Mary Barra (GM CEO) killed Australian Holden manufacturing so there will be no more of these cars ever. Australian Holden Aussie fans (nearly a quarter of the population here!) will never forgive the GM CEO for killing the company...a company with nearly ninety years of Aussie design and manufacturing.
In Australia you can put the dash in engineering mode, hold down on the left swivel button on the steering wheel. Keep holding and insert key and start engine. Wait a few seconds and your digital dash will come up in engineering mode. Let go of the button and you can scroll up and down through all the options. Just press that scroll button again to go back to normal mode. Should work on USA g8's
Great review! I am an owner as well. Not true about having to substitute LEDs in the foglamps for HIDs. Look for 35w ballasts and they will not melt the housing. Been running HIDs in my fogs for over 3 yrs with no issues.
These cars were tested on some of the roughest roads in the world - they are not likely to fall apart very soon. The reason Holden closed down in Australia was that the government didn't want to support the car industry anymore and Holden and Ford were still making - amongst other models - these larger cars, which were losing popularity due to trends such as buying smaller cars. The govt also used the excuse that at that time the AU dollar was higher than the US dollar at about US $105. Various commenters pointed out that the AU dollar would drop before long - it's now hovering at about 68 cents to the US dollar, and has been below US 72 cents for some years; so much for that theory... The current Holden Commodore (the successor to the car above) is an excellent car but hasn't sold well due to not looking quite like the previous Commodore models, being made in Germany by Opel (Insignia), and being front wheel drive.. Great forest on the edge of your driveway - could I just ask what sort of trees they are? Thanks.
I haven't driven it in the winter yet. In fact, this will be its first winter and I bought some Blizzak LM-60's to put on these rims before I buy the new ones. From what I've read they do fine for being a RWD vehicle. Between the nearly 50/50 weight distribution and electronic controls they have some things helping them out as well.
It does come in a manual however you have to purchase the GXP trim level. That will set you back around 28k-35k in todays market. They also come with a 6.2L LS3 which should be quite fun.
The Camaros platform is actually based off of the G8's platform. That is the "Zeta" platform. So technically the Camaro was borrowing from a proven platform. I pasted a link to my update video of the G8 with the Camaro rims mounted (a lot of G8 owners run these rims).
Love these cars, got mine in 09 new and still love it. I had a gp gxp gunmetal grey but blew the trannie @ 36k so I got a black g8 gt and never looked back.
Nice review mate. Im in Australia . Just bought a 2009. Here it is known as an, 09 SSV special edition. Mine has Walkinshaw upgrades. 3 inch exhaust, cold air intake, engine remap. No more active fuel management so it runs on all 8 all day long. Loving this car. Nice video hazards280
Really nice review. I just purchased My 2009 Pontiac G8. It was previously commercial owned, and is in Great condition! Only 50k miles when I got it. Your video gave me some info that I needed. Thanks.. (:
In the next few years, I'm gonna get me a different daily driver and it's either a g8 gt or grand prix gxp.(unless I get a magical raise or job cause I'd love a g8 gxp M6) not sure if the g8 or grand prix would be better though.
Do you still own this beauty? My wife and I are going Memorial Day weekend to pick up an '09 G8 GT with only 47K miles on it. We are so excited. The wife currently drives an '08 G6 GT with a 122K on the odometer that has never left us stranded. Well maybe once when the PCM went into limp mode. LOL. It's been a great car, and we can't wait for our G8!
Good review. Just got one a week ago and love it. My only complaint is that they didn't reverse the gear shifter for left hand drive. Hard to reach with t-rex arms.
Get the chrome Camaro rims. I'm a fellow G8 owner and have Solo axle back, Roto Fab intake, SuperChips 93 tune. The tune makes all the difference. Just my .02. You'll love the car. I still do after 4 years!
Stock it shifts around ~6,000rpm. Because of that I have learned to shift at about 5400rpm to make sure it shifts before redlining. Honestly, its probably best if you just leave it sport mode though :D
Great review! I'm from Michigan as well and am going to be buying a g8 gt this summer (hopefully I can find a nice one! Lol) so I've been watching a bunch of reviews and doing research as any car guy would, your review def helped a lot as it's hard to find a review on these that isn't a guy doing donuts and racing it on a track lol. Nice real world review was refreshing instead of "THIS THING DRIFTS AND GOES FAST WOOOO"
Jake Raickovich Thanks Jake! I'm glad you found some value in this video. It sounds like you know what you're looking for in a G8 and I'm sure you'll find one that meets your needs. During your search, I would recommend looking on G8Board.com. Typically some enthusiasts list their cars on their instead of trading it in or posting in craigslist. Just a recommendation :)
The G8 GT did not come in a manual. To get into a manual you will have to purchase a G8 GXP (~$30,000). Also, this doesn't even compare to the Grand Prix. The ride quality, noise and power is on a whole other level.
No, the SS doesn't get me excited like the G8 did when it first came out. As well, the G8 has a bang for your dollar factor that the SS doesn't even come close to. Finally it looks to me like a Malibu in the rear....or Honey Boo Boo's a**. I can't decide. I am looking at buying a CTS-V or ATV-V (when they are released) and just using the G8 as a DD going forward. As far as reliability goes I have driven the G8 over 30k miles and have had 0 problems.
I don't. I sold it prior to buying the G8. Little known secret that a lot of my subscribers don't know. I actually owned two GXP's, I sold one and missed it so much I bought another one identical to it! I like the G8 a lot more but the GP GXP is grat car in every sense as well. I just wanted a car that was "right" wheel drive :D
wicked nice review. Family has a 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix GT and we are looking into one of these. One questions, Does it has Heads Up Display? The 2005 Grand Prix GT was the first car GM ever put a Heads Up Display in and honestly its so fun to drive with it!!!
Thanks Farrad! Good luck in your search for the car. I actually owned two Grand Prix GXP's (LS4 V8) and they had the Heads-Up Display as well. It is a nice feature but unfortunately Holden didn't offer that on the Commodore at that time. Also, the 2005 Grand Prix was not the first car to have the Heads Up Display. While the model itself MAY have been one of the first to offer it, they were found in model years dating back to 1997 at least. They have been refined to offer a brighter, more crisp image on the newer ones. Now the ATS, some SUV's and the Camaro all offer the HUD but yes the Grand Prix was one of the first mass produced car to offer the technology.
Ahhh I see very interesting! My mom bought a brand new 2014 GMC Acadia DENALI in March and I rem the guy telling us that about the 05 GP. The acadia has heads up display too i love it.
your absolutely right man, i'll be the last owner of my imported commodore too ;-) just curious to know what all you've done to it now? and sonny mandoza, im interested in your glass fog housing for HID lights
Allen, I have done quite a bit of stuff to the G8 since this video was published. I cannot add links to my comments for some reason, but I have update videos within my channel. If you browse my videos you will find them. The car still puts a smile on my face every day and I've owned it over a year.
So its 2017 do you still have it? I was just curious from the video you said you would be the only owner. lol... Thanks for the video. It helps making a decision on my buying car time.
Its insane, at this trim level, these sold for $60,000 at this trim level in New Zealand. I am not having a go at our friends state side, but this goes to show how much we are rorted by Holden. Forget exchange rate, 10 bucks is ten bucks. Yet these land in the US, over 5 times the distance for $30'ish K, yet we pay $60 K. And we still don't get the remote start or in-bumper indicators At least the US car designers are holding the world honest, with a demand for aggressive designed cars
+Brandon Sunthivong sort of. It's made in Australia, but it's still owned by General Motors (Holden Division), and it comes with an American made L76 6.0L engine. But yes, the bodies were imported from Australia. It's actually the same body that goes into the Canadian made Camaro, and the American Made Cadillac CTS.
I like this guy --^ In response to the orignal comment though. The G6 is an american built machine and it is a little more problematic than the G8. I have owned it for about a year now and have had 0 problems with it. It just keeps on going and feels very well built.
Hey you going mate Tim from Australia here to be experienced with The Commodores and from experience you put the 19th on or 20 years on yet they look great but the only downfall on them it will give you a harder ride 18th will give you a more softer ride if you choose that type of wheel package anyway mate have a good one and you do what's right for you good on you mate
Pontiac died with hummer and mercury GM was in debt and uncle Sam said that they will pay they're debt by something and I guess they removed those companies becuase they weren't making any sales. Pontiac had a rought start rip pontiac and rip grandpa
Um, no problem man! Just messing with ya lol ;-) Great review man, especially considering you don't do this for a living like you said. I thought it was better than a lot of the reviewers that do it for a living. Nice G8 GT as well. I always liked these cars, along with the LS2 GTO of course.
Staroy, the G8 does not offer GPS or a backup camera. This was because the DOT (Dept. of Transportation) ruled that the screen was too low on the dash for GPS usage. This would require the driver to look to far from the road and thus the feature was removed on the models sent to the states.
Just curious, what year is your car? How many owners. What kind of issues if any are having? I would like to find a G8 like everyone else with not to many miles.
I really miss the Pontiac brand. Still a big fan of the G8
Me to
What a beautiful car. Wish the still made them.
ok
Amen!
Mary Barra (GM CEO) killed Australian Holden manufacturing so there will be no more of these cars ever. Australian Holden Aussie fans (nearly a quarter of the population here!) will never forgive the GM CEO for killing the company...a company with nearly ninety years of Aussie design and manufacturing.
In Australia you can put the dash in engineering mode, hold down on the left swivel button on the steering wheel. Keep holding and insert key and start engine. Wait a few seconds and your digital dash will come up in engineering mode. Let go of the button and you can scroll up and down through all the options. Just press that scroll button again to go back to normal mode. Should work on USA g8's
You can do it with the american model as well I think.
I think GM made a mistake getting rid of Pontiac. Since you said this is an everyday driver how is the gas mileage?
My g8 is cammed, tuned , cold air intake ,headers and exhaust. Tuned for 91 octane it gets 24 highway mpg and 14 city
Great review! I am an owner as well. Not true about having to substitute LEDs in the foglamps for HIDs. Look for 35w ballasts and they will not melt the housing. Been running HIDs in my fogs for over 3 yrs with no issues.
I'll buy that car if you sell it. G8s have always been my dream car ever since 2008 when they first came out.
is it 6.0L ???
I feel this is when Pontiac got cool in the 21st Century.
These cars were tested on some of the roughest roads in the world - they are not likely to fall apart very soon. The reason Holden closed down in Australia was that the government didn't want to support the car industry anymore and Holden and Ford were still making - amongst other models - these larger cars, which were losing popularity due to trends such as buying smaller cars. The govt also used the excuse that at that time the AU dollar was higher than the US dollar at about US $105. Various commenters pointed out that the AU dollar would drop before long - it's now hovering at about 68 cents to the US dollar, and has been below US 72 cents for some years; so much for that theory... The current Holden Commodore (the successor to the car above) is an excellent car but hasn't sold well due to not looking quite like the previous Commodore models, being made in Germany by Opel (Insignia), and being front wheel drive.. Great forest on the edge of your driveway - could I just ask what sort of trees they are? Thanks.
I haven't driven it in the winter yet. In fact, this will be its first winter and I bought some Blizzak LM-60's to put on these rims before I buy the new ones. From what I've read they do fine for being a RWD vehicle. Between the nearly 50/50 weight distribution and electronic controls they have some things helping them out as well.
Great Review. Thinkin' of getting one especially the 2009.5 model as it is a must for me to have Bluetooth.
This is a little late but. Just get an FM transmitter. You can plug in your phone to charge and use Bluetooth. That’s what I have in my G8.
It does come in a manual however you have to purchase the GXP trim level. That will set you back around 28k-35k in todays market. They also come with a 6.2L LS3 which should be quite fun.
The Camaros platform is actually based off of the G8's platform. That is the "Zeta" platform. So technically the Camaro was borrowing from a proven platform. I pasted a link to my update video of the G8 with the Camaro rims mounted (a lot of G8 owners run these rims).
I just picked up one this weekend that has been in my family for a few years. Its a beautiful car!
Yes L76 6.0
Love these cars, got mine in 09 new and still love it. I had a gp gxp gunmetal grey but blew the trannie @ 36k so I got a black g8 gt and never looked back.
ouch. would have been worth replacing. those cars go for 30-35k now even with 75,000 miles or more. ridiculous.
I see you are in Michigan. How is this in the winter months? Great looking car. Thanks for sharing.
Thats a holden commodore in aussie and new zealand but mostly the aussie cause it made from the aussies
Nice review mate. Im in Australia . Just bought a 2009. Here it is known as an, 09 SSV special edition. Mine has Walkinshaw upgrades. 3 inch exhaust, cold air intake, engine remap. No more active fuel management so it runs on all 8 all day long. Loving this car. Nice video hazards280
Really nice review. I just purchased My 2009 Pontiac G8. It was previously commercial owned, and is in Great condition! Only 50k miles when I got it. Your video gave me some info that I needed. Thanks.. (:
I love my 2009 G8 GT! It's quiet... until ya KICK IT! Then it's throaty!Nice review. ;-)
That's a holden commodore in new zealand and australia
In the next few years, I'm gonna get me a different daily driver and it's either a g8 gt or grand prix gxp.(unless I get a magical raise or job cause I'd love a g8 gxp M6) not sure if the g8 or grand prix would be better though.
Bought mine new in 2009. Exact same car in this vid . Still have it . Wondering if you still have yours ..
Do you still own this beauty? My wife and I are going Memorial Day weekend to pick up an '09 G8 GT with only 47K miles on it. We are so excited. The wife currently drives an '08 G6 GT with a 122K on the odometer that has never left us stranded. Well maybe once when the PCM went into limp mode. LOL. It's been a great car, and we can't wait for our G8!
Good review. Just got one a week ago and love it. My only complaint is that they didn't reverse the gear shifter for left hand drive. Hard to reach with t-rex arms.
Get the chrome Camaro rims. I'm a fellow G8 owner and have Solo axle back, Roto Fab intake, SuperChips 93 tune. The tune makes all the difference. Just my .02. You'll love the car. I still do after 4 years!
Stock it shifts around ~6,000rpm. Because of that I have learned to shift at about 5400rpm to make sure it shifts before redlining. Honestly, its probably best if you just leave it sport mode though :D
Great review! I'm from Michigan as well and am going to be buying a g8 gt this summer (hopefully I can find a nice one! Lol) so I've been watching a bunch of reviews and doing research as any car guy would, your review def helped a lot as it's hard to find a review on these that isn't a guy doing donuts and racing it on a track lol. Nice real world review was refreshing instead of "THIS THING DRIFTS AND GOES FAST WOOOO"
Jake Raickovich Thanks Jake! I'm glad you found some value in this video. It sounds like you know what you're looking for in a G8 and I'm sure you'll find one that meets your needs. During your search, I would recommend looking on G8Board.com. Typically some enthusiasts list their cars on their instead of trading it in or posting in craigslist. Just a recommendation :)
I knew you drive a grand prix gxp. I cant wait to move on from my gxp to a g8.
Can you go fully in depth with the touch screen, radio controls, and the cluster screen?
yes i agree with you on the rear end. how much does a chevy ss set you back in the usa?
The G8 GT did not come in a manual. To get into a manual you will have to purchase a G8 GXP (~$30,000). Also, this doesn't even compare to the Grand Prix. The ride quality, noise and power is on a whole other level.
pretty soon you will no longer need leds in the fog lights i have came up with a glass housing with 35w hid fogs..
same thing. 03 pontiac gtp 06 grand prix gxp and g8 gt. still have all 3
I am about to purchase one! Cant wait to pick it up. How has yours been so far?
No, the SS doesn't get me excited like the G8 did when it first came out. As well, the G8 has a bang for your dollar factor that the SS doesn't even come close to. Finally it looks to me like a Malibu in the rear....or Honey Boo Boo's a**. I can't decide. I am looking at buying a CTS-V or ATV-V (when they are released) and just using the G8 as a DD going forward. As far as reliability goes I have driven the G8 over 30k miles and have had 0 problems.
I don't. I sold it prior to buying the G8. Little known secret that a lot of my subscribers don't know. I actually owned two GXP's, I sold one and missed it so much I bought another one identical to it! I like the G8 a lot more but the GP GXP is grat car in every sense as well. I just wanted a car that was "right" wheel drive :D
can you give me a comparison of how quiet and comfortable it is?
I think I’m not the only one who misses this car so much and I’ve never driven it in my life!!!
How is the wind noise when you are on the highway?
Thank you very much. I'm glad I could help!
will you look at the chevy ss? seeing as it is the new version of this.
Wait. I thought the g8 gt was the sport model with the g8 being the base. What do you mean sport package?
I really hope you got the chrome wheels
Hey OP, how tall are you? Just curious how much room this has. I'm 6'5, anyone else have fitting input on this car?
Great video bro, looking to buy one in the next couple of months!
Wish I could have one of these just cant find one
Good review, I plan to have one someday soon. What should one look out for when getting a Zeta body car, Like a the G8 or PPV
does it come in manual, and how does it compare in comfort to the grand prix?
Beautiful car . Great brand pontiac
This and the gto my favorite whips on me and the gtp too 🔥🔥🔥
wicked nice review. Family has a 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix GT and we are looking into one of these. One questions, Does it has Heads Up Display? The 2005 Grand Prix GT was the first car GM ever put a Heads Up Display in and honestly its so fun to drive with it!!!
Thanks Farrad! Good luck in your search for the car. I actually owned two Grand Prix GXP's (LS4 V8) and they had the Heads-Up Display as well. It is a nice feature but unfortunately Holden didn't offer that on the Commodore at that time. Also, the 2005 Grand Prix was not the first car to have the Heads Up Display. While the model itself MAY have been one of the first to offer it, they were found in model years dating back to 1997 at least. They have been refined to offer a brighter, more crisp image on the newer ones. Now the ATS, some SUV's and the Camaro all offer the HUD but yes the Grand Prix was one of the first mass produced car to offer the technology.
Ahhh I see very interesting! My mom bought a brand new 2014 GMC Acadia DENALI in March and I rem the guy telling us that about the 05 GP. The acadia has heads up display too i love it.
My 1993 Pontiac Bonneville SSEi had a heads up display
your absolutely right man, i'll be the last owner of my imported commodore too ;-) just curious to know what all you've done to it now? and sonny mandoza, im interested in your glass fog housing for HID lights
Allen, I have done quite a bit of stuff to the G8 since this video was published. I cannot add links to my comments for some reason, but I have update videos within my channel. If you browse my videos you will find them. The car still puts a smile on my face every day and I've owned it over a year.
hazards280 This is good to know. Thanks for the review! Awesome car!
Do all g8 got have remote start from factory?
The rpm gauge has no redline how do u know when to shift in sports mode?
I realy love mine too, only left 2 weeks before winter;-(
So its 2017 do you still have it? I was just curious from the video you said you would be the only owner. lol... Thanks for the video. It helps making a decision on my buying car time.
Its insane, at this trim level, these sold for $60,000 at this trim level in New Zealand.
I am not having a go at our friends state side, but this goes to show how much we are rorted by Holden.
Forget exchange rate, 10 bucks is ten bucks. Yet these land in the US, over 5 times the distance for $30'ish K, yet we pay $60 K.
And we still don't get the remote start or in-bumper indicators
At least the US car designers are holding the world honest, with a demand for aggressive designed cars
Have you had any major issues with it ?
do you still have it today? if so how good is running.
20" camaro rims don't look thine they'd fit....wheel wells are bigger on camaro I think
Hey do you know how much new Pontiac's cost?
Have you seen the ve hsv's like the maloo and the gts? They look way better. I don't think you can get them in American. Hq 1 tonners are the best tho
How reliable is It? Is it easy to get parts for?
wait so this is a import muscle car?!
+Brandon Sunthivong sort of. It's made in Australia, but it's still owned by General Motors (Holden Division), and it comes with an American made L76 6.0L engine. But yes, the bodies were imported from Australia. It's actually the same body that goes into the Canadian made Camaro, and the American Made Cadillac CTS.
Still have it?
how much did you buy this car for because i was looking in to getting a g8 and im not sure what a good price is on one?
I like this guy --^
In response to the orignal comment though. The G6 is an american built machine and it is a little more problematic than the G8. I have owned it for about a year now and have had 0 problems with it. It just keeps on going and feels very well built.
Still have the GP GXP?
How much could i get one of these in decent condition
I would have like to have seen the engine. At copart I see many G8s with V6s. How come?
he showed the engine
what do you do about parts?
Thanks man! I thought about it quite a bit!
I still got my 09 g8 gt whit dyno tune and a k&n went from 461 to 410hp more less
About to try to get a red one very rare
Are you sure that theirs a model with Bluetooth because it really interests me. Please get back to me.
Johny, there is a model with Bluetooth. You just have to make sure it is a 2009.5 model year. It had a slight refresh mid way through the 2009 year.
Yes. My g8 has Bluetooth. Another was to know its a 09.5 is the pop out cup holder in the back seat.
Hey you going mate Tim from Australia here to be experienced with The Commodores and from experience you put the 19th on or 20 years on yet they look great but the only downfall on them it will give you a harder ride 18th will give you a more softer ride if you choose that type of wheel package anyway mate have a good one and you do what's right for you good on you mate
Hey man I'm all for it! I would love to visit over there! It's on my bucket list.
How much os the price?
I've test driven a few G6's but this looks so much cooler. I want one
G6’s are nice. That was my first car, I just traded it for a G8 GT tho.
dude i want one
Pontiac died with hummer and mercury GM was in debt and uncle Sam said that they will pay they're debt by something and I guess they removed those companies becuase they weren't making any sales. Pontiac had a rought start rip pontiac and rip grandpa
good review, nice color, tint looks great on it
Um, no problem man! Just messing with ya lol ;-)
Great review man, especially considering you don't do this for a living like you said. I thought it was better than a lot of the reviewers that do it for a living. Nice G8 GT as well. I always liked these cars, along with the LS2 GTO of course.
Got a 05 GXP with 168K, been contemplating grabbing a g8 gt for 1-2 yt before I get something totally brand new.. Think I will get this now lol
Dude this car is awesome, I'm so jealous
That car is hot. But I'm a little skeptical because I own a g6 and it's given me nothing but problems.
very nice car man, I picked up a VE ssv in Australia pretty much the same car
As a g8 owner i really like mine. They have some things i dont like but overall its a fun and good looking car.
Gordon Liddy what don’t you like?
361 and 380 where the underrated numbers my dads stock g8 gt made 394.3hp and 402tq GM always underrated there cars
lol comparing a G8 to a grand prix. I never liked pontiacs and i still know that G8 is obviously superior to a grand prix.
How did u get ur windows tinted???
I had the windows tinted by a reputable shop in Michigan. They're 20% all all around, excluding the front window.
does it have GPS and backup camera???
Staroy, the G8 does not offer GPS or a backup camera. This was because the DOT (Dept. of Transportation) ruled that the screen was too low on the dash for GPS usage. This would require the driver to look to far from the road and thus the feature was removed on the models sent to the states.
Does any one know the stock tint %? Mines pretty dark.
Thanks man! Much appreciated.
I have one of these and its awsome
Just curious, what year is your car? How many owners. What kind of issues if any are having? I would like to find a G8 like everyone else with not to many miles.
My 09' G8 GT is currently in "Battery Saver Mode"!!! Does anyone know what that means?
charging system issue, bad alternator most likely the culprit
That's one sexy ass car!
Thank you!