Readers of the Sunday newspaper classifieds know how it works. There are those ads from local car dealers, more than you ever imagined existed in your entire state let alone your town, and they’re advertising unbelievable deals on all types of cars. The idea is to get you in the door, though the salespeople will invariably tell you that while the particular model in the ad has been sold, a similar deal can be brokered on countless other models. You’ve been baited – now it’s just a matter of hooking you by switching you to a more expensive model.

Often, a young first-time buyer’s relationship with a brand starts out with just such a price leader, a bare-bones base model with none of the extra trimmings, the kind of car advertised in the paper for a low price – this weekend only!. But if things work out the way the auto manufacturer plans, that buyer will be back time and time again as she ages and requires a bigger family car or a more expensive premium model that corresponds with her new Vice President title.

These are the reasons that Pontiac is debuting the new G5 coupe this fall, a slightly reworked and rebadged version of the Chevrolet Cobalt that’s sold as the Pursuit in Canada. This is not a new method of reaching downmarket – remember the Sunfire, essentially a fancier Cavalier? With a base price of $14,995, the 2007 G5 will be the least expensive Pontiac sold in the U.S., putting it almost $2,000 below a stripped G6 sedan or a base Vibe wagon. A G5 GT, offering more power and standard content, will start at $17,795. With its coupe styling and price tag well below $20,000, hopes are that this sort-of-new ride will put Pontiac on entry-level shoppers’ lists.