The tires are continentals and they are terrible.
Soft plastic tail lights scratch easy.
Up shift from 2 to 3 gear in the manu-matic function is hard.
This car is an awesome American achievement, I believe that if more American car companies used this format of making cars that are appealing they would not be in the position they are in.
The acceleration is joyful, and puts a smile on my face every time I hit the pedal, especially when I think how doggy my old Acura was. (Japanese superiority?)
The traction control feature is mildly useful, tends to get in the way of fun most of the time.
The fit and finish is better then older American cars, but its not quite to the point of the Japanese auto companies yet, but I think that Pontiac has the best craftsmanship of any of the middle class American cars.
The seats hold you in place when zipping around corners, which I like.
Finally the Monsoon stereo is OK. It could use more balance because I think that the Bass in the system is overdone. But because of the integrated vehicle computer I cannot replace the head unit.
Your comparing a 4 banger to a brand new 6 banger?
Of course the acceleration is good, it's a sports car.
"This car is an awesome American achievement, I believe that if more American car companies used this format of making cars that are appealing they would not be in the position they are in."
You do realize that TOYOTA designed the G6 and sold it to pontiac (that is why the style is so well done). The G6 GT is nothing more than an Camry Solara with a pontiac power train..
"You do realize that TOYOTA designed the G6 and sold it to pontiac (that is why the style is so well done). The G6 GT is nothing more than an Camry Solara with a pontiac power train."
Utter rubbish. The G6 is built on the new GM European-designed Epsilon platform. As far as "foreign" brands are concerned, this platform is shared with the Opel/Vauxhall Vectra, SAAB 9-3, FIAT Croma, and the Europe-only Cadillac BLS. The ONLY Toyota-shared platform that Pontiac uses is that of the Vibe which is shared with the Toyota Matrix, which itself uses a modified Corolla platform. Both versions utilise the same Corolla drivetrain.
The G6 GT is a very nice car. I had a1998 Audi A4 before this and I find the driving experience to be similar. Body rigidity is very good in both cars with all the handling benefits that come from that. The A4 2.8 thirty-valve V6 that developed 190hp, 212 ft-lbs of torque, and got stunningly poor gas mileage; only in the 12-14 mpg range. The G6 push-rod twelve-valve 3.5L V6 develops 201hp and 222 ft-lbs torque, with acceleration that feels quite comparable. However, the mileage indicator on the G6 is reading 22.8 today in the same commute. I am getting gas about half as often, so I believe the read-out. The back seats are far bigger than the A4 and my sons are much more comfortable back there.
It is a bargain for a competent entry level sports sedan that is pleasure to drive on the twisty back roads where I live. Another A4 V6 would have cost near twice as much. I have had no mechanical problems for the first year, so the top JD Powers initial build quality rating quality seems to equate to a good service record.
I test drove 2 new G-6's, one a base V-6 and one a GT V-6. They are incredibly great handling and good driving cars. I love GM products and have had absolutely FLAWLESS service from our GM cars and SUV. One thing that really surprised me though was the fact that my current 2001 Grand Am SE-1 with the "Quad 4" (not the punier Eco-tech) is actually FASTER than the G-6 with the V-6 engine. That was why I test drove a second one, because I thought something must have been wrong with the first one. This certainly isn't a put-down of the awesome G-6, but it did persuade me to keep my GA for a couple of hundred thousand more miles. I didn't realize what a great car I ALREADY HAD!!
"You do realize that TOYOTA designed the G6 and sold it to pontiac (that is why the style is so well done). The G6 GT is nothing more than an Camry Solara with a pontiac power train..."
Wrong.
Comment 21:35 is right. The only Toyota based vehicle GM has is the Pontiac Vibe, which is why I steered my wife away from the Vibe when she was looking at new cars. The Corolla drive train is not very reliable.
The person who said it is Toyota is 100% RIGHT!
Regarding not being able to replace the stock stereo head unit, there are actually a couple of aftermarket installation kits that will allow you to replace the stereo while keeping the information center display. One is made by Scosche, and another made by Metra. They're not cheap, though, at around $200 a piece. You can also get an aftermarket unit that will allow you to keep your steering wheel audio controls, but that's another $70-80. All of this and you still have to buy the actual car stereo! Unfortunately this is increasingly common with car makers.
I have a G6 GT SEDAN 2006. Great Car and I am not ashamed that I'm 50!
I am geting a G6 GT Coupe tomorrow.
The sharpest driving car I have had.
The G6 is a great little car and good value for the money. I checked them out before buying my last car and almost bought one. I ended up buying a Mustang this time, but I also have an 8 year old Pontiac now and it is the best car I've ever owned (including 3 imports). It's actually more fun to drive than my new Mustang.
"The person who said it is Toyota is 100% RIGHT!"
100% WRONG. The G6 is on GM's worldwide epsilon platform developed by GM Opel in Germany. It's a great platform. NO Toyota has ANY commonality or shared parts with the G6.
As stated in another comment the Vibe is the only Toyota connected Pontiac, and a very reliable car it is too, in my experience over 5 years of ownership. In Canada the Vibe maintains the strongest residuals of any GM car.
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