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Pontiac G6 convertible a “styling knockout”

07/31/2006, 8:03 AM

By admin

The recently-introduced Pontiac G6 convertible is a styling knockout, says Orlando Sentinel columnist Steven Cole Smith. “I cycled the top up and down multiple times, waiting for a failure, and it never happened,” writes Smith. “I drove the car (top up, obviously) in an absolutely blinding thunderstorm, and it did not leak a drop. There’s no denying that the top mechanism is complex, but on this car, at least, it worked as advertised.” But the praise doesn’t stop there. “The G6’s utterly conventional 3.5-liter, 201-horsepower V-6 has a lot more personality than you would expect, and is nicely matched to a four-speed automatic transmission,” he said. “With the top up, it becomes a structural component, so I wasn’t expecting any cowl shake when driving over bumps and railroad tracks, and there wasn’t. Commendably, even with the top down, the level of body integrity was pretty confidence-inspiring.”

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07/31, 8:26 AM

posted by:

Renton

The Orlando Sentinel …….. one of the worlds great automotive publications.

“I cycled the top up and down multiple times, waiting for a failure, and it never happened,” writes Smith. “I drove the car (top up, obviously) in an absolutely blinding thunderstorm, and it did not leak a drop.

Well there you go. The car is perfect.

Don’t mention its terrible interior or the way the trunk loses any luggage capacity when top down. Also 201 bhp is weak for a car of this size.

Styling knockout? Hardly.

LLN why did you greenlight this story? What’s next blurbs from the Philadephia Inquirer Automotive Section?

07/31, 8:30 AM

posted by:

Jimbo - G Mill$

don’t hate on philly.

07/31, 8:43 AM

posted by:

Renton

I live here too, Jimbo. I love it.

07/31, 9:30 AM

posted by:

chuck

have you driven one renton? why don’t you take you ass to a dealership and drive one. any intelligent person would know horsepower is nothing if not matched with the right tourque. you could have 250 hp at a high rpm, it becomes useless. I’ve driven one and it was more than enought hp and torque to move it. they also offer a larger engine with 250 hp too.

07/31, 9:39 AM

posted by:

Renton

My sister has a hartop G6 and it is not a very nice machine. The interior is chinzy, the brakes are mushy and the handling is poor.

It is just a thoroughly unexciting car that also comes accross as feeling cheap.

It may have more than enough torque and hp to move itself. It does not have enough to “move” me.

On the plus side it has a great A/C system. GM does rule in that dept.

07/31, 10:05 AM

posted by:

Jim

… But you did not actually say that to your sister about her brand new car, right?

I didn’t like the G6. The interior is full of rock hard plastic.
The way this writer just blew off the 2.2 cu ft trunk space problem is just ignorant. He accepts that convertibles have no trunk, which is not true.
The
350Z has 4.1 cu ft,
New Beetle 5.0.
S2000 5.0,
Eclipse spyder 5.2,
MX-5 5.3,
CLK 5.4,
Audi TT 6.4,
SL 7.3,
SC430 8.8,
BMW 650 10.6,
BMW 325 10.6,
Solara 11.7,
Mustang 12.3,
C70 12.8.

All other brands have 2 to 6 times as much cargo space. the G6’s main competitor C70 has 12.8!

07/31, 10:21 AM

posted by:

GM number1-4ever

Another winner for GM. Jim, none of those vehicles are as sexy as the G6 and that is where the title comes in. The only thing sexier than the G6 convertible is the Solstice and Sky. Oh and the Vette. All those others you mentioned are total girlie cars. The G6 is hot

07/31, 10:33 AM

posted by:

Barry

I think the G6 is very girlie. Pontiac never had and still has no appeal. bottom line!!

07/31, 10:59 AM

posted by:

Anonymous

styling knouckout? whos he kidding
its more like styling crapout

07/31, 11:27 AM

posted by:

DaveO

Guess he’s never seen a Saturn Sky.

07/31, 11:32 AM

posted by:

ooodaddy

lets keep things in perspective i am looking at a g6 gt coupe coupe which can be purchased under $20k you can’t cvompare it with vehicles that cost much more and be fair what it is is what it is a good buy for the money

07/31, 11:38 AM

posted by:

'87 635CSI

#6 are you serious? You’re comparing a G6 with a 635 convertible or a 325 convertible? Like people with G6 wallet are actually on a BMW lot? Also that a number of the vehicles you listed are clothtopped and not hard topped.

07/31, 12:17 PM

posted by:

Some guy

So, this is a styling knockout because it doesn’t leak, the top isn’t broken (even after several uses!!) the engine is “conventional” and it doesn’t rattle.

I agree…that’s a pretty high standard to meet for a GM car but I don’t think setting expectations so low makes for a good car review. You have to look at its competition and see if they’re all mediocre. Unfortunately for Pontiac, the competition makes a much better car for the money. Hell, even Pontiac makes a much better car – the Solstice.

Well, it will do well in the rental car fleets until the top stops working….

07/31, 1:36 PM

posted by:

Renton

#11 –ooodaddy– he,#6, was comparing trunk space when top down. You can not even put a weekend’s worth of luggage with the top down in the G6. It actually quite sad they allowed the design to go through.

07/31, 2:50 PM

posted by:

rlatimerc

GM number1-4ever, youre a douche, since when has a mustang been a girlie car, and all gm cars except the vette suck

07/31, 4:52 PM

posted by:

Kevin

its not a styling knockout, but its hardly ugly. There is a black G6 coupe in my apartment complex, its a good looking car.

07/31, 4:57 PM

posted by:

Madcapp

The Volkswagen Eos is a much better car for not alot more money. The G6, well, that does belong in an apartment complex.

07/31, 9:09 PM

posted by:

GM

For 2007, the G6 GTP Coupe gets a 3.6L VVT V-6 with 252HP, and a 6 speed auto with tiptronic shifting for about $25G. With regard to the G6 interior, it is comparable to anything in its price range. When one considers that the Toyota Solara has only 210HP, and Toyota has recalled about 2.9MM during the 1st half of 2006, the G6 GTP is easily the better choice.

07/31, 11:28 PM

posted by:

Downtown Outline Point

I had a ride in a GTP coupe few months ago. Its fast. But the interior….WOWIE, C-R-A-P-P-Y plastic all over!! Knock on it, feels crappy. Like hollow. They need to get out of lame pontiac-styled dashboard design. Go with GTO style. Australian-styled. Hellva lot better! Even GM didnt design that. But still, they need to learn from the GTO interior.

08/01, 7:31 AM

posted by:

Carnut4ever

#18 If you said was true, the G6 GTP Coupe with the 3.6liter VVT with 252hp is now a really competitive car. The styling of the G6 is nice at launch but it was saddled by a 3.5liter OHV and 4 speed auto. But with this up to date engine/transmission combo it is really a different ballgame come 2007.

08/01, 9:28 AM

posted by:

NotGMrules

Even the current G6 is tops in its class. the new VVT engine is only going to make things better. Instead of comparing the car to Camrys and Accords, the new 3.6 will put this car in the ranks with the BMW 325i. So get to your local Pontiac dealer and check out the award winning Pontiac G6. Dump your Accord, dump your Camry and Altima, and get ready to be one-upped in your lameass overpriced garbage that is BMW

08/01, 11:40 AM

posted by:

jmhm2003

“GM number1-4ever”, now that’s a name for an optimist!

But I digress, the G6 coupe actually looks good to me, and a GTP with a manual transmission does hold some appeal. This convertible version does not quite have the right proportions, and is way too heavy. But priced right, with all the GM incentives, will probably sell out it’s minimal production run.

08/03, 1:14 AM

posted by:

The Perfect Eye

This car is a smash hit.I would buy it based on looks alone.The thing is it is a high quality production that handles so well,the complaints about any part about it are basically negligible.

08/03, 1:16 AM

posted by:

The Perfect Eye

The body design of the 2 door hardtop coupe is first class auto art.

08/09, 11:20 PM

posted by:

Perry

Wow, lot’s of opinions! First question, what interior is not plastic these days???? Just drove a 90K range rover, nice very nice but plastic! AS far as G6 convertible 3.9 eng. very fast, nice ride and good looking. It’s faster than my slk230 I just sold. Had an EOS on order, but after comparing style, drivig and over all looks, I canceled my EOS and have a 07 G6 convertible arriving next week! PS- for you negative people out there, DRIVE and compare dollar to dollar before placing comments!

08/22, 6:24 PM

posted by:

Kurt

Good for Perry. I love my 06 G6 GTP Black Convertible. The retractable top is sweet. The car is quite capable. Most of all its just a car with the top up. Understated is …. elegant.

08/24, 7:44 PM

posted by:

Randy

Just bought a 2007 convertible. Drives pretty well with better than expected acceleration. Those above that compared convertible trunk spaces should probably compare HARDTOPS. I didn’t expect a lot of trunk space with the top down – but who cares! Seems fine by me……

12/21, 3:21 PM

posted by:

GarbageMotorsCo

The Miata Hardtop has no problem with trunk space and that’s with rear wheel drive and a much smaller profile. Poor packaging on GM’s part. And the interior is easily the worst in the GM lineup.

 
 
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