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Pontiac's G6 convertible has a lot going for it, but there are compromises

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  6. Pontiac's G6 convertible has a lot going for it, but there are compromises

published October 02, 2006

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( 32 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5)
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There was desk work waiting, a conference call to join and a boss looking for me, but instead I listened to the little voice on my left shoulder, "Just go a couple more exits past the usual turnoff."

This was, after all, my first few miles in the car and there was an opinion waiting to be formed.


Then I heard, "Turn up the music, it's only proper to test the audio system."

Airflow with the top down on the interstate is quite controlled, better than expected, and almost like riding in a bubble this calm morning. All the better for cranking the tunes. The eight-speaker Monsoon stereo belts out clear and strong, so strong that the bass vibrates all the mirrors.

Then the guilty conscience, that voice on the other shoulder, starts with the hand-wringing, "What time is it? You've got to get back."

I turn up the volume.

The day is too balmy to waste, like fish that are biting, good waves for surfing, a midday ballgame. I have an open-air office and I am getting some work done.

Obviously, I have little willpower when it comes to a good convertible. This one is for everyday top-down driving, but there are also compromises.

The G6 GT retractable hardtop convertible joins the G6 coupe and sedan. The standard G6 GT, today's test car, comes with a 210-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 and four-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode.

Pricing starts at $29,150 and includes enough conveniences to justify such a cost. The $1,490 sport package adds a 240-hp, 3.9-liter V-6, chrome dual exhaust tips, Stabilitrak, 18-inch ultra bright wheels, 3.69 axle ratio (for quicker launch), dual zone automatic air conditioning and six-way power driver seat.

Seat heaters - always appreciated on cool mornings or evenings - should be standard equipment for a convertible. No carmaker agrees with me, but Pontiac gives this convertible some useful extras, such as a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, attractive gauges with chrome bezels and red LED backlighting and a handy front passenger seat mechanism that scoots the seat forward for speedy exits from the back.

There is a growing debate of hard or soft tops among carmakers. A retractable hardtop allows four-season use of a convertible - two cars in one. That's not an insignificant selling point in, say, Detroit, but even in California people put hardtops on Miatas.

Modern soft tops are lined, insulated, quiet and tight. And they don't take up all the trunk space.

This steel top takes 34 seconds to fold, but 24 seconds would be better. Just press and hold the button at the windshield header, which also lowers the windows, and it is stored. There are no other levers or switches to flip. The folded top is capped by a hard tonneau. There is no need for a wind deflector, but one is included.

Points are lost, however, for lack of trunk space when the top is down. Pontiac states 2.5 cubic feet of space w-a-a-a-y down below the cargo cover. Pull the spare tire and you'd gain about 2 cubic feet of carpeted space. Better include a can of Fix-a-Flat.

As a hardtop, over-the-shoulder views are very good, a benefit of the trim rear roof pillars and broad glass. And the environment is light and open.

The cabin is large enough to provide useful storage - in the door panels, a glove box and center console box, but nothing with a lock. There are 35 inches of rear foot room, but a near-vertical seat back. Long doors help access to the back, but also complicate access in "compact only" parking spaces.

I like the three-spoke steering wheel, but it's odd that it doesn't have steering wheel radio controls, a longtime Pontiac feature. Tan fabric seats contrast nicely with black and gray trim. But there is more flex to the interior panels and more rough plastic and flimsy top seals than I'd like to see on a $30,000 car.

Still, the car is likable to drive and much can be forgiven, including the safety belt that crossed my neck and buzzed in the wind.

At 3,428 pounds, the G6 GT is heavy but the ride is smooth; the car rolls along quietly. It is a competent tourer more than a sports car. But when the top is down, there is some body shake, even chassis squeaks on uneven ground.

There is enough horsepower, but the four-speed automatic is reluctant to downshift until you put your foot into it, then the engine grabs a breath and slams back a wailing double downshift. A car this contemporary deserves a five- or six-speed automatic that will respond more quickly to the throttle and eke out another mile or two of fuel economy. Nonetheless, 19 mpg city and 27 mpg city on 87 octane isn't terrible and GM is quick to point out the reliability of the four-speed.

Forty miles later, the guilt voice nags again, "What time is it?"

"Lunchtime," the evil twin says. "Better stop for a bite now so you can get right to work back at the office."

SPECS BOX

2007 Pontiac G6 GT Convertible

Body style: compact, front-wheel-drive, 4-seat retractable hardtop

Engine: 201-horsepower, overhead valve, 3.5-liter V-6

Transmission: four-speed automatic with manual shift mode

Acceleration: 0 to 60 mph, 8 seconds

EPA fuel economy estimates: 19 mpg city, 27 highway; 87 octane

Fuel capacity: 16.4 gallons

DIMENSIONS

Trunk space: 5.8 cubic feet, top up; 1.8, top down

Front head/leg/shoulder room: 38.4/42.2/54 inches

Rear head/leg/shoulder room: 36.1/34.2/44.8 inches

Length/wheelbase: 189/112.3 inches

Curb weight: 3,428 pounds

FEATURES

Standard equipment includes: remote keyless entry, air conditioning, floor mats, driver seat power height adjuster, eight-speaker Monsoon audio system with in-dash CD, cruise control, power trunk release, projector beam fog lights, chrome exhaust tip, rear window defogger

Safety equipment includes: front air bags, ABS, traction control, tilt-telescopic steering wheel

CHASSIS

Brakes: power-assisted discs, vented front, solid rear discs; ABS

Steering: electric variable assist; 39.3-foot turning circle

Suspension: four-wheel independent; front MacPherson struts and stabilizer bar; rear, four-link with twin-tube gas shocks, dual-rate miniblock coil springs, stabilizer bar

Tires and wheels: P225/50R 17-inch on cast-aluminum wheels

PRICING

Base: $29,150, including $650 freight charge

Options on test car: None

The competition: Ford Mustang, Mitsubishi Eclipse, VW Beetle (and upcoming Eos), Volvo C70, Chrysler Sebring and PT Cruiser

Where assembled: Lake Orion, Mich.

PLUSES: excellent airflow with the top down, smooth rolling, attractive

MINUSES: no trunk space with top down, automatic transmission, 39-foot turning circle, cowl shake over rough road

Mark Maynard is driving in cyberspace at mark.maynard@uniontrib.com.

© Copley News Service

SIDEBAR: G6 is golden for Pontiac

By Mark Maynard

© Copley News Service

Things appear to be turning around for Pontiac.

When I talked with Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson in early July, he was elated that June sales had broken records. But July surpassed it, with 17,516 total sales, which include sales to corporate and rental fleets. But the best part is the retail sales, he says. July retail sales were high at 12,617.

Critics, financiers and analysts focus on total sales because that is what is generally reported, but retail sales tell you how well your vehicle is being received by the public, Hopson says. "That's big-time stuff."

July sales versus a year ago were up 98.2 percent. For the calendar year through July, G6 sales are up 34.7 percent.

Showroom traffic is up 20 percent for the year, a lot due to Solstice, "but with sales up for Torrent (SUV), Vibe (hatchback) and G6, we have to believe that we are getting back on people's radar screen," Hopson says. "This isn't the Pontiac people may remember from the '80s and '90s.

He expects the momentum to continue.

The smaller 2007 G5 (Chevy Cobalt's twin) is now on sale; there's also a 2007 G6 GTP, with a new 3.6-liter engine and new six-speed automatic transmission. The GTP coupe is $24,850 (including the $650 freight charge). The sedan is $25,050.

There won't be a GTP convertible for '07 because the 3.6-liter engine requires a different engine mount that won't work in the convertible. But Pontiac is tinkering with it.

G6 is a big reason why Pontiac brand residual values have climbed 33 percent in the past 12 months, Hopson says.

Comparing G6 with its predecessor, the Grand Am, demographics are moving up:

- G6 buyers are bit younger: 44.5 years versus 44.9 years for Grand Am.

- College grads: 45.3 percent versus 35.9 percent for Grand Am.

- Median household incomes: $66,508 versus $51,057 for Grand Am.

G6 and Solstice are also "conquesting" new buyers, which means people have traded in their non-GM vehicle for a Pontiac. Based on marketing research data by J.D. Power, G6 conquest sales are at 40 percent through July (up from 32 percent in June) and Solstice is a stunning 64 percent.

"I'd never seen a 60 percent conquest rate before," Hopson says.

Even the Vibe (the Toyota Matrix variant) is selling well, and has a 60.2 percent conquest rate. While more sales are to be expected because of the fuel situation, the car is four years old - not the newest, latest, great thing.

Pontiac has also seen "dramatically increased retail sales" in areas typically dominated by imports, such as San Diego, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Palm Beach, Fla., and Sacramento, Calif.

Obviously, dealers want more cars.

The 2006 models sold out about a month and a half before the 2007 changeover in July. That's the first time in quite a while that Pontiacs were spoken for before they were built, he says.

The trick is to get people into dealerships to take a test drive, Hopson says.

"Once we do that, we generally have a very high close rate, he says. "But in this extremely competitive market, it is difficult to get an individual to even consider your product.

"You'll never again see Pontiac selling 700,000 units a year," Hopson says. "We are about being true to a formula, which is the seductive blend of styling and performance. That's what Pontiac needs to do to succeed."

© Copley News Service
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  6. Pontiac's G6 convertible has a lot going for it, but there are compromises

published October 02, 2006

( 32 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.

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