Every woman has a story that begins: There was this one guy in college/high school who was soooo nice, but ... he was a little, uh, too nice. You know the guy who tried way too hard and always overdid everything until it became annoying? Like how he had to open your car door every time you got in or out (which was real sweet ... for the first week). Well, picture this guy as the equivalent of a car and you've got Pontiac's new Grand Am. Although much-appreciated power and performance improvements have been made for 1999 to the company's best-selling vehicle, the designers just tried a little too hard with the styling. Overall, the car is more irritating than endearing.
We drove a 1999 Grand Am SE2 Coupe slathered in ribbed side cladding that had more creases and wrinkles than my aunt's bulldog. The exterior sheetmetal has a forward sloping pitch and more swoops and character lines than the previous model, which we also thought exhibited exaggerated styling but now seems tame in comparison. Even the wheels are riddled with indentations that collect dirt and brake dust. Our test car came with bright red exterior paint and camel cloth interior trim, both of which would have looked just fine on a car with more subdued and sophisticated styling. As it was, the car looked overdone.
Styling preferences aside, the new Grand Am has improved in terms of handling and refinement. Still, a few days behind the wheel of our test vehicle didn't make any of us want to run out and buy one. Powered by the standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine mated to an automatic transmission, our test car struggled to get up to speed at the altitude of the Mile-High City and its surrounding foothills. Under acceleration, the 2.4-liter engine thrashed loudly enough to quell conversation. Road noise was loud on not-so-smooth highways as well, but the capsule of the vehicle dampened wind noise extremely well, thanks to a 32 percent stiffer body frame and various sound deadeners. An unnerving groaning sound was emitted each time we entered a hard turn while braking, which we attributed to an unidentified problem in the steering column. While we were impressed by the responsiveness of the car on the twisty portion of our test route, we noticed that the suspension crashed over large bumps in the road. The Grand Am was able to brake quickly and securely enough on dry pavement to satisfy us and its tires hugged turns in the twisties quite well, though understeer was apparent.
Inside, we found features both to love and hate. First, the good stuff: Large, clearly marked buttons identified stereo and climate controls with ease. The climate vents that lined the dash worked well due to the number of vents, their large size and easy-to-use design. The glove compartment extended far back into the dash, providing a huge amount of space to store manuals, gloves, maps, sunglasses, chapstick and a number of other items that one may want to stow. We were happy to see that the instrument panel was uncluttered, though the gauges were set deep into hooded binnacles in the dash and made us feel as though we were looking through a pair of binoculars. Happily, they were simple in design and the cupholders were able to hold a variety of different-sized drinks. On a weekend trip to the grocery store, we utilized the huge trunk on the Grand Am and were appreciative of the cargo net, which kept fruits and vegetables from rolling around the spacious trunk during the drive home.
On the down side, we noticed large gaps where the dash panels met and where the dash connected to the glovebox cover. Also, there were no grab handles above any of the four seating positions and, on a trip out to dinner, friends had difficulty entering and exiting the rear seats. The driver's side seat release lever was difficult to manipulate and didn't automatically slide forward, and one person had to squeeze into the back with the driver's seat in an almost upright position. The seat belts on both sides were also in the way. Build quality was also sub-par, with uneven gaps between exterior body panels and misaligned trim.
The driving position was acceptable and visibility admirable, though smaller drivers would benefit from a driver's seat that could raise an inch or two higher, which would make the seating position and visibility nearly flawless in this writer's view. However, there was a consistent and annoying squeak coming from the driver's seat when larger individuals piloted the vehicle; our 230-pound editor-in-chief could even feel the seat frame through the left thigh bolster.
As it stands, we have mixed feelings about Pontiac's latest efforts with its best-selling vehicle. While the car's styling strikes us as overdone, tender touches have been added to the vehicle, including an updated, livable interior and improved road feel and handling. With a price under $20,000, the Grand Am offers some nice standard features like ABS, traction control, a tilt steering column, air conditioning and power door locks. For an extra $595, the optional 3.4-liter, 170-horsepower V6 engine might make this car a good enough value that we could even overlook the cluttered exterior. But, we would also shop the competition's more stylish choices.
We drove a 1999 Grand Am SE2 Coupe slathered in ribbed side cladding that had more creases and wrinkles than my aunt's bulldog. The exterior sheetmetal has a forward sloping pitch and more swoops and character lines than the previous model, which we also thought exhibited exaggerated styling but now seems tame in comparison. Even the wheels are riddled with indentations that collect dirt and brake dust. Our test car came with bright red exterior paint and camel cloth interior trim, both of which would have looked just fine on a car with more subdued and sophisticated styling. As it was, the car looked overdone.
Styling preferences aside, the new Grand Am has improved in terms of handling and refinement. Still, a few days behind the wheel of our test vehicle didn't make any of us want to run out and buy one. Powered by the standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine mated to an automatic transmission, our test car struggled to get up to speed at the altitude of the Mile-High City and its surrounding foothills. Under acceleration, the 2.4-liter engine thrashed loudly enough to quell conversation. Road noise was loud on not-so-smooth highways as well, but the capsule of the vehicle dampened wind noise extremely well, thanks to a 32 percent stiffer body frame and various sound deadeners. An unnerving groaning sound was emitted each time we entered a hard turn while braking, which we attributed to an unidentified problem in the steering column. While we were impressed by the responsiveness of the car on the twisty portion of our test route, we noticed that the suspension crashed over large bumps in the road. The Grand Am was able to brake quickly and securely enough on dry pavement to satisfy us and its tires hugged turns in the twisties quite well, though understeer was apparent.
Inside, we found features both to love and hate. First, the good stuff: Large, clearly marked buttons identified stereo and climate controls with ease. The climate vents that lined the dash worked well due to the number of vents, their large size and easy-to-use design. The glove compartment extended far back into the dash, providing a huge amount of space to store manuals, gloves, maps, sunglasses, chapstick and a number of other items that one may want to stow. We were happy to see that the instrument panel was uncluttered, though the gauges were set deep into hooded binnacles in the dash and made us feel as though we were looking through a pair of binoculars. Happily, they were simple in design and the cupholders were able to hold a variety of different-sized drinks. On a weekend trip to the grocery store, we utilized the huge trunk on the Grand Am and were appreciative of the cargo net, which kept fruits and vegetables from rolling around the spacious trunk during the drive home.
On the down side, we noticed large gaps where the dash panels met and where the dash connected to the glovebox cover. Also, there were no grab handles above any of the four seating positions and, on a trip out to dinner, friends had difficulty entering and exiting the rear seats. The driver's side seat release lever was difficult to manipulate and didn't automatically slide forward, and one person had to squeeze into the back with the driver's seat in an almost upright position. The seat belts on both sides were also in the way. Build quality was also sub-par, with uneven gaps between exterior body panels and misaligned trim.
The driving position was acceptable and visibility admirable, though smaller drivers would benefit from a driver's seat that could raise an inch or two higher, which would make the seating position and visibility nearly flawless in this writer's view. However, there was a consistent and annoying squeak coming from the driver's seat when larger individuals piloted the vehicle; our 230-pound editor-in-chief could even feel the seat frame through the left thigh bolster.
As it stands, we have mixed feelings about Pontiac's latest efforts with its best-selling vehicle. While the car's styling strikes us as overdone, tender touches have been added to the vehicle, including an updated, livable interior and improved road feel and handling. With a price under $20,000, the Grand Am offers some nice standard features like ABS, traction control, a tilt steering column, air conditioning and power door locks. For an extra $595, the optional 3.4-liter, 170-horsepower V6 engine might make this car a good enough value that we could even overlook the cluttered exterior. But, we would also shop the competition's more stylish choices.
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