Comments: 1-15, 16-17
I Just purchased this car in October 2004 as a used vehicle from a local dealership. So far the car has had no mechanical issues what so ever.
I purchased this vehicle for $15,500 cdn. and believe it is an excellent value for the money. If one was to purchase this vehicle new at $25,000 they would be a fool as it would depreciate incredibly the second they drove it off the lot.
I shopped for several weeks before deciding what vehicle I wanted. I tried the Japanese competition(ie. civic, corrolla, Mazada3, etc.) in my price range and found them to be lacking. While the interiors were very niced executed, the cars had very little power - even when mated to a manual transmission. The Grand Am by contrast almost has too much torque. If you are going to give this car a good shot of sauce while going around a corner, be sure to have two hands on the wheel. This ride has a fair bit or torque steer and caution must be used.
It is fantastic on the highway. The fuel economy is excellent, and the passing power is great. I live in the city and find the fuel economy to be good for a large displacement V6 engine.
In Summary, I find the 2004 Grand Am to be a fun and practicle choice in vehicle. It has great styling (especially since they dropped the ugly body cladding on the SE 2003 model), very resonable power, and nice ergonomics. It is a very easy car to live with. It does what you ask of it readily and with enthusiasm.
I'm glad to hear that you're happy with your Grand Am. In the end, that's what important. But take a closer look at the reviews on the Grand Am and you'll see that there will be many times ahead for you to consider the depth of your love for it. You will probably grow to hate it. I know I did and hope that I can get rid of it and restore some peace in my life.
The reason that the Grand Ams depreciate so much is because nobody wants them, due to poor reliability and such. I paid $25,000 for mine and is presently worth about $5000. You're right. I'm a fool for buying one, but won't repeat this in the future. Take a look at resale values of the Honda and Toyota and you'll see what I mean. And don't forget that I put A lot of money into the car while I've owned it.
The reason you're not having any problems to speak of, with the car, is because it's new. You'll see what I mean down the road. Knowing what I know now, I would advise you to sell it NOW while you can still recover some of its fading value.
Don't take this personally, I'm just trying to help 'ya. I'd hate to see someone else go through what I did with my Grand Am.
Good Luck.
Jim.
The Grand Am is a great car. I've had no major problems with my 2003 SE V6. I don't know what year Jim's is, but cars will depreciate in value over the years. It's not because no one wants them, that's far from the truth. They sell about 200,000 units per year. That's far greater than many new vehicles.
As for poor reliability, that only applies really to older model Grand Ams. Newer Grand Ams only have occasional obstructive issues with fuel injectors (easily cleaned if properly maintained) and window motors (warranty will fix it).
I am very sorry to hear about the problems that you have had with your car. Obviously you are quite upset with the mechanical problems and the dealership service.
I never said that a person would be a fool for purchasing a Grand Am. I said that you would be a fool for purchasing a new vehicle. This is true for any make and model. If I was to go out and buy a brand new Honda Accord it too would lose value the moment it came into my possession. Now you are quite correct that the Grand Am does depreciate very quickly. This is a legitimate issue with this vehicle. However I do not believe that this is because "Nobody wants them". After all It is a tremendously popular vehicle. One reason is due to GM's reliance on selling fleet vehicles and rentals. GM has to ensure that their heavily unionized workers are producing vehicles. They have been the number one automaker for over 70 years and have such a huge number of pensioners and families to look after. Where as the foreign manufacturers have not been producing in North America for nearly as long and do not have the same burden. Rental cars and fleet vehicles are sold annually and generally have a reputation for being a lower quality car.
From your description of your car "It is presently worth about $5000" I assume that it is a early model from the line. Unfortunately first year new model vehicles generally have quality issues. This is true for other domestic and foreign manucfacturer's. Ask someone who has a 1999 BMW 3 series about quality issues. The domestic manufacture's have given themselves the reputation for having lower quality cars than the foreigner's because of the awful cars they sold during the 1980's and that perception has stuck. But the domestics have come around. In a recent JD Power consumer review a 2003 Buick outscored a 2003 Toyota Camry for problems with new vehicles.
I have a warranty on my vehicle until Jan. 2007. If I have had even a fraction of the problems you have had with your vehicle I will most certainly sell it. I still believe that I got a great amount of car for the money and that my Pontiac has for more style and passion than a civic or corolla (which are sort of like appliances. Well made, but basically a boring people mover).
I have a 2004 Grand Am SE with the 2.4L 4cyl engine and I feel the car is a great buy. I like the red glow of the guages and radio, the 16" rims, and the overall cool looks.
The 2.4L 4-banger goes "rrrhhraaaaahhhhh!" over 4,800RPM.
Here's a European perspective.
I've spent 2 weeks driving 1500 miles around Texas.
I found the ride comfortable and the noise levels pretty good, but after that I can't find anything to commend the car unless the price is right.
Steering is sloppy and requires too many turns of the wheel. It may be fine for Interstate Highways, but wouldn't cut the mustard on twisting European Roads.
Engine performance is pathetic for a 3.4 V6 and is similar to that found in a 1.8/2.0 liter BMW. However, the low revs of 1900 rpm at 70 mph make it a nice cruiser.
Plastic interior is cheap and tacky and the Trunk Lid has an annoying habit of falling back down, just as your head is underneath!
Overall, I found it a depressing driving experience lacking all tactile feel of the road and consuming fuel at an alarming rate by my standards (in the UK I normally pay 5 times the price you pay for gas and about 4 times more in France)
Buy if the price is right and you need a cheap long haul vehicle.
Thank you for replying to my review. It's nice to hear a variety of opinions (even if yours is decenting :). Your right! The Pontiac Grand Am is not ideal for the tight, twisting roads of Europe. This is a North American car through and through.
As you obviously know, North American driving habits are all about straight as an arrow highways and stop light launches. In this country if you're not flying down a highway your racing for one stop light to the next. In these areas the Grand Am excels. It is smooth, predicatble, and provides good feedback while crusing at highway speeds. From a stop light this car is feroucious. With 200 lb ft. of torque in a car that ways 3000 lbs it pulls away with the best of them. No, it's not a sports car, but for a mid-size sedan the acceleration is commendable. In N.A. real world driving is all about 0-60 and passing power. We just don't have streets that are hundreds of years old. This car doesn't steer like my old Volvo, but it buries it in straight line power.
As for the fuel economy, it is quite good on this side of the pond. I know that 50% of cars sold in Europe are desiels and fuel efficiency is a priority. As environmentally degradating as it sounds, a litre of gas in this country is cheaper than water. with 30+ MPG on the highway the Grand Am is at least a contender with the competition.
Again I would like the thank you for your response to my review. I just love my new car and thought that your comments deserved a response.
Thank you.
Chris.
Original reviewer here:
It's been almost two years and 32,000 km and I am still very pleased with the car. The car has been virtually maintenance free (other than the regular oil changes). The only issue that has come about was an intermittent clicking noise from the turn signal indicator switch. I could of had the dealership replace it, but instead I removed the switch from the steering column and cleaned it with electrical contact cleaner. Other than this, the car has been perfect.
I have done some mild modifications to the car. I have installed a cold air intake, mass airflow sensor, and a cat-back exhaust. These reasonably cheap modifications have really opened up the cars performance. I have a lot more top end now, and the car is a blast to drive on the country roads. On the cosmetic front I have tinted the windows and have a nice set of wheels and tires. The car looks quite nice, and I get positive comments frequently.
If I could make one recommendation it would be that the SE model is too softly sprung. I realize that It is not a sports car, but I think I may get a set of aftermarket springs and shocks. I find that the car takes a moment to settle over the tires if it is cornered to aggressively. However, roll was much improved when I went to a tire with a stiffer and smaller side wall.
All in all, I am very pleased with my choice of vehicle. It suits my lifestyle well, the insurance rates are reasonable, and while I would always like more performance - it does well for the type of car that it is.
Lower resale value is not ALWAYS bad. I picked up a gorgeous, low mileage 2001 Grand Am SE-1 with the 4 cylinder in early 2003 for just over $8,000. I LOVE everything about this car. I've driven Japanese, German and American cars, and nothing comes close to this one in terms of ride, power, reliability (not one problem in 51,000 miles) or sporty and distinctive styling. My previous car was a gas-guzzling V-8 muscle car and in all honesty, I gave up VERY LITTLE in the area of performance. This little 4-banger will smoke the front tires easily, and get 30mpg doing it!! I've switched to synthetic oil and a K&N air filter, but otherwise haven't touched it. I'm so mad at Pontiac for dropping the Grand Am and replacing it with the ugly, slower G-6. If I ever wear this one out, which is doubtful, as friends of mine have put over 220,000 on theirs, I'll try to find another good used one.
The Grand Am is the absolute GEM in the used car field simply because so many clueless people read idiotic magazine reviews that put it down. I'm indebted to them. Instead of paying 20 grand for a grossly over rated Accord or Camry, I got a far better car for less than half that with only 30,000 miles on it 3 years ago. I have friends that own Camrys and Accords, and I can assure you the ride, handling, and power of my 6 year old Grand Am surpasses all of them greatly. I have yet to have a single problem with my Grand Am, while my Camry-owning friend has already had the transmission fail.
Depreciation is relative. If one pays nearly full list for a Camry or Accord, they will lose about 7 or 8 grand once it is driven off the lot. On the other hand, the much maligned American cars are a far better value in the real world. I purchased a greatly marked down American vehicle in October of 2000. I bought it for nearly $7000 less than list. I drove it over 5 years and sold it this January for just $1900 less than I paid for it 5 years ago. Try that with an Accord or Camry!! Oh, I should also mention that in the 5 years I drove that American made vehicle, it never once required a single repair. My one (and ONLY) Japanese car was a nightmare of mechanical problems. My current car is the best car I've owned since I started driving in 1960. It is a Grand Am.
I bought my 04 pontiac grand am brand new. I only had 13,000
on to it when the oxygen air exchange sensor went out. this was minor and I still could drive it till the new part came in. a few more months down the road and I started to get a lot of clicking from the turn signals. I took it into a g.m. dealer. they replaced the turn signal assembly in the steering column and also the 4 way flasher switch into the dash behind the radio. now I notice the low wind shield washer fluid indicator on the dash isn, t working probably because someone didn, t hook up something the way it was supossed to be. I would take it back in, but it takes a long time to fix it.
Original reviewer here:
The car now has just shy of 50,000 km on it and I still have had no issues. I recently installed an after-market stereo and speakers. For those of you who are looking to upgrade their sound system keep in mind that a lot of the cars functions are tied into the factory deck. If you want swap stereos you need to either keep the original wired up in the trunk or purchase a small computer that plugs in line and takes over the functions of the old deck. I believe that this started with the 2002+ models.
I am still thinking of upgrading my shocks and springs. I like the eibach springs with the kyb agx shocks. These are adjustable shocks so you can manipulate how stiff the ride will be via the dial on the top of the shock. They are pretty pricey, but I think offer the best combination of performance vs. plush ride. The streets in my city (I live in Canada) are unbelieveably pot holed so I am not looking for the harshest ride I can get.
I still very much love my ride. I think that I got a huge bang for the buck. The style, performance, economy, and reliability have all lived up to my expectations. I will definitely be purchasing another GM product in the future. It's going to have to have the 3.6 VVT motor and the new 6 speed automatic with tap shift. Perhaps a Saturn Aura or the new G6 GXP?
For those of you that have facebook: check out my profile at "Pinnacle Auto Detail" to see some photos.
We own a 2004 Pontiac Grand AM 2.2L EcoTech mated to the 4T40E Automatic Transmission.
I too hate that the Grand Am was sacked in favor of the G6, but as we all know, the Grand Am was an aging platform, and in order to stay competitive you have to be progressive.
You could tell before the demise of the Grand Am that Pontiac was more or less pulling the plug on it. No new options, no new performance.
Anyway with that said, my wife and I own a 2004 Grand Am, and thus far it's been a great car. We bought it during the summer of 2006 with 59,000 miles at a steal for $8,500.00. We only drive American cars, and since my grandfather swore by Pontiac, I decided why not.
I have changed the oil every 3,500 miles, checked all the fluids and tire pressure about every 2 weeks. The car now has 72,000 miles on it and I guess my only gripes are for one a "Service Engine Soon" idiot light that started coming on around 65,000 miles, which I drove to a local Autozone to have checked. They traced it to a standard code that was being tripped by the gas cap improperly sealing. Easy fix; turn it to click 4 times after a fillup.
Then we are experiencing a harder than normal upshift from automatic overdrive to third gear on long trips. It's not often, but it happens. This car does a lot of gear hunting on twisty backroads, especially where there are many hills. I feel like this is due to the 2.2L 4 Cyl having a power band that does not make Max Torque until 4,000 RPM.
I can say when I did have to rush my wife to the hospital, I had to push her up to 110MPH, and at that point it felt like it was running out of steam. but from 0-95 it feels very nimble for a 140HP car.
Onward to the interior. The window up and down panel switch on the door panel came loose, and I super glued it back. The seats stain easy, and the plastic sill panels scratch easy too. But all in all, the interior is OK. I love the old school astro vent balls and the gauge package with the red lighting.
As far as gas mileage, I have observed around 26 in the city, and a high of 31.5 on the highway. Not too bad for a Wide-Trac Pontiac "Compact".
But I will say we enjoy the car. It has better than average power in the 2.2L Auto package. It definitely delivers great gas mileage. The interior is a little on the cheaply made side, but hey what's not now. But we would definitely buy another Pontiac.
Hmm, I hear some ragging on the mileage, and a little bragging on the mileage, I drive a 2004 GA SE1, bout 25000 miles on the odometer, little fixed, minor stuff. I get 28 city, and have a high of 33.5 highway. average 30-31 highway.
3.4L with automatic.
To comment 10:39. YOU MAKE ME SICK!!! Actually, I'm just kidding. I just hate seeing all these V-6's getting better mileage than my 2001 SE 4 cylinder!! As much as I love my car (75,000 miles and ZERO problems) it has NEVER delivered the fuel mileage of most V-6's. Even my brother's 3.5 Impala gets better mileage. My highest on the highway has been 30, and that's with a cold-air induction system (made HUGE difference in power) and full synthetic oil.
I hope you enjoy your Grand Am. I've owned over 35 cars (including my current 2007 Mustang) and out of all of them my old GA is STILL the best in my book. I plan to keep it until I die, then try to figure a way to take it with me!!