Pontiac G5 Coupe

tripowergto

Has the Pontiac G5 Coupe begun to arrive at dealerships yet? Will there be a manual shift option?

79customd

Any rumors of a G5 sedan coming out soon? :confuse:

gmhellman

I looked at the pictures on the website and this looks much hotter than the cobalt. I like the different interior and the exterior lines of the car. The vehicle looks like a mini GTO but, better. I am seriously interested at selling my 99 Bonnie and looking at getting a black G5. My wife and I only have one kid and our other vehicle is a minivan. I can't wait to test drive one. Black on Black with a moon roof. If this vehicle has the same underpinnings as the Coblt they should have the bugs worked out, although the electric steering kind of scares me.

Greg

tripowergto

It's my understanding that Pontiac will only have the coupe in the US, much like the final years of the Sunfire.

mazda6iguy

I saw three Pontiac G5's at the dealership in NE Ohio. One GT in a Wine color and two Base coupes (1 black and 1 silver).

tripowergto

I mostly agree but the ball was dropped when the powers that be decided NOT to plan a Sunfire replacement expecting buyers to instead purchase the underpowerd Vibe wagon. Pontiac needs a small attractive entry level coupe. The next gen G5 should be much more differentiated. I'd like to see a one-pc hydroformed nose on the follow-up a-la Solstice.

tripowergto

Yesterday I saw my first G5 coupe at a local dealer. It was metallic blue and surprisingly nice concidering all the flack it gets for being a rebadge. I believe this car will be more successful then many think.

forever350

i think the looks of the g5 are really nice, except the only difference form g5 and cobalt are the grill and tail lights. oh, and maybe the cluster gauges..besides that, it is really just a cobalt. i would buy one, except i can pay about $6k less for a one year old cobalt that is pretty much the same thing. maybe in a few years i'll consider. :shades:

ron_m

A salesman at one of the local Pontiac dealerships told me yesterday that they should be getting some G5 sedans in around November of this year.

Anyone know whether or not the G5 coupes and sedans will be made in Lordstown, Ohio--or in Canada?

mazda6iguy

I know for a fact that the G5 coupes are built in Lordstown, OH. At the Canfield fair in Mahoning county where the Lordstown plant is located, they had 2 G5 coupes, a base and a GT.

tallman1

I had a choice of cars from the rental agency the other day and opted for the G5. Nice color (some sort of vibrant blue). Fun to drive but my 6'4" frame didn't like it all that much. The worst thing about it was visibility.... simply awful. I was afraid to back up. You can't see out of the side windows and the wing in the back made it hard to see things right behind you.

There were some features of the radio that I never did figure out... not too intuitive.

starlette95

I test drove the G5 this weekend and was really impressed. The saleswoman boasted that the heavier weight of the vehicle made the ride smoother. It did drive smoother than the Mazda3. I like the style of the G5, and the XM radio, and spoiler as a standard feature.

tazereli

Could be that the suspension is tuned more for comfort that results in a smoother ride vs a car with a sportier suspension (ala Mazda3).

Heavier weight leads to a smoother ride...I'll have to try that line when i sell my 5600lb pick up.

curt_51

After owning a VW TDI and tiring of the maintenance required and inconvenience of that required service and driving out of my way to get diesel fuel I decided to go back to a 4 banger gasser figuring that the less MPG would be more than off set with the simplicity of going to any jiffy lube for lube service and easy access to gasoline unlike diesel where the big dirty trucks live. The VW was a great handling car no doubt. The G5 is no VW and I knew that going in. The G5’s ride is better than I thought it would or could be, smooth where the VW was just plain hard and stiff. The G5’s cabin noise is surprisingly quiet for this little car. The power is more than enough and I am realizing over 30 MPH even when driving it hard. The shifting is smooth and effortless. I have the base model and since this is my work car it didn’t matter about all kinds of options. The standard options are more than enough for me. I found one of the left over G5’s that carried a lot of nice incentives including a year free XM radio, can’t beat that considering that the satellite radio is even installed because the latest models all have it as an $199 option PLUS monthly fees. I actually use the satellite radio on my long commutes. The one thing I thought I might miss was cruse control but it’s really no big deal. Easy car to get into and out of tight places and I find my six foot frame is very comfortable sitting in it for my daily one hour and fifteen minute commute each way, no complaints there. I am not bothered by any blind spots nor does the rear spoiler interfere with my aft field, unless the guy is tailgating of course. I did look at the Cobalt’s but for less money [with the incentives] and more standard features the G5 was a no brainer. Nice car for a great price with a hundred thousand power train warranty. I am a happy camper. Good to be driving an American car after close 20 years again.

poncho167

A heavier car does generally ride better than a lighter one. My pickup rides much better when weighted down.

jennamac3

a 2007 pontiac g5 gt coupe. i love it. metallic blue. i just kind of wish they had sirius instead of xm. i had sirius installed in my 2005 sunfire and i love it, guess ill put it in my dads truck! :P

oldfarmer50

I'm having some trouble finding out the 0-60 time for the GT. Does any one have a source for the performance specs with both manual and auto?

drwilsc

Car and Driver did a short take on an automatic G5 GT a month or two ago. They got 0-60 in 7.5 seconds.

smogdung

A 5 spd G5 GT = 0-60 in 7.1, 1/4 mile = 15.7 at 91. I test drove an 07 5 spd. With wife and salesman...1st & 2nd gear scratch....had 205 50 series tires....maybe could use more tire? Seems like a great car for the money. This car is same as Cobalt SS (not the supercharged one), both were picked as 2nd place by Car & Driver in the 10 fastest cars under $20K.

sunfirechic20

I have a 2007 Pontiac G5 GT and I am wondering if anyone knows how to hook up an MP3 player to the car. I've tryed plugging it into the AUX input slot and i cant get my music to play. Anyone out there that can help me it would be greatly appreciated. THANKS :confuse:

millefune

My lady and I are interested in a Pontiac G5, because she loves how it looks like a "mini Jenny" (my '06 GTO is named "Jennifer"). My main beef about it, is that it doesn't have a "fast" version like the Cobalt SS Supercharged (and from what I've been told, the Cobalt be turbocharged later this year). Pontiac is supposed to be GM's "performance division", so why haven't they pumped up their compact to the levels of the Chevy version? The G5 is a much better looking car than the Cobalt coupe (those little changes do make a difference).

Maybe they can add the gaudy hoodscoops and wing too (as an option, of course)? My lady likes them a lot on the GTO and the G6.

expwyman

I've been looking a fun commuting car for next year, and the G5 has caught my eye. Yes, it's a Cobalt clone, but for some reason, it just looks a bit better. One thing I notice though is that I don't particularly need the 2.4 GT, but I'd like leather seats. All of the G5 base coupes at the local dealers do not have leather, without ordering it. Looking at the GT, the tires just won't do since they're summer tires and I don't drive like a hot rod kid. I need traction in the snow but don't want to change to snow tires and back every 6 months. Anyone have a GT with regular touring/all-season tires? How does it drive?

georgecavalier

While I am happy that the G5 is selling good for Pontiac (I see quite a few G5's), I think that badge engineered car was not a good idea. GM has taken too much flack already for that. Here I am, like so many others, thinking that GM will make Pontiac a RWD performance division and they bring out the G5. While it is a good solid car there isn't a largely compelling reason for the G5 to exist unless you like the minor differences in styling, which I think the front of the G5 is better looking than the Cobalt but the rear of the Cobalt is better looking than the G5. Also as one poster said, there is no SS equivalent. This is the performance divisions small car? Hope fully Pontiac will replace this car with a RWD 1-series fighter.

expwyman

Well, I visited a local dealer and test drove the G5 GT with leather. Yes, it's a Cobalt Sport Coupe, effectively, but I like the Pontiac styling better. It drove well and had good power with good MPG. The salesman told me that the performance tires would get traction in snow even though they're not all season... the tires said M&S (mud and snow) on them, so I'm presuming he's telling the truth. It does have traction control, but that only works if you have tires that can drive well in the snow.

A few comments: I had to adjust the seat and it was very difficult with the door closed... the space between the door and seat was very tight. Seemed to be a big blind spot to my left... I turned to look over my left shoulder for a pass, and all I saw was B-pillar and headrest. I thought the big spoiler would bother me through the back window, but it didn't. Getting in and out of the back seat... UGH. But that's a coupe. Main gripe: the doors are BIG and trying to open them in a tight garage or parking space will be a problem. I illustrated it to the dealer (opened it two feet, the space in my garage) and barely had enough room to squeeze out with some contortion. Of course, they thought it was fine since they wanted a sale.

For anyone who owns a G5 (coupe or GT), can you comment on these issues for you as an owner? Is getting in and out a difficult exercise for you?

p35bhp55

I have a Silver 07 G5 GT and the doors are a pain, but I just deal with them. The blind spots can be minimized some with careful mirror adjustment. To me the car is enough fun and the real 30 mpg is good enough to make it a keeper for as long as it can be made reliable. My 00 Grand Am is still going strong at 165k...I can only hope the G5 will follow suit.

expwyman

I ended up getting a Cobalt LT sedan special edition. The door issue is not a problem with this car. MPG is very good and it takes regular gas. (They recommende 91+ octane for G5 GT.) No leather, but I'm working on it. I've heard people criticize Cobalt and G5 for the boring console, but to me it's perfect... simple, ergonomic... you can adjust the radio or air without looking at the dash. Try that with some other cars.

the_big_al

Here's my opinion on the G5... Okay it looks good. Really good. But so does the Cobalt. American Pontiac dealers moaned enough to GM that they didn't have a Pontiac version of the Cobalt like Canada did and so we got the G5... basically a rebadged Cobalt. Not that this is a bad idea. The Cobalt is a great little car. I just wish GM did a little more than slap a new grill on the front and a Pontiac badge on the back... at least the Sunfire had a different front end and a different rear in coupe form from the Cavalier.

batavia02

I just purchased a 2008 g 5, me and my wife went in to look at a vibe but found it too small. The g5 s were parked next to the vibes, we looked at it test drove it, came back and bought it ,so far it is great and looks and rides better then,one would expect the great small car and getting in was no problem and i am almost 6' feet tall.

t19

I wanted a commuter car, the Tahoe was a bit too expensive I was going to get a Sedan, but my wife said I should look at the Coupe.... she knows me well. I tested an auto and liked it. Bought a Yellow stripper with only AC and an Engine Block heater as options and a 5 spd. I love it. Its a like a little brother to my 1980 Z28. Drives great in snow, goes like a bat out of hell.. ok it might only be the feeling I get, but that works for me in a commuter. Controls are easy to use, the spoiler is great, cuts out the glare from those Euro headlights. Im getting fantastic MPG. I have put 15K on it and not had one problem. I like the big doors, I find some of the sedans are difficult to get into with their smaller door openings, with my 6ft 1 280 lb frame. I would buy another one... which is why I find the Edmonds review most startling. Everyone who owns one likes them, the reporters dont

randaza1

My G5 has 73,000 miles - 90% interstate travel. This doesnt happen all the time, but occasionally when apply the brake, i get a shaking in the steering wheel. They say its brakes, but i disagree - if it was the brakes (rotors) it would happen all the time. This happens at different speeds: 30, 40, 50 it doesnt matter, but then again it DOESNT happen each time...I am thinking something with the rack and pinion. Any thoughts???

Tony

kellibrie

I love my G5, have had it for two years now. But all of a sudden the power steering went out! I checked the manuel and it said it's electric power steering, so it's not like I can add more fluid. The display also says "power steering" and the manuel said when it says that that it needs to go to the dealership. Anyone else ever have this problem? Anyone know of anything I can do to try to fix it before going to the dealership?

Thank you:) :confuse:

moparbad

Warped rotors are a possible cause.

2doorpost

If you look online at the sister car to the G5, the Cobalt, you will see this issue crop up on model year 2005-2008 en masse.

You may have blown a fuse, or the electric motor may have gone out on the power steering.

GM may view this issue as "the car is still drivable" without power steering.

I believe there is a factory TSB Service bulletin on this problem.

I'd say its downright dangerous.

tdigra

i am interested in finding anyone that has or knows of a remedy to this issue i have:
i built a g5gt coupe in 2007 black inside an out all the bells and whistles. At 23 miles the wipers flew off the car in a snowstorm it was 45.00 and change to replace them at the dealership. at 123 miles the gasket seals on the doors fell off replaced under warranty.
the following are all under warranty:
on jan 23rd 2009 the stereo sytem sensor blew replaced also cracked the molding over the glove box also replaced ,now there is a hum when air or heat is on.
two weeks later the gas sensor blew also replaced (my best epa is 19).
the dash and stereo fashed like a disco ball very hard to see or so bright it hurts your eyes and is distracting while driving.
i have had all new brakes tires rotors twiceand they still are not that great.
i was almost killed once when the emergency brake failed it has been fixed,replaced and fixed again resolve to issue by dealership is to park on flat ground always,so i have.the front panel fell out while driving a new one will cost me aprox 200.00.
the wiring under the driver seat shorted ,it was repaired by electic tape i am suppose to keep an eye on it and let them know when the tape needs replacing.
in july of this year the oil in engine compressed so badly the dip stick was broke during removal if i want a new one it will cost me (not covered) compression test resulted in as inconclusive they can't explain what happened.
i am so heartbroken i built this car my first new ever.
i stopped going to dealership they laugh at me now. at this point i am spending 300.00 a month for gas to drive approx 400 miles a month.
unfortunatley on black friday my heat shield fell off had it riveted thought i was good to go.
saturday i got in the car smell of gas gave me bad headache took it back to dealership for a little over 900.00 i can have the catalytic converter replaced no warranty,even though the law says 8 yrs 80,000 miles for design defect.which it is all one piece unit to get to flex hose converter needs to be removed.
in short this has to be the biggest piece of junk out their.
anyone else have issues like these??? i would be interested in knowing i am in conversations with pontiac and plan on contacting the attorney general and epa commission on this vehicle.
i have spoke with dmv lemon law agents and still no where close to resolve.

kk27

I don't get what you mean when you say you actually "built" your G5? But all those problems make me nervous, as my biggest complaint from my 2009 G5 is that it's leaking water through the trunk. It's at a dealership now, for the 2nd time, they replaced 2 different parts and now tell me that neither part solved the problem. It also leaked water through the airbags within the first month I got it.

Anyone else have water leaking into their car?

tdigra

get the spare out of your trunk mine rotted as did the jack really rotted when i had a flat 2 weeks ago. as for building i sat at dealership put all parts in i wanted let out what i didn't. to update pontiac is replacing cat converter,then i am off for diagonstics so far i have 14 codes spewing outta the computer. last week i lost cruise control,emergancy brakes for a half of a day and the shifting is horrid (sometimes it shifts sometimes it don't).sooooooooooooooo not happy way to upside down to take the $1500.00 that pontiac offered me.

dukeblu

Just bought a 2009 Silver G5, automatic, cruise and spare tire for $10,400 after taxes. Thanks to the GM Card, a private GM offer and of course the $6500 rebate. Also looked around and found one with the lower MSRP. At one point in the model year the base MSRP jumped by over $700. Should be a decent car, tough to beat for the $

expwyman

I just bought a used 2009 Pontiac G5 GT with just 10500 miles on it and I love it. Got it as a certified GM vehicle so I have a 48 month/48K bumper to bumper. Although this is a rebadge of a Cobalt, the styling is slightly different and it makes it looker nicer to me.

A few issues I had. I figured I'd post these to see if others have these before I go to the local dealer to get them resolved:

- When I park the car and leave, I hear a pinging under the car. Sounds like the exhaust system is cooling down and there is metal on metal, pinging as it cools down. The pinging slows down as the car cools down until it disappears. My old Cobalt did the same thing. Anyone else hear this? Is this just normal?

- My stereo has only 5 pages of presets instead of 6 for some reason. My old Cobalt and the Saturn Aura we own have 6 (same GM radio).

Good luck to those who own the G5! Nice car.

jpf

See attached link regarding lawsuit. GM is suing the supplier of its faulty electric steering system.

http://detnews.com/article/20091123/AUTO01/911230402/GM-sues-supplier-over-$30M-- spent-on-steering-repairs

leslie74

I have heard a million people say that this is the same build and size as cavalier and cobalt. Everyone including dealer says it is barely bigger if at all. Why are so many people lying? I owned 2 door coupe cavaliers for 12 years and this 2008 G5 I just got is so much bigger in so many areas. It is no way the same size at least in regards to 3 or 4 key areas like driver side interior, doors, and trunk/rear area. I am super short and I hate this car. I was talked into buying it by my Dad because he was paying for half and I live in small town with only 1 major car dealership and they had no cavaliers or cobalts in price range. My 2000 cavalier had 105K miles and Dad said his help was now or never for newer car.

Where to start?

Doors: Are definitely several inches taller and longer than 2 door coupe cavaliers. If you're short, be prepared to have to struggle to reach window at any drive thru. Also, I have noticed when in parking garages, I am struggling more to avoid hitting other cars in those tight spaces. You need a lot of space to avoid banging other cars when opening doors. They open up really wide! This car is hard to get out of in my tiny 1 car town house garage. Was never an issue with my cavalier.

Storage: center cup holder from older cavaliers gone. Hear it is missing in newer cobalts too. Only storage in interior is a shallow, barely there center bin. More like a shallow tray with a lid. No center cup holders. Basically no storage in entire car interior. Parking brake is now in center & not to the side like old cavaliers so by making it be dead center, the crappy, barely there storage tray is not made very deep and is set way back nearly behind the front seats.

Seats: Are rock hard and flat, no contor and no give or cushion softness. They are rock hard and your back will hurt on road trips over an hour or two. They are also this light-ish gray. It feels like sitting on a metal or stone bench. My old cavalier was a dark super textured gray. They were also cushion-y with some give to them. It didn't show any dirt at all. But this car is light gray and has a smooth texture with a slight sheen. I have only driven it a few days and I can already see every spot. Bottom of seats are very tall and even lowering seat down nearly all the way only make my short legs bent and hard to reach pedals. Forget about any storage under seats.

Roof: Inside roof is a light, creamy type gray that shows stains easily and clearly was only designed to make inside look bigger. No thought given to how easily it shows stains.

Gear Shift: Short and designed like race car. If you have short arms, hard to reach down to easily reverse, park, etc.

Dash/Speedometer/Steering wheel: Has unneccessary high arch in dash above speedometer that hinders view for short people. Speedometer lights are weird red color. Wheel tilts up and to center level but not down.

Trunk/Rear Area: Back end is tall and sloped up higher than front end. View is also hindered by rear view area (between back seats and rear view window) that slopes upward. Also, tall spoiler makes it even harder to see.

I am 5 feet even and this is car from hell. It is so umcomfortable to drive and adjusting seats does not help because I need to lower seats to make legs comfortable but that hinders view over dash and side windows. Maybe if you're 5'4 or 5'5, it is the perfect fit but for the 5"2 to 4"11 crowd, do not get this car. I hate it so much and can't afford anything else.

Radio - Too complicated if you are not a big music person. Has 6 pre-sets that are always shown on screen. No way to clear out and make it look more streamlined or remove from screen except to turn off radio. Stereo has a million buttons and a barely there volume knob that's hard to grip and adjust while driving. Time clock is oddly located to far right side of stereo, far from driver side.

Don't believe the lies. This is NOT the same thing as a cobalt or cavalier. I have driven coupe cavaliers for 12 years. I can tell that too many areas are higher positioned.

elias

leslie64, for any small driver who sits very close to the steering wheel, the drivers airbag may be dangerous, no matter which recent car.
( you may want to consider applying to the federal government for permission to have a shop disable your drivers airbag? )

2doorpost

I about died laughing when I found out the parent company of the manufacturer of those bad steering units.

Hope the accelerator and brakes in your car are GM parts.

moparbad

Leslie, the Cobalt and G5 are identical in interior size.

moparbad

GM is recalling 1.3 million G5, Cobalt and Pursuit (name of Pontiac model sold in Canada) to replace power steering components. Remedy to be announced in the near future.

expwyman

Update: The dealer says the pinging is normal. Seems it happens with Cobalts too. No big deal. The stereo has 6 pages of presets now. Seems there's a menu option to change that. (Duh!) They replaced my right steering wheel buttons which stuck. Also, a center cap fell off from one of my wheels. They replaced it under warrantee.

If GM (and their dealers) want us back down the road to buy a new car, they still have to treat Pontiac and Saturn owners well, and I got good treatment. I'm not worried about the new recall. When you're driving at higher speeds, losing power steering, if you lose it, is not a huge deal. You can still steer the car. It's when you're driving really slowly that power steering helps. If you're driving really slowly, I doubt you'll be in a catastrophic wreck. Unlike Toyotas that accelerate to 100 mph and don't respond to brakes. Now that is a big problem. Glad I got my GM.

expwyman

A few comments...

"Roof: Inside roof is a light, creamy type gray that shows stains easily and clearly was only designed to make inside look bigger. No thought given to how easily it shows stains."

How does one get stains easily on your inside roof?

"Radio - Stereo has a million buttons and a barely there volume knob that's hard to grip and adjust while driving. Time clock is oddly located to far right side of stereo, far from driver side."

First of all, the volume knob is a huge knob in the middle of the radio. Plus, you're complaining about the clock display being oddly to the far right? This radio does not have a million buttons (Toyota's have a ton of buttons on their consoles, try one and you'll see, Pontiacs are really straightforward). In fact, this radio allows you to set your presets so you can mix AM, FM and XM and create banks of stations based on music, news, etc. It's easy to program (read the manual). In any case, the radio is a standard size (not built in like Hyundai, for example) so when you have some money saved, you can replace it with another radio you like.

"I am 5 feet even and this is car from hell. It is so umcomfortable to drive and adjusting seats does not help because I need to lower seats to make legs comfortable but that hinders view over dash and side windows. Maybe if you're 5'4 or 5'5, it is the perfect fit but for the 5"2 to 4"11 crowd, do not get this car. I hate it so much and can't afford anything else."

As for the seats, get cushioned seat covers at Walmart. That should make things feel better for you. Some places sell pedal extenders, so you can reach the pedals better without adjusting the seat so far down.

All in all, should have test drove it and said, "this isn't the car for me". If this was the only place in town to buy a car, ask Dad to take you to the next town.

Good luck with the G5 anyway. Hope you can make some adjustments and like the car a little more.

expwyman

Hi, can anyone recommend a good bike carrier/rack for the G5? I bought one recently that I had to return since the spoiler got in the way. The instruction manual inside said it fit Cobalt but not G5, so I'm guessing it's because of the spoiler which is standard on G5, optional on Cobalt. Thanks!

moparbad

Saris makes a trunk mount rack that works on G5 with spoiler. I think the model is "Bones" and it is costly. Other models may also work.

For hitch mount or roof mount there are many options.

crkyolfrt

I'd be curious to hear your comments now after 4 years of ownership. Has it been a good car?

crkyolfrt

I hope you have your email notifier on even if it has been a few years since u logged in last. I am curious if you could explain a couple things. (there's more but just these two would be good)

"in july of this year the oil in engine compressed so badly the dip stick was broke during removal if i want a new one it will cost me (not covered) compression test resulted in as inconclusive they can't explain what happened. "

Please explain as this makes no sense whatsoever.

"i stopped going to dealership they laugh at me now. at this point i am spending 300.00 a month for gas to drive approx 400 miles a month. "

So back in 09 I will guess gas to be $2.50/gal?
According to your figures , this would mean your car was getting only 3.33 MPG.
(And 4 MPG if you had paid $3./gal)

Re your post...
Hmmmm.....

amyerin2

I know this is an old post, but I'm hoping you're still out there...

Did they ever find a solution? I have a 2009 G5 and just noticed a leak in the trunk that I think might be coming from the satellite antenna, but I'm totally freaked out about it.

Thanks!