[CadiEldo67]

Car :2009.5 Pontiac G6 Sedan

Exterior Color : Midnight Blue Metallic
Interior Color : Light Taupe

Engine : 2.4 Ecotec I-4

Options :
Sun and Wheels Package
Premium Package
Sport Package 1
Preferred Package
MY LINK Package

What I expected :
I thought that I would be getting into a slow uncomfortable car that wasn’t the best car on the planet and while it did look good, I wasn’t sure how my mother (who I brought the car home to test drive for) would like it either. We looked at a G6 previously and she seen that it had a 4 cylinder and basically wrote it off.

What I thought during :
I started the car and immediately noticed a Remote Start function just like my recently purchased Grand Prix has. I then seen how smoothly the Ecotec starts and idles. (I had always thought these engines to be decent at best). The salesman put the plates on and I was on my way home. Immediately I began to play around with the TapShift on the steering wheel and the shifts are a bit slow but when I was testing the acceleration on the car, I never hit the redline limiter - the shifting became very intuitive and I would click the paddle when it seemed like the car would hit the redline and it went to the next gear very smoothly. This is actually the first vehicle I have driven with a six speed automatic and I walked away impressed, and still in awe that four speeds are used so heavily today. At first, I found the engine to be a bit annoying, but after a few minutes of driving, I thought that it was almost enjoyable to hear, being quite a bit different from the 3.8 V6 that I’m so used to. The seats in the car were very comfortable and while both front seats lacked lumbar support, I didn’t feel that I missed it either. I turned on the radio to see how the sound system stacked up and was actually surprised (but should have known) that XM radio was on 2009 GM vehicles.

I got home and drove up. Apparently my mother was joking when she told me to go and bring the car home for her to drive. But she felt that it was worth a drive since I took the trouble to get it. One of the first things that she noticed was how good the exterior of the car looked. Since it had the Sports Package 1, it had the 17 inch Chrome wheels, (with low profile tires) and a rear spoiler amongst other items in the package. She got into the car and also liked the two tone seats in light taupe and ebony. It really makes the car look more upscale. I liked the lack of wood trim, in its place was the new satin-nickel trim.

My mom thought that the acceleration of the car was quite impressive for the size of the engine, as did I. This left me a bit confused though, she currently drives an ’05 Canyon CC with the 3.5 I5 and I drive an ’05 Grand Prix with a 3.8 V6, both of which produce a boatload more torque than the 2.4 Ecotec. My guess would have to be a combination of the six speed automatic and a slightly lower curb weight for the G6.

What I thought afterwards :
While the car may not be up to the Malibu’s level of refinement (which I’m just going by what others say) its not a bad car by any sense of the word. Its got an attractive exterior inspired by the G8 and a good looking, practical interior with supportive seats, an attractive corporate sound unit, and lots of leg room. My mom did notice the lack of a rear seat armrest (which they’ve been looking for in every sedan since her ’01 Bonneville) and commented on the reasonable size of the trunk. After I told her the price of the car at $21,000 with just 2,900 miles on it, she became very interested, especially since the window sticker was available in the glove box and showed the car when new was just under $27,000. Once my mom was done with her drive, she said that she was very interested and wouldn't have considered a 4 cylinder at all (she too thought that it would be unreasonable slow). Needless to say, if my local B-P-G dealership would stock a well equipped G6 like this, then would sell a new car. But since they only carry fleet versions of vehicles (because the only thing worth selling is trucks) my mom has the potential to save thousands and still get the warranty and the new car smell. I give it a thumbs up and if I think of it, will get pictures if I stop at the dealer this week.

Oh, and if the Chevy Malibu is anything like this car - GM's got a hell of a car on their hands.