G6 is least expensive hardtop convertible

I can't help wondering whether convertibles with lightweight fabric roofs will become passŽ, especially now that Pontiac is selling a V-6 powered convertible with retractable hardtop that starts at less than $30,000.

A handsome two-door car with four seats usable for adults, the 2006 Pontiac G6 Convertible is an appealing vehicle.

Two V-6 engines are available and generate upwards of 200 horsepower for good power. Trunk space is a commendable 12.6 cubic feet, and the G6 rides rather nicely.

Starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, of $28,490 for a 2006 GT model with base, 201-horsepower V-6 and automatic transmission is nearly $11,000 less than the previous lowest-priced retractable hardtop convertible on the market -- the 2006 Volvo C70.

Indeed, the 2006 G6 Convertible starting price is only $970 more than the starting MSRP, including destination charge, for a 2006 Toyota Camry Solara Convertible with V-6 and a fabric roof. Like the G6 Convertible, the Solara Convertible has seats for four and comes standard with an automatic transmission.

Volkswagen plans to sell a four-seat, retractable hardtop convertible -- the 2007 Eos -- beginning this fall in the United States with a starting price of $28,620. But the base Eos has a turbocharged, four-cylinder engine and a manual transmission. An Eos with V-6 and automatic transmission starts at $37,480.

There's more to the G6 Convertible than value pricing.

The hardtop roof that's power operated makes for an all-weather car.

I scarcely noticed the roof seams on the exterior of the test G6 GTP Convertible when it arrived with the top on. The red car looked like an attractive coupe, which was just what the designers wanted.

But with the push of a button -- and Pontiac officials specify that the engine remain running -- the G6 roof opens and two, big, steel pieces atop the car fold and descend into the cavity at the rear of the vehicle.

Storage of the roof reduces trunk space from the maximum 12.6 cubic feet to just 2.2 cubic feet.

A driver has to be sure to have a pull-shade mechanism in place in the trunk beforehand so the roof "knows" that it won't crash down onto luggage or other big items in the trunk. Besides the steel panels, the trunk must stow the rear glass window of the G6 Convertible.

The hydraulically driven folding operation takes some 30 seconds, which is longer than in many other convertibles.

But the top -- crafted by well-known convertible top maker Karmann in Germany -- doesn't appear to be as complicated as the four-panel system in the Volvo C70 or the five-panel roof system in the VW Eos.

With the roof on, the G6 GTP Convertible had a relatively quiet interior, though there was a bit of cowl shake over rough roads.

Still, the front-wheel drive convertible didn't convey road bumps jarringly to passengers. Instead, the ride was quite mainstream.

I did have to plan U-turns carefully, however, because the convertible's 40.3-foot turning circle requires a lot of room -- even more than a Dodge Ram pickup, for example.

And tall drivers have to get accustomed to the large top of the windshield that can extend back toward their foreheads. It stems from the fact the windshield is dramatically raked in sporty fashion.

The GTP engine in the tester was the uplevel, 227-horsepower, 3.9-liter V-6 generating 235 foot-pounds of torque at 3,000 rpm.

The power seemed well-matched for this substantial-feeling car weighing nearly 3,900 pounds. The G6 Convertible didn't race forward, but it didn't feel sluggish, either.

Performance numbers are about on par with those of the mid-size Camry Solara Convertible, whose sole engine -- a 3.3-liter V-6 -- is rated at 225 horsepower and 240 foot-pounds of torque at 3,600 rpm.

But the Solara Convertible has a fabric top and weighs some 300 pounds less than the G6. This lighter weight, plus a five-speed automatic transmission versus a four speed in the G6, helps translate into better fuel economy ratings for the Solara.

The 2006 Solara Convertible's combined city/highway rating from the Environmental Protection Agency of 24.5 miles a gallon.

The best combined rating for the G6 Convertible is 23 mpg, and the car's fuel tank holds 2.1 fewer gallons of gasoline than does the Solara Convertible, so fillups come more frequently.

G6 Convertible passengers must watch where they open the doors. They are long and heavy and can dent a nearby car in a parking lot.

Only the government-mandated air bags -- two frontal air bags -- are standard in the G6 Convertible. Seat-mounted side air bags, which are standard on other convertibles, were a $295 option on the test car.

Every G6 Convertible has a number of standard amenities, including power door locks, remote keyless entry, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, floor mats and cloth seats. But OnStar, the emergency notification system created by Pontiac's parent company General Motors Corp., is not yet available on the G6 Convertible.