I'm a big fan of the '72, followed by '71 and then '74 and '73. I don't care for the square headlight '75-76 cars (although you could get the round headlights on the Catalina still). Interior-wise I'm a huge fan of the '71-72 instrument cluster but hands down the nicest interiors are the '75-76 Brougham models with their cushy seats and soft arm rests. Those cars also tended to come with multiple options including delay wipers.
The only real drawback I've found for these cars is they tend to be a bit cumbersome to park if you aren't used to them and the fuel economy at +75MPH is a bit lousy - a problem an overdrive would likely solve as I managed to get 17MPG in my '74 Catalina wagon at 75MPH with 3.08 gears on the freeway. It's the start and stop part that gets them.
I do find that of the '77-81 big cars, Pontiac's offerings were the classiest and best looking, especially the Brougham seat cars (SO comfy). Shame about the demise of the 400 after 1978 though. If they'd kept the 350 through 1981 there would likely have been more fans of them. That generation is the most "modern" of the big cars to drive compared to cars today as they're easy to park and nimble enough to maneuver when needed, plus with their 2.41-2.56 rear ends they can do 75MPH with ease all day (once they get there).
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