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Pontiac G6 Coupe
It certainly looks good, somewhat similar to Scion tC. It also has juicy interior. Did anyone see/drive it? Post your impressions and thoughts here.
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The Malibu i think also scored good in quality, the new 2004 one i mean. The g6 is architeturally based on that car, so it should be screwed together just as well.
Also, since this is its second year, i imagine that many of the bugs are bieng worked out. Every car has first year bugs, but the g6's only realy problems i hear abot are with the steering, something about a left turn going bad. I don't see any reason GM would not fix this issue.
The coupe should be awesome, and it puts its sights squarly on the accord which imo is its only real competitor since the solara is too big, tiburon too cheap and mustang too powerful and rear-drive.
someone back in the sedan thread did buy one. WE NEED HIM TO COME HERE!
I test drove the coupe last week and was extremely impressed by the ride and handling. I drive a Jeep Cherokee right now, and it feels like a kids toy compared to the new coupe. Many options come standard on both models (fog lights, monsoon stereo, day time lights) so it is a good buy. Very affordable and most definitely a nicer car than the Accord coupe.
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2006/pontiac/g6/100533506/ratings_jdpower.html?tid=edmunds.n.ra- tings.ratingsbody..5.Pontiac*
So far the G6 is selling about half of what the Grand Am it replaced did. They better hope that coupe sells really well. I read that the convertible is delayed.
Also, remember that The G6 did not have the 4cyl when it came out, and was overpriced. Now they both have the 4 cyl and they have lowered the price, atleast the 4 cyl model is very affordable, then add in any incentives and you have a very nice car at a very good price.
The only thing is, i wish they would add some more metallic trin around the dash, like they have in the torrent. It brightens up the cabin. The chrome everyware is very nice, however.
I think if GM kept the price as is, but offerred there 3.6L 255hp V6 here, the car sales would not need incentives. Its just a more refined engine and more noticable to the driver. I have not driven the GTP, and although it is nice and I understand why they stick with what they got, many people just want DOHC.
The GTP should be really awesome though. I think GM has a hit on its hands. Give the car somemore time, you will see this year they should sell quite a few G6's.
"Give the car somemore time, you will see this year they should sell quite a few G6's." Unless you mean 2006, this year is 75% over and the prime selling season (Summer) is definitely over.
Lets see what happens.
The car rode very smooth and absorbed bumps very well for having the sporty suspension, and summer only 18 inch low profile tires. Body roll was fairly minimal for a car of this size in this class. In turns, you could tell there was some heft to the car, but it tracked predictably and felt confident in turns. I couldn’t really toss it around on the test drive, so these are not at-the-limit impressions.
My number one complaint with theG6 is those darned high door sills, that make it nearly impossible to rest your arm on them. That complaint goes for half the cars on the road today, the G6 is no better. Rear visibility is not the best either. The rear of the car is fairly high, and the rear seat headrests really eat into rearward visibility.
I do have a couple quality/feature issues with the car. First, GM needs to get some body colored mirrors onto these. At least the “high end” GTP’s (both coupe and sedan). The flat black, rough plastic mirrors just look cheap on a car priced in the high $20’s. Especially when higher trim level Cobalt’s have the same mirror, but are painted body color. Second complaint is the paint. Is it just me, or do the G6’s have some of the worst orange peel on any production car today?
Overall I liked it. I really like the styling of it both in and out, initial build quality seemed very good, and the driving experience was entertaining. I think anyone looking for a mid size coupe in this class should give one a look anyway.
One thing that turns off people is the milege. The problem is the OHV engines respond differently to the same tests as do DOHC engines. Many people compain about the milege in the nissan 3.5L V6 that it is below the window stickers. At least with this car you know you will get what the sticker tells you.
It still does not change the fact that many people will see the sticker and have it influence them into the wrong descision. Wrong because they would omit this car for a reason that is in reality not true.
I am sure the 3.9L engine will take a lot of flack for it's 18 MPG epa city rating. That is a little low for 240 HP IMO when you just take it on the face of the rating. However, I have a feeling it is a byproduct of fairly aggressive gearing. The car does take off at the slightest stab of the throttle. It is certainly geared agressively for acceleration, and that will definately use more gas. I also agree that the EPA test can be very misleading, more so in some cars than others. Unfortunately, it is still the comparative standard, so those are the figures people will use.
It'll be interesting to see how that pays off in acceleration times. I know Pontiac is claiming a 0-60 in 6.6 seconds. I have yet to see any independent test times, either by the press or anecdotal from an owner.
Saw 3 of them, one a GTP. One of the nicest coupes on the market IMO. If only I didn't have kids.
We wound up getting an '06 BMW 325i.
Now our '03 Saab 9-3, which is built on the same Epsilon platform as the G6, is getting near 60K miles and we may need a replacement (have to have super reliability in our special circumstances) since the Saab's overly complex electronics are starting to act up some. The car is solid, it just has electrical issues. I was hoping a G6, not having many of the fancy gadgets of the Saab, would be more reliable.
When I saw the G6 coupe it got my attention. When I saw the added features of the GTP version (mainly stability control and some serious power) I started investigating. I'm impressed with what you get in a G6 GTP coupe for the money. I've driven camrys, accords, Mazda 6, and it blows those away in most areas. The Mazda 6 is a decent ride, but the styling inside and out and lack of structural quality had me worried. The real world price of the G6 is less, so you can put the difference into a 100K warranty if you want.
As for the fuel economy on the 3.9 engine. I assume it uses regular fuel? If so, that puts it up there with the near-lux cars that require premium. Our 325i is considered an efficient car. I get 21 city and just over 30 highway. The GTP is close to those numbers adjusted for fuel prices.
The GTP needs a 5 gear transmission, but it uses brute power to make up for it.
The BMW uses a 6 speed auto to get the most out of its modest hp/torque. It hits 60mph in 7.2 seconds with an auto, though Car and Driver claims 6.1 with a manual. It feels fast because it is always in the meat of the powerband and the engine really revs up there smoothly. Looking forward to trying the 3.9L engine and see if it's smoother than most GM engines of the past.
I don't put a lot of stock in JD power. I have filled out one of their surveys. They are insanely long and complex, and I doubt your typical owner will bother with it. So you get a skewed sampling. Only certain types of personalities would take the time.
I prefer the two tone interior colors to the black. GM's black leather is a little grayish and the interior a little drab. The Saab has a similar look with the beige seats.
For a driveout price of maybe $25,500 if you're easy on the options, this car is hard to beat. No, it's not perfect. But for $10,000 less, it will handle decently and outpace or at least hang with our other car. It's not as durable or long lasting maybe, but when it breaks it costs half as much to fix. I has the safety features and scores I want, and I like the looks. Consider me a fan of the GTP coupe.
Crysler was stolen by Dymler in a big purchase that was labelled a merger of equals. Crysler and its brands are now a German company.
I totally agree with you, though. The real differnce between our cars and foreign cars like crysler and toyota (never thought you could use those names like that ) is academic. GM is better than crysler for sure, and chevy i think is higher than toyota.
The G6 is a really nice car, just took a while to get used to. Still, I think GM could have done better. They did make up for it with the coupe. That new V6 should be nice. I love all the chrome inside. They need nav and HID's now, meybe even Xenon?
Hopefully GM will put that new 6 speed transmission here, it would improve the milage and the performance.
I was the first one to buy one at my nearest dealer in the Hollywood area of California. I get stopped by people who want to know if it is really an American car. Some people think the back end resembles the Z or G35 because of the slant. The car handles amazing to me. I have driven my dad's Mercedes and I love this car so much better....of course he just has a mid level mercedes...not sure what the exact number is... think it starts with E. Anyhow...I am still under 30 and this is the best car I have ever owned. FAST...SLEEK...AWESOME AWESOME! I was getiing a hand wax in Hollywood on Sunset blvd this past Sunday and even some guy who was getting his 90k BMW sedan waxed wanted to know what my car was. Anyone thinking about getting this car has to go test drive it at a dealer...WOW!
Three questions:
What options did you go with?
Was the dealer dealing or taking a hard line on price?
Were there any GTPs on the lot? (I've seen a few GTs, no GTPs yet).
Nice to hear the G6 Coupe is mixing things in the segment up a bit.
www.woodtrim.com and it looks great
Thats my input, if you are interested, you must drive one for sure.
I am and I plan to.
Day after Thanksgiving when everyone else is flocking to the mall, I will be at the local Pontiac dealer.
(Who, as it happens, has a Saab dealership under the same roof. I hope to check out the Combi at the same time)
I went with the basic options to keep my payment under 600. My payment is high because I am a first time buyer with a not so good interest rate. But.....I really feel like the car is nice enough that it is still way cool without leather and the 6-CD changer. I hook my IPOD into it anyway so the 6-CD changer was easy to go without. However I do regret not having the sunroof since I live in the nicest part of California just outside Beverly Hills off of the sunset strip. Great weather for sunroofs. Oh..well. It has a V6 engine...AC...17" Wheels...elect windows....elect seat height adjust...traction control is awesome (tested it out on wet roads recently)...the interior looks nice with chrome touches even on the basic model...cruise control on my steering wheel buttons....can't think of anything else right now. Things I do miss out on are the upgraded stereo controls on the right side of the steering wheel. But I am sooooo happy!
Yes there were GTP models on the lot....WOW! they are awesome with on star and satellit radio. However in my opinion, the wheels on the GTP are too fancy looking for the hot sporty look of the car (they don't match). The brushed aluminum on the GT's looks way better...more racer and infiniti like.... and less luxury car like.
I received a great deal with no hassle. I was the first guy to buy one at the local dealer. It's been a month now. I talk to my dealer still and he says they may have only sold one since then. The commercials just started airing so maybe that will change and they won't bve so negotiable. Until now I think most people only thought about the Solstice. But the G6 Coupe just kinda snuck out from behind all the solstice hype.
This is your big chance though. You played it right keeping the price workable. Make the payments, maybe even pay it off early, and you are on your way to a higher rating and lower interest rates in the future.
I like the engine and six speed in the GTP. I agree with you on the wheels and the base stereo. Now that I have an I-Pod, I would just as soon leave my CDs at home.
My last car was a convertible, so I would probably want a sun roof. I could live without one.
A good friend of mine from college, his wife (and two kids now!), live near Willoughby and Fairfax in West Hollywood. I've been out there to visit a few times. I know exactly what you mean when you say it is the nicest part of California. West LA is a great place to live.
This one looks like a real coupe!
Congrats on your G6...Just curious how you hook up your iPod. I've got a Malibu Maxx with basically the same radio, and it doesn't have an aux input. Are you using one of those gadgets that transmits on some FM channel? If so, are you happy with the sound, or is there significant degradation? Finally, is the gadget iPod specific, or can you hook up any "head phone out" or "line out" to it? Thanks...
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Tell ua what some of the tricks you used are?
I know this is not a forum for prices paid and all that, so meybe you can tell us something else, any problems so far?
One of the things that (in my opinnion) hinder people purchasing this car is fuel economy, particularly the city fuel economy. What do you guys think, would it be ok fo the G6 to get 20mpg city if you loose a half second in acceleration?
GM should probably change the gearing. Another was to get this fuel economy up would be to lighten the car up a bit. If it was 200 lbs lighter the fuel economy hsould also go up.
I see the same thing with the G6 and Cobalt, when you look at it from the side, it looks a bit front heavy (i mean the coupe) because of the front overhang. What do you guys think?
I just purchased the G6 coupe in black as well. After just about a week, and one car wash (by hand), I noticed a tremendous amount of surface scratching/swirls on it. I'm wondering if you've had any problems along those lines? The car is actually back at the dealership, as they recommended putting some type of protective polyutherane varnish over it to further protect from sensitive scratching. Would love to hear how your finish is doing now that you've had it for a few months...
Thanks so much!
Did you get a GT or GTP. If you got a GT tell us how you like the sterring, meybe at 2006 GM fixed the small lockup problem.
This car should get you plenty of looks, though
Any Idea is the G6 will get a Nav system and the 6speed auto any time soon?
"The performance of the G6 is dramatically better," Lund says. The structure was maintained very well, there was minimal intrusion into the occupant compartment, and most injury measures were low.
This car is rated acceptable for side impact protection, but only when equipped with optional side curtain airbags designed to protect occupants' heads. All injury measures recorded on the driver dummy were low, but forces recorded on the rear passenger dummy indicated the possibility of rib fractures or internal organ injuries. Without side airbags, the G6 is rated poor in the side test. This car earns the second lowest rating of marginal for rear crash protection.
here: http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/03/06/crash-test-results-ford-fusion-disappoint- s-video/
i dont care what the magazines say about this manual tranny(nobody likes it thus far), i really like it. the shifter is large and a bit heavy feeling so it makes it seem like youre really driving a powerful car. not like the toy-feel of the accord and certainly the cheap feeling civic si.
also, on the topic of gas mileage, i get BETTER than sticker! when i take it easy in-town i can squeeze 20 out of it, and on the freeway at 65 i get 31.5 sometimes over 32 if the a/c is off.
all-in-all this car is very well built and feels very solid. i am extremely happy with my pick of this car and would recommend it to anyone! i get tons of looks and when i have my windows down i get random compliments at stoplights. its funny cause ive never really experienced that before.
PS why do you think so many ppl ignore this car? All the specs have it pretty good against its competitors.
I have a camaro which I've always considered to have visibilty issues but they are not as bad as the G6 coupe.
I bought a G6 GT in January and it did not take long for me to release the headrests and throw them in the trunk. It gives a little more visibility, no one has been in the back seat yet and it has been 2 months. Push the backseat forward a little bit and release the headrest. This should help, I tinted out my windows and it would be impossible to see with these still in.
Although the 2006 G6 GTP coupe felt like a solid, well put together car, something I can't say for it's sedan counterpart I drove in 2005. It also has fairly nice styling. The front end is better than the Accord's, but the rear the Accord wins, IMO. I prefer the Accord's seats to the G6's, and the ergonomics too. It was the little tactile things like the dash and roof material, and plastics difference that helped along with the Accord for me.
I dunno about the shifter though. Personally i think the G6 GTP Coupe makes the Accord Coupe look like it belongs in a florida retirement home. :P
Has anyone found a manufacturer of aftermarket performance mods for this vehicle yet? I'm interested in a body kit, short-throw shifter, performance exhaust, and cold air intake for starters. If you know of any suppliers, please let me know.
http://www.razzi.com/vehicles/pontiac/g6_05CU_24dr_1122.shtml
I have been looking at user car pics on other sites, and see a lot of people are removing the headlight covers and painting the chrome bezels to match the body color. I was wondering how to do that. What kind of prep has to be done to the chromed plastic to make the paint adhere properly? Any clues out there?
Thanks!
I also love the looks people give me in the car. I haven't seen any g6's that look at all like mine (with the spoiler) and I've already had several people pull up to me and ask me what exactly I'm driving. I can see the resemblance that people claim to the Solara; however, I think that with the spoiler it looks almost like a cross between an Infinity G35 and a Solara, with a better-looking front and interior. I would highly recommend this car to anyone looking for an unusual, practical but sporty car!
The only thing I didn't really want was a sunroof, but the one that had the options I wanted had a sunroof. I love the look and the ride of this car. I got the automatic after reading about the "clunky" 6 speed. I really love the car. The visibility thing is not an issue for me as the Avenger had crappy visibility too. So I'm used to it.
I have a couple questions.
My radio sounds yukkie. I got the 6 disc changer Monsoon system with XM but I can not for the life of me get a good sound out of it. For the radio I have to turn the bass way down and then for CD's I have to boost it back up. In general the system sounds very midrangy to me.
Are there aftermarket radios that have the full system integration (the info and menu and programming stuff) built in to them so I don't loose those features if I want to upgrade?
Do you think that just a simple speaker upgrade would improve the sound?