2002 Pontiac Grand Am

Sportiness comes in a couple of flavors. There's serious sport, where an automobile's motions and behavior closely match its appearance and reputation. At the other end of the spectrum, we have what might be termed pseudo-sport: vehicles that look the part but don't really live it. Pontiac's Grand Am compact coupe and sedan fall closer to that latter category.

GT models are distinguished by standard 16-inch wheels, body-colored cladding, a rear spoiler, and unique fascias. New exterior hues are Polo Green and Dark Tropic Teal.

As GM's sport-oriented division, Pontiac made its modern-day reputation by giving its vehicles an athletic look—bold details that don't always mesh with what's under the hood and down at chassis level. Bodyside cladding and other alluring add-ons make Pontiacs "watchable," and their suspensions may be tuned a little tighter than usual. Typically, though, their innards are closely related to those of other less-assertive General Motors products.


If Grand Am isn't a full-bore sport machine, even in GT trim, what is it? Basically, the coupe and sedan are capable, relatively comfortable cars for family travel, which also possess a mildly audacious reputation. Notable changes are happening, though. For 2002, Grand Am gets the EcoTec 2.2-liter four-cylinder as its base engine. Built mainly of aluminum and incorporating twin balance shafts, the EcoTec four is said to be the lightest-weight engine ever produced by General Motors, and one of the most compact four-cylinder powerplants in the world.


Standard on SE models, the DOHC EcoTec engine develops 140 horsepower. In addition to ample power, it promises improved fuel efficiency. Working with a manual gearbox, the EcoTec four allows the Grand Am to earn an EPA 33-mpg estimate for highway driving.

GM's new lightweight Ecotec 2.2-liter four-banger is the base engine in the '02 Grand Am and also appears in the Sunfire, Alero and Cavalier.

For SE models, a five-speed manual transmission is standard; a four-speed automatic is optional. A 170-horsepower, 3.4-liter V-6 engine is available on the SE1 version. GT models get a 175-hp Ram Air variant of the V-6, operating with cold-air induction and a lower-restriction exhaust system. Only the automatic is offered with V-6 engines.