Before driving our 2006 Pontiac G6 GTP Coupe test car, I overheard some editors discussing how cheap and unrefined it was inside. Perhaps for this reason, my expectations were low, but in my opinion there’s little to complain about. The Pontiac G6 Coupe is comfortable with a perfect driving position, and our well-equipped GTP model came swathed in soft perforated leather and tasteful two-tone décor accented by woodgrain, metallic, and chrome plastic trim. There’s nothing overtly cheap – or upscale, for that matter – about the plastics or the mesh cloth headliner, and to my eye the few textures and patterns that exist complement one another rather than battle for attention. And yes, I got in back, and the space is fine as long as your passengers are under six feet tall because the G6 Coupe’s rakish roofline seriously cuts headroom. In this respect, the G6 is much like the Infiniti G35 Coupe.

Driving character, however, is distinctly different from the pricier Infiniti. The Pontiac G6 is a front-driver, and in tight turns at speed its forward weight bias shows through understeer. Flatten the throttle from a standstill, and torque steer waggles the wheel under your fingertips, too. But the big tires do a terrific job of hiding the weight imbalance under most driving conditions, and while the 3.9-liter V6 isn’t as refined an engine as found in Japanese competitors such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry Solara, it’s a noticeably stronger motor than the 3.5-liter under the hood of the G6 GT. If I could change anything about the G6 GTP’s driving character, it would be brake pedal feel and modulation. While improved over those old GM dead pedals of yore, the G6 could use a softer pedal with more travel.

Styling is an improvement over the rather ungainly G6 sedan thanks to a better balanced rear end, and I like this car more than its primary competitors, the Accord Coupe and Camry Solara. The GTP’s simple but gorgeous wheels go a long way toward making the G6 a good looking ride.

Design and driving character shouldn’t keep customers out of Pontiac showrooms when it comes to the G6 GTP, but value is in scant supply. Resale worth is likely to pale in comparison to Honda and Toyota, refinement levels lag those two market leaders, and while GM has improved reliability over recent years, it would be nice if they’d provide people some peace-of-mind with a longer warranty. Blackett did the math and determined that with GM’s recent price cuts in January, our test car would now run about $27,000 after the $500 rebate. That’s better than the original sticker on our G6 GTP Coupe, but I need another two grand on the hood for this car to even think about keeping me away from a Ford showroom and out of a Mustang GT’s driver’s seat.

Photos courtesy of Ron Perry