MotorWeek Road Test: 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP

MotorWeek Road Test: 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP

[@justinbig10]

Still disappointed that GM killed Pontiac just when Pontiac seemed to figure out where it was going.

[@rickfeng4466]

So does Saab and Hummer, the new 9-5 were just awesome, H4 could be a great alternative to Jeep wrangler. And they are all murdered. May you rest in peace, or make one hell of a come back in the future. And rub it on GM's face.

[@cpufreak101]

though sadly, it does make sense, GM simply has way too many brands, all they need is chevy for the basic cars and then trucks/basic SUV's, Cadillac for their luxury lineup, and then possibly buick just for a middle ground, but even that is pushing it, most other companies need only 2 brands, one normal, and one for a more luxury market, like Honda and Acura, Ford and Lincoln (even ford declared their middle ground mercury to be pointless when they killed it) or even Nissan and Infiniti, I could go on, but i'm sure you get my point. GM simply had too many brands to the point of where they were competing against themselves (GMC versus Chevy, Saab versus Buick, and in some cases even Pontiac versus Chevy) and as for what you said about the H4, there was a Hummer concept (i cannot think of the name off hand) back in the early 2000's that was based on a Chevy Trailblazer. however, it kinda looked like a Grand Cherokee clone more than just a hummer

[@anandsihra]

They did the same thing with Olds too. Sometimes I wonder.....

[@MrCarGuy]

Justin Noker Now they just have the Cadillac brand chase after performance figures and sporty driving dynamics. Buick has been what Cadillac used to be for a while.

[@rars0n]

@@cpufreak101 GM killed Oldsmobile just as they were beginning to make some of their best cars. At the same time, the best Buick had was the Riviera, a lame version of the much better Oldsmobile Aurora. GM should have killed off Buick, which was viewed as nothing but a brand for old people, instead of Oldsmobile. The problem is that old people still bought Buicks in droves, and Buick likely could have made just about any pile of crap and it would still have sold reasonably well. Buick also became insanely popular in China for some reason, and to give GM some credit, there have at least been some very interesting Buick concept cars over the last decade or so, with some actual production bright spots like the Regal Turbo, which isn't a bad car at all, but Buick is still largely a dull, generic brand with dull, generic cars. Oldsmobile, surprisingly enough given its name, was WAY more compelling at the time they axed the brand. It's really odd, because there are the oddball Buicks that really stand out but the vast majority of their lineup looks like badge-engineered turds.

[@TheLaXandro]

By now, it's almost a Retro Review.

[@pontiacmaniac7772]

TheLaXandro yeah seriously, but I’m still trying to buy a GT

[@RedLP5000S]

Pretty much is.

[@EDHBlvd]

TheLaXandro they should repost this in HD as a retro review.

[@TheMachRider]

Was just about to comment this haha, and now it’s 11 years ago it totally is a retro review

[@camerongoodin816]

Pontiac Maniac out of curiosity, did you ever end up getting a GT??

[@spinal_capped]

As somebody that avoids GM products like the plague, I'd do nasty things for a mint G8 GXP and/or 6.0 GTO. If I was an eccentric billionaire, Pontiac and Holden would be back in full production.

So what was your preference for cars or automobiles?

[@UnrealOG137]

Look for a Chevy ss. It's a newer version of the same imported Holden car.

[@marioluigi6024]

@@UnrealOG137 But it's about 3 times the price, unfortunately

[@PacoRobbins]

@@marioluigi6024 I've seen GXPs for almost the same cost as an SS. GXPs didn't drop in price much at all. I'd rather have the SS just for the new tech stuff.

[@davidtaylor351]

Holden ceased all car manufacturing in November 2017. They now just import vehicles themselves and badge brand them as Holdens. Nobody manufactures cars in Australia any more.

[@reko3103]

the father of the Chevy SS

[@nicko9799]

Reko Sri Chevy SS 2014 is Aussie built and designed just like the Pontiac G8 I love the design of these cars

[@ricomartinez2869]

More like the older brother

[@PacoRobbins]

@@nicko9799 it's literally the exact same car. The G8 was the Commodore, the Chevy SS was the Commodore.

[@josiahthibodeaux]

I’ll take it over the ss too.

[@DarkLinkAD]

@@PacoRobbins Guess that makes the GTO Grandpa and Commodore Great Grandpa..

[@ronaldmcdonald5292]

This thing was like the hellcat when it came out

[@thewiseowl3672]

Still looks good in 2019.

[@travelseatsyellowlab]

The SS is quite similar, the models would've sold much better had GM retained the Pontiac program.

[@basshead.]

@@travelseatsyellowlab The SS looks better. I don't like G8's BMW style grill.

[@travelseatsyellowlab]

@@basshead. I believe the grille on the G8 gives the car a distinctive appearance. On the SS, it looks too similar to lower Chevrolet models, especially for the price GM commanded.

[@RustyVigero2005]

The ferrari 250 gto also looked good in 2019.

[@wigletron2846]

@@basshead. the ss looks too basic. Most people think it's a Malibu. The g8 stands out way more

[@torres3800]

I'd like to have a 95 Impala SS, a 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP, and a 2014 Chevrolet SS. All of GM`s rwd big sedans in my driveway.

[@oakcliffscrewhead]

Yeah. But you should have said 1996 Impala SS. but I appreciate that you are also a fan of the RWD V8 Sport sedans. Everybody always wants the 2 doors.

[@tylercouture216]

oakcliffscrewhead I love sedans

[@devastator44]

Sedans are on par with a lot of the coupes these days. We love em.

[@astronautcadet1465]

I have an ss myself

[@tylercouture216]

Ahmadre Klugh aw man where are you?

[@mariomaster0248]

GM killed my 2 favorite GM brands Pontiac and Saab

[@fatman1288]

+Mario Master 02 for me Pontiac and oldsmobile

[@mariomaster0248]

+Carporn22 I like Saturn too

[@TheLaXandro]

Holden and Saab.

[@ttroygotknife]

Saab lived within GM, check those 2.0T Caddy and Biuck, especially Buick Regal.

[@xxXXXxxFreddyxxXXxx]

Mario Master those are my favorite gm brands to

[@GameboyShavis]

Pontiac had a chance on that car!

[@Darksyne]

This car came up too little too late RIP Pontiac =(

[@BobbyProductions287]

krauser979 Agreed. The Pontiac will live on for their fans...

[@devastator44]

It wasn't too little but it was wayyyy too late.

[@Patchuchan]

They should have brought it over in 2004 to fill the void from the Firebird being ended.

[@Patchuchan]

@Potato Puffs GM's marketing in recent years has been just terrible there also was the Chevy SS maybe the best compromise between a family car and performance car ever made by any manufacture until the Tesla P85D came along. Their present CEO is an idiot.

[@josiahthibodeaux]

Man the truth of this statement hurts so much.

[@somedude8403]

I swear I can't stop watching this video. I watch it like twice a week. Alothough I have the 06 Grand Prix GXP, and not any of the G8 models, I still love the G8s. FPPF (Forever Pontiac Pontiac Forever).

[@lukerinderknecht2982]

At first I was like "all right, a retro-review 👍"... Then realized this was just a regular vid uploaded a decade ago

[@RageousMode]

And then, it DID become the swan song for Pontiac's performance powerhouse - along with the entire brand itself.

[@mikemiles4833]

I actually watched this when it aired at work with my boss.

[@tylercouture216]

that's crazy

[@jeremymoney4246]

I've owned mine since 2010, still love it

[@josecastellanos4538]

This car was ahead of its time. Good product by pontiac, too bad i didnt see that many around

[@BabyBugBug]

I believe they should’ve kept Pontiac as their performance division. No idea why they killed it.

[@lobsterwhisperer7932]

no c*** bought them.

[@jayelbee1111]

GM phased out Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer, and Saab because they filed bankruptcy in 2010; they restructured and became Government-owned. In order to get a loan from the U.S. Government, they were told to drop the brands that were not profitable. GM retained Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac

[@BabyBugBug]

@@jayelbee1111​​⁠Yes, I remember. In the restructuring they did not have to kill Pontiac but chose to anyway. Pontiac was an excellent performance brand.

[@jayelbee1111]

@BabyBugBug They should at least kept Pontiac; Pontiac did in fact has become a performance brand. As a matter of fact, Pontiac had plans to release new models, but GM phased out Pontiac, and the supposedly redesigned G6 became the all-new Cadillac CTS-V while the redesigned Torrent crossover became the GMC Terrain. The all new Firebird became the generation five Chevrolet Camaro, and the G8 became the Chevrolet SS

[@BobbyProductions287]

Damn, this car is amazing. I'm a huge Pontiac fan. I know they've since updated the design for the Chevy SS but I'll always be a fan of the pontiac performance and aesthetic, whether it's Holden or GM making the car. This is an all time amazing car

[@Doobie1975]

nice car, surprised that these cars were offered with a manual transmission unlike most of its competition

[@illitero]

It was only the G8 GXP, unfortunately. G8 and G8 GT were auto only, which was an immense disservice to the platform and intention with importing it in the first place :/

[@TechMaxWare]

I miss Pontiac, it was the American brand I could actually get behind...

[@lukerinderknecht2982]

Except this was Australian, but I get ya

[@TechMaxWare]

@@lukerinderknecht2982My point exactly. My Pontiac Vibe is a Toyota Matrix at heart.

[@forgedsteelwrench9249]

I swear American car manufacturers that can truly throw the crown for Japanese competition is killed off so that Japan has it made here in the states. GM never favored pontiac when it came to their trans am and worst they kill them off. I mean damn Toyota has the world over at its finger tips and GM just keeps on bending over. This car was awesome and had the right looks. I always wanted one of these cars and i never really cared for the domestic autos.

[@TechMaxWare]

@@forgedsteelwrench9249 I would say it's even worse now. All GM does anymore is offshore its production with parts, that or just do even more re-branding hell.

[@BruceKent00]

@@lukerinderknecht2982 holden is an american company dickhead. Owned by General Motors. There was never a Holden Company listed on the Australian stock exchange.

[@amsterdamgeorge2]

It's basically an M5 at half the price, amazing car and great fun.

[@mael-strom9707]

Pontiac had a winner here ...so some traitor killed it!

[@jeylful]

The M5's interior is much much nicer, mate

[@Lucille69caddy]

jeylful At double the price, it had better be. And that’s YOUR opinion, mate😳

[@DarrellWilkerson4.6]

​@@jeylfulmuch more money with worse reliability and drive train.

[@roadwraith6]

This car won the MPG contest LoL. it had the best MPG over its factory stated MPG. It pulled something around 28mpg

[@mael-strom9707]

Just when Pontiac got it's act together with an excellent platform and Euro sedan beater! ...GM killed it!

[@roadwraith6]

This car showed GM how to do a car right lika a BOSS... What happend, This is to good. Lets take it out of production

[@tjohnson5788]

Lol... right

[@TheLaXandro]

It was too good. It could've stolen Corvette's audience.

[@KS-kb4zt]

Oldsmobile...... Plymouth.....

[@RickBaconsAdventures]

thanks obama

[@KS-kb4zt]

@@RickBaconsAdventures merkury.....

[@commonmockery1074]

Too bad this was Pontiac’s swan song.

[@blisterbrain]

I guess all that hoping was in vain!

[@rars0n]

What a great car. GM should have been looking to Holden long before they finally did. And they also shouldn't have killed off the Pontiac brand right after making them relevant again.

[@davidtaylor351]

But eventually, in November 2017 they killed off Holden as a car manufacturer too. Holden itself, is now only a badge branded vehicle importer. Nobody makes cars in Australia anymore.

[@Krispy95]

I will get my hands on of these in the future!

[@lukerinderknecht2982]

Did you?

[@Micheal1075]

Luke Rinderknecht We’ll never know

[@soulerflare7]

@@Micheal1075 legend has it , he finally bought one and never looked back .

[@johncollins7423]

I miss Pontiac. My grandma had a '65 Catalina 2+2 with a 421 that had 3 deuces & 4 speed. To be as big as it was, that was one FAST car

[@Lex-Rex]

These held their value well over the years. A clean low/mid mileage example can set you back 28-30 plus grand. Might be a good contender for a classic Maybe??

[@BobbyProductions287]

"It makes sense to keep such a great car as part of a Buick, Pontiac, GMC lineup..." GM axes the Pontiac the very next year... *shakes head*

[@brycmtthw]

There’s absolutely no reason why GM couldn’t have moved the Commodore production to Oshawa... the Buick Regal based Commodore flopped so hard, it’s actually kind of hilarious. Chrysler builds their large RWD cars in Canada and they sell well world wide, why couldn’t GM do it? Oh wait, Mary is a bean counter...

[@timsacco6g694]

Not a big fan of 4 doors, but when this car came out it was an instant collectors item with this being the last year of Pontiac

[@EDHBlvd]

Why does KZbin recommend 11 year old videos.... *Begins watching GXP video*

[@loberant]

I just got my Black/Black GXP yesterday! I have never loved a car so much!!!

[@HadaCakraningrat]

Look John H. Davis is getting older, but he's always been the best american automotive journalist, ever...... "welcome again to motorweek, we're glad to have you with us"... the opening words that davis never changed for decades...

[@beyond_the_infinite2098]

I was tempted but the GXP was ten grand more, so I settled for the GT. Still looks and runs great. Down 40 hp but same size tires, suspension, and my stock brakes stop shorter from 60 than those Brembos lol.

[@The_Hulkster]

Gope

[@omarbryant7930]

This car had terrible timing, gas prices were through the roof and no one wanted to deal with that 14 mpg in the city 🥴

[@soulassassin0g]

2:22 camera man: **accidentally zooms in** Also camera man: **quickly zooms back out** Editor: "We'll leave that in."

[@brendotec7241]

Welcome to MotorW-hweek! Never get tired of it! :P

[@GroundhogzGarage]

GM didn’t do enough with this platform. It should have been the basis for the Impala, not just the SS. I have the V6 version of the G8 and it’s a great car.

[@Somanybeats]

Exactly!!!!! The Impala SS and especially the 06-07 Monte Carlo SS

[@42luke93]

Just what people demanded after the people were broke from the 2008 crisis. RIP pontiac. (I mean sadly there was probably not a lot of demand due to that).

[@4MATICbenz]

@TheBlessedbabi , Holden is a subsidiary of parent company GM and has been since the early 1930s. Whether you wanna call it a Pontiac or a Holden, it was still a product of GM.

[@seantomlinson3320]

My GT's big brother. What great cars. RIP Pontiac.

[@lorenzo4c653]

STILL GREAT NUMBERS AS OF 2020 .

[@SoundgardenMan]

The look of this car stands up today. Beautiful really

[@TheFarmersLife]

We bought our 2009 G8 GT Halloween night 2008. At the time I couldn’t justify spending another $4k+ for a GXP. Had I only known Pontiac was about to die and they’d only build 1829 of them! Thought about selling my GT for a few years if I found a GXP, but after a while decided I could only be the original owner of these once. So my GT is still here in 2019 with about 44,000 miles. Love this car! Magnetic Gray Metallic GT with Sport package and red inserts in the interior. No sunroof.

[@tylercouture216]

yum I can't wait to get one

[@Xx1SailorScoutxX]

Regardless of its origins, this is a pretty sweet car!

[@AllThingsSuperMoto]

one of my all time favorite cars

[@Smithtobewith]

Love my G8 GT!!! I’ve owned 50+ vehicles and this is my favorite!!! They are getting cheap now too you can snatch one for under 10k!!

[@nickwilczynski3684]

I'd love to find one with a stick that didn't have a million miles and wasn't beat to hell... Hmm... There's a bit of googling I can do at work tomorrow lol

[@hasanmichael4966]

Wow, look at all that body roll. Needs stiffer sway bars.

[@hixnada8278]

I was so close to getting one of these in 2009 - no idea why Pontiac had to be the one to get the chopping block.

[@danziger69]

Underrated car. Good review!

[@selfproclaimednobody4614]

Nice Holden!

[@garbage854]

Nice, I wish Pontiac was still here . 😀

[@busman7228]

This thing really handles and plenty of power. Very nice

[@jayespi37]

This was a very underrated car by Pontiac

[@42luke93]

mazda man 09 Just like that Chevy Malibu SS they forgot to advertise.

[@BattleMage0001]

Long live Pontiac!!!

[@ChiCityTown]

My first car was a J2000. I sure do miss Pontiac.

[@karlsmith4160]

One Of My Favorite Pontiac Vehicles

[@mustang10141980]

I test drove one back in the day. This was a great car...

[@SilverScarletSpider]

I like the Pontiac G8, GTO, and Mitsubishi Evo.

[@APBGrrl]

I love this car! RIP Pontiac. I really miss my 4th gen fbody

[@joeyburnes25]

At least Pontiac Went Out In Style I was very happy that they made this car reminds me of the Chevy SS

[@holdenls1ssz]

Good, non-biased review. Our commodore should be back in the states soon! Hopefully.

[@GODs_Son777]

I always loved Pontiac.

[@firebird5288]

I would absolutely love a red G8 GXP. Gorgeous car.

[@fuhteng]

I think the 2009 CTS-V is the better sedan (: However, I love my G8 GT. I didn't have the extra money for the GXP, but I think I got a great car anyway.

[@jakecannon6113]

G8 GXP is awesome! I had a 2011 Taurus SHO with performance package, was dissappointed, sold SHO for 09 G8 GXP. GXP lacks technology and options but makes up for it in performance! Buy SHO for technology and fresh styling. Buy GXP if you like to drive!

[@rueben44]

OMG has it been 9 years! I do agree Pontiac had finally gotten it's grove together after decades of decay. Still this wasn't GM doing this this was the government saying if we give you this then you must do that. At any rate it is done now......such good product gone down the tubes. Prius lovers were like we have to trash these muscle cars if you want our cash....now and going forward. Do you guys remember we were about to get the UTE? I still melt at the prospect.

[@SMITPGG1997]

Great 2009 Pontiac G8 Video. 😁

[@daves_craft_bbq_n_grill]

As much as I love the 04-06 GTO if the G8 would have came out during that time frame Pontiac would still be in business.

[@mael-strom9707]

Maybe a G8 coupe version as well.

[@ctcdarkness]

@@mael-strom9707 essentially the g8 was a 4 door GTO

[@g00dl00kinb0i]

One of the best driving and most balanced ~400hp RWD V8 sedans out there, second only to the newer Zeta cars that replaced it (SS Sedan) and the E39 M5. Beauty !

[@GSXSF-250]

I'll be looking to buy this next year. I just hope there's a nice used G8.

[@lenwoodcruze3594]

Almost impossible to find one of these today...if you do you need to be ready to buy,cash on hand.

[@Mechknight73]

@ssj02 There was an older version of the Holden Special Vehicles GTO coupe (tuned Monaro) that did have AWD, but they were only a one-model run. There was also an AWD version of the earlier model VZ Commodore that had an AWD station wagon, crew cab and flatbed ute version, in both V6 and V8.

[@Wesley_C]

I loved this G8 so much, beautiful car, that’s a American and Australian muscle car.

[@johnhenrymcmahon6878]

So bittersweet to see this. Sadly, it WAS the swan song for Pontiac's short lived renaissance.

[@ryanguercio7061]

Crazy a caddy 4 cyl turbo ct4v is just as quick as this car. What a jump in performance in a little over a decade.

[@pps900]

This was our hire/rental cars here in Australia

[@XxGorillaGodxX]

My dad has a G8 GT with a 600hp 6.7/6.8L V8, and its VERY fast.

[@yodatrdor9153]

Growing up watching MotorWeek..

[@roynellemorris2912]

I own this exact car 50K no problems

[@amulti-millionaire273]

Roynelle Morris is it fast?

[@j4559]

A Multi-Millionaire hell yeah, 112mph in the quarter, this thing will run with pre-2018 5.0's & e92 M3's on the highway 👍

[@pontiacmaniac7772]

Good to hear. I just traded my G6 for a G8 GT

[@AlpoMartinez88]

A Multi-Millionaire yes it is

[@retiredsnowbunnyhunterx5106]

@@pontiacmaniac7772 yeah im thinking of doing the same thing. I got 06 g6 gtp nice an all but that g8 is calling for me.

[@hsvsv8]

@Sven2Perroy Also, on a side note. The 350 V8 was designed & built by Holden. They just didn't have the money to mass produce it, so it was sold to GM's Chev division. So when the 350's were dropped into the 70's models Kingswoods & Monaros & then again in fuel injected alloy form in the series 2 VT onwards, it was, technically speaking, just coming home.

[@Mechknight73]

@atekido Same base car yes, but the Vauxhall VXR8 is a rebadged Holden Special Vehicles VE Club Sport R8. The only things Vauxhall changed were making the speedo MPH, some badges, and some trim bits

[@dougsmith7908]

Great car! I got to review one in 08...handled as good as any BMW...

[@mael-strom9707]

...and at half the price with easy American serviceabilty.

[@MeltingRubberZ28]

Insane body roll

[@Pitttdog]

These were our taxis here in Australia. Man we miss those cars.

[@pctshooter]

That lean though!

[@dandrelewis8041]

I had a electric blue be 2006 Pontiac G6 Coupe. Man that can get up, I miss it so bad.

[@ljay014]

this car is a beast i would still want one in 2022

[@sasquatchwebb]

My Father had 2009 G8. It was very comfortable

[@EnterMyUserNameHere]

@tristanh82 You're right actually. Thanks for pointing that out.

[@Mechknight73]

@Watcher3223 The G8 and the Caprice have different body bases. The Pontiac G8 is based on the VE Holden Commodore. The Chevy Caprice sold in the Middle East is based on the Holden Caprice, the LWB luxury version of the Commodore. The Caprice is going to America as a police cruiser, but allegedly getting in as a limited edition civilian sedan too

[@pontiacmaniac7772]

I really want to buy one of these

[@ssj02]

@localsurfer63 I think what you said makes sense. Especially that the platform is already there and no preparations are required except for minor things. We do get the Caprice SS and Lumina SS in the Middle East and dude!!! u gotta love that, we have been enjoying those LS1 and L98 engines for the last 10 years!! raw power. Also we get those Aussie beasts with steering wheel on the left so no work required for that as well....but don't know about the 4 wheel drive, am not sure about this

[@corekid420]

The Holden's v6 was based off the 3800 v6 with changes mainly done to the intake manifold and the early 90's Holden's even have the same intake manifold as my 88 Buick with a added elbow to re position the throttle body away from the firewall so it could be used in a RWD platform i don't know what they used for a v6 before that but as for the v8's i'm pretty sure they where based off of the SBC as well

[@realbeetlejuice]

It's beautiful

[@jimmers112]

Love that V8 with 6 speed manual gear box!

[@zimm888]

This car looks better than the 2014 SS in my opinion. Plus it was probably cheaper. GT for sure anyways

[@jamestaggreen2]

@4MATICbenz Its gonna be hard for them to top the CTS-V I wander whats gonna come out next or what kind of upgrades they will have on the CTS-V