1999 Pontiac Grand Am Review

1999 Pontiac Grand Am

Slicker styling, roomier.

by: Dan Jedlicka

The 1999 Pontiac Grand Am GT sedan and coup are the performance versions of the revamped new Grand Am, which has slicker styling, roomier interior, longer wheelbase and stronger construction.

The $19,070-$20,970 GT looks the part, with a racier front end, uplevel aluminum wheels and four big tailpipes. But the side body cladding has a washboard appearance and is overdone. Also, the rear spoiler has a tacked-on appearance and looks almost comical with its small vertical fins.

But the GT features a ram air induction system and low-restriction exhaust system that raise horsepower of the Grand Am V-6 from 170 to 175 and produce more torque. There's also a 3.29:1 final drive ratio for quicker acceleration than provided by the regular Grand Am SE V-6 model.

The GT scampers from 0-60 m.p.h. in just 7.7 seconds and provides lively performance at highway speeds. The V-6 works with a responsive modified four-speed automatic transmission and delivers an estimated 20 m.p.g. in the city and 28 on highways.

A good performance model should stop as well as it accelerates, and the GT does just that; it has a special four-wheel antilock disc brake system with more capacity and better modulation characteristics, compared to the SE.

Handling is sharp, thanks to a four-wheel independent sport suspension and ultrawide 50-series performance tires on wide, 16-inch wheels.

The power steering is fast and precise, but some may find it overboosted. The ride is firm but supple.

The quiet but overstyled interior contains supportive front seats and room for four tall adults. Gauges are positioned well, controls are nicely located and inside door handles are easily grabbed. The ignition switch is conveniently located on the dashboard to the right of the steering wheel.

However, the shift lever partly blocks the front cupholders, and the vanity mirrors in the sunvisors offer no lighting. Front seatbelts get in your face when you try to enter or leave the coupe's rear seat area, which has windows that don't open.

The trunk is fairly large, but a high opening can make it difficult to load heavy objects.

Most modern engine compartments are surgically neat, so it was surprising to see that the GT's compartment was cluttered, with wires all over the place. And the hood has an old-fashioned prop rod because it lacks hydraulic struts.

The solid, well-equipped GT offers a lot for the money. It looks awfully brash, but is fun to drive and easy to live with. The Grand Am has been a consistently strong seller, and the GT should help keep sales rolling well.

Dan Jedlicka

Dan Jedlicka joined the Chicago Sun-Times in February 1968 as a business news reporter and was named auto editor later that year. He has reviewed more than 4,000 new vehicles for the Sun-Times--far more than any newspaper auto writer in the country. Jedlicka also reviewed vehicles for Microsoft Corp.'s MSN Autos Internet site from January, 1996, to June, 2008.

Jedlicka remained auto editor at the Sun-Times until October, 2008, and continued writing for the newspaper's AutoTimes section, which he started in 1992, until February, 2009. While continuing his auto writings at the Sun-Times, he served as assistant financial editor of that newspaper from 1970 to 1973, when he began his automotive column.

He has appeared on numerous radio and television shows, including NBC's "Today," ABC's "20/20" and "The CBS Evening News." He was a host, consultant and writer for Fox-TV Channel 32's 1991 New Car Preview show and that Chicago-based station's 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995 Chicago Auto Show Previews.

Jedlicka's auto articles have been printed in national magazines, including Esquire and Harper's. His auto columns have been reprinted in U.S. government publications and economic textbooks and he is profiled in the "World's Greatest Auto Show" history book about the Chicago Auto Show. In late 1975, Jedlicka was host and technical advisor for three one-hour television specials, "Auto Test 76," which aired nationally on PBS and were the first nationally televised auto road test shows.

In 1995, Jedlicka was the recipient of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois Inc.'s Consumer Education Award, given annually to a person who has gained distinction in the field of consumer education. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award in the Media category and inducted into the Legends of Motorsports Guild at the Carquest World of wheels custom car show in Chicago in January, 2006.

Jedlicka was a member of the North American Car and Truck of the Year jury, composed of a select number of auto journalists from throughout the country, from 1995 until 2009. From 2010 to 2012, he was a member of Consumer Digest magazine's auto experts panel that gave Best Buy new vehicle recommendations.

He is a 1987 graduate of the Bob Bondurant Race Drivers School and later of the BMW "M" and Skip Barber Advanced Driving schools. He was a member of the U.S. team that participated in the 1987 1,000-mile Mille Miglia race/rally in Italy and has been a race winner at the Chicago area's Santa Fe Speedway.

Jedlicka has owned 25 classic cars, including 1950s and 1960s Ferraris and 1950s and 1960s Porsches, a 1965 Corvette, a 1967 Maserati and a 1957 Studebaker supercharged Golden Hawk. Jedlicka resides with his wife, Suzanne, in the Frank Lloyd Wright historic district of Oak Park. They have two children, James and Michele.

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