2001 Pontiac Grand Am SE-1 from North America - Comments

Absolutely NOTHING has gone wrong with the car since I purchased it used in March of 2003.

This is far and away the most comfortable, quietest, smoothest and all-around best driving car I have ever owned.

My previous car was a 5.0 Mustang, and I was amazed at how little I gave up in the way of performance. This little twin-cam 4 will smoke the tires easily and will literally blow the doors off our 275 horse SUV and my V-6 compact pickup truck. The acceleration is nothing short of phenomenal for a 4-cylinder.

The engine is so smooth and quiet that I have been known to forget that I had started it while talking on my cell phone in a parking lot and inadvertently hit the starter again while it was running.

The interior is very well designed, sporty and has all controls and instruments within easy view and reach. The seats are plush and very comfortable, and all power accessory controls are well-marked and located for ease of use.

The automatic transmission shifts very smoothly. With the cruise on it is almost impossible to detect the down-shifting on hills unless you notice the tach needle jump up. Starts are crisp and fast, with no hint of slip like that in my Fords, and the upshifts, even under hard acceleration, are smooth and not jerky.

We've owned cars from all three U.S. automakers, as well as one Japanese car (TOTAL LEMON) and one German car (TOTAL DISASTER). NOTHING has impressed me for the money and value as much as this sporty little Pontiac. At the time we bought this car my mother had a 2003 Lincoln Town Car. The Grand Am is, to me, as comfortable on the road as the Lincoln, and it has every option the Lincoln had except leather and automatic climate control. For the $9000 I paid for it it is the best value in a vehicle that I have ever owned.

I placed a review of this car some months back, and for some reason a "frowny face" was placed by the review. I have NO IDEA why that was, as the review clearly indicated how pleased I am with the car. I suppose it might have gotten a "frowny" because I had indicated that I WOULD NOT buy another car from Pontiac. That is the case UNLESS Pontiac builds something that can compare with the Grand Am. I have test driven two new G-6's and find them boring, unimaginative, and much slower than my 4-cylinder Grand Am even with the V-6. Why Pontiac would replace the sporty, fast and best-selling Grand Am with a boring, ugly, plain-Jane Japanese wannabe like the G-6 is beyond me. My friends who own Grand Ams laugh at the G-6 and, like me, plan to drive their Grand Ams 200,000 miles and then buy a Ford unless Pontiac gets its sanity back and builds exciting, sporty cars that don't look like every other boring compact on the road.

You know what? I noticed your review a while back with the frown on the face, too. I was surprised in that it was a positive review. I also have a 2001 Grand Am as well. I also had no problems with mine either. I think that the 2.4 litre four cylinder engine is a little loud on acceleration, but that's about it. It is also not as refined as some cars are. But, like you said, the Grand Am is reliable, responsive, and fun to drive. And the four cylinder version can be had for the price of a Japanese econo-box. It may not be the best car in the world. But it is the best car at its price range, in my opinion.

I'm the original reviewer. I've noticed several comments about the old "quad-4" engines (which is what I have) being noisy. Mine does make some noise under hard acceleration, but it doesn't bother me at all. This engine is a much better engine than the Eco Tech 4 that replaced it, and it's worth a little extra noise. The Quad 4 is more powerful and more maintenance free. I still love my Grand Am, and as we were driving home from dinner in another city last night it dawned on me that this is the ONLY car I have ever owned that after 6 years still has not ONE SINGLE RATTLE OR SQUEAK.

My wife was commenting on how smooth and quiet it was and that made me realize that every other car I have ever owned has had some kind of rattle or squeak after a few miles. My BRAND NEW 2006 Ford truck has to have the passenger seat belt buckled up when there is no one in the seat to keep the shoulder harness mount from rattling. This Grand Am continues to be the absolute best car I've ever owned.

I notice that most of the bad reviews are for the V-6, so I'm really happy I got the 4. A couple of our neighbors have Grand Ams with the 4 and they have never had any problems either. My 4 is also much faster and more responsive than either my V-6 Ford truck or our 275 Horsepower GMC Envoy.

Original reviewer again. I still own this car and am still madly in love with it. It has yet to have a single repair and drives and looks as good as new.

We recently bought a new Mustang Pony 4.0, and the Grand Am ride is far better, and the power and acceleration is nearly equal to the Mustang. In all honesty I enjoy driving the Grand Am more than the Mustang.

I truly regret that Pontiac chose to drop the awesome Quad 4 engine in 2003 and the entire Grand Am line (except for the GT) in 2005. In spite of the many criticisms of automotive writers who feel that a car must do 0-60 in 4 seconds and ride like a log truck to qualify as a "real" car, the Grand Am is one of the best driving and most solidly built cars my family has ever owned. I'll never find an adequate replacement for it. I've driven 2 G6's (both with the V-6 engines) and neither was as smooth or as fast.

Original reviewer again.

I just added a custom-fabricated cold air induction system to my Grand Am. It gives the car a nice roar on hard acceleration, and a tiny bit more power.

I have yet to check the fuel mileage, but I'm hoping to see an increase there too.

I'm so impressed with the car that I joined Grand Am of America recently.

My 2007 Mustang is a tad faster, but is nowhere near as smooth and responsive as the GA. I'm just sad that Pontiac no longer offers a sporty, fast and good handling larger compact. They no longer even offer any sporty colors.

Pontiac has gone from "We build excitement" to "We build boring gray transportation appliances". That's one reason my new car is a Mustang. At least they still come in red and yellow.

Just added a set of 2:15-60 Khumo radials to my Grand Am. They are double-A traction rated and have made a tremendous difference in the handling, especially in wet weather. The increase in safety alone makes them well worth what I paid.

Original reviewer again. I'm still so pleased with this car that I worry about it being in an accident and getting totaled, as after 2002 these models (with the Quad 4 and sporty body cladding) were no longer made. I can't imagine what I could replace it with that would come close to having the same performance and feel. I've driven the G-6 and G-5, and neither feels as sporty or responsive (even with the V-6) as this car. It still looks showroom fresh inside and out, and has yet to have any repairs other than front brake pads at 70,000 miles (which cost a whopping $20) tires, and a battery. Several friends in my Grand Am club have well over 200,000 miles on theirs, so I plan to keep this one a very long time.

I also have a 2001 Grand Am. I picked it up used in 2003 for $7300 with 30K miles on it. It now has 210,000 miles and has been the best car I've ever owned. I recently had to replace a fuel pump, which was the first major repair I've had to do to it. Has far outlasted any foreign car I've ever owned, and much more durable. The car is quiet, and tight for so many miles. Will be looking for another Grand Am or Alero with the 2.4L. GM makes the best cars.

Comment 21:28 looks like I could have written it myself. I've been absolutely blown away by my 2001 Grand Am Quad 4. It looks, drives and rides like it did the day it was built. It has been by far the best car I've ever owned. It has been far more reliable than any of my three imports, and the performance of the twin-cam 4 is incredible. It is actually faster 0-100 than my new 4.0 Mustang.

I have added a cold-air induction system that upped the horsepower noticeably, and swapped the not-so-hot original tires for some fatter AA-rated Khumo 215-60 tires. The handling and braking have been improved dramatically, as has traction. I had wondered if my electronic traction control was working, because before switching to the grippier tires I could smoke the front tires for 20 feet or so easily. Now it is harder to break them loose.

The car is used as my third car, but it has been such a great car that in another 200,000 miles or so I may try to find another one like it, or an Olds Alero with the awesome Quad 4.

HORROR OF HORRORS!! After posting comment 21:09 I encountered my very FIRST problem with my 8-year-old Grand AM!! I found I had a blown low-beam headlight bulb!! Gosh, according to import fans that makes my car TOTAL CRAP!! I was out a whole TEN DOLLARS in just EIGHT SHORT YEARS!! Wow. Maybe I better sell it... NOT!