2008 Pontiac G8 GT: V6 Family Sedans, Eat Your Hearts Out

And at $30,675, isn't that 2009 G8 GT coming with some powertrain upgrades that your 2008 doesn't have?

I understand completely where you are coming from. Much more appealing than the average family sedan.

However, and it's a big one, it's rear-wheel drive. While auto enthusiasts, such as most on the Inside Line community, understand that for having fun rear wheel drive is best, try to sell rear wheel drive to the average american living anywhere it snows a couple of months out of the year. Thus unless all-wheel drive is offered soon, sales will be meager.

I wonder how much more the GXP will cost...... the GXP seems very tasty.

This is a very well put together post. It offers some substantive criticism(with a picture!!),praise and a comparison of other vehicles in the segment.

I say praise because I'm a big believer that there is not a "bad" car anymore.Even the cheapest, poorly assembled cars sold in the US are still light years from what what every company sold just 25 years ago.

And with the GM employee pricing, the G8 GT is $27,800 now.

As much as I don't like GM products, that is an excellent price for what it is.

If I'm not mistaken, BMW and Mercedes sell plenty of rear wheel drive only cars in the northeast.

Lazyhater,

No need to qualify that praise with "for what it is." This is a no-apologies bad-ass car.

I think the employee pricing promotion has ended though.

-Sadlier

i'll take a 2009 maxima now

Great post.

RWD w/ all-seasons on a nearly 4000 pound car isn't that much different than FWD w/ all-seasons on a 2800 pound car.

Not great, but definitely could be worse :)

Joe

Compared to the Accord, an extra $70/month for gas. I'd take the G8, if all other costs were equal. I'd guess that the G8's depreciation will be much more.

Even then, I'd still take the G8.

I would have loved to have bought a G8 GT, but in North-East Ohio with over 120 inches of snow a year, I ended up with a V6 Altima to make it to work alive.

What people don't realize is how important tires are, they just concentrate on front- versus rear-drive and/or all the electronic aids (e.g. traction control). It all comes down to grip, without that it doesn't matter what drive configuration and gizmos your car has.

If you live in the Snow Belt, I highly recommend getting a set of dedicated winter tires, such as Bridgestone Blizzaks, mounted on their own wheels. Combine those babies with traction control (or even without t.c, if you know how to drive in the snow), and you should be able to handle virtually any winter.

Yes, you have to swap out your tires every winter and spring, but it's well worth the increased mobility and safety. Tirerack.com has great selection and prices.

I think dougtheeng is right, they must be leaving that plate mounted like that just to spite us...

Great Post. The G8 is a little bigger than what I would personally want in a car right now, but there's no question that it's a great car for what it is, and I personally love the styling.

johnnyturbo -

Yes, for the best performance you should switch to a dedicated set of snows. But in reality, it's a ginormous PITA (time & cost), especially with the generally reduced snowfall in the past several years (climate change). All-seasons are fine for most people if they take it easy in the winter.

"No need to qualify that praise with "for what it is." This is a no-apologies bad-ass car.

I think the employee pricing promotion has ended though."

Sadlier, I wasn't implying that the G8 GT is anything less then a great car.

Instead of "for what it is", I should have said "that is an excellent price for how much it offer."

Man this thing looks fantastic in black...and white...and red...and gray.

...and it looks even better with employee pricing which lasts until the 2nd.

I think the Employee Pricing for Everyone promotion ends on September 2, 2008 (must take delivery by that date).

Yo SnakeDoc,
My response was geared towards those who live in real winter climes like "abyss". Folks who live where big snowfalls are a fact of winter life, like they used to be for me back in New England before I moved to LA-LA land.

BTW, New England had near record amounts of snow just last winter, so I'm not sure where you got your info. on "reduced snowfall" from.

Awesome blog post. I think this should stop any whining about anti-GM bias on this site for a little while. Pity about the misaligned interior panels. I've only heard good things about the interior otherwise, ignoring the atari gauges of course.

First of all, great post and great pictures! Second of all, while I do agree with you that the G8 is a great deal, espeically with the Employee Pricing for Everyone, I think it would pretty hard for a die-hard Honda/Toyota/Mazda/Nissan fan to want to buy a rear-wheel drive Pontiac. It's definitely a good car, but I'm not sure many people would consider it if they were shopping in the family sedan segment. Just my 2 cents.

Tim.

Which car is mine? It's the one that says, "BMF". :)

Great post, the G8 really is tempting.

One question: at almost 195" it is quite a large car. To it's credit, the styling is so tight and sporty, it looks like something much smaller.
How does it drive and feel in the tight confines of regular socal life w/ tight parking and traffic?

The rear drive snow issue is really not that big of a deal.

I drove my 1987 Mustang LX 5.0 through multiple Chicago snow storms with no issues.

In 1990 I was on a trip to Lake Geneva Wisconsin after a major ice storm. Rt 50 between Interstate 94 and Lake Geneva was solid ice, there was a cop every 1/2 mile and I passed at least 15 cars in the ditch. 50 is very hilly and even at under 10 mph going up hill the rear wheels would start to spin (Goodyear Gatorbacks, great on dry, in the snow, not so much).

Since I had limited slip, I pulled over and put one wheel on the gravel shoulder for traction.

Again, this was 18 years ago, no ABS no traction control, no winter tires.

A 2009 G8 with proper winter tires should be more than capable of handling all but the most ridiculous Buffalo NY lake effect snow type weather.

The GM pricing is only for the 2008 model G8 and the 2009 Vibe and G5. At this point, the '08 has already depreciated AT LEAST one year. Now, if they offered it this early into the 2009 model year, which they certainly won't, it would be a real steal.

The fuel mileage bothers me. I wonder if the G8 will slow down in sales and allow GM and dealers to offer better rebates once the Camaro comes out?

Cruiserhead,

196 inches is a lot of car to parallel-park, as you might imagine. But otherwise, the G8 GT is really a point-and-shoot kind of car -- plenty of power (obviously), responsive steering, good visibility all around. I was confidently darting between slow-moving cars on the freeway without giving a thought to its length. That's really a testament to Holden's chassis engineers, as many other largish cars -- the new Mazda 6, for example, and the similarly-sized Accord -- feel every bit as long as they are.

-Sadlier

"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."

Not necessarilly. I have always been a V6 guy - it used to be the perfect middle ground between the guzzler-tax-inducing V8's and the grass-grows-faster 4-Cylinder choices. That's not the case these days.

With my recent purchase (a GTI) I took what would be perceived as an engine downgrade, however I could not feel more different.

That particular engine (2.0 TFSI) provides me with grin-inducing acceleration while returning awesome mileage on the highway. I couldn't have more praise for it, and I can truthfully say that I am not disappointed at all with being two cylinders down from before.

I would say that somebody who can afford a BMW M5 or E55 AMG is probably not worried about fuel costs, but the target market for the G8 is definitely not in the same financial category.

With that said, there's not many RWD (4,6 or 8 Cylinder) cars that can match the G8's performance, or practicality at the same price while providing better fuel economy. There are, however, quite a few cars that provide equivalent performance, practicality AND economy at the same price. Take the Infiniti G35 for example, or the Legacy 2.5GT (yes, a 4-Banger). Both might be slightly down on rear passenger space compared to the G8, but are perfectly comfortable cars to be in and can hold their own in the performance category. They might not be any better (according to the EPA) in overall combined mileage, but they represent some of the many alternative choices that the G8 has to battle for sales against.

As with most automobile purchases, it all comes down to personal choice and what's important to a specific individual. The person buying the G8 is probably more interested in the image the car and it's 361HP represent, i.e., the inscription on Jules' wallet, than saving the world's fuel supplies. That is, unless there other purchase considerations contained the moniker SRT-8, then the G8 could be seen as the "economical" choice....=)

"That's really a testament to Holden's chassis engineers, as many other largish cars -- the new Mazda 6, for example, and the similarly-sized Accord -- feel every bit as long as they are."

Seems like a number of your peers disagree with you, at least regarding the Accord. Many reviewers have made the comment that the Accord drives like a smaller car than its dimensions would lead you to expect. In fact, one example comes from the Edmunds 2007-2008 V6 Family Sedan Comparison:

"Though it has a large cabin, the Accord doesn't drive like a large car."

They go on to praise the Accord's steering, driving experience and suspension compliance.

I can attest to the statement that the Accord doesn't drive like a large car. In fact, mine feels no larger than the smaller gen 7 Accord that I owned previously.

First of all - I really dig this car. It's bold, it's cool and it's made with the driving enthusiast as the clear target. Hats off to GM for making it available here.

BUT.

You're saying that there are SEVERAL dash panels THAT badly misaligned on this thing? Oy! If in one highly visible area you have that many examples of slipshod assembly, would that not give you serious pause - as a potential purchaser - about slipshod assembly on all the important bits you can't see? It sure would for me.

My Altima V6 doesn't provide nearly the same level of overtly aggressive exterior styling, and no doubt falls short on most measured performance categories, but it hangs close enough (considering its ridiculously skinny all-season tires, FWD platform and two fewer cylinders).

It also gives me a few things the G8 doesn't: like three pedals on the floor and gears that shift only when I darn well shift them myself. Then there's the 30mpg-plus I get on the highway. And all the interior bits pretty much fit like they're supposed to. And if long-term reliability approaches anything nearly as good as the Maxima it replaced, I won't be sweating every post-warrranty minute that I own the thing.

I'd probably take the G8 and all its potential downsides over a bloated, soul-less automotive appliance like the Accord, but the Altima gives just enough driving fun to make a sensible choice also an enjoyable one.

"Seriously though, good post. I share your feelings on this car, and its nice to see that you posted some proof to back up a "misaligned panel" statement. "

I agree. It's much easier to accept criticism accompanied by proof.

"Awesome blog post. I think this should stop any whining about anti-GM bias on this site for a little while."

I think one reason why the G8 is so loved (aside from being RWD) is because it's seen as a Holden product. Part of the logic of many members of the automotive press is that cars not engineered here are better (unless they are engineered by Americans working for the Japanese) and thus there has been much excitement about a Holden being sold here. Being a RWD car with a V8 makes the G8 a rarity and it's been pretty obvious from day one that they liked this car. Not so for the Silverado, Aura, Tahoe etc. The CTS seems to have enjoyed approval from day one as well.

Wow 1487 - You have stooped to new heights (depths?) to display your disdain for anything positive said about American cars on this blog.

Maybe it's so loved because it's 90% of what the editors want in a car, at the price they want it?

Drex2 - I think the Accord is hideously large for it's segment (ditto the rest of the segment right now), but I'll be damned if it doesn't drive like it's somehow 20 inches shorter in length. The things a freaking boat in size, but it's a daisy to park. I don't know how they did it, but maybe that's why different people have different opinions about it's size/feeling?

The G8 impresses me more each time I see one. From a design standpoint, it is a triumph for GM. Apparently, there's still work to do on fit and finish...

"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."

Nice to have money to burn. When I need a vehicle to smoke tires with, I'll check the G8 GT out.

"Maybe it's so loved because it's 90% of what the editors want in a car, at the price they want it?"

Perhaps that says it all.

>>"There are, however, quite a few cars that provide equivalent performance, practicality AND economy at the same price. Take the Infiniti G35 for example, or the Legacy 2.5GT (yes, a 4-Banger). Both might be slightly down on rear passenger space compared to the G8, but are perfectly comfortable cars to be in and can hold their own in the performance category. They might not be any better (according to the EPA) in overall combined mileage, but they represent some of the many alternative choices that the G8 has to battle for sales against.

As with most automobile purchases, it all comes down to personal choice and what's important to a specific individual. The person buying the G8 is probably more interested in the image the car and it's 361HP represent, i.e., the inscription on Jules' wallet, than saving the world's fuel supplies. "<<

The flipside is the G8 gives you a fullsize sedan with more passenger space, more power for equiv MPG's while being cheaper by $thousands.
The G8 looks great. It doesn't scream BMF gas guzzler like a HEMI car. It looks like a sports sedan and screams BMF just about like any midsize performance sedan from Europe or Japan. Except it looks a lot better than most of them.

Interested in saving the world's fuel supplies? Last time I checked, there is no fuel shortage. Have you had trouble finding fuel? I haven't. It's expensive, but there is no shortage of it. You can buy all you want.
If you are really interested in conserving natural resources, don't buy a new car. The production of a new car uses far more resources than a piddly few gallons on the consumer end.

Besides the fact we still have the freedom to buy what is offered in the market, who is to say someone that drives a G8 5,000 miles a year is less "green" than a GTI driver on his high horse driving 25000 miles a year?

I'm not saying 15/24 mpg city is good but certainly on par with many crossovers, minivans, luxury cars and as noted, pretty close to the Mazda6. Reasonable considering it's size and performance envelope... really, really tempting.

And I love the VW/Audi 2.0T, I love the GTI. I love the A4.
But I am surprised at how enticing a package the G8 is, even in these times. Imagine how great this car would have been 3 years and -$2 a gallon....

Yep, I would. Muscle car performance with BMW-like handling, in a practical family sedan package.

I keep thinking this car is more expensive than it really is. When you compare this car to a V-6 Altima or Accord for the same price, you really are getting one heck of a deal. It has all the practicality of those cars, with the fun of a muscle car thrown in as a bonus for the same price. You must not like to have fun, or hate cars, to not want that.

That is without a doubt one of the nicest sets of stock wheels I've ever seen on a non-exotic car.

It appears that GM is starting to get the enthusiast-oriented RWD sedan down pat... so what are the odds of Edmunds getting an '09 CTS-V for a long termer when it's available?

johnnyturbo -

"My response was geared towards those who live in real winter climes like "abyss". Folks who live where big snowfalls are a fact of winter life, like they used to be for me back in New England before I moved to LA-LA land."

Yeah, I can agree. But if you live somewhere with hellacious snow, get a 4x4 or a winter beater. The "regular" or performance car gets all-seasons or summers, or stays parked.

But I think last winter is an anomaly: that will now only happen every few years.

"But if you live somewhere with hellacious snow, get a 4x4 or a winter beater. The "regular" or performance car gets all-seasons or summers, or stays parked."

...

I don't think the Legacy GT is a competitor to this car in any sense except that it's performance oriented and has 4 doors...ok, maybe it's a bit of a competitor :)

Owning a 2008 LGT 5-speed (which I bought for less than 25k new, which I'm damn proud of), I have to say this in comparing the LGT to the G8 GT:

The G8 has substantially more interior room and is substantially larger and heavier (even though the Subie has AWD, it's about 400-500 pounds lighter)

The G8 has instant thrust and gobs of power compared to the laggy and little bottom-end on the LGT.

The G8 does not offer a 6-speed manual (yet), whereas the LGT is really only it's true self in a manual transmission.

LGT is AWD vs. the G8 RWD....if you want to do burnouts, you want the G8. If you never want to worry about available traction, you want the LGT.

If you want a 2.5 liter low compression boxer engine, Subaru all the way...if you want a 6.0 liter amazing american V8....

Joe

P.s. Not too many people have said this straight out, but this long-term test of the G8 GT is making me SERIOUSLY consider the G8 for a replacement of my 06 Civic SI in the next few years. They just have to offer it with xenons and a 6-speed manual transmission....with maybe a reallly tall overdrive gear to help convince my wife that I need 6.0 liters instead of 2.0 :)

I just passed 2 of g8's on the road this past weekend. I forgot how nice the car looks in real life. it really doesn't look as big as 195in.

then again, my sunfire according to specs is huge at 180in and thats a 2dr coupe,.

if it was only able to get smilar mpg.

"Maybe it's so loved because it's 90% of what the editors want in a car, at the price they want it?"

Whatever you say. The G8 has the same "issues" as the Aura but it's RWD and from Australia so it's seen a little differently. I like both cars but it's apparent that being RWD gets you bonus points. From a design and execution standpoint the G8 isn't a better car than the Aura or Malibu, but it's a much more distinctive offering since it has so few direct competitors.

"It appears that GM is starting to get the enthusiast-oriented RWD sedan down pat... so what are the odds of Edmunds getting an '09 CTS-V for a long termer when it's available?"

I hope they get one, but that is unlikely since they have a CTS.

The people criticizing the fit and finish "problems" with this car need to take a look at other cars before commenting. The door and trim dont line up perfectly in the G35 or a host of other cars I have been in recently. It's a common issue. Unfortunately we dont get close up shots of such trim unless it's a Gm product.

1487 - Have you driven a G8 GT yet?

Joe

To follow up on joefrompa's P.S... I have been following this car for some time through various sites and forums, and the posts on this blog have been pretty good and informative all around. I'd say this site had a pretty heavy hand in helping me purchase a G8 GT earlier this week! =)

I saw my first Ontario-plated G8 last night, very exciting. Despite its understated looks, I really think it stands out in the crowd.

Vgx - Awesome man! Time to post up some pics and feel free to follow my lead in posting obscenely long reviews of your own car in one of these threads :)

Joe

"1487 - Have you driven a G8 GT yet?"

Uh, no. What does that have to do with interior design, construction and material quality? The primary knock on the Aura is that it lacks the "refinement" of the Almight Accord, especially in the interior. The G8's interior is as decent (or subpar) as the Aura's. Neither car is on VW's level but both are nice enough.

Don't try to change the subject. Here's what you said,

"The G8 has the same "issues" as the Aura but it's RWD and from Australia so it's seen a little differently. I like both cars but it's apparent that being RWD gets you bonus points. From a design and execution standpoint the G8 isn't a better car than the Aura or Malibu, but it's a much more distinctive offering since it has so few direct competitors. "

You are saying that the G8 gets alot more love because it's RWD and it's from Australia, and then YOU make the argument that from a interior/exterior design, execution, construction, and material quality standpoint that the G8 does NOT deserve to be more loved than the Aura or Malibu.

However, you completely dismiss the DRIVING charactertics of the car....which are most likely the biggest factor in people loving or hating a car, excuses it's weaknesses or highlighting them.

And, at the same time, you haven't driven the G8 and explain that you feel it is only loved because it's RWD and from Australia.

Your bias is showing. Quick, cover it up under a load of justifications.

Joe

The Aura looks like a step below the Malibu. The Malibu is just that well done.
Chevy made a car that looks really high quality, more so than the Accord by a large measure. In my eyes, the Malibu looks like a Acura competitor.

The Aura's exterior trim looks clunky and unfinished in comparison. The Aura looks like a step down from the Malibu inside and out.

As for the G8- RWD is a big reason but being a classic layout w/ big V8 and looking fantastic while giving you more room than a 7 series at a Accord price... if that's a sin than save a room in hell for me and the G8!

I finally got into a G8 tonight and really explored it...can't wait to share my experiences (lol) but I'll wait till the next G8 post :)

Joe