(Photo: Justin Pritchard, Auto123.com)

The engine is a 3.5 liter V6 with 200 horsepower. It's got 2 valves per cylinder and only one camshaft, which is in the block. Oh dear. In this world of increasingly popular high-spinning double overhead cam engines, Pontiac engineers have decided on a more traditional approach. The redline is under 6000 RPM and I didn't notice any special tricks happening when the revs climbed. But at 2500 rpm where a Honda V6 engine is just rolling out of bed, the G6 begins gobbling up the pavement. Punch it and you'll love how quickly your neck begins to strain. It's not noisy, but the sound you do hear is powerful and low- distinctively American. The throttle reacts instantly, and the electronic control makes great sounding full throttle upshifts, briefly cutting power between each gear for precision. Today, 4 gears isn't a lot. Some manufacturers are equipping transmissions with as many as seven gears. Still, others have transmissions with no gears. The tall gear ratios are well matched to the flat powercurve, and shifts in manual mode at light throttle are imperceptible. During your city cruises the drivetrain treats you to a quiet, well dampened attitude, and using the engines impressive torque means very little gear hunting when you leave it in "Drive" Some four cylinder automatic cars seem to hunt through the gears a fair bit as they try to power the car along in slow traffic when you summon up bursts of acceleration. The G6 doesn't need to drop a gear or two to get the car rolling along moderately from a low speed. For you the driver, this means smoother and more consistent power delivery while crawling Get out onto the highway and use the manual mode for a more thrilling experience.

This engine is the only one offered on the G6 to date. With the base model starting at under $25,000, there is a real opportunity for Pontiac to appeal to more budget minded performance enthusiasts. For instance, a similarly priced Nissan Altima gets 175 horsepower. With an Accord you get even less. You see my point: the base G6 is an obvious choice for power in a sedan on a budget. Graduates may qualify to save even more with the Honor Roll program, where GM makes the first two lease payments for you. Check out their website for details.

(Photo: Justin Pritchard, Auto123.com)

So the G6's ride isn't overly plush, and the engine is a little old fashioned. The sunroof may be a no brainer for some who can do without it, and the fit and finish are miles ahead of the Grand Am but still a bit shy of what many would consider the "standard" today. I'm not here to criticize though, I'm here to figure out why this G6 would make a good first car for my readers. I think the point is that in this market when you compare every car to every other car, there are some basic rules.

- The Honda Accord is the best sedan in the price range because it's a Honda. The Accord is a reliable, well built and ever-lasting sort of vehicle, and this is why most automotive journalists are in love with it. I'm not.

- GM is good at making a V6 with some torque for not very much money, but tends to fall short in fit, finish and ride quality despite miles of improvements.

- Nissan builds a great car but the interior is no better than a GM.

- Hyundai is full of surprises, and comes up with fantastic cars out of nowhere.

- Mazda shows us that great things happen when a platform is developed by 2 or 3 car companies at the same time.

What I mean with this is that if you try to justify the G6 on every level it doesn't seem to stand up. Most of its competitors achieve good marks at everything but don't particularly stand out at any one duty. The G6 is fantastic depending on what you like. If you really like bang for your buck (who doesn't), one-of-a-kind features and an involving, attention grabbing driving experience, then you wont feel short changed in the G6, even if it is slightly rough around the edges. The G6 is really a lot of fun, and although it may have a five o'clock shadow, it's probably just the car Pontiac needs to re-enter this market.