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2008 Pontiac Grand Prix Review - What the Auto Press Says

The Grand Prix has both V6 and V8 engines, but it does not deliver the refinement or handling of top competitors, and its aging style and mediocre cabin quality weigh down its overall score compared to other affordable midsize sedans.

According to our analysis, the 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix maintains its reputation as a vehicle for those who need the practicality and better gas mileage of a midsize family sedan but aren't willing to give up the strong engine or a larger car. "Very American, and very likable in a roughhouse bawdy sort of way," declares Car and Driver. "If you wear your baseball cap backward, this Bud's for you."

Like many, Automobile Magazine notes the sedan "rides into the sporty family segment on its laurels, a little underprepared for the competition."

The Grand Prix, however, is on its last legs.  Pontiac did not build a 2009 model, meaning the 2008 is the last generation of Grand Prix.  In fact, it's one of the last Pontiacs -- General Motors has announced its intention to close the brand at the end of 2009.  The few remaining 2008 Grand Prix models on dealership lots, then, are discontinued cars on doomed dealer lots -- and, with some negotiation, may prove to be among the least expensive midsize cars in America.

If you're shopping for an affordable sedan, also consider the Honda Accord or the Toyota Camry.

• "These mid-size sedans share their front-drive platform with the Chevy Impala but aspires to a sportier image. This is a stretch for the base model but not the GXP, with its 303-hp V-8." -- Car and Driver
• "I want to give Pontiac credit for attempting to inject some life back into the Grand Prix. But…there are so many endemic problems with the Grand Prix that haven't been addressed, it's difficult to forget them while you're trying to enjoy the extra shot of adrenaline." -- Detroit News
• "I would run out of fingers before I could count all the foreign-brand cars I would buy before I'd consider the Grand Prix." -- New York Times
• "I found myself looking forward to spending some quality time flogging one of America's last remaining full-size touring sedans, the Grand Prix. That is, until I drove one." -- The Truth About Cars

Grand Prix Performance - 7.5 (Good)

The Grand Prix's powerful performance is its best attribute. Although the sedan's engine is not the strongest or the most refined in the class, most testers like the performance. Following a Car and Driver road test, its editors wrote, "Some other sporty sedans can match this car's test-track accel numbers, but none of them can match its massive punch in urban close combat." Read More

Grand Prix Exterior - 7.6 (Good)

Not many are crazy about the Grand Prix's aging style. Described as "muscular" and "bold" when it first appeared in late 2003, the current model is now more of a relic of American automobile design. View Photos

Grand Prix Interior - 6.5 (Mediocre)

Test drivers report familiar, easy-to-use controls and good cargo space in the 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix. But a stiff, cramped backseat and dubious cabin materials hurt the sedan's interior score. The Detroit News says the look of the handsome top stitched seats "barely compensates for the cheap-looking and old-fashioned controls and displays that would be more at home on an economy car." Read More

Grand Prix Safety - 6.8 (Mediocre)

The 2008 Grand Prix does moderately well in government and insurance industry crash tests. Read More

Grand Prix Reliability - 5.0 of 5

The 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix reliability score shown is the Predicted Reliability rating provided by J.D. Power and Associates. All Pontiacs come with a three-year/36,000-mile warranty. Read More