2008 Pontiac G8 GT: 10 Things You Don't Know About The Last Great Pontiac

Actually, number 4 isn't entirely correct. If you fold down the center section of the rear seat you will find that it has two cupholders in it. Admittedly a poor design, but there are in fact rear cupholders. You just have to work way too hard to find them.

And number 5 is patently false. The drivers' window has auto down. I can't remember specifically, but I think that the front passenger window also has auto down. Just because it isn't labeled doesn't mean it isn't there.

it does have rear cupholders but they are not standard. They are in the armrest as cocar said.

Also, most cars that have center vents have rear cupholders in the armrest. On cars without a center armrest (mostly econo cars as well as Malibu) they are typically on the back of the center console.

In regards to number 5, from the owner's manual:

The driver and front passenger window switches have an express-down feature to allow the window to be lowered without holding the switch. Press the switch down all the way, release it, and the window goes down automatically. Stop the window while it is lowering by pressing or pulling the switch.

I've always appreciated GM & Ford's efforts to have #6 on its cars. The Northstar V8 was one of the first high tech V8 engines to run on regular.

So I guess that makes 1 thing you didn't know about the last great Pontiac ;)

as 1487 pointed out, most cars have cupholders in the center fold down console if there is one. I my Altima and M45 have that.

5. that's a shame. while not a deal breaker, it's hard going back to non-auto up and down windows after you have them. so convenient.

Nothing on the list is a deal breaker. I'd take a G8 GT over any other Government Motors sedan. That said, having owned a few Domestic orphans, I'm not all that eager to repeat the experience.

My 2009 G8 GT has auto up/down for both the driver and passenger

For #4 My G8 GT 2009 has 4 cupholders in the back, two by the rear vents and two in a hidden in the pull-down center stack, were the big pass-thru resides (there is also a trunk release in the same area as well as 3 Latch anchors that work pretty well). Maybe the 08 model does not have as many holders, etc. I don't know. As for tire noise, I have not noticed them to be overly loud at highway speeds, depends on the tires that came with it I guess. It does not require premium gas, but it performs better, I have no problem paying the extra 5 cents a liter.
One more thing, if you feel the G8 GT is a ilttle sluggish in shifting gears, there are tranmission updates that can be done for free at any dealership, makes a big difference.

So the cupholders dont count even though they are placed in the same location as most other cars? very interesting. Cupholders are pretty simple, either you have them or you don't. This car has them.

"That said, having owned a few Domestic orphans, I'm not all that eager to repeat the experience."

Yeah we got that. Considering the excellent reliability of ILs G8 so far it appears your fears are well founded. Good thing you are too savvy to be stuck in a domestic model.

"I have no problem paying the extra 5 cents a liter."

Where do you live that it's only 5 cents a litre extra for premium? Around Vancouver I've been seeing anywhere from 12 cents to 14 cents /litre (roughly 4 litres to the US gallon).

#3 would annoy me a couple times a month when I would have to get another vehicle just to move a box. They should make a wagon version.

#6 is a big plus (see above)

#1 I wonder how hard it is to change that battery.

#7 but it won't look as cool doing it

Overall a great car, hoping it becomes the Impala soon.

good riddance pontiac!

GM, Chrysler and most Ford models should also disappear!

Sorry America you cannot build nice cars. you should stick to building guns and bombs ;)

#10 is a problem, can't upset the hotties!

"Yeah we got that. Considering the excellent reliability of ILs[sic] G8 so far it appears your fears are well founded. Good thing you are too savvy to be stuck in a domestic model."

Exactly. There's nothing like owning a vehicle with little to no local dealer support- as you will soon discover. That said, thanks for the complement!

Firstwagon, in rural Manitoba its typically between 5 to 6 cents more, that's all. The bigger problem with # 3 is that the amps and sat box severely limit the height of the boxes that you can put in, so that part is more annoying. The battery is very easy to get to, just a pop out panel immediately to the left when you open the trunk, still has the booster connectors in the normal spot in the engine.
Another thing you might not know about this car is that it has no windshield washer sensor, which I find really annoying, epspecially on a slushy winter day, you do not want to run out mid-trip. It also has room for a spare tire underneathe despite the fact that it only came with an inflation kit (have 2 10 inch subs and a 5.1 amp in there instead, the so/so audio is now kick ass.
My dad has a Challenger 500 SRT8 2008 {limited production 08 challenger with a bigger engine (425 horse, 425 torque, 6.1 hemi) and better features than the one Edmunds has in its long term fleet}. We took them to a desolate stretch of highway, long story short my G8 gets beat just by 2 tenth's of a second. I may be biased but I think it looks cool, and is the best looking domestic four door sedan by far.

Scott, thanks for updating #4 and #5, but they really need to be removed completely.

The G8 GT also only holds 4 literes of windshield washer fluid, though the engine holds 7.6 liters worth of oil. The transmission updates also make the care slightly quicker off the line. Also with one push of the button you can turn off both traction and stability control, which is a hell of a lot of fun especially in winter. People may complain about rwd in winter, but with proper winter tires there is no problem at all, and I live in Winterpeg so I should know.

Roadburner, any other GM dealer can support a Pontiac, and I figure Chevy dealers are more common than Pontiac dealers anyway. Its like you have more options now.

stovt001

The real risk isn't that it's a Pontiac, it's that it's a Holden. If the car gets cancelled before they sell enough to make it common, you could have a real problem five or so years from now.

The dealer will still service it but whenever you need a part it will be out of stock. Chain store likely won't carry the parts at all after a while.

Unlike other Pontiacs the G8 share little if anything with other North American GM cars. It will require a lot of unique parts to be stocked and after a while they will stop stocking them.

The Astra could have the same problem. That's why I hope they find a new home under the Chevy badge.

1) The battery is on the left side of the car, where American's drivers sit. Should have been on the right, but that's because in Australia, the driver sit on the right and I'm sure they did not want to bother to change the wiring harness.

4) The cupholders do count. My kids used them yesterday in my G8 actually. There are bottle holders in the door pockets too.

6) You get 355 HP with regular. 361 with midgrade. The 2008's were rates at 361 HP on mid-grade. Pontiac changed the 2009's to 355 on regular grade.

For those that say they share little if anything with NA GM cars, they tranny is made in the US and is (basically) the same as the Corvettes. The engine is made in Mexico and is (basically) the same as GM trucks. Therefore, the two most complicated pieces of hardware share a lot in common with NA GM products.

Oh yeah you forgot point 11.

11) It's offers the size and performance of a BMW 5 with better gas mileage, half the cost, and has none of the BMW's ugly looks. ;-)

"Roadburner, any other GM dealer can support a Pontiac, and I figure Chevy dealers are more common than Pontiac dealers anyway. Its like you have more options now."

Thank you. When Olds was cut their cars were serviced at other GM dealers. Anyone claiming there will be no dealer support after 2009 is totally wrong.

usa1, how dare you insult the mighty BMW! You will be burned at the stake for heresy! You must not favorably compare ANY domestic car to imports, because all domestic cars are crap!

I will schedule your burning for May 5th at high-noon!

I am really tired of the 'domestic sucks, buy imports' posts I keep seeing. I am happy that usa1 enjoys the G8 GT as much as I do!

Fuh

I'm really tired of the, "domestics suck buy imports..." too. Almost as much as the, "how dare you insult the mighty BMW..." sarcasm.

Please. Stop. Regurgitating. Tired. Soundbites.

Scott,
Perhaps you can provide an example of a vehicle with non-lame rear cupholders that do count then? I fully admit that it isn't the best design, but unless you can provide at least a couple of examples that are better done, then I am going to have to call needless whining/bashing on this one.

"Unlike other Pontiacs the G8 share little if anything with other North American GM cars. It will require a lot of unique parts to be stocked and after a while they will stop stocking them."

Exactly. BTDT with a Scorpio. How many G8s have been sold? I can't see Good Old Boys Chevrolet Emporium or Twilight Years Buick Center stocking very many of the specific Holden pieces.

"The Astra could have the same problem."

It has an even more serious-and most likely terminal-problem: it will soon be a Fiat: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=147369

"Therefore, the two most complicated pieces of hardware share a lot in common with NA GM products."

But does that make them interchangable? Likely not.

The battery is on the left but the gas tank is on the right.

Either way, they're distributing the weight. It's not like they change that from down under.

2009.5 models (at least with premium package, not sure on the ones without) have rear cupholders that pop out of the center of the seat bottom. That and the addition of standard bluetooth (all G8s) are the feature differences. I really wanted a 2009.5, but the dealer offered to install a nice bluetooth kit and it was about $2600 cheaper than I could get a 2009.5 thanks to extra incentives on existing dealer cars. There also weren't any 2009.5s in the country in gray at the time, so I went with the 2009. All GXPs have the added rear cupholders and bluetooth, btw.

"Perhaps you can provide an example of a vehicle with non-lame rear cupholders that do count then? I fully admit that it isn't the best design, but unless you can provide at least a couple of examples that are better done, then I am going to have to call needless whining/bashing on this one."

You never get that here. They complain about features on certain cars but dont provide examples of comparable cars that do things in a superior fashion.

Roadburner:

Stop trying to scare people. Parts will be available. I assure you components on this car that we cannot see are shared with other GM models. As long as you can get brakes and tires and batteries you should be fine. I hardly think those components are unique to the G8.

The Astra and Cobalt/G5 are on the same platform. Still think there wont be parts available?

"Stop trying to scare people. Parts will be available"

Available? Yes. In stock and reasonably priced? Probably not.

I've been in this situation twice.

First time was my 1988 Mitsubishi built Dodge Ram 50. When Dodge stopped rebadging Mitsubishis, parts stopped being in stock and prices got higher and higher.

The exact same thing happened with my 1991 Isuzu Trooper when GM stopped caring about Isuzu.

"The Astra and Cobalt/G5 are on the same platform"

That's useful if you need a new unibody but what other parts do they share? Anything?

"As long as you can get brakes and tires and batteries you should be fine. "

Have you ever owned a car more then a few years old? Trust me, no matter what you own there are more parts then that on a car.

You should have said "as long as you trade it before the warrentee is up, you be fine".

firstwagon.,

If you don't want to buy the car dont buy it. Any car that is no longer in production may not have an ample selection of OEM parts. In many cases components come from suppliers and are shared with other vehicles. As time goes on finding replacement parts is going to get more difficult for any model that is no longer produced.

The cobalt and astra share transmissions, suspension components and likely numerous other parts that you cant see. That's the whole point of platform sharing. Within 100k miles there are few components on any car that should need to be replaced. To suggest that major components need to be replaced soon after the warranty period on a modern car is a stretch.

Suit yourself. Just trying to give you a heads up about what is waiting down the road.

firstwagon;

What a coincidence; I owned a 1979 Plymouth Arrow GT 2.6. Fortunately I sold it and bought a 1973 Bavaria, which, then as now, was a car which you can still obtain parts for- just like my 1975 2002:
http://www.bmw-classic.com/2/webmill.php
http://www.bmw-classic.com/2/webmill.php?id=630865

As for "scaring people", I doubt that there are many potential buyers of those cars left to scare...;)

Its a pity that with all the junk that GM has to offer, a decent brand like Pontiac has to go down.

Oh well! Iam not gonna lose sleep over it unlike some.