2008 Pontiac Vibe Review

The 2008 Pontiac Vibe has an opening MSRP of $17,345. With seating for five, the Vibe is powered by a 126 hp, 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder engine with a five-speed manual transmission. (An electronically controlled four-speed automatic with overdrive is available.) Estimated fuel economy is 30 mpg city and 36 highway with the manual and 29/34 with the automatic. Fuel capacity is 13 gallons.

The vehicle is equipped with a four-wheel anti-lock braking system, and a vehicle stability system is available as an upgrade. Other crash avoidance features include automatic daytime running lights, tires with built-in tread wear indicators, and an available tire pressure monitoring system. Standard air bags include front driver and passenger bags with a passenger sensing system. Head-protecting side-impact bags are available as an option.

Security features include a lock for the steering column and an inside trunk-release. Power door locks and the OnStar system (including turn-by-turn navigation) are available as upgrades.

The standard audio system on the 2008 Pontiac Vibe is a four-speaker AM/FM/CD player with a seven-speaker, 286-watt Monsoon premium system with integrated sub-woofer available. (XM Satellite Radio is also an option.)

2008 Pontiac Torrent Review

The five-passenger 2008 Pontiac Torrent SUV is available in a front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive version, either of which comes equipped with a 185 hp, 3.4-liter V6 engine, and featuring a five-speed, electronically controlled automatic transmission. Estimated fuel efficiency with the FWD is 19 mpg city and 26 highway with the AWD reporting 19/25. (Fuel capacity is 20 gallons.)

The Torrent has a cargo volume of 68.6 cubic feet behind the first row (with no second-row seats being used); 35.2 behind the second. With a five-star crash rating fro the NHTSA, the vehicle's crash avoidance features include an innovative on-demand all-wheel drive system. When poor road conditions cause front-wheel slippage, power is automatically delivered to the rear wheels as well. Occupants are protected by driver and right-front passenger air bags, and there are three-point safety belts for the driver and all passengers. (The LATCH system for child safety seats is also standard.)

The standard audio system on the 2008 Pontiac Torrent is a six-speaker AM/FM/CD unit with auto-tone control, automatic volume, Theftlock and an input jack for MP3 players. A six-disc, in-dash changer is an option as is a DVD entertainment system, an audio system with navigation, and XM Satellite radio.

2008 Pontiac Grand Prix Review

The four-door 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix five-passenger sedan carries a base price of $21,815 with the GXP going for $28,815. Both are FWD. The base has a 3.8-liter V6 (200 hp, four-speed automatic), the GXP a 5.3-liter V8. With the V6 expect to get about 20 miles per gallon around town and 30 on the road with a 17 gallon tank.

The vehicle's body dimensions are: 198.3 inches for length, 71.6 for width, and 55.9 for height. The curb weight is 3,477 lbs. and the wheel base is 110.5 inches. It requires 37.7 ft. turning circle and has a maximum towing capacity of 1,000 lbs.

Standard brakes are disc on all wheels with electronic brake distribution. Standard exterior features include day-time running lamps, halogen headlights with complex surface bulbs, heat reflective glass, a fixed defogger for the rear window, a spoiler, and tinted glass.

Inside look for a cargo capacity of 45.7 cubic feet when the back seat is down and 16 when it's up. The driver's seat (a bucket) tilts and has three positional adjustments. Both the driver and the passenger are protected by a comprehensive airbag array including occupant sensors and multiple levels of deployment.

The standard audio system on the 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix is an AM/FM/CD combo unit playing across six speakers. There's a remote control release for the trunk, an illumination system for entry, power windows, and keyless entry. The standard upholstery is cloth and there are cupholders both front and rear.

2007 Pontiac G6 Review

The 2008 Pontiac G6 line includes a sedan, coupe, and convertible. The five-seat sedan is available in three models in an MSRP range of $17,895 to $25,300. Engine choices include a 169 horsepower, 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder (23 mpg city, 33 highway); a 224 horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 (23/33); a 240 horsepower, 3.9 liter V6 (20/28); and a 252 horsepower, 3.6-liter V6 (20/28).

The four-seat coupe starts from $22,800 for the GT and $25,100 for the GTP. There are three engine options: a 224 horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 (20 mpg city, 28 highway); a 240 horsepower, 3.9-liter V6 SFI (18/27); and a 252 horsepower, 3.6 liter V6 SFI (20/28). Available transmissions are a four and six-speed automatic and a six-speed manual.

The four-seat convertible opens at $29,400. The standard engine is a 217 horsepower, 3.5-liter, V6 with an automatic transmission (four speeds) controlled electronically and including overdrive. (A four-speed automatic with manual shift mode is also an option.) Buyers can also opt for a 227 horsepower, 3.9-liter, V6 SFI.

All the vehicles in the 2008 Pontiac G6 line have comprehensive airbag systems with sensors to protect the driver and passengers (augmented by three-point safety belts.) Additional safety features like ABS and traction control are also present. Cabin amenities include features like OnStar service, XM satellite radio, advanced audio options such as speed compensated volume, the PASSLock system to deter thieves, and keyless entry via the remote.

2008 Pontiac G5 Review

The five-seat 2008 Pontiac G5 comes standard with a 148 horsepower, 2.2 liter, 4-cylinder Ecotec engine and a five-speed manual engine, while an upgrade to the GT version of the car comes with a kickier 178 horsepower 2.4 liter Ecotec engine and a four-speed automatic transmission that includes overdrive functionality. Estimated fuel efficiency with the 2.2-liter engine is 25 city and 34 highway with the 2.4-liter unit returning 25/34. (Fuel capacity is 13 gallons.)

The G5's instrumentation includes a speedometer, fuel gauge, tachometer, and Driver Information Center with outside temperature, warning messages, and programmable menu features. The front seats are buckets with manual recliners and adjustable outboard head restraints. They are not heated, but heating is an option. The back seat is a bench with a 60/40 split and pass-through access to the trunk. Other standard features include keyless entry, though keyless ignition is only available as an option, as is OnStar.

The standard audio system is a four-speaker AM/FM/CD combo with MP3 playback, auto-tone control, Radio Data System, automatic volume, and TheftLock. The optional premium system is a 228-watt, seven-speaker Pioneer unit with amplified tweeters and a rear subwoofer. XM Satellite Radio is also available.

The 2008 Pontiac G5 comes with airbags to protect the driver and front-seat passenger from front-impact collisions, but heat-protection and side-impact protection are optional upgrades, as are airbags for the back seat.

2008 Pontiac Solstice Review

The 2008 Pontiac Solstice roadster comes in two trim levels with the base model starting at just $21,675.

The base Solstice comes with a 2.4 liter, 173 horsepower in-line 4-cylinder engine while the higher trim level GXP has a 2.0 liter turbocharged engine that provides 260 horsepower. (It's also an in-line 4-cylinder). The standard transmission for both versions is a five-speed manual, but there's an optional upgrade to a five-speed automatic. The GXP has an electronic stability system, while the base model does not. Torque is 167 pounds/feet on the base Solstice and 260 pounds/feet on the GXP.

Exterior styling on the 2008 Pontiac Solstice includes it's distinctive clamshell hood, with reversed hinging so that it opens forward (the trunk lid operates in a similar fashion), and also hides the top when it's folded down, keeping the car's lines neat and trim. Nacelles behind each seat echo the shape of the head restrains as well. The standard wheels on this car are silver-painted 18-inch wheels with all-season tires, while the GXP's wheels (also 18 inches) are polished alloy and sport summer performance tires that are ill-advised in any sort of inclement weather, and even colder temperatures. The GXP also comes standard with a limited-slip differential system (it's an optional upgrade on the base model) but despite that this is not a winter-friendly car. The top comes in tan or black, and now includes a noise-reducing "acoustic headliner."

Inside the Solstice, there's seating for two and a wrap-around instrument panel featuring round gauges with red numbers. The steering wheel tilts, though it does not telescope, and the driver's seat has power for height djustments. On the GXP there is detailing that includes embroidered floor mats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The GXP also comes standard with cruise control, power-adjusted mirrors, fog lights, and keyless remote entry, while all those things are optional upgrades on the base model.

One thing the 2008 Pontiac Solstice is short on is space. There's only 50 inches of seating width, which is pretty tight, especially for an American car, and the trunk, which has a total volume of 5.4 cubic feet, is really only usable when the soft-top is up.

With the manual transmission, both models of the Solstice have estimated fuel efficiency of 19 mpg when driving in the city, while the the GXP gets 28 mpg, and the base 26 mpg (yes, the faster car is more efficient) on open highway.