grandams
#11
09-26-2007, 04:03 AM
RE: grandams
ORIGINAL: koots
I'm a born and bred GM guy, but i can also see the beauty of design and engineering (which is why i have a Civic). The grand-am's (GA just for this conversation) is a modest mid size car. they never were performers in any way shape or form. They, like most domestic cars of the last 20 years, were not high horsepower vehicles but more high torque vehicles. they have a lot of punch off the line but have limited high RPM capability. the 3.1L and the 3.4L were not the best engines but they did produce enough torque to let you screech the tires at stoplights and could put you back in your seat upon acceleration. If i were you i would go with a Civic for performance, cuz it's not all in how it launches. it's also about how it corners, handles, accelerates at high RPM's and ultimately sustaining that engine speed. the Civic does those quite well. the GA would be gasping for air at around 5k on the tach, while the Civic keeps on screaming.
The GA's did have the option of a 5-speed manual as well. i went to school with a guy who had a 2dr GT with a 5 speed. i'm not sure which engine he had (might have been the twin cam 2.4L). All in all, the GA's better suited for city driving in which brief and powerful acceleration would be more useful, not to say that the Civic doesn't have power, it just doesn't have the torque of a 3.1L V6. but i woud choose a Civic anyday over a GA simply because it has way more potential and i wouldn't have to know the parts desk guys at the dealership by name. which you might have too with a GA.
I'm a born and bred GM guy, but i can also see the beauty of design and engineering (which is why i have a Civic). The grand-am's (GA just for this conversation) is a modest mid size car. they never were performers in any way shape or form. They, like most domestic cars of the last 20 years, were not high horsepower vehicles but more high torque vehicles. they have a lot of punch off the line but have limited high RPM capability. the 3.1L and the 3.4L were not the best engines but they did produce enough torque to let you screech the tires at stoplights and could put you back in your seat upon acceleration. If i were you i would go with a Civic for performance, cuz it's not all in how it launches. it's also about how it corners, handles, accelerates at high RPM's and ultimately sustaining that engine speed. the Civic does those quite well. the GA would be gasping for air at around 5k on the tach, while the Civic keeps on screaming.
The GA's did have the option of a 5-speed manual as well. i went to school with a guy who had a 2dr GT with a 5 speed. i'm not sure which engine he had (might have been the twin cam 2.4L). All in all, the GA's better suited for city driving in which brief and powerful acceleration would be more useful, not to say that the Civic doesn't have power, it just doesn't have the torque of a 3.1L V6. but i woud choose a Civic anyday over a GA simply because it has way more potential and i wouldn't have to know the parts desk guys at the dealership by name. which you might have too with a GA.
Wow...you just destroyed his friends ego in so many places
haha, good post.
#12
09-26-2007, 06:40 AM
RE: grandams
- owned a 97Grand AmGT 2.4l 5spd manual, 150 hp @ 5800 rpms,24mpg city, 31hwy,it was a nice car, had it for 10years,thePontiac Grand Prix GTP comes supercharged from the factory, drove a G6 rental this year, liked it,but I still like my Civic better, so many different mods available
#13
09-26-2007, 09:03 AM
RE: grandams
ok for the responses I read... it is safe to say that most people would prefer a civic over a gramdan because civis are more easy to modify.
The reason for my question was because the price of a civic is actually a little more than a gramdan ( maybe the same ), so if someone is not into putting mods to his car and spending more moneythen it will be better to just buy a gramdan and forget about buying all the mods a civic will need to be as powerfull as a grandam.
My friend has a civic 07 ( btw not a SI) he paid aprox 21 000 for it , my other friend has a 2000 gramdan gt, he paid aprox 8 for it , they raced both cars and the gramdan kill the civic. Now it would be a different story with the modsi guess
Btw, civics , are in the same category as neon , cavaliers, sunfires ( all 4 cilynders and price is fairly low), however I would prefer an accord, camry , sebring, 300which are in a different category ( 6 cilynders) and are a lot more expensive. However the grand am seem to be right in the middle , powerwise we can put the grand am in the same category as accords, camry , but price wise we can say they are in the category of the civics...
The reason for my question was because the price of a civic is actually a little more than a gramdan ( maybe the same ), so if someone is not into putting mods to his car and spending more moneythen it will be better to just buy a gramdan and forget about buying all the mods a civic will need to be as powerfull as a grandam.
My friend has a civic 07 ( btw not a SI) he paid aprox 21 000 for it , my other friend has a 2000 gramdan gt, he paid aprox 8 for it , they raced both cars and the gramdan kill the civic. Now it would be a different story with the modsi guess
Btw, civics , are in the same category as neon , cavaliers, sunfires ( all 4 cilynders and price is fairly low), however I would prefer an accord, camry , sebring, 300which are in a different category ( 6 cilynders) and are a lot more expensive. However the grand am seem to be right in the middle , powerwise we can put the grand am in the same category as accords, camry , but price wise we can say they are in the category of the civics...
#14
09-26-2007, 02:15 PM
RE: grandams
Sorry about the late night ranting, I like GrandAm's depending on the model and condition, and there is some fun to be had with them, but like i said it is very limited. It all depends on your taste, if you want some V6 torque and some roasted front tires, go with the GA. they are not performance vehicles but they can be fairly fun DD's. So can the civic, only with a torque penalty but better gas mileage. The Honda is a better quality vehicle. the grandams can be good quality as well, but it's sometimes a gamble because of some rifts in GM's quality control. I have a 98 GMC sierra truck and the automatic transmission in that has lasted me 300k without incident and some people have to replace them after 90k. so it is hard to say if it will be a moneypit or a worthwhile vehicle. If you look into the grandam (or any vehicle for that matter) ask for the service records to see if it has had problems in the past.
#15
09-26-2007, 02:28 PM
RE: grandams
I had a 95 Grand Am GT with the 3.1 as my first car. I loved the hell outta that thing, it was powerful as all hell and I got it with 145k on the clock. Unfortunately, I blew the head gasket at 155k and replaced the motor, not even 5k miles more the head gasket went again. I was done with the GA and went through a couple beaters until I found my Civic. All in all, I like the GA, and the 99+ models are really good looking to me. It's a shame the 3.1 was riddled with head gasket problems or else I'd probably be still driving it. I kinda wish I could find a nice cheap 95 gt to get as a winter car or something, it was a lot of fun.
#16
09-26-2007, 02:31 PM
RE: grandams
my friend used to have a Grand Am and honestly that hting was fast. He just had an intake but man that thing ripped. I didnt really know they didnt get credit?
#17
09-26-2007, 02:50 PM
RE: grandams
well I for one have never heard some one say, "oh god I was in a grand am and it was so fast" that just doesnt sound right. Most pontiacs arent that great... they are american and lower performance than most imports. BUT it mostly depends on the person..... I have ridden in a G6 gt and it was pretty fast. 0-60 in under 10 seconds, and it had an *** load of torqe.
#18
09-26-2007, 02:55 PM
RE: grandams
ORIGINAL: TSR96civic
well I for one have never heard some one say, "oh god I was in a grand am and it was so fast" that just doesnt sound right. Most pontiacs arent that great... they are american and lower performance than most imports. BUT it mostly depends on the person..... I have ridden in a G6 gt and it was pretty fast. 0-60 in under 10 seconds, and it had an *** load of torqe.
well I for one have never heard some one say, "oh god I was in a grand am and it was so fast" that just doesnt sound right. Most pontiacs arent that great... they are american and lower performance than most imports. BUT it mostly depends on the person..... I have ridden in a G6 gt and it was pretty fast. 0-60 in under 10 seconds, and it had an *** load of torqe.
#19
09-26-2007, 03:19 PM
RE: grandams
Okay, I drive my civic daily. I also drive a 2004 Grand Am SE (3.4l v6) fairly often (my mom owns it). Honestly, which one gets up to its top speed faster? The grand am, without a doubt. Unfortunately, that top speed is about 116 mph (governer). Let's just say I've never actually topped out my civic, but I've gone faster than 116 in it. Which one takes turns at speed better? Well, I've developed a formula with my civic. It's something along the lines of "the fastest speed you want to take turns at is double the posted advisory limit + 10 mph". With the grand am, it's something along the lines of "you don't want to go much faster than the posted advisory limit + 15 mph or so". And even at those speeds, be prepared to hear the tires cry (granted, my civic is sitting on low-pro coopers, but I'm pretty sure even the stock tires weren't as quick to squeal as the grand am's). Which one is quieter, smoother, and generally a more comfortable ride? The grand am, by a long shot (the low-pros and 2.5" drop really don't help). But if I were to pick one to drive on a daily basis, I'd have to pick my civic, hands down. It's a noisy, uncomfortable car, but damn that thing is fast, and turns are a lot of fun. That, and the Grand Am doesn't seem to have any character; it's just... another car. On the other hand, my civic takes some getting used to (everything's touchy; the brakes, the accelerator, the steering wheel). Personally, I consider that a positive feature
#20
09-26-2007, 04:04 PM
RE: grandams
ORIGINAL: reaper2022
........On the other hand, my civic takes some getting used to (everything's touchy; the brakes, the accelerator, the steering wheel). Personally, I consider that a positive feature
........On the other hand, my civic takes some getting used to (everything's touchy; the brakes, the accelerator, the steering wheel). Personally, I consider that a positive feature
