Now that GM has decided to drop the Pontiac brand, Cars.com’s Mike Hanley gives it a send-off with his review of the 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP. With a 415-hp V-8 engine and enough refinement for day-to-day utility, the G8 GXP is going to make Hanley miss Pontiac. Read his full review to find out why this soon-to-be-extinct GM car is such a pleasure.
2009 Pontiac G8 Review
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To bad to see the demise of this worthy vehicle. To me this was one of the best vehicles I've seen from GM in some time. This car was a hit. I hope it's DNA finds it's way into other GM products. This car was a hit and will be missed.
Also Good write up (review) by Mike Hanley. I never got behind the wheel of this car on the road but I was impressed by what I saw at the car show.
called the "Lumina" in Middle East...i suggest rebadging as a Chevy but under a different name!
Seconded. It'd make a great Impala.
I dont even know why poor mileage was mentioned considering this car has 415hp. The M3 does no better with a 4L engine and 300lbs less weight.
@ OS: I thought that also given the fact that we are talking about a muscle car.
Sheth,
M3: 14/20
G8 GXP: 13/20
No better?
Considering G8 is a full-size car, that MPG is quite impressive. M3, a compact size, gets only 1 MPG better in the city.
considering the 23mpg I just earned on a nice 350 mile trip last weekend, I'd say this car blows the M3 off the line AND out of the water in every respect... won't regret my decision until something breaks. love it!
C:
Are the GXP manual and auto rated at the same mileage? I believe the auto is 14/20. Even if its not, I would hardly call 1mpg significant when the M3 is a compact and the G8 is close to the size of a 7 series.
Sheth,
Just so that you know, GM's website has been making it impossible to check out their vehicles' spec. So all I can find it this:
http://www.pontiac.com/g8-2009/specs-features/
And on the other hand, the M3's:
http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/Vehicles/2009/M/M3Sedan/Features_and_Specs/M3SedanSpecifications.aspx
But you are just like your old self.
When proven wrong, you just turned around and say the difference is insignificant.
Why can't you just grow up and admit you are wrong for just once.
Also, people who will shop for the M3 wouldn't even give a look at the G8 GXP anyway because they are not the same class.
Buick Wildcat?
@C: people I see driving M3s are wealthy, under 50, and have slick hairstyles. people who will buy the GXP G8? probably the same, except the hairstyle.
This car has a nice engine but suffers from the same vanilla bland styling and complete lack of excitement that has caused the Pontiac brand to cease to exist. I always found it ironic that Pontiac was considered the "excitement" brand in GMs stable but their cars were anything but. I couldn't imagine myself buying anything from GM before their current woes and now it will never happen. I think GM is going to have a hard road ahead as the cars it is counting on in 2010 and 2011 are the same boring, more-of-the-same that got them where they are today.
PCK,
I am glad you have mentioned "you see".
That concludes the comment.