I sometimes get sentimental for the Good Old Days, a bygone era when gas was cheap (and the good stuff was called Ethyl), back seats were the ticket to romance, and tailfins were a mark of distinction, rather than bad taste. Back in the day, the coolest metal was Detroit born-and-bred, bearing real nameplates that paid homage to fast animals and faraway places and auto races, not to alphanumeric jumbles inspired by IRS tax forms. It was during one of these recent waves of nostalgia that I found myself looking forward to spending some quality time flogging one of America’s last remaining full-size touring sedans, the Grand Prix. That is, until I drove one.
True to its legacy as a highway cruiser, the Grand Prix is, well, big. At 198 inches, the grand dame consumes as much curb space as a 7-series BMW. Unlike its original 1962 namesake, the current Pontiac looks uninteresting and ill-proportioned. The blandly inoffensive profile is disrupted by a garish boy-racer front air dam and a bulbous, excessively ridged tail that has all the charm of a plumber’s hindquarters. It’s quite sporty looking– assuming you limit your choices of sport to roller derby and championship wrestling.
Enter this lame-duck’s cabin and welcome to another GM-sponsored edition of "Bad Designers Gone Wild." The Grand Prix' dashboard is an unfortunate mishmash of odd angles and mismatched plastics, paired with conspicuously cheap aluminum trim that missed the turn for the soda can factory. The buttons are lower rent than an apartment overlooking Chicago's L and as awkward to manipulate on the fly as a Psion organizer (from the same era).
The large-print gauges are intrusive pie plates more suited to geriatric reading rooms than an inspired driver’s car. The steering wheel continues the size trumps all theme. The mass transit-sized interface obviates the possibility of serious switchbacks shenanigans– if only because the metal cladding is ideally located to cut into any sporting driver trained to place his or her hands at the 9 and 3 o’clock positions.
The Grand Prix’s cloth buckets are adequate for extended cruising. However, they lack lumbar and side support; I never managed to maneuver the six-way power adjustments to a position that was anything better than rental car compliant. But interior space is abundant, and the spacious trunk will please even the most ambitious of Costco shoppers.
Although most reviewers test the livelier 5.3-liter V8 or supercharged 3.8-liter editions of this car, “my” Grand Prix lumbered along with Ye Olde “3800” V6. It’s the naturally-aspirated, transverse-mounted 200hp pushrod found in most Grand Prix that trudge along US highways. It’s a powerplant in name only: mechanical motivation perfectly designed to discourage any accelerative aspirations.
Fire it up, and the 3800’s familiar whirr settles into an engine note that oozes all the sonic sensuality (and none of the precision) of a Cuisinart. Mated to a drive-by-wire throttle and four-speed automatic, the not-so-mighty mill pushes the Pontiac to 60mph in a bit over eight seconds. For those aspiring to gaze deeply into the taillights of Toyota Avalons, it’s the stuff of which dreams are made.
The Grand Prix' anemic engine renders it as far from autobahn material as a dirt bike. But at a more languid pace, the Grand Prix proceeds without trial or tribulation. The Pontiac stalwarts’ 110” wheelbase and independent suspension deliver a gentle ride without the excessive floaty boatiness typical of most old-school GM automobiles. Toss some good old fashioned American expansion joints and potholes its way, and neither driver nor passengers will be any worse for wear.
In keeping with tradition, the Grand Prix’ over-boosted steering is as vague and disconnected as a stoned surfer, offering that Novocain numbness that makes Detroit front-drivers the last choice for anyone who enjoys driving. Just as long as you don’t harbor any pistonhead passion whatsoever, you and Grand Prix may get along just fine.
The Grand Prix may share the name and most of the length of its throaty four-barreled ancestor, but it fails miserably to deliver on its promise of sports sedanitude. This Pontiac is ultimately a charm-free appliance– one that inspires little confidence. With barely 500 miles on the clock, my tester was already beginning to creak and groan. Owners should not be surprised if their enjoyment of the Lunesta-like driving dynamics is interrupted by an untimely visit or two with Mr. Goodwrench.
This party will be ending soon. Next year, Pontiac will put the Grand Prix out to the pasture that’s been waiting for it for a very long time. All hail “world cars” and automotive alphanumerics! Pontiac dealers will soon begin peddling the G8, a rear-driver based upon the world-famous-in-Australia Holden Commodore that will sport (one hopes) a 3.6-liter 261hp DOHC V6 and a five-speed autobox.
Meanwhile, on the cusp of this glorious transition, you can pick up a brand new, fully-loaded Pontiac Grand Prix for a song. Don’t.
99 Comments on “Pontiac Grand Prix Review...”
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How did 8 second 0-60 times become seen as painfully slow? What reasonable legal driving scenarios call for faster acceleration than that?
I find that the 3800 Series III V6 in my vehicle is actually the pinnacle of pushrod engine design — It has 30 more HP (200) than the previous version, and meets the 50-state emmisions standards. Oh, my vehicle is a 1997 Camaro, BTW.
This is a good demonstration of the seductive danger of the 5-star rating system; even after that Rock-em Sock-em review, it earns 3 stars? 3 stars is in fact the lowest score any vehicle on the first page of your auto reviews has received. Cognitive dissonance?
Yeah, that’s a recurring theme on this site.
But hey, it got three stars, it must be good at something. I’m sure there’s someone out there who thinks the Camry is too sporty and full of feedback for them.
17 stars, 7 categories= 2.43 stars.
Really this car is a waste of both energy and time for those that built this car. There ought to be a penalty for putting these types of cars on the road.
How did 8 second 0-60 times become seen as painfully slow? What reasonable legal driving scenarios call for faster acceleration than that?
When Accords, Camrys, Tundras, and Titans do it in 6.5-7 seconds, 8 seconds in a Grand
PricksPrix is painfully slow.If the malibu is still the auto equivalent of sweatpants, this gran prix is certainly automotive Zubaz!
There was a time, when many of us were learning to drive, when a typical “sporty car” ran 0-60 in 8 seconds. Even though it may be slow by today’s standards, it is perfectly acceptable for comfortable driving.
I am not convinced that the base Grand Prix is an unreliable car. But the supercharged version, I hear, is notoriously unreliable (keep $1500 handy for a supercharger rebuild every few years).
GM builds this car because it is CHEAP TO MANUFACTURE!!! The designs and factory tooling were paid for years ago, so they can churn them out cheap.
jthorner :
September 17th, 2007 at 10:58 am
How did 8 second 0-60 times become seen as painfully slow? What reasonable legal driving scenarios call for faster acceleration than that?
The scenario I face everyday at the “metered onramps” during the daily commute. And what TexasAG03 said!
Were the pictures included in the review done by TTAC? Its always interesting to see local landmarks (Milwaukee’s Hoan bridge and 3rd ward) in the background, its really unfortunate that white bulbous thing had to take such prominence…
Anyway I look forward to seeing the G8 – hopefully Pontiac will figure out how to fit the G8, V8 with a 6SP Manual! That just might entice some german sport sedan buyers…..
Evidenlty when you click on the first picture it indicates that the photos are courtesy of the reviewer. Didn’t catch that on my first read through!
I had a 2007 Grand Prix as a rental in Memphis for a few days in mid August. I agree with the review and will add a few items: The metal type material on the steering wheel is vey hot to the touch. Unfortunately it was 105 degrees in Memphis when I was there and the metal could toast a bagel. The a/c, thank God, worked well. Acceleration was acceptable and it cruised fine, the sound system was good. Someone at GM must have gotten a great deal at Button R Us, because there is no lack for such in the car. My impression of the car is that it makes for a good rental car, roomy, okay performace, fairly comfortable, good a/c. But the thought of paying in the 20K’s to buy one? No way.
Most buyers already take this reviews advise and avoide the Bland Prix (french for “consolation prize”). Fleet-Centrals stats for the first half of the year showed something like 77% going to fleet.
Apparently the public is not completely clueless.
Stay groovy.
Bunter
I cannot believe that this car stayed on the market so long.
At least the G8 should be a better product.
Eight seconds to reach 60mph used to be just fine, commendable in fact. Then every brand had to squander any fuel savings gained by advancing technology by getting into another horsepower war over the last decade. 180HP, 210HP, 230HP. And now even bread and butter Camrys are rolling around with 270 horses under the hood? It’s stupid, and we’re all paying for it at the pump.
I drove the Grand Prix for a week earlier this year and personally, I would have found it hard to have given it 2 stars.
I can’t help but wonder what will happen to Pontiac’s already-abysmal sales numbers when they kill the Grand Prix in favor of the G8. The number of G8s they import won’t be anywhere near the number of Grand Prix’ they churn out so overall sales are going to drop drastically.
Whether a car goes to fleets or to the guy down the street, a sale is a sale when a company is holding on by its fingertips like Pontiac is. I predict you’ll see a strong upturn in G6 sales as the beancounters try to make up for lost Grand Prix sales by dumping even more G6s into fleets.
I would disagree on the author’s comments re: interior space. The backseat is exceptionally small even by W-Body standards, and the sloping roofline intrudes into rear headroom. When I worked at a PBG store they kept saying the GP was “driver-centric”. I guess that’s what they meant.
The taut suspension lends pretensions to sporting driving, but is only adequate to the task for the Impala/Camry set.
The author is right to cite the original 1962 GP in his review, because the current model is an insult to the proud heritage of the 60’s era.
The G8 will indeed be a revelation, in that it will reveal the car that GM should have continued building instead of going on its 20-year magic carpet ride chasing the FWD Japanese competition.
I can’t help but wonder what will happen to Pontiac’s already-abysmal sales numbers when they kill the Grand Prix in favor of the G8. The number of G8s they import won’t be anywhere near the number of Grand Prix’ they churn out so overall sales are going to drop drastically.
Whether a car goes to fleets or to the guy down the street, a sale is a sale when a company is holding on by its fingertips like Pontiac is. I predict you’ll see a strong upturn in G6 sales as the beancounters try to make up for lost Grand Prix sales by dumping even more G6s into fleets.
I predict you’ll be correct, Frank.
The 30,000 or so imported G8’s will be to test the waters for a year or two, until Oshawa can be retooled to Zeta in 2010-11 (or so they hope).
Now thats a car thats been beaten with the ugly stick long and hard. The only reason to sit inside would be so that you can’t see the outside. Ever.
A friend of ours had the old one a few years ago and was dead keen on the V6 being “shhhporty”. All it seemed to do was weeze and whine without much progress when called upon to gain momentum with 3 adults and one 3 year old on board.
The 3 year old (now 6) does a good impression of Raf Valone in the original “Italian Job”, when he says “pretty car” just before trashing an Aston DB5. Needless to say he didn’t say that just now when I showed him these pictures.
@86er:
“When I worked at a PBG store they kept saying the GP was “driver-centric”.
That’s funny, I can think of a lot of things to describe this rental poster boy of a car, but that’s certainly not one of them!
I never like this car. It so heavy.
And it looks the same for the past 7 years.
I prefer buying the new Magnum it looks tough and it drives tough.
I thought this was a joke when I saw the picture. I had no idea that was still the current body style. I thought all the Grand Prix I saw around that looked like that were 2003-2004 models. Talk about letting a model rot on the vine for ages. The interior is only a slight improvement over my wifes old ‘92, and man that was a horrible running and driving car.
Such a shame I used to really like Pontiac as a kid.
Agreed with most reviewers regarding stars. Reminds me: even when I was a kid, when my favorite videogame magazine had a 70% score on a game review, I knew it was a stinker. Anything below 85% was barely worth considering.
The problem now is that, apart from Chinese cars that are not even on the market, no car is really worth less than 3 stars. They can be mediocre, dull, uninspired, but not bad. Compared to better cars, yes, they’re bad, but objectively, they’re not. 8s to 60 is faster than 911 and corvettes from the 70s.
The real question is: do we rate subjectively (i.e., comparatively to other vehicles), or based on the vehicle’s merits alone?
A friend of mine has one, he’s 35, and he described it as:”I’m doing pretty good, got a really nice car”. I did not feel like telling him that I would not change my 2002 VW Golf for his GP, despite all the shortcomings of my own ride.
The Gran Prix probably deserves 3 or 4 stars 10 years ago. But by today’s standards, I would be afraid to drive one. Time has passed but Pontiac didn’t move with it.
Enjoyed the review.
“There ought to be a penalty for putting these types of cars on the road.”
There is. It is called bankruptcy.
8 seconds 0-60? I’m in no way defending the GP, but Jesus you guys, that’s not that slow. Perhaps it is in such a big car, but I can think of many cars that are slower than that but are a hoot to drive. You guys are spoiled.
I can’t believe I just read “pushrod” and “four speed automatic” in a new car review in 2007. It’s like we went back in time to the early ’90s. What’s next? Will I turn on the TV and see that O.J. Simpson has been arrested?
At the risk of serious redundancy, I want to echo the concerns over the three-star rating.
How can something that “fails miserably to deliver on its promise of sports sedanitude” (among numerous other transgressions) achieve such a rating? This review reads like a one- or two-star rating.
I could dream up reasons its a three star (cheap, cheap, cheap?), but it’s certainly not reflected. Even the lovely (read: floaty) ride is incongruous with the what Pontiac is supposed to be.
I think TTAC needs a recalibration in this area.
Apparently it is Tiger! http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/17/oj.simpson/index.html
Anyway, a friend of mine had a 1998 Grand Prix and it was fine. Sort of a no-brainer family car. Want a big GM car that isn’t a Lesabre and gets 29 MPG for cheap? Buy a used GP.
Has the Grand Prix bloated a bit more since the Bonneville was axed? Can someone quote me some pounds and inches?
Any “sportiness” afforded by the low-cut back window is wasted on what looks like too long a nose + excess front overhang.
Plus, the white brings out the panel gaps like no other paint job. Looks like a strip of electrical tape from headlamp to headlamp above the grill.
Get rid of the GP and keep the (now discontinued) Holden Monaro, er I mean GTO.
Lots of experience with GP’s as rentals, sort of sneered at the GTO til my son got a 2006. 400hp, 6 spd, rear drive. Cripes, I really like that car now.
NoneMoreBlack: This is a good demonstration of the seductive danger of the 5-star rating system; even after that Rock-em Sock-em review, it earns 3 stars? 3 stars is in fact the lowest score any vehicle on the first page of your auto reviews has received. Cognitive dissonance?
Stay tuned. I have a one-star car review somewhere in the editorial pipeline. Hopefully my prose is adequate enough to express my disgust with the machine.
Perhaps it is in such a big car, but I can think of many cars that are slower than that but are a hoot to drive. You guys are spoiled.
Jordan: We aren’t spoiled, America is spoiled. The rest of the market offers 250+hp and 6 speeds (even the Taurus) which leaves GM dead last these days.
We rented one last year with only 3k miles on it. The msrp was $33k. Yeah, right. I was astounded at its craptacularity.
Pontiac is dead…or at least the dreams of sales of hundreds of thousands of Grand Ams, GPs and Firebirds from 15 years ago is long gone. I remain amazed on how GM has completely bungled the huge (former) sales of Buick, Pontiac, and yes, even Oldsmobile. What the hell were they thinking?
Jeez guys, there is so much lack of comparative information in these comments.
0-60 in 8 seconds is not slow for the BASE model 4-door in this class; it’s about average. They offer a sported up model that gives more torque (and torque steer) than any front wheel driver should ever have to take. Pontiac was delivering 0-60 in sub 6 seconds (i.e. 5.6-5.8) for years before the 270 HP Altima/Honda/Camry was….it was just doing it in a far less refined fashion.
The Pontiac GTP/GXP has used either the supercharged 3.8 liter (~280hp) or the 5.3 liter v8 (~303 HP) with displacement on demand (i.e. can shut down to 4 cylinders) for years now. Both of them have gobs and gobs of torque at low-low-low RPMs.
And while it’s disgusting that pontiac is producing a 3.8 liter putting out, cough, 200 HP at a time where Honda is putting out an Accord 2.4 liter making 190 HP, the 3.8 liter pushrod still emits decent C02 and obtains reasonable gas mileage on the highway. It’s also reliable.
4-spd automatics are getting maligned here left and right; but bear in mind, the fact that it’s a 4-speed is not obscure in today’s world: Toyota still uses 4-speeds on alot of their base cars. And both transmissions (toyota and pontiac) are slow to react to driver input.
My father-in-law owned a 2004/2005 Grand Prix with the 3.8 liter N/A engine as part of his sales job. He put 60k miles on the car in 2 years. It had a huge trunk and a back-door that opened greater than 90 degrees (important for sales guys stuffing their cars full). It’s passenger seat folded flat forward. It only needed oil changes and tires. It was loud on the highway, jarring in the back seat, and had uncomfortable seats in all positions. And it used so much hard plastic that it looked ruined by the time he traded it in (the family isn’t easy on hard, gray plastic).
Aside from it’s ridiculous ergonomics and cheap make, it’s not a bad car.
Joe
prndlol said ‘Eight seconds to reach 60mph used…’
I am continually amazed at the level of performance today. My first car was a 65 Barracuda with 273 ‘commando’ V8 and 727 torqueflite, which was considered a fast car for the time, and ran 0-60 in 7 flat, as hand clocked innumerable times. It dropped off after that as first gear was just good for 60. Now your average Honda/Toyota/etc family car will humble that. When brand new (& not much broken in) my 97 SVT Cobra ran 14.2@99.5 and that was supposedly ‘class leading’.. I think new Mazda 4 door sedans will bout run that. The performance wars are incredible. This is truly the golden age of automotive engineering. I disagree re the comment ‘we’re all paying for it at the pump’.
The fuel efficiency is incredible if you keep your foot out of it. But my real comment: 8 seconds for a large family sedan is not ’slow’, it’s certainly acceptable for the mainstream, in context. Yes, to me it’s slow (my C5 goes 0-140 in under 16) but a mainstream review can’t filter overly thru an enthusiasts’ viewpoint. It’s a Middle Of The Road V6 Family car…
Cheers,
David
The last generation Grand Am crossed with a sea cucumber.
When brand new (& not much broken in) my 97 SVT Cobra ran 14.2@99.5 and that was supposedly ‘class leading’.. I think new Mazda 4 door sedans will bout run that. The performance wars are incredible.
Agreed on the performance wars. Only one Mazda sedan can run with that as my MS6 does 13.7@98 bone stock.
Personally, I don’t see 8 seconds for the base model being tortoise-like. Though perhaps it will seem like it after the G8 comes.
I have to be honest here — just what was the point of this review? I mean, I have driven the car and it certainly is as shabby a competitor as the review portrays it, but did anyone really think otherwise? Is anyone really surprised that the engine has no character, the interior is poorly designed and craptastic, the suspension is soft, the transmission is sloppy, , the design details thoughtless, etc etc ad nauseam? The car is ancient and is slated for a deserved discontinuation. I mean this was basically a rental car review that served as another chance to pile on GM for their abysmal products and for the writer to exercise his rhetorical flourish. The review didn’t even point out (as I woudl have) that, a few years ago when Lutz came on board, he touted the revised Grand Prix as a new world beater — which it certainly wasn’t then and certainly isn’t now.
Thanks to everyone for the comments so far. I’ll try to respond to a few basic points above.
In respect to the star ratings, that was a judgment call. If you total the stars in each of the subcategories, you end up with an average of 2.4. Had I awarded two stars, I’m sure that others would have been critical for rounding downward, so I believe that this is one of those areas in which you can’t please everyone.
I opted to be generous and go for three stars because of the Buick-like ride (yes, I know, it’s a Pontiac, but does that really make a difference these days?) and the trunk. Obviously, that’s not enough to get me into a showroom anytime soon, and I wouldn’t encourage any of you to go there, either…
A 200 hp “sports” sedan that needs more than eight seconds to hit the 60 mph threshold is slow by today’s standards. Today, a time within spitting range of seven seconds or less is the norm in this class and with this output. Even ten years ago, the Pontiac’s acceleration would have been competitive, but it no longer is. In the big picture, this is yet another example of the goalposts of the market moving without GM keeping pace. Again, as a consumer, you can do better, so why not do better?
Thresher K: Looks like a strip of electrical tape from headlamp to headlamp above the grill.
Funny that you mention that, as I had originally intended to discuss this in an earlier draft of this piece. (With space constraints, something had to give.) Despite first appearances, it’s actually not a panel gap, but an overhang of the hood above the grille. It’s almost as if the hood doesn’t fit properly on the car, but I’m guessing that it was intended to make it easier to open the hood by providing something to grab onto. Not a design cue that works well either in the photos or in the flesh.
I’d call it a two-star car. Nothing notable about it whatsoever. Though the seat warmers were nice during the cold December days we drove one across nebraska, visiting the family for christmas.
You don’t have to be an enthusiast to think it’s a slow, stupid, ugly car. Everyone who rode with us thought it was crap… we didn’t have to say anything at all. “Driving excitement”? More like driving excrement. Any car Pontiac puts out needs to be a class leader in some performance category (and not by simply comparing it to other Pontiacs/GMs, or cars from previous years) if they want to salvage their brand. We expect more these days… and Pontiac needs to be giving the public more, if they want to survive.
I had the pleasure of having a rental Grand Prix when my M3 was in the shop for 6 weeks. Never a worse car have I driven. The suspension was so soft that the turns I usually took became dangerous and I nearly slid off the road as the front tires gave in.
The handling was awful, and I had as much confidence in the car on the highway as I do on a bicycle on said highway.
Adrian Imonti,
With all due respect, the fact that its a Pontiac should make a difference. In fact, this website has, in the past, made a big deal of proper branding and so forth.
As far as rounding up, I understand your point, but I disagree due to the following:
1. I’m no math major, but the rule is to round down if it’s .4 or below and round up if it’s .5 or above. And from the looks of it, no one would have complained if you rounded down.
2a. I didn’t think to look at the average of the individual scores. Is this how the final score is tabulated for other TTAC reviews? Honestly, I don’t know.
2b. This car certainly isn’t equal to the some of its parts.
3. It still reads like a two-star review at best. The five-star system should allow for half stars (cars are much more important to most consumers than a hotel), but that isn’t really my issue with this rating.
I hope I don’t seem like I’m dwelling on it. Overall, its a good review. It’s just that the conclusion is baffling.
0-60 in 8 seconds is not slow but there is a lot to be said for perception. My Celica does it in 9, and yet it feels and sounds much faster. I would imagine it seems like an eternaty sitting behind one of those anchient 3800s mated to one of the sluggish transmissions to survive the 1990s.
OK, so we’ve established that the Grand Prix is no award winner, but I rented one a few months ago for a 750 mile trip and have to say the car wasn’t all that bad. It had a sound, smooth ride, lots of space. had comfy front seats and delivered reasonable gas mileage. Yes, it did have too much cheap plastic, and no, it wouldn’t win a beauty contest, but I also recently rented a Hyundai and a Kia that were nothing to brag about either. Let’s just hope that General Motors is now (finally) listening to the consumer and will deliver a much better product with the G8. I don’t know about you guys, but I really want the Detroit Big 3 to eventually win its way back with the American Consumer. I have to think we can make just as good if not better cars than the Japanese or Europeans. Just for the record, I have a ‘04 Acura TL. Good looking car but it has a weak Bluetooth system, cheap leather seats and way too many rattles and squeaks. I plan to dump it in a few months.
Bob Java: With all due respect, the fact that its a Pontiac should make a difference.
I should have used the sarcasm font for that one. I was being a bit snarky there.
I would agree that it should make a difference. But after a few decades of this muddled branding, it doesn’t matter much any more. Since I’ve acquiesced to the fact that this is not a true sports sedan, we may as well give a bit of credit where it’s due for the ride.
On pockmarked city streets, the car does perform decently, and if those are the driving conditions to which you are accustomed, the Grand Prix could be tolerable. But it’s not much fun to toss around and it sure doesn’t sound as if it’s having a good time doing it.
I would have given it a 2 1/2 star rating if I could, but as the rating system at present does not have this designation, I went for 3. Again, I’m sure that some would have objected had I elected to go for a 2, instead.
Ashy Larry: Just what was the point of this review?
This is a mass production car that is being sold today at your local dealership (with, last I checked, a $1,000 rebate, but I digress.) And to give a bit of credit to Mr. Farago and the rest of the TTAC team, I’m glad that this site has the fortitude to test the standard-level cars that most people actually buy, and not just the tricked-out specialty versions that attract the attention of the buff books.
I’ve frankly always found it to be disingenuous that the glossy mags will focus almost exclusively on performance variants of these types of cars, while completely ignoring the cars that sell the most copies. While there may not be much glamor in it, I think that the readership deserves a candid look at the vehicles that they are more likely to live with day to day. Virtually nobody actually buys the V-8 or supercharged 3800’s, so why are they the only ones that seem to get tested?
Good points. And you’d think I’d be on sarcasm high-alert on this website.
And I concur; there’s always use for a review of a mass market car.
A two year old model with 30,000 miles would sell for $11,400 on average.
Even if it were $2000 cheaper, I wouldn’t consider it. There is simply nothing endearing to those base models. However, I will say that a LeSabre for a similar price can be decent deal if you do a lot of highway driving. 200k of driving, 30 mpg, and it’s actually very comfortable.
Back in ‘67 Oldsmobile offered an option for Cutlass and Cutlass Supreme models called the L66 Turnpike Cruiser package (not to be confused with the ill-fated ‘57-’58 Mercury). It included a special version of the Olds 400 with a two-barrel carb and very cool valve timing aimed at low-end torque, TH400 with an absurdly tall axle ratio, and the 4-4-2’s heavy-duty suspension. It was not a muscle car; it was designed for effortless, low-stress, high-speed cruising.
Last summer a friend of mine and I rented a 2005 Grand Prix sedan for a trip through the Dirty South. The GP reminded me a lot of the Turnpike Cruiser in concept. It was relatively firm in suspension tuning (better damping than I expected), had lots and lots of torque, and a ridiculously long axle ratio giving barely 3,000 rpm at 90 mph. (Her mom’s Impala, which has the same powertrain, has a higher numerical final drive, and was notably quicker at low speeds.) It was not a nimble car in terms of real handling or maneuverability, and the less said about its interior or exterior styling and build quality the better, but on smooth Southern highways at 85+, it was in its element, and bordered on impressive. It was well-sorted, reasonably quiet, and returned around 25 mpg on regular gas, despite, er, elevated average speeds.
American cars have always been good at that kind of cruising, so there’s no surprise there. It’s too bad that for many, that remains their only trick.