I recently purchased a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire, and so far have been pleased with owning the car. It was a bit of a adjustment to go from a 4 wheel drive Chevy Blazer to a much smaller two door coupe, and though I miss the Blazer, I also really enjoy the Sunfire.
Before we bought this car, we looked around at a few other medium priced cars, but the style of the Sunfire was what really caught my attention and the deciding feature, which is the fact that it is towable behind a motorhome. This is a important feature for us and helped to eliminate a lot of other cars that we may have considered purchasing. It also was very sporty looking and came equipped with a lot of features that are considered options on other vehicles, specific standard features are listed further down.
One noticeable adjustment I had to make in driving this car was the feeling of sitting down low; with my Blazer I sat up high and had good visibility at intersections. I live in Michigan and often the intersections will have snow piled up on the corners from the snowplows. I discovered that I really have to crane my neck around to check for traffic when going thru a intersection where the corner curbs may have snow piled on them.
The driver seat is quite comfortable and the seats slide back to give very ample leg room. Though I did notice that the very top of my hair did occasionally brush the roof area, if you were having a “big hair” day (women know what this is) then you would probably find yourself slouching a bit in the seat to keep your hair from brushing the roof area. This makes it sound as though it is cramped in the front seat, but actually it is comfortable with two adults sitting up front and two children in back.
The entire instrument gauges panels are red lit, not the standard ho hum greenish color, and I found that they are actually easier to read at a glance than with the green. And of course, you can always adjust the intensity of the lighted gauges, to a dimmer softer red.
My first test with the gas mileage was 29 mpg which was town driving with a lot of stopping and starting. As of this writing I haven’t actually had it on the highway, but based on the mpg for town driving, I have to assume I will get 33 or 36 with the cruise set at a steady speed.
At the dealer where we purchased the Sunfire at, they had a very attractive yellow Sunfire, which was my first choice, but after much consideration, I decided I might tire of the yellow color after a year or so, and opted for the white, however they did not have white in stock nor could they locate one within a reasonable distance from the dealer, so my next choice was the silver. Once I got the silver Sunfire away from the brighter color cars, I found that I liked the silver very much, though I have to admit that for a while it was tough to decide if I really wanted to pass on the yellow.
Driving the Sunfire was somewhat of a unexpected treat, I found it handled very well on curves and hills, and maneuvered very well in heavy traffic.
There is a bit of engine noise, though not loud enough to be disturbing or annoying.
Now for the boring part of the review, but I feel that including this information, will give the reader a opportunity to see that a lot of the features that come standard on the Sunfire, may be considered options on other similar vehicles.
Specific but Boring Information (taken from the manual)
Standard Equipment:
Retained accessory power that allows you to listen to your radio for 10 minutes after you shut off your ignition or until you open the door, which will then automatically shut off radio.
Cup holders that actually hold full size 32 ounce beverages, there is one cupholder in the console by the dash, the other is found by opening the counsel where there is a full size cupholder inside the counsel. Two more cupholders are in the lid of the council, which if you open it fully, passengers in the back seat can have access to.
Driver and passenger air bags
Choice of 2 engines, 115 horsepower standard on SE models or 150 horsepower standard on GT models but available for Se models (which is what we have)
Interior lights shut off automatically if left one
Fuel economy is estimated between 22 city32 highway
5-mile an hour bumpers
PassLock theft-deterrent which helps prevent thefts by including “chips” in the ignition and the keys which read each other, and will not allow any other keys to work in the car without shutting the car down completely.
Folding rear seat, which greatly increases trunk room
Very large roomy glove compartment (large enough to hold a 12 pack of pop (cans)
Electric rear window defogger
Clearcoat pain and anti corrosion with a six year or 60,000 miles protection
Air conditioning
Cruise control
A free Pontiac Cares program that will provide 24 hour roadside service for breakdowns or if you lock yourself out of your car
Anti lock brakes
Enhanced traction system (ETS)
Daytime running lights
3-year bumper-to-bumper warranty
Free courtesy transportation
Fabric clothe interior
Analog speedometer, odometer, tachometer, coolant temperature gauge and fuel gauge
Front license plate bracket
Halogen headlamps
Left and right vanity visor
Auxiliary power outlet (great for you computer or cell phone)
Delco am/fm stereo with auto/reverse cassette or optional upgrade
to Delco 100 series am/fm CD player, stereo, equalizer, clock , Delco theft lock system with six speakers
Spoiler rear deck lid
4 spoke steering wheel
Tilt wheel
Steel belted tires
Stainless steel aluminized exhaust system
Wet arm fixed delay windshield wipers
5 speed manual (auto is accessory)
As with any vehicle, there are many accessories available. Our Sunfire was already set up with the Sun and Sound package which included CD player, 15 inch tires and power sunroof plus a Driver convenience package which included intermittent wipers, cruise control, trunk net and reading lights.
Other packages available
Purchase price $16, 650
GMC rebate 2,002
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ending price $14, 648
Summation:
The Sunfire is not for big families, but is great for a economy conscious family, that wants a lot for a little. The gas mileage is good, the “look” is good, and the comfort is more than adequate, though not as good as you would get in a heavier vehicle, but then again, why compare apples to oranges.
The CD has nice sound with a nice speaker system and the car has handled well for me. The standard equipment that comes with this car and the options that are available makes it a good buy as long as your not comparing it to larger more expensive vehicles.
The car is what it is…a small easy driving and fun vehicle that looks darn good.
Amount Paid (US$): 16,650
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: SE
