Pontiac had a funny TV commercial for the 6000 STE. An owner of one boasted to his friend that it was "probably the best sports sedan you can buy". His friend replied, "Oh, come on!", and he retorted "I did say _probably_ ."
It was the only interesting brand in the General's lineup at the time. The g6 was too generic but a post recession redesign to be fun again would help and the g8 with peppy v6 was decent on fuel and a nice mid sized- almost full sized family car or with v8 was the car that truly was "we build excitement". It's such a shame the best car in modern history got one model year then a death notice from Obama administration
@@workingcountry1776 oh please, the government helped GM stay solvent. It's not the administration's fault the company couldn't manage its way out of a paper bag.
@@workingcountry1776 Yeah, blame Obama. If GM wasn't bailed out, Pontiac wouldn't be the only GM marque to disappear. GM was poorly managed, had too many nearly identical brands, and couldn't compete with imports. Yay capitalism!
I owned a 1985 Fiero GT that looked exactly like that, just all black without the two-tone. I've owned many cool cars over the years, Corvettes, BMW's, Camaro, Mustang, etc etc etc - and this car was still the most fun to drive. The thing was just a go-kart, plus the prior owner lowered it (which is insane) and changed the exhaust around a bit so it had a little more power - it was never what I'd consider fast, but you were also so low to the ground it felt really quick. You could throw that thing into a corner unlike any car I've ever owned - the only limit was the tires as you'd literally skip sideways on them until they picked up traction again. No power steering was a plus as the car wasn't that heavy so at low speeds you didn't need too much muscle to turn, but with just a little speed you had such a direct connection to the road, it felt incredible. I think most people who rag on these cars just did so because it was the trendy thing to do. It's interesting in this review watching the Fiero really lean in the corners, the one I had did not do that at all - it was flat all the time due to the suspension changes, which were more significant apparently than I knew at the time. Also with the exhaust mods, I'd guess the Fiero I had was close to 8-seconds flat in the 60 with the auto, based on the cars I'd race at the time and their 60s and quarter miles. As for braking, I'd agree, it was OK but you'd think it would be better. Also as noted above, maybe it was because I was only 20 when I had this, but I never thought the steering was too heavy at low speed - but I guess for women maybe they'd complain about it.
Had an '84 black STE and loved that thing. Yes, it was in the closing years of the malaise era, so we were easily pleased with a 130 HP; it seemed quick at the time. It was one of the best handling cars of the time though, at least for a 4-door sedan based on the Celebrity, or a slightly warmed over Citation if you will. Fun as hell to drive though, and got a lot of looks with that front end and it's 6 lights. Kept it for 3 years and loved every mile I put on it. I miss the 80's!
It's 1985 - summer. You're at a traffic light in the left lane. You just picked up your new Fiero GT a couple months ago. A 6000 STE Pulls up beside you and it's some kid borrowing the family car. You need to get over to the next lane soon because you need to turn right at the next intersection, which is just over a 1/4 mile away. The light turns green...you floor it. 6000 STE floors it. After about 1/8th mile you realize WTF, "I should be ahead of this kid". but no, you're side by side and the 6000 STE's front bumper is at your front tire. You miss the intersection and contemplate your life decision on buying the Fiero.
To add some comparison - you own a Time Machine and take your 2024 F150 3.5 Powerboost to summer 1985. You hit the gas and your F150 is a football fields length ahead of both Pontiac’s in 1/8 of a mile and make it to the next intersection.
Thank you for putting all this together. I am very fond of my years at CC!!! I worked at store 3274 from 2000-2006. Incredible experience in my early 20’s. I remember it like it was yesterday. I still remember my employee numbers store phone number and address. I was a roadshop manager when I left. I still have my uniforms and other goodies. I cherish all of it. It’s a shame it was driven into the ground like that but I’m grateful that I truly got to see it in its best days. God Bless
I had a 1988 STE , loved that car, I sold it to a neighbor when it had 180,000 miles, he did some work on it and drove it for another 100,000 miles, an absolute pleasure to drive. I still have the STE accessories kit in my closet.
These things were tanks. My friend's was a non-STE with an iron duke, and it was incredibly reliable. It had ugly, faded brown GM paint, but it kept going and going.
If you're old enough to remember these cars, as I am, back in those days 130 hp seem not bad. Couple years later Toyota came out with a six cylinder that produced 155 hp, it seemed like quite a lot. Now reviewers complain when the car only has 200
Cars weight dramatically more and are much heavier now due to all the government regulations on safety. Put 130hp into a 3800lb sedan now and lets see you not complain about it.
My first car in 1992 was a blue 1989 (one of the two color choices for the STE that year) STE AWD. When I was a teen, my friends mom had a new black over grey 1986 STE and I fell in love with that car. I knew I had to have one when the time came for me to get a car. I would rather have had the 1988.5 AWD that had the original squared roofline design and two tone paint scheme, but couldn’t find one. What a great car. It never failed to impress anyone who saw or rode in it.
I had a 1984 6000 STE. Of all the really very nice cars I've owned over the last 40 years it is the one that was my favorite. Four decades gone in the blink of an eye........
Thank you for another GM review. It is appreciated. I recall when this car was on par competing in the market in the 1980's.. If they had kept developing this car, Pontiac/GM would have had a true Audi fighter. The thing that changed here was the arrival of Pontiac Bonneville SSE and Grand Prix SE/STE. You see why Pontiac existed by this video. They never offered the 3.8 liter V6 on this car. There were people in Pontiac who wanted this , but the general manager at the time said no.
I recall the 6000 STE fondly. As a teen and then years later my ex-GF owned one and I had a chance to drive it and help service it. I was impressed that it lived up to its reputation as a driver's sedan. It handled very well for a Detroit offering. It felt like a VW. Responsive engine too. Years later, I found a later year 6000 LE with 99,000 miles on craigslist for just $499! A desperate foreign exchange student at MIT needed to sell his car before leaving the country the next day. I bought it immediately. It was in very good condition overall, the A/C didn't work and it needed rear brake work. A common GM issue back then with the FWD sedans. It came with a larger displacement V6, auto with column shifter. The flush headlights with fogs like the 86 STE. It had the same ride chassis dynamics of the old car I drove. It was a joy to cruise in and I really fixed and upgraded it (A/C condenser, tranny cooler, KYB shocks, audio system, brakes, tires, engine mounts. I put 44K miles on it in 15 months! Only failure was a coil pack. It was a dumb decision to mount it next to the front exhaust manifold, GM! Luckily I had free towing from AAA! I got married and gave the car to my wife in premium condition, who totaled it by hitting a tree in less than 10 days! I was so sad. :( It was on of the best cars I've owned. A trooper and highway blaster.
A friend of mine worked at the GM tech center in 1985. He brought a pre production Fiero GT home to "test" it. We pulled out onto a mile long straight, and he pointed to the dash. "This is the speedometer." Then he floored it. The production version was Nerfed, to put it mildly. There were also convertible, t-top, and targa models in development. Oh well...
This is the first time ive ever seen this review. What a gem to start off the year! The 6000 was, and still is, one of the best cars of the 80s. They were great. Biggest issue? Electronics. They didnt get it right till the early 90s, and even then, other brands were suffering the same fate as STE clusters. I also love the fact that it had a stopping distance of 115 feet. Without abs, as that was still far off by this time. There are modern cars that struggle to hit that target. So hats off to GM corporate for that. The Fiero was never intended to have the V6 in it. It was supposed to have the high revving 4 cylinder GM brass started working on in 1979. But it ended up with the iron duke, because the Quad 4 wouldnt be ready till 87/88. And the V6 back then was really heavy for that little car. You can clearly see it struggling a bit, when they took it through some turns. The 4 speed manual didnt help matters either, as it was too slow for this car. It needed the 5 speed. And you can clearly see the weight of this car when it dragged itself to a stop. It stopped so abruptly that it sounded like the engine gave out and restarted. Just more bad designs from GM. I still cant believe they took it to a racetrack and actually tested it as new. Thats awesome. I still want one of these, but i want one with a Quad 4 in it.
It is a car that should have been good. Putting a truck 4cyl engine in it was beyond stupid. No clue what they were thinking. They may as well have put the 4.3L v6 diesel into it lol
I drive a 1990 Chevy Beretta with the Quad 4 and a 5-speed transmission. That car was a ton of fun to drive! The Fiero with the same set up would have been insanely fun to drive!
I had an '88 STE in college. It was a 5 speed and a blast to drive. I sold it when I finished my master's degree with over 200k on it and running very well. Still miss that car almost 25 years later!
@@kcindc5539 Funny cause my first car at 17 was an 88 Lesabre T-Type in black my dad helped me buy. Loved that thing! Later I moved up to a 91 Bonn SEE and was just as awesome back then..lol
My parents bought a brand new 86 6000LE (goolie) with the 2.8 f.i. and 4 speed OD just before the 87 models came out. This one had the Y99 suspension STE exhaust and two-tone paint. It was a decent sounding four door and handled well. I took my driving test in it in March 87.
@Z7d3nR4 I know everyone says 1988 was the best year for the Fiero because almost everything was finally sorted out. But once the V6 was added to the option list in 1985, the Fiero gradually started to improve every year after that.
My aunt had a 6000 STE and I thought all the steering wheel buttons were so cool. Rear headrests were also pretty uncommon, which made it seem different. Some cool features and cars from Pontiac back in the day.
I bought a used burgundy '85 6000 just like the one on the track, was a good riding car until about 6 months later driving to work & it started ticking then smoking & then just puttered along until it died all in a matter of a couple of minutes, it was toast {I think someone put something my my gas tank}! In 1988 I was dating a chic that had gotten a new red Fiero GT V6 just like the one on the track & it was a blast to drive, I loved that car & was going to buy a new one in '89 & they quit making them so I bought an '88 Trans Am GTA!
In 1986, I was shopping for a car to replace my 1980 Honda Accord LX 5 speed hatchback. I test drove and seriously considered the 1986 6000 STE. I ended up buying a pre-owned 1985 Lincoln Mark VII LSC for not much more money than a loaded 6000 STE. I think I made a good choice! Loved that Lincoln!
My family had the ‘86 with the lush headlights. Lol! Was my first car I drove and… blew up. That electronic dash really vibrated at 80 mph. Something started ticking in it and traded it in. The air pump for leveling the rear and pumping shit up was cool. Along with the steering wheel radio controls. Good times.
The 6000STE was one of the best GM cars made. But today the V6 is laughable at only 130hp. Now a 3 cylinder puts out more oomph. The 2.8 iron block and head V6 was a very good engine.
Dear lord what were they thinking when they discontinued that fiero. They were just one turbo charger away from record sales. I drove my friends iron duke fiero around all the time back in the 80s, one of the most fun, slow cars you can get your hands on. I wanted one at the time when they discontinued it, ended up with a Honda CRX. My daily now is an old 09 Saab with a little 2.8 v6 turbo that still is easily pushing 280hp. I would love to get one of those resto mod turbo fieros one day
I remember way back a customer asked me if I could work on his Gooole. I said sure, it was a Pontiac 6000 LE. My shop is in Detroit. I've been calling them Goooles ever since. Haven't seen a Gooole in a long time.
i'll tell you the strangest thing being a graduate of class of 05, i swear I never saw much of anything older than me on the road still ( 1987), if it was it was probably a truck,van, or like an LTD,caprice or something. i watch these reviews and i just never remember seeing any of GM's small early 80s cars- whats weird is today its not too uncommon to see some relic of the past like a tempo or a taurus cavie or whatever still on the road.
The 2.8L V6 became a better engine once MPI was added. It was more reliable than the carburated version. My friend had a 1988 Chevy Celebrity with that engine, and it ran good.
I loved watching this show back in the day. I used to always roll my eyes when a car had digital gauges because these guys always bitched about any car that had them.
i laugh at all these quotes 😂 "powerful pair of Pontiacs" 🤣🤣 "most advanced driver oriented Detroit has ever produced" 😂😂😂 "finely tuned performance" 😂😂😂😂 "crisp reaction from the 3sp automatic" 😂😂 "high velocity pavement gripping sports car" 🤣🤣😂 "the quarter mile is now downright quick" 😂😂🤣
The STE had the most distinctive exhaust sound (or 'note' as automobile reviewers might say) of all the vehicles of its era. I got to where I could identify the sound of an STE moving away from me without visually confirming it.
Yes! It was a deep gutteral burble/gurgle. I actually was able to replicate it with my throat/uvula! It used to entertain my cousin to no end every time I’d do it. I still can!
I had an 87 STE in the early 90s…. Fun car, quirky but sadly, that 4 speed automatic never came. I always thought it was a strange choice to use the 3 speed in a sedan like the STE that had adequate power for an overdrive gear. The engine RPM plus the performance exhaust ( of the time ) made cruising a bit noisier than it should have been.
I always liked the STE as a kid. I was 13 when this car came out. Looking back, it's easy to see the one shortcoming with its design, the MASSIVE front overhang due to its fwd configuration. From an engineering standpoint, it's a typically compromised GM car from that era. A 3 speed automatic? When everyone else already had or were ready to release 4 speeds, GM steadfastly held onto ancient technologies longer than nearly everyone else because it didn't want to spend money where it was needed while developing the car. The 4 speed automatic should've been released when the A-bodies were initially offered. It wouldve been viewed as an engineering highpoint (provided it wasn't junk like the TH200) GM of the 1980's, with a few notable exceptions, was a smoking dumpster fire with the lid mostly closed, just waiting for more time to go on before melting the lid and becoming the full-on inferno of the early 2000's. I never blame the engineers. I know a few personally. They were hamstrung by management to literally not spend a few pennies here or there, and in some cases 5 dollars. It's a bit different now, but back then, whew....
In 85 all cars that were fwd had 3 speed autos but Dodge neon had 3speed auto til the late 90s iirc. Few of those cars lasted more than 6-8 years and only handful lasted a decade so I haven't seen a neon since about 2015 when the last few got scrapped. Yes GM vs Ford back then was night and day then AMC and Chrysler.... At least AMC were well made though out of date. My 82 Ford LTD Crown Victoria is nicer than my 83 Oldsmobile 98. My Ford has better isolation from road, quieter, better 4 speed transmission, nicer interior, doors and locks feel better. The Oldsmobile is longer so more back seat room.
@@workingcountry1776 Nah, plenty of FWD cars (Accord, Camry) has 4-speeds by this point. Interestingly, GM made their 4-sp available on the A-bodies for '84 but for whatever reason the STE did without until '87.
Back in this era I was dating a girl whose father received a “tarted out” 6000 as his company car and I remember thinking at the time that it was a sporty little rig! Compared to the mid-70’s Vega I was driving at the time, it was……..😂 Say what you want about the Fiero GT’s, but 40 years later they are still very attractive little cars! I would love to see the same body style today only equipped with some of the small engine advances we have experienced over the last four decades………👍
Out of all the GM A-cars, the Pontiac 6000 was always my favorite. There was just something about even the base, LE, & S/E models that struck almost the perfect balance between American family car & European road car to me. And don't even get me started on how much I BADLY want an STE even today!!! I have always called the A-bodies GM's "Redemption Cars" as I feel that when they were first introduced in January of 1982, they fixed everything that was wrong with the X-cars which had been introduced in April of 1979. No, they were NOT perfect cars, but in terms of build quality & durability, they were orders of magnitude better than the X-cars.
lol omg so not this but the SE. my friend was a mechanic and we live in an area with a lot of people who are new to the country and don’t speak/read the most fluent English. He used to get people come in and say they needed something done or something was wrong with the Pontic goose or goole 😂😂😂😂 I don’t know how he ever kept a straight face. I’d be on the floor
Don't get me wrong the 125C was a decent transmission for workday vehicles but had absolutely NO place in any vehicle with sporting intentions. If I remember correctly the getrag 5-speed didn't become available until 87 with the Quad4 and 2nd gen 60deg V6s. And even then they weren't available in STEs or Eurosports. GM was all in on the 440-T4 for all their mid- and fullsize FWDs at that time. Keep in mind this is around the time the Taurus was released and this Pontiac 6000 as well as all other midsize sedans were deemed obsolete within months. The only offering that came close was the new Accord but that was still technically considered "compact" at the time
I liked watching this. I’m taking note though - John says the Fiero’s 55-0 braking @ 130 feet “is good” For real? I swear I saw another recent one, with John stating a Volvo’s 55-0 braking @ 118 “was acceptable.” 🤔🧐
Sadly the 5 speed manual never came. It’s like GM got close to the end zone for the touchdown, and the ball, just to turn around and punt it back to the receiving team.
My Sister and her Husband had a white one with white rims Always loved Pontiac they made a mistake getting rid of that brand They need to bring it back I also seen lots of Fiero Cars around maybe just a couple of GT ones just the regular ones Thought the Fiero was way before it's time
Pontiac had a funny TV commercial for the 6000 STE. An owner of one boasted to his friend that it was "probably the best sports sedan you can buy". His friend replied, "Oh, come on!", and he retorted "I did say _probably_ ."
😂😂 I swear the marketing and advertising divisions of some of these auto companies back then served cocaine and vodka for inspiration at every meeting
@@averyparticularsetofskills😂😂😂😂😂😂😂👌👍
@@averyparticularsetofskills
Sounds like fun!
@@averyparticularsetofskills DeLorean Motor Company Ad Exec confirmed
Emphasis on the word "probably".
Pontiac should have never been discontinued as a brand
It was the only interesting brand in the General's lineup at the time. The g6 was too generic but a post recession redesign to be fun again would help and the g8 with peppy v6 was decent on fuel and a nice mid sized- almost full sized family car or with v8 was the car that truly was "we build excitement". It's such a shame the best car in modern history got one model year then a death notice from Obama administration
@@workingcountry1776 oh please, the government helped GM stay solvent. It's not the administration's fault the company couldn't manage its way out of a paper bag.
They should have deleted Buick instead.
@@workingcountry1776 Yeah, blame Obama. If GM wasn't bailed out, Pontiac wouldn't be the only GM marque to disappear. GM was poorly managed, had too many nearly identical brands, and couldn't compete with imports. Yay capitalism!
@@workingcountry1776 The G6(Grand Am) was a great loioking car and a good car overall.
I owned a 1985 Fiero GT that looked exactly like that, just all black without the two-tone. I've owned many cool cars over the years, Corvettes, BMW's, Camaro, Mustang, etc etc etc - and this car was still the most fun to drive. The thing was just a go-kart, plus the prior owner lowered it (which is insane) and changed the exhaust around a bit so it had a little more power - it was never what I'd consider fast, but you were also so low to the ground it felt really quick. You could throw that thing into a corner unlike any car I've ever owned - the only limit was the tires as you'd literally skip sideways on them until they picked up traction again. No power steering was a plus as the car wasn't that heavy so at low speeds you didn't need too much muscle to turn, but with just a little speed you had such a direct connection to the road, it felt incredible. I think most people who rag on these cars just did so because it was the trendy thing to do.
It's interesting in this review watching the Fiero really lean in the corners, the one I had did not do that at all - it was flat all the time due to the suspension changes, which were more significant apparently than I knew at the time. Also with the exhaust mods, I'd guess the Fiero I had was close to 8-seconds flat in the 60 with the auto, based on the cars I'd race at the time and their 60s and quarter miles. As for braking, I'd agree, it was OK but you'd think it would be better. Also as noted above, maybe it was because I was only 20 when I had this, but I never thought the steering was too heavy at low speed - but I guess for women maybe they'd complain about it.
Had an '84 black STE and loved that thing. Yes, it was in the closing years of the malaise era, so we were easily pleased with a 130 HP; it seemed quick at the time. It was one of the best handling cars of the time though, at least for a 4-door sedan based on the Celebrity, or a slightly warmed over Citation if you will. Fun as hell to drive though, and got a lot of looks with that front end and it's 6 lights. Kept it for 3 years and loved every mile I put on it. I miss the 80's!
My dad had one, and I always volunteered to do errands, I just loved the feel and handling of that STE. We nicknamed it "The Pontiac Goostey"
I started my automotive career as a Pontiac technician in the 80's. I remember these well.
The STE was impressive
It's 1985 - summer. You're at a traffic light in the left lane. You just picked up your new Fiero GT a couple months ago. A 6000 STE Pulls up beside you and it's some kid borrowing the family car. You need to get over to the next lane soon because you need to turn right at the next intersection, which is just over a 1/4 mile away. The light turns green...you floor it. 6000 STE floors it. After about 1/8th mile you realize WTF, "I should be ahead of this kid". but no, you're side by side and the 6000 STE's front bumper is at your front tire. You miss the intersection and contemplate your life decision on buying the Fiero.
And, to add insult to injury, the 6000 will stop shorter
To add some comparison - you own a Time Machine and take your 2024 F150 3.5 Powerboost to summer 1985. You hit the gas and your F150 is a football fields length ahead of both Pontiac’s in 1/8 of a mile and make it to the next intersection.
To add insult to injury, while waiting to make your U-turn at the next stoplight with your tail between your legs, your Fiero burned to the ground....
The base 3.3L non turbo engine in the f150 would be quicker than either of these..... Fully loaded@@haroldbeauchamp3770
Learn to drive a stick and easily pass the STE.
Thank you for putting all this together. I am very fond of my years at CC!!! I worked at store 3274 from 2000-2006. Incredible experience in my early 20’s. I remember it like it was yesterday. I still remember my employee numbers store phone number and address. I was a roadshop manager when I left. I still have my uniforms and other goodies. I cherish all of it. It’s a shame it was driven into the ground like that but I’m grateful that I truly got to see it in its best days. God Bless
I had a 1988 STE , loved that car, I sold it to a neighbor when it had 180,000 miles, he did some work on it and drove it for another 100,000 miles, an absolute pleasure to drive. I still have the STE accessories kit in my closet.
❤ I’ve been waiting years for the review of the 6000-STE to post, what a great way to start the new year!! 😎
Absolutely. It was such an awesome car
These things were tanks. My friend's was a non-STE with an iron duke, and it was incredibly reliable. It had ugly, faded brown GM paint, but it kept going and going.
If you're old enough to remember these cars, as I am, back in those days 130 hp seem not bad. Couple years later Toyota came out with a six cylinder that produced 155 hp, it seemed like quite a lot. Now reviewers complain when the car only has 200
Things were on the up though. My 87 2 door cutlass ciera had a 3.8 V6 with 155 hp.
Cars weight dramatically more and are much heavier now due to all the government regulations on safety. Put 130hp into a 3800lb sedan now and lets see you not complain about it.
I had a used Fiero with a New 6 Cylinder enginge installed in 2002, it was slow from 0-60 mph but FAST from 60-90 mph.
It was a fun car to have!
Did it start on fire
lol, no, sold it before that happened!
My first car in 1992 was a blue 1989 (one of the two color choices for the STE that year) STE AWD. When I was a teen, my friends mom had a new black over grey 1986 STE and I fell in love with that car. I knew I had to have one when the time came for me to get a car. I would rather have had the 1988.5 AWD that had the original squared roofline design and two tone paint scheme, but couldn’t find one. What a great car. It never failed to impress anyone who saw or rode in it.
The inspiration for Robocop’s 6000 SUX!
The STE was an awesome car
I had a 1984 6000 STE. Of all the really very nice cars I've owned over the last 40 years it is the one that was my favorite. Four decades gone in the blink of an eye........
My Aunt had a 1985 Pontiac 6000 STE and 2 of my Uncles both had Pontiac Fieros, i was 9 that summer and i remember seeing these cars everywhere.
Cool story bro!
The STE was an awesome car. My dad had an LE & loved it
I love watching these. They remind me of when I was a young man.
Thank you for another GM review. It is appreciated. I recall when this car was on par competing in the market in the 1980's.. If they had kept developing this car, Pontiac/GM would have had a true Audi fighter. The thing that changed here was the arrival of Pontiac Bonneville SSE and Grand Prix SE/STE. You see why Pontiac existed by this video. They never offered the 3.8 liter V6 on this car. There were people in Pontiac who wanted this , but the general manager at the time said no.
I recall the 6000 STE fondly. As a teen and then years later my ex-GF owned one and I had a chance to drive it and help service it. I was impressed that it lived up to its reputation as a driver's sedan. It handled very well for a Detroit offering. It felt like a VW. Responsive engine too. Years later, I found a later year 6000 LE with 99,000 miles on craigslist for just $499! A desperate foreign exchange student at MIT needed to sell his car before leaving the country the next day. I bought it immediately. It was in very good condition overall, the A/C didn't work and it needed rear brake work. A common GM issue back then with the FWD sedans. It came with a larger displacement V6, auto with column shifter. The flush headlights with fogs like the 86 STE. It had the same ride chassis dynamics of the old car I drove. It was a joy to cruise in and I really fixed and upgraded it (A/C condenser, tranny cooler, KYB shocks, audio system, brakes, tires, engine mounts. I put 44K miles on it in 15 months! Only failure was a coil pack. It was a dumb decision to mount it next to the front exhaust manifold, GM! Luckily I had free towing from AAA! I got married and gave the car to my wife in premium condition, who totaled it by hitting a tree in less than 10 days! I was so sad. :( It was on of the best cars I've owned. A trooper and highway blaster.
It has that 70s trans am front end so dope
Always liked the look of that 2.8 engine with that intake manifold!
A friend of mine worked at the GM tech center in 1985. He brought a pre production Fiero GT home to "test" it. We pulled out onto a mile long straight, and he pointed to the dash. "This is the speedometer." Then he floored it. The production version was Nerfed, to put it mildly. There were also convertible, t-top, and targa models in development. Oh well...
My mom had an '86 STE and I had an '86 Fiero SE. It had the aero pkg with the iron Duke and a 5 speed. It was slow but it was fun. Miss it.
My mama used to have a Pontiac 6000 STE. Mama loved that car!!
“Mama says stupid is as stupid duhhhhs.”
This is the first time ive ever seen this review. What a gem to start off the year! The 6000 was, and still is, one of the best cars of the 80s. They were great. Biggest issue? Electronics. They didnt get it right till the early 90s, and even then, other brands were suffering the same fate as STE clusters. I also love the fact that it had a stopping distance of 115 feet. Without abs, as that was still far off by this time. There are modern cars that struggle to hit that target. So hats off to GM corporate for that.
The Fiero was never intended to have the V6 in it. It was supposed to have the high revving 4 cylinder GM brass started working on in 1979. But it ended up with the iron duke, because the Quad 4 wouldnt be ready till 87/88. And the V6 back then was really heavy for that little car. You can clearly see it struggling a bit, when they took it through some turns. The 4 speed manual didnt help matters either, as it was too slow for this car. It needed the 5 speed. And you can clearly see the weight of this car when it dragged itself to a stop. It stopped so abruptly that it sounded like the engine gave out and restarted. Just more bad designs from GM. I still cant believe they took it to a racetrack and actually tested it as new. Thats awesome. I still want one of these, but i want one with a Quad 4 in it.
It is a car that should have been good. Putting a truck 4cyl engine in it was beyond stupid. No clue what they were thinking. They may as well have put the 4.3L v6 diesel into it lol
I drive a 1990 Chevy Beretta with the Quad 4 and a 5-speed transmission. That car was a ton of fun to drive! The Fiero with the same set up would have been insanely fun to drive!
I had an '88 STE in college. It was a 5 speed and a blast to drive. I sold it when I finished my master's degree with over 200k on it and running very well. Still miss that car almost 25 years later!
I wanted an STE so bad back in the 80’s
I wanted an 89 STE with awd.
That would be like finding a unicorn if you found one today still running.
@ I ended up getting an ‘87 Century T-Type mainly because it offered an SFI 3.8 (pre-balance shaft) V-6.
@@kcindc5539 Funny cause my first car at 17 was an 88 Lesabre T-Type in black my dad helped me buy. Loved that thing! Later I moved up to a 91 Bonn SEE and was just as awesome back then..lol
My parents bought a brand new 86 6000LE (goolie) with the 2.8 f.i. and 4 speed OD just before the 87 models came out. This one had the Y99 suspension STE exhaust and two-tone paint. It was a decent sounding four door and handled well. I took my driving test in it in March 87.
I always liked the design of the Fiero. Very close to the MR2 and the x1/9.
Once the V6 was added to the Fiero, the Fiero definitely became a better car.
The GT was much better looking than the MR2, which I also liked, but was extremely boxy looking.
@Z7d3nR4 I know everyone says 1988 was the best year for the Fiero because almost everything was finally sorted out. But once the V6 was added to the option list in 1985, the Fiero gradually started to improve every year after that.
Always wanted the 89 6000 STE AWD model
@@TehRealVR I had a customer back then who drove a white 6000 STE wagon AWD 5-speed. I LOVED that car.
@ my uncle had one. Loved it
As soon as I saw the digital cluster, I started to think 🤔 about Kitt from Knight Rider.
My aunt had a 6000 STE and I thought all the steering wheel buttons were so cool. Rear headrests were also pretty uncommon, which made it seem different. Some cool features and cars from Pontiac back in the day.
My mother had one, I loved that gauge cluster!
The Pontiac Fiero GT was a much better car then every one at the time thought 😊
I bought a used burgundy '85 6000 just like the one on the track, was a good riding car until about 6 months later driving to work & it started ticking then smoking & then just puttered along until it died all in a matter of a couple of minutes, it was toast {I think someone put something my my gas tank}! In 1988 I was dating a chic that had gotten a new red Fiero GT V6 just like the one on the track & it was a blast to drive, I loved that car & was going to buy a new one in '89 & they quit making them so I bought an '88 Trans Am GTA!
Loved the exhaust sound on these.
''Pontiac didn't rest on their laurels'' These are now the laurels that rest on Pontiac...requiescat in pace
Please say you’re doing a Retro Review marathon for New Year’s this weekend! Would love something to watch while riding out the “storm”.
I thought 88 was a great year for cars but looking back I have learned to like this era a lot
In 1986, I was shopping for a car to replace my 1980 Honda Accord LX 5 speed hatchback.
I test drove and seriously considered the 1986 6000 STE.
I ended up buying a pre-owned 1985 Lincoln Mark VII LSC for not much more money than a loaded 6000 STE.
I think I made a good choice! Loved that Lincoln!
1:31 John: And Pontiac should also do something about more steering wheel adjustments! LOL
My father bought one with suede interior. It was awesome.
The car that inspired the 6000SUX in Robocop
I was going to say this, too.
And I was seaching for that.
STE, the first three letters in my first name. Well done Pontiac.
My first car was a 6000. I drove it into the ground in high school (2004 grad). This is comical nostalgia..
My family had the ‘86 with the lush headlights. Lol! Was my first car I drove and… blew up. That electronic dash really vibrated at 80 mph. Something started ticking in it and traded it in. The air pump for leveling the rear and pumping shit up was cool. Along with the steering wheel radio controls. Good times.
The 6000STE was one of the best GM cars made. But today the V6 is laughable at only 130hp. Now a 3 cylinder puts out more oomph. The 2.8 iron block and head V6 was a very good engine.
Dear lord what were they thinking when they discontinued that fiero. They were just one turbo charger away from record sales. I drove my friends iron duke fiero around all the time back in the 80s, one of the most fun, slow cars you can get your hands on. I wanted one at the time when they discontinued it, ended up with a Honda CRX. My daily now is an old 09 Saab with a little 2.8 v6 turbo that still is easily pushing 280hp. I would love to get one of those resto mod turbo fieros one day
Reference to seat padding. Much better than the concert slabs we have today.
Did he say "sassy"? 4:43
I remember way back a customer asked me if I could work on his Gooole. I said sure, it was a Pontiac 6000 LE. My shop is in Detroit. I've been calling them Goooles ever since. Haven't seen a Gooole in a long time.
Pontiac sure made a lot of nicely equipped attractive and desirable cars by the mid 80s.
We had the base model of the 6000. Front bench, no AC no power windows, just an ac delco tape deck, had fun with it though.
@0:10 What is she doing at that desk?
...sketching John Davis? 😂
Writing her resignation letter
A 'news prop' if you will.
That was the "motor news" desk, they were having a discussion before this segment
😂
i'll tell you the strangest thing being a graduate of class of 05, i swear I never saw much of anything older than me on the road still ( 1987), if it was it was probably a truck,van, or like an LTD,caprice or something. i watch these reviews and i just never remember seeing any of GM's small early 80s cars- whats weird is today its not too uncommon to see some relic of the past like a tempo or a taurus cavie or whatever still on the road.
It's amazing how the refreshed Fiero GT looks 10 years newer than the 6000.
It's embarrassing that they used the same drivetrain.
I have to wonder why the STE never got the GM 3.8 V6 in it
The 2.8L V6 became a better engine once MPI was added. It was more reliable than the carburated version. My friend had a 1988 Chevy Celebrity with that engine, and it ran good.
A V6 out of a grand national would be sweet
The STE was an awesome car
I loved watching this show back in the day. I used to always roll my eyes when a car had digital gauges because these guys always bitched about any car that had them.
Pontiac had always been about excitement. Yet these two, as with the Firebird/Trans Am, had kept the flame burning.
i laugh at all these quotes 😂
"powerful pair of Pontiacs" 🤣🤣
"most advanced driver oriented Detroit has ever produced" 😂😂😂
"finely tuned performance" 😂😂😂😂
"crisp reaction from the 3sp automatic" 😂😂
"high velocity pavement gripping sports car" 🤣🤣😂
"the quarter mile is now downright quick" 😂😂🤣
So when do we get that 1986 STE review?!
The STE had the most distinctive exhaust sound (or 'note' as automobile reviewers might say) of all the vehicles of its era. I got to where I could identify the sound of an STE moving away from me without visually confirming it.
Yes! It was a deep gutteral burble/gurgle. I actually was able to replicate it with my throat/uvula! It used to entertain my cousin to no end every time I’d do it. I still can!
The Fiero was a dangerous POS. The 6000STE actually drove decently.
Did they ever make the 6000 with a manual
In the first couple years you could get a 4sp manual but 85 and later were automatic only. The 5-speed he mentioned never made it to the A cars
@@303nitzubishi4I’m sure not many manuals were sold. I’m even more positive they are all extinct. Thanks for the info
I had an 87 STE in the early 90s…. Fun car, quirky but sadly, that 4 speed automatic never came. I always thought it was a strange choice to use the 3 speed in a sedan like the STE that had adequate power for an overdrive gear. The engine RPM plus the performance exhaust ( of the time ) made cruising a bit noisier than it should have been.
The factory brochure says the STE did get the AOD for '87.
I always liked the STE as a kid. I was 13 when this car came out. Looking back, it's easy to see the one shortcoming with its design, the MASSIVE front overhang due to its fwd configuration.
From an engineering standpoint, it's a typically compromised GM car from that era. A 3 speed automatic? When everyone else already had or were ready to release 4 speeds, GM steadfastly held onto ancient technologies longer than nearly everyone else because it didn't want to spend money where it was needed while developing the car. The 4 speed automatic should've been released when the A-bodies were initially offered. It wouldve been viewed as an engineering highpoint (provided it wasn't junk like the TH200)
GM of the 1980's, with a few notable exceptions, was a smoking dumpster fire with the lid mostly closed, just waiting for more time to go on before melting the lid and becoming the full-on inferno of the early 2000's.
I never blame the engineers. I know a few personally. They were hamstrung by management to literally not spend a few pennies here or there, and in some cases 5 dollars. It's a bit different now, but back then, whew....
In 85 all cars that were fwd had 3 speed autos but Dodge neon had 3speed auto til the late 90s iirc. Few of those cars lasted more than 6-8 years and only handful lasted a decade so I haven't seen a neon since about 2015 when the last few got scrapped.
Yes GM vs Ford back then was night and day then AMC and Chrysler.... At least AMC were well made though out of date.
My 82 Ford LTD Crown Victoria is nicer than my 83 Oldsmobile 98. My Ford has better isolation from road, quieter, better 4 speed transmission, nicer interior, doors and locks feel better. The Oldsmobile is longer so more back seat room.
@@workingcountry1776 Nah, plenty of FWD cars (Accord, Camry) has 4-speeds by this point. Interestingly, GM made their 4-sp available on the A-bodies for '84 but for whatever reason the STE did without until '87.
@workingcountry1776 the 2 cars that mattered the most, the Camry and Accord, were both available with 4 speed automatics
Maybe early 87 model or late 86 production? Still wish I had the AOD back then. However , the suede interior made up for a fourth gear.
Back in this era I was dating a girl whose father received a “tarted out” 6000 as his company car and I remember thinking at the time that it was a sporty little rig! Compared to the mid-70’s Vega I was driving at the time, it was……..😂
Say what you want about the Fiero GT’s, but 40 years later they are still very attractive little cars! I would love to see the same body style today only equipped with some of the small engine advances we have experienced over the last four decades………👍
There’s no torque steer because it’s so underpowered.
thats equal to forty-three grand today
Did the Fiero come with a big fire extinguisher?
That problem was only the first year
Out of all the GM A-cars, the Pontiac 6000 was always my favorite. There was just something about even the base, LE, & S/E models that struck almost the perfect balance between American family car & European road car to me. And don't even get me started on how much I BADLY want an STE even today!!! I have always called the A-bodies GM's "Redemption Cars" as I feel that when they were first introduced in January of 1982, they fixed everything that was wrong with the X-cars which had been introduced in April of 1979. No, they were NOT perfect cars, but in terms of build quality & durability, they were orders of magnitude better than the X-cars.
That sedan likely inspired the jalopy in the first Robocop film, the 6000 SUX
My 1990 Grand Prix was a great car.
That car felt so much faster at 0-60. I used to rent them all the time.
The 5 speed 6000 we're pretty mean in 87.
Did MotorWeek ever do a review of the Pontiac 6000 STE AWD.
5 sp manual made this car a Great Autocross car
Neutral density lenses ?
They were tinted.
lol omg so not this but the SE. my friend was a mechanic and we live in an area with a lot of people who are new to the country and don’t speak/read the most fluent English. He used to get people come in and say they needed something done or something was wrong with the Pontic goose or goole 😂😂😂😂 I don’t know how he ever kept a straight face. I’d be on the floor
They must've gone mud riding in the Fiero before the racetrack test.
The Ford Taurus is coming to set the midsize square mobile business on its ear.
Ride Pontiac, ride. One more day 'til complete breakdown😂
"...our motorweek driver's choice rate-hing"
Don't get me wrong the 125C was a decent transmission for workday vehicles but had absolutely NO place in any vehicle with sporting intentions. If I remember correctly the getrag 5-speed didn't become available until 87 with the Quad4 and 2nd gen 60deg V6s. And even then they weren't available in STEs or Eurosports. GM was all in on the 440-T4 for all their mid- and fullsize FWDs at that time. Keep in mind this is around the time the Taurus was released and this Pontiac 6000 as well as all other midsize sedans were deemed obsolete within months. The only offering that came close was the new Accord but that was still technically considered "compact" at the time
I like the Pontiac STE 85
Pontiac was the best GM brand in the 80’s and 90’s.
I liked watching this. I’m taking note though - John says the Fiero’s 55-0 braking @ 130 feet “is good”
For real? I swear I saw another recent one, with John stating a Volvo’s 55-0 braking @ 118 “was acceptable.”
🤔🧐
Two more headlights, and the Family Truckster comes to mind. Frront fender fuel door, anyone?
Rock on 🤘 😊
Sadly the 5 speed manual never came. It’s like GM got close to the end zone for the touchdown, and the ball, just to turn around and punt it back to the receiving team.
Nah it came a year or two later, you could even get a Celebrity with it. It was just exceedingly rare.
The 6000 is my least favorite model among those built on this platform. I always thought it was ugly, but the electronics inside are pretty cool.
Ngl I assumed 6000 meant 6 liter like a 6 liter sedan could’ve ever existed in ‘85
If Pontiac had kept making the Fiero. It might still be around
what’s up,with the 6 headlights?
The two in-board ones were fog lights.
A 140hp, 3 speed Auto, 0-60 9.3 in a "sports" car with body roll to boot. .
Mp meter man problem is most people can't drive and are getting bigger vehicles now
My Sister and her Husband had a white one with white rims Always loved Pontiac they made a mistake getting rid of that brand They need to bring it back
I also seen lots of Fiero Cars around maybe just a couple of GT ones just the regular ones
Thought the Fiero was way before it's time
1:46 Ooooooh! A digital oil pressure gauge and voltmeter. Now, that's just fancy.