2008 Pontiac G8 GT Long-Term Road Tests Archives

If you've been wanting a Pontiac G8 with a V8, either a GT like ours or a more desirable GXP, the pickings are getting slim.

A quick search on AutoTrader reveals only 111 V8-equipped G8s still exist in dealership new-car inventory nationwide. By the time, this blog entry publishes, it likely will have shrunk further. Will this near-term scarcity translate to long-term collectibility?

Oh, and if you're content to drive around in a ho-hum V6-equipped G8, well, there are apparently still 145 of those for the taking.

Erin Riches, Senior Editor

Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT

Just before we sold our 2008 Pontiac G8 GT the oil change indicator came on. We had driven an amazing 13,000 miles without changing the oil. We were curious to know whether this was too long between changes or whether we could have kept rolling. We sent a sample of the oil off to Blackstone Laboratories to have them check the quality.

Here's what the lab had to say. And we also have some thoughts from our Edmunds engineering editor.

Continue reading...

Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT

The new owner of our 2008 Pontiac G8 GT, Angel Acosta, will service the car himself.

We weren't in a hurry to sell the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT so we listed it for our True Market Value price and just relaxed. At first we got no calls at all but then we got a few nibbles. One caller was a scrap metal dealer who often traveled to Australia and knew the G8 as the Holden Commadore. But he couldn't buy until the end of the year when his current lease expired. 

A short time later, a gentleman who identified himself as Angel Acosta called and scheduled a test drive. Since he was coming all the way to Long Beach from San Diego I knew he must be serious. He asked about my price and I said I would be willing to "adjust" it since it now had more miles.

Continue reading...

Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT

Below are the fuel economy numbers for December 2009. We've listed the best, worst and overall average tanks.

As usual, a couple of cars are out on the road or unavailable at the time of this writing. I'll continue to add them as they come in and let you know in the comments.

After the jump you can see the list sorted by best average MPG.

Continue reading...

Categories: 2007 Honda Civic GX,2008 Pontiac G8 GT,2009 Audi A4 Avant,2009 Audi S5,2009 BMW 750i,2009 BMW M3,2009 Dodge Challenger R/T,2009 Dodge Ram 1500,2009 Ford Flex Limited,2009 Honda Fit Sport,2009 Hyundai Genesis V6,2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD,2009 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring,2009 Nissan 370Z Touring,2009 Suzuki SX4,2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS,2010 Honda Insight EX,2010 Mazdaspeed 3,2010 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD

The oil sensor in our 2008 Pontiac G8 GT finally told us it was time for an oil change. We checked records and the last time we got new oil was 13,000 miles ago! We wanted to send an oil sample off to Blackstone Laboratories to see what they could tell us about the condition of the oil. We wanted to know if the oil was truly done, as the sensor indicated, or whether there was any life left in the slippery stuff. 

Our first stop was to look in the owner's manual to see what Pontiac had to say about oil changes.

"When the system has calculated that oil life has been diminished, it will indicate that an oil change is necessary. ... It is possible that, if you are driving under the best conditions, the oil life system might not indicate that an oil change is necessary for over a year. However, the engine oil and filter must be changed at least once a year."

Still, we were curious about the condition of the oil and why the sensor finally went off. We tried to use the "vampire gun" that Blackstone gave us to suck out a sample by inserting a long tube down the dipstick opening into the oil pan. However, we came up dry. We took the G8 to Boulevard Buick Pontaic GMC, in Signal Hill, CA, where the service advisor said the baffle over the oil pan prevented anything but the dipstick from being inserted. We asked him to keep a sample for us while doing the oil change.

By the way, the oil change, inspections and tire rotation was only $39.95. It took them two hours to do the service and clear two recalls. We'll report back on the condition of the oil after we hear from Blackstone labs.

Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT

How can we even dream about selling our 2008 Pontiac G8 GT when there is a huge scratch under the driver's door handle? It's the first thing a buyer would see on a test drive.

Some folks from Turtle Wax came by and showed me this product so I thought I'd give it a try. Michael Deddo, Turtle's senior research chemist, said the scratch was probably just in the clear coat. He was right as you will see in the before and after pictures on the next page.

Continue reading...

Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT

We've listed the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT for sale and have only gotten two calls and no buyers. Last time I blogged about this someone left a comment that said something like, "Why don't you supposed 'car guys' ever wipe down the engine compartment? I do that to my car every three weeks."

Even though someone else responded to this comment by calling the three-week cleaning, "sick," I took the comment to heart. And went to work.

Using some spray shine/cleaner and a wet rag, the result was very satisfying. To see the "after" picture, please turn to the next page. 

Continue reading...

Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT

(Photos by Kurt Niebuhr. Sweet illustration by me!)

This comparison was thrown at me while I was back East for Thanksgiving. I was thrown for a bit of a loop as I thought, for the first five minutes of the conversation, we were talking Genesis Coupe. 

Here's some background:

Let's say your'e a young guy, whose current car is on the way out. You just graduated college and are currently in a Master's program at a school 20-30 miles from your house. 

Let's also say you live in the Northeast and have, for some reason, been brainwashed by your dad that the ONLY acceptable car has four-doors , rear-wheel-drive and a tankeresque curb weight.   

It's also not a Mercedes-Benz. BMW or Lexus. 

Ideally, it's a Chevy Caprice or its evil twin, the Impala SS. Acceptable, too, are the wagon variants of the B-body. 

So you'd think the G8 would be ideal, right? I mean, it doesn't get more perfect than that, right? 

Uhm, not quite; There are some sticking points: 

Continue reading...

Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT,2009 Hyundai Genesis V6

Below are the fuel economy numbers for November 2009. We've listed the best, worst and overall average tanks.

As usual, a couple of cars are out on the road or unavailable at the time of this writing. I'll continue to add them as they come in and let you know in the comments.

After the jump you can see the list sorted by best average MPG.

Continue reading...

Categories: 2007 Honda Civic GX,2008 Pontiac G8 GT,2009 Audi A4 Avant,2009 Audi S5,2009 BMW 750i,2009 BMW M3,2009 Dodge Challenger R/T,2009 Dodge Ram 1500,2009 Ford Flex Limited,2009 Honda Fit Sport,2009 Hyundai Genesis V6,2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD,2009 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring,2009 Suzuki SX4,2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS,2010 Honda Insight EX,2010 Mazdaspeed 3,2010 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD

It hurts to sell a great car like our 2008 Pontiac G8 GT at this time of year. You can almost sense that the shoppers have their minds on other things. We even had one guy email us several times saying he wanted to buy it when it came up for sale. I contacted him but, alas, his employment situation had changed. That was probably code for "layoff."

Still, I'm sure a buyer is out there for this car which has been a big hit with our staff (in fact, we had so much fun with it we ran up 35,000 miles). The only question is what price the G8 will go for. Right now, we are at almost the full TMV price of $21,900. Check out our ad for our Pontiac G8 GT on Autotrader.com. And make an offer.

Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT

There's so much that GM fundamentally got right with the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT-- steering, ride/handling, thrust, space, looks (especially its rear three-quarter angle) -- that polishing it up for a second-generation would have been a snap.

Just rejigger some of the interior controls, slap in the six-speed manual and/or liven up the sluggish autobox, an external trunk release, larger side-view mirrors, sexier wheels, and... hmm. I think that would cover the major issues.

Not very major, are they?

Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor @ 34,480 miles.

Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT

Just for fun, let's imagine that Pontiac hasn't joined Oldsmobile and Geo in the great GM brand graveyard (located amongst a block of abandoned buildings in Detroit).

With that assumption, which would you buy: the 2010 Pontiac G8 GT or the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS? Both are from the same platform from Down Under, both have V8s, both are rear drive, both are General Motors products, both have switchblade flip keys, both are built in former British colonies not of the Original 13 variety. Am I missing anything?

If this were a Face-Off, which car would you pick? Click through to see what my selection would be.

Continue reading...

Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT,2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS

I'd mentioned in a previous post that though I love the comfort of the G8's cabin, some aspects of its overall presentation strike me as being a bit dated. I think the biggest offender on this front is the center stack. That digital display at the very top reminds me of an Atari video game from the '80s, and the rest of the stack looks cluttered to my eyes.

While we're on the topic of the center stack, the control layout on that panel isn't that intuitive. For example, there are two audio knobs; one controls volume as you'd expect, but the other isn't a tuning knob -- it's used to govern menu setup choices. And pressing the volume knob doesn't turn the stereo on and off as you'd likely expect; instead, it serves to mute the volume.

Am I being too harsh? What are your thoughts on the G8's center stack?

Anyway, these are relatively minor nits on an otherwise superlative car. R.I.P., G8.   

Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor  

Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT

This entry is a little tardy, but the G8 GT served as a shuttle for Tinker Bell on Halloween. Attaching the child seat was, as it is with most LATCH-equipped vehicles, a snap. Getting Tweaker Bell to bed after candy? Well, no so easy.

Chief Road Test Editor, Chris Walton @ 34,130 miles

Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT

The G8's cabin reminds me of my older brother's basement. Descend those stairs and you'll find that the room is a bit messy,  and some of the furniture looks like it belongs in a time capsule. But the couches are comfy and the vibe is mellow -- all in all, it just feels right.

So it is with the Pontiac. The car's cabin looks dated in some respects, but the seats offer just enough support and I love the way the steering wheel feels in my hands. Now if only it had pay-per-view and a Wii...

Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor @ 34,170 miles 

Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT