I like it

super fast, leather, moonroof, black

I bought this car after my Corrado died. I was working selling cars at the time, and it was pretty much implied that we could only buy from our lot. So this was my choice of what I could afford there at the time (interesting factoid: it was the first car I took for a test drive for a potential sale).

When this body style came out in '97 it was the car that I wanted. I was in high school at the time, and was still a little niave to other cars but GM, particularly Pontiacs (I think it is tradition in my family line to own a Pontiac at some point, so I got it out of the way with my third car). I really wanted a two door GTP. To me this was the ultimate car when I was that age. Like I said, a little niave.

What drew me to it though (6 years after high school), was keeping in mind how bad I wanted one in high school. And the fact that the motor (3800 Series III V6) is one of the most bullitt proof motors ever to come out of GM. I knew buying this it would be highly reliable. And almost 5 years later has proved right on that fact.

It has always ran great, and just with basic maintence. None of the major repairs were even motor related and have been just limited to normal wear-and-tear areas such as brakes, and wheel bearings.  

So the reliablity factor is not what is bringing down the build quality ranking on my GP. What does bring it down is the quality of the materials used. Inside and out. The exterior features panel gaps as wide as the Red River Valley where I live. And the bumpers look a little cheap.

The interior is prime example of the horrid old GM cheapness. The cloth seats are not the nicest around. But I would rather have them that the terrible leather that I have seen with that option. I am also glad I don't have a sunroof, as I know I wouldn't be happy with the placement and quality of it either. The plastics used on the dashboard are so cheap, and as Motor Trend always has said aobut GM's best "Lego-like". I never understood that statement until I owned this car. It does look like Lego and GM use the same plastic.

But I am making it sound like I don't like this car. That is hardly the fact. As a "daily-driver", get me to and from vehicle it is great. It has decent power. Gets good gas milage, especialy considering this is a decent sized V6 mated to a 4-speed auto. It handles as well as I would want a car this big to do (though I wouldn't want anything less then the GT suspensoin).

As for apperance. Well I already ripped the panel gaps and cheap looking bumpers. But overall I have always liked the looks of these Grand Prix's. It has to be a coupe though for me, but the sedan looks nice too. There is that great American "Muscle" look to it, and it looks far better then the newer GPs that replaced this body style. I think the back-end of the newer ones looks horrid and incomplete, like the designer fogot to finish it. And considering that the suspensoin, motor, and chassis is carried over, you might as well go for this body style that looks far better.

As for recomending to a friend. I would. Not an SE spec car though, as I am sure the suspension is too soft. The SE's also aren't as nicely styled with the "ground effects that the GT/GTP's get. And plus with the GT you are getting the 3800 standard.

This was an awesome car! Put a smaller pulley on the supercharger too.