2008 Pontiac G8 GT: Fourth of July at San Diego's Petco Park

In its defense, the G8's ignition is much more early 2000's Mercedes: insert the key, give it a quick twist and let go, and the car starts itself. Well, sometimes. There's like a time duration to hold it required, but you can let go before the engine actually fires. I haven't quite figured it out yet in my GXP...

The GXP has a noticeable engine note even in 6th, though. Give it some gas and you're rewarded with an increase in the guttural growl that always undergirds the well-suppressed wind and road noise.

I personally think it's a great car.

Socks and sandals?

@carguy822

SHOOBIE!!!

Did you get some special journalist permission to photograph on a closed street? That part of 8th is closed on game days.

Of course socks and sandals! That is the uniform for all the hippies in California. But this guy looks like he has showered in the last week. Maybe he's not a hippie.

And hondacura4, if it had all that stuff, it would cost $45k+. As it is, it will eat any Acura on the road today, and it costs less than most of those ugly trolls.

"And hondacura4, if it had all that stuff, it would cost $45k+"

No it wouldn't. Lots of cars around $20k have those items, let alone the $30k a G8 costs. (Mazda 3, GTI)

I looked up some G8 forums to see what kind of deals people are getting on these right now. It sounds like they aren't that great. Lots of dealers are sitting on them and won't deal. 6M GXPs are going for sticker! Even GTs are not getting much on top of GM's current incentives (which are only ok).

compliance, those cars also don't have a 6.2L V8, with an excellent 6-speed stick, an LSD, and they're a lot smaller. You're comparing a peach to a grapefruit.

Socks and sandals are a no-no in CA. He must be a tourist from the midwest ;) , a fresh import on a work visa, or European.

Pontiac would charge for the option, not provide it out of the goodness of their heart. They'd make money on it. HIDs aren't exclusive anymore, definitely not in this price class. This stuff should be available for people that want it. I don't really care what other good features the car has. This is almost like not offering AC.

I'm speaking as someone who would have a very hard time buying a car without HIDs again.

One of the worst ballparks ever. For a city with so much great food and weather it's astounding how craptastic that park is.

compliance - You have HIDs? The only experience I have is being blinded by them on the highway. I hate 'em for it! But you like them that much? How come?

You're absolutely right that the HIDs, Nav system, preimium audio, should have been offered though. I'm curious how much they would have increased the price. I think nav systems are silly, but on my G8 site there was a long thread about how much the lack of a nav system option has hurt the cars sales.

+1 point for m_thrizzle. Nice.

If you're blinded by oncoming HIDs it's likely they are aftermarket, or are way out of alignment. When aimed properly the light falls below the eye level of other drivers so they aren't distracting. When I pull up behind someone there is a distinct line where my headlights stop, which will be only part way up the rear of the car in front of me.

What makes them awesome is that they throw light all over the road. It's very even too, so you don't have the bright spot in the middle with everything getting dimmer around it. They make night time driving so much more relaxing. HIDs are one of those things that you don't really know what you've been missing till you have it.

A decent analogy would be that night driving goes from SDTV to HDTV. There's some hyperbole in that though.

"If you're blinded by oncoming HIDs it's likely they are aftermarket, or are way out of alignment. "

I love driving with HIDs, but I'm blinded quite regularly by oncoming vehicles with them. I find the most common problem vehicle is the Nissan Maxima or Altima. For some reason, these just aim right into my eyes.

"One of the worst ballparks ever. For a city with so much great food and weather it's astounding how craptastic that park is."

Please elaborate, blueguydotcom. And maybe that would be enough to get aurakr to come out of hiding.

suby,

Good parks - like say Safeco field offer a good seats (Petco's seating is extremely tight and I'm a small guy!) and more importantly they have an amazing array of food. Even parks in run down areas like Houston (Minute Maid Park) offer a wide selection of local restaurant foods. Petco's downtown, amongst the Gaslamp which has a wide array of fantastic restaurants. Yet the food at Petco is limited to like 3 places. We're San Diego - you can get a taco or sushi or fresh fish just about anywhere - except at Petco.

I dunno, after visiting other newer parks in this country I found everything from the seating to the food to the design of Petco to be a stepdown down from competitors. Yeah it's better than the Q (where the Chargers will play for another year or two before splitting) but that's like saying Long Beach is a step up from Compton.

Complaining about the food at a baseball game is like complaining about the visuals at a Bach concert. You're missing the point.

Dogs and beer. End of story.

That being said seating design is critical. Personally I love the Skydome, but I found one of the greatest parks was the old Yankee Stadium. Lower bowl seating there was amazing.

subytrojan:

You win :)

blueguydotcom actually is correct, unfortunately about PetcoPark. I have been to Safeco, the Ballpark at Arlington, and Baltimore's park, sorry can't remember the name. Some of the sight lines are amazing, but he is right about some of the seats, and the food. They have improved this year compared to the past, but he is right :(

However, if you truly want bad food, go to the Q for an Aztec game. The good, normally, only 20,000 so you have great seating, the food, horrible.

The one good thing about Petco is the 5 for $5 or 5 for $10.

However, remember this, we still get to live in San Diego year round, yeah.

About the Chargers splitting, I hope not but fear it may be a reality.

When are the editors going to get a Camaro RS with the V6? I would love for them to also test the Equinox with the 2.4.

I just returned from a two day, 1100 mile run in my Aura XR. I averaged anywhere from 28-30 mpg. Not bad for the 3.6 Don't tell the editors, I haven't had problem one, except when a teenager in an Accord hit me in the back quarter panel, necesitating $4000 in repairs.

Warning, do not plan on making good time in Arizona until the cameras are gone. They even have roving cameras outside Yuma. Speedlimit only, I hated it.

"That being said seating design is critical. Personally I love the Skydome, but I found one of the greatest parks was the old Yankee Stadium. Lower bowl seating there was amazing."

Skydome's seats are horrendous. Sight lines are ok, even if you're a long way from the action.