Getting Your Pontiac Tuned Up
May 4, 2009 by Adam · Leave a Comment
One of the most important things you can do for your Pontiac is to take your car into your Pontiac dealer on a regular basis. One of the regular maintenance tasks you should have done is a tune-up. A tune-up consists of several components, all of which are designed to replace parts of your car that get old and tend to wear out. A tune up can help your gas mileage, prolong the life of your engine, and keep your car running smoothly.
Several things happen when you get a tune up. First of all, your fluids are checked, fuel filter replaced, spark plugs changed, air filter replaced, valves adjusted, valve-cover gaskets replaced, spark plug wires changed out, and many other things checked out.
Usually, a tune up will also include an inspection. The mechanic will look at the condition of your tires, check your air conditioning and heating, and look at your brakes and brake fluid. Several other parts will probably be looked at, including the timing of your vehicle, the PCV valve, the distributor cap and rotor, the oxygen sensor, and the carburetor.
Generally speaking, you should get a tune up about once a year.
Pontiac on the Block Again
April 20, 2009 by jcme · Leave a Comment
Once again, it seems that the Pontiac brand may be on the chopping block at General Motors. After receiving $13.4 billion from the Federal Government in order to help it stay afloat, GM now faces a June 1 deadline. They have been told to restructure or that they will face a bankruptcy ordered by the government.
GM is considering dropping some of its brands, such as GMC and Pontiac. Some brands within GM are safe, including Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick, according to sources.
It’s likely that GM will try to off load some of its brands that lose money. These include Saturn, Saab and Hummer. It’s possible that Saturn may be sold to another company, as several groups have expressed interest in purchasing it from GM.
It’s unclear what exactly would happen to the Pontiac and GMC brands if GM should decide not to keep them.
What Kind Of Car Can You Afford?
March 16, 2009 by jcme · Leave a Comment
As I mentioned last time, there are two important things to think about when looking for a new Pontiac car. You need to think about what kind of car you need, and you also need to think about what kind of car you can afford. Today, I want to talk briefly about the latter.
Figuring out what kind of car you can afford can be relatively easy. You can look at your monthly budget, if you have one, and see how much is available for a car payment. In many cases, this will give you a maximum dollar amount to work with. As long as you don’t go over that amount, you’ll be all set.
If you don’t have a formal budget, you can use this rule of thumb: your car payments shouldn’t be more than 1/5 of your monthly pay.
Obviously, a larger up-front payment can help reduce the monthly amount you’re going to pay. The same is true for low interest financing promotions. A longer loan will also have smaller payments than a shorter loan. Taking all of these factors into consideration is just a part of the process.
Whatever your budget is, check out Pontiac’s lineup. There’s a car that should fit your budget, as well as your needs.
What Kind Of Car Do You Need?
March 2, 2009 by jcme · Leave a Comment
There are two important questions you need to ask when you get ready to buy your new Pontiac car: What kind of car do I need, and how much can I afford? Answering these two questions carefully will pay off for years to come. Today, I want to look at the first of those two questions.
To start out, figure out what you need. Do you need four wheel or all wheel drive? What kind of safety features do you want? Do you need some cargo carrying room? Do you plan on doing any towing? Will your car fit your parking area or garage easily?
Beyond that, though, you need to think about your wants, too. Asthetics are important, and so is the way your car feels when you’re driving it. You’re going to have to look at your car for years to come; make sure you don’t think it’s ugly. The same goes for driving; driving the vehicle needs to be comfortable, and it needs to drive the way you want it to.
Pontiac has plenty of cars to pick from. Pontiac’s commitment to style and performance will almost guarantee you’ll like the look and feel of the vehicle. There are lots of options too, from drivetrains to carrying capacity in the Pontiac lineup. Check out the selection of Pontiac cars today. You’re sure to find one that meets your needs.
2009 Pontiac G6 Review
February 1, 2009 by jcme · Leave a Comment
The 2009 Pontiac G6 is one of the most interesting and stylish cars in the Pontiac lineup. It’s available as a coupe, a sedan, and even a hardtop convertible. There are plenty of trim levels and optional features on the 2009 Pontiac G6, which means you have all you could ever want in this car and more.
There are four trim levels to the Pontiac G6. There is a Value trim, the base model, the GT and the GXP. Even in the value trim, you’ll still find excellent features such as air conditioning, CD audio, full power accessories, and a tilt and telescoping steering wheel.
The top of the line GXP features a 3.6 liter V6 engine. This engine gives you 252 horsepower, and is matched up with a six speed automatic transmission. You can upgrade the engine on the convertible model to a 3.9 liter V6 with 222 horsepower, as well.
Get to your Pontiac dealer today and check out the new Pontiac G6. You’ll be glad you did.
Pontiac’s Enduring Dedication to Performance
November 24, 2008 by jcme · Leave a Comment
The 2009 Pontiac G6 will soon be one of the sharpest looking Pontiac cars around Springfield. Pontiac has been known for its stylish and high-performance cars for decades.
In particular, the Pontiac muscle cars of the 1960s and the early 1970s seemed to be something of a golden age of power and performance for Pontiac. Starting with the Pontiac Tempest in 1964, Pontiac’s cars were without a doubt fierce competitors.
The Tempest had Pontiac’s largest V8 engine. It’s suspension was heavy duty, and it had bucket seats. The Tempest was followed in 199 by the GTO. The GTO is probably, of all Pontiacs, the classic muscle car. GTO” stood for “Gran Turismo Omolgato,” a phrase that, loosely translated, suggests that the car is suitable both for racing as well as driving on the street.
After Ford released the Mustang, Pontiac responded with the Pontiac Firebird. The 1969 Firebird Trans Am is an especially rare vehicle, as less than 700 of them ever rolled off the assembly line.
As time went on, unleaded gasoline engines became standard and horsepower dropped. The age of muscle cars went into the history books. Yet, Pontiac charges on, continuing its dedication to style and performance.
The 2009 Pontiac Vibe
September 11, 2008 by jcme · Leave a Comment
The 2009 Pontiac Vibe is, in many ways, the very best compact car that Pontiac has ever made. The Pontiac Vibe features smart packaging, styling that’s clean, an interior with plenty of room, plenty of utility, all at an affordable price. The powertrain is plenty powerful, and the Vibe gets better than average fuel economy.
The 2009 version of the Pontiac Vibe is actually the second generation of the car. It is a twin to the Toyota matrix, and is built in Fremont California at the joint GM-Toyota plant.
The 2009 Pontiac Vibe is available in three trim levels. The base model is front wheel drive, and has a 4 cylinder 1.8 liter engine, capable of 132 horsepower. It also features a torsion-beam rear suspension. The next model is the All Wheel Drive (AWD) model. The AWD has an independent rear suspension, and it has a 2.4 liter four cylinder engine capable of 158 horsepower. Finally, the GT is a front wheel drive sport version that has the 2.4 liter engine and the independent rear suspension.
Two of the Pontiac Vibe models come with a five-speed manual transmission as standard. The AWD model, however, only comes with a four-speed automatic. On the GT, you can get a five-speed automatic is optional on the GT and a four-speed automatic can be added to base model. If you want the 2.4 liter engine on the base model, you can get that, too, along with the five-speed automatic.
The gauges and controls of the Pontiac Vibe are simple and intuitive. The overall quality of the interior is good, and there is more than enough room for passengers to ride along. Antilock disc brakes are standard with the vibe, as is OnStar, airbags, and stability control.
History of The Pontiac Brand
August 12, 2008 by Adam · Leave a Comment
Pontiac is one of the brands in the General Motors Family. Pontiac holds many of GM’s performance vehicles, including SUVs and sporty cars.
The Pontiac brand began in Pontiac, Michigan, in 1907. It started out as the “Oakland Car Company of Pontiac, Michigan.” It was founded by a man named Edward Murphy. In 1909, General Motors acquired Oakland. By 1926, Oakland produced its first Pontiac vehicle. The car was known as the “Chief of the Sixes,” named so for its six cylinder engine, and it debuted at the 1926 auto show. The car was so successful in terms of sales that the “Oakland” was dropped from the name, and from then on it was just Pontiac.
During the 1930s and 40s, you could find a variety of Pontiac cars, from wagons to coupes to sedans, in the low to mid price range. One of the more interesting things about the period was the “Silver Streak.” This was a set of chrome lines that ran from the length of the hood up to the base of the windshield.
In the 1950s, the Pontiac Bonneville appeared. This car was a hit, to be sure. In 1964, however, Pontiac made a huge impact with the release of the GTO option for its “Tempest” line. This included V8 engine, and was truly the first “muscle car.” Also during the 1960s, Pontiac released the Firebird as well as the Trans Am.
In the 1970s, Pontiac began to make smaller cars. Pontiac released the Fiero, a two-seater sports car, as well as the compact Ventura and the Phoenix. In the 1990s, Pontiac released new vehicles like the Montana minivan, as well as the Sunfire.
Pontiac continues this trend in the 21st Century with the introduction of the Pontiac Solstice and the Pontiac G8.
The Pontiac brand fits right in with the Buick brand in the dealership environment. On the one hand, you have Pontiac, which provides a sporty choice. The Buick brand provides the nearly luxury experience, and the two complement one another nicely.
Today, we still have plenty of GMC and Pontiac vehicles, as well as Buicks, right here at your Lankford Media area Pontiac dealer. Why not come on down and see what Pontiac has to offer you today?
Pontiac G5 XFE
July 12, 2008 by Adam · Leave a Comment
In the past, automakers used to assign special designations to their models to indicate special performance features, such as “trail rated” to indicate off road performance. With the ever-increasing cost of gasoline, Pontiac has added a new designation: XFE.
Following European trends, where gas prices have been extremely high for quite some time, fuel efficiency is becoming increasing important to North Americans and is becoming synonymous with social responsibility. Hence the newly designed Pontiac G5 XFE, with greater fuel efficiency and lower environmental impact.
Quickly reacting to this new trend, Pontiac engineers went back to the drawing board to find minor tweaks that could improve fuel efficiency. Among the changes made were a recalibration of the G5’s engine, a change to the drive ratio, and switching over to low rolling-resistance tires. The overall effect was to increase the Pontiac G5 XFE’s fuel efficiency to 25 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. This represents a 9% increase over the non-XFE model.
The tradeoff is that acceleration and handling may not be quite as good as previous models, but Pontiac is certain that their customers will be willing to make that tradeoff. No other automaker other than GM and their Pontiac division have talked about doing this in North America, although it is common practice in Europe. Says Stephanie Brinley, an employee of consultants Auto Pacific: “People were aware of the environment, but they didn’t change their buying behavior until fuel prices went up. Now they can buy a fuel-efficient model and say ‘I’m helping the environment,’ when they’re really motivated by the savings.”
Some observers point out that there may be a short shelf life for sub-brands such as the Pontiac G5 XFE. They claim that as more models are released with higher fuel efficiency numbers these numbers will be taken for granted by consumers. While vehicles with low fuel efficiency may be going the way of the dodo, Pontiac is certainly doing the right thing by drawing attention to their new brand.
To check out the all new Pontiac G5 XFE, stop by your Conshohocken area Pontiac dealer today.
Pontiac G8 Review
June 30, 2008 by Adam · Leave a Comment
Performance from Pontiac is back, with the introduction of the new Pontiac G8. Available in two models, the Pontiac G8 Sedan starting at $27,595 and the Pontiac G8 GT starting at $29,995, Pontiac enthusiasts will find much to love about these action oriented cars.
The Pontiac G8 comes standard with a 3.6 L V6 engine capable of a whopping 256 hp and 248 lb-feet of torque. The new Pontiac G8 is one powerful car.
Drivers can expect to get about 17 mpg in the city, and 25 mpg once out on the highway. The G8 GT comes with an amazing 6.0 L V8 engine that achieves an unbelievable 361 hp and 385 lb-feet of torque. Both models come with traction control and performance suspension, which is a good thing because with this kind of performance drivers are going to want it.
Fuel efficiency for the G8 GT is about 15/24 mpg. The G8 comes with a 5-speed automatic transmission while the G8 GT has a 6-speed automatic transmission. Both come with Driver Shift Control and Sport mode. A dual outlet stainless steel exhaust completes the sport car look, so just in case everyone wasn’t already staring at your new Pontiac car in awe, they’ve got a good reason..
The interior of both models really demonstrates how Pontiac has taken the performance of a sports car and married it to the practicality of a family sedan. The G8 comfortably seats 5, but the driver’s dashboard has sporty looking readouts for fuel, speed, and RPM. The driver’s information center will display trip odometer, oil life, tire pressure, voltmeter, average speed, distance and time to go, average fuel, fuel used and overspeed and underspeed warnings.
The G8 Sedan comes standard with a Blaupunkt 7–speaker sound system with front center speaker and includes a AM/FM radio as well a CD player with a 5” display, an input for Apple iPod or MP3 player, and speed compensated volume. No matter how you like your music, the Pontiac G8 is ready for it all. The G8 GT has a similar audio package but with a 6.5” display and an incredible Blaupunkt 11-speaker sound system. A sunroof, available for both models, will complete the vehicle’s look.
When you’re ready to take the new Pontiac G8 out for a spin, stop by your Pontiac dealer – PA and check out the new inventory and specials or head on over to Lankford Auto’s website.