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Pontiac G6: Real World MPG

67lemans67lemans Member Posts: 1
in Pontiac
I have been looking at the G6 4cyl base model. What kind of real world
city and highway gas mileage can I expect? Does the 4 have adequate
power? Thanks :D
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Comments

  • vanman1vanman1 Member Posts: 1,397
    My buddy has a base G6. He told me highway mileage is bang on EPA and city has been 1 or 2 MPG worse.

    I have driven the car and power is more than sufficient, it's quite peppy. The 2.4L is very modern with VVT.
  • nosirrahgnosirrahg Member Posts: 872
    I test drove a base model 4-cylinder a few months ago, and it compared very favorably to my wife's 2003 Accord 4-cylinder (both automatics). I honestly don't know how the horsepower ratings compare between the two, but the Pontiac seemed move lively than the Accord - to me the Accord feels heavy and sluggish; the G6 didn't.
  • exalteddragon1exalteddragon1 Member Posts: 729
    does anyone know if you can get a 4 cyl with leather?
  • nosirrahgnosirrahg Member Posts: 872
    Doesn't look like it from using the "build your own" option at pontiac.com.
  • bossman141bossman141 Member Posts: 56
    Exact same situation. Leased a 2006 Honda Accord LX Special ed in November for my wife. I had a GM card with $2000 on it and a Volvo that I was upside down on. Last week I traded the Volvo for a new base G6 lease. The G6 is very similar to the Accord in terms of horsepower and to me seems a bit more peppy than the accord but, the Accord does seem "richer" than the G6. Better standard features (ABS) on the Accord and just a more hearty feeling all around on the Accord. That said, I'm extremely happy with the G6. The car is good looking, handles pretty well and apparently gets great gas milage ( hasn't broken in yet). Well done GM! Keep it up!
  • nosirrahgnosirrahg Member Posts: 872
    Also interesting to compare the dimensions of the G6 to the Accord - I don't remember how they compared interior-wise, but on the exterior they're almost exactly the same size.
  • spsmithspsmith Member Posts: 3
    Help! I am frustrated with the gas mileage I am getting with my 2006 G6. I average about 22-23 with mostly highway miles (70/30). The car has about 4500 total miles with one oil change, 17" wheels and automatic. The axle ratio is 3.05.

    Can anyone tell me if the mileage improves? The best I got one time from a road trip was 25.

    I like the car otherwise, our fifth Pontiac.
  • boxer4626boxer4626 Member Posts: 6
    do you have anything in ur car? maybe u have weights in the trunk u forgot about for ur new workout center? that could bring it down... put ur car in drive on a flat surface and see if it rolls. maybe there is something in the rotors that is preventing it from moving so u r using more gas to power it... look at ur wheels is there any rust anywheres on ur rotors? when ur driving r u gunning it or r u using the car sparingly? whats ur highway speed? u can go 90 in the G6 and have about a 28mpg... also check ur oil is it clean? is it full? try these things and tell me what happens
  • spsmithspsmith Member Posts: 3
    thank u. ur very helpful. good day.
  • hofhof Member Posts: 15
    I just rented a G6 base model with the 2.4 liter engine and 4 speed auto tranny. I found that the car had plenty of power. It cruised quietly at 80 when I thought I was going about 60. going into a 20 MPH headwind at 70 mph (90 mph wind speed), it was still easy to hear the stereo.

    Driving about 700 miles, mostly highway, I got 30 MPG one way and 32 MPG the other way.

    It was a while before I realized the trip computer was in the stereo. Once I found it, I was able to do some quick checking in the brief amount of city driving that I did. It appeared to be 22-24 mpg in fairly heavy traffic.

    Based upon this trip, I would not hesitate to recommend the G6 to someone looking for a fairly inexpensive car. I don't see any reason to pay for any more engine than the 2.4.

    Overall, I was impressed by the G6. My only significant complaint was that the stereo had no minijack input or cassette deck, so I had to play my XM Roady radio through the FM transmitter, and there was a lot of interference from other people doing the same thing.
  • lynnpage9999lynnpage9999 Member Posts: 1
    I bought my 2006 G6 coupe in August. Has 1,800 miles on it. I feel like I am forever filling up with gas. Looks like I'm only getting about 240 miles per tank. Used to have the Acura 3.2TL and could get over 300. What mileage are you getting?

    Love the remote starter however just recently the air conditioner acts up when starting remotely like its trying to do blow air but doesn't. Only happens on remote start.

    Otherwise, great car. I'm pleased.
  • e2helpere2helper Member Posts: 1,002
    If you have auto climate control system you have to leave it in AUTO mode for it to function during remote start
  • jack15jack15 Member Posts: 25
    I've got the 07 convertible and so far it looks like 12.5 MPG and 240 mile range MAX.
  • oglethorpeoglethorpe Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2005 G6 GT and I normally get 27-28 mpg.

    This is mainly highway driving, but I have gotten better than 30 on long trips. Given the size of the car and the power put out from the V6 engine I am very satisfied with my gas mileage.
  • jdhebert23jdhebert23 Member Posts: 19
    I just discovered this forum today and I am trying to figure out why some of you are experiencing such dismal fuel economy. :confuse: In May 2006, my partner and I rented a G6 with the V6 in it and drove from Southwest Louisiana all the way to Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and back. It was about 2,500 miles altogether. We kept an eye on the trip computer on the open highway going about 75-80mph, we experienced over 32 mpg. The average mpg for the total trip was about 28 mpg, which included some in-town driving. We didn't "feather foot" the accelerator either...we drove the heck out of that car. It was very comfortable for us, and I am debating on trading my Passat for one. :shades:
  • ajay5ajay5 Member Posts: 10
    I have a 2006 GT coupe. 16,000 miles so far. On long trips I get 33 hwy. My local ranges from 22-24. Great for a 6 cylinder.
  • mearlymearly Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2007 GTP sedan with the 3.6L V6 and six speed automatic. It has 400 miles on it so the engine is still in the "break in" period. I've gotten between 26-30 mpg on the highway and 18-20 mpg with careful driving in town. It was rated at 20/28 in 2007, and only 17/26 for the new adjusted 2008 EPA scale, so I feel I'm doing pretty well. Not bad for an American car with 252hp and 251 #ft torque. Hopefully this will even improve a little with time.
  • budmantombudmantom Member Posts: 33
    I have an 06 GTP sedan and I get 24-25 in town and 27-28 on the highway, I drive conservatively.
  • thefunkybatthefunkybat Member Posts: 1
    I am looking at getting a new car, and really want to get a stick shift. I had been looking at getting a G6 for the longest time, and was excited to see you could get a 2007 in a standard. However, when I looked at the MPG at fueleconomy.gov, I was appalled to read that the only G6 you can get in a manual, the 3.9L 6-speed, gets 16 MPG city and 25 MPG highway. Does anyone own this car, and actually get this low gas mileage? Or is the website HEAVILY over-compensating?
  • gstraub1gstraub1 Member Posts: 1
    Mine is a 2005 sedan V-6 auto. The dash has an electronic mileage counter. This car regularly gets 35 to 37 MPG on the PA Turnpike. However, in constant stop and go traffic, it's tough to get it over 20. 17 to 18 is the norm. Again, I am referring to constant stop light, stop sign traffic, no boulevard curising mixed in.
  • mgarcia2411mgarcia2411 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 4cyl and I average 250 miles to a full tank and am getting really frustrated i traded in my gmc envoy for this to save $$$ on gas and so far I am so dissapointed. It has about 5,000 miles and have had one oil change. Dealership kept telling me wait until you hit 3,000 miles then you will see a difference and I havent. The highest my computer has ever shown is 22.7 mpg and that was when i went on a long trip out of town and it didnt get up to that point until I was almost at my destination. I just dont get it, does anyone know what the probelem maybe? I have called GM and no help and the dealership says there is nothing they can do I do not speed i dont slam on the breaks. Any ideas? I cannot imagine getting the gas mileage some of you are getting in the 32's.
  • ajay5ajay5 Member Posts: 10
    Wow, that mileage is terrible! Wish I had an answer for you.
  • jimtxjimtx Member Posts: 3
    Does the car seem to be running properly. If it does, you should be getting at least 30 mpg with this car on the highway. In my experience, when someone is getting crappy gas mileage, and the car is running fine, you have to consider that it may be the driver. There are two types of driving that will kill your gas mileage:

    The first type is the lead-foot who drives at high speeds, tailgates, and is always having to hit the brakes to keep from rear-ending the slowpokes. Even if you are not a tailgater, driving at 80mph will get much much worse mileage than someone who drives a modest 60mph.

    The second type of driver who gets poor mileage is one who I have particular enmity towards--that is the people who drive an automatic with two feet, one on the gas and one on the brake. This type will swear that they are not riding the brake, but in fact they are and it will kill your gas mileage.

    A good way to tell if you are either of the above driver types is to ask the following question: How many miles do I get off of a set of brakes? If the answer is anything less than 50,000 (and it should be more), you are either riding the brake or having to brake too often and it will kill your gas mileage.

    If you can honestly say you are not one of these drivers, have the dealer check the car because something must be wrong.

    Just my two cents. Hope it helps.
  • mgarcia2411mgarcia2411 Member Posts: 2
    Hi and thanks for info, Im definately neither one of those drivers, I know all the tips that are supposed to help conserve gas mileage and Im very concious of my driving. Im always thinking about the gas mileage, I hate to even pass ppl on the highway b/c i believe it uses more gas. I have taken in and they say all they can do is hook it up to the diagnoistic machine and if it says nothing is wrong then they cant do anything. I have recently been monitoring the mileage when I drive and this is what I have concluded. When I drive on the highway for a long distance, the computer reading for the mpg goes up a point every 8 or 9 minutes. Thats even I am just staedy driving no stopping. It normally reads around 20.5 so if i take a trip thats usually where i am then about 8 or 9 minutes later it would go up to 20.6 then 20.7 and so on. Can you imagine how long it would take me to get to 30?!! I would have to drive to California and I live in Texas. The highest it has ever gotten is 22.9. But as soon as I get back in to town it declines much faster than it goes up. I have no clue how to get them to fix it!!
  • bohboh Member Posts: 2
    I may have an answer to your mileage dilemma. Axle Ratio! I am looking for someone with more info and data to see if it is the right answer. I am looking to help my daughter buy her first car. (She has been driving one I gave her for the past 4+ years) She wants one of the new G6's. So I began doing some research, and I started test driving the vehicles. I first drove the 3.5 V-6. Then this morning, I drove one of the 4 cyl's. I am looking for the most economical vehicle, but do not want to buy her a vehicle that will not perform over the next 5 years. Gas mileage is important, considering that she is going to be financially challenged, and is starting out a new family of her own. I was making a deal on one of the base models with the 4 cyl, and I noticed the axle ratio for that particular vehicle is 3.91. That set me back a bit. That is the standard axle ratio for that model. That is why the car ran as it did; with quite a bit of power and quickness, when I test drove it. I came home to do more research on axle ratio, without the car salesman following me around. The spec sheet on the G6's shows that they offer 4 different axle ratio's, depending on model and preferred package that is on the vehicle you are looking at. The ratio's available are 3.91, 3.29, 3.05 and 2.77. Not all ratio's are available on all of the vehicles, as far as I can tell. Does anyone know if you can get the 4 cyl. with a lower axle ratio than the 3.91 or not. It seems to me, that any of the other three ratio's would for sure increase the fuel mileage. Any info from someone that knows more about this would be appreciated! Thanks!
  • bud35bud35 Member Posts: 1
    My 2008 4 cylinder G6 with 3000 miles behaves the same way your car does. The mileage is TERRIBLE. That's why I'm searching the net. Sorry to hear about the dealer experience, I'm bringing mine it tomorrow to have them look for an answer to the mileage issue. I've never had a car that averaged under 25 mpg. I'm getting below 21. ARG. Please post again if you find any answers and I'll do the same.
  • wjtinatlwjtinatl Member Posts: 50
    I don't own a G6, but travel extensively and get them (and Saturn Aura's) as rentals quite often. My experience is the 3500 V6 will get an average of 25-27 mpg in mixed highway/city driving. Same with the Aura and Impala that share this engine. 4 cylinder G6 and Aura only get 20-21 at best. The earlier post regarding axle ratio is right on, the V6 is relaxed at 2000 RPM at 75 mph, the 4 cyl. runs at 3000 RPM. It's pretty obvious to me that GM created the 4 cylinder G6 and Aura to compete at a lower price point, not to offer a more economical car. However, 4 cylinder or 6, all these mid-size GM products have brake rotors that warp within 12,000 miles.
  • vmsvms Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2006 3.5L V6 GT. Around town I get 22-23 mpg. When the car was new it got about 19.5 around town in the same commute, and then it slowly drifted up to about 22.5. When I go out on the road I will get up to 29. I wonder if your tire pressure is ok, or if you need a four wheel alignment. With the 4cyl you should get a couple miles better than I do. Do you close the windows when you are on the highway? When I let the tire pressure go down the mileage goes down. I use the mileage indicator to learn when I need to add tire pressure. Otherwise I am not sure what the problem would be. I can bring the mileage down to 19.5 if I stand on the gas all the time. If the mileage stays down, bug the dealer to find out what the problem is. Something is wrong. Best of luck.
  • vmsvms Member Posts: 2
    Oh yeah, do you shut off the air conditioner when you don't need it? That costs about 2-3 mpg. Good luck.
  • fxr884fxr884 Member Posts: 1
    Do you reset the MPG before long highway trips or after? Before I go see my girlfriend who lives about 2 hours away, I reset it just before I hit the highway to get a more accurate reading I also reset it again once I get into town. I have the 2006 V6 Sedan and initially i used to see really crappy readings, Im not sure how it was set before I got the car but after I reset it I get around 31 on the highway and about 22 in town. Slowing down does help to I slowed just a little on one of my long trips(usually average 70-75mph) and I got an average of 33.6mpg on that trip
  • packer3packer3 Member Posts: 277
    There is no problem thats the way it is going to be all the time there is no fix, had a 05 Malibu V6 16mpg was tops in the city and 37mpg was tops for the highway returned it after 23,000 miles it was leased. I went throgh the same thing with the dealer they give you the we cant find anything, however in reality they know the answer, when you talk to other people "live" not blogs, you will find some of your answers.
  • elkbow2003elkbow2003 Member Posts: 1
    Don't trust the mileage computer to be accurate. Check it by dividing the gallons used into the total miles traveled on the tank of gas. Then reset your mileage and check another tank. The best way to get an accurite reading is run 4-5 tanks of gas and check the mileage using all fuel used and all the miles driven. (IE 75 gallons used in 2025 miles = 27mpg)

    I've seen the mileage computers be off 5 mpg or more.I have a 2004 Chevy truck that was off about 1.5 mpg consistently. It always got about 1.5 mpg less than the computer said it got.
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    Just made a 500 mile trip at 70 mph, some a/c, got 31.5 mpg, I can live with that.
    It was gallons divided by miles.
  • pbowlerpbowler Member Posts: 1
    Mine is a 2009 4 cylinder with the 6-speed auto "Sport Package". I already have more than 15,000 miles on it. The mileage with this package is satisfactory. I consistently achieve more than 420 miles per tank and average a little over 30 mpg overall. My work commute is highway, seldom stop and go, making the mileage easier to achieve. I have occasionally achieved 32+ mpg for a tankful (doing the math), but it is usually a little lower. It does not often achieve the EPA rating, but then few cars do in the real world other than hybrids or diesels. The only indicator I watch is miles left per tank; The mpg indicator is only useful to monitor driving habits, not for accurate, achievable measurements.

    For the total package considering size, roominess, comfort, performance, I am reasonably happy. We will see about long term. I am used to taking my cars to 200,000 miles but do not expect that of this car. I have owned mostly VW or Subaru over the years.
  • pennie3373pennie3373 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2008 Pontiac G6 4-cylinder sedan and I drive short distances. I drive approximately 4-5 miles per day with the longest distance without stopping being 6-10 blocks. I average 14-15 miles to the gallon. The sticker in the car says that I should be getting 22 so they say to figure 2 below that for a more accurate estimate. I am not getting anywhere near this. I average less than 200 miles per tank and it is absolutely ridiculous. I am so disappointed in myself for buying this vehicle. I am going to lose a heck of a lot of money off of it between licensing it and paying to fill it up constantly. :cry:
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    Your drives are too short, get a plug in electric car and your would never need gas.
  • maddog0324maddog0324 Member Posts: 55
    I have a 2008 4cyl Sedan that I bought used with 19,000 miles in July '09. I now have 43,000 miles. I have been averaging 24.5 mpg per tank, with 80/20 highway/city commute, 10% of the highway miles are stop/go traffic. On the open highway, I always use the cruise control to maintain 8mph above the speed limit. My last road-trip was 735 miles and I averaged 28.1 mpg. My last 90% city driving tankful only averaged 19.2 mpg. I don't go by the on-board mileage average, I divide the miles driven by fuel used. I don't let the fuel gauge go below 1/4 full, because it gets pricey using 93 octane (91 octane is what the owners manual calls for and 91 octane is not available in my area). I am a firm believer that spark-knock will kill the engine. EPA fuel economy is estimated based on optimum conditions, not realistic situations. What percentage is your city/highway driving and what grade gasoline do you use?
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    My 09 2.4 takes 87 octane, right in the owners manual. You better read your manual again.
  • maddog0324maddog0324 Member Posts: 55
    Your 09 is also compatible with E85 Flex-Fuel, correct? This was not available for the 2008 model year.

    The 2008 owners manual states:

    "If your vehicle has the 2.4L L4 engine (VIN Code B),
    use premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane
    rating of 91 or higher. You can also use regular
    unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, but
    your vehicle’s acceleration could be slightly reduced,
    and you might notice a slight audible knocking
    noise, commonly referred to as spark knock. If the
    octane is less than 87, you might notice a heavy
    knocking noise when you drive. If this occurs, use a
    gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as soon as
    possible. Otherwise, you could damage the engine. If
    you are using gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher and
    you hear heavy knocking, the engine needs service".

    A 4 cylinder engine would not benefit from reduced acceleration. I also don't want my ride sounding like some beater. Premium unleaded in my area is 93 octane. I will not use a fuel posted 6 octane points lower than recommended. Back in the day, you could get around spark knock by adjusting the timing and fuel mixture. Since cars these days are computer controlled and no user adjustments are available, I'll go with what is stated in my owners manual.
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    My engine is code B, 87 octane. Only 09 that will run E85 is the 3.5 VIN code K.

    It also states the 3.6 VIN code 7 will run better on 89 octane for towing. Everything else in the 09 line up is 87 octane.

    Something must have changed from 08 to09.
  • maddog0324maddog0324 Member Posts: 55
    They may have lowered the compression ratio for 09. I have not been able to find mechanical specifications for models after 2007 in the online Chilton's I have access to.
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    Do you suppose nothing changed and they just dropped the 91 octane rating for sales purposes. It says the engine will run on 87, you suppose if I used 91 in mine I would have increased power?
  • maddog0324maddog0324 Member Posts: 55
    I think they changed something with the compression ratio for the 09's. They specified 91 octane minimum for the 08's because they knew that the engines would knock loud enough. An engine that normally runs on 87 octane won't knock loud enough that you can hear it. If you run 91 octane in yours, you may see a slight increase in performance and fuel economy. I don't know what gas goes for in your area, but in mine they charge $0.30/gal more for premium vs. regular unleaded. It's up to you if the extra expense would be worth it.
  • bzebeezbzebeez Member Posts: 1
    i have a 2006 G6 i drive 4.7 miles to work and i get 287-310 miles out of a tank of gas and highway i get 497 i just drove from canada to va beach over 800 miles and i filled up once on that trip and had over a 1/4 tank when i got there i did a whole years reaserch on this car 06-09 and the 06 had the best gas mileage to offer and there is not much differant body wise other than the sun roof on the 06 and the radios in all of them i love my car and i dont think i will ever traide it in i bought it with 43000 miles
  • molina1molina1 Member Posts: 1
    I'm looking a buying a pontiac g6 used with 115,000 miles on it can anyone tell me if this is a good car to get with this kind of miles on it i want something thats gonna last me a few years atleast
  • maddog0324maddog0324 Member Posts: 55
    Just got back from a road trip in S. GA / N. FL, 650 miles all freeway. Day temps in the mid 90's, so the A/C was on full-time. I averaged 29.2 mpg @ 72 mph.
  • maddog0324maddog0324 Member Posts: 55
    Update:
    2008 G6 2.4L with 64,000 mi on the 5/10/2011 road trip. I just returned from a 725 mi round-trip N. GA / N. MS on 07/29/2012. Car averaged 29.4 mpg @ 70 mph with A/C on full-time & 1 adult passenger.
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