2008 Pontiac G8

• Overall
• Performance
• Exterior
• Interior
• Safety
• Reliability
• Specs

Pontiac G8 - What the Auto Press Says

The 2008 Pontiac G8 is a high-performance, rear-wheel drive machine first and a family hauler second.  With its available V8 power and an interior some reviews call the best Pontiac has produced in years, it fills both roles well.  It lacks the fit and finish of the top vehicles in the segment, and has not yet been crash tested.

The 2008 Pontiac G8 is a family car for performance enthusiasts. As the automaker itself likes to point out, the G8 is by many measures the most powerful car available in the U.S. for under $30,000. To secure that boast Pontiac priced the high-performance GT model at $29,995.  That investment will buy you up to 361 horsepower and a 0 to 60 time that Car and Driver measured at just 5.3 seconds.  A GXP model beats even that with an ultra-high-performance V8 borrowed from the 2008 C6 Corvette.  But the G8 pairs that performance with a spacious interior that Motor Trend calls "nicely tailored," with "comfortable and enveloping seats, and simple controls. What's more, though it might not look it, the car is huge inside-particularly in back, which also features what at first sight appears to be the world's largest pass-through. Four adults could happily travel all day in the G8."

Pontiac advertises the G8 as though it were an all-new model, but that isn't strictly true.  It's a rebadged edition of the SS Commodore, a car sold by GM's Australian division, Holden, since 2006.  This is to the G8's advantage: since it's based on a proven platform, the G8 will hopefully be free of the quality hiccups common to many first-generation cars.  All-new to the U.S for 2008, the G8 is available in three trim-levels.  A base edition will a fairly well-appointed interior is powered by a 3.6-liter V6 putting out 256 horsepower.   The base model uses a five-speed automatic transmission with manual shift capability. A high-performance GT edition is driven by a 6.0-liter V8 producing 361 horsepower, and offers a six-speed automatic.  A top-of-the-line GXP edition uses a 6.2-liter small-block V8 putting out 402 horsepower, and can be bought with an automatic transmission.  If you're looking for a combination of performance and cabin space, the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 are the only other rear-wheel drive options in the large car segment.

• "Judging by our first drives, the G8 GT is good indeed. Good enough, in fact, to merit BMW, Infiniti, and Lexus intenders dropping by the Pontiac store for a serious look." -- Motor Trend
• "This Pontiac is spacious, fast, and agile. It's a looker, and it's surprisingly affordable." -- Car and Driver
• "The G8 sedan has a sporty feel, great handling and a powerful engine, plus it has the extra room to carry kids in the back."  -- AutoWeek
• "It becomes the Pontiac flagship, being bigger than the mid-size front-wheel-drive G6, and it takes that spot at the top of the line with pride, being a very good car, with no weaknesses." -- New Car Test Drive
• "It's a modern, attractive, intriguing pile of haul-ass machine, topped off with a threateningly large V-8 and a storied American badge. In other words, it's exactly what Detroit should be building." -- Automobile Magazine
• " While not clearly a Pontiac, the G8 is clearly a bargain for anyone who's been seeking a super-sized, pushrod-powered, two-ton 3-Series." -- The Truth About Cars

G8 Performance - NA

The 2008 Pontiac G8 was built with performance in mind, and the automotive press reviews it accordingly.   Driving the GT model, the Chicago Tribune writes, "It launches like a rocket and passes 60 m.p.h. With RWD rather than FWD, there's no torque steering-that sudden lunge to one side-in a power takeoff. Acceleration is straight and sure without jiggle, very reassuring when the speedometer tops 90 mph....Yes, we tried that more than once."   Some find the ride quality too stiff, but that isn't uncommon with a performance-tuned suspension.  It pays off in firm driving.  Car and Driver reports, "The G8 is happy being fast-pitched into corners. It doesn't sass back with tire squeal, path wandering, or body bounding but stays cool and in control."  A full performance review is coming soon. continue

G8 Exterior - NA

The 2008 Pontiac G8 has a muscular look that reveals its intentions as a performance machine, and most reviews like it.  Car and Driver says "Clipped overhangs and sheetmetal that is sucked tight over the wheel arches and cabin give the G8 the crouched stance of a Teutonic high roller."  A photo gallery and exterior review are coming soon. continue

G8 Interior - NA

The G8 initiates a new interior design theme for Pontiac, and most reviews call the result a huge improvement over Pontiac cabins of the recent past  "Camry drivers would find little to criticize except the lack of folding rear seats," according to Car and Driver.  A few odd touches -- many of the buttons and switches American drivers are accustomed to finding on the door are on the center console instead -- reveal the car's Australian roots. A photo gallery and interior review are coming soon. continue

G8 Safety - NA

We don't know much about how safe the 2008 Pontiac G8 is yet.  Neither the insurance industry nor the federal government has released any crash test results on the car.  It does come standard with side head-curtain airbags at no additional charge, plus stability and traction control.  A full safety review is coming soon. continue

G8 Reliability - NA

Pontiac covers the G8 with a three-year/36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, and an impressive five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty than can be transferred to a new owner if the car is sold.  A full reliability review is coming soon. continue