Good Performance Surprisingly Reliable

When I bought my '99 Grand Prix GTP almost six years ago, I had no idea it would be as easy on my wallet as it has been. I had been counting on performance, gadgets, and reasonable comfort... but the reliability was a complete and pleasant surprise.

When I started looking for a daily driver back in 2002, I wanted something that was relatively quick, sporty, but affordable. So, my attention was immediately drawn to the Grand Prix GTP. With 240 HP and 260 ft.-lbs. of torque at the time it had a lot of power for a non-sports car. After test-driving three, I was hooked.

The interior appointments are nicely done in durable leather. All of the various dials, controls, etc... are within easy reach and are easy to use and understand. The dual-zone climate control is about as simple as it gets. Turn a dial for the temperature you want and that's it. The heated driver's seat is also a nice addition (though it would've been nice if both front seats had this option).

The one feature I absolutely love above all others on my GTP is the Head-Up-Display. EVERY car should have one of these. It keeps your attention out of the cabin and on the road where it should be. The GTP's HUD displays just enough information to be useful, but not so much that it clutters up your viewing area. Speed is displayed prominently all the time and indicators for check engine, high-beams, CD Track, and radio station show up only when necessary.

Acceleration-wise the GTP does well. I was able to hit 14.8@93MPH in the quarter mile completely stock. Be aware though that if you hammer it on the highway you will get some torque steer which can make the car pull violently to one direction. Once you've driven the car a while this becomes a non-issue.

In the winter the Grand Prix does alright. It's certainly not great, but I have driven worse. It's heavy enough to maintain some amount of traction, however it is rather low to the ground so you can get stuck if you take it into snow that is too deep.

Reliability... what can I say. The only problem to date has been the Heads Up Display which failed around 120,000 miles. My suspicion is that this was damaged when I was rear-ended last summer. Ever since that accident the HUD would intermittently go out and then mysteriously come back on a few days later. The HUD was an expensive fix (cost about $300 to $400 with labor) but since I find it a near-necessity I paid the repair cost. The only other failure has been the windshield washer pump (a minor $35 item).

The GTP isn't stellar on gas mileage unless you're very careful with the throttle (which is hard with the 240HP on tap). Frequent jackrabbit starts will send your fuel mileage spiraling down to about 17MPG. I believe the GTP has published fuel mileage of about 18MPG city and 28 MPG highway. That is about right. Combined I see around 24 or 25 during the winter and up around 27 during the summer. I have seen as high as 32MPG on the highway if I am careful with the accelerator.

Back in 1996 when the new "Wide-Track" Grand Prix was coming out I remember commercials crowing about how wonderful the Grand Prix was supposed to handle. I'm sorry to say that I really didn't find the Grand Prix all that nimble. While it maintains a comfortable ride, I did experience what I felt was somewhat excessive body roll in hard corners. Likewise the OEM issued Goodyear RS-A tires were horrendous for cornering. Spririted driving is greeted with a great deal of squealing from the tires.

Handling aside, all in all the Grand Prix has been a welcome member of my automotive family.