Long-Term Road Tests
2008 Pontiac G8 GT
August 25, 2008
Most family sedans these days are of the four-cylinder variety, and for good reason: modern four-bangers generally have decent pickup, they're more affordable, and their fuel economy is superior. So people who buy V6-powered family sedans are a special breed. They want something quicker, something sportier perhaps -- and they're not afraid to pay for it, whether at the dealership or the gas pump.
After a tire-smoke-obscured weekend in our long-term G8 GT, I have this to say to would-be V6 family sedan buyers: Buy the G8 GT instead.
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- Posted by: SadButTrue August 25, 2008, 1:30 PM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
August 18, 2008
This weekend was the most time I've ever spent in our 2008 Pontiac G8. And I have to say that yes, that car can go pretty fast. Really easy to move in and out of traffic, jump onto the freeway in front of fast-moving cars and hit those extra-legal speeds. In fact it seemed at its best when it was going fast.
Only a few things about it that I wasn't crazy about is that it seemed like the throttle had a bit of a lag like when I was trying to backup. If I carefully touched the throttle, like I usually do when going in reverse, nothing would happen. And so when I went to press down more, the car would suddenly lunge backward with the engine revving. One time I did that I felt obliged to apologize to my passenger. She had thought that I was trying to pull a 180 just to get to that parking spot behind us right quick. "Calm down, Caroline. We'll get that spot. Eesh," she said.
My other gripes are the radio controls which another editor had already blogged about and that huge battery/oil display that takes up space in the center of the dash. Do we really need that there? Every time I'd go to glance at the time I had to remember it's not up there, it's located in the radio display.
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- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla August 18, 2008, 2:43 PM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
August 8, 2008
Dig this. Sure such tire pressure readouts on instrument panels are commonplace today, but not really on a car costing about $30,000. And yet, there it is between the tachometer and speedometer of our long-term 2008 Pontiac G8 GT. This car just keeps surprising me. It's easily the best vehicle GM sells in America today.
That's right, I said it. I think the G8 GT is better than the Cadillac CTS and the Buick Enclave. As good as those two vehicle are, when you look at the Pontiac's price, performance and package it's easily the best of the GM's best.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 7,028 miles
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- Posted by: August 8, 2008, 2:21 PM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
August 7, 2008
This morning, like many others, I dropped off my daughter at summer camp in Seal Beach, Calif. I've gone in and out of that school area hundreds of times driving a variety of cars, and never has anyone asked me why I rarely drive the same car, let alone commented on one in particular.
Today I parked our long-term Pontiac G8 GT on the street among the usual Benzes and Bimmers, and walked Emma across the ball field to her camp class. On the way back, a father stopped me and asked about the G8.
"Great car," he said.
For this crowd, that's high praise.
Kelly Toepke @ 7,125 miles
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- Posted by: Kelly Toepke August 7, 2008, 1:02 PM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
August 4, 2008
I don't share all of the same reservations that my compatriot Ed has (see here) regarding our long-term 2008 Pontiac G8's interior. In the G8's refreshing lack of shiny accentry, GM shows a contemporary perspective on cabin design.
Save for the gear selector shaft and the badge on the steering wheel, everything that is silver in color in the G8's interior has a matte finish. Why is this important? Because an interior should never distract its driver, and chrome accents do exactly that--they shine reflections.
If I had my way, chrome would be outlawed from cabins. Penalties would be levied on automakers found applying chrome--their decision-makers would be forced to drive across Arizona at midday in said chrome-laden vehicle.
Matte silver accomplishes the designer's task of brightening up the cabin without the downsides of fake chrome (which also shows fingerprints and has a tendency to flake off).
Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor @ 6,941 miles
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- Posted by: Jay Kavanagh August 4, 2008, 4:44 PM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
July 25, 2008
Fourteen (14) days ago I dropped our 2008 Pontiac G8 GT at Martin Cadillac in Los Angeles to fix a malfunctioning traction control with the promise of a quick, easy fix and same day return. Wednesday night we picked up our Pontiac, fixed, from Hooman Pontiac in Culver City.
What follows is a tale of deceit, frustration, anger, a damn-fine commitment to service from Pontiac and international espionage, though that last bit can't be discussed...
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- Posted by: Mike Magrath July 25, 2008, 12:42 PM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
After a late night photo shoot, I was heading home across downtown LA. This was the first night I had gotten to drive our G8.
I'm really liking this car. It shows a lot of promise that American cars are and can be great. The enigine is reverberating off the tunnel walls and I'm having great ol' time. Though I'm normally not a fan, I was in the mood for some George
Thoroghgood and the Destroyers or Lynard Skynard as I blasted down the
dark empty streets.
As I'm unfamiliar with the car and driving at night, I briefly looked down at the stereo as I'm driving. It has a nice volume knob, but it doesn't have a tuning knob. The dial opposite of the volume is a Menu control. It's a pet peeve of mine to not have a tuning knob. Instead you have to toggle the Track switch.
I find the lack of a tuning knob very irritating. Sure, if I was an owner I'd get used to it, but that doesn't mean I'd give a pass to a feature I think sucks.
Scott Jacobs, Senior Photographer
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- Posted by: July 25, 2008, 11:04 AM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
July 16, 2008
Remember my blog last Friday? The one where I took our 2008 Pontiac G8 GT to Martin Pontiac in Los Angeles for a malfunctioning traction control light and the service advisor said it was an easy fix, and that it would be done by the end of the day? Ringing any bells?
Well, it's been six days now and the G8 is still in the dealer's possession. I had to call them on Tuesday to find out what was going on. They don't seem too keen on informing their customers. Or being nice to them. The service advisor we have doesn't understand the service, or advisor, aspects of his job.
After a few calls I got to the bottom of it: It was not, as they suspected, the wheel speed sensor. The cause of our traction woes was a brake sensor. A brake sensor that GM's parts dept. can't get because they don't have a part number for it.
So, it's been six days and there's no light visible at the end of the tunnel. We'll keep you posted.
Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 6,626 miles
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- Posted by: Mike Magrath July 16, 2008, 10:40 AM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
July 11, 2008
Who doesn't love a good powerslide? I mean good, smoky, high-speed hooliganism. The type of slide where slip angle matches velocity and the road is coming at the driver through one of the side windows.
Problem is, they're not the most low-key form of driving excitement. The neighbors, and the local constabulary, may take notice if someone were to enter their neighborhood in this fashion. (Click picture above for larger image)
Our long-term Pontiac G8 cares not for neighbors or the police. We have, apparently, been too kind to our V8. On the way home the other night with Executive Editor Michael Jordan, the G8 decided to live on the wild side and turn the traction control off. By itself. On the highway. It wants us to be bad. It's daring us.
If it starts calling us Dave, though, I'm driving it into the ocean.
While some of our staffers thought this would be great fun, other more rational heads prevailed and I took it to the Martin Automotive Group in Los Angeles.
"Does it have aftermarket wheels?" our service advisor asked. Nope. "Is it lowered?" Nope. "Hmm, this is the first time I've seen this issue on a car without rims or a lowering kit. It's a common issue on the CTS and this car with big wheels or when lowered."
By 'this issue' he means a failed wheel-speed sensor. The issue he's talking about is a malfunctioning wheel-speed sensor that talks to the stability control system. He said that it was an easy fix and we'd have it back later this afternoon.
Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 6,626 miles
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- Posted by: Mike Magrath July 11, 2008, 9:52 AM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
July 8, 2008
There's little question that our 2008 Pontiac G8 GT possesses solid sporting credentials. I've been curious to find out how well the G8 could serve as a family sedan, however. So over the holiday break, I packed up the G8 and made a trip to visit my in-laws. Overall, I was pretty impressed with the G8 in regards to family-carting duty. Some specific observations about fuel economy, comfort and utility follow.
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- Posted by: Brent Romans July 8, 2008, 5:33 PM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
July 3, 2008
On the eve of Independence Day, I thought I'd peruse our garage for the most American metal. Amongst the many long-termers presently in the long-term fleet, we have quite the selection of cars built by domestic makers. Some are excellent representives of this great land, others ... not so much. And that's not counting the pretty cool American cars that reside in our editors' own garages: Trans Ams, Challengers, Corvettes and Schmidt's big ol' F-150.
Of course, what constitutes an American car these days is up for debate given the Focus is hecho en Mexico and our Hyundai Veracruz is hecho en Alabama. But I'll leave those determinations up to you. And the nominees for our Most American Car are...
Buick Enclave
Cadillac CTS
Chevy Silverado
Dodge Caravan (oh dear god, I hope not)
Ford Edge
Ford Focus
Ford GT
Pontiac G8 GT
Saturn Aura
James Riswick, Automotive Editor
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- Posted by: JRiz July 3, 2008, 9:12 AM
- Categories: 2005 Ford GT, 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT, 2007 Ford Edge SEL, 2007 Saturn Aura XR, 2008 Buick Enclave CX, 2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI, 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT, 2008 Ford Focus SES Coupe, 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
July 2, 2008
In our Pontiac G8 road test, we noted the interior seems to have been inspired by Audi's design playbook. At night, the controls and gauges illuminate in Audi-like red and white.
However, there's something missing in this photo...the dopey gauge display.
The more I drive our G8, the more this display just irks me. OK, I know, I know, I have 13 batteries and almost three oils! Enough!
If this were my car, I'd have to figure out how to turn it off permanently or blank it off with plastic.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor
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- Posted by: Brent Romans July 2, 2008, 11:52 AM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
June 30, 2008
I've been fortunate enough to be driving our G8 GT for almost two weeks now. And I've been wondering: If I were in the market for a midsize or family sedan for about $30,000, would I buy a G8?
The car enthusiast part of me loves the G8's muscular styling, rear-drive and V8. Want to break the rear tires loose while doing a U-turn? Click off the stability control, manually select 1st and you're good to go...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans June 30, 2008, 11:13 AM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
June 26, 2008
The first time I drove our long-term G8 GT, I thought to myself, "This is like driving a reincarnated Lotus Carlton!"
Understandably, it was an odd thought to have. But I think our G8's black paint, boffo power and European connection is what did it for me.
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- Posted by: Brent Romans June 26, 2008, 11:10 AM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
June 23, 2008
Our long-term 2008 Pontiac G8 GT is fully equipped. But it's still not ritzy. And I like that. As detailed in the introduction, it has the two available option packages, Sport and Premium...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans June 23, 2008, 9:38 AM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
June 9, 2008
Well, we've spun up over4,000 miles on our Pontiac G8 GT, so it's high time we gave y'all a fuel economy mileage update. Against an EPA figureof18 mpg combined (15 city / 24 highway):
Average: 15.9
High Tank: 21.1
Low Tank:12.0
John DiPietro, Automotive Editor @ 4,420 miles.
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- Posted by: johnnyturbo June 9, 2008, 4:30 PM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
May 21, 2008
The above photo is supposed to illustrate a suspension, but I wasn't prepared to remove the wheel. Because the suspension on our long-term 2008 Pontiac G8 GT is a bit confounding to me. I drove it last night in Los Angeles' hateful, seething, evil, boiling cauldron of vile commuter traffic. The G8 was relatively comforting, nice stereo, all that...
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- Posted by: Doug Lyoyd May 21, 2008, 3:53 PM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
May 19, 2008
Those who saw my last post on our long-term Pontiac will recall that I was hitting the G8 Kool-Aid pretty hard that day. After spending a weekend with the car, I still think it's a genuine performance bargain for $32k. It's definitely got some quirks though. One that particularly bugs me is the lack of a redline on the tachometer...
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- Posted by: SadButTrue May 19, 2008, 3:41 PM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
May 15, 2008
Lately, it seems like I'm meeting a lot of people who appear to be car enthusiasts but once I start talking to them it quickly becomes obvious they're only interested in automobiles as bling or status symbols - sad. Sure, they know some numbers and have been to a few races but there's something missing - it all comes off more like a gold digger on the make rather than someone who's actually had the taste of gasoline in their mouth on several occasions.
In a way, the G8 is kinda plain. It will likely not appeal to gold diggers or bling blingers - one more reason I like it. OK, the interior won't fool any Audi owners but there's a refreshing authenticity to this sedan...
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- Posted by: Brian Moody May 15, 2008, 5:52 PM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
May 7, 2008
One reliable measure of a car's greatness is its ability to make you
overlook the little things. Case in point: our long-term Pontiac G8 GT.
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- Posted by: SadButTrue May 7, 2008, 1:20 PM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
May 6, 2008
I’ve heard a lot of great things about our G8 GT. It’s fast, it’s roomy, well built even. There’s hasn’t been much said about the interior though and now I know why. It’s not a disaster, but for $30K it’s not pretty...
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- Posted by: Ed Hellwig May 6, 2008, 10:51 AM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
April 24, 2008
Order the GT version of the Pontiac G8 and this is what you'll get instead of an actual spare tire. It's a tire sealant kit/air compressor. Pontiac calls it a Tire Inflation Kit. Certainly this kit won't work if you have a serious blowout or tire gash but it should be fine for small holes and minor leaks...
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- Posted by: Brian Moody April 24, 2008, 8:31 AM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
April 19, 2008
After spending the last two hours in our new G8, I can honestly say I like the car. It looks good and is fun to drive. Here's what I'd add to make it perfect - 1) More prominent exhaust note. 2) Thicker sidewalls for the tires. 3) Larger side mirrors...
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- Posted by: Brian Moody April 19, 2008, 5:06 PM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
April 18, 2008
While no one was looking I snagged the keys to our Long Term G8 GT. First impression - NICE! I love the look, aggressive without being garish. I can't think of the last Pontiac I truly liked...
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- Posted by: Brian Moody April 18, 2008, 8:11 AM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
April 17, 2008
A Pontiac G8 joins our long-term fleet.
We've been hankering for a full-size, rear-wheel-drive, V8-powered American sedan and the G8 GT fits the bill.
It's 6.0-liter engine is capable of 361 horsepower and it is painted a nice, shiny Panther Black.
Like it?
Read the Introduction on Inside Line...
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- Posted by: Donna Derosa April 17, 2008, 12:18 PM
- Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
