The Grand Am has long relied on overstated styling to make a strong first impression. It shouts Pontiac excitement with its road-hugging lines and extroverted styling cues. There's no confusing this car with other compact cars and, at a quick glance, it could be mistaken for the bigger Pontiac Grand Prix.

For 2003, however, Pontiac has stripped the aggressive body cladding from the sides of the Grand Am along with the ribbed bumpers. The new look is lighter, cleaner, and more appealing in our view. We still wouldn't call the Grand Am understated.

Also, Pontiac this year is focusing more on the four-door Grand Am sedan, less on the two-door coupe. A loaded SE2 sedan has been added this year that should appeal to buyers who want a little more luxury in their lives. All Grand Am coupes this year are GT models (SE coupes are history).

Hot rodders should not despair, however, as GT models come with aggressive body cladding, a ribbed bumper with large intakes and integrated fog lamps. More important, the GT models come with a cold-air induction setup (more horsepower) and a sports suspension. An optional composite ram-air hood and spoiler ($1100) indicate the GT's intent in no uncertain terms.