AFSCME 3357-HOF'S BLOG

2006 Pontiac Grand Prix - Base Model
Rental Car Review

My car is in the shop this week, and Enterprise Rent-a-Car, kindly lent me their 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix. This gave me a chance to explore General Motor's current offerings in the low-middle of the market. Bottom line - it's not bad. It's better than the last rental car that I had, a 2006 Buick LaCrosse, and it's way better than the one before that, a 2005 Dodge Stratus.

I'll be frank. I didn't want the Grand Prix. I was looking for either an Impala (the Grand Prix's more-popular platform mate) or a somewhat smaller Chevrolet Malibu or Pontiac G6. As keys disappeared from the rack at Enterprise, I decided to go ahead and take the Grand Prix.

I'll overlook the fact that the car had that distinctive rental car smell of smoke covered by Febreze, and I'll go to the substance. The test car is quite attractive, well-integrated swoopy lines make the car look smaller than it really is. The car has a well-done grey paint job and attractive alloy wheels. The interior is almost entirely black. It has dark-grey to black cloth upholstery and is finished mostly in black plastics for the doors and dash. GM often takes hits for their "hard plastics". On this car, the plastic is soft where you would touch it. Where it is hard, it really doesn't make a difference. The dash is curved to create a cockpit feel. The gauges are clear and are instrumented with typical Pontiac red-orange lighting. Some people like the color, other people don't. It's a matter of taste. The trunk is large, and there's a fold-down rear seat. There are four very functional cupholders.

In terms of performance, Pontiac got the important things right. Even though this car has the base 3.8-liter V-6 engine, it has plenty of power. The transmission may only have four gears but it shifted seamlessly. The 3.8-liter V-6 performed much better in the Grand Prix than in the Buick LaCrosse that I rented a couple months ago. The Grand Prix rode comfortably but is well-connected to the road. The steering response was very good. Overall, the driving dynamics are such that you will probably find yourself going quite a bit faster than you think you are. My car didn't have a fuel-economy read-out (more on that later), and because it wasn't full when I got it, I haven't been able to check the fuel mileage. It appears to be reasonable based upon the movement of the gas gauge.

Given the size of the car, the back seat could be larger, but it's not bad overall. I think the Grand Prix isn't really marketed at families. It's more company-car/commuter-oriented.

As far as I could tell, this rental is the base model with just one option: a $150 upgrade to the stereo. If you get the car, get the upgraded stereo. The CD player (single disc) plays MP3 files. The tuner performance is exceptional. It pulls in stations that I didn't know existed. This is the first car radio that I've seen that the RDS really works as it's supposed to.

There are a few nagging omissions from the equipment list in the base model without options. There is no trip computer in the information display. Since the engine computer automatically complies the information necessary to calculate MPG, the only reason to leave it off the display is to sucker people into buying an option package. The base car has a power-adjustable driver's seat, but the driver's seat has no lumbar support. Also, there are no steering wheel radio buttons. Fortunately, all of these omissions can be rectified by ordering the "Preferred Option" package which lists for $965 and has an invoice price of $801. The preferred option package includes a front passenger flat-folding seat (handy); a driver' side 2-way power lumbar adjuster (needed); remote vehicle start; cargo net; leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls and shift knob, visors with illuminated vanity mirrors; reading lights front & rear; an overhead console; a trip computer; and some upgraded trim. I would highly recommend getting this package as it promises to cure virtually all of the Grand Prix's weaknesses as tested.

The only weakness that I saw that would not be cured by the preferred package was the tendency of rain to collect on the back window. The car is swoopy, and the back glass is large. It is not angled enough for rain (and snow) to fall off immediately, and there is no wiper. If you get this car, I strongly suggest that you try a water beading compound like RainX.

Finally I get to crunch time - price. The Grand Prix is well-priced, and it appears that GM's "value pricing" model works. GM only has a fairly modest end-of-model-year rebate of $1500 on the Grand Prix. Per Edmunds, equipped as the rental, the Grand Prix would have a list of $22140, an invoice of $20,942, an Edmunds TMV(TM) of $21,195. Subtract the $1500 rebate and you get a net TMV of $19,695. That's under 20k for a "full-size" V-6 powered car. With the GM Employee discount, you could likely get the base car with the Preferred Package for under $20,000 before tax; and for that money, you'd be getting a good value.