Consumer Guide spent over 475 miles behind the wheel of the Pontiac G5 XFE.
Base Price: $16,275
Options: Appearance Package (bodyside moldings, cargo net, chrome exhaust tip, fog lamps), Sun and Sound Package (power sunroof, high-performance audio system with seven Pioneer speakers), ABS, Cruise Control, Compact Spare Tire/Wheel
Price as Tested: $18,975
Total Miles Tested: 477 miles
Fuel Economy: 35.6 mpg
| Testers’ Comments |
| Tom Appel: I'll stop short of calling G5 an undiscovered gem, but it is better than it gets credit for. There's better than decent power with the manual transmission, and rowing through the gears is plenty of fun. The big news here is the XFE stuff. The revised final drive ratio takes its toll on off-the-line grunt, though not too much, but the payoff is impressive fuel economy. Without trying, and with not too much highway driving, I managed almost 36 mpg during my time in our test G5. I honestly don't see the appeal of the G5 over the nearly identical Chevy Cobalt, but I suppose style counts for a lot in this segment. |
| Damon Bell: GM's line of "XFE" vehicles are parts-bin contrivances that were cooked up so the company could brag about impressive EPA numbers ASAP. But darned if the Pontiac G5 XFE and its Chevy Cobalt XFE sibling don't work exactly as advertised... we averaged close to 36 mpg in mostly (but not entirely) highway driving in our G5 tester. The G5 and Cobalt XFE models' mandatory manual transmission might scare away many shoppers, but the other fuel-saving tweaks have laudably little effect on the overall driving experience. |
| Ed Piotrowski: With the XFE label, General Motors is promising meaningful improvements in fuel economy with little sacrifice in everyday performance and driveability. Based on our testing, the company has delivered on those claims. G5 (and the Chevy Cobalt, by extension) is a pleasant, easy-to-drive compact car that's not outrageously priced. As long as you know how to drive a manual transmission, the XFE models are well worth consideration. |
| Don Sikora: Pontiac G5, and its close cousin the Chevy Cobalt, are very pleasant compacts that are much better than their reputation would imply. They ride good, offer fine fuel economy, and are more refined and better equipped than most rivals. Fuel-miser XFE trim adds a smooth-shifting 5-speed manual and several fuel-saving touches that increase efficiency with, at worst, a minor effect on performance. |
In mostly highway driving, Consumer Guide averaged 35.6 mpg in a test 2009 Pontiac G5 XFE.
10.15.2008
