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Sedans Pontiac G8 2008 Pontiac G8
1265 messages, Last post on Jul 21, 2009 at 10:14 AM
You are in the Pontiac G8 Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Executive summary: I liked it. I found no flaws or shortcomings in design or execution that I’d label ‘significant’. Brief background: I currently drive a C6 ( current generation, introduced in 2005 ) Corvette coupe. Automatic trans. with the same designation as the G8 GT – 6L80. It is stock, except for the exhaust. It is a rather more ‘intense’ driving experience, in most every way I can think of, than all but a very few sedans. The car I drove: G8 GT w/Premium & Sport. The drive: Down a 4 lane, divided industrial parkway – for a mile +, stopping at a couple of traffic lights, at 0 to roughly 45\50 - then through a residential area, at 15 to 35 or so. And back to the dealer’s lot. The initial accelerator response ( drive-by-wire mapping ) was much more aggressive than I am used to, in my Corvette. I startled myself & the sales guy ( ballast ) in the right seat quite unintentionally as I turned right to merge into a gap in traffic. Transmission was in Sport, Manual \ DSC & in first gear. Hmmm. Responsive. And I expect that I could adapt. But surprising. The acceleration was very smooth – and I expect that it would be ‘sufficient’. Saying quite a lot, coming from a ‘Vette, I think. I was fairly gentle with the throttle ( except for that first time ) given less than 25 miles on the car and the fact that I knew I would not buy this particular example – but I found a satisfying level of quickness. The ‘rev match on downshift’ worked very well on a couple of 4 – 3 shifts. The one 3 – 2 I tried took noticeably longer – to decide what RPM to order up? Other than that one anomaly (?), the trans. behaved much as I had expected. Since in my last 4 or 5 cars, I almost never drive in anything but ‘manual’ mode, that’s all I tried. The one other related oddity that I noticed is that in Manual Mode ( Driver Shift Control ), the DIC displayed the gear selected in large numbers, in the center of the display ( after I had selected it via the shift lever ) but then quickly reverted to showing the ‘current’ gear selected in small characters, along the very bottom of the display. I would much prefer to keep that large, central display at all times, at least while in DSC \ manual mode. Oh, well. Or a HUD, like in my Corvette & my last Grand Prix. ( I know, I know . . . ) I ran the whole test drive route ( probably 2.5 or 3 miles, at most ) with the left front ( driver’s ) window down a half inch or so, the right rear window down an inch, and the sound system off. Climate control system also turned off. The car was very quite. It seemed solid & well bolted \ screwed \ glued together. No rattles, squeaks, moans or groans – even over a few stretches of deteriorated, patched & uneven pavement. I did detect just a hint of a lovely, V8 exhaust note – comprehensively stomped upon by the stock muffler system. I doubt I could make it 1,000 miles before doing SOMETHING to let a bit more of that tone out . . . I did not stress the handling, at all. I believe the various publications regarding absolute cornering power numbers, etc. I was much more interested in the steering response and feel. It seemed quite acceptable. Though I will require at least a short stint at highway speeds. Before the final ‘buy’ decision. I found the ride very comfortable & well damped at all times. After the drive I opened the rear door & sat in the left rear, behind the driver’s seat adjusted to my liking. Excellent room & very good comfort. I also opened & shut the doors a few times. Seemed solid. Notes: 1 - The tire pressures ( checked after the drive, but likely not much higher than when cold – given low speeds & short distance traveled ) were 36\7 front and 41\2 rear. 2 - I took the ‘Vette over most of the same test drive route, immediately after I gave back the keys. This confirmed & re-emphasized that the G8’s ride is really quite impressive. Particularly with the 19” wheels & tires. 3 - I expect that a significant part of the ride difference between my car and the G8 is the ‘Vette has run-flats. With rather stiff sidewalls than the ‘Stones on the G8 GT Sport. Conclusion: I will ( as stated ) require a bit more seat time – at somewhat higher speeds, to make a final determination. But, based on all the impressions posted by the kind folks on this & other forums, I expect that a G8 GT will be my next Sport Sedan. Probably a 2009. In 3 to 6 months. For me, the G8 GT w/Premium, Sport & a Sunroof looks like the right combination of sport & utility & price. I see this as a very impressive effort by Pontiac \ Holden. And a Bargain, with a capital ‘B’ – even at full list price. Though if anyone tells a Dealer sales person I said that – I will deny it. Seriously, I was quite pleased. - Ray Impressed. |
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Replying to: rayainsw (Mar 27, 2008 9:04 am) I will be eager to read your further review after your highway test. It's good to see a winning combination at Pontiac again. Regards, OW
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Replying to: circlew (Mar 28, 2008 10:54 am) Do you mean a ( new ) 335xi? I did not think BMW made a 330xi...? My 3 drives in 335s have impressed me... - Ray Unbiased?
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Replying to: rayainsw (Mar 28, 2008 5:24 pm) I compared the sport seats in the 335i and the new 135i with regards to seating position, room, space, etc, The G8 had the most space but the sport seats in the BMW feel like they are molded just for you. My fist visual impressions are I could definately live with this car. The solid feel all around sways to the BMW but the G8 was surprisingly a good feel to me. It felt like a quality and good value build just sitting there...not top of the line but real good. The room in the 135i was tight for me...livable but would need a lot of getting used to. The 335i felt like a large car in comparison and is just right for me. I plan to drive all of these cars to determine which one fits me closest. The G8 seats are a good balance an far better than my '97 GTP and the leather was 2 notches up from the GP leather of that vintage. The sticker was ~$32,500 so I need to drive it to see the difference in my car. I already see the +$10K difference so I can see the proposition that the G8 offers in a drive. The weight factor is a concern as you already felt vs. your C6. I also test drove the 335i for about 60 miles one day on a loaner situation. That drive was a no brainier for a repeat for me but the value proposition with the G8 must be explored in my mind. Regards, OW (Still pursuing the Z06!) |
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Replying to: rayainsw (Mar 27, 2008 9:04 am) I also test drove a G8 GT (this morning, while waiting for an oil change on my Buick). My responses (to yours) are as follows: [yours] The drive: Down a 4 lane, divided industrial parkway – for a mile +, stopping at a couple of traffic lights, at 0 to roughly 45\50 - then through a residential area, at 15 to 35 or so. And back to the dealer’s lot. [mine] I test drove it from dealer's lot and back (about 10 miles R/T). I started out East on main road (1 mile) to a frontage road (  35mph), turned South (2 miles) on the frontage road to a traffic light (55mph), then went West using a freeway (2 miles) to an exit for a residential street (60mph) -- then North (2 miles) though a residential area (35mph), and then East (3 miles) back to dealer's lot (35mph). [yours] The initial accelerator response ( drive-by-wire mapping ) was much more aggressive than I am used to, in my Corvette. I startled myself & the sales guy ( ballast ) in the right seat quite unintentionally as I turned right to merge into a gap in traffic. Transmission was in Sport, Manual \ DSC & in first gear. Hmmm. Responsive. And I expect that I could adapt. But surprising. [mine] Basically, the same as yours. I would say the SOTP response of the G8 was much greater than my Super, but not as much as my brother-in-law's '68 Olds 442. As I previously said, I took two sharp turns on the frontage road at 60mph, and felt better lateral support (good seat bolstering in G8) than I would've in my Buick. [yours] The acceleration was very smooth – and I expect that it would be ‘sufficient’. Saying quite a lot, coming from a ‘Vette, I think. I was fairly gentle with the throttle ( except for that first time ) given less than 25 miles on the car and the fact that I knew I would not buy this particular example – but I found a satisfying level of quickness. [mine] Basically the same as yours. There's apparently plenty of low-end torque at the driver's disposal throughout the entire power band. I didn't launch at full throttle (promised the salesman I wouldn't), but there seems to be lots of V-8 ponies available. [yours] The ‘rev match on downshift’ worked very well on a couple of 4 – 3 shifts. The one 3 – 2 I tried took noticeably longer – to decide what RPM to order up? Other than that one anomaly (?), the trans. behaved much as I had expected. Since in my last 4 or 5 cars, I almost never drive in anything but ‘manual’ mode, that’s all I tried. [mine] I left it in drive, so I really can't comment on the auto tranny's performance. [yours] The one other related oddity that I noticed is that in Manual Mode ( Driver Shift Control ), the DIC displayed the gear selected in large numbers, in the center of the display ( after I had selected it via the shift lever ) but then quickly reverted to showing the ‘current’ gear selected in small characters, along the very bottom of the display. I would much prefer to keep that large, central display at all times, at least while in DSC \ manual mode. Oh, well. Or a HUD, like in my Corvette & my last Grand Prix. ( I know, I know . . . ) [mine] The same comment as above. [yours] I ran the whole test drive route ( probably 2.5 or 3 miles, at most ) with the left front ( driver’s ) window down a half inch or so, the right rear window down an inch, and the sound system off. Climate control system also turned off. The car was very quite. It seemed solid & well bolted \ screwed \ glued together. No rattles, squeaks, moans or groans – even over a few stretches of deteriorated, patched & uneven pavement. [mine] Basically the same as yours. NIce relatively quiet and comfortable ride at cruising speeds. Build quality appears to be very good. Only time will tell if it lasts. [yours] I did detect just a hint of a lovely, V8 exhaust note – comprehensively stomped upon by the stock muffler system. I doubt I could make it 1,000 miles before doing SOMETHING to let a bit more of that tone out . . . [mine] Basically the same impressions as yours. I have to admit my Super's exhaust note has a little more of a rumble than the G8's, but it's still quiet. Both car's exhausts have been obviously toned down by more restrictive mufflers.The Super has a huge resonator to make it what their engineers call "Buick quiet". I'm planning on replacing my stocks with Flowmaster 40s sometime in the future. [yours] I did not stress the handling, at all. I believe the various publications regarding absolute cornering power numbers, etc. I was much more interested in the steering response and feel. It seemed quite acceptable. Though I will require at least a short stint at highway speeds. Before the final ‘buy’ decision. [mine] As I previously said, the G8 took a couple of sharp corners very well at 60mph, with no tire screaching or noticeable rear-end slipping. The car also had very good steering response. [yours] I found the ride very comfortable & well damped at all times. [mine] Ditto. [yours] After the drive I opened the rear door & sat in the left rear, behind the driver’s seat adjusted to my liking. Excellent room & very good comfort. [mine] I also sat behind the G8's driver's seat (after adjusting it to my liking) and found it very comfortable with plenty of leg and head room. Nice feel to the leather. [yours] I also opened & shut the doors a few times. Seemed solid. [mine] Ditto. Notes: 1 - The tire pressures ( checked after the drive, but likely not much higher than when cold – given low speeds & short distance traveled ) were 36\7 front and 41\2 rear. 2 - I took the ‘Vette over most of the same test drive route, immediately after I gave back the keys. This confirmed & re-emphasized that the G8’s ride is really quite impressive. Particularly with the 19” wheels & tires. 3 - I expect that a significant part of the ride difference between my car and the G8 is the ‘Vette has run-flats. With rather stiff sidewalls than the ‘Stones on the G8 GT Sport. |
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High on my own list of priorities, for a car I seriously consider purchasing, are the dynamics – see list above. And Holden \ GM appears to have developed a platform here with rather competent dynamics. Of course, I also care about front seat comfort & support, control feel, clear & straightforward instruments & displays, etc. But. If I can buy a car with something very close to a BMW 550i’s performance envelope, for $10s of thousands less, I am willing to ‘sacrifice’ a few gizmos ( take my iDrive, please ) and some level of material quality to do so. I believe, right now that: 1 – The G8 GT is a remarkable bargain – even at full list price. [[ Shhh - Don’t tell anybody !! ]] ** IF ** your priorities are roughly in line with those of the designers & product planners of this car. 2 – Although the acceleration times for the G8 GT reported in the Automobile Magazine comparison test between the G8 & the BMW 550i are rather slow ( less quick ) than those reported elsewhere, whatever was in play appears to have ‘handicapped’ the BMW about as much as the G8. Their time for the 550i is 3 or 4 tenths off what I have seen in published tests. And – the real important point here is: The [ $30K base ] G8 GT more than holds its own in several critical areas – against a 550i, with a base price near $60K. Wow. I do find that ** VERY ** impressive indeed!!! Those here who seem to want to believe that GM \ Holden has discovered some magic process whereby they can start producing a car with EVERYTHING equivalent to a $60K car - for $30K – well, I consider them to be unrealistic in their expectations. To expect that the G8 GT’s acceleration will be roughly equal to a $60K sedan, AND to expect that the cornering power & steering feel will also be equal, AND to expect that the ride & handling feel will be equal to what long has been considered a benchmark Sport Sedan ( at least, dynamically ) AND to expect that the interior materials, fit & finish will also be equal, AND to expect that every aspect of quality would also be equal . . . Well, I just think if it really was that easy, everyone would be building $30K sedans that are the equal of $60K BMWs. And no one else seems able. In fact, if it was ‘that easy’, I’d expect BMW to be building & selling 550i-s for more like $35 to $40K. Although I expect that they’d love to have the increased sales volume that would imply, BMW are currently not selling new V8 5s that cheap. I spent some time ‘studying’ the G8’s interior. In some aspects, it is not quite up to BMW 5 or Audi standards - in some respects. Yet I think it is only prudent to keep in mind that to find an Audi interior in a sedan of roughly comparable size, with a V8 engine, you’d be talking about the A8. The Audi interior is often considered an excellent blend of style & quality. Some are comparing the G8 to Audi interiors, and finding that the G8 is not as good. But. That Audi A8 currently has a base MSRP of $70K. You would have a fine interior. And AWD. And a much lighter wallet. Your money, your choice. ( Living near Atlanta, I’d actually much prefer RWD and a true LSD, like the G8 GT, to AWD – or to the BMW 5 & 3’s RWD & lack of a LSD. ) And although the 4.2L V8 in that Audi is a terrific motor in many ways, the A8 would not be nearly as quick as the G8 GT. And even an A6 ( smaller Audi sedan ) with this same V8 motor starts at $56K. If fact, an Audi A4 ( smaller still, & not available with the V8 ) with a 3.1L V6 and FWD ( no AWD ) starts at over $36K. [[ Edit: The Audi S4 has the V8 – for an MSRP starting at close to $50K ]] I find these to be enormously significant differences in price. If the quality of an interior is the overriding concern \ priority, then a visit to the Audi store may be in order. I personally find the BMW 5 series interior ( I sat in one at my closest dealer for 10 minutes or so, a while back, while waiting for the attention of the CA I’d exchanged emails with ) materials, fit & finish to be well done - very good indeed. The interior styling, I find ( um ) un-pleasing. And items like the automatic trans. shifter in the newest 5, I find ( well ) just bizarre . . . And I believe that I would find it annoying, in the longer term. But these are purely personal preferences. But I digress. [ no surprise to many, I’m sure ] Let me reiterate point #1: I find the G8 GT to be a remarkable bargain. - Ray Just my opinion – subject to change without notice . . . Audi A6 V8 test Edmunds: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Followup/articleId=116521
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Replying to: rayainsw (Apr 02, 2008 9:16 am) I forgot to tell you that as I was leaving the service department to get my car, I ran into an old mechanic friend. I told him about the G8 test drive and he said he drove the same car last week and liked it. He said he's going to wait until the G8 GXP arrives sometime this fall. He said that car will blow the doors off the GT, and for what he read will be only $3,000 more. $35,000 for a 405 HP beast isn't too bad! |
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"..only $3,000 more. $35,000 for a 405 HP beast isn't too bad! " Rumors abound regarding GXP price. GM has made no official, public announcement. We shall see... |
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Replying to: rayainsw (Apr 03, 2008 6:54 am) Regards, Ow |
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Replying to: circlew (Apr 03, 2008 2:57 pm) |
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