the driver's side bag and antilock brakes as standard equipment. A hand brake on the
center console has also replaced the old foot-operated parking brake.
But the big story continues to be under the Grand Am's hood, where the standard
four-cylinder, 16-valve engine continues to be modified and improved.
The original version of this engine was quite powerful for its size, but it also
created a lot of noise and vibration that annoyed many owners.
For '95 the engine was equipped with so-called balance shafts that rotate in the
opposite direction of the engine's crankshaft to damp out most of that vibration, and
the result is a definite improvement.
This year the engine grew quite a bit, from 2.3 liters to 2.4 liters, to make it
smoother and increase torque, or pulling power, at low engine speeds. So, while the
engine produces the same 150 horsepower, it will haul a Grand Am from zero to 60
m.p.h. about a second faster than last year's version.
For $395 more, you can get a 155 h.p. 3.1-liter V6 that has even more muscle at lower
engine speeds, which allows it to work more smoothly with an automatic transmission.
A quick peek at the window sticker shows that the base price for a two-door or
four-door SE model is $13,999, including destination charges. The sportier, more
heavily equipped GT coupe and sedan start at $15,999.
The SE sedan we tested had a package of options that included tilt steering, air
conditioning, cruise control and a few other amenities that boosted the price by
$1630. Other touches, including automatic transmission($795) and power windows
($355), upped the final price to $17,690. Next Page