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Walkaround
In addition to the two body styles, the new Grand Prix is available in three trim levels. Base is the SE, available only as a sedan; this will probably be the Rental Fleet Special. Of more interest and with the widest appeal is the GT, in both coupe and sedan. Above that is the go-fast GTP, an option package available for GT models. For this report, we focused on a GT Sedan, with a few carefully selected options. There are three engines. Standard with the SE is a 3.1-liter V6. It's a durable performer, but with 160 horsepower hitched to some 3400 pounds of car, it's no thrill ride. Standard on GT, and optional on SE, is GM's 3.8-liter 3800 Series II V6. A good all-around performer, it delivers 195 hp, 220 pound-feet of torque, commendable smoothness and crisp throttle response. The GTP package includes the supercharged version of the 3800, which picks up the pace with 240 hp and 280 pound-feet of torque. Even with an automatic--the standard and only Grand Prix transmission--the GTP sizzles from 0 to 60 mph in just under seven seconds. Like virtually all GM cars, the Grand Prix is built on a front-drive platform, shared in this case with the Chevy Lumina and the new Olds Intrigue and Buick Regal. Suspension is independent front and rear, steering is power-assisted rack and pinion, and standard equipment on all models, includes four-wheel disc brakes and an antilock braking system. There's a very good value story with the Grand Prix. Base price of the SE, with a $550 destination charge, starts at just $19,129 (the SE coupe is $600 less), and that includes dual airbags, air conditioning, power windows and mirrors, programmable power door locks, traction control, AM/FM radio with clock, front bucket seats with two-way lumbar control, tilt wheel, and a Driver Information Center that lets you know if a tire is going low and when it's time to change oil. Standard antilock brakes and traction control system and an optional child safety seat (mounted amidship in the rear) are thoughful safety extras. Choose the GT sedan and the base is $22,264. In addition to the stronger--much stronger--3800 V6, the GT includes P225/60R-16 tires on aluminum alloy wheels, cruise control, remote deck lid release, an uplevel AM/FM/cassette stereo, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and Magnasteer, GM's new variable-effort rack and pinion power steering system. In addition, our test car had a CD changer, rear spoiler, theft deterrent, and an option package that included rear defogger, steering wheel sound system controls, power driver's seat, rear window antenna and keyless remote entry. So equipped, it was $23,859. The GTP sedan, with supercharged engine and everything on it," as your dad used to say, comes to $25,802. Maintenance will be another strong point: The automatic transmission fluid and spark plugs are intended for 100,000 miles, and the radiator coolant for 50,000 miles."
Interior Features
The Grand Prix's interior shows what happens when modern design coincides with common sense. First, it's notably roomy, both front and back, and feels more spacious than, say, a Ford Taurus. It's typical for front-seat passengers to be well-treated; they're usually the ones paying for the car. But in the Grand Prix, rear-seat passengers will also find plenty of room for elbows, knees, feet and even their backsides. And since the coupe and sedan share the same roof, the rear seat space is about the same, two doors or four. Control layout is equally accommodating, and Pontiac jazzy. Directly in front of the driver are large analog gauges, and function switches for the sound system and heating, ventilation and air conditioning are close at hand in the center. In addition to the Driver Information Center, gadget freaks will probably go for the optional Head Up Display (HUD), which projects a holographic digital speedometer onto the windshield, just below the driver's line of sight. The HUD plays well with the Grand Prix's fighter cockpit ambience. In the center console are a couple of nifty cupholders, and a truly deep storage compartment with an integrated coin holder and spots for either tapes or CDs. In the rear, a large center armrest folds down, revealing dual cupholders and a tray. The trunk is also spacious, and well shaped with an average liftover height. And there's a handy, and fairly large, pass-through, for people who carry skis, or perhaps two-piece Maypoles.
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