Pontiac Sunfire Midsize | Compact
Pontiac Sunfire Midsize | Compact
[Feb 06, 2003]
Ashly S
Model Reviewed:
/Pontiac Sunfire SE
Strength:
Comfy great pick up speed won a lot of races heats up quick great mileage
Weakness:
brakes suck cup holder A sunfire is not my typical choice of car, I hate the spoiler, but I needed a car. I liked it until after 3 months. The driver side door hinges are bad, it never feels shut no matter how tight I shut it. The back cup holder spring is broke so it doesn't stay shut, the abs brakes are very touchy, and my EGR valve went bad already. $300 on a valve! Similar Products Used: Topaz |
[Jan 30, 2003]
Kevin
Model Reviewed:
Pontiac Sunfire GT
Strength:
Looks good, GETRAG gearbox ok.
Weakness:
Poor paint-scratches easily, rims rust out, rear trunk latch does not close properly,does not handle well,terrible mileage, poor performance,terrible wiper system,suspension problems,key lock problems,interior light/stereo remaining on problems,re-sale value very low,tires wear quickly,brakes wear quickly,window trim came out of frame, SHALL I GO ON OR DO YOU GET THE PICTURE! The only reason nothing really major has gone is that I only have 40 000 kms on the @#$%$#@ thing! This is the worst vehicle I have ever owned! The third month I owned it, it left me stranded! It ended up being a faulty battery but the dealership did not find the problem on the first try so I had to bring it back 3 times. I have a hard time remaining calm when I speak about this car. The only thing that holds me back sometimes is that fact that my friend sold it to me because this was the vehicle I asked for.After 2 years, I tried to get rid of it and I was told it was only worth $9000! I paid over $26000 for the junk heap and it lost over 1/2 it's value! There are too many things that I hate about the car to get into detail but I put some of them below. I'll end this by saying I am very scared for the futur because I have to keep the car for the next 2 years and I can only see problems on the horizon. I only the thing was good on gas I might drive to the ground but I drive highway only and I get at the most 25 miles/gallon or 10 km / L, which is terrible for a 4 cylinder! Similar Products Used: 1989 Dodge Colt 200 GT (Excellent, miss the old girl!) 1998 Pontiac Sunfire GT (Didn't learn the first time!)(Not as bad, thought they would improve it!) |
[Jan 29, 2003]
Jim Taylor
Model Reviewed:
Sunfire Convertible
Strength:
Good looking and affordable peppy and good fuel economy
Weakness:
windy in the back seat (like most every convertible) I can't get used to the power window buttons being on the consul instead of on the door. The hood never looks like its completely closed. The car has less that 80,000kms (50,000 miles) This is actually our 2nd Sunfire convertible. The first was a 1998 that was rear-ended and totaled. I would have bought a new convertible if they still made them and would look for another one if anything happened to this one. The first thing that attracted our attention was the cuteness of it. The next thing was that it actually has more head clearance than the coupe. and the third was that the price was reasonable. The only problem we had with the first one was getting the windows and roof to be air tight. The second one is OK. The other problem with the second one was that the water pump needed replacement at 70,000kms and it was pretty expensive because its so hard to get to. It is a beautiful car ! Well designed. I find that later Pontiacs are too angular and this jack-o-lantern inspired design spilled over onto the newer Sunfires The inside is great. The convertible roof is convenient and effective. The dash is greatlooking and functional. The first convertible also had stereo controls on the steering wheel, which was silly as the main controls were about 9 inches away. The glove compartment is almost as big as the trunk. The trunk is large enough, but the hinges are poorly desinged and intrude. The engine has lots of power (2.4 litre) and is willing to rev when called upon, but is not so smoothe that you'll forget what gear you are in. |
[Dec 21, 2002]
juan perez
Strength:
2.4 twincam with some air filter and headers and a chip can run more than you can imagine.
Weakness:
brakes and the cup holders are for the back passengers?? It looks like a nice car it is well mantained it has an agresive look and with some nice wheels and smooth tire for comfort it is nice ( but bad brakes..!!!) from the economic class i think its really a nice car. Similar Products Used: mazda millenia honda civic 1994, 1998, 1999, 2001 skoda fabia isuzu rodeo toyota yaris hatchback t sport |
[Nov 21, 2002]
Nick
Model Reviewed:
GT
Strength:
Great stereo, good looks, Sunroof is big and works well.
Weakness:
Well apart from the obvious mechanical problems this car has, the cup holders are in a stupid place. Either that or the heater controls are in a stupid place, take your pick. If you happen to have a cup in the holder, you can't operate the controls. How stupid is that? The hinges from the trunk swing down into the trunk space and occupy a lot of room. Very dumb design. If you are loading stuff in there like groceries, you have to check the clearance before you close the lid. THe engine sucks. It's a GT car, supposedly high HP rated and built to handle. It isn't any better than my plain cavalier, and certainly not as reliable. The stock tires wear quickly. The tires are meant for sport, but the car is incapable of sporty driving. It doesn't have the power or the reliability to drive it hard. THis car has very good curb appeal, looks sporty and the GT nose styling is quite aggressive. That's where my praise of this car ends. We bought it new and it wasn't very long before we started to have problems. We also purchased the extended warranty and we do NOT drive this car hard, regardless of what other posts have said. The first thing that happened is the plastic dash panel popped out and then it started squeaking. The struts and strut bearings and mounts needed replacing at 30K Km's.The outside window trim broke when winding up the windows, The water pump failed and had to be replaced at the same time. The power window switches and fuel sending unit needed replaced at 60K Km's. The engine needed rebuilt at 72K Km's. The transmission started making very bad noises at about 79K Km's. Dealership didn't want to do elaborate trouble shooting on it, told me to drive it. 83K Km's the ABS system failed. 85K Km's engine grenaded again. Needed to be completely rebuilt. All told the maintenance on this car without the warranty would have exceeded 10 thousand dollars. I have all the oil changes done, we don't drive it hard and we look after it. It's just not a very robust car. I won't buy another one. Right now I have about 15K Km's left until I run out of extended warranty period. I want to get rid of this car before I run out of warrnty. I don't trust this vehicle. For anybody thinking I am just bashing General Motors, GM has been all I have driven for the last 20 years and this is the only vehicle that I have had that has been this much trouble. my Cavalier has gone 255 000 Km's with no trouble except a starter and a radiator. Similar Products Used: 1994 cavalier, 91 cavalier, 89 sunbird GT all with no problems. |
[Nov 05, 2002]
Magick78
Strength:
More room than my pickup Convertible OK sound system (could be a bit better) Trunk space (definitely better than a bed to a pickup) Sporty look
Weakness:
The passenger side window's motor went. Fortunately the dealership is fixing that for me this week. So far so good. I'm not saying that nothing will happen to it. I have had a pick-up truck since I was 16. I finally decided to get something for "the family". My fiancee has a Jeep Grand Cherokee Loredo. I fix everything myself anyway, so if something breaks, I'll fix it. If not. . . that's what Daddy is for :) I've never had an automatic before and everytime I go to hit the clutch (that isn't there) i jam on the brakes (oops)!!! silly me I'm very nervous to not have a 4 WD for the winter though. Similar Products Used: 1986 Toyota Pickup (Loved it) 1993 Toyota pickup (wish i had it back) 1997 Jeep GC Loredo (hated it. would never get another one. ran like a tank and sounded like one too. had it for 4 months then s |
[Oct 25, 2002]
Jennifer
Model Reviewed:
/Sunfire
Strength:
compfy looks visability!! I can see everything around me!! yay! pep spacey/ roomie trunk seatbelt sensor heats up fast
Weakness:
brakes bumpy ride mounting kit availability cd player passanger mirror ajuster sux! ok they both suck cant figure out the AC controls...kinda confusing (shuddup for those of u who have this mastered :-P) The sunfire is my second car, and while it is a VAST improvement over my old topaz I am still finding some things that bother me. I have a remote starter and i have to be practically lying on the car to use (even with a new battery). It is also very difficult to manually unlock the doors. It usually takes 4 or 5 trys. I am considering remote entry but now Im not so sure after reading about all the electrical problems. I havent experienced any of my own so far. Over all its a nice car. It has pep when I need it and is fun to drive. I do however Hate the brakes. They are anti-lock and I feel as if I am going to crash every time they kick in. Its horrible. It has enough room for me as a single college student and the truck is huge! It has really crappy shocks and I feel like I just drove off a cliff if I hit a pothole. I usually drive in the city where the roads are nicer though so not a big deal. Oh...whats the deal with the CD player not playing burnt Cd's? I have my own anyway so I didnt care much but the only mounting kit avaiable sticks way out over the climate controls. Ugh! cup holder= way ugly too! Similar Products Used: im not sure whats simliar so here is what i have driven b4: topaz breeze alero |
[Oct 18, 2002]
bereal granh
Strength:
lots of seating room powerfull for compact (but engine a bit too noisy)
Weakness:
gas consuption build quality interior design Very disappointed. Not even close to japanese quality. Similar Products Used: protege, civic, corolla |
[Oct 12, 2002]
Paula
Strength:
Looks
Weakness:
RELIABILITY Horrible car! Owned it three months and it has broken down 5 times. Brakes have failed twice. Stalls constantly. GM mechanics can not find ANYTHING wrong?!?! Lots of little stuff broken too. |
[Sep 17, 2002]
sunnfire00
Strength:
NICE LOOKING CAR. GREAT FIRST CAR. GOOD GAS MILAGE. DRIVES NICE. SUNROOF AND CD PLAYER GOOD AC. NOT TOO MANY PROBLEMS HANDLES WELL IN THE WINTER-WITH DIFFERENT TIRES
Weakness:
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. INTERIOR-UNCOMFORTABLE SEATS-CUP HOLDERS TOO SMALL-NOT VERY ROOMY-STANDARD SET UP EXTERIOR-HEADLIGHTS AREN'T VERY GOOD FOR AT NIGHT- OVERALL FOR MY FIRST CAR I LOVE MY SUNFIRE. IT HASN'T GIVEN ME TOO MANY PROBLEMS-EXCEPT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT-BUT IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE HAS HAD THAT PROBLEM. AFTER SEEING MY DEALER AT LEAST 4 OR 5 TIMES, HE FINALLY DISCOVERED IT WAS THE O2 SENSOR-LUCKILY MY WARRANTY COVERED IT. THE LIGHT HASN'T COME ON SINCE. THE FEATURES ARE STANDARD-NOTHING FANCY ABOUT THE INSIDE. THE SUNROOF IS NICE BUT LIFTS UP WHEN YOU HIT SPEEDS OF 70 OR ABOVE. VERY ANNOYING! THE AC WORKS GREAT AND THE CD PLAYER IS NICE FOR STOCK. REPLACED THE TIRES WITH FALKEN ONES-DRIVES MUCH BETTER-ALSO GOT RIMS. I HATED THOSE WHEEL COVERS-TOO PLAIN. THE CUP HOLDERS ARE VERY SMALL AND CAN'T FIT MUCH IN THEM ANYWAYS-DUE TO THE CLIMATE CONTROLS. THE SEATS ARE AVERAGE-NOT VERY COMFY. I WAS SURPRISED IT HAD SUCH A BIG TRUNK FOR A LITTLE CAR-AND LIKE HOW THE SEAT FOLDS DOWN. I HATE THE HEADLIGHTS. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE HAS NOTICED BUT THEY POINT IN AND I CAN BARELY SEE WITH THEM ON AT NIGHT. MOST OF THE TIME I DRIVE WITH MY HIGH BEAMS ON. :) AS FOR GAS MILAGE-IT'S PRETTY GOOD, THOUGH I HAVE OVER 42,000 MILES ON IT. SO FAR I HAVEN'T HAD TO REPLACE ANYTHING-THANKFULLY EXCEPT FOR--O2 SENSOR, TIRES, FUEL FILTER AND AIR FILTER. I THINK MY BRAKES PADS ARE GOING-BUT THATS NORMAL NOW. OVERALL I LOVE MY CAR. IT'S SPORTY AND REASONABLY PRICED. I AM HOPING TO GET THE 2003-IF I TRADE MY 2000 IN! :) Similar Products Used: NONE |