Pontiac Sunfire 03. Anyone have an opinion?

[sicbeing]

I am going to test drive an 03 Sunfire this thursday, does anyone here have any postive feedback about them? It's pretty cheap so I am figuring it'll have some negative pointers.

 

[High-Test]

I thought you got the Eclipse fixed...

 

[Duke]

I don't like them. I think they're hideous, but of course, that's in the eye of the beholder, so there's no reason that should matter.

However, they are rather thrashy and underpowered, and low on the fun-to-drive scale.

[edit] Oh, yeah, here's what another member had to say:

10. Pontiac Sunfire

This was our hire car. No really, this was our hire car. And what a sh**box! None of the panels fitted, it had novelty windows (those ones where you wind the little windey thing, and the windows go up and down), and it took us three days to discover that it didn't have central locking! The wheezy engine screamed and bellowed its way all to the shoddy redline, while making plain for all to see that it couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding. The brakes, while good at stopping the car (which does help) were completely devoid of feel, and it was impossible to get the brakes and gearbox to collude in the attempt to produce a smooth stop. Steering? Oh yeah, there was some, but it was rather like driving a boat. Or a duvet. And that's before you take into account the fact that it simply wouldn't go around corners. But hey, it was cheap!

 

[retsmah]

The interior is pretty nasty. Torque steer on it seemed pretty bad, I've driven other FWD cars and you might notice a little bit, but the sunfire really felt like someone was grabbing the wheel and tugging on it. I don't like the way they look either.

I dunno, it was fine for a rental car, I don't think you could get me to buy one though

 

[a6m5]

I wouldn't buy one. That's all I can tell you.

 

[Emohawk]

I haven't got an opinion that'll make it past the swear filter.
When cornering, they have the strange ability to make you feel twice the lateral Gs you're actually experiencing.

 

[xcsti]

I wouldn't touch one. There are better cars that can be had for the same price. Unless this is a reaallyy torn up one, in which case: don't touch it.

 

[Layla's Keeper]

If you just want basic transportation that's a bit bigger than a Hyundai Accent or Kia Rio, then a Pontiac Sunfire or its also departed twin the Chevy Cavalier are not bad cars.

Their four cylinder is not a performer, but it's very durable and fairly fuel efficient. It's also very cheap to repair. The interior isn't particularly comfortable, but it's not unlivable and has decent space for the size of car. There's also a good sized trunk.

For the $8900 you'd pay for an undriven example at a Pontiac lot, it's a damn sight better than a Kia, Hyundai, Daewoo, Suzuki, or other bargain basement compact. It's no Civic, 3, or Mini, but then again, it's thousands of dollars less than those cars and not a direct competitor.

The new Cobalt on the other hand. 👍

 

[NSX-R]

If you reeeeeally have to have something like a sunfire, get a cavalier, it's much prettier!

 

[Joey D]

The Sunfire screams GIRL CAR...I mean that car just yells it loudly at the top of its lungs. All it is, basic transportation for people who just want to go from point A to point B. The Sunfire/Caviler needed to be dead a long time ago.

 

[JCE]

For about $9000 you can get the following which even WITH 100k miles is better than any Cavalier/Sunfire will ever be.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NISS...4577162510QQcategoryZ6400QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I agree with Xtreme on this one 100%. Hell you'd be better off buying a used Sentra, Corolla, or Protege...those are great cars for the money.

 

[retsmah]

For the $8900 you'd pay for an undriven example at a Pontiac lot

Do they even make the sunfires anymore? It's not on Pontiac's website, although I guess it's possible that they just aren't showing it due to shame

 

[Joey D]

The Sunfire was discontinued for the 04 or 05 model year, I can't seem to remember. But they cancelled it with the Caviler.

 

[retsmah]

A while back I joked that soon dealerships would be giving away Cavaliers with the purchase of another car, with how low the price of them was getting.

Sure enough a few months later the friend I was talking with sends me a link to some dealership that actually was doing 2 for 1 deals, free Cavalier with the purchase of some SUV.

 

[Layla's Keeper]

Do they even make the sunfires anymore? It's not on Pontiac's website, although I guess it's possible that they just aren't showing it due to shame

While the Sunfire is no longer manufactured, it is still very easy to find off-lease, ex-rental, and even new 03 model year Sunfires at Pontiac lots as there is usually a backlog of them. Many simply due to dealer shuffling.

 

[sicbeing]

No, chances are I'm not going with the Mitsubishi Eclipse that was broken. I'm too afraid of the transmission going next, or the drivetrain.

The dealership won't let me cancel the contract without a fight, so I'm not gonna fight it. They are "allowing" me though to buy another car anywhere on their lots from the carolinas to FL.

I can't find ANYTHING I want. The sunfire seemed to have ok specs (140hp, 26MPG city, etc) but I don't know a damn thing about them. I may just go and say "to hell with what other guys think" and get a miata... but I wanted to keep it under 10,000 this time.

There are firebirds and camaros and mustangs, but those get crappy miles and are normally beat on by previous owners, and they all have 50-80+ thousand miles on them. They overprice economy cars like hondas, and everything else they have are like focus's and neons. It's very frustrating.

 

[skip0110]

You will have to work it out with the dealer because Lemon Laws in Florida do not cover used vehicles. So you really have no or little legal recourse (I'm not a lawyer, thats what Google told me).

A Focus would be a good choice. Particularly a SVT model. Also a DOHC Neon (with a stick, avoid the 3 speed auto).

 

[sicbeing]

I hate focus's and neons though. These people are just expecting me now to buy a random car that I don't even want to drive.

 

[retsmah]

If you can get a Miata I would definitley recommend it. Take one out for a test drive, they're nice.

 

[sicbeing]

Im sure with a few mods to the suspension, the sunfire wouldnt be a bad choice no? Ill have a little more money to spend on it off the bat due to it being about 2 grand cheaper than the eclipse.

 

[xcsti]

Im sure with a few mods to the suspension, the sunfire wouldnt be a bad choice no? Ill have a little more money to spend on it off the bat due to it being about 2 grand cheaper than the eclipse.

If you don't like neons or focus's why would you ever want a sunfire? There are worse (well at least worse than a focus). You could sink a ton of money into one and still have a slow car. A miata has potential.

 

[sicbeing]

Well I don't exactly know much about engines and etc, and I'm sure this is an ametuer question, but why doesn't a sunfire/cavilier have potential? I kind of figured a 2.2 4 cyl engine would be something to work with, and I'm not trying to be smart, I'm just trying to learn.

If I can help it, I'll try and find a celica or a miata or something. So far the sunfire seems to be a bad performance choice, even if I plan to put 5k+ into it.

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

-> Of all the cars, why the Sunfire? That car is the bottom-end of the compact car food chain! Every car mags. dislike it, hell, they rather drive an Elantra than that. Didn't you consider a Focus ZX3 (w/ 140hp engine), the Miata, a used Civic, or even a Vee-Dub. Dude, a friendly advice, avoid the Sunfire. (:

 

[Eric.]

-> Of all the cars, why the Sunfire? That car is the bottom-end of the compact car food chain! Every car mags. dislike it, hell, they rather drive an Elantra than that. Didn't you consider a Focus ZX3 (w/ 140hp engine), the Miata, a used Civic, or even a Vee-Dub. Dude, a friendly advice, avoid the Sunfire. (:

I'd go for the Neon out of the Focus, Neon, or Sunfire. I think they are pretty quick for what they are, at least with a stick.

 

[sicbeing]

I'd go for the Neon out of the Focus, Neon, or Sunfire. I think they are pretty quick for what they are, at least with a stick.

I thought I read that wrong, but you'd go with a Neon over a Neon?

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

I'd go for the Neon out of the Focus, Neon, or Sunfire. I think they are pretty quick for what they are, at least with a stick.

^ The Neon is an another disappointing car, it has cheap interior plastics, a thrashy engine, poor reliablity, and also the same league as the Sunfire/Cavalier combo. At least the Focus is engineered from Europe (although the US spec was made here), for domestic compact cars, I'll pick the Focus than those cars. (:

 

[xcsti]

^ The Neon is an another disappointing car, it has cheap interior plastics, a thrashy engine, poor reliablity, and also the same league as the Sunfire/Cavalier combo. At least the Focus is engineered from Europe (although the US spec was made here), for domestic compact cars, I'll pick the Focus than those cars. (:

I agree, the focus is the best of the bunch.

 

[sicbeing]

I think I'm just going to avoid all hassle and frusttration and keep the eclipse, it'll be ready tomorrow, and I loved it so very much. I'll get grief and woe, but I'm tired about worrying what others think. To hell with em, I love my eclipse.

 

[skip0110]

Smart choice, the Eclipse is probably a lot more sporting than anything you mentioned in this thread.

 

[niky]

Get a Focus! Suspension before displacement!

Good you're getting back the Eclipse.