Souped-up Pontiac G6 fails the luxury test
Souped-up Pontiac G6 fails the luxury test
We’ve been eagerly anticipating a test drive in the 2006 Pontiac G6 GTP, the performance-oriented edition of the slinky mid-size coupe.
In some respects, we weren’t disappointed. But the apparent lack of attention to detail, especially in the cabin, was a major letdown.
We tested a well-equipped GTP with nearly $4,000 worth of options and a bottom line of $27,250.
SHE: What a stylish exterior! And that electric blue metallic paint is really eye-catching. But what a comedown to step inside the G6 and look around that flat and uninspired cabin, with the cheap materials, trim pieces that didn’t fit together and other jarring features. It’s like there was a total disconnection between the interior and the exterior for the Pontiac designers and engineers . And let me tell you that coupe buyers today are fussy. They expect an awful lot, especially if they’re paying more than $25,000. Unfortunately, the GTP isn’t going to live up to their desires or expectations.
HE: I agree with you about that gorgeous shape and color, but I have a slightly different take on the GTP, purely from a mechanical perspective. The G6 shares its basic underpinnings with the Saab 9-3 and several other General Motors mid-size cars. It’s a pretty sturdy, well-damped chassis that delivers a smooth and comfortable ride. The GTP gets the high-output 3.9-liter V-6, which is a sweet engine that makes 240 horsepower. Pontiac coupled it with the new six-speed manual gearbox. The shift action is a little stiff, but the throws are precise, and the engine responds beautifully to the slightest throttle input. The four-wheel disc brakes are also above par, but I’m not as fond of the steering, which feels too heavy for a car with such sporting pretensions. It isn’t nearly as agile as such competitors as the Scion tC or the Hyundai Tiburon which, incidentally, are priced thousands of dollars below the GTP.
SHE: My eyes started to glaze over as soon as I heard the word “mechanical.” So let’s go back to the cabin, which is where potential owners will spend most of their time. It seems like everywhere you look, Pontiac cut corners. There are major design flaws, too. The steering wheel feels so ungainly — too thick to grip comfortably and too large in diameter. The center armrest is positioned too far back for shorter drivers to reach. The seat belts are poorly designed and difficult to reach and use. And with that tiny backlight and thick pillars everywhere you look, visibility is terrible.
HE: I should add a few gripes of my own. The doors are way too long and heavy for comfort. The audio system is overly complicated, even for a techhead and audiophile like myself. And I know what you mean about corner-cutting. Pontiac neglected to put a power recline adjustment on the driver’s seat, and the manual control makes it difficult to precisely position the seat back for comfort. And there are no power controls of any sort on the front passenger seat. The rear compartment is just plain primitive-looking, with too little head and leg room for most adults of even average size. And, finally, most of the dials, switches, buttons, gauges and displays all look like they belong on an economy car, not a $27,000 performance model. Yikes! What the heck was Pontiac thinking?
SHE: I can’t believe we actually agree on something. But I don’t want to just complain. Considering the performance, and it was pretty amazing, the GTP gets decent fuel economy — 18 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. That’s a sweet exhaust note, too. I noticed that antilock brakes, traction control and stability control are all standard on the GTP. What I can’t understand is why you have to pay extra for really basic safety equipment, like side air bags and side curtains.
HE: Pontiac did do something right inside. They moved the ignition key from the steering column to the dashboard. You can order such amenities as adjustable pedals and remote start. But I was surprised that an uplevel car like our test vehicle did not include climate controls with dual settings for driver and passenger. GM, of course, installed OnStar and XM satellite radio as options, but I would rather have spent that money on a navigation system.
SHE: You can’t have everything, dear. But for $27,000, I’d like to see a lot more thought and effort go into the G6 cabin — that is, if Pontiac wants to keep up with the competition.
Anita and Paul Lienert are partners in Lienert & Lienert, an automotive information services company.