I looked a G6 all over the other day, if you turned it upside down it would look just like a Malibu, I bought a new Malibu loaded even with OnStar for $17,000. They are not go to sell the G6 at $27,000.
I think the problem GM (and other makers have also) is that people are hooked on incentives, especially on cars. They want to buy a G6 but figure if they wait a little longer they will get a better deal. I love the G6 but if I was looking at one, I know I would wait a while. The car is very good but it's not a have to have it car that can command top dollar. I suspect the Solstice will pull that off, the G6 needs some incentives.
MSRP of a loaded Malibu GT also is a bit above $27,000. GM gives big discounts for leftover 2004 Malibu: $3,500 for sedan, $4500 for wagon - sorry, Maxx. Rebates for 2005 Malibu are so-so, as well as for G6.
On the other hand, I received a coupon from GM card recently: $1000 above my GM card cash for most models, with $500 extra for G6, Buck LaCrosse and few other models. Guess, they are selling slow.
Here in Eastern PA, G6s are all over dealer's lots. I looked at them (along with other models/brands) and finally bought a Grand Prix.
The G6 received glowing reviews from reviewers at CR, Cars.com, and Edmunds. These are the same review teams that sing praises of foreign cars and rated the Grand Prix as "mediocre". This isn't the first time that I completely disagreed with the expert reviewers. In fact, on the their major criticisms was backseat room in the Grand Prix. I sat in the back seat of a Mazda6, Subaru Legacy Sedan, and G6 - all vehicles the GP was compared to. The GP is definitely roomier in the back.
I could also talk about low end torque and the subjective "interior fit and finish" that I also disagree with reviewers on. Instead, I'll just stop reading their reports. Nothing beats doing your own test drive.
Tonight I was invited to a showing this Sat by a local GM dealer....basic prices will start at Suppliers price which is their cost plus 4% ( translates to approx 1200.00 to 1800.00 off MRSP ), also, you can use GM points up to 1500.00 and my son can use graduate program which is 1000.00. In addition they have the " Hot Button Event " which is a discount of min 500.00 up to a max of 10,000.00 Yes, you can say GM is going all out to move their cars! Webby
For the size of the Grand Prix, the rear seat is very tight. If its roomier at all than the Legacy, 6, etc... its only fractionally, despite that those cars are like 10 inches shorter than the GP.
The Grand Prix is a mediocre car, with relatively few competitive advantages, aside from price. One thing to consider when shopping the G6 vs. the Grand Prix is that the GP can only be had with side impact head curtains, whereas the G6 also offers chest protection.
I really dont know why anyone would choose the Grand Prix over the G6. (Thats one really trick moonroof on the G6 as well.) Sure, you can get the supercharged GP, but by the time you're up in the 33K MSRP range... why not just buy something worth the price that doesnt need 5K worth of rebates to move off the lot?
I took a look at some G6s on the weekend at my dealer. They had 2 "G6 V6" models and one GT. GT looked especially nice. I think once there are some incentives on these cars they will sell very well. I'll bet a lot of people are waiting for them.
I'm looking at the G6 as a replacement for my wife's Beretta, but I'll probably buy a used one a couple years down the road. American sedans just take too big of a drop in value for me to buy a new one...
G6 is a nice car, but $$$$
I may look at the GPs as well. 2004 GP Gts are going for 16K around here (SC).
The new model coming out for the 2006 Model year is the GTP which has 240 HP.
The SEMA vehicle was what a "GXP" type of model could be. It had GM's DOHC V6 engine, a different family of engine from the OHV ones in the GT (3.5L) or GTP (3.9L) models.
So, are they going to build the GXP? Do you know if they gives tours of the Orion plant? I tried to go about a year ago but the tours were suspended due to the product changeover. I would really like to tour the plant. When I was young I toured the plant shortly after it opened with my father.
I saw G6 at SF autoshow. Looks good outside, but I do not like cheap feeling (and looking) center stack. That alone can deter me from test drive. I also doubt about OHC engine. In a family car like Malibu it may be okay, but for Pontiac it is not good enough.
Take one for a drive before judging the 3.5L. I went from a OHC Honda to a OHV 3.8 in my Grand Prix and I really don't notice much difference in refinement. I do notice the better off line performance and gas mileage though!
Okay. At least it has to beat my Focus (with 2.3L Duratec) in handling department. Focus has a nice radio, looks and feels more refined than one in G6. Seats are very comfortable and price is much lower.
last light , guess what they gave away. Yup, a silver G6. Looks like it had all the bells and whistles including the panoramic roof. The contestants had to win a swimming challenge to get it. My first reaction was they better not sit in the car with wet bathing suits , that is if it was my car.
I have to admit it looked pretty nice going down the dirt roads kicking up dust.
It seems like the only people driving the G6 are the ones given away on TV.
No one wants to pay a premium price for a car that, yes is better than the Grand Am, but is still not up to snuff as far as the competition is concerned. Wait till the incentives kick in then you will see some on the road. Personally I have seen only one here in central NJ. I have not seen one up close at a dealership either. Anyway, I think the car looks great, and it would be on my short list of GM cars to buy.
I rented a Grand Am around Labor Day and it drove pretty nice for an American car. I had a Malibu Classic for 1 day and it was the most uncomfortable car, so I exchanged it for the Grand Am. If the G6 is better than the Grand Am, I would definitely consider it when we look for a 2006. Having owned Camrys and now an Altima, the G6 needs to be something special, or have tremendous rebates to make us want to start a long term relationship with it. The wife usually gets a car up to 70k within 4 years or so, then she's ready to replace. Our choices in 2006 will probaly be the Accord, Camry, or G6 at this point.
GM's 3.8l doesn't get better gas mileage then the current accord's V6 and the accord can match the GP's off line performance. as for refinement, you got to be joking!
The GXP will most likely be built in 2006 but I wouldnt expect if before then. Every GXP concept car has become a reality thus far. C&D reviewed the G6 and were very positive about the styling and quality of materials. I was shocked. I wasnt shocked by the fact that they harped on the 200hp OHV engine and the electric steering. They also said the car did not handle like a real sports sedan. I supposed the Camry and Accord are true sports sedans though. TWhen complaining about the lack of acceleration they made no mention of the fact that the 3.9L engine was coming in the spring. I found that to be interesting since they mentioned it in their preview of the G6 two months back.
Grand Prix with a V6 gets 20/30. A V6 Accord gets 21/30, essentially the same. The 3.5L in the G6 gets 22/32 which is better than either. Off the line the Accord is quicker but it has less torque than the G6 3.5.
As for refinement, the Accord is likely a bit better but it's handling isn't as good so there is a bit of a trade off. In the end G6 is quite competitive and costs considerably less also.
Ok,you wanted to hear from an owner? I started reading here in Sept when I was researching what was available on G6 (not much besides GM website) but worked the decision thru and now have had my G6 GT for a month now and am very happy. Even though the $500 Hot Button came in Canada after my buy, the second looks I get on the road are worth it!! I had a 2001 Alero and did some real work looking for a replacement that didn't mean going backward (Sunfire) or too big. No regrets so far.
I just leased a G6 GT, liquid silver (although wife will be main driver). Got all options except the panoramic sunroof because I wanted to have XM radio and you can't get both due to antenna location. That is supposed to be fixed next year with new antenna designs
My wife just took her first drive in it today and her first observation was she couldn't see the front corners of vehicle like in her old one. She tried putting the seat all the way up but then bumps her head getting out. I am sure she will get used to the more wide-open view and put the seat down to a more comfortable position.
2 minor problems so far - neither one really the vehicle. The dealer only had 1 key delivered with vehicle and so cut another for me. However they didn't cut it correctly (I can see the difference) and it won't unlock driver door and although it will turn in the ignition I am afraid to use it. 2nd thing was me not paying attention to the details and lease contract was missing one of the rebates I was supposed to get. So back to dealer to get paperwork in order
Correct me if I am wrong but is the power warranty only 60,000 Km/36 months ? If true I am not aware of a shorter warranty on the market today?! Regards, Webby
Don't know about the US but in Canada the G6 with a V6 starts around C$25K. A V6 Accord will run you $29K+. I'd say that's considerably less. Even adding alloys and some options will still keep you $2k less and that's before the incentives hit.
While pumping gas the other night, I saw my 1st G6 and I was very impressed with the way it looked and with it's stance. Much nicer looking than the Grand Am, a nice muscular look. I could even see myself buying one next year when the wife gets her new ride. Hopefully all the 1st year kinks will be resolved by then. Renting a Grand Am this past september, I didn't mind the way it drove actually. If the G6 is better than that, it will definitely be on our short list.
e2 helper - i'm likely to buy a g6 vin 1G2 ZG52 80 54135678. is there anything i should know in terms of when made, any issues re the G6's made around this time, etc.?
I actually bought the G6 today and went to the web site you included, but I couldn't find the email rebate certificate. can you (or anyone else reading this) help me to track it down?
The upper right corner, where it says great offers from Pontiac. Allows you to click on for a form to fill in. Not sure how long GM had the deal with Oprah, so it may not be up much longer, but was there this morning.
thanks very much, pbgsalesman, montanafan, and e2helper. i found the link to the "Oprah rebate" for XM and i provided the information on-line to qualify for the rebate. Pontiac indicates that it will contact me w/in the next couple of days - we'll see if they actually do. I very much appreciate your suggestions on this.
If I read this correctly, the G6 now has 3.9% for 60 months plus $2,000 cash back if you finance though GMAC.
Seems like the incentives are starting to kick in. I really wish to some extent GM would adjust their prices to reflect the actual market and cut back on some of the incentives. The G6 (like many GM models) launched with a $1,000 incentive, obviously it was built into the pricing structure from the beginning.
I've got a 1994 grand am with water on the drivers floor and the rear passengers floor. There are not holes in the floor boards. Does anyone know where the drainaige holes are for this vehicle or if you experienced a simialar problem?
If you ask me, Consumer Reports is a sham. I took a quick look at the latest issue last night, and what I saw was ridiculous. Every car in the Toyota lineup was reccomended, and the Buick Rainier (and a few other cars) were given low reliability ratings even though every individual aspect of reliability was rated very good, with 3 exceptions which were rated "good". There's no way it adds up. I am not really saying all Toyotas suck, what I am saying is that there is no way every Toyota in the lineup is superior in its class. There has to be at least one with ergonomics, fit and finish, ride, or handling disadvantages which could be outdone by some of its competition. And quite a few cars I know are well built are given very low ratings. And to add to that, their surveys are flawed and oversimplified. I don't want to ramble on too long about this- but my point is don't write off a car just because Consumer Reports has nothing good to say about it.
In an OHC (OverHead Cam) engine the camshaft(s) is above the cylinder head and actuates the valves more directly. These engines tend to, although it's not always the case, produce their peak horsepower and torque at higher RPM.
The OHC receives its rotational force via a belt or chain from the crankshaft, and certainly a belt will have to replaced on a regular schedule. This is a fairly expensive operation for routine maintenance, in my opinion. Especially in an era of "lifetime" transmission and radiator fluids.
Comparatively, an OHV (OverHead Valve) engine has the camshaft in the engine block itself, and actuates the valves more indirectly: via pushrods. There is no need for a timing belt chain with this design, so that can save you a bit on maintenance cost.
OHV engines tend to make their peak horsepower and torque at lower RPMs which, in my Corsica and Alero at least, led to cars with fine "from a stop" torque and a quite low RPM and engine noise during highway cruising.
Our Alero for example is a 3000lbs car with 170ft.lbs@4800rpm, 200bhp@4000rpm, moves off the line and merges into traffic quite nicely, and for all that gets about 20mpg city and 32mpg hwy (U.S. gallons), and does 2000rpm at 70mph. Why would I care that it isn't the "latest and greatest" OHC engine ? I don't.
Why does GM continue to use them? - their capital investment is basically paid for, they are quite reliable, can deliver good fuel economy and work.
Comments
Unfortunately, it's the way of the world now.
On the other hand, I received a coupon from GM card recently: $1000 above my GM card cash for most models, with $500 extra for G6, Buck LaCrosse and few other models. Guess, they are selling slow.
The G6 received glowing reviews from reviewers at CR, Cars.com, and Edmunds. These are the same review teams that sing praises of foreign cars and rated the Grand Prix as "mediocre". This isn't the first time that I completely disagreed with the expert reviewers. In fact, on the their major criticisms was backseat room in the Grand Prix. I sat in the back seat of a Mazda6, Subaru Legacy Sedan, and G6 - all vehicles the GP was compared to. The GP is definitely roomier in the back.
I could also talk about low end torque and the subjective "interior fit and finish" that I also disagree with reviewers on. Instead, I'll just stop reading their reports. Nothing beats doing your own test drive.
Tom
In addition they have the " Hot Button Event " which is a discount of min 500.00 up to a max of 10,000.00
Yes, you can say GM is going all out to move their cars!
Webby
The Grand Prix is a mediocre car, with relatively few competitive advantages, aside from price. One thing to consider when shopping the G6 vs. the Grand Prix is that the GP can only be had with side impact head curtains, whereas the G6 also offers chest protection.
I really dont know why anyone would choose the Grand Prix over the G6. (Thats one really trick moonroof on the G6 as well.) Sure, you can get the supercharged GP, but by the time you're up in the 33K MSRP range... why not just buy something worth the price that doesnt need 5K worth of rebates to move off the lot?
~alpha
G6 is a nice car, but $$$$
I may look at the GPs as well. 2004 GP Gts are going for 16K around here (SC).
Turboshadow
The SEMA vehicle was what a "GXP" type of model could be. It had GM's DOHC V6 engine, a different family of engine from the OHV ones in the GT (3.5L) or GTP (3.9L) models.
I remember when they were building that plant because I worked for a company one summer that hauled away trash from the construction site
I have to admit it looked pretty nice going down the dirt roads kicking up dust.
It seems like the only people driving the G6 are the ones given away on TV.
They are out there. That said, it was a gray one and I actually had to do a double take as it did blend in a bit.
Having owned Camrys and now an Altima, the G6 needs to be something special, or have tremendous rebates to make us want to start a long term relationship with it. The wife usually gets a car up to 70k within 4 years or so, then she's ready to replace.
Our choices in 2006 will probaly be the Accord, Camry, or G6 at this point.
The Sandman :-)
GM's 3.8l doesn't get better gas mileage then the current accord's V6 and the accord can match the GP's off line performance. as for refinement, you got to be joking!
As for refinement, the Accord is likely a bit better but it's handling isn't as good so there is a bit of a trade off. In the end G6 is quite competitive and costs considerably less also.
at those prices the G6 isn't competitive.
I just leased a G6 GT, liquid silver (although wife will be main driver). Got all options except the panoramic sunroof because I wanted to have XM radio and you can't get both due to antenna location. That is supposed to be fixed next year with new antenna designs
My wife just took her first drive in it today and her first observation was she couldn't see the front corners of vehicle like in her old one. She tried putting the seat all the way up but then bumps her head getting out. I am sure she will get used to the more wide-open view and put the seat down to a more comfortable position.
2 minor problems so far - neither one really the vehicle. The dealer only had 1 key delivered with vehicle and so cut another for me. However they didn't cut it correctly (I can see the difference) and it won't unlock driver door and although it will turn in the ignition I am afraid to use it. 2nd thing was me not paying attention to the details and lease contract was missing one of the rebates I was supposed to get. So back to dealer to get paperwork in order
But my lease payment will be lower
If true I am not aware of a shorter warranty on the market today?!
Regards,
Webby
Just an FYI...
~alpha
Renting a Grand Am this past september, I didn't mind the way it drove actually. If the G6 is better than that, it will definitely be on our short list.
The Sandman :-)
thanks.
thanks.
Sorry I have no info on rebate but wanted to welcome you to a small (but hopefully growing quickly) forum of G6 owners
Seems like the incentives are starting to kick in.
I really wish to some extent GM would adjust their prices to reflect the actual market and cut back on some of the incentives. The G6 (like many GM models) launched with a $1,000 incentive, obviously it was built into the pricing structure from the beginning.
GM has to build incentives in, people expect them (even loyal GM buyers) and it will take a long time to get out of offering them.
The OHC receives its rotational force via a belt or chain from the crankshaft, and certainly a belt will have to replaced on a regular schedule. This is a fairly expensive operation for routine maintenance, in my opinion. Especially in an era of "lifetime" transmission and radiator fluids.
Comparatively, an OHV (OverHead Valve) engine has the camshaft in the engine block itself, and actuates the valves more indirectly: via pushrods. There is no need for a timing belt chain with this design, so that can save you a bit on maintenance cost.
OHV engines tend to make their peak horsepower and torque at lower RPMs which, in my Corsica and Alero at least, led to cars with fine "from a stop" torque and a quite low RPM and engine noise during highway cruising.
Our Alero for example is a 3000lbs car with 170ft.lbs@4800rpm, 200bhp@4000rpm, moves off the line and merges into traffic quite nicely, and for all that gets about 20mpg city and 32mpg hwy (U.S. gallons), and does 2000rpm at 70mph. Why would I care that it isn't the "latest and greatest" OHC engine ? I don't.
Why does GM continue to use them? - their capital investment is basically paid for, they are quite reliable, can deliver good fuel economy and work.