New Car Review of the 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix Mid-Size Sedan

Description: Mid-Size Sedan
Base MSRP Range: $22,900 - $26,560
Invoice Price Range: $20,954 - $24,302
Where built: Canada

Pontiac's mid-size sedan scored a make-over in 2004 that resulted in a new smooth new exterior shape and a cabin with flexible flat-fold seats to carve out more room for cargo. Two trim designations with different powertrains work as GT and GTP, but the latter also offers a Competition Group ('Comp G') package with suspension tweaking and sporty paraphernalia.

The GT pulls from GM's 3.8-liter V6 racked to 200-hp. The GTP goes further through supercharging to pump the action to 260-hp. GTP's Comp G kit includes StabiliTrak Sport, a four-wheel vehicle stability system that enhances tire traction during cornering maneuvers. Further, two thumb-sized paddles -- labeled TAPshift for Touch Activated Power -- are mounted on right and left spokes of the steering wheel. A shift-it-yourself kind of driver can use the thumb and forefinger to move the paddles forward or backward and step up or down the powertrain's gear ladder in the same way race drivers control their open-wheel machines with finger-flicking upshifts and downshifts.

OnStar telecommunications is the standard now for all Grand Prix issues, with optional gear extending to a new dual-zone air conditioning system, DVD-based navigation and a remote starter.