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It was supposed to be humble metal. But it was an economy ride on the upscale side, the 1997 Pontiac Grand Am GT Coupe.

It figured. Automakers are chary about shipping base cars for test drives, because those cars sell poorly.

You’re aghast? Get over it. Fact is, the slowest-selling new cars in America are the least expensive to buy and the cheapest to run.

For example, the Geo Metro, highly touted by the Society Against Pleasure Seekers (SAPS) for its fuel-sipping qualities, constitutes a skimpy 0.51 percent of the U.S. new-car market. Toyota’s Tercel, another cheapie, gets 0.52 percent. Hyundai’s Accent, which is about as basic as you can get in a car and still call it a car, gets a scant 0.33 percent market share.

There is little demand for genuine cheapmobiles, largely because they lack stuff that many American consumers regard as necessary auto equipment, including automatic transmissions, power windows and locks, air conditioning, stereo systems, intermittent windshield wipers, rear-window defrosters, anti-lock brakes and enough room to carry at least five people in reasonable comfort.

All of which is why I didn’t blink when Pontiac shipped the Grand Am GT Coupe in response to my request for a “base, economy car.”

The test model, black body with charcoal interior, came with power windows and locks, anti-lock brakes, an “enhanced” traction control system, a six-speaker sound system with redundant radio controls mounted on the steering wheel, a 155-horsepower V-6 engine and a four-speed automatic transmission. If that’s “base,” I can’t wait to see what Pontiac will send when I ask for something really fancy.

Background: The Grand Am is, in fact, Pontiac’s “value leader,” which means it’s designed to be an “affordable” car aimed at a large market.

It is offered in four iterations: the lower-content SE Coupe and SE Sedan, and the higher-content GT Coupe and GT sedan.

Pontiac’s marketers say that the average Grand Am buyer is a 36-year-old man or woman — a 50-50 division between the sexes — with an annual household income of $50,000. That buyer has some college education, probably holds an entry- to mid-level professional job and probably is married.

As such, the average Grand Am buyer is a fiscal conservative who wants everything in an automobile, including youthful, sporty looks; a decent ride and handling; some amenities such as air conditioning and a good sound system; excellent overall safety; and utility.

Most of those things are available in the Grand Am sedans, and many can be had in the two-door, coupe models. (The two-door versions look better; but getting in and out of those cars is a pain in the rear.)

The standard engine for the SE and GT models is a 2.4-liter, in-line, twin-cam, 16-valve four-cylinder rated 150 horsepower at 6,500 rpm with torque rated 155 pound-feet at 4,400 rpm.

The tested GT Coupe came with the optional 3.1-liter V-6 rated 155 horsepower at 5,200 rpm with torque rated 185 pound-feet at 4,000 rpm.

Either one of those engines does a decent enough job on the highway. That being the case, I’d save some money and get the four-banger.

A five-speed manual transmission is standard on Grand Ams. The four-speed automatic in the test car is optional. Standard brakes include power, vented front discs and rear drums with anti-lock backup. Dual front air bags, of course, are standard.

Hmph, “base” ain’t what it used to be.

’97 Pontiac Grand Am GT Coupe

Complaints: The GT Coupe is a bit of a tight fit for full-bodied adults, especially those unfortunate enough to be seated in the back. The sedan handles passengers much better, especially if those passengers happen to require infant safety seats, which must be installed in the rear of the car.

Praise: A very decent, enjoyable family/economy car that doesn’t penalize the psyche in its attempt to save the pocket.

Head-turning quotient: Like Midwestern sex — attr ctive in a pom -pom, rah-rah sort of way. A Saturday nighter that’ll look just as good in the church parking lot on Sunday morning.

Ride, acceleration and handling: Very good all around. Nothing spectacular, but nothing disastrous either. A car that will please most normal driving tastes. Very good braking.

Mileage: With the tested four-speed automatic, about 24 miles per gallon (15.2-gallon tank, estimated 352-mile range on usable volume of regular unleaded), with mostly highway driving with three occupants and light cargo (trunk capacity, 13.4 cubic feet).

Sound system: Six-speaker AM/FM stereo radio and cassette, by Delco. Very good.

Price: Base price on the 1997 Grand Am GT Coupe is $15,874. Dealer invoice price is $14,525. Price as tested is $17,766, including $1,367 in options (remote keyless entry system, slit fold-down rear seat, power windows with driver-side express down, dual power sports mirrors, and speed-sensitive power steering) and a $525 destination charge.

Purse-strings note: Stylish economy. Compare with Dodge Avenger, Chrysler Sebring, Ford Probe and Honda Accord coupes. Compare four-door models with Dodge Stratus, Chrysler Cirrus, Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique, Nissan Altima and Honda Accord.