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Comments
I can defend the cladding on my SE for one thing, though, Wal-Mart door dings. Can't tell you how many smooth-sided cars I have seen which are "ruined" due to the dings. Some sort of cladding would have protected those cars.
My near 50k GrandAm has nary a door ding on it, but rubbing your hand on the side cladding will let you feel the war that those plastic pieces have gone through. You can't see the dings, but they are there on the cladding.
The current rage today is a smooth-bodied car. Granted, that is cool. But, it just ain't practical when having to park in real life parking lots.
Whacko, your last sentence is a bit limiting, though. I don't think I would buy any vehicle based on a single reason.
I don't understand how anyone can say it's an embarrassment to a GA owner to have the bodycladding. I like it because it distinguishes it from all the other bland cars out their. I can't see buying a Camry or Accord because they are just so plain. I want something that looks different. That doesn't mean I'd go buy an Aztek, but the GA GT is cool to me - and I'm almost 40!
I hope this car lasts me to 100K because I like it so much. I'd probably be disappointed with other cars.
So what is better (quality VS price) ?
Thanks for you help...
> go the change oil-company
Go to a company that will rotate your tires for free after you pay for an initial rotation and balance. Discount Tire is one such company. Just pay one time and from there on, all rotations will be free.
I bought a '99 SE 4 door-sedan in metallic gold (believe its called "champagne beige metallic"). Its been a reliable car to own. There is nothing it does exceptionally well, but it does nothing truly bad either.
Being a base sedan, it came well equip with power door locks, air, tilt wheel, AM/FM/cassette, and fog lights. The only options I got was cruise control & an automatic transmission.
Inside you find a big meaty 4 spoke steering wheel. Instrumentation is first rate with a tach, speed, fuel, engine temp gauges all glowing in a deep red @ night. There are plenty of idiot lights to remind you of other things. I wish it had an odometer that could be viewed @ the same time as the mileage meter.
Lots of thoughtful nooks and crannys to store things in, but the front door pockets could be deeper. Perfect placement of remote trunk opener! Its located on the drivers door, making it easy to punch when you get out of the car and want to open the trunk.
I have yet to find the perfect cupholders, and this car is no exception. The two that are provided in the front can only hold cans. I need one that will hold my 44 ounce "Big Gulp" I get every morning on the way to work. I did notice that a 2001 model has another cup holder behind the transmission stick. I wish mine had it!
There is no actual dead pedal to rest your left foot, but there is a non-carpeted spot, its not uncomfortable.
The drivers seat in my car seems "saggy". I've driven a '99 SE1 with the power height adjustment. This feature's ability to adjust the height of the seat, would have solved my complaint, I think. I would strongly recommend going for the SE1 package, I wish I had! (You get a lot of stuff, for not that much money.) The front seats overall are comfortable, but they could be more firm for my taste.
The back seat sits low and you lean back further than I like. The rear glass/roof curviture causes your head/shoulders to be exposed to the sun. GM should provide a rear sun shade, @ least as an option. Two adults in the back seat will be okay, three is pushing it. Rear seat leg room is okay, as long as the front seats are not pushed all the way back.
The trunk is roomy, even though the back seat doesn't fold down unless you order the SE1 package. The liner in my trunk does not "fit". On mine, it dangles out on the sides. I am constantly trying to tuck the fabric in, but it comes out every time. A minor thing, but its irritating. Also, the trunk lid is hard to close. I now have a small indent in the truck from slamming the trunk so hard with my hand.
I have read a lot of owners complaining of the power door locks having to be pushed twice to lock. Its a feature called "delayed locking" and its standard on all Grand Am's. All you do is when you leave the car, push the door lock switch ONCE to lock, you will hear 3 chimes, the doors will NOT lock. 7 seconds later after you have closed the door, all the doors will lock and the lights on the car flash and the horn chirps. What the feature does is gives you a second chance to get back in the car after you have closed the door without having to unlock it. Also, the door locks are programmable. I have read a lot of people complaining about the doors locking or unlocking by themselves and they don't like it. Well, you can program it not to. Read your manual. Its easy.
The paint application is good and the body panels feel "sturdy" and aligned. The doors have a nice "thunk" sound to them, but for some reason, the back doors never FEEL like they have closed. I always open them again and close them again, just to make sure. Now, the left back door's interior light defector pops out every time I slam the door closed... I finally gave up and just left it out.
Those infamous side plastic panels that create such design debate are a bit on the gaudy side, but they sure keep the door dig monster away! No complaints from me.
The base plastic wheel covers (although somewhat attractive) sound like they are going to crack when you hit a bump. Its very, irritating.
As far as the engine goes, I get what I would call "peppy" performance from the base 4 cylinder engine. It can be loud (thrashy) when you stomp the pedal, but its not bad. I get good gas mileage. I've never measured my MPG's, but if I had to guess, I'd say I am getting in the low 20's in mostly city driving. I have had no mechanical problems other than one time it mysteriously refused to start. When it was towed to the shop, nothing could be found wrong and it started right up again. ???? It never happened again. Other than that, the car has been pretty much trouble free.
So what do I NOT like about my Grand Am? Well, I hate the daytime running lights! I almost did not buy this car based on it having them. GM makes it difficult to disconnect them. If you pull the fuse (which I tried the minute I brought it home), you do without gauge lights + an idiot light remains lighted all the time. You also have to deal with an additional number of very loud warning chime notes every time you start the car. I would really like to have the option to turn my own lights on or off! GM should make them a no/low cost option and gives us a choice!
Speaking of chime notes, when your gas tank nears empty a very LOUD chime warns you (along with a light on the dash). The chime startles me EVERY TIME! It also scares your passengers, and you have to start explaining to them that "every thing is okay". GM has gone overboard on all of the various lights, chimes and reminders their cars come with. They must think we are all idiots. Probably afraid of a law suit because somebody has sued them for running out of gas and the car not telling them to fill up!
I have had a recurring problem with my gas cap. If you don't put the gas cap on "just right", the "check-engine" light comes on the dash. I've also had an electrical demon in the dash that makes the gas gauge fly between E & F (which causes that loud chime to go off!), I think its related to the same problem with the gas cap. Last time I took the car in for maintenance, they checked it out and couldn't find anything wrong. They referred me to my owners manual about properly putting the gas gap on. I can't seem to find out what I am doing wrong. ???
The brakes make me a little nervous. Again, they FEEL a little weak. I've found myself on several occasions mashing the pedal down harder than I expected to have to.
Overall, I am happy with my purchase. If anyone has any questions/comments that I can answer, I will be happy to do so.
What I can't understand is why so many people are opposed to the daytime running lights. I really have no strong opinion about the DRL's, other than I'm all for being as visible as possible during the day. I can't tell you how many times I've driven in other cars and said "that guy didn't even see me".
But anyway, thanks so much for your thorough review. And also, I consistently get 24 mpg in 1/3 city, 2/3 highway driving.
I wish I had @ least gotten the SE1, but @ the time, my plan was to use the Grand Am as my "work" car and didn't see the need for all the options, since my goal was to use it to drive back and forth to work in. Now, I find myself driving it most of the time, simply because I enjoy it. Your absolutely right that had I @ least gotten the SE1, most of my irritants would have been solved. The GT is sharp, but if I had gotten it, I would have babyed it too much. I wanted something I didn't have to worry about.
I live in the Gulf Coast of Texas (Houston) where it rarely frosts, much less snows. DRL's were created for places like Canada where cars could not be seen in snowy conditions without their lights on, so DRL's became mandatory. My personal belief is that GM decided it would be easier to put DRL's on all their cars then to make some with and some without and claim it was for our safety.
I think the reason I hate them so much is simply I don't like having decisions made for me. Selfish I know, but it really bothers me that I have absolutely no control over whether my lights are on or off. We went camping recently and took the Grand Am and I actually got pulled over in the campground for not driving with my parking lights on. I explained to the patrol man I couldn't turn my lights off because they were automatic (they had signs posted to "drive slowly with parking lights only" as not to disturb other campers @ night.
I realize things like that don't happen very often in the real world, but when it does, it confirms my belief that I should have the right to decide on whether I want my lights on. I wouldn't mind if they came on when the wipers were started, if the concern is safety and being seen in bad weather, but to just have them on all the time for no other reason than to say it makes me more visable is a "cop-out" as far as I am concerned. Cars still pull out in front of me and cut me off all the time, so DRL's don't seem to effect careless drivers. Maybe I am just paranoid, I don't know... I just don't like being told what to do, we have enough intervention in our lifes by government and big corporations without them making simple decisions for us.
Toyota/Lexus initially began putting them in all of their cars and soon backed off deciding to make DRL's an option. From what I have read, they don't have many people checking the DRL box to order them.
See you live in NJ. I lived there for 2 years in the mid-90's. Loved it and miss living there.
Take care.
Maybe I'll check on that cupholder while I'm @ the dealer!
Thanks again!
Back to the bodycladding issue: Why is it that the Grand Am, and Pontiacs in general, always get hammered on this issue? Have you looked around at other vehicles recently? On the way to work I must have seen 10 different models with overdone body cladding and no one ever mentions them.
Have you seen a Jeep Grand Cherokee? It has mega cladding and it's a different color than the rest of the vehicle. How about a Mitsubishi Eclipse - almost identical to the Grand Am. And then there's the Subaru sedan - same deal.
Almost every SUV (especially the small ones) has body cladding up the wazoo, usually two-tone so that it stands out even more.
If people hate body cladding, they should be mentioning all these vehicles, not just pick on the Pontiacs all the time.
Who'd have thought a guy approaching 40 would be getting this excited about a car? Then again - look at my post name!
rpm9-believe it or not, there has been a few times I wanted to sneak up on friends/family in my car and couldn't because I couldn't turn off my lights....part of my demented sense of humor...
midlifecrisis-Do you remember back when we were in high school and we would get into debates with our buddies over what GM and Ford stood for? Being a GM guy, I always would argue it stood for "Great Motors" or "Go! Motors" and Ford stood for "Fix or Repair Daily" or "Found on Road Dead", and then my Ford buddies would come back with "First on Race Day" and "Gonareah Motors"...well I think that is the link back to the body cladding debate on Pontiac's, since the Grand Am is the most popular of Pontiac's current line up...it takes the brunt of the attacks. I would suspect that most of the people attacking the Grand Am are not fans of GM or American cars in general.
I think SUV's get away with all the cladding because there is perception out there that it looks "rugged". The Escalade and Denali have a lot of cladding on their sides too. Your right about the Eclipse, it looks just like the cladding on the GA. I have read alot of reviews of the Eclipse where the cladding is mentioned and the GA is referenced.
I don't have remote entry, it comes standard on the SE1, but not on the SE. I don't think it would help me with my door problem. I can unlock the door, it just won't open from the outside.
Since we are very close in age (I will hit the big 4-0 in August), I think its perfectly okay to be excited about your car! If I recall, you have a GT. What is scary is that I get excited about a base model SE with a 4 cylinder and 4 doors (well 3 that work)!
nerss-Thanks for your concern...I'm going to take it in for a repair Monday afternoon once I am back in Houston.
Driving up here yesterday in the rain, the GA handled well. I am one of those annoying drivers that come flying past you in the fast lane in the rain...I got behind a little S-10 that had a radar detector and followed him until he got off @ a rest area. I don't drive reckless, I just like to get where I am going and I never weave in and out or speed in high traffic. I do go through bouts of road rage...but I try very hard to keep calm. I'm a classic type A personality, and NOT proud of it. I don't have Goodyear tires....I have B. F. Goodrich, Touring TA's. They seem to be good all around tires. I have read a lot of comments about the GA not being a good handler @ high speeds, but I have no complaints.
I can't help you "vocus", I am only 5'8 and 165lbs, so I have more than enough room. I do have a couple of buddies that are in the 6'3 range that have commented that they are comfortable in the front...I drove to a ball game one night and one of them got stuck in the back seat and wasn't too happy with the leg room. As long as your comfortable, don't worry about what people say you "look" like in it.
Well guy's, wish me luck! I am leaving in the a.m. to head back to Houston. The weatherman is predicting snow all the way into East Texas, so if you see on the news a Gold Grand Am SE Sedan trapped in a snow bank with someone trying to pry the drivers door open, its me inside!
Take care all!
Billy
Having your lights always on will not cause a safety concern. The same cannot be said for driving with your lights off.
By the way, some cars DRL's will go off when the emergency brake is engaged. Not sure if this is so on GM's. You can sometimes pull up on the brake handle slightly, and the lights will go off. Give it a try, but don't damage your brake!
Brian
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada (where cars cannot be seen due to heavy snowfall)
While it's not the greatest car in the world, it's a great value. V6, steering wheel controls for stereo, programmable door-lock action, I love the auto head lamps (never have to worry about forgetting to turn them on or off), courtesy and auto-theater lighting, etc. Precise steering and handling. All this for under $20k ain't bad. Plus GM had some really low financing when I bought it. Almost like free money.
Though the has had no major problems, I few annoying things:
1) The Delco stereo- know that continously variable volume control (it's opto-electronic)? When it is really cold in the morning, if I try turning down the volume, it goes UP. The steering wheel control is fine. Anybody else seen this?
2) Sound system- for an "upgraded" sound system, it sucks compared to the Bose in the PF. I suspect that replacing the factory speakers would help a lot. Anybody have good sucess with this, especially the high-mounted door tweeters?
3)Those freakin' cup holders- whoever is the design genius who put them IN FRONT of the shifter should be shot. I saw the pop-out ones on the 01 GA, much better.
That's all for now... glad to be here!
TC
Has anyone had a problem with their seat not leaning back? I had it happen when I first got the car (Bad timing because I was on a road trip to DC and found out when I tried to lean back and go to sleep for a bit.) I took it to the dealer, and the guy just got in and yanked the handle really hard while leaning back forcefully. Here 2 years later, it locked up again...so I tried yanking the handle and it came off in my hand. Dealer here I come.
Overall, I really like the car though. And I can't even come close to these payments when my lease ends in June!
Mike Brewer
99 Grand Am SE1
> it sucks compared to the Bose in the PF. I
> suspect that replacing the factory speakers
> would help a lot. Anybody have good sucess
> with this, especially the high-mounted door
> tweeters?
The Impala guys have been complaining about this also. Their solution has been to by-pass the trunk-mounted audio amp and they claim the sound is incredible as a result. Apparently, the speakers are much better than the standard speakers and with the amp disconnected, the radio pumps out enough juice to net a good sound.
I have the SE-1 and the CD head unit. Sounds great to me (no trunk amp), but then, I don't pump the audio up particularly loud. The lows and highs sound wonderful to me. The tweeter really enhances the sound. I previously had a '96 GrandAm without tweeters and I'm amazed at the audio difference.
The most depressing thing about my car now is that it has snowed almost every week since mid-December in NJ. My car is bright red and begs to "glow" in the sunlight. It hasn't even been worth washing it since the snow started. There's so much road salt and grime that it makes the car look white. I have hosed it down a few times because I just can't stand to see the poor car suffer like that! LOL...
It also stinks not to be able to use the sunroof. But when it's always below freezing it isn't even worth opening. Bring on the Spring - please.
Taking mine into the shop tomorrow to get the door fixed.
That's what I miss about being in New Jersey...the snow! Down here its spring by mid-February.
I can remember one time up there trying to wash my Integra in the winter and the water actually freezing to the driveway as I washed it. Almost broke my neck. Most of my neighbors up there always referred to me as that "dumb Texan"
Stay warm!
Also, how difficult is it to put an aftermarket cd player in the Grand Am? Thanks.
Alpine. That is what I have in my Blazer and I love it. The only drawback is that it renders any remote stereo controls on the steering wheel inoperable. Good Luck on your purchase.
Is this Alpine a double DIN reciever or does it require an adapter kit? Also, what color is the display? I have a single DIN Pioneer in my current car that I love, but the display is blue, which I feel will look lousy with the red dash lights.
If anyone has swapped their stock deck with an aftermarket that fits and looks good, please let me know. Thanks.
http://www.kbb.com/kb/ki.dll/kw.kc.tp?kbb&&32&split
Good luck...
Can't help you out on the CD replacement issue.
Does removal of the stock stereo effect the theft deterant system? Thanks.
By the way, got to lookin @ my 30k service receipt and noticed the following:
Recall 00036--CK on RECALL
Completed
Latch 10.268
Replaced under warranty.
Does anyone know what that is about? I never got anything in the mail, nor did my service advisor tell me they had done some type of warranty work.
???
Thanks!
Manufacturer: GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Mfg. Campaign #: 00036
Year: 1999
Make: PONTIAC
Model: GRAND AM
Potential Number of Units Affected: 487400
Manufactured From: OCT 1997 To: SEP 1999
Year of Recall: '00
Type of Report: Vehicle
Summary:
Vehicle Description: These vehicles do not comply with the occupant protection requirements of FMVSS No. 201, "Occupant Protection in Interior Impact." The console cover on these vehicles does not stay closed when a specified vertical load is applied.
In the event of a crash, the console cover could open and the cover or items stored under it could injure an occupant.
Dealers will replace the console latch mechanism. Owner notification began June 9, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537 or Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737. Also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Take care.
TC
In the GA, I have noticed some rather bothersome wind noise, but I assumed it was coming from the side mirrors.
Thanks again for the info...you know, you did tell me to get the service dept. to look @ the trunk latch...unfortunately, I walk around in a cloud of confusion most of the time...
Take care.
I just took delivery of a Lexus RX300 on Monday. You sometimes forget the engine (220hp) is on it's so quiet!
My guess in your case is that something probably nicked/scratched/rubbed the top layer of the chrome and allowed the rust process to start.
TC
But all it takes is one pen to come flying out that glovebox, during an accident, and poking someone in the eye. The lawyers will have a field day.
8-P
Went out this evening and examined my chrome door trim around the doors carefully. No rust or discoloration on mine.