2008 Pontiac G8 Review

PROS
Powerful engines, Fantastic road holding, Roomy interior

CONS
So-so fuel economy, Odd control layout, Poor outward visibility

For those old enough to remember, Pontiac stood for lower, wider, faster. Cars like the '58 Bonneville, '62 Grand Prix, and the '66 GTO were the epitome of the brand's image. Those cars stood apart because they were boldly styled, plenty powerful, and fairly priced.

In recent years, General Motors has relented to economic concerns and the once proud Pontiac brand has been relegated to offering pimped up versions of Chevrolet products. This hurt sales and the brand's iconoclastic image.

Pontiac hopes to reverse that trend with the new-for-'08 G8. It's a rear-wheel-drive, four-door sedan with in-your-face styling, a powerful V8 engine option, and, best of all, a chassis that's not shared with any other product in GM's North American lineup. In fact, General Motors sourced the G8 from the Holden Commodore, which is built and sold in Australia.

The G8 effectively replaces both the Grand Prix and Bonneville in the Pontiac lineup. the With a wheelbase 114.8 inches, the G8 is a large car that competes with vehicles like the Buick Lucerne, Dodge Charger, Ford Taurus, and Toyota Avalon. Two models are offered: Base or GT. The base has a list price $26,910 and comes with a 256-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 and five-speed automatic. The GT lists for $29,310 and gets a 361-horsepower 6.0-liter V8 with six-speed automatic. The V8 gets General Motors' cylinder deactivation system that's designed to improve fuel economy in part-throttle driving situations. Exterior differences between the two models are subtle, being limited to clear tail lights, chrome door-handle surrounds, and quad exhaust tips on the GT.

Both models come with functional hood scoops, MacPherson front struts, and an independent rear suspension riding under coil springs. Standard safety equipment includes antilock four-wheel disc brakes with brake assist, stability control, tire-pressure monitor, daytime running lights, and dual front, front-side airbags, and curtain-side airbags.

Base models come with air conditioning, OnStar, tilt-telescopic steering wheel with radio controls, cruise control, cloth upholstery, four-way power front bucket seats, center console, trunk pass-through, power mirrors, power windows, power door locks, keyless entry, AM/FM/CD/MP3 player with digital-media player connection, remote engine start, illuminated visor mirrors, rear defogger, automatic headlights, floor mats, theft-deterrent system, fog lights, rear spoiler, 245/45VR18 tires, and alloy wheels. GT models add limited-slip differential, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, Blaupunkt AM/FM radio with in-dash 6-disc CD/MP3 changer.

Options are limited and include leather upholstery, power sunroof, heated seats, 19-inch alloy wheels, and metal pedals. Both models have a destination charge of $685 and are built in Australia. Pontiac promises mild cosmetic interior enhancements, a manual transmission, Bluetooth cell-phone connection, and XM satellite radio for the '09 model year. A sport pickup truck body style will be added in 2010.

Get up and Go
Regardless of engine, the G8 is a fast car. Pontiac claims 0-60 mph times of 7.0 seconds for the Base and a blistering 5.3 seconds for the GT. In around-town driving the V6 has ample power and boasts good passing response. The V8 packs a good deal more punch at low speeds and neck-snapping passing power.

Both transmissions shift smoothly, downshift promptly, and include sport and manual-shift modes. V6 engines have a coarse sounding exhaust tone that interferes with normal conversation and grows tiring over time.

The V6 is EPA rated at 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. The V8's ratings are 15 and 24. Those numbers are on par with Buick Lucerne and Dodge Charger, but fall short of the 18/29 mpg ratings of the V6-powered Ford Taurus and Toyota Avalon. In routine driving expect to average about 19 mpg with the V6 G8 and about 17 mpg with the V8 G8. Pontiac recommends premium-grade fuel for best performance, but also says that both models will run fine on regular-grade gasoline.

On the Road
Compared to other large cars, G8 feels like a sports car. It sits low and has a firm suspension. The ride isn't pounding, even with the optional 19-inch wheels, but it's certainly not cushy American-car soft. Small bumps are well filtered, but large bumps sometimes pound through.

Thanks to the firm suspension, the near 50/50 weight distribution, or a combination of the two, the G8 leads the class in road holding and handling. The tires have plenty of grip and there's enough suppleness in the suspension to keep the G8 from "hopping" around bumpy corners. The brakes are strong, have an easy-to-modulate pedal, and the steering is delightfully accurate and nicely weighted.

As noted, the V6 has a noticeably louder exhaust note than the V8 in gentile cruising and hard acceleration. Wind noise and tire rumble are minimal with the exception of a slight hiss from the side mirrors at highway speeds.

Behind the Wheel
G8's interior has a fighter-jet atmosphere. Driver and front-seat passenger are separated by a dramatic center stack that houses a digital display and audio and climate controls. Materials are appropriate for the price, but some panels had uneven gaps.

Gauges have small markings, making it hard to judge vehicle speed at a glance. Window, door, and mirror switches are grouped together on the center console. The location is awkward and probably a direct carryover from the Australian Commodore--Pontiac would be wise to move those controls onto the door armrest. With its power switch on the right and hard-to-decipher buttons, audio controls are also incongruous. Thankfully there are ancillary controls for band, presets, and volume on the steering wheel.

Front seats sport healthy bolstering that holds you in place on twisty roads, but grows tiring on longer trips. Head and leg room are good. The seat back is controlled by a hand knob that's hard to reach but also allows for finer adjustment of backrest angle. Visibility is hampered by thicker-than-usual roof pillars and small outside mirrors. Also, the front seats don't feature individual map lights, something that's found on every other vehicle in the class.

The rear seat is surprisingly roomy. Six-footers have ample head and leg room, even with the front seats positioned all the way back. The cushions are a trifle low, but overall ithe seat is quite comfortable. The center seating position is raised and there's a prominent driveline hump, so seating three across is a no-no.

The trunk offers a roomy 17.5 cubic-feet of cargo space and features a lid with space-saving hinges. The rear seatbacks don't fold, instead there's an oversized center pass-through. Interior storage is highlighted by a large glove box and generous front-door map pockets. The center console sports twin cup holders and a small storage bin.

Bottom Line
Mad props to Pontiac for pulling the G8 out of the international GM hat. It's a thoroughly modern interpretation of the big Pontiacs of the past with a surprisingly fair price. When compared to other full-size sedans it's the sportiest by far. Yes, there are some odd, Australian quirks like the center-mounted window switches and the confusing audio controls, and the fuel economy could be better. On the whole it's a roomy, affordable, and stylish vehicle that's just what Pontiac needed.

The rear-drive may be off-putting to some in Chicagoland, where snow and ice grip the roads for the better part of four months, but that's nothing a quality set of all-season tires can't fix. If you're in the market for large sedan and want a little flare, make sure you trek on down to your local Pontiac dealer before you buy.