Introduction: The Pontiac Grand Prix is a very old nameplate for the Pontiac brand. Its also one of the last surviving actually named vehicles before Pontiac started using the G names like G5, G6 and G8. The original Pontiac Grand Prix didn't change very much in terms of its size since every single Grand Prix is a full sized vehicle. However the earlier RWD Grand Prix were merely just large 2-door coupes, which were pretty common back then. It wasn't until 1988 that the Grand Prix switched from RWD to FWD, it also no longer remained just a 2-door coupe it also was a 4-door sedan. Since its entry as a FWD vehicle it also was given forced induction for power mostly in the GTP trim levels. The last Grand Prix dropped the 2-door coupe body style and had two additional trim levels from the GXP supercharged V6 and the GTP was given a V8. However due to poor consumer sales GM decided to replace the Grand Prix with the Australian RWD Holdon Commodore called the G8 as a Pontiac.
I wasn't expecting all too much from the Grand Prix, I never knew anybody who wanted or considered this car. It however is a pretty big car and seemed pretty cheap compared to everything else non-GM.
Performance: The base Grand Prix is given the Series III 3.8L V6. This particular engine produces about 200 hp and 230 lb.ft of torque, from these numbers this engine looks kind of pathetic considering its a big V6 and that many 3.0L V6s produce these numbers. Well...oddly enough these numbers seem to lie to my senses when I drive this car. This is the most savage V6 I've encountered in the company...its this savagery that makes me actually like this engine. The very first time the light throttle made me spin the car out, kind of embarrassing but fun at the same time. It roars, its rough and it due to its large displacement it manages to move the heavy Grand Prix pretty decently about 8 seconds to go from 0-100 km/h. The engine's savagery and its decent acceleration does make it feel faster than it is, so despite its bad numbers I don't consider it bad.
My Score: 10/10 - Its not efficient by any means, but the surge of power you seem to sense when push it feels fantastic.
Handling: Oh dear...you definitely feel the Grand Prix's weight and you also start to realize that big powerful FWD cars are more flawed than their RWD counterparts or smaller FWD cars. The Grand Prix is not exactly a soft rider like its Buick cousin but due to its not so great suspension and extremely front heaviness its handling is pretty poor. The only good news is the Grand Prix doesn't really roll as much as other cars but it doesn't matter your, turning ability worse than regular family cars. Steering feel is also pretty decent for GMs of this time, but it accurately tells you the handling ability of this car is poor. The Grand Prix still seems to fit the stereotype of American cars doing well in a straight line.
My Score: 3/10 - Doesn't roll much but its cornering ability shows the suspension is deeply flawed.
Interior: The Grand Prix mostly have black interiors, I was not impressed with this interior very much. The very first thing is the inadequate seat, I just cannot find a comfortable enough position with this seat and I don't seem to be the only one. The materials in the car are easily noticeably cheap, the door handles inside for instance are plastic and just merely painted in a tin foil colour. I didn't like the steering wheel, its just way too big for any car. I didn't find the Grand Prix to be made all that well, these cars are manufactured in Oshawa, Canada. The good news is the car is very spacious and has a very generous trunk.
My Score: 3/10 - Cheap materials, uncomfortable seats, disappointing build quality but is very spacious.
Styling: The Grand Prix has a pretty aggressive appearance from the front. Much of the styling actually does fit the nature of the car, looks pretty savage and with its engine its acts that way. The rear is kind of bland however, generic American car styling. Despite its aggressive appearance it doesn't look all that great in darker colours, Pontiac also offered an awful orange colour. Overall its a pretty nicely styled car.
My Score: 8/10 - Aggressive front end, a forgettable rear end unfortunately in the end does fit the nature of the car pretty well.
Value for money: The Grand Prix particularly the base car is not a good value for money. Few people bought the car brand new and due to annoying problems they're not known for reliability. Its not rare for these cars to lose 50% of their value within a year of purchase. Chevrolet also has a car that does everything the Grand Prix does well at but with less of the problems, the Impala. The Grand Prix with its rough edges has to convince young buyers since older buyers will go with the Impala or Buick, unfortunately for Pontiac a big, heavy, spacious sedan is not the dream, attainable vehicle in most young buyer's minds.
My Score: 2/10 - The value of the Grand Prix is cannibalized by its GM siblings. As a used buy its fantastic value but as a new car its a money drain.
Overall: 26/10 - The Grand Prix has a fantastic engine and pretty good looks, but is lacking everywhere else. GM unfortunately realized this way too late.
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