more sales on accessories, more services to charge), so really selling more brings in more money through its aftersales, thats whats been done.

Taking another stab, look at teh IS350 its like 40k converted, here the IS250 (not even the 3.5ltr) is like +70k, its ridiculous, and combine that with they 70c per litre petrol, its car haven.

Andrew M

i think the real question that should be asked is are holden making any money out of their export operation???

the price they are offloading them to the states could probably be regarded as fleet pricing (or even better) and we all know manufacturers dont make near as much out of them

Andrew M

in follow up to Jobbers coment,
does anyone know how many they are shipping over there in relation to what is purchased here for our roads?

BK

As always GM will have full control of holden commodore And as they do by badging them as Pontiacs. Commodore sales are fallin here so its almost the end for the commodore here in Aus so lets all call em Pontiacs. I wonder how much they sell em in USA for. I doubt they be the same prices as here in AUS. Holden gettin ripped of big time here but there desperate or is it really most of the car is made in USA with only a few parts from here sent over there. Yanks wouldnt know what a commodore is so Pontiac name is a smarter choice. Maybe it is 100% Pontiac and no holden parts on it. Hey its left hand drive over there but not here. Does anybody out there know what it really is???

Chad

Gee how easily pleased the Americans are, then again its not hard to build something better than what they can.

Wheelnut

Funny thing is on http://www.autoblog.com there is a [overall positive] review of the G8 and a few bloggers would like GM to replace the Pontiac brand with Holden as they believe Pontiac is no longer the performance car company it once was.

Wheelnut

The G8 isn’t a Commodore which has beenconverted from RHD to LHD.

What determines if the car is either a SS or G8 is when the RHD or LHD Dash Console and Pedals are installed
on the new assembly line at the factory in Elizabeth SA.
which took the majority of the $1bn budget for the VE project

Thanks to the design of the VEs Zeta platform A G8 can be assembled in among our SS Sedans Utes etc. No need for a special run of LHD cars or a dedicated line.

Andrew M

BK,
it is a holden product made right here mate.

yes they do trick it up and put some better bits on it overthere but the main bones of it is what we can get right here

Wheelnut

Andrew M – my mates at Holden advise me that the split of local/overseas or RHD/LHD production is approximately 45/55
It’s expected that the % of overseas production will gradually increase particularly when sales of the G8 Sports Truck take off in the States – and possibly the UK

Reckless1

Enthusiasts in the US who buy this car will do what we all do – they will use the internet and Google Pontiac G8, and then they will be instantly enlightened about where it comes from.

No point in crying because Holden AU isn’t mentioned, it’s all on the web.

So that’s three regions where the V8 holdens are loved – Top Gear loves them in the UK, the Yanks now love them in the USA, and they are loved in the Middle East.

That’s a whole lotta love, brother Good one, GM.

dlr1

I don’t think that anyone should be offended that they said it was designed by Pontiac designers… if you design a car and it wears a pontiac badge… well you’re a pontiac designer!

Yeah, these pontiac designers have lifted their game, the G8 does seem to be a better effort than the GTO. Particularly in the eyes of the Americans. Anyway at the end of the day the suits in detroit know where it comes from and who designed it. And if it sells they will keep coming back for our RWD expertise.

TP

As others have said ffs its an Aussie built car… stop mentioning Pontiac designers!!!! Also that really highlights the price differences we experience in Aus and it really shytes me, its annoying on any car but then you can say to yourself ‘perhaps the difference is due to freight etc’… well obviously not, a car built here costs less then the place its built!!! What a joke.

XR2_Capri

The price differance could be the export credits holden gets because of the motors being imports then exported in cars or at least the v8 anyway. I think itis all to do with the US$ and the great trade agreement that the other goverment signed

Tranquillizer

shame. they should have mentioned it as aussie car.
why did they think that it has a bad interior, it is far better than american interior.
the guy kept saying that it was built by GM. does it mean that Holden built VE actually for america and thought of releasing it here as a new version of holden.
i am so not happy.
i wish holden could buit their own engine here in australia to make holden purely as australian. holden should at least start building V8s here.i mean they have the knowledge and i am sure they have the money too.

Andrew M

Tranquillizer,
mate i think you are half way on the money.

i too have said previously that i feel the VE was designed to accomodate the tastes of the american market and its probably a fair comment as wheelnuts stats showed they are already sending more over there than what they are selling here and the export rate will grow as expected.

i really hope holden dont get too focused on exports and forget about the roots back home in OZ.
on the extreme side of things where exporting is the main focus it could lead to finding a more economical place to make them than here in OZ, cause lets face it OZ isnt as exporting friendly as it once was when the likes of toyota and holden entered the exporting game

Joober

Rememebr the US dollar is around 92cents now…

Im with Andrew, whats the figures for local sales and export?, would also love to know the cost price as well.

Andrew M

as per wheelnuts advice…………

RHD/LHD production is approximately 45/55

http://elfin CRAIG LOWNDES

Thats right 92 cents to the us dollar,which means its the perfect time to go overseas for a holiday,my tickets are booked and im of to singapore and a few other places around that area.Craig Lowndes.

Andrew M

well craig it depends where you are heading.
the aussie dollar has really only grown stronger against the US$$.
i singaporean or Kiwi holiday for example wont see any difference in your holiday pocket

oh and dont forget your boogy board. ill pack it if you like ha ha ha

http://elfin CRAIG LOWNDES

Our dollar is more than singapore,anyway wont be there long as iv been there so many times im sick of the place,oh i been to auckland and did not like it there and wont go back.I love water sports like para sailing and everything exept boogy boarding haha,anyway i got plenty of cash so it will be a good holiday thats for sure.

golfschwein

AAAAAAAAARGH!

That’s the sound of me screaming about how people are still incensed about the price they’re sold for in USA. Release yourselves from your pain and agony! You’ll never work it out. I never tried to begin with.

CRAIG LOWNDES has the right idea by ignoring it all and going on holiday.

No Name

Ha ha golfie – your dead right, it always cheaper in the bad old USA. Hey and Aussie cars are cheaper than the UK (slightly) but we earn a bit more to amke up the difference.
All economics nothing more.

Oh the car – Ugly front – what are they trying to do copy a BMW grill with a straight edge. Nah the Commodors easier on the eye.

Frugal One

1/
The label shown in the window of EVERY vehicle sold in USA would show city/country of origin. ie Elizebeth-S/A-Made In AUS.

2/
Exchange rate means nothing, its all the same company, inter-country transfer, they can pick whatever figure they want as a *value* for customs purposes.

3/
Its priced in USA what the others sell similar product for, it has to be competive.Its obvs. you get heaps more car your dollar in USA than anywhere else on the planet.

I think we should all be proud of Holden and Toyota selling homegrown to overseas.ITS another reason why the Foulcan is doomed, not enough voluem, needs export to survive.

Cheers

F-0

Oz.

Freckle One, I’ve never heard of a car called a “Foulcan” in my life. Can you tell me what it is?

TP

On the money Frugal One… these Ford idiots are trying to attack the Holden by saying it was purely made for the American market, with ridiculous claims that its due to exchange rate and all that… fact is Holden is doing a very smart thing, they may ensure their survival, strong sales in middle east and now possibly U.S… meanwhile Ford have? A platform that will not accomodate LHD. A change of boss every 6 months. A car that doesnt even look good to Aussies let alone other markets. Doomed.

Andrew M

TP,
you have no idea what you are talking about so im not even going to start picking at the idiocy of your comments this time

http://. Naughtyius Maximus

Another laughing gas off at the Dentist comment by “THE HOFF TP” – every 6 months and car does not look good. LOL you must be gassed up heaps. You idiot the large car segment is on the slide! Do you think Middle East or other markets are long term the answer with diminishing petroleum products?

Lee

azza85, The $33k US price tag does not include local sales tax, which can be anything up to 9%.

Glen

Everything in the USA is cheaper there, always has. But list prices over there don’t include taxes whereas ours do. Tax is added on top of everything there. You go to macca’s there and a quarter pounder meal is advertised for $5.99 but then tax is added so you pay $6.60 or whatever.

But to put into perspective, an american school teacher earns an average of US$30000 per year, australian school teacher about AUS$50000. So don’t worry about why a commodore is cheaper there than here. We earn more relatively so its all good.

Don – New York USA

August 21, 2008
I just purchased a Pontiac G8 GT with the new Employee Pricing for Everyone promotion GM is holding. Options include Premium Package, Sunroof & All Season Tires

$32,295 MSRP – US $

$29,806 Employee Pricing
-$1,598 GM Card Earnings

$28,208 Out the Door

Its a sweet deal for an excellent ride.

Thank you Australia!!!!!!!

Don – New York USA

Oh and Glen… teachers in the NYC area likely make 65-70k… far higher than the $30k US you quoted…