Pontiac G8 2008-2010 - Those of you that upgraded from fbody to G8

Any suggestions on whether you regret it or not? Pluses and minuses of each car? Really love the look of these cars but I am just afraid that I will miss my fbody too much and the power. My car is mainly daily driver but I love to have a fun!

It's a nice DD. Drive mine during winter here in upstate NY. Hard to stay out of the throttle, but thats a personal problem. With a few mods you'll have more power than your Camaro easily. Also seems like they hold their value, kinda. Only time will tell.

I really miss my Trans Am that I had (423 wrhp and a 6 speed) but I really like having a 4 door that has some muscle and looks great. It is a lot more comfortable than the F-body and as Gordon said they have held their value very well so far. I kinda wish I would have waited to get the GXP with the 6 speed but didnt want to spend the extra 7k sticker price to have it.

With a GT put on a converter, cai, headers/catback and a tune you will be well into the 12 sec range. Depending on who you go with for each you are looking at 2,500-3,000 in mods.

Fuel Mileage:
My fbody tank to tanked 24 MPG, mostly highway.
GXP gets around 18 MPG on the daily commute.

Notoriety:
Even though there are only ~2000 GXPs most people don't notice my car or expect it to be fast. People are surprised it has a V8 or aren't expecting the car to be that fast. When someone that does know what the car is does pull up you get at least 4 good compliments though. No one on the street ever tries randomly to race me like when I had the Camaro.

Insurance is high for a 4 door car. :eyes:

The aftermarket support is actually really great for a car that was only produced for two years.

Another plus is that this is a HUGE car. You can put a lot of junk in the back seats. Remove the spare tire cover and the truck has tons of room as well. Regrettably, GM made the mistake of not allowing the rear seat to fold down so that cut out a lot of cargo possibilities.

Keep in mind that you will be a lot faster if you keep your fbody and spend your fun money on it. I think about if I kept my Camaro + the mod money from the GXP --- how fast of a car that would of been.

I came from a 2001 Formula (345rwhp) to a 2006 GTO (355rwhp) to a 2008 TBSS (350rwhp) to my current ride a 2009 G8 GXP (370rwhp).

I have no regrets, better brakes, better suspension, better motor, better transmission and light years ahead interior. The car is comfortable on long rides, have plenty of power stock. Only downside is my Formula was a M6 and got almost 30mpg on the highway and 21 in the city, my GXP cant touch that at all.

It's all about the weight. If you're coming from a gen4 to a G8 that's the first hurdle you'll notice. You need more power to do the same things at the track and your mileage will suffer. The gen5 Camaro guys will back me on this... the Zeta platform brings too much table muscle to the game, it needs to shed about 300 lbs.

If you keep reminding yourself that you bought a sports sedan that has _real_ room for five people plus a usable trunk you'll have the right approach. If you're buying the G8 to go faster stick with building up a gen4. You'll have a better baseline to work with and it will be cheaper in the long run.

i have still my 2001 ws6 450rwhp + 150 NOS, cant compare the two in the power department but i LOVE my G8 GT especially the styker blue color, my only complaint is the gas mileage. trying to resist modding the G8 is getting harder each week

my only complaint is the gas mileage. trying to resist modding the G8 is getting harder each week

Yeah the mileage is not good, maybe 12 in the city from block to block.
Another complaint is the fake "leather" seats, they look awesome but saddly they are plastic. The interior looks great but still could use some work.

I just kept my TA when I got the g8!
My trans am gets better gas milage, but the g8 drives much nicer. The TA is more fun to drive though.

i have still my 2001 ws6 450rwhp + 150 NOS, cant compare the two in the power department but i LOVE my G8 GT especially the styker blue color, my only complaint is the gas mileage. trying to resist modding the G8 is getting harder each week

??? I use to pull 30+ hwy with DOD cai and LTH ..After cam and before stall and gears it go 27+/- hwy(If I kept my foot out of it)

I'd say mileage wise I get 16-17 stop-n-go city, 20-21 mixed and 24-25 hwy in current trim. It used to be higher by about 1 mpg across the board as it sits but I got some new tires and am still working on dialing in proper tire pressure for them.

Again, advantage gen4 fbody.

When I drive my wife's G8, the thing I like most is the supple ride and solidity. Goodbye f-body harshness. It has good visibility and is really roomy, if you need that.

I don't think the seats are so great - no better than f-body, nowhere near GTO. I don't like the HVAC and radio controls. The sunroof is so noisy open that it's next to useless.

She averages 16 in her stock car (mostly all city) and I average 15 in my stalled A4.

When the weather's right, and the t-tops are off, no G8 or GTO can put a smile on my face like my Formula.

The sunroof is quieter if you remove that stupid hoop that pops up.

Your question really depends on how you will use the car and what you want out of it.

I really like my G8 and I get complements more frequently than a 2 year old 4 door should (a lot has to do with the color - stryker blue).

The G8 is a car for grown ups and it feels more like it. Overall its a way better car than a 4th gen with fewer compromises... but it will never deliver the same thrill as a 4th gen without spending a fortune. If you were never going to take your car on a race track, then I don't know that there would be any reason keep the 4th gen. If you are only looking to daily drive with an occasional blast through a corner or quick blast to 100 mph then the G8 is a great car. I don't think you would ever regret it other than the nostalgia of the 4th gen if you didn't need ultimate performance.

G8 pluses - great ride / handling balance, tons of room, nicer interior, decent stereo (this is subjective for all the audiophiles), feels better put together than any 4th gen ever.
G8 minuses - Automatic trans (unless you go GXP) for both fun factor and the shift programming itself (which technically can be tuned), heavy car, fuel mileage poor.

I still have my 4th gen and it is a significantly crappier car than the G8... but it makes me smile a lot more than the G8 too. For the record my 4th gen is mint and only has 12k original miles so I'm not comparing an old used up 4th gen to a new G8. I'm basically comparing two cars in like new condition. I daily the G8 and only play with my 4th gen... I don't think I could go back to daily driving a 4th gen after owning this car. Like I said... it just depends on what you want out of a car.

If you decide to go the G8 route, I am looking to sell mine (regretfully)... '09 GT with Sport and Lux packages, stryker blue and only 19k miles. I'd love to keep it but just bought another toy and I need to cut some expense to play with it :) ... so the G8 has to go.

Your question really depends on how you will use the car and what you want out of it.

What ^^he said.

I had a 2000 Z28. It was fun for what it was, but I'm a sports sedan type of person for day-today driving. If you like to have fun runs every chance you get, stick with the F-body as it takes more power in a G8 to over come the weight. Mine has more power than stock ZR-1, but can only hang tight to a stock C6 Z06 once we both have traction. G8's are just plain heavy. With the G8 being heavier, it still handles and brakes better. The only thing I miss about the Z28 is the manual 6-speed. I actually bought an STi after the Z28, then the G8. The STi I miss a lot more. The handling was in another realm, and though I complained about the STi seats, those too were leagues better at holding me in place. The G8 has fake thigh bolsters. I nearly lost control of a friend's G8 Firehawk with a totally worked suspension, but stock seats. I turned the steering wheel, the car hooked, and I slide off the seat which turned the steering wheel and made it really hard for me to find the brake pedal. It was not cute.

All that said, I really like the G8, especially after making some aesthetic mods, power mods, and installing better (stiffer) swaybars. My biggest complaints are: fake thigh bolsters, A/C vents not very adjustable, trunk button is in the glove box, low range of the remote (key fob), its a tasks to change out the factory stereo head unit, and the paint on the plastic parts do not match the metal parts.

Crazy thing is, compared to my STi, this car has more than twice the engine displace, twice the turbos, and is about 20% heavier, yet gets the same gas mileage while being much quieter.

Most of the differences have been covered, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents. For the record, my comparison is with my 2009 G8 GXP that I've only put about 4,000 miles on and my 1996 Camaro Z28 with full intake and exhaust mods, the hotcam kit, a tune, 2.73 gears, and street tires (this is how I spent most of my time with it).

Some of the first things I noticed:
You sit much lower to the ground in the f-body. This makes the f-body feel like much more of a sports car, but also isn't nearly as comfortable as the G8. The ride, handling, and braking on the G8 is far superior, not to mention much less cabin noise. The f-body interior is very cheap compared to the G8; the Camaro trim, dashboard, and dash plastic are hideous and super thin. The stock speakers in the Camaro were terrible while the G8 stereo is decent. It's easy to tell the GXP doesn't target the same market that older f-bodies did. The G8 is refined, somewhat elegant, and much higher quality. It just feels better in nearly every aspect.

GXP Exterior
- The GXP is much better looking. The 93-97 f-bodies' exterior style is quite dated now. The 98-02 f-bodies aren't as bad, but they're getting there.
- Comes with 19" wheels vs. 16" wheels on the f-body.
- Optional sunroof, which I prefer over t-tops

GXP Interior
- Has a decent LCD screen for operating both the AC and stereo.
- Has in-dash heads up display for gas mileage, speedometer, service messages, etc.
- Doesn't feel as cheap as the camaro
- Window controls are on the middle console
- Cup holders aren't great, but are still improved over the Camaro's

GXP Performance
- High stock engine output
- Huge Bembro brakes
- Everything is tighter, crisper (braking, handling, exhaust note... everything)
- Feels heavier, but doesn't always act like it

Now, I don't want it to sound like I'm just bashing the f-bodies every chance I get. I feel like I can have more fun in the Camaro. It could be because I'm much more cautious in the G8 and don't drive it to its potential, but I'm sure part of it is because of the weight difference. The G8 is obviously significantly heavier, which is apparent while driving, despite the G8 having superior performance. The Camaro is also well-known and easily recognized, meaning people will ask about the engine, mods, etc. Cars will also try to race all the time -- something I've only had happen once in my G8 (2005 to 2010 Mustang GT from a stop, and yes I raped it). I also got great gas mileage in my Camaro, 18/26, which was awesome compared to the 14/21 I get in the GXP.

So to summarize...
The f-body and G8 are very different animals, but I'm much happier with the G8. It's a nicer, heavier sedan, which I prefer over the lighter, rougher, cheaper f-body. If you're concerned they might be too different, you might want to test drive a GTO. I'm sure that's closer to an f-body than a G8, anyway.

I had 2 F-bodys before my G8. The G8 handles better, brakes faster and has a far superior ride quality. The only thing I miss about my old F-bodys was the 6 speed manaul trans. My G8 makes almost the same power as my old SS and is only .2 slower at the track but just isnt as fun to drive with the automatic.

I had a 2000 WS6 A4 with T-Tops and loved it, but even I had to admit there were a lot of quirks that became more pronounced with each time I drove it. Harsh ride, difficult entry/exit, useless back seat, little cargo room, creaks and rattles, paint chipped easily, window motors always blew out, leather wore out quickly, etc. The G8 is, by dint of being designed a decade later, a much more finished product and far easier to live with on a day-to-day basis. It will never be as fast or agile as the WS6, but it is a much comfier ride with more utility, and it can still get up and go far better than the average car. Love my (heavily modded) GT every bit as much as the WS6.

I have driven both. The G8 has good power and with the "auto-stick" you can hold your gear like a manual (can even hit the limiter). The G8 shifts into 5th gear at 140ish MPH. I was surprised with just how powerful the car is for a 4 door sedan... That being said, GM bought it back. The steering wheel "dither" is a somewhat known problem... Here is a video I made...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1Ju6yp5jr8

One of each seems to be the way to go :devil:

I am making the dive, just sold my Formula WS6 for a G8. Looking forward to new page of LSX power, at least I am sticking with a Pontiac for the most part, as the G8s are actually holding good value right now.

Any suggestions on whether you regret it or not? Pluses and minuses of each car? Really love the look of these cars but I am just afraid that I will miss my fbody too much and the power. My car is mainly daily driver but I love to have a fun!

I went from a 99 Camaro Z28 to a 2009 G8 GT. I have two regrets:

1) Spending that kind of money on a car that I will be paying off until I am almost 30. But at least it's 0% APR. But, hey, this isn't a problem with the car because it is a lot cheaper than anything that I see as a proper competitor (e.g. BMW 550i).

2) Losing the manual. The 6L80 seems okay in some aspects, but the stock software is set up to granny shift like crazy. I never even use regular drive mode - only sport or manual mode. The car hates to downshift to first, and sometimes only decides to do so after I have stopped and try to apply gas. It can take up to about 3 seconds to downshift to first due to torque management. It almost got me into multiple accidents until I got the feel for it, and now I use manual mode a lot more if I need to get down to first gear while not stopping for a long period - red lights are okay, but when I do a rolling stop at the end of my street (where there's no stop sign, but I need to stop to see the traffic) is where trouble can happen if I leave it in automatic mode.

Even in sport mode, it upshifts way too early and isn't downshifty enough. Torque management makes shifts slower than they should be. This affects manual mode as well. Shifts are slow, and the 2-3 shift is especially sloppy. There is a 1-2 second delay between telling it to shift and when it shifts in manual mode. A tune will bring the transmission up to par, but it will void your warranty. If you remove the tune before bringing it in for service, you MIGHT be okay, but some people have still been caught and refused warranty service.



Aside from that, the car is great. It is maybe a TINY bit slower than my Camaro was, while being way more comfortable, and the IRS handles WAY better on real roads. I can actually hit a bump while cornering and not have my rear end lose traction which would stop my car from cornering in the Camaro until the car recovered. Not nearly as bad in the G8. Also, obviously, it has room for stuff and I think the car is a LOT better looking than any F-body other than perhaps first-gen, but that's personal opinion so you may or may not agree.

If you are willing to tune the car, it will be perfect. Get a Patrick G tune if so - something that I do plan to do probably next year (screw the warranty, I guess... would rather enjoy the car.) Otherwise, you might want to get the hang of manual mode.

Edit to note: First mod to any G8 should be tires. No matter what package you get, the stockers are JUNK. I had the stock Bridgestone summers and they were so bad that I almost decided to sell the car until I got some good tires (Continental ContiExtemeContect summers) and they transformed the car.

Edit again to add: I get about the same fuel economy with the G8 as I did with the Camaro. About 19MPG mixed either way. I did see slightly higher MPG on the Camaro when I did highway-only driving: a max of 27MPG, whereas I've seen a max of about 23 in the G8.

It is a real big punch in the face that the G8s didn't come with Holden iQ or something similar. No USB or ipod support?!?!? 18K MSRP cars have that kind of stuff these days.

Yeah, the stock stereo is really quite lame in general. It still beats the stock 4th-gen F-body stuff by a LOT, though. But I expected a LOT more.

I don't think the seats are so great - no better than f-body, nowhere near GTO.

Really? I would have thought GTO and G8 interiors were similar (just assuming, never been inside either car).

Yep the downshifts are agonizingly slow. I had to abort a stomp and lane change once or it would have caused an accident. I'm used to my tuned and Transgo'ed 4L60e, lol.

Really? I would have thought GTO and G8 interiors were similar (just assuming, never been inside either car).

The GTO interior had more color themes. The seats were electric back instead of hand crank. I believe they had more side bolster and lumbar as well.

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc420/elmarro/209530_183944188322539_100001208781513_521646_5633 640_o.jpg
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc420/elmarro/IMAG0361.jpg

Which is funny, because I've had C6 Corvette owners wishing they had my G8 seats. Must be the kangaroo hide.

Factory tires are junk, agreed. Factory rotors & pads are meh but they dust like crazy and the front rotors can't handle the weight of the car over time. At least get the rotors turned & surfaced and switch to ceramic pads. Centric rotors are better.

Factory transmission tune is JUUUUUUNK and screw the warranty and the horse it rode in on... I was trying to tune that behavior out the first month I had the car. If I'd wanted a pickup truck transmission I'd have bought a pickup truck. Sport sedans need crisp shifting behavior, period. Just get it tuned and have the maintenance done on heavy duty cycle (flush at 30k, fluid/filter at 50k). After tune and flush my transmission behaves itself like what I had in mind when I bought it. The pieces are there, the software is just flat out dumb. Be aware that tuning the tranny will NOT be easy even for experienced tuners. Find a shop that has a specific reputation for getting the 6L80E/6L90E done right.

Knock reduction from the factory is absurd and AFR needs to be dialed in for E10. That alone is good for 15-20 rwhp. If you're keeping AFM/DOD there are some tricks to tuning that as well so it doesn't buck / surge so much in 3rd and 4th gear. Get a good tuner, you'll never regret it for these cars because quite frankly they need it.

As you can see I have both Ws6 just when I'm by my self loud & fast,G8 with my wife & 2 kid smooth ride but also fast!! But I think if you are single stay with F-body ..

I'm looking to sell my 01 WS6 and 03 Lifted Chevy Z71 and purchase a G8...I'm looking specifically at 09.

But what are the best options to get? Did the 6.2 only come in GXP?

Thanks,
Colin

I'm looking to sell my 01 WS6 and 03 Lifted Chevy Z71 and purchase a G8...I'm looking specifically at 09.

But what are the best options to get? Did the 6.2 only come in GXP?

Thanks,
Colin

The LS3 (6.2L) only came in the GXP. GXPs are loaded; if you get a GXP, you only have to worry about Auto vs. 6 speed, black interior vs. black and red, and a moonroof as options.

Otherwise there are "sport" and "premium" packages. I'm sure a little googling could give you specifics if you're interested.