Nothing has gone wrong with this car yet!
Terrific Car!
The car handles great.
It is a V6, looks great and picks up speed well. I feel like everyone is looking at what a great car it is.
I was nervous about buying something out of my normal make (Dodge), but this car makes me feel 'happy'.
You must remember the the 3400 SFI motor is an overhead valve design. It produces less horsepower than and overhead cam engine, but makes an abundance of low rev torque and is more reliable in terms of design (no rubber belt holding your valves, etc from crashing into each other.) Put a cold air intake, mass airflow sensor and a cat back exhaust on it and you'll be close to 200hp at the crank. Besides a '04 grand am costs a lot less than a '04 accord. So for roughly 8-10k less you get a nice torquey V6 and a lot of room to modify it if you so desire. Besides it is way sexier than a japanese car and less money to maintain than a european vehicle.
As for the interior I personally like it. It's old school Pontiac. My SE1 has an automatic down feature with the drivers side window. As for steering wheel mounted audio controls the SE2 has those as an option.
Why did you buy this car if you hate the interior and dislike the engine so much? I am very happy with my '04 grand am and believe I made a solid purchase.
I am not saying this to be offensive, but as an electrical engineer, I often cannot help but laugh when people brag about options such as memory seats, windows that go up themselves, etc, and that Mercedes and company are so high tech for having them. Those options cost about $2.00 each to implement, and are about as basic technology as you can get, even back in 1980, as someone mentioned. Yet, people spend an extra 10-20K on cars for that flashy nonsense, and think they have the cutting edge.
I personally prefer the stripped down models, because there is less to go wrong. Cars today are not remotely worth what manufacturers are charging for them. I refuse to buy a new car for that reason. The notion of people financing their lives away for cars (and everything else), thinking it will change their lives, is absolutely ludicrous to me.
I agree with you completely. The more "features" that a car has the more that can go wrong. There are a lot of vain people who believe that a fancy car will project a certain image of success or prestige to others. If you are a status whore and need to have the recognition of others inorder to feel good about yourself than there is no helping you. No matter how elite your car is there is always someone who will have more. Life is not about how much or what you have. However there is a significant market for luxury vehicles and it seems to drive the auto industry. Lets face it, you will never legally be able to push your car to the limits so what is the point of having the fastest car this side of the race track? I think that I made a good purchase with my Grand Am. I like the car for its simplicty and functionality.
Thank you for responding to this thread. All opinons are welcome here and that's what I enjoy about this site.
To the fellow who was gushing over the Honda horsepower numbers: Take a look at the newest ratings on their motors. Since the Japanese adopted the new SAE standard (using stock intake and exhaust and recommended grade of fuel) their numbers have dropped 10 - 15 HP at least. Most of the domestic manufacturers have gone up or atleast stayed the same. Also with the GM Hydramatic transmission it will "Lock" itself into a gear unless the driver changes how they are giving it throttle. If you just gradually increase pressure on the gas it will just climb slowly to maximize fuel efficency. If you stab the gas pedal with your foot it will shift down and respond as you desire.
As a former employee of a major auto manufacturer I just had to comment on the remarks about the extra gadgetry being a gimmick to get more money. You couldn't be MORE CORRECT!!
All those options that one buys to impress their neighbors are marked up SEVERAL HUNDRED PERCENT. The best value and most reliable car is ALWAYS the basic model with the least options...ALWAYS. For years I've steered cleared of gimmicked-up cars. The last vehicle I sold was a basic model (American made) pickup truck and after 5 years of use I got a whopping 92% of what I purchased it for brand new in late 2000. Try that with a Lincoln Town car or a Mercedes.
I'm a former Dodge owner who now drives a Grand Am also. My Dodge went 240,000 miles with virtually ZERO problems, so I certainly won't knock Chrysler. I have had my Grand Am 3 years now and absolutely love it. At 51,000 miles I have not had a single problem with it. I love the power, handling and ride. The fuel mileage is great. My only regret is that Pontiac doesn't make the Grand Am anymore and I won't be able to buy a new one when I'm ready to trade. The G-6 looks like a nightmare compared to the sleek and sporty Grand Am.
Hi, As an owner of a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am SE1 with 121,000 km's I would have to say the car is great. I'm very happy with it.
Right now I'm driving an 06 Malibu, and compared to the grand am, it isn't half as nice!
Yes, I unfortunately have to agree the G6 DOES look like a nightmare on wheels!
Gm made a bad move on that one. Hopefully they bring the GA, back again.
You had the car for a thousand miles when you wrote your review. You are in no position to say anything about reliability. You should have waited till your new car giddiness wore off.
My Grand Am now has 70,000 miles on it, and has never had a repair. My new car giddiness is still firmly intact.
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