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2008 Pontiac G8 Quality Review

May 15, 2008

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 9 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

puts past Pontiacs to shame
Edmunds.com

Obvious cheap-outs are absent
Car and Driver

Buy it as a family car, enjoy it as a hot rod
USAToday

A minor quibble or two didn’t keep reviewers from recommending the G8’s room, utility, and quality--and TheCarConnection.com’s editors agree.

Interior room is a strong point of the Pontiac G8--and so are most of the fits and finishes. Car and Driver noted the roomy front seats and the quality of the materials inside. “Obvious cheap-outs are absent,” they wrote. Edmunds.com agreed, noting “the G8's overall refinement puts past Pontiacs to shame.”

Jalopnik thinks “the back seat has ample room for any number of Kama Sutra positions”; being a family-friendly site, we can’t confirm that. Cars.com adds that the G8 “holds its own” on rear-seat comfort and roominess compared to the Charger and Ford Taurus. The lack of a pass-through to the trunk is an issue many publications including Car and Driver brought up.

In terms of cargo room, the G8’s 17.5-cubic-foot trunk sits midway between the 16.2-cubic-foot trunk in the Charger and the 21.2-cubic-foot trunk in the Taurus.

The few objections--other than some plastics on the inside--were in the placement of some controls. Because the 2008 Pontiac G8 is also sold as a Holden in Australia, some controls are located to make manufacturing the different versions easier. (Australian models are right-hand drive.) Cars.com glared at the placement of the window controls “dead center below the shifter on the center console.” They also griped that the knobs that adjust the front seats were “quite hard to rotate.” KBB also noted the controls issue, while Edmunds.com just didn’t like the “'80s-style digital readouts for battery life and oil pressure, the cryptic control icons, and the lack of a redline indicator for the tachometer.”

Conclusion

As USAToday says, “Buy it as a family car, enjoy it as a hot rod.”

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 9 out of 10Expert Quotes:puts past Pontiacs to shameEdmunds.comObvious cheap-outs are absentCar and DriverBuy it as a family car, enjoy it as a hot rodUSAToday A minor quibble or two didn’t keep reviewers from recommending the G8’s room, utility, and quality--and TheCarConnection.com’s editors agree. Interior room is a strong point of the Pontiac G8--and so are most of the fits and finishes. Car and Driver noted the roomy front seats and the quality of the materials inside. “Obvious cheap-outs are absent,” they wrote. Edmunds.com agreed, noting “the G8's overall refinement puts past Pontiacs to shame.” Jalopnik thinks “the back seat has ample room for any number of Kama Sutra positions”; being a family-friendly site, we can’t confirm that. Cars.com adds that the G8 “holds its own” on rear-seat comfort and roominess compared to the Charger and Ford Taurus. The lack of a pass-through to the trunk is an issue many publications including Car and Driver brought up. In terms of cargo room, the G8’s 17.5-cubic-foot trunk sits midway between the 16.2-cubic-foot trunk in the Charger and the 21.2-cubic-foot trunk in the Taurus. The few objections--other than some plastics on the inside--were in the placement of some controls. Because the 2008 Pontiac G8 is also sold as a Holden in Australia, some controls are located to make manufacturing the different versions easier. (Australian models are right-hand drive.) Cars.com glared at the placement of the window controls “dead center below the shifter on the center console.” They also griped that the knobs that adjust the front seats were “quite hard to rotate.” KBB also noted the controls issue, while Edmunds.com just didn’t like the “'80s-style digital readouts for battery life and oil pressure, the cryptic control icons, and the lack of a redline indicator for the tachometer.” ConclusionAs USAToday says, “Buy it as a family car, enjoy it as a hot rod.” 2008 PONTIAC G8 STYLING  | 8 out of 10 Jalopnik: “sharp and far more restrained than the Charger” USAToday: “assertively Pontiac” ConsumerGuide: “Understated cabin decor” Cars.com: “remarkably contemporary” Reviewers loved the G8’s mix of assertive and tasteful lines, ...

Read More of this Review:

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

Other Choices:

Among large sedans, the G8’s chief rival is the Dodge Charger, which is a little ballsier in styling, but also a little less refined inside and out. The Charger and the similar but more glamorous Chrysler 300 offer optional all-wheel drive, though. The Ford Taurus is just as large as its competitors, but it’s more clearly geared to an older, more conservative crowd--and it’s front-wheel drive (with an all-wheel-drive option).

Next Steps:

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See the Pontiac G8 in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008

Comments (2 total)

  1. By Aaaaplay #1, Posted: 9/13/2008

    australia has the holden VE

    hi i from australia this car is a big hit in australia we got it in 2006 and this year we got the sportswagen and truck version of this if you would like to look at it go to
    www.holden.com.au

  2. By Tom - #2, Posted: 1/11/2009

    Owner, G8 GT

    I got the car last March and for the most part like it very much. Form, fit, finish, and function of most items is very good and at the price was a excelent buy. Two items stand out as needing some help, the first being Poitiac for not making Service Manual information available to Helm Inc. in a timely manner (I'm still waiting since the purchase date) and second the telescope feature of the steering wheel is very short so the wheel reach for me is uncomfortable when the seat is back to a comfortable pedal position. I've found other minor items that could have used a bit more design effort but I can live with them and if indeed the car was perfect I probably wouldn't have been able to purchase it in the first place.

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