wreckwriter

iTrader: (1)

Mine runs pretty good

Cons- the aftermarket has pretty much abandoned us for the new Camaro. What's available now is pretty much all that's likely. There's quite a bit but little niceties like fiberglass body parts cannot be had.

Pros- pretty much everything else. Its a great car.

TriShield

Exceptional car in nearly every respect. It rides, handles and feels nearly like a BMW which is the most impressive thing about it (everything else about it isn't BMW like though).

The cylinder deactivation gives GTs a very sleepy feel when it's on, do yourself a favor and get rid of it and tune it for premium fuel.

The gauge cluster also has excessive reflections in the daylight and the DIC is missing some basic functions like two trip meters, stopwatch, etc.

Parts unique to the car (body, interior, suspension) are expensive and are going to become much more difficult to get sooner rather than later.

The interior is comfortable and well done overall but the hard plastic parts mar very easily, especially the door panels and trim on each side of the shift. If you've ever sat in or owned a GTO like I have there is cost cutting evident here over that car like the lack of power seatback adjustment, no interior or storage lighting, hard grained skin instead of soft skin surfaces, fwappy insubstantial doors, trim loosely affixed, etc

taman86

iTrader: (19)

wow, havnt checked on this thread since i posted it. thanks everyone for the great advise. hey there trishield, fellow arizonan. i live in safford, about 3 hours south of phoenix through globe. this car will be a family car for the wife to drive. i have loved these cars since they were put into production and have always wanted one, but realistically i have to consider the downside to having one, that being they are no longer in production. i want us to hold onto this car for some time, but being that they are no longer in production and the parts getting scarce, well gotta look at the cost of maintenance in the long run. if its a very reliable car without the majority having major reliability problems, then it sounds like a winner. if i can find one with low miles, ide say 20k, and it doesnt require heavy maintenance at 50k and wont until 100k, then that sells me. here are my concerns:

major problem reliability rating:
engine, dod
drivetrain
suspension & steering
whacky electrical problems

minor problems:
lighting
interior reliability
exterior reliability
engine i.e. regular wear items

you guys have gave a lot of feedback but i would like a little more info based on your personal experience on the maintenance up keep of this vehicle from new until present for a consensus of info. once again, i will not be doing hardly any hard driving like strip time or street racing. this will be a family car that my wife will be driving on a regular basis and would like to keep it for some years to come without it costing too much to do so.

thanks everyone

Thebeast916

well. ive har mine for 2 years now and have 50000 miles on it now. all switches still work. some trim in the interios has peeled. leather still looks new. dash still new.
obviously oil changes 65-115$, tires are fairly cheap, gas mileage stock is awesome for 6.0 i got 19 city, 31highway. and nothing has broke and i have 50+ passes at the track.

8UALIVE

iTrader: (2)

Mine has 85,000 miles on it. No problems so far! Get 22 city and 27-28 hwy! Can't complain! Mods in sig...I love mine!!

mmmorelock

ive got a friend, whos a girl that bought one. she uses it as a baby hauler. she took me for a ride in it and its fast for a sedan. ive had some fun with a gxp g8 on 2010 power tour and i was impressed. its the only 4 door i would own.

WhiteKnight '01

I can believe the 27-28 on the highway. But 22 in the city? Are you serious....?

8UALIVE

iTrader: (2)

Yep, 21-22, now keep in mind that's driving like you are suppose to but it's really hard for me to do that! I can drive it pretty hard and still get 18 easy!

TriShield

If you are getting 22mpg you are coasting quite a bit, not stopping at too many lights and not doing the stop and go on the freeway. My GXP has returned that driving here when I stay out of traffic on the weekends.

8UALIVE

iTrader: (2)

I live in a small town, 1 red light and no freeway traffic, just easing around I can get that. But like I said before, it's REALLY hard for me to ease too much! I avg about 19, taking off hard occasionally and punching it a couple o times from a roll.

taman86

iTrader: (19)

very nice, i am impressed. guess im gonna have to lean the ol lady over to one. she was asking me about cadi's, told her the only one i'de own is a ctsv with a v8 (she's not much of car person, sometimes i talk to her about what im researching and i get a blank look in response). she said she seen one the other day and said she liked it, so i pulled up a pic of a v on the net and she said yep, thats the one i saw, so we'll see. im not very impressed with the v's styling, too many sharp edges to me. she is looking to get something no older then a '10, but just maybe if i can find a gt from 09 with very low miles i think she could be persuaded.

taman86

iTrader: (19)

on an unrelated but related note, a friend of mine has an impala ss with a ls4, thought about one of those or a grand prix gxp, buuuuuut, i dont like fwd cars. that and the tranny's on those car give out quick under the added torque. i really dont know what gm was thinking when they decided to make a transverse v8 and mount it to their weak *** trans that could barely hold up to a s/c v6.

GXPeon

I currently have my sights locked on a Grand Prix GXP but the general tranny reliability is making me unsure. Some people have gotten lucky but it seems that most haven't (at least based on what I've read on numerous online boards). My current car is a 1998 Lincoln Continental which is another FWD V8 sedan mated to a transmission ill equipped to handle the power of it. I have been lucky so far. 102k miles and not even a shudder. If I had a magic touch, I'd rub the GXP's tranny and make a deal.

Can't help you on the G8 front. There are no GTs where I live. Only ones on the lots are the V6s and all are lease returns. I dig the non carpeted trunk lid and the interior is pretty cheap.

Google 'G8 lower control arms'. Fun times. I almost bought a really low mileage G8 base before seeing on the Vehicle report that its LCAs were replaced twice.

hemiller3

good info in this thread, quick question, looking at g8's myself is there any difference in an 08 or 09 from a modification standpoint? is there any differences between the two years that would make one more desirable than the other? i'm coming from a tbss and the 06's were tuners favorites over the '07-up. sorry to thread jack.

taman86

iTrader: (19)

ya i was going through another thread, and A LOT of ppl are saying the lower control arms, upper windshield splitting, and harmonic balancer going out. WTF is that about. a harmonic balancer should last well over 100k no matter the driving style, well a few hard pushes here and there, but not be replaced 3 times in a matter of 50k. and then the upper windshield seems to be problematic. its those things that turn me away, that arnt covered under warranty but should be. this car has to be reliable for my wife as a dd.

she currently has a scion xa that she bought when she was 18, had it ever since. she wrecked a short time after the initial purchase and was completely repaired, not totaled. she has exclaimed that this car has given her zero reliability issues and is pushing 105k and several trips between az and ca. very bare bones car, but reliable. not window motors going out, not windshields peeling back, not suspension parts failing prematurely. the only thing that it needs right now are two new tires, and new motor mounts, and the cd player is very touchy. i recently had the car gone through top to bottom, and passed with flying colors. not even a ball joint, sway bar link, or bushing. struts are all fine with no leakage or sag. i hate it because its so damn tiny and a feel like a *** driving it, but a very dependable car.

anyways, this is the standard that i have to critique all other cars upon now. what is going on with alot of the g8's it sounds like, is unacceptable.

TriShield

No difference in mods or mechanically.

2009s have grey interior trim instead of black as well as satellite radio, bluetooth and a popout cupholder in the bottom rear seat cushion from the Saab parts bin.

TriShield

Any used car can have issues which is why you should test drive and check it out thoroughly.

Keep in mind if you visit forums for a specific vehicle you are going to see a lot of people talking about issues they're having together, making nearly any model seem unreliable.

1990LSx

iTrader: (9)

we got the wife one and she loves it. For about 900-1000$ in mods we have hers in the 11s trapping 119-120mph. Yes a little n2o is involved but can't complain for the amount of money in the car and how well it responded to mods.

With just LTs, GXP mid pipe and a vararam she was running 12.7@110-111mph all on the stock potenza tires.

taman86

iTrader: (19)

Trishield, I completely understand and agree with your statement. But at the same time, the lower control arms have a recall on them, that is a nationwide problem. And evidently, the window and/ or the harmonic balancer failing appears to be a tsb. I havnt actually looked up the g8 myself to see if they or not, but when ppl take their cars into the dealship and point it out and that its a common problem, well then its a major common problem. And if it doesn't have a warranty anymore, then its a problem from the factory which I am not willing to pay money to replace.

FM1R

I have an 08 Grand Prix GXP, and I am selling it to buy a G8 GXP... I personally like my Grand Prix, but after driving a friend's G8 GT I new that I could never be happy again with the Grand Prix.. They're nice cars, but are very limited..