I'm going to keep this review relatively short and sweet to avoid gushing. I've owned my 96 Pontiac Trans Am for a year since March of 1999. Its the longest I've ever owned a car. Generally I bore of cars quickly and trade them in. Not with this car. I absolutely adore it! A 285hp LT1 V-8, a great 4L60E automatic transmission, and a body that's drop dead gorgeous.

This car has split personalities. Driven softly, it could be mistaken for a grand touring coupe. Hammer the throttle though, and theres nothing grand touring about it. The car will launch itself like a missle, chirping the tires on shifts. It'll handle like its on rails, and the brakes are decent for normal use. It also stays completely composed during hard flogging.

The interior is great too. Articulating leather bucket seats put you in the perfect driving position, laid back with your legs out straight in front of you. The gauges are all easily legible. The stereo may be one of the best on the market. Its an AM/FM CD system with 500 watts and 10 speakers, including 2 subwoofers, 4 midrange speakers and 4 tweeters. Sound quality is better then that of my home system.

This car though isn't made for the general motoring public, as GM says, its made for a select group of enthusiasts. The Firebird a large car with a relatively small interior. The front seats are great but the back seats are strictly for young children or small dogs. The driving position, though great for me, would likely be uncomfortable for older individuals. The LT1/4L60E combo likes to be opened up. When just puttering along the tranny shifts much too early. The styling isn't for everyone either. Its very aggressive. Some may even say its gaudy. None of that matters though if you're in the group of enthusiasts who want performance for a low price. This cars' performance surpases that of cars costing 2 or 3 times the amount that the Trans Am does. If you're in that group, this car's for you, and I highly recommend it. Why bother with anything else when you can have a great car for a great price?


Amount Paid (US$): 17,995
Condition: Used
Model Year: 1996
Model and Options: Trans Am, LT1, Automatic, all options except the Ram Air package