5 Automotive "Fire Sale" Cars to Avoid

General Motors recently announced that it was cutting prices on leftover Pontiac, Saturn and Saab models by a whopping $7,500. And that's even before you get to the (soon to be desperate) dealership and start haggling. Is this deal just too good to pass up or are similar bargains at troubled auto manufacturers and brands just going to end in your financial misery?

One problem with buying a new car from a manufacturer that is closing its doors is resale value. Do you really think people are going to be lined up around the block 10 years from now to buy your used Pontiac G6 sedan? And besides that, will there be parts readily available? (Note: Most manufacturers guarantee at least 10 years worth of new parts after closing and since Saab, Saturn and Pontiac are GM subsidiaries they can continue to be serviced at any General Motors dealership.)

While some of these "fire sale" new car deals can seem mighty tempting not all cars are created equal when it comes to performance, economy and quality. Just because you can buy a new model for the price of used doesn't mean that you should. Here are five models that are often times severely discounted that you should avoid.

Pontiac Solstice: Intended as a competitor for the Mazda Miata, this ragtop was a design and engineering disaster from day one. The top is difficult to raise and lower, the interior plastics are dire and the power window controls can only be accessed when seated by those who are double jointed. While GM's intentions were pure with the Solstice the execution was truly miserable. This fact is borne out by the Solstice being the only convertible not recommended by Consumer Reports due to reliability issues.

Saab 9-5: While there is nothing inherently wrong with the design of the Saab 9-5, why would you buy a new one when there are used versions (which are exactly the same) dating back over a decade? If you ever wanted a reason as to why Saab failed the 9-5 is a perfect answer. This once loved Swedish automaker was starved for product.

Pontiac G3: Please God, why? Who among GM's brilliant product planners decided that the "Excitement Division" needed its very own version of the Chevy Aveo? At the very least we should be thankful that they didn't adorn it with plastic body cladding a la so many Pontiacs from a decade ago. The Chevy Aveo is probably the worst subcompact you can buy so why saddle it with a Pontiac logo?

Jeep Commander: This seven seat Jeep is poorly built, does badly in crash and reliability tests and is a general nightmare when it comes to being an ownership proposition. Buy a Honda Pilot, buy a Toyota Highlander, buy anything else if you need seven seats. Buy a minivan even!

Saturn Vue: Why would you when there are so many superior compact SUV options on the market like the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Santa Fe, Nissan Rogue and VW Tiguan? Based on an Opel SUV, the Vue has crude interior plastics and is poorly packaged space wise so cargo and passenger space is tight. Plus, it's really expensive compared to the competition with prices often times heading north of $30,000 for V6 models.