Background: Pontiac's best-selling product gets totally redesigned for the 1999 model year. The popular, front wheel drive Grand Am falls between the subcompact Sunfire and mid-size Grand Prix in Pontiac's marketing mix. Since 1992, its first year on the road, Grand Am has ranked in the top 10 of most popular cars sold in the United States with more than 200,000 units sold each year. Pontiac, General Motors' sporty, youth-oriented division, introduced the new, 1999 Grand Am in two waves. Grand Am SE trim levels were introduced this past April while more elaborate GT versions began dotting the landscape late this past fall. The five-passenger Grand Am shares the basic automotive platform as Oldsmobile's new compact Alero offering, but Grand Am is the sportier of the duo. General Motors' Lansing Mich. assembly plant churns out Grand Am.
New for 1999: Grand Am's wheelbase stretches substantially to 107 inches this year adding more than 3-and-a-half inches, the largest in the compact class and contributing to a smoother ride. Overall width increases by an inch-and-a-half while its length actually shrinks by about a half-an-inch. Pontiac moves all four wheels out to the frame for a wider stance and greater road stability.
Trim levels: Grand Am features a wide array of mix-and-match possibilities. Both two-door coupes and four-door sedans are available in all five trim level offerings including: SE, SE1, SE2, GT and GT1.
Standard equipment: For a compact offering, Grand Am includes an impressive list of equipment. Many compact competitors offer base models stripped of air conditioning and automatic transmission. But Grand Am offers these two popular features standard along with power door locks, rear window defogger, tilt steering wheel, power rack-and-pinion steering, four-wheel independent suspension and fog lamps. Cruise control comes standard in every edition except Base SE, where it's optional. Power windows, not available in Base SE, are standard in all other editions.
Options: Power sunroofs are optional across the board excepts in Base SE, where it's not offered. Compact disc players, optional in SE, SE1 and GT, are standard in up-level SE2 and GT1. An engine block heater is optional in all editions.
Price: Pontiac provided the Daily Herald with a top-of-the-line, bright red GT1 coupe. The GT1 comes with such features as power windows, cruise control remote keyless entry standard along with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $20,570. An upgraded stereo system was the lone option, pushing the bottom line to $21,780 when factoring in the $525 destination charge. The lowest-priced Grand Am, an SE coupe costs $16,595 while the GT1 sedan, the highest-priced model checks in at $21,495.
Safety features: Daytime running lamps, anti-lock brakes, traction control and battery rundown protection all come with the price of admission; impressive for a vehicle of its class. Sedan editions include rear door child safety locks. Keyless remote entry, standard in SE2 and GT1, is optional in SE1 and GT.
Engine: Grand Am offers three engine choices; one four-cylinder and two V-6 powertrains. The 2.4-liter, twin cam, 16-valve four cylinder is standard in SE and SE1, optional in SE2 and delivers 150 horsepower. Under the hood of SE2 is Pontiac's 3.4-liter, V-6 delivering 170 horsepower. This system comes optional in SE1. For optimal power and torque, GT editions feature the same V-6 in SE2 with a ram air induction system which funnels cool air into a large volume filter housing. This lowers air temperature and increases air pressure before mixing with fuel in the cylinders. Cooler pressurized air delivers a denser engine charge resulting in more horsepower (175).
Dimensions: Wheelbase: 106.7 inches Overall length: 186.3 inches Overall width: 70.4 inches Overall height: 55.1 inches Front headroom: 38.3 inches Weight: 3,066 pounds
Interior: Pontiac relocates the ignition switch from the steering column to the dashboard. That's just for starters. Also new this season is Pontiac's "driver focused" interior with most functions within easy reach of people in the cat birds seat. Various sound mufflers were also added this year to keep outside noises from becoming inside distractions. The stereo with large preset buttons situates above the climate control system with three, easy-to-maneuver dials for fan speed, temperature and fan direction. The rear window defogger button is in this area as well and the radio frequency display doubles as a digital clock. Five round dashboard vents distribute heat. Headlights activate from the turn signal stalk and windshield wipers operate from a right-hand side steering column stalk. Like most Pontiacs, at night, the dashboard backlights with bright red illumination. The dual circular instrument panel contains a large round speedometer in the right circle and a large tachometer on the left. In front of the floor-mounted automatic transmission were molded, dual cup holders. The steering wheel on our GT1 not only includes secondary buttons for radio volume and station selection, but three buttons along the bottom to monitor cruise control functions.
Seating comfort: I'm a tad over six feet tall and headroom was a bit tight. Our test drive GT1 included the sunroof option which sometimes robs interior headroom. Drivers must be wary of the left-side headrest contributing to a rather nasty blind spot when checking traffic patterns over their left shoulder. Redesigned, reclining front bucket seats with lumbar adjustment come standard in all Grand Ams. Leather seats, available in SE2, GT and GT1 take the place of standard cloth seating. A deep, flip-top storage bin situates between the seats next to the hand-operated emergency brake. Pontiac's top-of-the-line GT1 comes with a six-way-power driver's seat standard while offering this as an option in SE2 and GT. While Pontiac promotes Grand Am as a five seater, two adults fit most comfortably in back with excellent leg room, decent headroom and dual retracing cup holders.
Exterior: A rear deck spoiler is standard in both GT models but optional everywhere else. The spoiler does not interfere with rear view mirror perception, a common complaint in many other coupes sampled over the years. This generation Grand Am revises its distinctive twin port grille and cat-eye like front headlights. Flush-mounted door handle are body color while the radio antenna protrudes from the right rear fender. Pontiac positions the circular, non-locking fuel tank door with tethered cap on the right rear fender. Wide, plastic body-colored side molding looks sporty while protecting the vehicle from wayward shopping carts and other shopping center hazards. But Grand Am still includes stationary side view mirrors rather than the more, car-friendly breakaway style which fold into the body when inadvertently brushing up against tollbooth baskets or other stationary objects. Sixteen-inch tires, a rarity in compact sedans, come standard in SE2, GT and GT1 editions while fifteen-inch tires rotate on SE and SE1.
Target audience: Women make up a bigger share of Grand Am buyers than do men. Forty-five percent of buyers are college graduates with a median household income falling between $40,000 and $50,000. Grand Am attracts more married couples than most compact competitors.
Fuel economy: All Grand Am fuel tanks hold 15.2 gallons of unleaded regular fuel. Our test-drive with the larger 3.4-liter engine included mileage estimates of 20 miles per gallon in city driving and 28 m.p.g. highway.
Trunk: All Grand Ams except SE offer split-folding rear seating with trunk access so larger items, such as snow skis, can be easily transported. Trunk capacity is now 14.3 cubic feet, up a bit from last year's 13.4 cubic feet area. A temporary spare tire stores under the flat-floored trunk bottom.
Final thoughts: If you're looking for a stylish, well-equipped compact offering from a domestic automaker, put Grand Am on the short list. Updated styling cues provide a look reminiscent of its bigger Grand Prix brother. Pontiac categorizes Grand Am as a compact-sized car, but it looks and feels larger than traditional compacts. In fact, Pontiac likes to compare Grand Am with larger competitors such as the Honda Accord, Plymouth Breeze and Acura Integra as well as smaller, sportier offerings including the new, front-wheel drive Mercury Cougar. Our GT1 handled extremely well, taking sharp turns with very little body sway. Grand Am includes more interior room than Mercury's Cougar, especially in the back row. A lightweight design makes closing doors from a sitting position a pleasure rather than a chore. The Ram Air V-6 engine delivers potent power with decent fuel economy and is the engine of choice in Grand Am. |