There’s a reason the Grand Am comes into the new model year as Pontiac’s top-selling car and the best-selling domestic compact. It’s a nice reasonably priced, well-equipped, fun to drive car that’s offered in a variety of models.

Sounds like a formula for success.

Pontiac marketeers have long made buyers very aware that it’s the division of General Motors’s (GM) that builds sporty cars (“We Build Excitement”) — unlike Oldsmobile which although it produces some fine vehicles (Aurora, Intrigue, Bravada), lost its identity — and ultimately its franchise — through confusing, inept marketing.

GM’s announcement that it’s killing the Olds division may not have happened if it had taken a page out of Pontiac’s marketing book.

Although the Grand Am lineup was simplified in 2001, with the mid-level SE2 going away — the entry-level SE and SE1, and the better-equipped GT and GT1 — are available in coupe and sedan versions.

The fact that the front-wheel-drive Grand Am’s styling is a bit overdone with the same excessive body cladding all Pontiac’s suffer from — and that Buck-Rogers-style rear spoiler — in either two and four-door trim this car still looks pretty zoomy while standing still. As it did with the larger Grand Prix, Pontiac made the Grand Am sedan as sporty as the coupe.

Pontiac knows its mostly younger Grand Am buyers pretty well, and knows that’s exactly the look that turns them on. Do they care the mechanically similar Olds Alero has more sophisticated styling? Nope.

Redesigned in 1999, there are only minor changes which include upgraded sound systems (including a Monsoon premium audio system standard on GT models and available on the SEs), restyled wheels, different interior trim, some new exterior colors and lower child safety seat anchors for the rear seats,

One of the great things about the Grand Am is that buyers don’t need to break the bank to get a nicely equipped car. Prices range from just over $16,000 for the SE coupe to not quite $22,000 for the GT1 sedan.

Even the entry-level SE comes standard with A/C, AM/FM/cassette, tilt wheel, power door locks, anti-lock brakes and 5-mph bumpers. Power windows, cruise control and some other options come with the SE1.

Under the hood, a 2.4-liter, DOHC, 4-valve per cylinder, 150-horse 4-banger powers the SE and SE1, although an optional ($655) 3.4-liter 170-horse pushrod V6 — which generates considerably more torque — is available for the SE1.

The GT models feature a standard 175-horse version of that V6, plus a stiffer sport suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes, wider tires, variable-assist power steering, power driver’s seat, and a CD player.

You only can get the V6 with a 4-speed automatic transmission, while the 4-cylinder is offered with a 5-speed Getrag manual that not only helps the Grand Am 4-cylinder provide the best performance and fuel economy, but has a composite shifter base that helps isolate powertrain noise and vibration as well.

Behind the wheel, handling is pretty sharp — especially the GT. Although it suffers a little from GM’s chronic front-wheel drive understeer, and for my taste has a little too much power assist for highway driving, overall steering is precise.

Because the Grand Am’s all-independent suspension is tuned to be smooth, the ride is pretty firm without being harsh at all — even with the GT’s sport suspension,
The interior is quiet and provides sufficient head and leg room for four adults. The front seats offer good leg support, but could use more side support for spirited driving. Rear seatbacks flip forward to a large pass-through area that helps significantly increase cargo area.

Like the exterior, the dashboard is a bit overstyled with deeply recessed instrumentation illuminated with Pontiac’s signature red lighting. I found the small numbers harder to read at a glance than they should be — but maybe it’s just my advanced age.

The ignition switch is conveniently located on the dashboard, which also features and big eyeball vents, large controls that are nicely placed and operate smoothly along with big, sturdy, front cupholders.

Whines: The manual gearbox is closely spaced and gets notchy when rushed — surprising because Getrag also supplies gearboxes to BMW and Porsche. In my view, in the interest of sportiness, the GT should be offered with the manual gearbox as well. The small, high trunk opening necessitated by the zoomy styling is a bit of a nuisance, but the trunk is roomy.

Applause: The V6 GT provides an easy mode for highway cruising, loafing at under 2000 rpm at 70 mph — even though it has a 3.29 performance axle ratio for a good snap off-the-line. Both the 4-cylinder and V6 only require 87-octane fuel and deliver estimated fuel economy in the low 20s in town and high 20s to low 30s on the highway.

Bottom Line: The Grand Am will be as close to a BMW or Audi as some of its buyers ever will get. And while it doesn’t pretend to be a BMW or Audi, it is sporty, fun to drive, nicely equipped, economical to drive, and comes in a variety of models — making it an unabashed American value. For those reasons, it should remain Pontiac’s top-seller and the best-selling U.S. compact.