Road Test: 2009 Pontiac G8 GT V6
Story and photos by John LeBlanc
The rumblings of Pontiac's demise started just over four years ago at the New York auto show.
That's when Bob Lutz, prescient head of product development for General Motors, voiced his opinion that Buick and Pontiac were "damaged brands."
It's taken one sharp fuel price hike and global recession, but as part of its massive restructuring plan, GM finally made it official this week: after 83 years in business, GM's "excitement" division will be gone by 2010.
But please, don't tell me this news is "a shame." Or that it's "sad" to see Pontiac go.
For decades, GM has been shilling Pontiacs as its "born in the U.S.A." performance division. But that marketing bumpf has been strictly based on a brief shining period between the mother of all muscle cars –the 1964 GTO – and Burt Reynolds's Smokey and the Mullet, the 1977 Firebird Trans Am.
If you don't count the occasional faint glow like the 1984-88 Fiero (which was not bad when it wasn't setting itself on fire), or the last of the creaky Firebirds (that young buyers gave up on years before it was euthanized in 2002), most Pontiacs since then have been a string of over-styled Chevys.
Glory days? Well they've passed Pontiac by.
But until the last Pontiac is sold, at least there's the G8, a sophisticated rear-wheel-drive sports sedan that comes closer to the brand's "American BMW" promise than any car in its storied past.
Like the 2004-06 GTO (that never made it to Canada because of our previously more restrictive front bumper laws), GM's American BMW fighter is an Aussie: it's a mechanical twin of an Australian GM-Holden. In theory, it replaced the antediluvian front-drive Bonneville and Grand Prix pair of sedans in Pontiac's lineup.
Our G8 tester was a $32,450 base model and $4,465 worth of sunroof, Comfort, Sound and Premium packages. It came with a 256 hp and 248 lb.-ft. of torque 3.6-litre V6 matched to a five-speed automatic that you can shift on your own.
If you don't need factory financing, GM will throw in $6,500 cash if you take any G8 off its hands.
Even though you can get a $34,900 BMW 323i, in the real world of residual values and brand perception, the G8 V6's only real rival is a $32,845 Dodge Charger SXT.
With a 3.5 L V6 and five-speed auto, the Dodge posts similar power and fuel economy numbers as the Pontiac.
One area, though, where the G8 clearly has a leg up on the Charger is in interior build quality. It's easy to call this the best Pontiac interior ever.
Compared to your nephew's clapped-out Sunfire, you'll think the G8 was built in another hemisphere (which it is: in Elizabeth, South Australia).
The Aussies aren't up to matching Audi's interior standards, but except for some Atari-like digital gauges, in general, there's little to gripe about ergonomically in the G8's cabin.
Within centimetres of the Charger, passenger room in the G8 is generous for this class. There's plenty of leg and elbow room both front and back. The rear seats don't fold down. There's a hockey stick pass-through, though.
Free of the cheap body-cladding that helped justify in the past why you paid more for a Pontiac Grand Prix over a Chevrolet Lumina, the G8's external clothes are tastefully restrained, if a little dated.
Like an eight-year-old BMW (before the adventurous Chris Bangle era), the G8 has a wedgy profile and chiseled side panels. The only traditional Pontiac design details are the non-functional hood nostrils.
And all G8's look the same. Your neighbour will never know you didn't man up for the V8 until you pop the hood. And the V6's 7.6-second 0-to-100 km/h run is almost a second quicker than the Charger SXT.
Unlike those legendary GTOs of the past (which actually drove like an ox-cart with Jell-O filled tires), the G8 has a world-class suspension.
A front MacPherson strut and multilink rear layout delivers a sophisticated driving character that's more Dresden-to-Munich than, say, Dayton-to-Milwaukee.
You can push the Pontiac closer to its limits than the Dodge, too. It also feels more nimble, with more communicative steering. There's a firm highway ride, but the G8 is a car that can make a long day behind the wheel more of a pleasure than a pain.
Overall, the V6 G8 creates a similar ride and handling experience as in the V8 GT model. Compared to our well-equipped V6 G8, you only need $535 more loonies to get the rock-n-rolling 6.0 L V8 with 361 hp and 385 lb.-ft. of torque, one more gear in the autobox transmission and a slip rear differential.
You'll also shave about two seconds off the run to 100 km/h. And with the V8 rated at only 2.2 L/100 km more in the city and 0.4 L on the highway, not use that much more fuel in the process.
Regardless of the brand's previous feeble offerings, if you want an affordable domestically branded rear-wheel-drive sports sedan, the 2009 Pontiac G8 is it. For enthusiasts, it's a far more interesting choice than front-wheel-drive V6 Honda Accords, Nissan Maximas or Toyota Camrys.
As good as the G8 is – arguably the most competitive product Pontiac has had in decades – it's hard not to think what shape the brand would be in if GM had spent the money and gave us cars as competitive as this 20 years ago, instead of just uglier Chevys.
The 2009 G8 may be the best Pontiac ever. But for fans of GM's cancelled "excitement" division, it's also going to be one of the last.
2009 Pontiac G8PRICE: (base/as tested) $32,450/$36,915
ENGINE: 3.6 L V6; 6.0 L V8 POWER/TORQUE: 256 hp/248 lb.-ft.; 361 hp/ 385 lb.-ft.
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (V6) City 12.2 L/100 km (23 mpg), 8.0 hwy (35 mpg); (V8) City 14.4 L (19.6 mpg), hwy. 8.4 L (33.6 mpg)
COMPETITION: Dodge Charger SXT
WHAT'S BEST: Germanic chassis, best Pontiac interior ever, restrained styling
WHAT'S WORST: Unrefined V6; dead-brand walking
WHAT'S INTERESTING: Pontiac's most competitive product will be its last