2008 Pontiac G8 GT: Not That Great, Actually

Donna is reaching pretty far for this one.

At stop lights, it should shudder. It's a 6.2L V-8. Almost all GM V-8s have a shake (LS1 in the F-bodies, Corvettes, the LS2 in the GTO).

You guys are hard on brakes. You complained about the M3 and replaced them with an upgraded set, replaced them on the 370Z, and have had issues with the brakes on other vehicles in your fleet. The compass I can't explain. I've seen fuel range computers that are just as bad in other vehicles.

Very small vices for a vehicle that has come a long way in the Pontiac lineup.

Which Caprice did you you learn to drive on that was so great? Caprices were roomy, comfortable and cheap to fix but that's about it for strong points.

As much as I hate to see this car go, I am kind of happy. With it gone, I don't have to debate between ending my lease early and forking out 30 Grand.

You don't DESERVE the G8, it's too good for you.

It is unfortunate that there are so many niggles with this car when from afar it looked like the best to have come out from GM. It is quite simply gorgeous dare I say it better than even the venerable E39 M5.

I never understood why certain cars can't be made to the same standards of an econo Japanese car. The faults pointed out would drive me mad.

If only they would just spend a bit more on the interior refinements, this car would be such a winner.

But yeah, you guys are hard on brakes. You need to get them replaced.

The 370Z brake problems can be traced back to its track test. Can you guys trace back the G8's brake problems to any specific event or did someone just notice this while driving around normally?

GM is bashed for reusing the same stereo head unit in most of their cars, but at least they have fairly intuitive interfaces. This is one thing that shouldn't have been lifted straight from the Australian model.

Stop whining and have the mirror and fuel range checked out then.

The stereo button "attenuates", but how stupid would that look on the screen. Linguistics count but get over it.

Beyond that, as stated above, it should shake. It's part of the appeal of large cubic inch engines. I found it reassuring.

Also, you guys are hard on brakes.

You guys owe it to yourselves - and us - to get this car tuned just like the BMW 135i. Tuners are getting close to 40rwhp out of the engine and the transmission tune fixes the gear hunt and reduces torque management.

Check out the VMS tune or HP Tuners. I'd love to see what numbers come out of the L76 with AFM turned off.

Maybe there are a few valid reasons behind Henderson's refusal to bring the G8 back as a Chevy.

Sounds like anything I might write about my experience so far with a 2009 G8 GT would be useless...
At best.
- Ray
Mute has worked exactly as the word suggests from day 1 & mile 1 -
compass is accurate -
idle is fine -
I understand how the 'range' calculation works -
now at 11,100+

*Checks calendar* -- Nope, it's not April 1st...

...Which means: You're SERIOUS with this post?!?

MAYBE the brake rotor issue is worth getting upset over; that would make this car as bad as a Nissan (except for, you know, all the other stuff that hasn't broken on the G8).

Has anyone tried the fixes for the compass & fuel range suggested in other posts?

And the Caprice! What the... How could you... Ack! I need to get some air.

Go Donna!

I can't fault the G over the rotors. I can't remember the last time I was able to turn rotors rather than just replace, I bet its been 15 years. Modern rotors are mostly made to be a replaceable like the pads.

Nostalgia's great and all, but a Caprice (of any year) is ostensibly a worse car than the G8*.

Based on your complaints, it seems your ~30k would be better spent on an Acura. Some people want impeccable build quality and beautiful interiors. Some people want cars that are a hoot to drive.

*The only exception being that the Caprice's bench seats likely allow for more non-driving in-car fun than the G8. Maybe that's where the nostalgia comes in. Cars in high school and all...

Seriously, Donna -- 200 times better? Admit it, you were just trying to get responses to this post.
And yeah, everyone knows you guys murder brakes. What, do you all late-brake like Nigel Mansell?

I have only have one problem with it: no manual.

"There were rumors for a while that the G8 was going to become the new Caprice. Well, I learned to drive on a Chevy Caprice and I can tell you it was 200 times better than this car."

Maybe your memory is a bit fuzzy, as there is no way that ANY Caprice is better than even the lowest level G8. I suppose if you're not a fan of the G8, you probably hate the 370z.

I'm starting to realize how hard you guys are on your long term fleet. Simply put 1 Edmunds Mile = 2.5 Miles of the Motoring Public.

Can't say I agree with the overall vibe of this post, though the broken compass would indeed bother me.....warranty issue i'd hope.

I can understand the idling and brake issues. But seriously, you guys pick some of the most ridiculous things to quibble over. The mute button? The compass? (It's under warranty! Get it fixed!) And lastly anyone who lives by the fuel range gauge will surely die by them. Get a grip.

So you're upset that the G8 isn't a slow, wallowing, bulbous shaped boat? Honestly, if the compass and fuel range gauge are your biggest quibbles then the car can't be too bad. It's a 6 liter engine, it's supposed to shake a bit at idle. I think the braking issue has been beaten to death as well.

Donna is cranky because we always pick on her GT-R lemon. Remember, this is the same person who had the "Lemonade" post about the Robot-car-from-hell, which only works when it wants to.

I hope you read the responses Donna, those take care of all your niggles no problem.

I can't fault the brake issue. Today's cars are generally built with thinner, lighter rotors than 15 years ago. I have had rotors warp in my '96 Sunfire, '96 Taurus SHO, and 2007 Subaru. None of them could be turned and I just had to replace them.

What I like about V8s is that they're smooth and generally powerful. But I haven't driven a late model GM V8 since the 1980s. And those had a smooth idle.

So, why is it now typical for GM's V8s to shake at idle? A cross plane crank should keep it smooth. Are the cam profiles that radical on these, in order to further increase the power?

Donna:

Did Edmunds change the way or how much you are paid? Are you now paid by how many comments you get, because if they did, then bravo you have outdone yourself on this blog.

Did you learn to drive on or in a Chevy Caprice? I personally learned to drive IN a Chevy Suburban. Have at me? I know we were a little hard on you with the lemonade(GT-R) but some of us were just worried about your finances, that is all.

1) The mute not muting was obviously fixed in 2009, because mine doesn't do it. Just to be certain I wasn't crazy, I cranked the volume in my car and hit mute and it went 100% silent in approximately 1 second. Good thing since that would make using my aftermarket bluetooth a pain.

2) Compass - as far as I can tell from forums, your car and mine are the only ones on the planet with a similar compass issue (past tense for mine). First I have to ask, have you set the region and done the calibration? If yes and the problem appears, TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. That's what warranties are for and they will likely replace the mirror. That's what they did with mine and it's been 100% correct ever since.

3) You lost us at Caprice praise. I owned a former 9C1 highway patrol Caprice and it was almost the first and last GM I ever owned. Horrible. I was unemployed and it was cheap though. Fortunately I made my 2nd GM car an '09 G8 GT and love driving the thing.

These complaints don't seem to be to severe with the exception of the brakes. But as others have noticed, brakes seem to be an issue for several of the Edmund's long term fleet.

If I was in the market for an automatic transmission sedan, the G8-GT would be near the top of my list. The fun bang for the buck ratio seems very high. For current lot prices, not much else compares, the Camry XLE V6 and Accord EX-L V6 (no Nav) are about the same price and maybe more luxurious, but are they more fun to drive?

But alas, I am not in the market for a new car and once my daughter's 529 plan is fully funded (my current priority), the LS engines and fun cars in general will be the stuff of history as the market only will offer drive high efficiency transportation appliances.

@ aurakr,

Thank you, I am glad that someone else noticed too...

Complaining about a shake at idle in a car with a big, honkin' V8 is like complaining about blood at a MMA fight. It comes with and is very much a desirable part of the territory.

the sometimes shaky idle has been a complaint of mine ever since i got my gt back in may of '08. my other complaints are the hard to adjust seatback. there is no excuse for that lousy design! i also think the suspension sounds a bit fragile and makes to many rattle like sounds (dealer found nothing). otherwise though i really enjoy the car. and it will do a very nice burnout when you feel like playing teenager!

the sometimes shaky idle has been a complaint of mine ever since i got my gt back in may of '08. my other complaints are the hard to adjust seatback. there is no excuse for that lousy design! i also think the suspension sounds a bit fragile and makes to many rattle like sounds (dealer found nothing). otherwise though i really enjoy the car. and it will do a very nice burnout when you feel like playing teenager!

At least, when Karl used to write
such blogs regularly, he would actually
often respond to Member comments.
Sometimes. . .
I miss that.
- Ray
Member here for over 10 years . . .

Donna,

This post indicates a willingness to espouse risky opinions in the face of opposition.

However, your invitation to abuse also shows a disturbing masochistic streak.

Do you co-workers use you as a "doormat?" Does your family disrespect you? You may escape into automotive journalism as a way to shut the door on your failed everyday life.

Help is a phone call away.

Dr Burke

at stop lights, the car shakes and idles

I would hope that the car idles at stop lights.

My 09 doesn't shake at idle, my brakes work extremely well with no warp in the rotors, my compass works and my fuel range is somewhat innacurate. The mute on the radio works, so I guess that I got a good one and you got a lemon.

Mine has 17.3K miles, and I am averaging 21.2 mpg.

I am somewhat dissapointed at the top speed, being only 137 mph, but a reprogram of the PCM will fix that.

hey kingfish4 - where have you been able to enjoy that kind of speed? I hope at a racetrack!

Things the car doesn't like about you:

1) At stop lights, instead of flooring it and leaving the Mercedes behind you choking on tire smoke, you cry about your mute button not turning down your Michael Bolton greatest hits
2) Instead of enjoying being lost in a monster V8 with sticky tires, you whine about the compass not getting you back home in time to catch the next episode of of Tyler Perry's House of Payne
3) Just about everything else

"So, why is it now typical for GM's V8s to shake at idle? A cross plane crank should keep it smooth. Are the cam profiles that radical on these, in order to further increase the power? "

For the most part, yes they are. I'm not sure about the base G8 GT engine, but most of the LS series V-8's have cams with a bit of lope to the idle. My LS6 has a cam with very high lift, and slightly longer duration, surprisingly long for a production street car. Most of the power is made from the higher lift, because overlap from a long duration increases emissions at idle too much. The LS6 rocks and shakes and gets a sticcato idle sometimes because of that cam, but I kind of like it. The aftermarket long duration cams really rock it though. Combined with headers, that's an awesome sound.

Just for comparison, my single test drive of a 2008 G8 GT indicates that it rocks or vibrates far less at stoplights than any Subaru built before the 2010 model year (they just revised the engine cradle to eliminate the rocking).

Try having your pistons punching sideways and not in harmony at low engine speeds....

As for the brake shudder: Pads, fine, whatever. How do you know the rotors need to be replaced? Seriously?

Brake shudder is 95% of the time just pad deposits left in the rotor. It's a function of a poor brake pad choice, not a deficient rotor.

Go re-bed the brakes with a nice 8-10 hot stops from 60 and plenty of cruising afterwards to let the brakes cool. If the shudder is still there and unlessened, then come back and complain.

Joe

P.s. If the compass is unfixable, it's worth complaining about multiple times. Otherwise, it's a waste of your readers time to have 6 people mention it.

Is there really a need or reason for all these personal attacks against Donna beyond personal amusement?

You should be so lucky that people can't comment on the way you do your job!

I don't think these are personal attacks against Donna, but when you purport to be an automotive journalist of some sort and then claim that a Chevy Caprice is 200 times better than a G8GT, you're opening yourself up to criticism. Which, as several people have suggested, was the intent of the blog entry in order to bump up the number of comments. Hey, it's working!

As for the car, maybe it's because I have an '09 GT but my radio mutes, the compass works, the fuel range I ignore because I have enough sense to fill the tank when the gauge gets below a certain point, and my brakes work just fine. And I can't wait to get my car tuned.

altimadude:

What mdpensfan said. Donna writes car porn about a lot of fantastic modern machines. That's not an impossible job for an enthusiast to take seriously.

This post, comparing the G8 to a Caprice, constitutes either a lapse in judgment, or a failure to take her job seriously. The former is understandable. The latter is inexcusable.

Donna was stirring the pot and I assume she expected this kind of reaction.

maybe she's referring to those black Caprices that had SS badges on the trunk and a floor mounted shifter and those 5-spoke wheels

Wrinklebump--It's not out of place to compare a G8 to a Caprice. Name one sedan that has come from GM, besides Cadillac, to pick up where the Caprice/Impala left off. Pontiac Bonneville GXP is the only one that comes to mind, but that was a front-driver.

Also, we all seem to hold a dear place in our heart for the car we learned to drive in/high school car. It may have been the worst thing on the road to drive. I don't know how many times I've heard people say they would rather have their high school car than Car X.

I agree that some of Donna's comments were calculated to get a reaction. That is why I do not consider any of these "editors" as "journalists". More like provocateurs, but that is 24-hour news/blogs for you.

That said, this is a perfect example of why people like myself feel that Edmunds IL has a bais against dometics, particularly GM. Most of the cripes against the G8 are similar in magnitude to the BMW 135, which nearly every IL editor loves or likes. But in the G8, it means that it is "not so great", even though none of the IL editors will deny that the G8 is a great "enthusiast" machine. And the G8 starts every time. At she isn't as blatant in her BMW-love as Riswick...

The Caprice 200 times better than a G8? In what way? This is the kind of comment that cannot be thrown out and not elaborated on..(And I LIKED the Caprice..)

See what I mean? Provocatuer...

I learned to drive in a mid-1970s Chevy Caprice Classic that had a big honking V8 engine under the hood. It was a special edition. The car was huge, like driving a tank. But I swear it went from zero to 60 mph in a heartbeat. At least it felt that way. It was a gold coupe and had bench seats. It looked something like this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1976_Chevrolet_Caprice_Classic_Landau.jpg

Loved that car. Wish I still had it. My brother's friends used to beg my Dad that if he ever got rid of the car, he would let them pull out the engine. All of my friends fathers had Caprices but I was the only one with the super engine. Yes, it was better than this Pontiac G8. And I told you I'm not a G8 hater. I wrote a post about all the things I like about the G8. It's a good car. It's just not the savior-of-the-domestic-world that everyone makes it out to be. You guys are really sensitive. -- Donna

"Well, I learned to drive on a Chevy Caprice and I can tell you it was 200 times better than this car."

Ummmm.....what??

I was ready to say the above and then I saw your rebuttal/explanation, Donna....and I still say...what?

The Caprice does sound like fun, you have great memories of it and the car was probably worthy of such. But to say it is so superior to the G8.....what?

I drove a '67 Plymouth Fury II with a 318 and 3spd auto - I can still feel what it was like to drive it and how quick it felt, a nice, fun car. But, that Fury has nothing on something like a 300 now.

@ wrinklebump

"Things the car doesn't like about you:

1) At stop lights, instead of flooring it and leaving the Mercedes behind you choking on tire smoke, you cry about your mute button not turning down your Michael Bolton greatest hits
2) Instead of enjoying being lost in a monster V8 with sticky tires, you whine about the compass not getting you back home in time to catch the next episode of of Tyler Perry's House of Payne
3) Just about everything else"

this was sssooooooooooooo f-ing funny!!!!! omg i couldnt stop laughing, and im at work!!!! when i read it, i just got a mental immage of a little woman in a g8 literally crying when she pushed her mute button and the mercedes fyling by her but she doesnt even notice becuase shes fixated on her mute button!! the house of payne thing was hilarious too! great post man, great post!

Sweet Jesus that car is horrid looking. Try separating your childhood nostalgia from your job.

My first car was an '85 Dodge Charger. Lots of great memories, seemed so "sporty" with that 96 hp engine and pinstripe package.. and it was a piece of dung compared to even the most basic of cars offered now.

No one is claiming that the G8 GT would have saved the domestic car industry. First of all, it's not really a domestic product. Second of all, no one car can/will save the industry. But to paraphrase Lee Iacocca, if you can find a better car for 27k (with leather, 19" wheels, moonroof and a 361 hp engine) then buy it!

My first car was an '85 Dodge Charger. Lots of great memories, seemed so "sporty" with that 96 hp engine and pinstripe package.. and it was a piece of dung compared to even the most basic of cars offered now.

Hey, that was my first car too! Such a travesty of the Dodge Charger namesake.

I now have an 09 G8 GT and this is easily the best car I've ever owned. Better than any car my buddies own. Everyone that sees it loves it. It runs great, drives even better, and is such a blast. Even my father in law, a staunch anti-domestic guy likes it. It's the first car I've owned that got his approval. This car is a HUGE upgrade to the droves of Accords/Camry's on the road. It actually has some personality to it.

Wow, I have newfound respect for Donna DeRosa as either a master of irony, or an extremely soft target for derision.

I realize how words posted in a comment box can seem much more harsh than the same words spoken in a face-to-face conversation, so please take this in the spirit of enthusiasm in which it was intended:

THAT is the Caprice you've been teasing?! That is the WORST iteration of that mediocre nameplate that GM ever released -- bumped-up engine or not!

Hell, my grandpa's treasured '68 Impala with the 327 V8 had more style & character than that '76 whale ever could...and even with the small block, the Impala's power was probably not far off either. But as much as that car was a beloved part of my youth, I still don't think it's better than any sedan available today.

Donna:

I too have very fond memories of my first car, a 72 Chevy Impala 2 door coupe. I often felt that it was fast, but as I got older, I found out via research it wasn't particulary fast or even quick.

It had the 400 cubic inch engine. Various magazines said the 0-60 time was about 11 seconds, but it felt much faster. What I do remember very fondly about that car was that it could hold 8 people inside easily, and it seemed to never have an issue climbing any hill, and it never seemed to downshift to pull long hills.

What fun my friends and I used to have racing that against his 73 Ford LTD. His car seemed a little quicker off the line, but I seemed to catch up at higher speeds.

However, do I think it is better than today's cars, no, not at all.

"You'll always remember your first time." Note that it doesn't say fondly or hatefully, but you WILL remember it.

Donna - did that Caprice rock at idle too? I'm curious because of all the talk on this post about how all the LS engines do, I wonder if the old V8 did as well.

It's amusing how many comments posts about the G8 GT seem to generate. The more negative the comment, the greater the number of posts. I wonder if Donna was actually having an office competition...

As an owner of a GXP, a more purposeful version of the same car, I can state that I don't mind the idle. But I do have a love-hate relationship with the thing. My car has 5000 miles on it and the interior is already making a LOT of noise. But then there are nights when I come out to the car sitting under a streetlight and marvel that I own such a gorgeous beast. And it's those nights I roll down the windows, pop the sunroof, and enjoy cruising, listening to the roar of the engine and the sound of the wind. It makes me fall in love with the car all over again.

Here's hoping I don't have to replace the rotors, though. Those upgraded front rotors are ... large, and I'm sure they have a price to match.

RE: range display...

MY G8 GT range pics links

Avg MPG since last fill = just over 20.
Not bad [ I think ] given that most of my commute
Is in & out of MidTown Atlanta.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/rayainsw/MY%20G8%20GT%20range/P1410793cropMPGavg.jpg

Trip odometer – reset at that last fill shows 180 mi.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/rayainsw/MY%20G8%20GT%20range/P1410803trip180.jpg

Range shows as 174 miles.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/rayainsw/MY%20G8%20GT%20range/P1410809range174.jpg

And the fuel level shows as just barely over half a tank.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/rayainsw/MY%20G8%20GT%20range/P1410817range174justoverhalfatank.jpg

Given that manufacturers see typically to calculate \ display ‘Range to Empty’
In a somewhat conservative manner – this all makes sense, to me.

YMMV.

- Ray

Thanks for the explanation, stingray454.

I remember seeing a few '76 Impalas/Caprices when I was a kid. That was the last year of the big ones before they got downsized in '77. And now, a car the size of the '77 - '96s is considered big.

I think that we tend to have fonder memories of the first car we had or the first relatively powerful one we drove, that were perhaps a little beyond the reality of how we'd see it today if we could experience that same car again. The continual improvements to cars over the last 33 years ironically tend to mask how much better they drive and feel.

eidolways - I don't know what to tell you. My 08 G8 GT with 18k is still solid as a rock. I'm sorry. Anyway to get the dealership to check it if you can find what is making noise?

those aren't too bad compared to the 370z. stuck in gear and then a complete tranny swap? I don't know if i could ever recover peace of mind after such a major issue so early in the car's life.

I love my G8 GT as well and Donna's quibbles have been thourougly and rightfully trashed so I will not comment on them. I have had it for just over a year and have about 9000 miles on it, and in most instances its been a joy to drive.
Not everything is perfect, and I have a few problems with mine. Main gripes would be the manual lumbar adjusters and the fact that they are very hard to adjust once seated, and the seat is just not comfortable for more than a couple hours. Also the On Star and XM Satellite boxes take up valuable space in the trunk, cutting drastically the height of anything you might want to fit in there which is really frustrating since it has such a big trunk.
Also the control arm on the passenger side needs to be replaced (parts only coming at the end of August) and the calipers have already been replaced. I must say though contrary to what most people report here, my dealer service has been excellent, and when the caliper replacement did not fix the initial problem, they order the control arm before they even called me to come and pick up my car. Despite some small problems I definitely would purchase this car again with no regrets.

Heresy!

- I have had brake shuddering from day 1 in my G8 as well. Solution-Had rotors resurfaced under Warrenty. Result-Shudder gone.

- As far as shake at Idle. Solution-Go buy a honda civic. Result-Shake no more at Idle.

- Compass not accurate. Solution-Calibrate it for magnetic variation. Result-Compass is accurate.

-Fuel mileage off. Nothing to do to fix it, but if you understand how it works you will realize what the engineers were trying to do when they designed it. It uses Actual mpg and actual fuel load, as opposed to an average(which most cars do). So the only time that it is really acurate is if you have been driving at a steady rate for a while. Average works good until you are getting low on fuel(where it matters)then you want actual numbers.