Need G6 input! *UPDATE*

[Stu Pidasso]

Hey all, I'm new here. My wife and I are looking to buy a car, and we really like the 2006 G6. This one has the 4 cyl. in it, but I have a few normal questions:

What are the usual problem areas? (Alternators, ball joints, bad cupholders, anything?)

What should we look for when scoping out a G6? (rust spots, tell-tale signs of wear, etc.)

We're a family, and don't care that much for zoom zoom performance (we need good gas mileage more) so is the 4 cyl better than the 6 cyl?

All in all, what is the overall opinion of the '06 G6, and what do wee need to keep an eye on when looking at one to buy? BTW, they want 14,000 for this G6, and it has 28K miles on it.

[keith87]

i love my 6, besides the performance, which u stated dosent matter 2 u, so i would think its a grat pic for a family car, as for that price, is it the compleate base package wit steral wheels? if so, u can buy a brand new 07 for a couple thou more, i would look into that, and beware of gm smart buy

[Coupe_GTP]

well I am not a good one to say anything since I have a coupe gtp. But I know there have been recalls on the panoramic sunroof before. The only problems I have had is my sunroof drain tubes have come undone in one place and now another place. There are also a couple of Ecu updates you ca n get from the dealer. I have had a couple of other cel's but those were from my mods I have done. I really like my g6 it is a great car but its not the best tunner car to have but thats besides the fact. It gets all sorts of looks from people. I have no idea what the average mpg is for the 4 cylinder but I would imagine it is really good considering I can get 29mpg on a trip in my 3.9L v6.

[reubenk]

Rust seems to be a problem with the sixer. I dont think its caused anything yet but I can see parts rusting all over the place.

[TLS2000]

Rust seems to be a problem with the sixer. I dont think its caused anything yet but I can see parts rusting all over the place.

Where? I haven't noticed any.

[Rannin Ravensight]

the rotors rust up awfull, but don't effect brake performance.

there seems to be random and unpredictable squeeks and noises, but not everybody has them, maybe a fluke to this site?

If you have tap shift or manual, you will knock over your large drink sitting in your cupholder.

The G6 is a big car and the I-4 is really too small for it, however, it is the best of the engine options for gas miliage.

Sedan has A LOT of rear seat/leg/head room, which is really great. And all the seats are very comfortable. I would say it's ideal for children since there isn't much a kid could "mess with" back there and as I said the seats are comfy. Trips will be nice in it (in my experience, ride quality during hwy travel is excellent and similar to my Buick Park Avenue Ultra I used to own).

Stock handling is very good (however, I have a GTP so the quality will be different since base doesn't have ABS).

Being that this is a Pontiac, resale will be low (but that is pretty much a given on any American car).

That's all I can think of at the moment. And I have no idea about prices since I exclusively researched GTP's when I was in the market.

[reubenk]

Rotors are rusted to shit, thats why I bought new ones. When I got my lowering springs installed he said that all the bolts in there were rusted, one was so bad it stripped when he took it out so he had to replace it. Ive also seen a couple bolts rusting in my engine bay as well. Havent actually looked underneath a whole lot, but Ill find out once I install my exhaust.

[Rannin Ravensight]

^there is not very much rust at all under/inside my '06 with 30k miles... just mostly the rotors. However, the rust on the rotors is like a thick cracking layer of rust, not simply a coloring of rust like one might expect. Therefore, that's why I ordered the Powerslot rotors (better brake performance as well as taking out those ugly rusted monsters).

[TheCryptic]

Price sounds a little high to me, but over all I can certainly recommend the G6 as a family car. I'm not sure about the 4 banger, but I can tell you that the 06 V6 does not come with ABS, if you want that then look at a GT.

For what it's worth, a local dealership here (Southern NY) sells the 06 GT sedans with less than 15K miles for $16K.

Anyways, the ABS thing pissed me off because my salesman lied to me and said the G6 V6 I got had it... Yeah, it doesn't. As far as mileage goes, the V6 really isn't bad. Lots of people here seem to have problems getting over 20 mpg, but I presume that's because the redline is more fun than fuel economy. Admittedly I do a fair amount of highway driving, but I average around 27 mpg.

Overall ride is good, and the car has LOTS of room inside. I'm 6'5" and 300lbs, my wife is 5'9" and can sit behind my drivers seat and still have room to keep her knees together (no smart comments from the peanut gallery :P) There's no real issue with having 4 adult-sized adults in the car.

Civilized driving is quite accomodating, although I personally think it understeers a little too much. The G6 does handle a bit like a sports car, the steering gets fairly stiff at speed, but it's well behaved. Visibility is a little tight to the back, the trunk is pretty high... But situational awareness will make up for that.

Oh, and since you mentioned the cup holders... Yeah, they suck. They're right between the center storage unit/arm rest and the shifter. And the doors are too thick for any of the cup holders I've found that mount on the door sill. You can work around them, but since you mentioned them specifically

Mine has about 24K miles on it, 13K of which I've put on myself (I bought used as well). So far I've had the power steering cut out on me twice... I could still steer, but it was a little freaky. I've had it fail to start 2 or 3 times, seems to happen when the car is a little warm from a quick trip but not up to full operating temp. Unfortunately neither issue can be reproduced at will, and they're spaced so far apart that troubleshooting is hopeless.

OK, I could go on and on, but I'll be impressed if you've read this far. Overall it's a great family car, performs as well as can be expected, handles a little sportier than most it's size, is decent on fuel economy. I know some people here baby their G6, but mines a daily driver with occasional hour long trips with the family (going to the lake in the summer) and has fit the bill quite well.

[Hudson]

rotors rust but dont affect the performance
i love having a car with no ABS
i have 22K on mine and i still love itl
earn to crank up your radion if ya hate odd squeaks
the stock tires on a sedan are shit on wet roads

[PrimeGTP]

The only problem spots that seem to crop up on a majority of G6s:

- Poor stock tires
- First set of brake pads/rotors seem to wear down quite fast
- If you get a sunroof of any kind, they seem to leak often from the factory

Other than that, the G6 is a solid car. The base model is a good price, and the 2.4L I4 is the best engine for fuel efficiency available. The sedan's interior is expansive in every department. Great get-the-family-places car.

[AliWantsNss]

I think that price is a bit high. Right now we have 3k worth of incentives, and that gets you close to the 15 mark for a brand new one!

[Midnight]

Rust seems to be a problem with the sixer. I dont think its caused anything yet but I can see parts rusting all over the place.

Where? I haven't noticed any.

[TheCryptic]

i love having a car with no ABS

Really? Why?

[the_great_m]

I am getting 27.5 mpg with my V6 GT, but that is also with 99% highway. I havent seen any problems with my car (other then the rotors, like everyone says). My stock tires are fine on wet/snow covered roads. I would say shop around to find a better deal. I remember the local dealer here was selling G6's with less then 10,000 miles on them for $14,000 or less.