Just looking at the Grand Am, it's hard to imagine that it shares the same basic
design as two of GM's dowdiest midsize cars, the Oldsmobile Achieva and Buick Skylark.
It's amazing how some plastic body cladding and a few hot rod touches, like an air
dam, aluminum wheels and that rear wing, can give the Grand Am such a young and
aggressive personality.
This is clearly a car that GM hopes to sell to young singles and families who aren't
ready to let kids and mounting responsibilities take away all of their fun.
And even though the basic design has been around since 1985, GM is still refining both
the styling and powertrain.
The '96 Grand Am has a slightly cleaner, smoother look thanks to new headlights,
tailights, front and rear bumpers, wheels, spoiler and grille. (Two horizontal vents
have replaced the car's original honeycomb grille.)
The car is safer too, with daytime running lamps and a passenger side air bag joining
the driver's side bag and antilock brakes as standard equipment. A hand brake on the
center console has also replaced the old foot-operated parking brake.
But the big story continues to be under the Grand Am's hood, where the standard
four-cylinder, 16-valve engine continues to be modified and improved.
The original version of this engine was quite powerful for its size, but it also
created a lot of noise and vibration that annoyed many owners.
For '95 the engine was equipped with so-called balance shafts that rotate in the
opposite direction of the engine's crankshaft to damp out most of that vibration, and
the result is a definite improvement.
This year the engine grew quite a bit, from 2.3 liters to 2.4 liters, to make it
smoother and increase torque, or pulling power, at low engine speeds. So, while the
engine produces the same 150 horsepower, it will haul a Grand Am from zero to 60
m.p.h. about a second faster than last year's version.
For $395 more, you can get a 155 h.p. 3.1-liter V6 that has even more muscle at lower
engine speeds, which allows it to work more smoothly with an automatic transmission.
A quick peek at the window sticker shows that the base price for a two-door or
four-door SE model is $13,999, including destination charges. The sportier, more
heavily equipped GT coupe and sedan start at $15,999.
The SE sedan we tested had a package of options that included tilt steering, air
conditioning, cruise control and a few other amenities that boosted the price by
$1630. Other touches, including automatic transmission($795) and power windows
($355), upped the final price to $17,690.
Slip behind the wheel and the Grand Am's racy personality immediately shows up in the
instrument panel -- a cacophony of orange and red dials that rival a carnival midway
when they're lit for nighttime driving.
You soon get used to that, however, and all of the controls are pretty easy to figure
out and use. The radio buttons are especially big and friendly, and the heating and
cooling system is operated by three large, simple knobs just below the sound system.
But getting comfortable in the Grand Am is more of a challenge than in most other
mid-size cars. The front seats seem to sit lower to the floor and there's a slight
sense of having to look up and over the dashboard to see out. Many drivers also find
that they have to sit too close to the steering wheel in order to comfortably reach
the pedals.
The Grand Am's cabin feels smaller than in many competitors, including the Accord or
Dodge Stratus. Pontiac says the Grand Am has comparable legroom and headroom. But
four adults will feel much less cramped and more comfortable in an Accord or Stratus,
and we don't need a ruler to tell us that.
Aesthetically, the Grand Am's interior fabrics and plastics have been improved for
'96, and they're pleasant enough to pass muster. Less pleasing are the two big round
vents that have appeared in the middle of the dash, just above the radio. They're new
for '96 and Pontiac says they'll rattle less than the old rectangular vents and
contribute to the "overall harmony" of the Grand Am's interior. We found them to be
so prominent as to be almost annoying.
Turn the key and the Grand Am's exhaust emits a sporty rumble; so far, so good. Step
on the gas and the Grand Am gets off to a fine start. It doesn't snap your head back
or anything, but there's certainly no life-and-death drama trying to get on the
freeway.
Exit onto a country lane and the Grand Am looks like it should be ready for all the
twists and turns you care to tackle. On good pavement, that is the case; there was
some body roll, but we stuck to the road pretty well.
On rougher roads, the Grand Am is much less sure-footed. When the going gets bumpy,
the car's rear wheels have a tough time maintaining contact with the road,
compromising its sporty premise.
All in all, our SE test car didn't handle any better than many competitors that have
no pretense to sports car performance.
So if the Grand Am isn't as sporty as advertised, is it at least comfortable enough to
get around in? Yep.
There's still some noticeable engine noise on most takeoffs from stop signs or traffic
lights and the repeatedly refined four-cylinder engine still isn't as vibration-free
as, say, the Accord's.
But the Grand Am keeps the traffic and wind noise to acceptable levels. The front
suspension sends a few more bumps up through the steering wheel than we would like,
but the overall ride is not wearing.