Earlier this year, my wife announced that our next car would be a convertible – spring must have been in the air – but the notion struck me as whimsical and impractical. Sure, convertibles can be exhilarating, but they're also burdened by a reputation for poor sound and weather insulation, wear and tear, susceptibility to vandalism and theft, and compromised structural integrity. If it were just the two of us, a convertible might make sense, but we've got two growing kids and the usual domestic requirements. The arrival of summer, however, and with it a Pontiac G6 GT convertible, provided an opportunity to reassess the practicality of top-down motoring for a family of four. Although the personality of the Pontiac brand is a bit hard to pin down these days, it's certainly more mainstream than exotic. In GT trim, this model comes with a 3.9 L V6 rated at 227 hp, 18-inch alloy wheels, StabiliTrak directional stability control system, dual chromed exhaust tips, and power-adjustable, leather-accented bucket seats. Price as tested: $42,010. The car's most compelling feature, at least for my family, was the hardtop retractable roof. With the top up, it's not immediately apparent this is anything other than a coupe, though its sleek profile looks elongated and overinflated from some angles, and the high trunkline slightly obscures the rear view. But press an interior button, and the clamshell roof folds into place under the double-hinged trunk lid, a neat process that takes about 30 seconds, though you need to hold your finger on the button up by the rear-view mirror with the transmission in park. Convertible specialists Karmann in Germany designed the mechanism, which works smoothly and quietly. Preparing for an overnight family visit to Wasaga Beach, we ran into an immediate snag. With the top folded away, the trunk space shrinks to virtually zero. What space remains is wide and shallow, which rules out any kind of suitcase or bag, let alone a cooler. I packed our clothes by scattering them flat across the trunk area, then pulling down a roller-blind affair that provides a guide to the space limitations. After trying to put the top down, however, I received a warning signal on the interior display and the top refused to budge. The roller blind needs a bit of sag and loose space below before the top will retract. I needed to repack and try again – twice. As it turned out, my wife's schedule demanded she drive up later to join us in Wasaga, so there was sufficient luggage space in the vacant rear seat. It would have been a tight squeeze for the four of us, even with a modest amount of gear. For the initial part of our trip, I left the hardtop up, figuring the turbulence and noise from multi-lane traffic was something to avoid. The G6 convertible's metal roof does seal out noise more effectively than a comparable soft-top convertible, but a persistent squeaking sound from the right side of the car also underlined the compromise inherent in a roof structure divided into several components. Lowering and raising the right window seemed to cure the problem. But then the noise returned intermittently and running over a few potholes occasionally prompted a Jell-O like quivering from the body structure. The minor squeaking from the interior was easily masked, though, by cranking up the Monsoon eight-speaker 200-watt sound system, standard on the GT models, which has impressive power and clarity. If you're going to Wasaga, turning up the stereo is more or less part of the deal anyway. Once we were clear of the congestion of Toronto, we diverted from the 400 and pulled over to drop the top. It was a perfect fresh morning, slightly cool, but warmed by the sun and protected by the windshield, my son and I revelled in the sensations of open-air driving. At highway speed, though, my daughter in the back seat soon began shrieking complaints, then huddling for cover. The forward seats are well protected from turbulence, but the rear seat passengers get a noisy blast, and my daughter eventually insisted we stop and put the top up again. My daughter later warmed to the convertible concept as a front-seat passenger, especially after a bit of Beach Dr. cruising in golden late-afternoon sunshine. And I found myself seduced as well by the undeniable pleasures of drop-top driving. The sacrifice in practicality can seem well worth making. Yet after a week living with the G6 GT convertible, my enthusiasm waned considerably. For starters, I'd be inclined to stick to the base model with a 3.5 L 217 hp V6, which lists for $35,960. In its present configuration, the GT model's extra power doesn't seem that satisfying. It easily chirps the tires with a stomp on the gas, before the traction control takes over. With the traction control turned off, it can seem almost ludicrously rambunctious, with a front-wheel drive design prone to torque steer and quite sensitive to bumps or camber in the pavement. The suspension can seem clunky over bumps and the aforementioned body shake is a further distraction. Combine this with a lifeless feel through the steering and brakes and the result is something that feels more like a generic rental car than a vehicle carrying a GT tag. This judgment might seem a bit harsh, but for more than $42,000, I expected something better than just enhanced exposure to sunshine and fresh air. Perhaps even a place in the trunk to pack a suitcase. |