2000 Grand Am GT

What do you guys think of the new Grand Am GTs? I own a 2000 Grand Am GT and I love it. I am surprised at how much power it has, especially top end. It runs a 0-60 time of around 7.4 sec.

I like the improvements they have made.
It looks better and the performance keeps going up and up.
How about the reliability though?

Haven't had a problem yet and I have 15,000 miles on it already. I have talk to others on the net and in person and they have not had a problem yet either. It is surprising how many of my friends own these so called reliable cars such as the Accord and they have problems but I never do with any of the Pontiacs I have or had owned. I used to own a 89 Firebird and I had it for 3 years. Not one problem with that either. My father uses it as a summer vehicle now and he loves it.

thats awesome!
:D
My dad was thinking of getting a Grand Prix 3 years ago, but we ended up getting Infiniti Q45, which is pretty darn sweet! 278hp.

That Infiniti is one hell of a nice ride. The Grand Prix GTP and GTX are both amazing cars for the dollar. The new Prix hit 60 in 6.4 seconds and the GTX will do even better than that. Hopefully, GM decides to produce the new G8 Grand Prix which consists of a AWD LS1 V8.

Damn you!
My mom has a 99 SE, and it keeps screwing up. We now have 40 000 miles, and it has needed new brakes, a new wheel bearing (300 bucks!, there was no way around it), the rear power window switch now requires a lot of pressure pushing down to work, the sterio lights keep malfunctioning (the display reads really weird symbols), and the snow and dirt gets stuck in the wheels, requiring monthly taking-of-the-wheels-and-scrubbing-them exercise.
Oh, well.
At least the V6 is strong, with 0-60 in 8.1 seconds, and quite a bit of torque ( she lets me drive, and it goes quite nicely)
It could use some more support for 4 hour driving stints, though.

And the GT is supposed to go from 0-60 in 7.7 seconds, but my magazine could easily be wrong.

Sucks the gas, too.:rolleyes:

I like the Q45, too, and am really looking forward to the 2003 model.

Grand Prix is the best pontiac ever (after the mid-seventies, anyway)

I've had my car for approx 10 months now and I love it. I have a GAGT1 black in color, Loaded with all the options plus a few enhancements including:

Eibach springs
255/40/17 inch wheels
ASA (by BBS) chrome wheel (limited edition)
Ram Air Intake systems
SLP exhaust system
ASE performance chip
Racing pedals
Borla exhaust tips

I've never had problems with my car yet, I have heard that many people have experienced brake problems, LED lights coming on too soon, and annoying noises within the car. This car is governed to 125mph that's if you have the GT model. I have the performance chip that let's the car exceed over 125mph, (I've been to 139mph).

I have raced many cars that I know can be faster than my car but unfortunately for them they are governed.

Racing includes 2001 celica GTS, Honda's, Lexus IS300, Preludes, and some others.

I have noticed that braking isn't all that great, although ABS isn't my favorite. The car starts off great at lights, but if your racing someone with a stick, than you might have some problems, but you will catch up. Hope this little info helps.

Jim, welcome to AF, and nice car. post a pic.

Thats a massive tire to be running, but the stock 225/50-16's are pretty big anyway.
Could you post your quarter mile time or speed so I can calculate your horsepower??

My moms car has mega brake problems. She should have gotten a Sentra SE.

2002 Grand Am GT is better

Yah, but a Sentra SE is 8 grand cheaper (canadian) Plus it wouldnt have the problems she has (her car is a little lemon-y, though)

Our previous car was a Stanza, and it was bulletproof, never had a problem with it till about 250000km.

A Grand Am with a stick would be really good, but the way it is it is one of the Generals best products.

The 1999+ Grand Ams are a huge improvement over previous models, but watch out for front rotor warping. It's common with all '99+ Grand Ams, despite 2 different rotor makeovers from GM. A good set of aftermarket rotors will solve any warping problems though. A good car, great price, and excellent performance, especially with the V6.

Originally posted by Chris
Yah, but a Sentra SE is 8 grand cheaper (canadian) Plus it wouldnt have the problems she has (her car is a little lemon-y, though)

Our previous car was a Stanza, and it was bulletproof, never had a problem with it till about 250000km.

A Grand Am with a stick would be really good, but the way it is it is one of the Generals best products.

wow, did you go around the world with your Stanza? Datsun right? :)

I´d like to know more about the 2001 Grand Am GT 4door. My sister living in USA just got one and by the pictures I saw is a bad ass car (before I really never payed attetion to it). It looks as the size of an Honda Accord, right? For 21k the car seems to delivers very good performance and amenities. What else is interesting about it? What´s the competition for this car? Contour SVT????:confused: :) tell me!! :D

For the price, it's hard to beat the Grand Am... I'd have to say that the Contour is it's closest competition, and there's a huge rivalry beween the online crowds from both the Contour side and the Grand Am.

But it's performance, tons of standard equipment, excellent quality (Except for brakes), and arguably awesome looks make it a winner to me.

It's about the size of the Accord... And has the performance of the Accord V6 without the price tag. The GTs will run high 15s in the 1/4 stock. :) Anyways, I'll be glad to answer any specific questions you have... and feel free to join the Grand Am Forums at http://www.gaownersclub.com Lots of great people there to help you out.

Originally posted by Euro19
I´d like to know more about the 2001 Grand Am GT 4door. My sister living in USA just got one and by the pictures I saw is a bad ass car (before I really never payed attetion to it). It looks as the size of an Honda Accord, right? For 21k the car seems to delivers very good performance and amenities. What else is interesting about it? What´s the competition for this car? Contour SVT????:confused: :) tell me!! :D

Euro19: It was a Nissan badge. At 250000km, the (original) muffler fell off. We got rid of it after 300000km.

I've always seen the Grand Am as a middle child. Better than corollas and civics, but below Accords and Camrys. I think it is a good choice, as there isnt really anything with any sporting pretensions in the price range that has the cargo capacity of the Grand Am. Its no sports car, but it can move in a serene fashion.

Thank you about the info on the Grand Am GT, it´s certainly a hell of a car where you can get a very good balance of performance, looks, accesories and pricing. :cool:
________________________
...on the other hand... I do about 10000km a year, I don´t think I get up to 300000 in quite some time!

very true. I picked the GA because it's a nice balance between sporty, classy, and roomy. I wish there was more aftermarket support, but oh well. For the price, there aren't many cars that can beat it in all three of those categories.

The Grand Am GT has a 0-60 of 7.7 according to GM. The Accord 4dr 4cyl with a stick has a 0-60 of 7.6. A V6 in the same car drops that figure to 7.5 all in stock trim in an automatic four door. Not to mention having a better build quality as well. And as for size maybe but a smaller wheelbase makes for a better handling car:
Car Wheelbase Overall length Width
Grand Am 107" 186.3" 70.4"
Accord 106.9" 186.9" 68.3"
Contour 106.5" 184.6" 69.1"

And one more thing, you beat Celicas with 180hp 4cyl motors and six speed transmissions and 200hp 4cyl Preludes with 5speeds? Come on buddy, no one likes a liar! Motor Trend has the Celica 0-60 at 6.6 with a governed top speed of 134mph. While the Prelude has a 6.7 0-60 and a top speed of 143mph according to Road and Track. And Motor Trend has the IS300 at a 6.8 0-60 as well as a top speed of 143mph. Check your figures next time Ladies! And Jim, all those nice 17" chrome wheels did for you was increase your rotating wheel mass as wheel as your overall unsprung weight and actually slowed your car down and decreased the amount of HP you are putting to the ground!

A GA can only DREAM of being an accord?? WTF is wrong with you? Better build quality?? Based on what? Why don't you go check out how the accord does in crash tests compared to the GA, then rethink what you just said. You want to talk performance and magazine numbers, fine. Why don't you take that Celica to the track and see what it runs in the 1/4. It'll get smoked by a GA. Not to mention, around here, accords go for $22k-$26k when my GA was $19k. Maybe 0-60 numbers are better, but I don't know of many races that end at 60 mph. Then you say you can handle better because you have a wheelbase that's shorter by 1/10 of an inch? The GA has a wider wheelbase and better suspension altogether, there's your handling. You say an accord can smoke those other cars, well guess what, SO CAN THE GRAND AM! Not to mention, those cars (except accord V6) are tested using an MT, where GA's are AT only (unless you want the 2.4). If the GA had an MT, you Honda guys would only get to see our tail lights. :finger:

BTW, why would you come on to a Grand Am board if you don't like them? Why don't you go back to your Honda buddys with your VTEC stickers and seatbelt pads.

Crash testing is not build quality wise guy! Crash testing is structural integrity. Build quality is how well the car is put together and how long is stays that way. The GA starts making rattling noises as you drive it off the dealer lot. Just look at the first reply to your original post in which IGOR, the irreputable AF GOD says, and I quote "I like the improvements they have made.
It looks better and the performance keeps going up and up.
How about the reliability though? "


The Accord NEVER rattles. I had a '91 Accord I put 200k on and it never rattled or gave me a bit of trouble short of normal maintenance. Rethink what you just said buddy! Why else would Honda have such a good reputation? And how is a 4-speed automatic GA going to smoke a 6-speed Celica with 5 more HP in the 1/4 mile? Or the RSX Type-S with a 6-speed and 25 more HP. Not to mention they both are 4 bangers. Your personal best in the 1/4 mile is 15.295 @ 88.5 mph modified. The RSX does it in 15.2 @ 92.7 mph stock, as well as the Celicas 15.4 @ 90.8 stock. Not to mention that wider is not better on the track where you have sharp twists and turns, and you are wider and heavier, weighing in at 3168lbs to the RSX's 2820lbs and the Celica's 2580lbs.
Road and Track did a 10 best for under $25k. Guess what? No Pontiac Grand Am, no Pontiac at all. That's for damn sure!
Come on already, post something you can back up Buddy!

My GA doesn't have a single rattle and it is almost two years old. I too had an older honda and yes it was a great car. I am not arguing that. What I AM arguing is the fact that you think the GA is junk. As for the performance, well, if you want to sit here and argue based on magazine numbers, fine. But those numbers you have posted are incorrect. The Grand Am does indeed weigh more, and yet with less horsepower is still faster than these 4 cyl cars. The one thing those 4-cyl cars do not have is torque. A 4 cyl with 175 hp, but only 120 lb/ft of torque is going to get much less of that HP to the wheels (where it matters). As for the transmission issue, everybody knows that AT's are going to be slower than MT's. You said a GA with a 4-spd manual would still be slow, but it wouldn't. Not to mention, it would probably be 5-spd since that's the going standard. A 3.4 V6 with 175 HP and 205 lb/ft and a 5 spd WILL smoke a 4 cyl with 180 HP with much less torque. Plain and simple. Weight and gearing aside, that is the bottom line. As for backing it up, when was the last time you went to the track and saw the magazine-rated cars in real world 1/4 mile races? You'll see what I mean. Have you ever even driven a new Grand Am? I have driven plenty of honda's and they are great, nobody doubts that. As for the Celica... you're comparing apples to oranges. Alot of that weight savings is due to the fact that they have basically no back seat. The Grand Am is a bigger car and yes, it will weigh more. As for the RSX-S, the price is $4000 more than the Grand Am and once again, has no substantial backseat. You could supercharge the Grand Am for that price difference and have $1000 left in your hand to waive it at the driver of the RSX-S as you blow by in the 1/4 mile. :D

the grand am of my mother is a '99 se with a police pack and a straight pipe it doesnt have 180 horsepower anymore now the power is rated to 276 hp is that good? and we have taken aftermarket brake directly from the dealership

Lets not get into discussions on aftermarket blowers and what not, it just confuses things (ie, a Yugo with 528 hemi crate engine with 610hp would cost under $12000, but be superfast)

And my moms car (99 GA SE1 with solid value package) has had only 1 major problem: 2 new brake rotor jobs in 100000Km (60000mi) Otherwise, its had some 'annoying' small problems (radio display screwed up, door trim, and rear window switch) It still works fine. And fixing stuff is cheaper than an Accord, as was the purchase price.

Also, the GA sells very well, so it can't be that bad.

hey im doing upgrades on my 99 gt 4 door, and i did most everything with my engine that they have for it, got headers from tod, custom intake, elctric supercharger, intake, 62 mm throttle bodies, performance borla exhaust, and quick time electric cut outs, so now im pushin 227hp at the wheels, which is somethin like 265 at the flywheel and runin a 14.43@96 in the quarter, but im hopin to get some custom under drive pulley and thet have MSD ignition for the car, but i might hold off on that. at the end of summer im hopin for a 14.2. All this stuff costs under 2k, but i got the car cheap, so thats good cuz my payments are low and when i turn 18 i wanna get a bike anyway. you can get the parts for the cars at Americanperformanceof colorado.com. i think its work it because i can keep up with most anything on my streets in wisconsin and the car is a 4 door for pickin up friends and puttin freestyle bikes in. i just like the way they are, even though id rather have a 02 WS6 TA, but i can live with this. GAGTs forever!!:badass: :buck

hey, my 99 grand am gt shuts off at 115, but then one night when i was pissed off and went driving i floored it from a stand still and went over 115 to 137, then i let off because there are usually cops on the road i was on and it was like 2am and cops are everywhere cuz bars are closin and in wisconsin at my age if i get caught out past 12 drivin with nowhere in mind i get double the points and double the fine, so i slowed down, so im thinkin if u just floor it and dont let off maybe the govenor doesnt take place, like maybe it only works when your drivin at normal speed and then punch it. so maybe pontiac was like what if they get it fast and can do over 115 in the quarter(it's imaginary) then the govenor wont shut it down after an 1/8th, you know since pontiac and them people are asses and dont make aftermarket parts to make these beasts can be faster than the souped up supras. did you know for awhile they had a supercharger from magneusson and and some other company for the 3.4s in the newer GAGTs, but they never made it to production and there are like 15 supercharged GAGTs in existence, but you can get a custom Supercharger for 5k for these cars, not worth it. but dude i was at the local strip, its like 2 minutes from my house and it pretty nice, but there was like a 97 neon expresso runnin a 14.73, and thats all the guy did was put a header on it and underdrive pulleys and a performance intake, thats fast for a stupid neon and he still has the original head gasket at 133000 miles.

And dude where do you get a chip for the GAGTs????

Originally posted by Jim


I've had my car for approx 10 months now and I love it. I have a GAGT1 black in color, Loaded with all the options plus a few enhancements including:

Eibach springs
255/40/17 inch wheels
ASA (by BBS) chrome wheel (limited edition)
Ram Air Intake systems
SLP exhaust system
ASE performance chip
Racing pedals
Borla exhaust tips

I've never had problems with my car yet, I have heard that many people have experienced brake problems, LED lights coming on too soon, and annoying noises within the car. This car is governed to 125mph that's if you have the GT model. I have the performance chip that let's the car exceed over 125mph, (I've been to 139mph).

I have raced many cars that I know can be faster than my car but unfortunately for them they are governed.

Racing includes 2001 celica GTS, Honda's, Lexus IS300, Preludes, and some others.

I have noticed that braking isn't all that great, although ABS isn't my favorite. The car starts off great at lights, but if your racing someone with a stick, than you might have some problems, but you will catch up. Hope this little info helps.

has anyone looked at the reliability of these cars? i don't understand what the kid was thinking when he beats a celica GT-S 6 speed with a stock v-6 AUTOMATIC 4 SPEED. something there doesn't seem right. personally i've seen pontiacs run for a good amount of time then die in a horrific cluster of problems. they seem to go into the shop monthly at the end. the engines are garbage for reliability. i'de say 1 in 10 u might get lucky. personally i'de rather be in a celica GT-S 6 speed for a little more $$$. cause the highest motor in my car comes in manual. not much of a sports car in my mind if the highest engine only comes in automatic. you would be better off getting the 4 banger and throwing a turbo on it. but hey if u want to say your stock grand am gt can beat a celica gt-s 6 speed...u give me a hollar and i'll put you to shame. thanx

Brendan:cool:

Originally posted by speedlimit250
What do you guys think of the new Grand Am GTs? I own a 2000 Grand Am GT and I love it. I am surprised at how much power it has, especially top end. It runs a 0-60 time of around 7.4 sec.

Power? 170 HP in a 3.4 litre V6 is not a lot of horsepower. The Grand Am engine is very low tech.

0-60 in 7.4 seconds is not very fast. That is about what a stock Neon does with a 5 speed. The Neon 2.0 litre 4 banger produces only 20 less hp than the Grand Am and is several hundred pounds lighter.

jaja, naming a car after a cup of cofee, so dumb, :biggrin: