Since this car's inception, the
Pontiac Grand Am's sales performance has been nothing short of remarkable. As a close relation to both the
Buick Skylark and the
Oldsmobile Achieva, the Grand Am is
Pontiac's perennial chart topper, with sales that frequently surpass the 200,000-unit mark. In 1993, it outdrove all previous records with sales of 211,544.
What's the big attraction? This sporty midsize car, available as a sedan or coupe, has appeal with a broad range of buyers, from singles to small families. The common thread among these customers is the desire to have a sassy-looking vehicle that has lively handling and respectable performance in an affordable package.
The big news for the 1995 Grand Am, Achieva and Sky-lark is a new powertrain lineup. The standard engine is now the all newest version of General Motors' 2.3-liter Quad 4 16-valve 4-cylinder engine. Refined for 1995, the Quad 4 is smoother and quieter than previous versions.
A 3.1-liter V6 is available as an upgrade option on all models. This engine was extensively redesigned for 1994 and provides better low-speed performance than the Quad 4, as well as smoother all-around operation.
Our test model was a Grand Am GT coupe, the sportiest car of a sporty bunch.
There's no mistaking this car for anything but a
Pontiac. The Grand Am has all of
Pontiac's signature styling cues, from the front spoiler to the racy-looking body cladding to the rear deck wing on the GT coupe.
The Grand Am offers the SE coupe and sedan as well as the GT coupe and sedan. The SE coupe competes with the likes of the Ford Probe, Honda Accord and the all new Dodge Avenger/Chrysler Sebring.
Its sedan counterpart battles the Nissan Altima and Honda Accord as well as new entries to the segment: the Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique and Dodge Stratus/Chrysler Cirrus.
The Grand Am GT coupe and sedan have even more competition, with the arrival of the Avenger ES and Sebring, and Stratus ES and Contour SE.
Although this is a formidable situation, the Grand Am stands out as distinctly American. Its styling remains bold - almost flashy when outfitted in GT garb - compared with its more understated competitors.
