(Quicksilver is what I call my new car.. she's silver, and pretty quick, too... plus I watch that show, Invisible Man. I know, I'm a geek. So sue me! :)

I purchased the 2001 Pontiac Sunfire 4 Door Sedan SE Automatic on October 12th, 2001. The particular vehicle I purchased had been a program car, so it didn't have too many extras, and the milage had just passed the 10,000 mile mark.

I wasn't too sure about the car at first, because I was informed that it had no cruise control, which I had told myself I would require my next vehicle purchase to have, as my last car (1996 Plymouth Neon - see the review at http://www.epinions.com/content_42296446596 ) did not. 'Oh, well,' I thought, 'I'll test drive it anyway.'

At this point, I had already test-driven a 1999 Toyota Corolla and a 1998 Honda Accord. I know that Toyota and Honda are excellent cars, as far as engines go, but I just did not like the feel of the steering in either of the vehicles I test drove (felt like I was going to blow off the road, or swerve like a drunk...)... so when I drove the Sunfire, I fell in love. I did. I fell in love.

I "stalked" the vehicle for about a week after my test drive, trying to hide my excitement from the dealer. I would drive by the dealership twice daily to make sure the Sunfire was still in the lot. It was. I had it BAD. I wanted that car. I researched the vehicle here on epinions and elsewhere on the internet, and I came to the conclusion that I was looking at a great car for me and my family.

Well, I've been driving the car for almost 2 weeks now, and I'm very happy with it. Let me list some reasons:

1:)AMAZING stereo system!!
I don't know the specifics of the system, but it is a Monsoon brand AM/FM/CD player system with ALL KINDS OF NEATO things to do with it! The car's manual has about 10 pages devoted to this. There is a digital EQ where I can change the presets or create my own!! There is also the system that received digital messages from particular radio stations that have the capability, like the unit can search for traffic reports, or it will interrupt my CD to bring me information from the Emergency Broadcast System (it will not interrupt, however, for TESTS of the EBS!), and it will scroll any message that the current radio station has sent to its listeners, like a Song Title and Artist's Name or promotional information. This thing is outstanding! And the SOUND is BOOMING! I believe there are 6 speakers (possibly 8) throughout my car, and believe me, it's enough. I can totally JAM in this vehicle. I'm a stickler for a good set of speakers, and this car has gone beyond satisfaction with me. I'm blown away by it! Never have I heard a factory system sound like this one! GREAT!

2:)Good Gas Mileage
Compared to my Neon, the Sunfire is almost twice as efficient. I do a lot of in-the-city driving, and my Sunfire still manages a 23mpg rating. My Neon, with all its problems, would only get about 15. Sheesh! Needless to say, I'm quite satisfied with the gas milage on this car.

3:)Roomy Storage!
Glove Compartment, Trunk, & Console all have a healthy amount of space. The glove compartment could fit a whole Thanksgiving turkey in it, I bet. This is a huge difference from my Neon, which wouldn't hold a tukey BASTER! The Trunk is probably slightly above average for space in this type of vehicle. The console is great. Several places for drink-cups to go, and plenty of room for CDs and other junk that I fill my car with. :)

4:)Comfortable, Smooth Ride
I think that says it all.

There are tons of other things I like about this car, but those were some of my requirements when trading the Neon. I needed Sound and Space! :P

There are things about the car that neither excite nor disappoint, like:

There is decent acceleration speed on this car, about like my Neon. It's nothing to brag about, but it is average for a vehicle of this type. The GT model (only available in 2 door) is a 6 cylinder manual shift, which would improve that, though.

The only things I do NOT like about this car are not big deals. Like, this car I bought is not equipped with the "goods," like Cruise Control, Power Locks, Power Windows, etc. However, it was my choice to purchase this particular vehicle, because of its smooth ride and sound system. I soon forgot about wanting extras (A lever to open the trunk would have been nice, though!!!). These things ARE available as options on this model, though, so DO NOT DESPAIR! ;P

So, so far, things with the car are going great. I'll let you know if things change.

I would definitely recommend this purchase, but I would also research the car and find out what's right for you. I did, and I'm happy so far. :)

Jennifer
Amount Paid (US$): 11,000
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: 4 Door Sedan SE Automatic