Reader Review of the Week: 2008 Pontiac G8

“Gripes are limited to a lack of features previous Pontiac owners are used to, like HUD, XM, DVD and nav; the same hood being used for GT and base models (I felt that the scoops should be GT only); and some folks have expressed concern over the less-than-stellar shifting of the transmission (though I have no problem with it).

“Things-to-love list is much longer, but to keep this review reasonable, I will limit it to just the top five. First, the engine: Massive power and torque to start with, and easy to tune and mod for even more power. Next, the ride and handling is almost unmatched in any other car that seats five and costs under six figures. This leads to price, as $30K for a car that can hang with cars that cost double that is a steal. Also, Ward’s AutoWorld just announced that the G8 is nominated for its Interior of the Year Award. And last being that this car is built in the same factory that the new GTO came from, which should lead to similar reliability.

“Yes, I am a fan of this car. I am extremely biased about the G8. But I was not at first, as it took a look, a drive and some number crunching when shopping comparable vehicles.”