1994 Pontiac Grand Am Review (continued)
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Walkaround

Our test vehicle was painted Bright White and looked very snazzy. The hood of our Grand Am SE sloped sharply to meet the front bumper, which was part of a protective housing that totally encased the car. Under the front, the bumper extended back with a cover to protect the engine from road debris. The bumper was made of tough polyurethane plastic, but it was a little softer in the front and back to better absorb the little bumps often encountered in parking lots.

Our Grand Am SE's molding was topped off by a neat chrome strip, but unfortunately the molding and chrome disappeared entirely over the wheel housings, thereby exposing the bodyside at those points.

The most arresting styling feature of the Grand Am's exterior, though, was the tough plastic bodyside cladding that was painted to match the body metal in a monochromatic paint scheme. At the top, near the middle of the door, the cladding had a kind of rippled design. The smoothness of the line was interrupted by a depression midway back, no doubt to permit the rear door to swing open.

In front, familiar wraparound headlights flanked the traditional Pontiac split grille, with the turn signal inserted on the outside bend. Fog lights and bumper-mounted sidelights added to what may sound like a busy design, but the total effect was impressively stylish.

The front and rear wheel housings were cut high into the side body, exposing the wheels entirely. In other words, we didn't even have to lean over to check for tread wear on the tires.

The massive taillights formed the rear corners of the vehicle and were separated by the trunk lid. Reverse lights were embedded below in the rear bumper, as was the license plate niche. The whole rear trunk arrangement looked to us like a pro football player complete with shoulder pads. The trunk was big enough to hold plenty of luggage and golf clubs, and it came equipped with a compact spare tire.

Interior Features

The manually adjustable front bucket seats of our Grand Am SE were snug, designed to discourage squirming. They moved back far enough to provide plenty of room for tall people and were easy to get in and out of There was also adequate headroom up front.

The instrument panel was easily visible through the steering wheel. Considering the rest of this car, though, it came as somewhat of a surprise to find the panel to be rather low-key and straightforward with the standard gauges arranged in a half-circle and displaying white analog figures.

Most of the controls were easy to reach-cruise control on a stick to the left of the steering column and wipers to the right. The gear shift was on the console, as were the conveniently placed window controls. The hood release, though, was a tough reach under the dash.

Our test car's seat belts, mounted at the top of the door posts, rested across our chests rather than over our shoulders, which we found very comfortable and unobtrusive.

The doors were large, curving up to form the edge of the roof. The rear doors swung open a full 80 degrees for easy entry and exit. Seating three in the rear would be a bit tight, but two passengers should find it quite comfortable with adequate knee room.