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Pontiac Grand Prix - 2000-2005
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Comments
As far as the Camry having the same underpinnings as last generation I don't think it does. The 1992-1996 and 1997-2001 Camry's did share the same platform I think though.
As far as interiors yes GM's interiors are behind the competition but they always have been it seems.
Has anyone tried scaping these off with any success?
As for the interior of the 2004; I spent over a week in the 2004 and have owned a 2000 GTP and now have a 2003 GT. Cosmetically, the interior of the 2004 does not seem like a leap forward to me. I much prefer the "matte" finish of the hard plastic in my 2000/2003 over the shiny grainy pattern in the 2004 GT I drove. I also think Pontiac could have made the gauges a bit more subtle(big chrome rims started to distract me after a few days) and smaller; making room for the missing voltmeter, oil temp gauge...
But most of the rest of the car(with the exception of the cloth pattern) looks like moves forward. As Car and Driver put it in their July article "its evolving at its own pace".
I still love driving the GP and the competition is stiff in this category... I've driven most of the others and there isn't one in the bunch(Mazda6, Altima, Camry, Accord, Grand Prix, and even the Maxima) that hits all my priorities and likes. I bought the 2003 GT because after all the discounts and rebates it was a super bargain. I daily commute ~70 miles so I run up miles rather quickly, and after 4/5 years the difference in value between a GP or other isn't nearly as significant as the discounted purchase price. Now if I were inclined to have to pay MSRP, well the choice would push me more to the Mazda6 or Accord V6....
Normally, I keep my cars 4 or 5 years, but I think I probably won't be keeping the GTP beyond 1 to 3 years. By then it'll be interesting to see how the CTS has evolved, whether Lexus has ironed out its ES300 transmission issues, and what Buick has in store for their revamped 2005 lineup.
Regfootball, Great priceo n the SHO, i considered on in 1997 new but didn't think it merited $30k. I think that is why FOrd dropped it after 1999, why buy a SHO for $30 when you can get a GTP for $25k. But at high speeds they SHO's move. A GTP is much easier/cheaper to mod and always wins at the 1/4 race track, I agree the '97 to '03 GTP look better then the '04 GTP, my opinion. The SHO is fast... nice car.
I can't see how the new '04 GTP is 80% new parts, when it uses the same W body platform and drivetrain from 1997 ?? To me those are the most important parts. Yes the HUD is a must have, I fell in love with it since I had it in 1997 and was annoyed that the redesigned 2001 Aurora did NOT even offer the HUD as an option? NIce right?
The 2004 GTP interior is still NOT as good as the competition's interiors, by far, esp after sitting in the new Accord/Max. Doesn't even come close.
My 2001 I30t has 10x better interior then the 2004 GTP.
In 2001 the ES300 was too floaty/boaty for me, the I30t handled much better/road sportier and was cheaper. After my probs with the '95 Aurora, i diid NOT buy the new for "01 Aurora.
All cars have their problems and pluses/minuses. If the GTP had the XG350 interior it would be pretty nice. LOL
I would rather buy the Max if the pricing was similar. the Max will have a higher resale valu down the road and most likely be more reliable/better built. I do NOT care for the front end of the new Max, but hey aftermarket parts can take care of that. The interior is nicer in the new max and I believe the new max is a larger/bigger car inside as well then the GTP?
Dan165, roughly 20% of 2002 GP sales were COUPES... 2003 GP sales were down, coupe cost them 20% of sales. About 25% of all 1997-2002 GP sales werer coupes, so GM just lost 20%+ of its potential customer by dropping the coupe.
They have forever lost me as a GP customer unless they bring back the coupe !! In 2006 I will be looking elsewhere, not at a GTP.
Why does POntiac still make the Sunfire/Grand am in coupe version?
I don't know about you but I have young kid at home and have no problem at all getting him in and out of the 2002 GTP, while I see people struggling getting their kid into these high off the ground SUVS..
I can fit just as much in my GTP coupe as people can fit in their camaccord taruaus.
Remember I bought a new 2001 I30t, that I traded in my 1995 Aurora on, so I am NOT as young as you think !!
Thanks.
After a day, I'm impressed with the ride quality and low noise. Dry traction is fine and I'm still to check it on wet pavement.
re : coupes, even people I do know that would drive a coupe drive a sedan or a truck. Sedans are just more practical in every way. Just my opinion, not 'FACT'. I do know that sales of coupes has been falling for years though, even in the compact car arena.
There just aren't as many coupes these days as there were in the 70's before the baby boomers began having kids.
The interior of the 2004 is stil Very POOR/CHEAP compared to the competiition my opinion and and i have the vast majoirty if not all the press behind me on that issue.
You can NOT fit much anymore in a GTP Sedan that you can fit ina GTP coupe. THey are the same 99 cu ft sized cars with 16 cu ft trunks. If that is the case, why does the Ford Mustang easily outse ll the GP?? Why do they solara and Accord coupe continue to sell? Why does the MOnte SS continue to sell? Why were nearly 25% of 1997-2002 GP sales copues then? Answer that? Grand Prix lost nearly 25% of its prospective buyersr when they killed the coupe including me.
FYI... the GTP coupe has nearly 1/2 inch mor legroom then the sedan, go figure? 35.8" for the sedan and 36.2" for the coupe, these are the 1997-2003 figures...
Just my theory of course....
I don't buy the agrument that many posed that they need miinivansj/station wagons and SUV's for their kids, my son fits in my 2002 GTP coupe with no problem at all, in fact I can take him and put him in easier then mose parents can in their monstrous gas guzzling SUV's. I have put 2 kids in and I stil have a cool head turning car to boot, not some boring minivan that sucks gas and can't move out of its own way.
baby Boomers were born from '46-'64. You are right, more and more people are moving away from coupes, I guess I'm one of those that will not. To each their own.
I don't buy the arugment that sedans are much better, the GP coupe/sedan were the same size car and coul carry just as many people/stuff. Im not trying ot force my opinon on people, just asking why? Knowone has given me an tangible proof, I have written and questioned GM and they they say nothing or claim it's sales which is BS.. nearly 25% of GP sales were coupes. That is an instant 25% loss right there by cancelling it. I do NOT like the MONTE Carol looks at all, personally I think the GP coupe looked 10x better.
At least the 2 door GP coupe didn't look like your typical rent-a-car 4 door Grand Prix you see with the little E symbols on them. I like the 2 door because it stands out wheverer I go, there are about 8 GP's in my neighborood and I have the only coupe.
Having said all that, I saw a new '04 today in the metallic orange color with charcoal leather, ands it looked nice except for the hard plastic on the dash and console. The lack of Uglycloth (TM Regd.) makes a huge difference.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Whatever Pontiac/GM put out as the "official" communication as to why the coupe was dropped may only have a hint of the real reasons behind the decision. I theorize the decision was made several years ago as a cost cutting move and once they identified the GTO coupe as an offering they figured those really wanting a performance coupe would be wiling to move up the $5K or so to get one...
Then again I could be all wrong and they based it on low margins even tough it was 25% of sales...
then again evandro may be closer with the Camero/Firebird theory...
Needless to say, they dropped and will loose a few customers because of it... figuring the new GP would be good enough/better and pick up some customers from the other brands...
I don't care for the looks of the Monte Carlo either. The mid to late 90's Monte Carlo might have been bland but it looked alot better than the 00+ Model. The GTO on the other hand looks awesome!
Evandro, I heard the GTO was the REPLACEMENT for the cancelled Firebird/Transam. Same rear drive and 5.7L Vette derived engine.
Orwoody, lets hope GP someone reclaims those 25% of customers that wanted coupes someother way, It'ss funny that they haven't killed the Grand Am or Sunfire Coupe yet? as it stands Now I Will NEVER be buying a GP again unless they come up with a coupe. I never bought the Transam/camaro/Mustang, because insurance costs were 20% higher and they are NOT as roomy as my FWD GTP coupe was, and yeah I can drive the GTP in the snow with confidence, try that in a F body....
Carguy 58, the GTO looks nice, I might have to put up the extra $5k to get one if it is still around by 2006.
Why must I have to hear about the uglycloth and 2-door coupe ad nauseum?
Is there anyone out there that actually owns an 04 that can contribute something to these discussions? Someone that can actually compare an 04 to a 97-03 based on real experience (not one test drive)?
BTW - I looked at an 03 MC at the showroom. Then my daughter opened up the massive sized door right into the car sitting next to it. That was the end of considering the MC. I can't deal with doors that are 10' long!
Then why does Pontiac stil make the Sunfire and GrandAm coupe at this time?
The GTO replaced the F body Transam/Firebird in Pontiacs LIneup. similar rear drive and 5.7L V8 setup. The Gto is not as big or roomy as the GTP coupe and costs alot more $$, not to mention at least 20% more to insure. GTO looks ok, but I thought my coupe looked better. Good luck having to drivin in the snow here in New York in the GTO, my FWD GTP had no problem. GTO is a nice car and I may consider one. I would never buy the 1st year, because dealer markups will be outrageous in year 1, remember the Tbird?
It is rumored for year 2 of the GTO that they will have a dual ehaust system with better sound, which they couldn't put on the 1st models in time. Wieth 340hp it should go regardless.
I remember in HS having a used 1974 GTO the last year, which was nothing more then a Ventura/ Nova platform with the 350 V8, that wasn't too fast or exciting. Only around 180HP? Car was only about 6 yrs old and I had done major mods to it like dropping a truck 454 with 250 hp in it/conservative pwr ratings at the time ,but a hell of alot better then the stock 350, Then I got rearended and that was the end of it.. oh well... Wish I had that back.
I have had a coupe for many years and the door is NOT 10 foot long...
THe door is roughly around 4.5 ft long/ Exact measurements are 4 foot 8 inches ONLY 1 foot longer then the sedan front door which is about 3ft 8 inches long.
Not sure where you got 10 feet from, not even close. Remember the coupe has nearly 1/2 an inch more of rear leg room. 36.2 vs 35.8 inches, go figure.. LOL
And yes you have to more slightly more careful when parking in tighter spots with the coupe, because of the extra 1 foot, but I parking in garages at malls and in Manhatten al the time and have no problems... just have to be carefull
Not sure about now, but back in 1997 the Coupe was $1,000 cheaper then the sedan... in 2002 it was only $100 or $200 less then the sedan, buy hey, stil less money !!
On top of it my opinion the cloth patterns just looks plain ugly, leather looks alot nicer.
Same in my house, all leather couches/chairs etc. because of the kids.
On the GTP leather was cheap $500 option, if that? With my kids, well worth it.
Yes there are disadvantages of leather, like hot in the summer/cold in the winter, But I had an aftermarket heated seat added to my passenger side seat and backseat for under $250 installed.
Uusally once a year I use the Meguairs leather cleaner/conditioner one step stuff to keep the seats looking/smelling new.
My 1997 GTP leathet seats looked very good when I traded it in in 2002, near new
Yes, I have owned both a '97 and '02 GTP and have been given a 2004 as a company car, the "04 is smoother/quieter, better quality leather seats, less windsound at highway speed but didn't feel any faster. It did handle better, but the backseats were worse. To me it was an overglorified 1997 that was refreshed/restyled for 2004. I don't see enough improvements ot warranty buying one, esp with the $3k and $4k rebates no longer in place. THe tapshift was useless. Also the ride is just as harsh as my '02 GTP. To me it is a free company car so I could care less. To me it is nothing more then an overglorified 1997 with sound deadening/handlinga and slightly better interior/leather if you are buying a 2004 you are buying a 1997, same underpinning and and 200hp drivetrain. Just improved upon for 2004/ I don't consider it an all new revision. Pontiac claims 80% parts are new, but how can that be when it uses the same platform/drivetrain from 1997? Good luck, its a nice car, just doesn't compare to the competitors. The competitors have made many more improvements since 1997 then the GP has. I'm NOT an accord/camary fan, but Sit in one much big dif in quality.
I will NOT be taking clients in this car, esp after last month, I had clients complain about the 2004, esp backseat, calling the car typical GM junk, I will now be using my 2001 I30t for that which overall is a much better car, esp the interior. Before this I used to use my 1995 Aurora which clients loved.
gunit : Midsize coupe sales have been falling for years. Honda makes one because Toyota makes one and vise versa. It's called not loosing a customer. Since GM has other coupes available and coming, they could cut one. Not hard to understand.
yes midsized coupes sales have been falling I agree, but 25% of GP buyers bought coupes from 1997-2002 the numberd don't lie. WHy does GM still make the MC then? GP will loose customers by dropping its coupe, that is a fact, 2004 sales are below the levels of 2002 sales. They are only only 10% above 2003 sales. Not good. Why did CHrysler come out with the crossfire for 2004 if there is a shinking market for coupes? I Love the crossfire, SLK320 with a $10k rebate, brother in law just got one, very nice car. WHy did the solara come out for 1999 in a shriking market? Care to explain?
What other coupes does GM have coming that are of equal size and space to the W bodies? Yes since this a Grand Prix board and I own one unlike some other people here I thought it a relavant topic. I'm one of the 25% of people GM has cut off.
February? That's when the Mazda6 hatchback/wagon and the Malibu Max and the Mazda3 wagon will all be out--at least by then.
GM reads these boards. They can and may take into account what they read here. I was presold on the 04 GP. Then, sadly, I got to see/drive one.
<<. Says Lutz: "We want to make Pontiac an affordable, American BMW.">>
Good luck, they should have tried that awhile ago.
<In time, many Pontiacs will share platforms and suspensions with high-end Cadillacs and Saabs. But it could be years before enough new cars arrive to make a difference.<<
They should have been doing this years ago. Now they have to play big time catch up.
<<Likewise, the new Grand Prix that arrives in showrooms this month was engineered to drive with tight steering and fun handling. But it's built with the same engine and platform as the current 1997-2003 car and with similar styling.>>
True again, not enough changes, just new sheetmetal and little improvements here and there, the 2003 was a much better car with the $3k rebate then the 2004, I own and drive both a 2002 and now 2004 company car
The Mazda 6 sedan is pretty nice, haven't driven one yet.
As I have said before the 2004 GTP doesn't enough improvements over my '97 and current '02 GTP,same drivetrain/same platform, same cheap interior the interior in the '04 GTP is the worst I have ever sat in for a car that MSRP close to $30k loaded, not much of a step above my '97 or '02 interiors. The rebates on the '02 more then made up for the interior.
How can Honda can make a 10x better interior and better reliability for $30k then the GTP can? What is wrong with GM? Sit in a Accord, just as nice as my '01 Infiniti I30t.
The lack of the coupe finally killed it for me,
I amy be going with a GTO in 2006 if is around by then.
Good luck.
But if Pontiac is really aiming at becoming more BMW-like, perhaps a RWD Firebird would be a better coupe than the GP. Then again, what do I know?
;-)
Check the dimensions on the Monte Carlo door length versus the GP. I'm sure it is quite a bit longer. I overexaggerated the 10' for effect.
I'd bet GM killed the GP coupe to save money, and designed the 04 GP to look like a 2-door. I think they succeeded in that regard, whether it is a good thing or not. Personally I can't deal with a 2-door car, but it is just a matter of suiting your needs. I can't imagine having a 2-door and having to drive co-workers/clients around in it. I would probably buy a Mustang for pleasure driving only, since no one can sit in the back seat anyway.
The only reason I even considered the MC is because I thought it looked sharp in competition yellow, and I don't like the Impala styling at all. But if you have power front seats, they don't slide forward on their tracks, thus you have to fold the seat forward and crawl through a small opening, without strangling yourself on the seat belt. No thanks.
About the interior it is improved from the 97 GP model. I know auto magazines have ripped GM for the interior including one automotive magazine calling one of the interior parts a cheap film camera. The Altima is selling and the interior is not that good. I hope Nissan does something with that interior for the 04 model year.
Gunit, It would be appreciated if you toned down your put downs of the 04. Some of us really like the car and know there is more to it than a lack of a new engine and coupe version. You may not like the car, but telling us 04 owners how bad it is all the time is not needed.
Gunit, Coupes are a dying breed in the midsize world. Here in Toronto downtown (expensive real estate), parking spots are very small so coupes are indeed inconvenient. Of course that does not explain the demise of the coupe. My take on it is sedans are just better looking than they used to be and more convenient so they have taken sales away from coupes.
Midlife, Mote Carlo has a much better dash than the Impala. I was surprised how different it was. GM should put the Monte dash in the Impala, it would be a big improvement.
As for loading, having a seperate set of doors is more convenient than a coupe in every sense no matter what you say. I know you can get your kids in/and out, I'm not questioning you fitness. It's a matter of doing it and other things with less effort.
I saw Nissan is offering 0.9% for 60 on it now in the US.
I admit GM has produced some cars with crappy interiors. A few I've owned had to have work done on them. But it was under warranty, and a dashboard pad that warps is not something that leaves me stranded on a country road at 2 am.
For me, GM has put quality in the drivetrain and other important components. Yes, I've had a few aggravating fixes done to my GM vehicles, but I still find them to be reliable.
The MC and GP coupe are the same sized car so I would imagine door length to be similar, 4.5 feet, 1 foot longer then the sedan.
I own both 2 door peformance cars and 4 door luxury sedand since I bought my first new car in 1986, always have always will. I do NOT drive clients around in the 2 door,, you are right. I do NOT drive prospective clients around in a GP, last time I did, it was a rental GT, they were very annoyed and put off for some reason.
You can't compare the mustang and GP coupe, the GP coupe is ALOT ROOMIER, actually 36.2" vs 35.8 vs the sedan. The coupe has more rear leg room.
The right front seat of my 1997 and 2002 GTP coupe slides forward instantly on its track allowing very easy access to the back seat.
The MC door length is probably is the same 4.5 feet length of the GTP coupe door, 1 foot longer then the sedan, big deal.
Gm probably killed the GP coupe to save $$, and its rumored they may kill the MC coupe if sales don't pick up that is why the superchared MC for '04 is coming out, only 4 yrs later.