Any Pontiac G8/Holden Commodore Owners???

[Hellgate]

So yesterday I was at the gas station and the guy a pump over had a new black Pontiac G8. So I walk over say hello and ask if that is the one with the Corvette V8. Nope has the V6 and gets pretty good mileage he replies. Long story short, he is the GM rep for South Texas. He offers me his business card and tells me to call him when we are ready to buy and he'll get us an employee pricing certificate. He also said I could try his car out for a day, that is the whole point of his company car, sell cars.

My wife is a real estate agent and needs a larger sedan to haul clients (Yes despite what is in the news, houses are selling and mortgages are available). We are thinking of a two year old Toyota Avalon, but the G8 is the right size too. We would get a crossover but some old folks have trouble getting into taller vehicles.

Bottomline, the employee pricing would get us the V6, with a few bells and whistles for $22,000. MSRP is about $29,500.

So what do you G8/Commodore owners think? Honestly.

Thanks! :thumbup:

 

[wolfc70]

I do not own one, but I drove a V6 version during a dealer promotion. It was a very nice car, had excellent road manners and very nice steering feel. The only thing that was disappointing was the interior. It was a nice design, but it had the prototypical GM hard shiny plastic inside. The person at GM who thinks that grainy, hard plastics are rich looking, should be shot. A $15,000 Hyundai Elantra has better materials inside. Other than that it was a sweet car. Depending on what tire option, the car can ride a bit hard, especially if you have frost heaved roads, so test drive cars with different tire options, and avoid the low profile ones if ride quality is of a concern. This is not your typical large American car, and I think that is a good thing. Unlike the Avalon, it is rear wheel drive, a definite enthusiast advantage. This can be a minus also depending on climate. If you need a larger sedan, it is worth looking at.

 

[The Toecutter]

I love pontiac's!!! Ive have owned a hot rod 83trans am.and a brand new 00 gran prix gt 2 door.I curently drive an 03 Toyota Tundra that ive put close to 75,000 miles on that has not given me a single problem and really is'nt showing any sign's of wear.the pontiac's on the other hand rattled, cluncked, thing's cracked,things broke completly off, dry rotted, leaked, and squeeked,not to mention I had to re-program the PCM in the gran prix around 30,000 miles because it forgot how to run smooth.I love the way Pontiac's look and wish I had them both even now,but I'm realy glad I can go out there and turn the key on my Toyota and just go with no worries.

 

[wrightme43]

Pontiac makes craptastic cars that fail constently.

If a gm product pulls into the shop it is almost always going to need hub bearings and brake rotors, or front steering componets. Like the RACK. They are horribley made pieces of junk.

You would be 1000 times better off with a few year old Toyota or Honda.

Seriously man, no joke dont buy any thing that says pontiac on it except the vibe. Its really a toyota matrix. I am sorry but they seriously are just junk. Trunks that leak, random engine control problems, noises, horrible hub bearings, crappy steering componets, at least once or twice a week we put intake manifold gaskets on gm products. Once since I have been there put a set on a toyota, none on honda. I pontiac with 36,000 miles on it is like a toyota that has 150,000 miles on it. Just dont waste your money.

I have no finacial or business intrest one way or the other. Except that my dad is retired from GM and the company staying afloat pays his pension. I would like him to keep it, but GM just makes crappy cars.

 

[Howattzer]

Pontiac makes craptastic cars that fail constently.

If a gm product pulls into the shop it is almost always going to need hub bearings and brake rotors, or front steering componets. Like the RACK. They are horribley made pieces of junk.

You would be 1000 times better off with a few year old Toyota or Honda.

Seriously man, no joke dont buy any thing that says pontiac on it except the vibe. Its really a toyota matrix. I am sorry but they seriously are just junk. Trunks that leak, random engine control problems, noises, horrible hub bearings, crappy steering componets, at least once or twice a week we put intake manifold gaskets on gm products. Once since I have been there put a set on a toyota, none on honda. I pontiac with 36,000 miles on it is like a toyota that has 150,000 miles on it. Just dont waste your money.

+1. The Toyota would be superior car.

 

[CrazyBiker]

Most american cars are piece of junk. But I will say Chevy makes one of the better cars close to the japanese.

 

[Botch]

I don't know that I'd buy a car from a company that's going bankrupt...

 

[wolfc70]

Pontiac makes craptastic cars that fail constently.

If a gm product pulls into the shop it is almost always going to need hub bearings and brake rotors, or front steering componets. Like the RACK. They are horribley made pieces of junk.

You would be 1000 times better off with a few year old Toyota or Honda.

Seriously man, no joke dont buy any thing that says pontiac on it except the vibe. Its really a toyota matrix. I am sorry but they seriously are just junk. Trunks that leak, random engine control problems, noises, horrible hub bearings, crappy steering componets, at least once or twice a week we put intake manifold gaskets on gm products. Once since I have been there put a set on a toyota, none on honda. I pontiac with 36,000 miles on it is like a toyota that has 150,000 miles on it. Just dont waste your money.

I have no finacial or business intrest one way or the other. Except that my dad is retired from GM and the company staying afloat pays his pension. I would like him to keep it, but GM just makes crappy cars.

I could not agree more. The GM 3400 V6 eats intake manifold gaskets like no other engine. The 3.0 v6 in my Saturn L300 has a oil cooler cover that is prone to leaks, even after 10 production years. Things like this just make me shake my head, stop treating your customers like victims and make a product last beyond the factory warranty.

 

[Stumbles06]

Pete, I work for Holden, and I have 2 Holdens parked in my garage, (mind you, one of them is an imported Opel Astra). No trouble at all with my cars, I love them.
Take it for a drive, give it some stick, I'm sure you'll be pleased. Especially as they put a higher spec motor in the G8 exports from here, we have tougher Emission Laws over here, so we get hammered in that department.

Pontiac makes craptastic cars that fail constently.

If a gm product pulls into the shop it is almost always going to need hub bearings and brake rotors, or front steering componets. Like the RACK. They are horribley made pieces of junk.

You would be 1000 times better off with a few year old Toyota or Honda.

When you say that about the GM product pulling in needing work etc, does that include the G8. The G8 is an Australian made car, based on the VE Commodore.

Now, I don't have the VE, I own the previous model VZ (V6 Calais), 65,000 Kms and not one thing has gone wrong with it. I just replaced my original tires on Saturday... 65,000 Kms on a set of Bridgestone tires. The Calais comes with all the bells and whistles, ESP (electric stability program), Traction control, all leather interior... etc

I'm not saying the Holden Commodore is perfect, but I don't see all the mechanical failures that you list with the Pontiac products over here on the commodores.

As I said, I work for Holden in the production factory, but because of the Global Financial disaster, and us having down-days quite frequently, I'm looking for a new job. Gotta pay the mortgage somehow.

 

[wrightme43]

Not the Austrailian made pontiacs. Havent seen a one. Just lots of experince with GM products made here in the states. I can say with no problem at all I would not reccomend anyone to spend any of thier money on them ever. Do you all have the Grand Prix and Grand Am down there? Or the Oldsmobile Alero? Or the Impalla or Malibu GM, or any of the S series chevy or gmc trucks/suv? All those vehicles are so poorly made it is not funny. The S series has had the same problems for going 20 years now. Still people buy them.

Maybe the ones made down there do not suffer from horrible design flaws, and inferior materials, and shoddy assembly. The ones we see here sure do.

PM AntMB about his.

 

[urbanj]

Garbage plain and simple. I'm glad my retail days are done. When anyone asks me about I car to buy I definitely say anything but the big three. If you are going to lease them for business, get them for sure cause they are cheap and you don't have to pay for anything out of your own pocket when it breaks. Some models are great don't get me wrong but I'd rather not take the risk and all the headaches.

A lot the fleets that run them run them because they are CHEAP. In the corporate world lowest bid tenders always seem to win regardless of the crap you get.

I just sent a Ford Freestar with 25000 miles over to Ford last week and they put a new tranny in it cause I pulled the pan and the bands blew apart and the filter had complete stripes of clutch material in it. Could be a one off but I'm not putting my money on it.

 

[ant_mb]

PM AntMB about his

Don't get me into this Pontiac bashing thread!

Pete was looking for info on the G8(which I don't own). I do however own a 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix. I bought the car brand new off the lot and it currently has a hair under 50,000 miles on it. Here is a list of the repairs made so far.

1-New Rack and pinion-$1,086
2-New front brakes and front rotors(they were warped)-Around $400
3-New windshield wiper motor-$313
4-New outer tie rod-Warrenty
5-Right rear power window stoped working-Warrenty
6- blown right front speaker-yet to be fixed

I loves the looks and performance of it, but I can see it's going to take a lot of money to keep it on the road.

 

[wolfc70]

Pete, I work for Holden, and I have 2 Holdens parked in my garage, (mind you, one of them is an imported Opel Astra). No trouble at all with my cars, I love them.
Take it for a drive, give it some stick, I'm sure you'll be pleased. Especially as they put a higher spec motor in the G8 exports from here, we have tougher Emission Laws over here, so we get hammered in that department.



When you say that about the GM product pulling in needing work etc, does that include the G8. The G8 is an Australian made car, based on the VE Commodore.

Now, I don't have the VE, I own the previous model VZ (V6 Calais), 65,000 Kms and not one thing has gone wrong with it. I just replaced my original tires on Saturday... 65,000 Kms on a set of Bridgestone tires. The Calais comes with all the bells and whistles, ESP (electric stability program), Traction control, all leather interior... etc

I'm not saying the Holden Commodore is perfect, but I don't see all the mechanical failures that you list with the Pontiac products over here on the commodores.

As I said, I work for Holden in the production factory, but because of the Global Financial disaster, and us having down-days quite frequently, I'm looking for a new job. Gotta pay the mortgage somehow.

At least it made the 40,000 miles with no issues, so that is an improvement over the GM stuff sold stateside.

Still all cars should be able to go 40K miles without an issue. My old 1998 Nissan Altima made it 176K miles with just normal wear items, NOTHING BROKE. Well the timing chain snapped one day going to work, but that car never even needed an alternator. Now days, your first 100K miles should be trouble free. My friends 1997 Camry has 258,000 miles on it. Guess how many times that car has needed an expensive repair?

I am not saying all Domestic vehicles are junk, but the vast majority seem to be. The Ford Fusion seems to be holding up well, I have not heard of too many complaints on that car. Time will tell if the Domestics new found quality quality lives up to the hype.

 

[bcityroller]

No direct experience with the G8 but a few thoughts I would consider in situation.
1. What does she drive today - reason being that if she's used to driving an import today, the fit/finish may not be up to par. It would be really annoying to replace a 4-year old car and then realize that the new car isn't as nice or looks the same in 6-months.
2. How long will she keep this car - the resale on these cars is likely to be pretty low given the huge discounts they're offering and the general perception of the quality (doesn't realy matter if the perception is real or not). This also plays into the potential for problems - if a Camry good for 200k but you're only going to drive it 25k in two years do you care?
3. Is it mostly for her or for clients - since it's used a work car, does it have the right image?

FWIW my perspective is partially based on buying a used 300C SRT8 last year since I wanted a big car for road trips. I saved over 40% of sticker price on a 6-month old car (see resale note above). It's only got about 30k miles on it now but I haven't done anything but change oil and had the battery replaced under warranty which I consider a fluke given it's only 2 years old. It's not as nice (touch/feel/etc) as my previous cars but I only know because I have direct comparison - most other people think it's great.

 

[Hellgate]

Thanks for the input everyone. Good insights many of which I'm aware of, ie: GM had major quality issues in the 80's and 90's.

I agree the depreciation hit is huge on any new car, let alone a new American car. That is why we were thinking a two year old Avalon would be a good value. KBB suggests an '06 is about $19K to $20K, or the new Pontiac at $22K with the deal I could get. Have to see the fine print and bottomline of course.

There are lots of things to consider. As Botch pointed out when GM goes bankrupt how and who, if anyone, will honor the warranty? Dunno. If they go to bankruptcy court there will be some kind of a provision for warranty support so I'm not too worried.

As far as quality many of the new GM products are very good if not outstanding. I've got a new body '07 GMC Sierra 4x4 that is excellent. 24,000 miles and all I've done is had the oil and filter changed twice. Drives like a car, comfortable, quiet, smooth and actually gets 20 mpg on the highway. Another very good GM car is the new Chevy Malibu. Excellent car that is better or on par with the Camry or Accord. So the new product looks to be very good.

Now that said...the legacy products aren't too hot, the Grand Prix, and others. The thing I like about the G8 is it's a great looking car and has had excellent reviews. Pontiac a aping a BMW 5 series with the proportions, fender flares, C-pillar, etc. The interior looks good, seats look supportive. I say look because I haven't drive one yet.

I like my bikes I'm picky about how a car drives. I've owned two BMW 5 series, three Carreras, and my last sedan was an MB E500. All great drivers, some more reliable than others.

There is an image concern for my wife. She needs to look successful but not flaunting, the days of the real estate agent in a Jag are so over. From what I've read the G8 may not fill the bill as the motor is on the louder side and the ride may be too sporty for her needs. So that brings us back to the Avalon; boring as a cinder block, but is roomy, comfortable, projects success but practicality at the same time and will stay out of the shop, Down time = lost opportunity for a sale.

Her current car an 11 year old Mazda with 145,000 miles and hail damage. She bought it new and definitely got her moneys worth. So at this point she would be pretty happy with any newer car. But it runs great and is a good beater.

So I'm not sure what we will do, most likely the Toyota, but I will drive the Pontiac too.

 

[bcityroller]

Since you're willing to consider domestic and used, it might be worth driving and doing some research on a 2006-ish Caddy STS. They appear to be a decent value used - about average reliability, reasonably nice, and pretty steep deprectiation early on for reasonable pricing at that age. Seems like the recently re-designed Caddy's are competitive cars, the STS is just on that line. It was one the alternatives I considered when I shopped but the big motor in the SRT hooked me before I test drove the STS and the STS-V was out of my price range.

 

[Cuba]

2003.5+ Infiniti G35 sedan is the way to go. You can get a low milage car in that price range, very nice car. I've had one for 2 years with zero issues. It's a sport sedan but is very comfortable, reclining rear seats, perfect for driving customers around. RWD or AWD, but clearly RWD is way better. It'll go 160mph flat out and handles extremely well for a sedan. Manufactured in Japan...

 

[CrazyBiker]

Chevy is the only American brand that makes products at almost par with the Japanese. I lust after the Corvette.

 

[wolfc70]

If image is a concern, there are a lot if nice used Audis out there. Ganted, maintenance can be expensive, but a 2005 A4 for $16K is appealing. Saabs seem to sink in resale too, so a three year old 9-5 can be had for under 20K also. The 3.5L v6 in the Avalon will get better fuel economy than the GM "High Feature" 3.6. The Avalon is rated 19/28 city/hwy vs the G8 at 17/25. The Avalon is quicker also, mainly due to a 500lb lighter curb weight. This is a tough decision, as there are a lot of nice new/used cars out there in the $15-22k range.

 

[wrightme43]

The northstar engine has a bad problem with permanent oil leaks. Some never leak, and some leak and can not be fixed no matter how many times you change the same gasket.

Just tossing it out.