1996 Pontiac Sunfire Reviews, Pricing & Specs

these cars came with 2 motors the 2.2L and the 2.4L both are 4 bangers. mine had the dreadfull 2.4L when equipped with a 5spd standard transmission it can be a quick little car. mine had a fully rebuilt head, cold air intake, short throw shifter, header, full aftermarket exhaust, lowered suspension with wide 18" tires. a great peppy good on gas car that runs like a top with enough power for the average teenager. although these 2.4L motors will leave you stranded with no warnings as it has done to me twice. these motors are famous for spinning bearings and throwing rods. do not expect to get much more then 200,000kms out of these motors. i HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU BUY A 2.2L. if you see a good deal on a 2.4L walk away you will thank me laterDec 14, 2013

Performance - accelerates well, breaks well, sharp steering Build Quality - Has needed lots of repairs, makes lots of squeaks but it's not the belts. Appearance - Has had a new paintjob, interior is clean, exterior has a few scratches and paint chips on spoiler, but no rust. Cost of ownership - 23 mpg on average. Maintenance cost is low. Fun Factor - fun to drive with the windows down! Mar 15, 2010

Acceleration: Pretty good...I beat people from the stoplights all the time. Great for passing too. Build Quality: Car is in its old age, so various small repairs are needed. Appearance: Nice Firebird styling (front end). Cost of Ownership: Car is 13/14 years old, so... Fun Factor: It's a 4 cylinder, so it can only go so far. Good enough though.Sep 26, 2009

Well, it is getting vertical doors or lambo style doors if you will, a full body kit, 18" rims and graphics... from there it will get carbon fiber hood and spoiler, and the tuner fx racing seats with sparco harnesses, and that is what i am currently doing to it... There will be much more down the road... As for gas mileage there has been engine mods so it does burn up a bit more gas than the average sunfire but is still really good an gas, 35mpg... brakes are good for being disc front and self adjusting drum back brkaes.... The cost of owning it is cheap, ifsomething does brake the replacement parts are not oo expensive... as for fun to drive... heck yes, especially when it is done, the ladys liked it before they will really like it now...Apr 28, 2009

Acceleration is horrible, has to be one of the slowest cars on the road. So far it's been pretty reliable except a fuel pump issue and the air conditioning going out. (Pretty costly repairs, but better than a tranny or something.) The body is rusting in a couple spots, but it still looks okay. More of a girl car, but whatever I average about 23 mpg so it works for me.Aug 10, 2008

I like the way it does good on gas, especially these days of $4 bucks a gal. crazy. Gota magnaflow muffler on it, gives it a little boost of power, thats always good. Way fun to drive, steers super easy. Sharp looking for its age. Still in pretty good condition. Theres one tiny spot of rust starting though, better fix that. Otherwise its a great car to drive for everyday! (:Jul 15, 2008

Well it must be made known that i never wanted to own either the Sunfire or it's corporate twin the Caviler. I heard their reliability and performance sucked....now having had one for about a year...i can say only one half of that statement is true..and even then, it's only partially true. The handling and acceleration of my car is crappy..but it's steady and predictable when pushed which is great It's also great in the snow and ok in ice, it doesn't like to slide a lot. As for build quality....yea...American made cars in the nineties and early 2000's sucked. Don't get me wrong the car doesn't have a lot of squeaks and rattles from the interior, but that's only cause it wasn't used heavy before me(only 49k when i got it). The exterior tho....leaves a bit to be desired. there's rust and cracks at couple places on the unibody, there's a myriad dent and ding not to mention spot where the top layers of paint have worn off and the rear appliqué scratches VERY easily.. but on the whole it's little things. On the mechanical front only one major thing has been wrong with it....a blown head gasket, and apparently from normal wear and tear cause i wasn't racing it at all(it'd lose every time so what's the sense?). At $750 and two days down, it wasn't cheap....but on a good note it seriously increased average mpg and power. In talking with other owners and going through various J-body websites i found this was a fairly common thing, once and done problem with the 2.2 ohv engines. Now on the MPG war...i get between 29 and 31 for mostly highway and staying below 75...i go above 75 it drop to 26-29. other than, that, basic maintenance was needed when i first got cause it wasn't done right by the first owner. Fuel filter, trannie flush, coolant change(done with the headgasket) and the rest of the regular stuff.. i haven't had to do anything but an additional oil change since then. And the fun factor is not entirely lost on this car....it does tricks The hand brake is right next to the drivers seat( where it should be in a sporty car), it makes backroads more fun than if u were driving some suvs or trucks or worse, a Chevy Aveo. I'm also sure that with the addition of a few of the widely available suspension and performance parts and a good set of wheels and tires the car could be changed into a decent little sports coupe. And I would recommend this car to any first time driver/owner. It provides reliable transportation, yet requires the kind of maintenance that everyone should know how to do and is still somewhat fun. So this fun, cute (yes ladies and gentleman, sadly that's the word that's been used) and simlple coupe can get the job done and keep u rolling efficiently.. if ur willing to give it some love()cough() ok and a lil money.Jul 02, 2008