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2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP -TEST
Tradition in Transition
One thing you’ve got to say about the new Grand Prix – it cleans up nicely. Gone and not missed are the scoops and swoops formerly applied to the GP’s body. Stripped of the cladding, what emerges is a clean looking mid-size with a coke bottle shape. The low front end carries a characteristic PMD beak, while the side view shows a wedgy profile, with a coupe-like roof-line.
The Grand Prix nameplate dates to 1962 in Pontiac’s lineup. Back in the day, Grand Prix was a big car with a sporting disposition. In the 1960’s, straight-line speed was the coin of the realm. These cars had it, with burly big blocks that would suck birds out of their trees, launching the Wide Track Pontiacs down the road. While the latest versions of the car are a long way removed from the originals, knowing their history goes a long way towards explaining their personality. Grand Prix – especially the high performance GTP models – are mid-size sedans with muscle car roots.
The muscle still flexes in this generation’s GP’s, though birds are no longer nervous. Leading the way under hood is a veteran V6, Pontiac’s 3800, coupled to an
Eaton supercharger. Standard gear on GTP models, the 3.8/blower combo still gets it done, with 260 hp and 280 lb. ft. of torque. Less smooth than some, it is quicker than most, with low seven second range 0-60 potential. More important for every day driving is the engine’s torque, which peaks at 3,600 rpm. This translates as power where you need it – at low engine speeds, for on-ramps and merge lanes - and higher speeds, for passing and general fun. No manual transmission is offered, but the wrinkle here is Pontiac’s TAPshift four speed automatic, on cars equipped with the $1,395 Competition Group. TAPshift cars sprout a pair of small horns on the steering wheel, from which the driver can trigger the gears. I’d still take a three pedal car with a stick if I had my druthers, but TAPshift does offer the driver the option to get more actively involved than just popping the car into drive. Gas mileage weighs in at 18 city/27 highway.
The Comp G package targets enthusiast drivers. Beyond the 3800/blower/TAPshift trio mentioned above, Competition cars get a sport tuned suspension, vehicle stability program (StabiliTrak Sport), Magnasteer II steering, performance tread and a heads-up display. Grand Prix generally acquits itself well on the road. Magnasteer provides a good feel through the fingers and despite its front heavy weight bias, the GP cuts a nice corner and delivers a comfortable ride – on smooth roads. On rougher roads, Comp G cars feel a little old school, where good cornering was had at the price of a bumpy ride. If you live where the pavement is uneventful, it’s a non-issue. But, if potholes and rough pavement are frequent driving companions, we think that the GTP-minus-Comp-G combo is the preferred Grand Prix setup. It offers a blend of comfort and performance that will suit most people best.
Grand Prix’s interior is a mixed bag. As outside, Pontiac earns points for toning things down, and while the look is long on plastic, there’s plenty of function within reach. The main gauges are legible and stylish, and backed up by heads-up projection. Center dash is canted towards the driver, cockpit style, and easy to access. The back seat is clearly more partial to parcels than people. With front seats pushed back enough for average size adults, rear seat room is disappointingly limited. However, the seat backs split and fold forward, so Grand Prix’s good-sized, 16 cubic foot trunk can also hold a good deal more.
“The new Grand Prix represents our second phase to thoroughly contemporize Pontiac, following the launch of the Vibe last year and preceding the upcoming GTO.”
Pontiac has always been a place in GM where you knew where you stood. Where it was sometimes hard to tell some of the General’s troops apart, Pontiac had staked out a spot – sometimes loudly – as a performance minded division. The high water mark for the Grand Prix marque was probably the 1960’s, when the cars worked the personal luxury coupe segment with style and success. The landscape is different now, of course, but the 2004 GP shows a car circling back towards its roots. With the new re-do, Grand Prix tilts away from the glitz and cladding of recent past cars and steps it up in refinement. That’s a good direction for one of autodom’s grand old names.
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