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2008 Pontiac G6 Review
More famous than rich. What's new for the 2005 Pontiac G6: All-new model. What's new for the 2006 Pontiac G6: Coupe and convertible body styles join the sedan, and a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine (167 HP) joins the V6s. What's new for the 2007 Pontiac G6: GTP models upgrade from the old 3.9-liter pushrod V6 to a 3.6-liter DOHC V6 with 252 horsepower, which becomes the fourth engine in the G6 lineup (the old 3.9 is now only available on the convertible). The 3.5-liter V6 also gets a power boost, and side curtain airbags become standard on all coupes and sedans. What's new for the 2008 Pontiac G6: The G6 loses the manual transmission that used to be optional with the 3.9-liter V6. The GTP trim line is gone. Try naming another middle-market sedan that's stirred up gossip like the Pontiac G6. Can't do it. Back around its launch in late 2004, the G6 reached instant fame when Oprah gave away 276 of them to her entire audience. Another burst of publicity came when the L.A. Times called for the firing of the man responsible for the G6's very existence, which angered GM into pulling its advertising contract and drew a firestorm of controversy. The rest of the press seemed to be dissing the G6, too. Alas, all the fuss is much ado about nothing, for the Pontiac G6 is as standard-issue as sedans get. It goes down the road in a competent, mindless manner. It seats four or five adults, wears typical GM corporate styling, and looks pretty typical on the inside, too (aside from Pontiac's trademark red displays). About the only real distinction is the G6's plentiful choice of engines and body styles. Since the 2006 model year, the G6 has been available as a sedan, coupe, or retractable hardtop convertible, and has been home to a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine (167 HP), 3.5-liter and 3.9-liter pushrod V6s, and a 3.6-liter twin-cam V6 (252 HP). Among that big crowd, you might as well forget about the coupe, which looks exactly like the sedan (so why bother?), and skip the two pushrod V6 engines, which are noisy, inefficient garbage. That leaves the G6 sedan as the best choice, but really, there's a sense of mediocrity that makes any G6 hard to recommend with much enthusiasm. Drivers will take issue with the lame handling and wide turning circle; passengers will gripe about the low-rent interior and substandard back seat. The G6's reliability is also below par. With so many great competitors, there's no reason to put up with such shortcomings. That's especially true in 2008, since anyone drawn to the Pontiac G6 can find its best attributes in its newer, better relative, Chevrolet Malibu. It would seem Pontiac's 15 minutes are up. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com |
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