19th Nov 2006, 20:38

This review is not very authentic. Sounds like advertising script. A series of unsubstantiated assertions leading to an illogical conclusion. Not worthy. And, makes me want to shun GM show-rooms.

27th Nov 2006, 07:51

To the last commenter, Nov 19. Subjective conclusions are not illogical. We should all understand different people like different things. And while I understand the point of your comment, you make it very clear you are as bull-headed as the GM guy. You don't like GM and that dislike began before you read the previous comment. If you would like to argue logic, please find the respective logic blog and enter your thoughts. Let's keep the comments rolling about Pontiac's G-5.

27th Nov 2006, 14:28

I'm the original poster with an update on the car. The car has 15,000KM. No problems with it. Fuel economy has gotten a little better since the engine broke in. Car runs fine.

28th Nov 2006, 23:11

I bought a 2006 G5 pursuit 4 door 5 speed approximately 2 months ago. This was my first new car so I spent a fair amount of time looking at various makes and models before settling on the G5 pursuit. So far I am extremely happy with my choice. Great fuel economy and lots of power. This car is a lot of fun to drive.

I opted for the 4 speaker sound system to cut cost and was surprised with the amount of base even without the sub. I also got XM Radio built in and after a couple of months I consider it as essential of an option as A/C. I don’t think I would buy any car in the future that did not have Satellite Radio of some sort.

The A/C works great and as winter begins I have discovered the heater does as well.

The car has lots of headroom and legroom both in the front and back. Drivers seat has manual lumbar and height controls that work very well and this adds a great deal to the comfort level.

The rear seats are a 60/40 split and fold down to add extra space to transport larger items in the trunk, which is fairly large.

After owning it for 2 months I am still very happy with my decision to purchase the G5. It’s a great car packed with lots of features and it was a great deal at under $20k. I would definitely recommend this car to anyone.

12th Dec 2006, 11:55

My 1995 4-door Grand Am was recently destroyed due to an electrical malfunction with a block heater (hey, it gets cold in Canada!). My three university-student children and I loved our Grand Am. But, after test driving a 2006 G-5 (air, automatic), we decided to go for the G-5 SE WITH auto locks and windows, cruise, keyless remote entry, etc. We absolutely LOVE our new metallic blue G-5. It handles well, even on our icy roads. Since we only have 400 kilometres on it, we haven't had a chance to see what this does on highway driving. The other drivers in my family love the sound system and the various settings and features with it. I am a dedicated GM customer and will continue. This is our early Christmas gift and Santa couldn't have chosen a better car!

17th Dec 2006, 20:56

I just noticed comment 11:55 and felt a need to respond. First of all, my condolences on losing one of the BEST cars on the planet (the Grand Am) regardless of Car and Driver's low opinion of it. I currently own a beautiful, sporty and extremely fast 2001 Grand Am SE-1 with the very powerful Quad 4 (replaced in 2004 with the far punier EcoTech 4). Like you, I don't like the G-6 at all. I've driven 2, both of which had the V-6, and neither is even close to as fast as my old Grand Am. In all likelihood I'll replace my Grand Am with a bright red G-5 Pursuit coupe. I love the styling and I love Pontiacs. We currently own 2 GM vehicles, neither of which has ever seen the inside of a service facility except for oil changes. After a disasterous foray into owning imports we are back solidly in the domestic camp.

18th Dec 2006, 23:13

As for as the transmission in the reviewer's car not being a 5-speed automatic, I'd consider that a plus. I LOVE the GM 4-speed automatics. They are smooth, shift effortlessly and have a great power band response. We own 2 GM cars with the 4-speed automatics and a new Ford with the 6-speed automatic. The Ford has a lot of trouble deciding which gear it wants to be in, and it is nowhere NEAR as smooth as the GM 4-speeds.

8th Feb 2007, 19:35

I'm the original poster - I'm giving an update on the car. No problems to date. Just regular service work. The car currenly has around 10,000km.

2nd Mar 2007, 20:43

It's been my experience with our new GM cars that the fuel mileage continues to improve with more miles.

Our last new GM vehicle (a GMC Envoy) started out getting a really terrible 17 to 19 mpg highway, but after 20,000 miles we were getting well over 20. On our last trip we got a high of 24.8.

The G-5 Pursuit with the great Eco Tech 4 could easily deliver almost 40mpg if driven at the speed limit on the interstate after it has some miles on it. The G-5 is one of the best values around in a small, sporty car, and is also a great performer.

3rd Mar 2007, 06:42

17-19 is not horrible in your Envoy...

40 mpg is not possible with the ecotech however. Unless you shut it off and coasted down a mountain.

3rd Mar 2007, 16:42

For me 17-19 mpg highway would be absolutely unacceptable for any vehicle I owned. As for the G-5 getting CLOSE (the comment says "close to") 40 mpg That isn't at all impossible, as it is rated at 36 highway. We have consistently gotten better than EPA estimates on highway trips with all of our vehicles. Meticulous maintenance and proper driving techniques will yield higher than rated mileage in most vehicles.

5th Apr 2007, 08:59

RE: 26th OCT/2006.

I swear I m so sure that you are a GM's sales person. I was thinking to buy a Pontiac G5, but thanks to you I will have to give it a second thought. And by the way, Civic and Corolla are better and that's why they are that pricey. ;)

1st May 2007, 22:29

A previous comment said: "40 mpg is not possible with the ecotech however. Unless you shut it off and coasted down a mountain."

I drove a 2005 Pontiac G5 equipped with the base 2.2L Ecotech engine and a 4 speed automatic and achieved 39 mpg (US) (46 mpg (metric) ) on the 200 mile (325km) trip from Wabamun, Alberta (near Edmonton) to Jasper, Alberta along HWY 16 (90-110 km/h). As Jasper is in the Alberta Rockies, there is a net elevation increase as well as considerable hilly terrain on this trip. Conditions were about +10C with stiff cross and headwinds (i.e. against the direction of travel).

For corroboration, the in-dash trip computer showed a high fuel range of about 765km shortly after I had achieved cruising speed with about a 95% full tank of gas.

I obeyed all the speed limits and used the cruise control. So driven responsibly and with a 5 speed manual, I think 40 mpg (US) is possible. I almost achieved it with the automatic.