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Walkaround
With its twin grille, there is no mistaking the Pontiac G5 for anything but a Pontiac. That said, from the front, side or rear the G5 has a cleaner and smoother look than Pontiacs past, which tended to be cluttered with stick-on body cladding.
To an increasing number of automakers, a family resemblance in design is a goal. They see it as part of establishing a marketing tool called a brand identity. You see the vehicle. You know what it is.
Interior Features
While the interior design of the Pontiac G5 lacks the youthful and adventurous look of the Honda Civic's, neither does it look old fashioned or dowdy. We found the cloth material on the seats was handsome.
There is plenty of legroom for two people up front but the back seat is barely suitable for a six-foot adult for a short trip across town. It is an excellent location, however, for parcels.
All the controls are easy to find and use but there is a severe shortage of storage bins and trays.
The driver's seat is adjustable for height. However, it seems to work better for raising short drivers than lowering it for those who are tall. The problem is that when the seat is lowered all the way to accommodate a tall driver the seat cushion tilts a bit forward. It is as if there is a half-hearted effort to dislodge its occupant, which seems a bit rude.
Like many coupes, which favor a low roof as they go for a streamlined look, the G5 has somewhat narrow windows. Some people like that because it makes them feel as secure as a turtle in a shell. Others find it is slightly confining.
One problem is poor visibility over the driver's left shoulder. Big roof pillars and a small rear window combine to make it hard to see vehicles coming up to pass.
Air curtains are one option that should be purchased. These cost $395 and cover the side windows (front and back). The idea is to provide head protection in a side-impact crash. Some studies have shown such head protection greatly increases the chance of survival. When the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did side-impact crash tests on the G5 without the air curtains safety officials noted that, had a human been in the driver's seat, serious head injuries would have been likely. When a second G5 with the air curtains was tested there was a big improvement, although the Pontiac still did not fare as well as a 2007 Honda Civic Coupe with air curtains as standard equipment.
OnStar is a nice security blanket. This option combines a global positioning system and a cellular telephone (far more powerful than a hand-held cell phone) to put the driver in contact with an OnStar center which is manned 24/7. The OnStar center can tell where the vehicle is located and can provide help, ranging from a tow truck to directions. In case of a crash severe enough to deploy the airbags the system will automatically call the center so help can be sent even if the occupants are incapacitated.
We liked the sunroof. On some cars they tend to scoop outside air and funnel it into the vehicle as if attempting to duplicate one of the opening storm scenes from The Wizard of Oz. That is not the case on the G5. There is so little turbulence it is possible to open the sunroof on a 20-degree day and enjoy the sunlight without freezing, with the heater turned up.
The trunk is rated at 13.9 cubic feet which is competitive in this segment. For carrying more cargo the rear seat can be folded down.
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