Pontiac Grand Am reviews

1999 Pontiac Grand Am Walkaround

Last year's Grand Am offered look-at-me styling, but the 1999 model takes this a step further with Pontiac's trademark ribbed body cladding. Ribs are everywhere. They start at the front bumper, wrap around the front fenders, along the doors, down the rear fenders and around the rear bumper. The design is carried through the side mirrors and even the optional rear spoiler employs the rib theme. It all works together, making the new Grand Am a sportier, more attractive car than the '98 model. Body-colored door handles and side moldings enhance the sporty look. Add cats-eye headlamps, a twin port grille, round driving lamps and that wide track stance and there's no question this is a Pontiac.

That wide-track Pontiac stance is even more athletic this year. The front track--the distance between the left and right tires--is a significant 3.3 inches wider, yet the width of the car has increased only 1.5 inches. Likewise, the wheelbase has been stretched a substantial 3.6 inches, while the overall length of the car is slightly reduced. In effect, the wheels have been pushed farther out toward the corners of the car. This gives the Grand Am a more aggressive, sporty appearance. It also increases stability at high speeds, in corners and in cross winds. Grand-Am's 107-inch wheelbase is the longest in its class.

Beneath the Grand Am's sporty appearance is a structure that is 32 percent more rigid than the 1998 model. Pontiac says the new unitbody structure is more rigid than either the Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique or the Nissan Altima. That's good news for drivers and passengers because the stiffer unitbody on the 1999 model allowed GM engineers to design a new three-link rear suspension for more precise control of the wheels and better noise and vibration damping. That adds up to improved handling and ride quality, areas where previous Grand Ams left something to be desired.

More good news: Bigger front brakes have reduced braking distances by 14 percent, according to Pontiac. New aluminum brake calipers reduce unsprung weight, which should improve handling in bumpy corners. All Grand Ams come standard with antilock brakes (ABS) and electronic traction control, both of which make the car easier to control in limited traction situations.

Pontiac is proud of the new Grand Am's rear cornering lamps. Small round lights positioned on the corners of the rear bumper are designed to complement the standard backup lights by directing light at 45-degree angles to the sides and rear of the vehicle. They should help illuminate obstructions and ditches when backing up at night.

Two-door coupe and four-door sedan versions of the Grand Am are offered. The extra two doors cost $200 at all trim levels and the sedan offers slightly more rear headroom, but otherwise they are nearly identical.

A 150-horsepower 2.4-liter twin-cam 16-valve 4-cylinder engine comes standard. An optional 170-horsepower 3.4-liter V6 offers substantially more power than last year's 3.1-liter V6. All Grand Ams come equipped with electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmissions.

Three trim levels are available, SE, SE1 and SE2. Base SE trim comes with air conditioning, aggressive P215/60R15 tires mounted on 15-inch wheels and many other standard features. Grand Am Coupes in SE trim start at $16,395.

With cruise control and alloy wheels, a Sedan in SE1 trim retails for $17,995 and should be very popular.

At the top of the line is the $19,495 Sedan in SE2 trim, which includes the V6 and low-profile P225/50R16 tires on 16-inch alloy wheels.