Family Man's Sports Car

So, here I am... 31 years old, happily married, and the proud father of a 3-month-old baby boy. Suddenly, my 1999 Hyundai Sonata decides life is no longer worth living and seizes up, leaving me in desperate need of new transportation.

Initially, I was looking at the Toyota Camry and Buick Lacrosse (2005 models with around 15 - 20k miles). These could be had for around $18,000 in my area. However, my wife and I started looking at the budget and felt something in the $15,000 range would be a little better on the pocketbook. I narrowed my choices down to the Ford Taurus and the Pontiac Grand Prix, and took both for solo test drives unencumbered by the typical annoying salesperson. Long story short, the Grand Prix won.

Why I Like It (the car in "Park")

The Grand Prix provides a slightly aggressive "I'm-not-ready-to-trade-my-manhood-in-for-a-minivan" statement in a four-door sedan. I'm not narcissistic, but I also want driving to be fun. The interior reminds me of my old mid-90's Camaro in terms of having a "cockpit" feeling, with a center console slightly tilted to the driver for easy reach and use. The gauges are very large and easy to read, with a race-inspired look. The steering wheel is nicely styled to somewhat resemble that of a racecar, with a brushed metal and black look. The steering wheel also has two sizeable palm swells, which I find very comfortable. The seats are very comfortable for me, hugging my sides and providing a stable ride. I also like the subtle interior: no woods, nothing too flashy... all business. The back seat isn't the largest in its class and passengers do sit fairly low, but there is enough room for two - three adults to comfortably sit. I also like the fact that the rear seats fold down 60/40, providing pass through space to the trunk (by the way, the pass through space is much larger than that of the Taurus... I measured it). Speaking of the trunk, it's huge. 16 cubic feet is pretty significant, on par with just about every mid-size sedan in its class. The glove box isn't much to speak of, providing a somewhat odd two-tier storage area that isn't very well designed for keeping odds and ends (things will get lost quickly). Controls are acceptable, and there are some nice touches such as auto-on headlamps, programmable user modes to select things such as headlamp delay, automatic lock preferences, etc. The stereo is, in my mind, very nice for a standard factory unit, providing deep base and clear treble/mids, coupled with features such as speed-controlled volume. All in all, the Grand Prix in "park" provides many of the same allowances for space and convenience as other mid-size sedans, but in a much sportier and aggressive package.

Why I Like It (the car in "Drive")

Here's where the fun begins. The Grand Prix has a 200 hp 3.8L V-6, which provides more than adequate acceleration from "stop," and very nice acceleration for passing. Press the pedal to the floor while traveling at 55 mph, and you'll be rewarded with a powerful growl from under the hood and acceleration that will push you back into your seat. The Grand Prix rides somewhat rougher than many other sedans, but that is the price you pay for a tighter, sportier suspension that hugs the road much nicer than other sedans. The Grand Prix is a very sold feeling car, able to take on/off ramps at speeds that cause other cars to feel ungainly. Braking is very nice as well, with minimal "nose dive" and pretty short stopping distances even without ABS. Road noise, as well, is kept to a minimal level. Gas mileage is supposed to be near 28/30 mpg on the highway, but I haven't had the car long enough to really see the potential.

The Summary

I love this car, having owned one for just one week thus far. Mine is a black base '05, purchased used one week ago with 16,000 miles. It's roomy enough for the family, but sporty enough to make driving fun. And, it allows those of us who enjoy being "family men" to still put the pedal to the metal. If you want a sporty car that will meet the needs of the average family at a great price (I paid $13,500 for mine), look no further!