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Driving Impressions

As with most sporty cars the ride in the Pontiac G5 GT is somewhat firm but encounters with potholes and tar strips do not result in any serious discomfort. The ride is comfortable enough for day-to-day commuting even in the Midwest where the roads are rough.

The steering is somewhat heavy and the effort increases during turns. This doesn't quite meet the standard of an upper-body workout but for some people it will come close. The steering is tight, however. What that means is when the car is pointed straight you can turn the steering wheel a tiny bit and it doesn't feel disconnected. The car begins to respond.

The G5 GT feels secure and fairly responsive on gentle or sweeping turns. However, when the turns are tighter and the speed increases the GT objects. Suddenly it feels nose-heavy, stubborn and not sporty. It is a disappointment for a car with performance pretensions.

The 173-hp four-cylinder worked quite well even when paired with the four-speed automatic. Major competitors, like the Civic, now come with five-speed automatics. The extra gear means a better chance at providing good acceleration at all times but better fuel economy. Nevertheless, the G5's four-speed downshifted quickly and when maximum acceleration was demanded it did not shift into a higher gear until just past 5000 revolutions per minute. That means it was striving to get the most out of the engine.

For maximum power Pontiac recommends premium fuel but says the GT will not be damaged if 87 octane is used. The GT gets an EPA-rated 24 mpg City/32 Highway.

Pontiac did a great job on the feel of the brakes. The pedal was firm but it was easy to slow either a little or a lot. Also, the front of the G5 didn't dip too much under hard braking. That gives it a balanced, secure feel.

The summer performance tires that come on the GT are unsuitable for winter use. They offer so little grip that they are likely to worry even those experienced in winter driving. In packed snow (5F to 20F), we found extremely poor traction even on flat terrain. With little grip, the GT has trouble turning and stopping. The enhanced traction control doesn't solve the problem. Halfway up one hill all it did was to cut the power as it tried to help the wheels regain traction, but the effect was that all the momentum was lost. If you hope to drive the GT in the snow you better budget for four snow tires. Putting snow tires only on the front would help with turning, but with far more slippery tires on the rear wheels the handling could be treacherous. It would be nice if Pontiac would give consumers interested in the GT the choice of the performance tires or regular, all-season radials.

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