2004 Pontiac Grand Prix Performance Test

Pontiac's sporty Grand Prix, a family sedan with sporty edges, is newly designed for 2004. We tested the performance GTP model. Price US: $27,890 as tested. Canada: $34,475. Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles.

Heritage

How does that saying go again? Two steps forward, one step back? Although the 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix has been completely re-designed, GM's designers have managed to come up with a car that's very similar in overall appearance to the model it replaces. Actually, if you were to park the old and the new Grand Prix side by side, you'd see there are quite a number of differences. Still, there's no mistaking the 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix unless, that is, you mistake it for an old Grand Am. As I did when I first saw it. The grille of the 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix looks exactly like the grille on the 1995 Pontiac Grand Am. Pontiac's signature Wide Track design with its new quad headlight package and built-in fog lamps, lends the front of the new Grand Prix a very purposeful air. But it's the newly designed rear fascia I find to be perhaps the car's most attractive feature. Four prominent exhaust pipes announce that the top-of-the-line GTP means business.

Coachwork

While I like the muscular look and drivability of 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix, I have a few complaints — some niggling and a few not so niggling — with the new interior. First of all, it's nowhere near as roomy as the car's exterior dimensions would suggest. With the driver's seat set to accept my 42-regular frame, I climbed into the back seat and found my knees were touching the driver's seatback. Secondly, the skimpy cushions are set too low to allow the folks in back to see out easily, and the rear seatback is fixed at a strange angle. It's like sitting in a lawn chair. I found it impossible to get comfortable back there. The only good thing I can say is that it doesn't take any space away from the really big 16-cubic-foot trunk. For increased carrying capacity, the rear seat back folds forward, as does the front passenger seatback. This allows you to tote an immense amount of stuff of various sizes and shapes inside the car. You can lay a bicycle in there plus a 9-foot length of lumber. I also liked the feel and look of the new steering wheel. It's very clean and uncomplicated. There are three alloy-type spokes and thick, comfortable places to place your hands, just above the 3-and-9 o'clock positions.

On the Road

Though the market for the 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP I tested is the family buyer (albeit one with sporty pretensions), it's a real rocketship, offering 1970's-type muscle car performance. The difference is, this one will actually go around corners without scraping off the door handles. Great suspension engineering plays a big role. My test GTP came equipped with Pontiac's 3800 V-6, which features a sophisticated drive-by-wire electronic throttle control. For me, though, the undisputed technological high point of the car is the GTP's supercharger. It allows this medium-size V-6 to deliver the power and instantaneous response of a big V-8 while retaining the overall fuel efficiency of a six. The engine produces 260 hp and a very powerful 280 lb-ft of torque, which turns the 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP into the closest thing you'll find (in this class) to a top fuel dragster. When you press hard on the accelerator, things really happen. No turbo-lag, no waiting around for the horses to get saddled up and led out of the barn. Although its official EPA fuel economy numbers are in the 20s, I'm betting real world, stop-and-go miles-per-gallon will only be in the mid-to-high teens if you push the GTP the way it wants to be pushed.

Summary

Of the many options available, Pontiac's Magnasteer system is a worthwhile addition. Available on the mid-level GT2 and GTP models, it automatically compensates for the fact that different speeds require different amounts of steering effort. Indeed, the overall road feel and directional stability of my test car is as good as any of the high-end Japanese cars I've driven recently. I was especially impressed with the 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix's exceptionally short turning radius. This big car can actually be used in a compact downtown like Vancouver's or Manhattan, where on-street parking is in short supply and spaces are very tight. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and electronic brake force distribution are standard; the latter automatically adjusts the amount of braking force distributed to each wheel. If you still don't get it stopped in time to avoid a collision, then front, side, and side-curtain air bags are available to lessen the damage to the occupants. The 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix, then, is a classic automobile in the American idiom: big, emphasis on front-seat comfort, pavement-ripping acceleration.