Vehicle Review: Grand Am

I've received a request to look at more vehicles for use during the end. The next vehicle listed is the 1993 Pontiac Grand Am.







Automatic
Front-wheel drive
29 MPG
Top speed – 193km/h (120mph)
0-60 – 7.7s
Tank 57.8 liters (15.2 gallons)


Pros:

Decent mileage
Reliable
Easy to repair
Tough design
Good control

The main thing about this car is it's reliablity. It will take a lickin' and keep on kickin' as it were. In field tests this vehicle showed great promise in terms of surviving very rough crashes including one crash test in which a Range Rover hit a parked Grand Am: the Range Rover was completely destroyed and the Grand Am suffered extremely minor body damage. The mileage on this vehicle is great ranging from 29-35 MPG which puts it ahead of most of vehicles but not quite in the very top rungs. The vehicle is quite easy to repair, with the entire body easy to take apart and replace also the inner working of the car being comparitively simple too other cars. This sports car has a bit of an edge in it's control, tests show that even while racing at 190km/h this car stays easy to control and rides smoothly, a huge asset when dodging wreckage or debris. Though I doubt you will get in many high speed chases in the end days it is good to know your vehicle can hack it if the need asrises. A very good thing about having a strong body is the ability to mow through the undead, a car that can't handle smacking a few zombies around isn't worth the fuel.

Cons:
Crash safety
Power

Part of the problem with a lot of older vehicles which can with stand a lot of damage is that they don't absorb much of the impact: the chances of getting injured are much higher. The car isn't big enough and powerful enough to be an actual powerhouse when it comes to crashes so it will still take the worse end of things. So while the body of the car takes little damage all the force is directed to the passengers. The Grand Am has been given one of the worst safety ratings of all vehicles. The car also doesn't have the weight or horsepower to do much besides get you from A to B. That means I wouldn't suggest pulling anything or trying to push anybody out of the way.

Over all this car is great if your tough enough to take the scraps and bangs OR have the skill to keep this easy-to-use car out of harms way. I would say this is an excellent car for the inexperienced survivor who just needs something easy to use and tough enough to not have to replace after a few close calls.

Good luck, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.