I don’t think we’ve ever seen a review of the Pontiac G8 where the reviewer didn’t like the GT, but loved the V6 sedan…well…until now. Karl Bauer, Editor in Chief of Edmunds.com apparently had his expectations of the G8 GT too high because of Pontiac’s marketing approach comparing the G8 GT to the 5 series BMW.
Bauer said, “When I drove the V8 version of the Pontiac G8 a few months ago I was less than thrilled with it. In a nutshell, the protracted looks, bizarre ergonomics and adequate ride/handling balance didn’t impress me.” Purely subjective of course, but we’ve never seen any written words detracting from the ride/handling balance of the G8 GT. Even the readers of Edmunds.com put the G8 GT at the top of their collective lists.
Regardless, not one to hold grudges, Bauer has decided to slide into the driver seat of the V6 sedan with an open mind and he was more impressed than he was with the G8 GT.
From a price perspective, the G8 V6 is competitive with the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry. From an MPG perspective, the G8 sedan’s 17/25 falls a little short of the Camry’s 19/28 and Accord’s 19/29. From a pony perspective, the G8 V6’s 256 falls short against Camry’s and Accord’s 268.
Where does the G8 sedan rate better than its Japanese rivals?…cabin space and handling dynamics. The G8 has more interior room and thanks to the RWD platform handles better than the imports.
All in all, Karl Bauer spent 100 miles behind the wheel of the 2008 Pontiac G8 V6 sedan. Aside from his negative opinions above, like all of us, he also is not fond of the Atari-style gauges atop the center stack. He would probably buy the G8 V6 over the Camry, but not the Accord. His reasoning for this decision seems to be inconsistent with what he actually liked about the G8. In his conclusion, he decides to favor the FWD of the Accord and states that it has plenty of interior space.
“But at least it requires this level of analysis for me to decide on the Honda over the Pontiac. I never did a tenth of this much analysis deciding between an Accord or a Grand Prix. That decision came quick and easy” said Bauer.
[Source: Edmunds.com]