Minor disappointment with G8

[SAmadei]

So, I finally got a chance to test drive a G8 GT. Awesome car. Absolutely awesome. Can't wait to drive one like I stole it.

Unfortunately, due to my suddenly questionable employment status, I might not be able to get a G8 GXP until the fall... but I can see buying a lot of these as they age... stockpiling them like my B-body collection. I can even see myself going a coupe conversion on a G8, if GM won't.

However, after test driving the G8, I have a minor gripe. I can fit in it and drive it... barely. I'd really like to see an inch more rearward travel. But the location of the passenger front seat is ASININE! With both seats as far back as they will go, the passenger seat is still at least 3 inches forward of the driver's seat... I can't sit there... my legs are too long. WTF!

The rear passenger seat is quite nice... I fit back there even with the front seat all the way back... but I really don't want to have to do a "Driving Miss Daisy" every time I feel like giving up the wheel for a short time. I can't fit behind the driver's seat, but at least someone could.

I was checking out the floorpan, but I couldn't really see it well, and I wasn't going to ask them to put it on the rack. I'd like to know if there is a easy way to relocate the seat tracks.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

So, I finally got a chance to test drive a G8 GT. Awesome car. Absolutely awesome. Can't wait to drive one like I stole it.

Unfortunately, due to my suddenly questionable employment status, I might not be able to get a G8 GXP until the fall... but I can see buying a lot of these as they age... stockpiling them like my B-body collection. I can even see myself going a coupe conversion on a G8, if GM won't.

However, after test driving the G8, I have a minor gripe. I can fit in it and drive it... barely. I'd really like to see an inch more rearward travel. But the location of the passenger front seat is ASININE! With both seats as far back as they will go, the passenger seat is still at least 3 inches forward of the driver's seat... I can't sit there... my legs are too long. WTF!

The rear passenger seat is quite nice... I fit back there even with the front seat all the way back... but I really don't want to have to do a "Driving Miss Daisy" every time I feel like giving up the wheel for a short time. I can't fit behind the driver's seat, but at least someone could.

I was checking out the floorpan, but I couldn't really see it well, and I wasn't going to ask them to put it on the rack. I'd like to know if there is a easy way to relocate the seat tracks.

Looks as if people like you and I will be walking in the near future.

[SAmadei]

Looks as if people like you and I will be walking in the near future.

LOL... sometimes it seems like that. Going to have to keep the old cars going.

Its just a shame, because a little common sense engineering would prevent these problems.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Looks as if people like you and I will be walking in the near future.

If you don't mind me asking, what size are you guys? (I'm considering the G8 myself, and I'm 5'9" and 240lbs)

[Oracle of Delphi]

Melbourne, we have a problem ...

[SAmadei]

If you don't mind me asking, what size are you guys? (I'm considering the G8 myself, and I'm 5'9" and 240lbs)

I can't speak for FOG, I don't recall his personal specs.

I only consider myself to be on the close to the edge of freakishly tall. I am 6'4", so depending on your source, I am in the 90-95th percentile. Unfortunately, I am longer in the torso than the average proportion... if my legs were more in average proportion to my torso height, I would be closer to 6'10"... this makes me dislike sunroofs, tall seats, short roofs. However, this is not the problem for the front passenger seat in the G8... the problem there is leg room... and my legs are the same length as my 5'9" sibling.

OTOH, I am also quite hefty... 380-390 right now, but in a Tony Siragusa way, not a "can't get out of bed, need a forklift to go to the hospital" way. I recognize this also impacts my fitment... however, width is usually not as much of an issue. Of course, I do not expect GM to make every car to seat 8 foot, 800 lb freaks... but keep in mind that the average McWendiesKing-fed American is catching up to me every day.

This is why my theory about why SUVs are so popular... even in the era of $4 gas. People aren't going to buy something they can't drive/fit their family in. I don't drive SUV's because to me, trucks are for work and they are too hard to kept shiny side up when driven like a F1 car. However, if I didn't enjoy older cars, I would likely have been forced to drive an SUV long ago.

Pardon me to be brash, but to me, GM ain't going to succeed in getting people out of Camrys, Accords and Suburbans until they can produce a modern version of the 1980 Impala. 3800 lbs, 35 mpg, 300 hp, lots of room and sold for $22K.

[!!!TED!!!]

Pardon me to be brash, but to me, GM ain't going to succeed in getting people out of Camrys, Accords and Suburbans until they can produce a modern version of the 1980 Impala. 3800 lbs, 35 mpg, 300 hp, lots of room and sold for $22K.

Thats 35MPG in 1980's EPA, right? Meaning about 20 in todays terms.

[pow]

There's always the Taurus, which is huge inside.

[daves87rs]

There's always the Taurus, which is huge inside.

[pmd67]

I'm 6'2" tall 195 lbs and find that there is more than adequate room in my G8. In fact, I can not even put the seat back all the way to drive comfortably. The leg and seat room in the G8 is way more than anything else in its class. Not an issue for the average person.

[Robert Hall]

Pardon me to be brash, but to me, GM ain't going to succeed in getting people out of Camrys, Accords and Suburbans until they can produce a modern version of the 1980 Impala. 3800 lbs, 35 mpg, 300 hp, lots of room and sold for $22K.

I don't know from what reality you got those numbers, but an '80 Impala definitely didn't get 35mpg or have 300hp. More like 120 hp, 20 mpg.

[Intrepidation]

I don't know from what reality you got those numbers, but an '80 Impala definitely didn't get 35mpg or have 300hp. More like 120 hp, 20 mpg.

Got them from smk.

[DaveN308]

I'm 6'0" and 270lbs and have no problems fitting in my G8 GT. I agree that the passenger seat doesn't go as far back and it is a little tighter fit (with me), but I don't sit there!

Now I did have problems fitting in my previous car, '06 GP GXP. The sunroof killed about 2" of head room and therefore I had to lay the seat pretty far back to fit. Then not many people could fit in the back seat behind me. With the G8 (admittedly it is without the sunroof), I don't have this problem.