Despite over a million Grand Mas, er, Grand Ams, being sold in North America since 2000, it's been six years since the last big makeover. The "quantity" versus "quality" argument holds up as strongly for the Grand Am as well as it does for singer Celine Dion: Being popular doesn't equate to excellence.
Needless to say, Grand Am's have never been top of mind for car zealots as a "gotta have" vehicle. Its ergonomics and space utilization were from the Paleozoic era, styling from the old school of Pontiac "excitement" with gratuitous side cladding and BMW-wannabe twin-kidney grilles. The car's only saving grace was a vee-six that gave the ol' geezer half-decent straightline acceleration.
For the Grand Am sedan's replacement, the 2005 four-door G6 sedan, Pontiac went to the corporate catalog and chose the stretched version of General Motor's global Epsilon platform that the Chevy Malibu Maxx is also based on.
The new G6 sedan starts at $24,700 with a standard 200 horsepower, 200 pound-feet of torque vee-six, a four-speed automatic, 16-inch alloys, and disc brakes all around. The GT test car I drove added a sport suspension, one-inch larger wheels and tires, ABS, traction control, power-adjustable pedals, a rear spoiler, and an eight-speaker Monsoon stereo. With optional OnStar, and a never-seen-before four-pane sunroof, the total bill was $30,985.
G6 pricing puts it right smack dab in the middle of a plethora of other sporty, four-door family sedans. Most notable are two other BMW-wannabes: the Mazda6 GS-V6 ($25,895) and Volkswagen's new Jetta 2.5 ($24,975). All of these cars seeking sport sedan shoppers on the cheap.
Compared to the Grand Am, the first thing you'll notice is the G6's exterior styling--or lack thereof. Cleaner than the busy Mazda6, or mini-Phaeton-like Jetta, the G6 has the austere look of the current Honda Accord, ironically, a car that's been criticized as being too bland by some. Using the stretched Epsilon platform means the Pontiac G6 is just 68.6 millimetres longer than last year's Grand Am, yet its wheelbase is extended by 127.0 millimetres. Like the Malibu Maxx, back seat passengers enjoy remarkable stretch out room for their legs, but the swoopy rear glass and ceiling space are eaten up by the storage required for the huge sunroof and conspires against proportionally correct headroom. Slouchers welcomed!
Relative to the Grand Am, the G6's ergonomics, fit and finish, and use of high-quality plastics are an improvement, but no better than an Accord from about two generations back. The seat-to-pedals-to-shifter relationships were exemplary and the seats do a fairly good job of providing comfort and support simultaneously. A tilt and telescopic wheel and adjustable pedals ensure the G6 gives everyone a good driving position. There's a sprinkling of chrome throughout the interior that will remind you of Pontiac's Vibe, including the use of red backlighting. My car being a GT meant that the four-speed automatic shifter could be moved to the right to shift the gears manually yet still upshifts at 5,800-rpm redline at full throttle. Once again, paddle shifters on the steering wheel would be a real benefit for spirited drivers, and remember, the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima all offer five-speed automatics.
Needless to say, Grand Am's have never been top of mind for car zealots as a "gotta have" vehicle. Its ergonomics and space utilization were from the Paleozoic era, styling from the old school of Pontiac "excitement" with gratuitous side cladding and BMW-wannabe twin-kidney grilles. The car's only saving grace was a vee-six that gave the ol' geezer half-decent straightline acceleration.
For the Grand Am sedan's replacement, the 2005 four-door G6 sedan, Pontiac went to the corporate catalog and chose the stretched version of General Motor's global Epsilon platform that the Chevy Malibu Maxx is also based on.
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| 2005 Pontiac G6 GT (photo: John Leblanc, straight-six.com) |
G6 pricing puts it right smack dab in the middle of a plethora of other sporty, four-door family sedans. Most notable are two other BMW-wannabes: the Mazda6 GS-V6 ($25,895) and Volkswagen's new Jetta 2.5 ($24,975). All of these cars seeking sport sedan shoppers on the cheap.
Compared to the Grand Am, the first thing you'll notice is the G6's exterior styling--or lack thereof. Cleaner than the busy Mazda6, or mini-Phaeton-like Jetta, the G6 has the austere look of the current Honda Accord, ironically, a car that's been criticized as being too bland by some. Using the stretched Epsilon platform means the Pontiac G6 is just 68.6 millimetres longer than last year's Grand Am, yet its wheelbase is extended by 127.0 millimetres. Like the Malibu Maxx, back seat passengers enjoy remarkable stretch out room for their legs, but the swoopy rear glass and ceiling space are eaten up by the storage required for the huge sunroof and conspires against proportionally correct headroom. Slouchers welcomed!
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| 2005 Pontiac G6 GT (photo: John Leblanc, straight-six.com) |