2004 Pontiac Grand Am GT SC/T review from North America

The factory brakes wore out and needed to be replaced after 33,000 kilometres.

Tailpipes corroded very quickly and rusted out. Dealer said they ordered the parts, but never got back to me.

This was the top-of-the-line Grand Am in the final year it was offered, it had everything on it, Ram-Air hood, sunroof, funky spoiler, the whole package.

Seating, while leather, was still uncomfortable and unpleasant over long trips. You constantly needed to adjust yourself if driving for longer periods of time.

Power was adequate, but definitely did not live up to the "sporty" looks and image Pontiac tried to make for the Grand Am. My brother's base model '06 G6 V6 (say that three times fast) is considerably more peppy and handles better.

However, the handling wasn't bad at all. It went around corners well.

Steering was heavy, extremely heavy at low speeds, making the car a challenge to park.

I always found it funny that the car didn't have a CD-changer, even though it was the best model Grand Am.

Most of the interior is very cheap plastic that scratches and cracks. Overall fit and finish is unimpressive.

Stereo (Monsoon 8-speaker system) was terrific.

For a V6, I was expecting better fuel economy. Obviously not in the range of my old Golf, but definitely not around 350-400 kilometres to a tank, which I routinely got.

I have very few complaints about the car. It was extremely reliable, no warranty issues or other things that made my experience sour.

Resale value sucks, but it's a domestic car. I still got $12,000 for it two and a half years after buying it brand new for $25,000 CDN. Got a great deal on it, GM was trying to move them off the lots to make room for the G6.

I sold it about a month ago to make room for a new 2007 Ford Mustang GT coupe. My fiancee misses the silver Grand Am, and I do, too. I will remember it fondly.