Test drive: 2007 Pontiac G6 Convertible
I am what I guess you could call a fan of General Motors. I think many of their cars are unfairly knocked by the press, and I do my best to ensure that GM products get a fair shake. I've written pretty favorable reviews of several, including the Pontiac G5 and Buick Lucerne. Frankly, I thought things were going pretty swimmingly in GM's life.
And then I drove the 2007 Pontiac G6 Convertible.
Cars like this don't make it easy for the precious few of us who like GM. First, there's the retractable hardtop: After a week with the G6, I just don't think it's a good idea. (I'll be spending a week with a Volkswagen Eos in January, so maybe that will change my mind.) And then there were problems specific to the G6... well, there's no need for me to go into the details twice; check out my Pontiac G6 Convertible test drive. As always, your views on the G6 are welcome -- click the "comments" link. -- Aaron Gold
Photo © General Motors
On at least one point I will have to agree. GM is more maligned than is fair. I’ve been out looking at cars 3 times in 2006 due to my needs and my children’s needs and each time, after looking at the options in a particular category, we found our best deals (price vs options/style/comfort) at Chevrolet and Buick. Ford had a couple close ones. Toyota and Honda were out from price alone. Nissan had nothing close. Nothing from Europe fit in a tight budget either. Scion was there but we all think their cars are butt ugly, functional or not. We still want to get into a car we can stand to look at.
Make a note here that I have never been a fan of Chevrolet. In the 60s/70s, I was Mopar. 80s/90s, Ford and Toyota. But in 1995, I discovered Buick. Everyone told me that used 1986 Buick (quote “GM piece of trash”) with 150,000 miles would never make it across country with a full load. Not only did it, but it did 32 miles per gallon along the way. Never lost a drop of any fluids either. So I’ve looked at GM every time since. My daughter replaced her 1993 Buick with a 1997 Buick when she wrecked her 1993.
I hear lots of comments in forums and in the office about great mileage with Toyota and Honda. But they all brag about mileage within about 2 miles per gallon of what our GM cars get. And my daughter’s car is bigger than theirs.
I won’t say GM is the saviour of our economy or has the best cars on the road. But they are good cars at a reasonable price for the average Joe/Jane.
You may wish to champion GM’s products, but the facts are plain – their stuff isn’t considered as value-oriented as the big 3 (or 4):Honda/Toyota/Nissan/Subaru. Your view of Hyundai doesn’t alter the fact that resale numbers show the same problem as GM. It all comes down to good engineering throughout the car.
And when has $33,000 become “affordable”? To Whom?
Like your brethren at Car and Driver, you must be extremely well paid!
When you speak of value, you need to qualify this statement. I think GM vehicles provide excellent value…You get a lot more features standard on GM products than you do on Toyota products; you have features that Toyota doesn’t even offer, such as OnStar and a longer warranty, and you get better customer service at the dealership at GM than at Toyota…sometimes value isn’t just about the cost of the vehicle….
You had better be thick-skinned if you go into a Toyota or Honda dealership. You are expected to pay top dollar, get almost mothing for an American car trade-in, and will be treated like you are doing them a favor buying one of their cars. On top of that they will think that they can tell you what you want, right down to the size and colors.