2005 Pontiac G6 worthy of Oprah
Car of TV event has crisp look, smooth ride
Cox News Service
December 24, 2004
Just call Pontiac's new midsize four-door "The Oprah Winfrey Car."
That's because the mostly new 2005 G6 made a flashy appearance on her show — seen by more than 15 million viewers daily in 132 countries — as a giveaway Sept. 13.
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Pontiac and the overwhelmingly popular TV host gave 276 members of her studio audience G6 cars, with General Motors paying the sales tax. All the recipients had to do was go to a dealership for a ''cashless transaction" and drive away in a G6.
The exposure and goodwill cost Pontiac/General Motors somewhere between ''$7 million and $8 million," according to Jim Hopson, Detroit-based communications manager for Pontiac. (Note that the new car owners were left to deal with federal and state income taxes on their gifts, which has created problems for some of the recipients.)
Still, we should all be so lucky. The test 2005 G6 quickly identified itself as one of the best-looking, best-riding and best-driving Pontiacs produced in recent years.
Visually, the G6 is divorced from Pontiac's run as what reviewers and other auto writers called the "ribbed cladding division" of GM. The G6 has a crisp, clean look with a curvy beltline — the midcar line running under the windows — connecting its two-section mesh grille and rear spoiler. The spoiler, unfortunately, appears an afterthought tacked on after the G6 came off the assembly line at Orion, Mich.
The interior, too, is the best Pontiac has designed in some time. Its crowning touch is a four-panel sunroof that flips and folds and is unlike anything GM or anyone else has done. The test G6's red-lettered instrumentation was legible, with a 140-mph speedometer and 6,500 rpm tachometer.
Controls were easily accessible, the dash and external visibility was good, and the performance was satisfying overall. Initial G6s come with a 200-hp, 3.5 liter V-6 engine that will carry the 3,400-pound front-wheel-drive vehicle to 60 mph in under 8 seconds.
Pontiac plans to add a coupe and convertible to the G6 line next year and will be able to produce 100,000-200,000 of the cars, depending on sales. The G6 replaces the Grand Am, which was Pontiac's volume leader, but the G6 has -- as other reviewers have noted -- more in common with the 6000STE sports sedan introduced in 1983.
Loyalists and enthusiasts will say it's nice to see Pontiac getting back into the performance arena with the G6, which shares its platform with the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. That will happen next year when the 250-hp GTP model joins the current SE and GT lines. The muscled-up G6 will offer a six-speed manual while the current cars make do with a four-speed automatic.
Even so, the test G6 GT was a real pleaser, with its eye-catching exterior, driver-oriented performance and comfort-oriented interior. The G6 is Pontiac's best yet and it comes with a promise of even better things to come.
Specs:
Test vehicle: The 2005 Pontiac G6 GT front-drive four-door
Price as tested: $28,275 (base price: $23,300 plus $625 delivery)
Drivetrain: 3.5 liter V-6 engine (200 hp), four-speed automatic transmission with semimanual shift feature
Safety features: dual front air bags, power anti-lock disc brakes with traction control, optional package with side-impact and head-protective air bags, $690; air bags and head curtain air bags
Other standard features include: air conditioning; power mirrors, windows and locks with keyless entry system; automatic headlamps with front projector beam fog lamps; four-way adjustable driver's seat with power height adjustment; cruise control, power-adjustable pedals; CD stereo with eight speakers; rear defogger; 17-inch cast aluminum wheels with 225/50 speed-rated turing tires; spoiler
Options on test vehicle: package with 17-inch chrometech wheels, six-disc CD stereo, four-section sunroof, one-year OnStar system, $3,145; package with leather seating, six-way power-adjustable driver's seat, heated front seats, $1,365; remote starter system, $150
EPA figures: 21 mpg premium unleaded city, 39 mpg highway
