2002 Pontiac Grand Am SE 1 from North America - Comments
24th Jun 2009, 15:27
As a car enthusiast and the proud owner of two GM and two Ford vehicles, I heartily agree with the comment above. I own a near-mint 2001 Grand AM SE-1 quad 4 and it is one of the best cars I've ever owned. To call the ride "harsh" boggles my mind. So does "Noisy" and "uncomfortable". My GA is smooth as silk, very quiet except under full throttle acceleration, and compared to my Mustang with heavy-duty suspension it rides like a cloud. I love the car and it has had nothing but a light bulb replaced in 9 years now.
As for test drives, I have ZERO sympathy with a person who buys a car without a proper test drive. "TEST" drive means just what the term implies. You TEST the various aspects of the car, such as acceleration, braking, cornering, interior ride comfort, noise, etc. To not do so relegates you to buying a car you may not know much about at all. When I test drive a car it is put through several flat-out, full-throttle take offs, several 60-0 panic braking tests, several high-speed cornering maneuvers and a freeway cruise at high speed. I want to KNOW the car's capabilities BEFORE I sign on the dotted line.
I have never once had a car salesman object to my putting a car through its paces, though one salesman did turn a bit green when my wife came around a freeway ramp in a full drift at 105mph in a V-8 Mustang some years back. He was clinging for dear life while my wife and I calmly discussed the advantages of various types of fuel injection systems. My wife and I are both former stunt drivers and love to put vehicles through their paces. I don't advocate just anyone driving like we do on a test drive, but pushing a car to its limits is just about mandatory to know what you're really getting.
24th Jun 2009, 15:27
As a car enthusiast and the proud owner of two GM and two Ford vehicles, I heartily agree with the comment above. I own a near-mint 2001 Grand AM SE-1 quad 4 and it is one of the best cars I've ever owned. To call the ride "harsh" boggles my mind. So does "Noisy" and "uncomfortable". My GA is smooth as silk, very quiet except under full throttle acceleration, and compared to my Mustang with heavy-duty suspension it rides like a cloud. I love the car and it has had nothing but a light bulb replaced in 9 years now.
As for test drives, I have ZERO sympathy with a person who buys a car without a proper test drive. "TEST" drive means just what the term implies. You TEST the various aspects of the car, such as acceleration, braking, cornering, interior ride comfort, noise, etc. To not do so relegates you to buying a car you may not know much about at all. When I test drive a car it is put through several flat-out, full-throttle take offs, several 60-0 panic braking tests, several high-speed cornering maneuvers and a freeway cruise at high speed. I want to KNOW the car's capabilities BEFORE I sign on the dotted line.
I have never once had a car salesman object to my putting a car through its paces, though one salesman did turn a bit green when my wife came around a freeway ramp in a full drift at 105mph in a V-8 Mustang some years back. He was clinging for dear life while my wife and I calmly discussed the advantages of various types of fuel injection systems. My wife and I are both former stunt drivers and love to put vehicles through their paces. I don't advocate just anyone driving like we do on a test drive, but pushing a car to its limits is just about mandatory to know what you're really getting.