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Walkaround
The bold, distinctive styling of the Grand Am begins with its familiar split-grille nose. Our test coupe, a GT, benefits from a front spoiler, lower body cladding, and spoiler-mounted driving lights. The subtly contoured hood encloses one of two powerplants. The base 2.4-liter Twin Cam four-cylinder engine comes with a five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic. The optional 3.1-liter V6 offers slightly more horsepower (155 vs. 150) and significantly more torque (185 vs. 155 lb.-ft.) than the 2.4-liter engine. The V6 comes standard with a four-speed automatic. The Grand Am's generous greenhouse is balanced by a relatively high belt line and low seating position. The roof pillars are thin, minimizing blind spots for driver and passengers. At the rear, a short deck lid conceals 13.4 cubic feet of luggage space, good-sized by the standards for this class. This area is expandable via a folding rear seat when the sport interior option is ordered. The Grand Am's sporty styling still stands out in a field of family sedans, even though its basic look is more than 10 years old. The front and rear fascias, redesigned last year, successfully freshen the overall body shape. We prefer the look of the SE model (from $15,159, including destination) with its cleaner lines. The GT Coupe (from $16,399) comes with lower body cladding, a rear deck lid spoiler and other aerodynamic touches that give it that Pontiac flair. But it's a look that's becoming a trifle dated in a new age of uncluttered exterior designs. The GT Coupe also comes with a suspension tuned more for spirited driving, including more aggressive tires on 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels and larger anti-roll bars that reduce body lean in corners.
Interior Features
Pontiac paid particular attention to redesigning the interior last year. Improvements include a new instrument panel with new analog instrumentation that glows in orange and red at night for a racy, cockpit appearance, which is consistent with Pontiac's carefully cultivated performance image trademark touch. The instrument package includes a tachometer for all models. There's new door trim, integrated cup holders and an overall improvement in ergonomics, making secondary controls a littler easier to find and use. Dual airbags are standard. In general, we think the updates work, making the Grand Am as user friendly as many of its more contemporary competitors. The driver sits low in the cockpit, behind a properly proportioned steering wheel. The gauges are immediately in front and clearly visible. The steering wheel includes wheel-mounted radio controls, though we found it easy to change tuning by mistake while driving. Misplace a palm, and Vivaldi suddenly gives way to Van Halen. However, the main controls for the Grand Am's standard AM/FM radio are conveniently located, with large controls that make adjustments easy, even at night. For '97, Pontiac has made air conditioning standard, and all climate controls are located just below the stereo controls. We prefer this stacking priority, since radio adjustments are more common when the car is moving. Three large knobs make changing temperatures a breeze. The center console features cup holders and storage beneath the center armrest, supplemented by door map pockets and a glove box. The front bucket seats are supportive, while avoiding some of the claustrophobic proportions common to the sports GT genre. There's plenty of room up front, and the coupe offers nearly as much rear seat room as the sedan. However, rear seat leg room isn't the Grand Am's strongest suit compared to its newer competitors.
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