OK, we all know how some manufacturers use another manufacturer's car, put their badges on it and call it something different. WRX=Saab 9-2, Suzuki Sidekick=Chevy/Geo Tracker, Ford Escort=Mazda Protege', etc. One that has caught my eye recently is an ad for the Pontiac Vibe, which is the same as a Toyota Matrix. In the ad, Pontiac slams the Matrix, saying it has a lower price or something along those lines. Do you think it is wise for Pontiac to say it's car is better than the car it is buying to make their own car? I see a butt-loadof Vibes out there, so it is a good seller for Pontiac. What would they do if Toyota said "screw you" and stopped selling the Marix to them? And I wonder how many people buy the Vibe not knowing it is a Japanese car? Just the random thoughts of someone with too much time on his hands.

 

Ummm... they might LOOK an awful lot alike, but they're two totally different cars. Generous Motors (GM) and Pontiac had that monstrosity (only slightly better looking than the Aztek, IMHO) on tehdrawing bnoardLONG before teh Matrix, I believe. But, being a luumbering behemouth, GM needs, like, YEARS more time to bring a product to market (which is why, within teh next two years, they WILL lose their world #1 ranking to Toyoda).

Oh, and, yes, you're right, Pontiac SHOULDN'T go around bragging about how teh Vibe spanks ANYthing, ANYwhere.