Comments: 1-15, 16-23
Nothing has gone wrong as of this posting.
I could not give a number value for the reliabilty and running cost field, due to the age and mileage on the car.
First off, I am not the owner of the Pontiac. It is my girlfriend’s car and I do drive it often. I have had a lot of experience driving many different cars, and feel that it is a good idea to post my comments about this car on this great website to inform other potential buyers and owners.
My girlfriend had been looking for a replacement for her aging 1996 Cavalier, and was considering a new Chevy Cobalt or Pontiac G6. We went car shopping and she fell in love with a black G6.
Model:
Her G6 is a “Value Leader” which is also known as “basic”, “el cheapo”, and “ Hey! Where are my floor mats?”. All dealerships have the cheap one without options to say that they have a model that is cheap, but it is hard to get the cheap one without hearing why you should spend an extra $4,000.00 and get options like cruise and nice wheels. With the base model you get no cruise, no floor mats, no keyless entry, no A.B.S., and a 2.4 liter four cylinder engine. Her old car had no cruise control and she never knew the benefits of having it. (Driving late at night, driving through a small town at 25 mph, driving while being able to move your right leg, speeding up and slowing down using your finger, and more – well worth the extra money.) I use cruise all the time. If you haven’t had a car with cruise you don’t know what you are missing. If you drive a car without it and you are used to it, you know my pain. The floor mats were not a problem. GM was nice enough to include anchors for their mats; however, the aftermarket mats she placed in the car don’t use the anchor. Pointless.
2.4 liter Four Cylinder:
It is a nice engine - very powerful. That’s a lot of fun when the car is brand new and you can hear the thing grunt out the ponies, but then you realize that the poor thing is working – all the time. The 2.4 is an older motor, but an average consumer wouldn’t notice. GM tweaked the motor so it is EPA adequate and powerful. There is a nice plastic cover on top and a place to put in fluids. The refinement isn’t there. It likes to thrash while getting to highway speeds. Use it with the A/C on and it is a bit slower. The tried and true Buick 3800 motor would be just at home in this car supplying plenty of power with only a bit of MPG suppression. Check the Buick LaCrosse. It is the Buick version of the G6.
Automatic Transmission:
She wanted an automatic so she got an automatic. I wanted to see a standard transmission model, but there isn’t one. Usually base means standard transmission, but the only standard is on the GTP coupe. I’m not sure of the series number on the transmission, but it is a four speed automatic and just like every other automatic on the planet built after 1981 it is shift happy. Since it is an automatic, I wish they would have ditched the tachometer and put in an oil pressure gauge. I’m a standard guy. Give me my five speeds and I’ll use them at my discretion.
Keyless entry:
Well as I stated above, the car has no keyless entry. I’m used to it. The first time I drove the car I walked to the passenger door to open it and let my girlfriend in. NO KEYHOLE! I walk to the driver’s door and insert the key. I turn it to the left and pause, then to the right and pause. It doesn’t even unlock all of the doors with the key. It was like my Oldsmobile 98. I unlocked the door then hit the lock/unlock button. I guess this is a way for GM to save a few bucks, but c’mon. Put a lock on the passenger door. I’m sure I’m not the last guy in the world who opens the door for his girlfriend or wife.
Safety:
People are afraid to drive a car that isn’t safe. That’s obvious. I have two cars that were produced without airbags. The 1986 Chevy Astro and the 1993 Eagle Talon I drive were built to the best safety standards of their time. The G6 has all of the latest safety devices for 2006. All G6 trim levels offer side airbags for an extra fee. She opted not to purchase the extra airbags.
Interior:
I’m not going to kid around. GM has lost its touch with making an interior. BLACK, BLACK, BLACK, and a splash of chrome. I know that the G6 is the price leader when compared to the same car with different brandings. I.E. LaCrosse and Impala. All GM products have the same grainy dashboard material. It screams “cheap”.
The gauges are placed a bit haphazard and then given a shiny chrome bezel. I guess it is used to mimic the Vibe/Matrix…or not. I really like the electronics. It is 20 years of GM doo-dads melted down into a base package. The information center on the clock display, the automatic light delay (twilight sentinel), English / Metric display, and multiple power outlets (dare I say “lighters”) were all included on my old car, a 1990 Oldsmobile 98.
I’m not too sure about the stereo. I suppose all manufacturers are straying from making it easy to replace a factory stereo with an aftermarket job. The stereo integrates all of the information and trip odometers. Beneath the new stereo lurk a few nice speakers that will fail with age. When the CD player stops working – and it will well after the warranty is up - a replacement will cost more than it is worth.
I like the set up for the fold-down rear seats too. Instead of placing buttons on the rear seat, GM placed levers in the trunk to release them. The trunk is quite large and since this car doesn’t have keyless trunk release, it would have been nice to have more paint protection around the keyhole: i.e. plastic or rubber trim.
Driver / Passenger comfort:
GM did a great job improving seats. Over the years a major complaint from many car magazines was directed to the flat unsupportive seats that GM use. I think the seats in the Pontiac are a bit overdone with a lot of support and a bit too high in the thigh region.
The steering wheel tilts and telescopes which is great for accommodating drivers of all sizes. My girlfriend and I are tall and the seating position along with legroom is excellent.
Wind noise is not a problem yet, however, as stated before the four-cylinder engine is a bit noisy at times.
As for visibility, the G6 has a high beltline with squatting side windows and a huge windshield to accommodate for the rake of the roofline. There is a lot of windshield, a tall rear window, and all window posts are thick. Blind spots? Yes!
My major gripe about comfort in the car is the door locks. I’m not the only guy who likes to drive with my left arm hanging out of the window or holding onto the roof. The door locks stick up out of the door and into my arm. Again, this is just a gripe, but GM has been making cars for a long time, and having the door lock placed where it is in this car isn’t new, but it could have been placed in the door next to the handle.
Fuel consumption:
As of this week, gas costs between $2.83 and $2.69 per gallon depending on what part of Pennsylvania you are traveling. On average it costs $33 to fill the tank and the range is about 280 – 330 miles. It is handy to have a fuel gauge and a fuel range indicator to judge fuel mileage. The EPA rating of 34 mpg is a bit of stretch. Without cruise and the added heft of an automatic transmission the rating suffers a bit.
My girlfriend also has a lead foot and like to race out of intersections. I tend to be a bit gentler on the gas. My previous car, a 1990 Oldsmobile 98, was a full size GM product with a 3800 V6 engine, yet it would achieve about 38-40 mpg on the highway and usually had a range of 450 miles per tank. The tank was about the same size of the G6 tank. Find a picture of a 1986-1990 Oldsmobile 98. It is a box weighed down with countless electronic bits, plush power assisted interior, and lots of insignias (in chrome and embedded on the stitching of the seats) reminding you of what you are driving. Yes. It baffles me too.
Exterior:
Black with some chrome. I like the design of the rear bumper. If it gets hit in a fender-bender the sheet metal won’t get wrecked, just the bumper.
It has wheels and tires bigger than on my Chevy Astro van. When it is time to buy tires, I’m sure that will be an expensive day.
I like the clean design and yes; I did check the quality of panel fit and paint quality. It’s great quality for GM, but mediocre by Japanese carmakers. The salesman that we talked to and purchased the car from boast that he has been selling GM cars for many years. “Well at least the paint hasn’t changed at all!”, I exclaimed. It is orange peel black. For those of you not familiar with “orange peel” it is the texture of the paint. It is not a good quality. He laughed and agreed with me. My 1993 Talon has much better panel fit and paint quality.
I like the headlights, however they look really expensive to replace and have a lot of surface area, hungry for a rock chip. I’m not sure about the long term for the quality of the lens, but I can vision them turning a dull crusty yellow in a few years.
Final Thoughts:
My girlfriend loves the car. I’m happy she loves it. However, I have mixed feelings about it. I can’t love a four door Pontiac. The “excitement division” of GM isn’t that exciting. I’d like some more paint, emblems, branding, SOMETHING! The car isn’t all that exciting, especially after seeing them all over with rental car stickers on them. The G6 is yet another GM mule. She paid a lot for it and will be paying for it long after the warranty is expired.
If I were spending a dime on the entire purchase, I would have opted for an Accord, Camry, or Avalon. Even though the other cars would not be brand new, the overall quality of a better automobile surpasses the feel of having a new car.
Before she purchased this car, I went car shopping with our friend who ended up buying a 2006 Toyota Corolla, which she loves. I really didn’t like the whole car buying experience, and I was unimpressed with all cars that we looked at during both shopping experiences. I have a 1993 Eagle Talon (read my review “Thumbs Up DSM”) with 192,000 miles on it. It is still sharp and continues to run like new. It is old, but well cared for and after looking at what the world has to offer me I’m holding on to it!
All in all, the G6 seems like a 100% improvement versus the Grand-Am that it replaced. It all comes down to personal tastes in automobiles as well as brand loyalty and bang for the buck. Do your research and keep in mind that your purchase is expected to serve you well until the last day of the warranty. Make sure you change the oil and take care of your car.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment on my review.
"Value Leader"? Funny, here in Australia all the base model cars have a badge saying "Executive" on them. I've seen it on at least 3 different manufacturers. I've often thought it was for the benefit of the poor sap driving it, wanting everyone to know he was driving the "Executive" model when in fact it was the el-cheapo version. All I know of the Pontiac G6 here in the old Southern Hemisphere is that Oprah once gave her entire studio audience one each a while back, but thanks for the well written and thought-out review even though I'll probably never see one here (although you guys did end up with our Holden Monaro aka Pontiac GTO).
How nice of you to open the passenger's door for your girlfriend on HER BRAND NEW CAR. Why don't you LET HER DRIVE???
Hello all.
I am the writer of the review. Thanks for the input. I look forward to more comments and questions. To answer the question about letting her drive; I can only say that she likes to ride in the car as well as drive it. When I drive my car I still open the door for her. The Talon has a keyhole on the passenger door and no power locks, so she reaches over and unlocks the door for me! What a gal!
Hello.
I just thought that I should make mention that the G6 is the Pontiac version of the Chevy Malibu (new body style), Saab 9-3 and the upcoming Saturn Aura. They are all Epsilon platform vehicles.
The Buick LaCrosse on the other hand is a variant of the GM "W" body: Pontiac Grand Prix, Chevy Impala, and (R.I.P.) Oldsmobile Intrigue. Thank you. G.
Great review otherwise!
Well said on the previous comment.
Also--the 2.4 engine in the G6 is not an old design. It's based on the 2.2 ecotec which debuted on the 2000 Saturn LS and eventually found its way into many small GM cars, including the Chevrolet HHR.
"The stereo integrates all of the information and trip odometers. Beneath the new stereo lurk a few nice speakers that will fail with age. When the CD player stops working – and it will well after the warranty is up - a replacement will cost more than it is worth."
You should not anticipate what will go wrong with a car much later when you are writing a review. Who is to say what will happen.
My friend has a 1992 Saturn SL with 400,000 miles on it. Same engine, same stereo and speakers.
Do not underestimate GMs ability on stereos, they are the best in the market, always have been, always will be. There is a factory installed AMP in my Grand Prix GXP. That tells you something right there.
Great review otherwise.
As the very pleased owner of 2 GM cars (Pontiac Grand Am and GMC Envoy) and 1 Ford (Ranger truck), my wife and I are very impressed with the quality of both manufacturers. None of our Fords or GM's have ever given us a bit of trouble.
Recently my wife said she'd like to look at the new 2006 Mustangs. I wanted to look at the G-6's. Well, what blew us away was the OUTRAGEOUS prices of the G-6!! A G-6 equipped the same as the Mustang was $4,000 MORE!! On top of that, the Mustang had leather interior, whereas the G-6 was fabric. VALUE LEADER?? I think NOT!! We'll go with the Mustang and pocket the extra 4 grand.
Hello all!
I appreciate all of the comments and information that has been posted on this car. I was called out on the similarities of the G6 and the Buick LaCrosse – My apologies!
The 2.4L engine was available way back in 1995. It was a variant of the 2.2L engine (ecotec), which replaced the “Iron Duke” 2.5. The 2.2 liter engine was used in small trucks almost all divisions, sans Cadillac, in almost every four cylinder car. Century, Ciera, Grand Am, Sonoma, Skylark, just to name a few. The 2.4 was found in the Cavalier LS, some Pontiac Sunfire models, and other “sportier” models, but don’t get it confused with the DOHC Quad Four!
Somebody was a bit hurt when I complained about the stereo. I will still complain about it! It is a nice system, but it is designed to incorporate many automobile functions along with trip odometers. I think the person that left the comment has a Monsoon or Bose factory stereo installed on his/her GXP. The stereo is much more expensive in a top model car. I agree, GM can make a good stereo – my 1980 Cutlass still has an AM-FM radio that works, however, the Astro had a factory AM-FM with tape that broke about five times before I tossed a Pioneer CD player in. My 98 Regency had a factory Bose system with a tape player that I took out in favor of a CD player, but reinstalled when I traded it in. The radios where just that- radios. However when you combine the radio with automobile functions and valuable information you have created a problem. It is just natural that a CD player will not stay brand new forever. Eventually the laser will need to be realigned, or the load mechanism will get worn out. The simple fix is to head to a store that sells CD players and buy a new one for $70 and install it. Now the G6, and I’m sure more and more new cars, when the CD player or stereo quits you will be left with a big blank spot on your dashboard or a new stereo that will cost a lot more than $70!
I enjoyed the last comment about purchasing a Mustang over the G6. Every time we see a Mustang I usually make the comment about her buying one of those over the G6! I agree totally. Did your Mustang come with cruise control? I think if this “Value Leader” was a value, GM would could have skipped the fancy electronics, power seat, telescoping wheel, power mirrors, and de-chrome the shift knob and gauge trim, perhaps this would become a cheaper car. Unfortunately, the public has assured the auto industry that every car needs certain necessities before it can be considered. The Mustang is a cool car. I’d rather have a base ‘Stang versus a G6 coupe. I don’t think I could compare it fairly to a sedan though. If I had to choose between the two, I’d opt for the 2003 Toyota Solara with 34,000 miles!
We have added Sirius Satellite Radio to the car. Installation was easy. I mounted the antenna on the trunk, ran the wire below the rear passenger side seat, under the sills and up to the dash. The excess antenna wire was hidden under the front passenger carpet. I mounted the player over the passenger airbag information with the Velcro supplied. I kept the power supply cord tied together and simply plug it into the power supply. It worked instantly.
I’m still not enjoying the power lock situation. When we pull into a parking lot I have to make sure my arms are not near the stupid door. As soon as the car is put in park the doors unlock and the locks pop up. I’ve had my arm in the way a few times and it is a real shocker. The same happens when the car is put in gear. As soon as the car is put in reverse or drive the locks go down, sometimes pulling arm hair out! Who thought of this? A designer must have said “Hey lets take the locks out of the door panel next to the handle and put it in top of the door!” I think it is because it is cheaper to run a rod from the top of the door to the lock instead two rods from the handle and lock mechanism to the end of the door. I feel like a little kid sometimes when my girlfriend tells me to watch out for the doors. My mom used to tell us to put our hands up when she was closing the door on our Astro, for fear that one of use would suddenly put our hands near the big door while she was closing it. ---- I don’t have this trouble in my Talon!
Thanks for reading and keep on commenting!
Hello all. This is the writer of this survey updating the G6 again for you.
As of now the mileage stands at 5,100 miles. At 4,800 miles the two power outlets broke. We took it to the dealer and had it fixed. I asked what broke and the honest to goodness answer was "Don't plug two things in at once". Hmmm. Why bother putting in two "power outlets" if you can't use them both. My Oldsmobile Regency 98 had three lighters that could be used all day without blowing a fuse. If yours breaks the 20 AMP micro-fuse is in the access panel in the left side of the trunk. GO FIGURE!
What else?:
The A/C smells horrible for a few minutes when first turned on.
The passenger side mirror squeaks. If I hold my finger on it, it will stop.
You know, that's possibly the best way to determine if a girl you're dating is marriage material - the door unlocking. Then again, I'm single.
"The 2.4L engine was available way back in 1995. It was a variant of the 2.2L engine (ecotec), which replaced the “Iron Duke” 2.5. The 2.2 liter engine was used in small trucks almost all divisions, sans Cadillac, in almost every four cylinder car. Century, Ciera, Grand Am, Sonoma, Skylark, just to name a few. The 2.4 was found in the Cavalier LS, some Pontiac Sunfire models, and other “sportier” models, but don’t get it confused with the DOHC Quad Four!"
With all your respect, it appears you lack many knowledges about gm 4 cylinders engines!!!
1- The 2,4 (known as the twin cam) found in j-bodies, grand am, and others is only an evolution of the quad 4 and not a different engine. They simply add balance shafts to the quad 4 in 1996 and they renamed it twin cams. This engine code name is LD9.
2-The 2.2 you're talking about is not an ecotec (which is a doch engine) but the old 2200 ohv engine that were found in cavies and s-10 and dated from the 80's.
3-The 2,4 in the g6 is a TOTALLY different engine. Its code name is LE5 and is an evolution of the 2.2 ecotec introduced by gm in 2000. This is a modern engine with variable valve timing technology. This engine appeared in 2006.
This is the weirdest review and set of follow-up comments I have ever read! The guy that wrote this review was WAY too critical of his girlfriend's new car. Most of the stuff he complained about is actually designed better than in most cars and the things that he assumed would be breaking are ordinarily some of the longer-lasting features of GM cars. I know this from experience. Also, to compare a G6 to an Eagle Talon is a joke. I'm glad he got 192,000 miles out of his Talon, it can be done, but the Talon is generally inferior to most other cars! Thank you to the folks that offered correct engine information.
Despite the reviewers mistake about the type of engine used in the car, I feel the need to point out that the review was more professionally written then 80% of the other reviews on this site! Why get irritated about a comment somebody made about the stereo or a comparison to an Eagle Talon?! It's the reviewers opinion, agree with it or not, but chill out!
WOW, I bet he drives his girlfriend's car so much because his over the hill Talon is down and out. He has an old busted up car like that and she has the new one. Show's where the money is in that relationship. I would be ashamed to comment on haveing a Talon compared to a brand new G6.
I have the base model 2006 G6. I purchased the car in December of 2005 and now have 30,000 miles on it due to my long commute.
I have a few minor comments to add. The report on the fuel mileage is correct. I average just a hair under 30mpg with 80% of my driving being freeway.
The errors on the engines have been addressed already. It's quite understandable since GM recycles the displacements. My only objection with this new engine is that it clatters significantly for about half a second on cold starts and the cartridge filter costs an extra $5 at each oil change compared to standard oil filters.
The default behavior of the door locks is programmable. I now have mine set to lock when the car moves, but not to unlock when the car is shifted to park.
I have had no problems with the car except for a check engine warning that lit for about half a day. I don't know if that will amount to anything of significance yet.
The car is what it is. It is not a Solara or an Accord, but it is a reliable, comfortable and serviceable car for under $15k. It is certainly a far better vehicle than the 2002 Grand Am I traded in for it.
One sour note -- a pair of replacement wiper blades, which you have to get directly from Pontiac, will run you a cool $60.