Certainly, the G6 lineup has much to offer. For 2009 Pontiac upped the ante a bit. I recently had the pleasure of spending a week behind the wheel of the 2009 Pontiac G6 coupe.
The G6 coupe is sporty and athletic looking. I like its dual honeycomb grille that oozes Pontiac. I also like the car's swoopy lines and subtle hard edges.
My 2009 Pontiac new G6 coupe tester looked luscious thanks to its performance red metallic paint job and optional five-spoke 17-inch chrome tech wheels. I couldn't wait to get in and take it for a spin.
Once I slipped inside, though, I quickly realized this car was not made for 6-footers like me. I barely had enough head room and with my seat in the rear-most position there was absolutely no leg room for my rear-seat passenger.
I did like my new G6 coupe's optional leather upholstery, which came as part of the premium package ($1,195) that also included heated front seats and a six-way power driver's seat.
What I especially liked about the leather upholstery was its ebony and titanium two-tone design and perforated material. This added to the sporty and somewhat luxurious appeal.
I also like the way the leather-wrapped steering wheel (part of the preferred package) felt in my hands. The instruments and controls are laid out nicely and the controls are intuitive. Overall, I liked the look of my tester's cabin.
The entry-level G6 coupe is powered by a 164-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. There is no manual gearbox available for this model.
My tester had the new and more fuelefficient combination of the 2.4-liter engine teamed to a six-speed automatic. This combo delivers better highway mileage and is rated at 22 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. My tester also had steering-wheel-mounted shift controls to operate the automatic like a manual.
While the 2.4-liter four-cylinder performed quietly and smoothly, it was rather uninspiring. Acceleration and performance of my tester's four-banger did not match the athletic exterior and interior styling of this car. I would have appreciated a bit more punch.
If you step up to the new G6 GT coupe, you get a 219-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 engine but are stuck with the fourspeed automatic. I don't understand why you can get the six-speed automatic in the base model and high-performance GXP, but you can't get the six-speed in the midlevel G6 GT coupe. |
