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Pontiac Grand Am
Continuing on from 1999 Pontiac GrandAm...
My gas mileage in the SE1 V6 has been around 23 miles to the gallon with a mix of city and highway. Probably more highway then city though. I too have been good about not hot rodding around since it should still be on break in. I am hoping that it at least averages 25 after break in.
My gas mileage in the SE1 V6 has been around 23 miles to the gallon with a mix of city and highway. Probably more highway then city though. I too have been good about not hot rodding around since it should still be on break in. I am hoping that it at least averages 25 after break in.
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Poor gas mileage
Wind Noise
Very stiff suspension, feeling all road irregularities
Back up lights filling with dirt and water
Stiff, uncomfortable seats for long drives
Leaking door seals and trunks
Poor legroom for front passenger
Chips in hood paint
Dead spot in center of steering control
Poorly aligned door panels, etc.
Were most of these problems encountered with cars built in 1998 during the GM strike?
I've been polishing and waxing it with Meguiars in my spare time. It always looks slick. My wife thinks I'm nuts spending so much time detailing the car. I even bought all cotton USA bath towels for polishing and waxing.(as suggested from Zaino site)
I was cruising along just 2 days ago at 75 MPH and I really had to look at the speedometer to see that I was going so fast. I couldn't even tell.It's a real smooth ride!
*_DON'T_* run it to the limiter the first day you get it though, wait until after the break in period (or better yet give it a thousand miles and one oil change) before really getting on it. Your new car will last a little longer if you do. Check your tire pressures before making any high speed runs also. Underinflated tires can be dangerous at speed.
mstan1:
I have not washed mine yet once. I wanted to make sure that I did not use the wrong thing and put swirls in the clearcoat or anything. When you wash your do you spray it then apply the polish. I assume that at some point it gets dirty enough that you have to wash it before you can polish it. Also for the rims do you use that no touch ArmorAll on it? Just curious, thanks.
tm2003:
That does not seem like a great deal. Those miles that you are giving up are going to be the best ones for it. I like to keep my cars a long time and how it was treated for those first few thousand miles can make a big difference on how it lasts. I would shop around or getting a lower model new one. I think you will be happier in the long run. They have some rebates and financing going on right now too.
Stephen
You are not only paying for the engine but remember the GT comes with 4 wheel disc (se front disc rear drum) and "sport" handling, and the rims and tires are different. The GT has low profile tires. Also the exhaust system is different.
The thing that I liked about it was that I needed to option alot of things to fully load a se (14 I think) but with the GT I needed only to include 4 options for my car. I left the chrome wheels and leather off.
Besides I think the engine has more than what Pontiac is listing... I will have to check that out
Intercoolers are typically used in supercharged or turbocharged vehicles to cool the intake charge for a greater charge density. It's a small radiator of sorts.
I tried shooting up to 100 and cruising at 80 in my SE1 V6. It's absolutely smooth. But for the traffic conditions I probably could have done a little more.
When I brought my '99 GrandAm SE2 in to the dealer for the 5,000 mile checkup and oil change, the service manager said that they were aware of the CHANGE OIL light coming on as early as 1,200 miles. Mine came on at 5,000 mi. The dealer in your area should also be aware of this and it should be taken care of.No other problems with mine.
Look forward to the new Grand Am Supercharged/Touring edition of the current Grand Am GT. From what I've read, ASC and Pontiac are close to releasing the car into production. In fact, almost all the mods are production ready. The car is incredible! Watch out Grand Prix GTP owners! Basically the car is the new Grand Am GT with the following additions: a Magnusson-Eaton designed supercharger unit, 18" multi-spoke wheels and tires, modified exhaust system, "true" Ram Air designed hood, BMW M3 style ground effects with modified wing, and Recardo leather seats (front and back). The only mod needed to be done to allow the car to meet standard warranty is a modified transmission. This will either be a modified version of the present tranny used in the all new Grand Am's, or a replacement with the 3800's. Although the head designer of ASC wants to see the car get a 5-speed manual. Wouldn't that be great! The car has been track tested and a 0-60mph time has been confirmed at 5.9! That time was taken with the stock 4spd automatic transmission, and on stock 16" Eagle RSA's! Talk about incredible! And the supercharger is only putting out 5psi of boost! Imagine the performance after a pulley changeout. There is no reason that it can't be pushed to 8 or 9 lbs. My guess is that the car can be brought down to the low 5's (0-60). I'll have to look at the article again and see what the 1/4 mile time was. This car is definitely Pontiac's tuning future. If they indeed go with a stick, watch out Camaros, Firebirds, Mustang Cobras (and maybe even Vettes).
I have had my GrandAm SE1 for about a month and have noticed what you are talking about. At first it bothered me but at the same time I noticed how big and well placed the side views mirrors are and now the headrests do not bother me so much. I think if you get the upgraded interior(SE2 maybe) the headrests are of the design with the hole through them. That might help you. I still look to the side to change lanes but the side mirrors are about the most useful I have found in any car I have driven.
Happy motoring.
The only complaint I have about the car is the rearview mirror creates a large blindspot. Now this might be caused by my height (6'2") or the way I happen to sit in the car. Once I discovered the blind spot and learned to correct my driving style to avoid it I can find no other faults with it.
I am more than happy with my Grand Am.
Can I ask you how much you paid for your GT, and what options did you get? I'm in the market for an SE1, but was just wondering. Any help I can get in considering Canadian prices is much needed!
Thanks!
I will be getting a Grand Am SE1 in the next 2-3 weeks. Would appreciate any advice and suggestions so that I can get the best car at the best price.
You should be able to get your car for just a little over invoice without too much trouble and without including any of the rebates available on the car. My SE1 is just over 1 month old. When I got mine there was a factory dealer rebate of $500 and a low finance rate. I was also able to get recent grad and I had GM Card credits. Between all that it was a pretty good deal. One thing that I found annoying was that for the well equipped GrandAm that I got it does not have map lights. Silly on a car with so many other features standard. I would also not pay a lot for the high performance sound system as they call it. The bass is really great but I am not sure it is the clearest sounding stereo that I have heard.
Enjoy your new wheels. It really is a fun to drive car. The molding on the doors do a really good job of fending off door dings.
Stephen
Thanks for your advice. Just a couple of points since you have exactly the same car as I will be getting and I am also a recent grad:
1. Does the "little over invoice' purchase price include the rebates or do they further reduce the final price?
2. Does the 'standard SE1 sound system" include the CD or is that part of the high performance sound system?
3. Did you get a V-6 or the standard engine?
4. Did you get the solid style value package. Is it a good deal or not?
Thanks for your help
Maybe some one can help me with this. I live in NYC and will have to pay 8.25% sales tax if I buy my Grand Am in-state. I was wondering if I can go to NJ, CT, or PA and buy the car there and pay a lower amount of sales tax. A friend of mine told me that I will have to pay the NYS tax if I register the car in NYS no matter where I buy it. Anyone here looked into this and have any information.
Missed one more thing I wanted to ask you, are the invoice and MSRP quoted on the Edmunds site very accurate for the SE1?
Thanks
One more question....I tried asking the dealer @ the recent grad. bonus and he tried to avoid the issue. How can I get this discount and my GM card rebate? Also, the car they showed me, though new, had for some reason a slight chipping of the paint on the driver side door on the corrugations that the Grand AMs have. Could that be potentially dangerous and could I ask the dealer to fix it or give some more discount?
(I had posted earlier a msg about the same car in msg#37)
Yusuf
One more question....I tried asking the dealer @ the recent grad. bonus and he tried to avoid the issue. How can I get this discount and my GM card rebate? Also, the car they showed me, though new, had for some reason a slight chipping of the paint on the driver side door on the corrugations that the Grand AMs have. Could that be potentially dangerous and could I ask the dealer to fix it or give some more discount?
(I had posted earlier a msg about the same car in msg#37)
Yusuf
1)The rebates further reduced the price. So I got it for $179 over invoice and then from that price we deducted the factory dealer incentive, my recent grad and my gm card discount. I was also able to get the 4.9% financing in addition. Worked pretty well.
2)The SE1 standard sound system from what I read in a tape player. There are two upgrades to it. You can upgrade to the CD stereo edition of it or you can upgrade to the high performance 6 speaker sound system(which I have). I figure what the dollar difference is but the regular system should be fine. I got this stereo because it was what was available on the car on the lot. My only requirement was that the stereo had CD.
3)I got the 3400 V6. It runs smoothly and is very powerful. Some friends criticized me for not getting a power moonroof. I was more interested in engine power then a moonroof. The four is also a little buzzy for my tastes but the power is still pretty good.
4)My car did come with the solid style which included the spoiler, the alloy wheels and CD player. I really wanted the aluminum wheels, and CD player so it was a good deal for me. If you are really interested in saving money you could live without these options. I think this package is also responsible for upgrading to the BFGoodrich touring tires. I have been happy with their performance also.
5)I assumed the Edmunds MSRP and invoice were correct and I put together a spread sheet before going to the dealer and found a car that matched pretty well the options that I priced out. When we went to deal I did not tell them any of this stuff or show them anything. They came back with the invoice price which matching up with my spread sheet was very close if not the same. The reason I am not eactly sure is my car included the variable assist steering too and they do not have that listed. To answer your question it should be good to use.
Good luck and enjoy,
Stephen
I would have them discount your car if it has some chipping or pick another one. We have a few dealers in our area around here so if my local one did not make me happy I was ready to go somewhere else. The chip I would not cause any safety issues and should not effect preformence, they probably just hit in their own lot.
If you are recent grad they should be able to take that $400 off right along with the credits from the GM Card. I used them both on mine.
I can say from the performance of mine with V6 is very good. The car stops, corners and accelerates with ease. I hope the reliablity will be good I have seen and heard of planety on old GrandAm going for long distances. My Buick was very reliable so I am hoping the Pontiac is made with similar quality. The resale value will probably not be great but I plan on keeping mine a while. The safety on the edmunds was suppose to be good. I thought I saw on the government site as 4 start from front 3 from side but I will have to check again.
Stephen
I once got a car in CT, registered it in FL, but my primary residence was in Yonkers, NY. I had to pay the Yonkers 8.25% tax.
I have seen a '99 Pontiac Grand AM SE1 which the dealer is offering me at a final price of 17800,inclusive of cost of certain accesories and other unreasonable charges like advertising($180) and handling of documents($349). Now though this car is sitting on the dealers new car lot, it has 4100 mi on it. Dealer's explanation ranging from:"this is a demo car" to "we gave it to one of our employees to ride back and forth from home and work". Does any one have any comment on this. I'd really appreciate any help that anyone can give.
-Yusuf
Wanted your feedback on an offer I have from a dealer for a Grand Am SE1.
Grand Am SE1 with 3.4L V-6, rear deck spoiler, remote keyless entry, low tire pressure, CD player and 15" tires. The car does not have a solid style package and is not a demo car. The price quoted by the dealer is $18,542 (invoice with options 17,956). In your opinions, what price will be a good price for this car? Any and all advice will be appreciated.
One more thing, is the destination charge a part of the invoice price or is it added over the invoice price?
Thanks for all your help.
I have been feeding mine 87 Octane and it has been working fine on it. I did not check the book but I think that is the Octane it recommends for both of the GrandAm's engines.
mstan1:
That must be with all the rebates included. I am not sure which apply to you (GM Card, Recent Grad), but that is a good price. I got an SE1 with every option except a moonroof for $18700, that price does NOT including any of the rebates. My price was a little less then $200 over invoice. I did not think that I could get too much lower then that so I took it. After taking off the 3 different rebates (factory, Gm Card, and Recent Grad) the price seemed pretty good to me. Hope you are enjoying you GrandAm.
Stephen
Stephen
I hope you enjoy your GrandAm. I really like mine. I am still mad at the dealer for over filling it with oil on the first oil change. Over a half quart over filled. I drained out a good part of the excess. I think I will do the rest of its oil changes myself. I keep cars for a long time.
Enjoy,
Stephen
Stephen