Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Sedans Pontiac G8 Article Comments - 2008 Pontiac G8 GT First Look and Full Test
99 messages, Last post on Apr 26, 2009 at 2:16 PM
You are in the Pontiac G8 Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
First Look: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT - There wouldn't be much to talk about if the G8 was just another V6-powered family sedan, so Pontiac did itself a favor and made sure that a V8 is on the options list. If you order the big engine, it's called the G8 GT. (more)
Full Test: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT - Bottom Line: This is the Pontiac we've all been waiting for. (more)
|
Replying to: crfr (Feb 23, 2008 4:48 am) I have an 05 GTO as my daily driver and love it. I am considering keeping it for weekends and buying an automatic G8 to make the daily drive in heavy traffic a bit easier but still enjoy v8 power and good quality at a competitive price. I could also use the extra seat for the kids. |
|
|
I was a the NY Auto Show yesterday, and had the opportunity to play around in the Pontiac G8. The exterior styling is fantastic. Really sharp looking, and seems well put together. The interior was very lacking. Buttons had a cheap feel to them, and lots of cheap plastics used. Interior room is great. I am 6'3", and had plenty of room in all seating positions. The G8 Sport Truck is just ugly. I really don't see how that was a good idea by GM. |
|
| Leave the cheap-o Blaupunkt stereo system in Australia - that is a real POS system. Pontiac really needs to get it right this time, or they will have another GTO flop. Put in the 6 speed manual, AWD, and a decent sound system and they might have a winner. I drove the Commodore in Sydney, and the absolute worst part about the car was the stereo. | |
|
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.
|
|
|
Replying to: rayainsw (Mar 27, 2008 9:04 am) Cadillac XLR crowd? A Corvette, a Miata, etc should not have an automatic transmission, unless it be a hydraulic clutch or dual clutch job like the BMW SMG, Audi DSG or Porsche Tiptronic. Period. Altho it is a sedan, I doubt that the G8 should have been introduced sporting only an automatic. After all, it is GM's answer to BMW sports sedans, and we saw that even mighty Toyo had to add a manual gearbox to it's IS line... later, -bob
|
|
|
Replying to: bolosmith (Apr 02, 2008 9:18 am) Cadillac XLR crowd? A Corvette, a Miata, etc should not have an automatic transmission, unless it be a hydraulic clutch or dual clutch job like the BMW SMG, Audi DSG or Porsche Tiptronic. Period.” Although you may consider me geriatric, the most current sales ratio of Corvettes is: Automatic: Coupe = 14093 & 65.6% Convertible = 8329 & 76.3% Bursitis means I could not now drive any car with a clutch. Though I drove many, for many years. . . - Ray Expecting that the G8 GXP ( at least ) will be available with a 6 speed manual and clutch . . .
|
|
|
Replying to: bolosmith (Apr 02, 2008 9:18 am) or dual clutch job like the BMW SMG, Audi DSG or Porsche Tiptronic. Period." BTW: Porsche's Tip is a torque converter automatic - much like the G8s 6L80... |
|
|
Replying to: rayainsw (Apr 02, 2008 9:32 am) But, the XLR crowd is geriatric by my observation... 66% automatic Corvettes is a depressing statistic about the state of sporting cars and those who drive them. The same can be said for BMW sports sedans, but obviously those with physical impairments requiring automatic trannies need to be considered. It would seem that manual gearboxes would be an obvious focus for such sports cars. If 50+% of the buyers demand automatics, then it's obvious where GM, BMW, Jag, etc. spend their development dollars. Modern sports cars have good hydraulic clutches. Except of course, my MazdaSpeed6 which had a click-on, click-off clutch from hell that tortured my wife... And now, it's replaced with a G35Sport with automatic transmission and paddle shifters... My, how the mighty like me have fallen...  Still I was astounded the first time I saw an automatic Miata... And I stand corrected on Porche Tiptronic transmissions... -bob
|
|
|
Replying to: bolosmith (Apr 03, 2008 6:49 am) cars and those who drive them.” Another way to look at this statistic is: If not for those tens of thousands of sales of new Corvettes with the automatic trans., I’d bet either the ‘Vette would cost thousands more ( due to development & other fixed costs being spread over a lot fewer units ) or it would not exist at all any longer . . . In a sense, I think one could argue that the automatic trans. buyers subsidize the availability of the manual trans. version – for those who want one. Just one point of view. - Ray Agreeing that an automatic in a car like the Miata, with such a small displacement engine, and no vast reserves of torque, makes a lot less sense . . .
|
|
|
even on miata's or mini coopers... the percentage of manuals sold in the US is something like 7%. makes sense for continued improvement of automatics. i still prefer manuals because i like to control what gear i am in, but an automatic makes my life easier. i too have physical ailments. modern automatics shift quickly and give you more control than not. i have an old automatic from 1990, so it leaves much to be desired... i only wish i had a modern automatic. its just that modern cars leave much to be desired. The modern cars I really like are just out of my price range. C63 AMG for example. i like the G8, but it is lacking a few amenities that I would expect in a modern car. Lack of options would be a dealbreaker for many would be BMW converts. Also, BMW SMG is a "single clutch job", DSG is VW speak, S-Tronic is Audi speak, R-Tronic is another "single clutch job" found in the R8. BMW has their 7 speed "dual clutch job" debuting on the M3. Porsche is slow with integrating new technologies, but PDK is what their "dual clutch job" is supposed to be. Mercedes Benz has introduced their own "dual clutch job" on the SL63 AMG. Given time, everyone will likely go to a "dual clutch job". Even GM is rumored to do the same. Soon, us "geriatrics" will get to have fun again and our "dual clutch jobs" will make us faster than you "little punks". |
|
You are here:
Forums
Sedans Pontiac G8 Article Comments - 2008 Pontiac G8 GT First Look and Full Test
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2009 Pontiac G8
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
