Pontiac's G6 convertible looks beautiful and performs well, a far cry from the brand's days as a home for gussied-up Chevys.
Pontiac G6 (2007)What was tested? 2007 Pontiac G6 GT Convertible ($28,680).
Options: Premium package ($1,450), sport package ($1,290), side air bags ($295), adjustable pedals ($125).
Price as tested (including $650 destination charge): $32,490.
Pros: It looks gorgeous, performs admirably and is available in a wide range of prices and layouts. The hard-top convertible is especially nice because it offers top-down fun without the top-up noise.
Cons: The convertible is awfully expensive for a Pontiac.
RATINGS: (1-10)
Style: 9
Performance: 8
Price: 4
Handling: 6
Ride: 7
Comfort: 8
Quality: 8
Overall: 8
You can tell a lot about a car by the soundtrack it prompts.
For me, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash seem fitting when I drive a pickup truck. When I'm in a Lexus, it's classical standards like Beethoven and Mozart. And I always find myself listening to strange, underground techno music when I drive a BMW.
But a Pontiac? That presents a challenge.
Until recently, I'd probably pick National Public Radio because hearing about the war, economics, genocide and snobby art reviews - anything, really - would be a nice distraction from the car I'm driving. Pontiacs a few years ago were basically Chevrolets with a kidney-bean grille - good for basic, stylish transportation, but hardly anything to get excited about.
When I started driving the Pontiac G6, though, I couldn't bear tuning the radio to NPR.
The car was just too cool, in a mainstream sort of way.
So I changed to the top-20 station. It was a perfect fit.
The G6 isn't the kind of cutting-edge car that inspires eurotrash techno music, like the BMW. It has a fairly soft suspension that's comfortable for long trips, making it more of a grand tourer than a sports car.
There are several things that make it worthy of a thumping Rhianna song, though.
The engine is a good place to start. While I can't speak for the four-cylinder engine that comes in the base model, the 3.6-liter V6 in my test car is a sweet singer. It has enough power to chirp the wheels, sometimes unexpectedly, but even more impressive is the way it sounds. It has a hint of the pleasant exhaust from a classic English sports car, like the engine is swimming in a tub full of Mr. Bubbles. It sounds spectacular without being loud or annoying.
It looks gorgeous, performs admirably and is available in a wide range of prices and layouts.
Pontiac G6 (2007)Also impressive is the rock-solid chassis. It feels like the whole car is carved from a giant block of steel.
And the range of vehicles with the G6 name is stunning. You can get it as a four-door sedan, two-door coupe, or a hard-top convertible, which is what I tested. Prices range from around $17,000 to over $30,000 for a fully-loaded convertible.
The convertible is expensive but very, very nice. You simply press a button to have the roof fold away into the trunk, which isn't too unusual except for the fact that the roof is made of metal. While a cloth-top convertible might sound like you're driving in a tent when the top is raised, this one is nearly as quiet as a true coupe. It's a good way to have the style and fun of a convertible without the drawbacks.
Also impressive is the rock-solid chassis. It feels like the whole car is carved from a giant block of steel.
Pontiac G6 (2007)Speaking of drawbacks, there are a couple of them in the convertible. For one, the electric top takes a long time to put up and down - or at least it feels that way because the switch to open and close it is located up by the rear-view mirror, which isn't the most comfortable place to shove your finger for 30 seconds.
It's also pricey. My test car rang up at nearly $32,500, which is a lot to pay for a two-door Pontiac, even if its coolness is worthy of Hurricane Chris.
