On a search...

[JDavidE3]

Hello everyone. I ran across your website while I was researching the Pontaic G6. I was in an accident back in November and they ended up totaling my car, so here I am now in need of one. It wasn't long before I found myself flirting with a few G6's and decided to research them. I'm really interested in buying one and I just thought I'd post here and see what you guys had to say. Also I've seen some of the mods people have done to their vehicles on this site and they are amazing. It has me interested in some projects of my own when I get one.

If anyone would like to chime in on any tips for buying as far as year or model ect. feel free! I'm open to all information and suggestions that may improve my Pontaic experience. Thanks for your time.

[Frosty]

Welcome to the site and the madness!!!

We have lots of G6 owners here. So there will be a plethora of opinions in due time. What is your budget for your replacement? Do you need a 4-door or can you swing a 2-door hard top convertible? A convertible will hold its value longer than the sedan (remember the old adage - "if the top goes down, the price goes up!"). So a convertible will be more expensive to purchase than a 4-door too. However, the fun of a convertible is worth every penny on those warm summer days with the top down and your girl friend next to you.

[JDavidE3]

Well I have to finance my next car and I'd like to keep my payments reasonable. I don't want anything that costs more than 15 or 16k. I'm leaning towards the sedan right now but I'm open to the idea of a coupe/convertible. I live in Indiana and we only have a couple of warm months. On the other hand I'm single and I have no children and nothing to haul but my tools for work. Do you have a convertible? I was reading that the wind noise with the top up can be a hassle. Something else I read was that the '06 G6's had electronic power steering that "numbed" feedback, any validity to that?

[Ringo64]

I own a 2006 GT Coupe. It's 7 years old, my daily driver and I honestly can't say enough good things about the car, have owned it since brand spankin' new. Granted I have the mid-range V6 for my year with the LX9 3.5L but it is very reliable, has half the power of my garage queen Camaro but the G6 still has that kick and I still have fun driving it Only complaint I have is with the sun-roof and you just have to watch those damn drainage tubes (they come dislodge and you have to put them back together, easy project) otherwise it's fine, just don't let them sit out in a hurricane with them un-clogged lol.

Price range, I'm sure you'll be able to find something that suits your needs and your wallet now. Hopefully you can take your time and find the right one for you though

[Ghost]

hey, welcome. i also own a 2006. but mines a base I4 Ecotec, it is also the smallest engine with 167HP (but turbo possible). i will also say, like Ringo, it is great, no problems, great commuter, had it since new.

[[ChaosweaveR]]

Welcome to the forums.

While I don't own a G6, I've worked on numerous ones and driven plenty.

Me personally, I'm not too crazy about them. Then again, they really are just fluffed up Grand Am replacements. They do have nice interiors, seats are decent. Depending on the trim though, that's how sporty the car will drive. I do know this:

2005-2006 models had the LX9 (OHV 3.5L V6) and LE5 (DOHC 2.4L I4) engines. The GT trims had different gearing, so the powerband for the LX9 feels different. The LE9 was base trim only.

2007+ models had the LZ4 (OHV 3.5L V6 w/VVT) LZ9 (OHV 3.9L V6 w/VVT) LY7 (DOHC 3.6L V6) and LE5. The LZ4 was thrown in base and GT trims, the LZ9 saw use in GTP trim, the LY7 was mostly seen in the GXP trim, but there has been a few GTP's with LY7s. Again, the LE5 was base trim only.

GTPs can be had with a six speed manual, but aren't common.

[Frosty]

Well I have to finance my next car and I'd like to keep my payments reasonable. I don't want anything that costs more than 15 or 16k. I'm leaning towards the sedan right now but I'm open to the idea of a coupe/convertible. I live in Indiana and we only have a couple of warm months. On the other hand I'm single and I have no children and nothing to haul but my tools for work. Do you have a convertible? I was reading that the wind noise with the top up can be a hassle. Something else I read was that the '06 G6's had electronic power steering that "numbed" feedback, any validity to that?

I do own a '72 Lemans Sport Convertible with a big block in it, so it is a 40 year old car with tons of wind noise. That's how those cars were built back in the day, and I live just north of you in Michigan, so I understand how much limited time you would have to enjoy the convertible. It doesn't matter to me anyway, because when the top is down, it is worth every penny and I love every minute of it. Don't forget that the G6 is a flip-top hard top. So you loose most of your trunk space when the top is down, but I have to believe that you would have way less wind noise in a G6 with the top up than my Lemans. Modern engineering can be a beautiful thing.

My suggestion on the wind noise question would be to find one on a used car lot or a private seller and test drive it. Find out for yourself. My daily driver is a Chevy Avalanche, so that is a whole other beast.

[JUSTA6]

My daughter has over 80,000 on her 07. Other than 3 sets of brakes and damaged rims (from potholes) the car has been flawless. I retired from Orion in 07, we got her build # and I was able to get her into the plant and follow the build. She was even able to install some parts along the way. Welcome to the site and good luck with your search.

[Coupe_GXP]

I have 94k on my 06 G6 GTP, its has been a pretty good car never left me stranded in the 7 years I have owned it. It has the 3.9l V6 in it so its not all that slow or fast. I have had lots of fun with the car but I have been lucky enough to enjoy lots of other cars. The coupe is huge and its amazing what all you can fit in it. It has a huge wheelbase so the turning radius really sucks, the coupe can be harder to see out of, it is a comfortable car to drive for extend periods of time, has decent power, handles winter decent, gets around 24-25mpg with eco all-seasons.

The g6 campared to other cars I have owned. 01 bmw 325ci the car was a blast to drive tons more fun than the g6, bi-xenon lights, great gas mileage( would get at least 30 mpg, could get 32 relatively easy) , easy to see out of, it was rwd so I didn't drive it in the winter, it was really pretty underpowered compared to the g6.

08 C300 4Matic was just a overall good car to drive didn't excel in anything though. Comparable power to the g6 a little slower, easy to see out of, good fuel economy at least around 27, thing was a absolute beast in the snow, decently nimble, quite and smooth driving. it was really a pretty boring car to drive and was too grown up for me so I went the completely opposite direction with my next car.

13 STi 5dr is just a amaing car, it is very addicting car that begs you to push it more. I have had so much fun with this car already in a month of owning it. It is a pretty practical sports car with a hatchback, 4 drs for totting stuff around, and awd for the winter times. The gas milage kinda sucks since I have been getting around 23 avg or so. It has just enough refinement in it but is not all that polished of car. I love having the touch screen for controlling my ipod or switching inputs, I have actually yet to really use the gps at all lol. I haven't had any buyers remorse yet on it at all it is really is everything I ever wanted out of a car. I have always wanted a evo or a STi and finally got it.

[JDavidE3]

Hey guys. Sorry I haven't been able to respond in a while but I stay pretty busy. I did read everyone's response and I wanted to thank all of you for your input. I even found a G6 likes & dislikes thread in your archives which was also helpful. Well after tons of research on the G6 and other cars in its class I was coming to a stalemate. They all had their trademark issues and strong suits. Over the last few days I went out and test drove several cars including the G6. In the end I did not enjoy driving the G6 as much as I thought I would. For me the steering killed it, it had a turning circle that felt worse than my Trailblazer. I live in the city and I want something I can nest with much less effort. That being said everything else about the car was amazing.

Again thanks for all the comments and input. Hopefully you all aren't TOO angry that I'm not buying a Pontiac. So mod you can lock or delete this thread as you please or leave it if you feel it adds to the community. Thanks for having me, you guys have a really great community.

[Coupe_GXP]

Yeah the turning circle is around 4 feet shorter than a new tundra lol

[[ChaosweaveR]]

Doesn't have to be a Pontiac, plenty of newer GM models to try.

Have you looked into the Cruze? That might be more of what you're looking for.

[JDavidE3]

I actually checked out the Cruze a while before I posted here. Good car just wasn't my taste.

[[ChaosweaveR]]

Well, let's see...are you just looking for just cars in the same class like a G6?

The 2008-2012 Malibus are nice, the Chevy Captiva (we used to know it as the Saturn Vue) is a great compact CUV.

[havoc1482]

Well, let's see...are you just looking for just cars in the same class like a G6?

The 2008-2012 Malibus are nice, the Chevy Captiva (we used to know it as the Saturn Vue) is a great compact CUV.

I thought Captivas were not available for like, normal sale? I heard they they were mostly rentals and the Equinox is for the normal market

[[ChaosweaveR]]

I thought Captivas were not available for like, normal sale? I heard they they were mostly rentals and the Equinox is for the normal market

I dunno, I've seen a lot of them by me. Come to think of it, I've never seen one sitting at a rental place.

[Ringo64]

Captivas are fleet only, doesn't mean you still can't pick up a used one though

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[havoc1482]

Captivas are fleet only, doesn't mean you still can't pick up a used one though

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Yep, that was it, I remember now. They are fleet vehicles only because GM didn't want it and the Equinox competing.

[[ChaosweaveR]]

They dun goofed, I see more Captivas than Equinoxes.

I've driven the Vue and the new gen Equinox, I'd go with the Captiva, too.

[havoc1482]

They dun goofed, I see more Captivas than Equinoxes.

I've driven the Vue and the new gen Equinox, I'd go with the Captiva, too.

I've seen like 1 Captiva for every 30 Equinoxes up here. The Equinox and Traverse are very popular around here.

[[ChaosweaveR]]

The Traverse and Acadia have become the mommy wagon of choice on Long Island. I see them everywhere.

[Ringo64]

I see a lot of Captivas around here and Equinox's/Terrain's. They're both great SUVs. My mom owns a Terrain, thing drives like a car and I like it a lot, very surprised. My dad is actually thinking of picking up a Terrain or Equinox for his next car here soon and he's always been a car guy, hated SUVs then he drove my mom's Terrain