1992 Pontiac Sunbird Reviews, Pricing & Specs
Overview
An economy compact that offers a range of driving choices, from sedan to coupe to convertible, the 1992 Pontiac Sunbird gets another round...
An economy compact that offers a range of driving choices, from sedan to coupe to convertible, the 1992 Pontiac Sunbird gets another round of trim designation shuffling. The base model coupe and sedan is now LE, and what used to be the LE convertible is now SE. LE and SE sedans and coupes feature the 2.0-liter, 96-hp I4 engine and 5-speed manual transmission. The GT coupe and SE convertible favor the more powerful 3.1-liter, 140-hp V6. This engine is an option in the SE coupe and sedan. New in the 1992 Sunbird is standard ABS brakes. The convertible gets a glass rear window that comes with a defroster. A new option is automatic door locks that engage once you shift out of park. Most of the trims come with bare-bone features, not much more than power brakes and steering and a radio. The SE and GT coupes have sporty Rallye gauges and a rear spoiler, and the GT adds a sports suspension. Air conditioning, and windows and locks are optional across the line, except for the convertible, where they come standard. Overall, 1992 Sunbird owners are happy with their purchase, mostly for its low price and cost-saving fuel economy. But the V6 has good pickup and is generally fast enough to add a little kick to your everyday commute. The car handles well and seems to last a long time. It does have its share of problems, however, including frequent alternator replacements, and a tendency for rain water to collect in the front foot wells. Drivers wish it had even more horsepower and less cheapy and easily breakable plastic parts. Rust develops on the doors, there are no cupholders, rear legroom is cramped, and there is noticeable shudder at high speeds.
What owners say
"Overall, owners of the 1992 Pontiac Sunbird seem to appreciate its dependable performance, fuel economy, and affordability. Many drivers like its sporty feel and power, especially from the V6 engine. However, some have mentioned issues with rust and performance sluggishness as downsides. It's generally seen as a decent first car that's easy to maintain."
I'm the 2nd owner & had it 9 years now with no problems at all. Not a hot rod but averages 30- 35 mpg on trips. 102,000 miles on the 2.0 engine and runs like new..looks new too. Garage kept.
April 10, 2011The '92 Sunbird coupe with the six and the five-speed is a seriously underrated sporty car. Because the car is so light, the six makes it fly down the road (with some serious FWD torque steer for the careless). Great exhaust note too. As a plus, the V-6/five-speed gets surprisingly good fuel economy, particularly at higher speeds (33 mpg at 75-80 mph). It is not a car for large people, particularly getting in and out (those above six feet may want to put a hand on the ground when they get out). The driver's seat is a tight fit. One irritant is the automatic door locks -- perhaps nice for a four-door, not so for a two-door. On automatics the doors lock when shifting into drive, but on sticks they lock at 8 mph, which means that every time you want to get out, you have to unlock the doors. (This was GM's way of avoiding either the $%^&%$!@&!!! motorized seat belts or air bags.) Long-term ownership issues include rust at the bottom of the doors. All in all, a very fun car to drive.
April 18, 2007i like the look of the car it has lots of power under the hood with the 3.1L V6 fun just driving it in the summer it is really loud with the magnaflow exhaust. im happy with the 500km i get per tank and the car is old enough so i can do my own work on it when needed.
August 21, 2012What owners say
I'm the 2nd owner & had it 9 years now with no problems at all. Not a hot rod but averages 30- 35 mpg on trips. 102,000 miles on the 2.0 engine and runs like new..looks new too. Garage kept.
April 10, 2011The '92 Sunbird coupe with the six and the five-speed is a seriously underrated sporty car. Because the car is so light, the six makes it fly down the road (with some serious FWD torque steer for the careless). Great exhaust note too. As a plus, the V-6/five-speed gets surprisingly good fuel economy, particularly at higher speeds (33 mpg at 75-80 mph). It is not a car for large people, particularly getting in and out (those above six feet may want to put a hand on the ground when they get out). The driver's seat is a tight fit. One irritant is the automatic door locks -- perhaps nice for a four-door, not so for a two-door. On automatics the doors lock when shifting into drive, but on sticks they lock at 8 mph, which means that every time you want to get out, you have to unlock the doors. (This was GM's way of avoiding either the $%^&%$!@&!!! motorized seat belts or air bags.) Long-term ownership issues include rust at the bottom of the doors. All in all, a very fun car to drive.
April 18, 2007i like the look of the car it has lots of power under the hood with the 3.1L V6 fun just driving it in the summer it is really loud with the magnaflow exhaust. im happy with the 500km i get per tank and the car is old enough so i can do my own work on it when needed.
August 21, 2012A compact car with decent performance and good value for the money. The car is pretty dependable and I haven't had too many major problems with this car so far. Only have about 90,000 miles on it, and I'm still driving it.
May 9, 2008the performance was sluggish but a great car none the less. the build quality was great you could not hurt it i would go mudding in it from time to time and just beat it up. it would not stop, appearance was not to be desired for but it was a good first car. gas milage was great. approx 30 to the gallon. fun factore was not much but i did love the system and teh upgraded cd player i put in there.
July 13, 2010the car was a great first car, i used to beat up this car all the time and it took everyhting i had and everything my two brothers had before the transmission started to slip. i think that is the reason they went and made the sunfire so they had a car that broke down all the time instead one the bird which didnt.
August 23, 2010It accelerates ok. lots of rust on the doors. i had to replace the trans-coolerlines, power steering line and all 4 brake lines, the catalytic converter. it has a rummble with its cherry bomb glasspack muffler. it sounds good. but don't buy one
March 30, 2010
