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2008 Pontiac G6 Quality Review

July 22, 2008

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 7 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Low-rent interior plastics
Edmunds

Surprisingly generous legroom and big rear doors
Kelley Blue Book

Overall material quality that significantly trails those of most midsize rivals
ConsumerGuide

The 2008 Pontiac G6 is marked by a large interior and marred by midgrade plastics.

The 2008 Pontiac G6 "can seat up to five," according to Cars.com, and it does so with relatively high levels of comfort. Edmunds testers find that the 2008 Pontiac G6 features "highly styled seats" up front with "prominent side bolstering to keep you in place during hard cornering and aggressive maneuvers." ConsumerGuide adds that the front of the Pontiac G6 provides "good headroom and legroom," though they feel that "the seats are softer than in many rivals and short on long-distance support." The rear passenger area "features a seat cushion too flat and short" on the bench seats, according to Car and Driver. In terms of room, though, Kelley Blue Book says that the backseat offers "surprisingly generous legroom," although Cars.com notes "headroom is horrible."

Storage space is adequate on the 2008 Pontiac G6, thanks to a moderately sized trunk and some interior storage spaces. ConsumerGuide laments that the "narrow trunk has a small opening and tall liftover," but they note that the Pontiac G6 sedan has "rear seatbacks that fold almost flat and have hard plastic backs" to allow for greatly increased storage space. Cars.com finds that "the sedan's trunk measures 14 cubic feet," which is enough for most errands and daily driving needs. Inside the cabin, ConsumerGuide claims "interior storage is just OK."

It's easy to single out the one area of the Pontiac G6 that could use the most improvement: materials quality. Most reviews read by TheCarConnection.com reference the cabin materials as one of the least desirable aspects of this 2008 Pontiac. ConsumerGuide finds that "the cabin has an abundance of hard plastic surfaces, with overall material quality that significantly trails those of most midsize rivals." Edmunds adds that "the quality of materials on the dash and console is a notch or two below class standards," and not even the high-end GXP trim does much to address these shortcomings.

Noise levels within the 2008 Pontiac G6 are well managed by the car's sound-deadening materials, though Car and Driver notes that the engine can emit "a resonance that grates as the tach creeps skyward." Other than that, however, ConsumerGuide says "suppression of road and wind noise are not up to Accord/Camry standards but are acceptable."

Conclusion

The comfortable front seats on the 2008 Pontiac G6 score well, but trim quality cuts its rating.

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 7 out of 10Expert Quotes:Low-rent interior plasticsEdmundsSurprisingly generous legroom and big rear doorsKelley Blue BookOverall material quality that significantly trails those of most midsize rivalsConsumerGuide The 2008 Pontiac G6 is marked by a large interior and marred by midgrade plastics. The 2008 Pontiac G6 "can seat up to five," according to Cars.com, and it does so with relatively high levels of comfort. Edmunds testers find that the 2008 Pontiac G6 features "highly styled seats" up front with "prominent side bolstering to keep you in place during hard cornering and aggressive maneuvers." ConsumerGuide adds that the front of the Pontiac G6 provides "good headroom and legroom," though they feel that "the seats are softer than in many rivals and short on long-distance support." The rear passenger area "features a seat cushion too flat and short" on the bench seats, according to Car and Driver. In terms of room, though, Kelley Blue Book says that the backseat offers "surprisingly generous legroom," although Cars.com notes "headroom is horrible." Storage space is adequate on the 2008 Pontiac G6, thanks to a moderately sized trunk and some interior storage spaces. ConsumerGuide laments that the "narrow trunk has a small opening and tall liftover," but they note that the Pontiac G6 sedan has "rear seatbacks that fold almost flat and have hard plastic backs" to allow for greatly increased storage space. Cars.com finds that "the sedan's trunk measures 14 cubic feet," which is enough for most errands and daily driving needs. Inside the cabin, ConsumerGuide claims "interior storage is just OK." It's easy to single out the one area of the Pontiac G6 that could use the most improvement: materials quality. Most reviews read by TheCarConnection.com reference the cabin materials as one of the least desirable aspects of this 2008 Pontiac. ConsumerGuide finds that "the cabin has an abundance of hard plastic surfaces, with overall material quality that significantly trails those of most midsize rivals." Edmunds adds that "the quality of materials on the dash and console is a notch or two below class standards," and not even the high-end GXP trim does much to address these shortcomings. Noise levels within the 2008 Pontiac G6 are well managed by the car's sound-deadening materials, though Car and Driver notes that the engine can emit "a resonance that grates as the tach creeps skyward." Other than that, however, ConsumerGuide says "suppression of road and wind noise are not up to Accord/Camry standards but are acceptable." ConclusionThe comfortable front seats on the 2008 Pontiac G6 score well, but trim quality cuts its rating.  2008 PONTIAC G6 STYLING | [8 out of 10] Kelley Blue Book: "Exterior styling is a giant leap forward for Pontiac " ConsumerGuide: "Controls are easy to reach and use" Cars.com: "Contains sporty controls and racing-style gauges with red LED backlighting" When Pontiac set out to ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The new Chevrolet Malibu--also from GM--has a more contemporary and comfortable interior, along with improved powertrain refinement, while not costing much more than the G6. Otherwise, the 2008 Pontiac G6 doesn't compete with the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, so much as it does against the Ford Fusion and Nissan Altima. Next to the G6, the Fusion feels sportier, with its crisp, direct steering and responsive engines, but the G6 has a more spacious backseat than either the Fusion or Altima. The Altima stands out for its simple but very tasteful interior design and nice materials. The Avenger could also be considered an alternative to the G6; the Dodge has a reasonably roomy interior, but its base four-cylinder engine is especially loud and coarse, and its interior appointments have a bargain-basement feel.

Next Steps:

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See the Pontiac G6 in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004

Comments (2 total)

  1. By Henry #1, Posted: 9/10/2008

    The G6

    The G6 is a nice step up to pontiacs line up but since am a car lover & i go crazy to every single detail in a vechile i noticed that the coolant resourvoir is right on top of the speed sensor of the transmission so when it over flows the water goes directly to the sensor & i dont understand how that designed happend but other than that.....the G6 is an overall nice equipped vechile

  2. By Bernie #2, Posted: 12/22/2008

    G6 on a string.

    This'd be the one to get if you're budget is on a string....hey, it'd be a G-String!

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