Long Term Test: 2000 Pontiac Sunfire GT

[SVT666]

I know you have all been waiting for this.  It's my take on the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire GT after living with it for a month and a half.

This car is a wolf in sheep's clothing.  This car is fast.  Stick the key in the ignition, press in the clutch, and turn the key.  The monster 2.4L 4 cylinder bellows to life and you can actually feel the power surging through your right foot.  Slip it into 1st gear, gently let out the clutch and then throw the hammer down.  After you get over the amazement of the acceleration you begin to notice really nice little design touches in the car. 

First you notice that the HVAC controls are only about 6" above your ankle, and for some that might be a problem.  For the enthusiast, the controls couldn't be in a better location because the last thing an enthusiast wants is any kind of distraction with temperature and fan speed when they should be keeping their eye on the sweeping corners that are coming up...fast, very fast. 

The steering is heavier then expected, and once again that's a good thing for enthusiasts because you don't want some inexperienced teenage girl driving one of these monsters.  The engine pulls really hard in any gear from any rpm all the way to it's 6200 rpm redline.  The gearbox is a thing of magic.  Getrag really outdid themselves here as this is one slick 5 speed.

The slick handling will blow your mind with it's surefootedness and accurately vague steering.  You never quite know if you are going to make the next corner, but for the enthusiast that adds excitement and the required adrenaline rush that goes along with today's elite sports cars.  Thankfully the steering it heavy or else you may have non-enthusiasts not making corners, and we can't have that.

Nothing about this car is pretentious.  This car knows what it is and is not ashamed of it.  It's full of piss and vigor and one stomp of the loud pedal confirms this. 

The cupholders are small and will not even hold a bottle of pop, but to the enthusiast this is a good thing as it needs to hold a can of Red Bull without it falling over in the corners.

VERDICT:
This is an enthusiasts car and don't let anyone tell you different.

[heelntoe]

[SJ_GTI]

Awesome review! 

[VetteZ06]

This, folks, is why the Cavalier/Sunfire was at the top of its class for so long. It also explains why GM didn't redesign it - don't fix what isn't broken, right?

Great review!

[SVT666]

To be completely honest, the Getrag 5 speed is nice tranny, the handling isn't great...at all, but it is kinda fun.  The mileage has been great and the seats are comfortable, but that's about it.  The steering is heavy and if anything hurts the driving experience it's that.  It's heavy and numb.

[heelntoe]

eh, it's good enough for what it is. and you can save up enough for a 'stang because of the mileage.

[SVT666]

That's the plan.  The previous owner has 10 days left to respond to the court action I brought against him.  If he does not, I automatically win and the court will order him to pay.  If he does not pay then I can have his personal car seized or garnishee his wages.  Once he pays then I will try and sell the Sunfire for what I bought it for and I will come out even.  Then I'm going to buy a Mustang.

[JYODER240]

! what year !

[SVT666]

Any of the following:


1991-93 5.0L LX


1994-95 5.0L GT


1996-98 4.6L GT

[TheIntrepid]

Not a Fox Body, please.

[SVT666]

Not a Fox Body, please.

The LX 5.0L weighed 2800 lbs and the engine is easily modded to 375 hp.

[TheIntrepid]

That doesn't stop it from being ugly (subjective of course, unless you ask ChrisV)

[SVT666]

That doesn't stop it from being ugly (subjective of course, unless you ask ChrisV)

UGLY:


NOT UGLY:

[The Pirate]

Would you rather have the 4.6L or the 5.0L, assuming you get an SN95?  Just curious.

[SVT666]

Would you rather have the 4.6L or the 5.0L, assuming you get an SN95?  Just curious.

Good question.  Both engines produce the same power in stock form and both engines have almost identical potential in NA form (roughly 400 hp).  The 5.0L is cheaper by about $1000 to get to those power levels and is easier to work on, but the 4.6L has a nicer transmission.  Both engines are bullet proof and both engines make great noises.  If I found a '95 and a '96 with similar mileage and price, I would probably take the '95 based solely on the cost of the aftermarket parts. 

[Ron From Regina]

A friend of mine is going to try to sell his 88 LX 5.0 in the spring. Its in pristine shape, all original, all stock with 75000kms on it. Only driven on weekends in the summer, stored the the garage the rest of the time. He's rather particular about his cars though, and won't sell it to just anyone, but you might fit the bill.

Come spring, if you are interested, PM me, and I'll get you his info.

[SVT666]

A friend of mine is going to try to sell his 88 LX 5.0 in the spring. Its in pristine shape, all original, all stock with 75000kms on it. Only driven on weekends in the summer, stored the the garage the rest of the time. He's rather particular about his cars though, and won't sell it to just anyone, but you might fit the bill.

I might fit the bill?

Come spring, if you are interested, PM me, and I'll get you his info.

Absolutely man.  Is it a notchback or a hatchback?  What colour is it?

[SaltyDog]

Ooooh, the Fox Body notch is one of the most beautiful cars ever made...please get one

[Ron From Regina]

Its a notch, dark red. I can't remember the interior though. Seems to me its red too. Forgot to mention, but (as I am sure you assumed), its a 5spd.

[Northlands]

Get the 91-93 Stang. Those ones were hot. I never liked the design that came after that year until the latest design.

Plus, the 91-93 looks awesome in that red color.

[S204STi]

UGLY:


NOT UGLY:

Strike that; reverse it.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Strike that; reverse it.

I believe they are the same ugliness. The LX is just better.

[Onslaught]

My friend had one just like that with different rims. Had to put it down
a few years ago. Can't remember what was wrong with it.

[SVT666]

Get the 91-93 Stang. Those ones were hot. I never liked the design that came after that year until the latest design.

Plus, the 91-93 looks awesome in that red color.

I love the '94-'98 models.  I'm not a Fox body fan except for the LX 5.0L notchback.  I didn't like the GT, Cobra, and LX 5.0L Hatch at all.  The LX 5.0L nothback is just plain hot.

[SVT666]

Its a notch, dark red. I can't remember the interior though. Seems to me its red too. Forgot to mention, but (as I am sure you assumed), its a 5spd.

PM me with how much he'll be asking for it.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

get a fbody, fords are for girls.

[omicron]

Oooh, that Fox notchback is lovely. I prefer its looks over the two later models you posted, Hemi.

[FordSVT]

get a fbody, fords are for girls.

You drive a Ford do you? 

The last Camaro was definitely a fast car, but the problems are in the packaging, the image, and the fact that Hemi isn't ever, ever going to buy a F-body.

A 91 5.0L Fox body LX will rape a 5.7L Z28 of the same year to 120 mph and handle better too. The Camaro tops out higher because it's a bit slicker and it's geared taller. I don't mind that generation of Camaro, my father had a 83 V6 and an 84 5.0L Z28 w/t-tops that I loved when I was a kid. I give it props for hanging in there and being one of the only performance pargains available to consumers in the 1980s. However, it was heavier than the Mustang and had a lower p/w ratio, and the lack of a manual tranny on the 5.7L Iroc models definitely hurt it's potential. It simply wasn't as good a performance car, though it was arguably more stylish to the average person. Unfortunately, it's image as the ultimate 70s-80s car (along with the previous gen Camaro) is part of what doomed the last Camaro: its image. Deny it all you want, but to the average car buyer, the f-body was a redneck car and the Mustang was an average-Joe/secretary car. While you may find the former image more desirable to you, it's the latter image that sells cars, which is part of why the Mustang sold several times better than the entire f-body series in it's last three years.


And Hemi666, I totally agree with you on the looks of the notch-back 5.0L LX. I don't like the hatches with the gfx, etc. Just a bunch of added weight and reduced stiffness. The LX is a clean design, small, tight, nothing fancy. All business. I'd take a mint 90-93 LX 5.0 over a 94-98 Mustang to be honest. I'd take a 260 hp 99+ GT over either of course.

I'd go as far as to say that for the money, there aren't any cars that can take a properly set-up 5.0 on the street. A clean car + under $10,000 and your time will build you a reliable 11 second, 0.9-1.0 G import killer that stops on a dime as well. The biggest chunk of change is the forced induction  setup and the internals to go with it, but the stock block can easily handle 350-400 hp. However, I'm the type who'd spend the extra cash to make it bullet-proof, especially when the motor is 15 years old. But parts are cheap and advice is plentiful. Swap the shocks, brakes, anti roll bars and change the rear end. A short throw shifter and a set of decent 17" wheels and tires. Tint the windows (remove the spoiler if there is one). Fuck the big stereo: 4-6 speakers and a head unit is all you need, and that shit is heavy. Voila! Putting the same money into something like a Civic would be a damn waste for what you'd end up with.

[deesea]

That's the plan.  The previous owner has 10 days left to respond to the court action I brought against him.  If he does not, I automatically win and the court will order him to pay.  If he does not pay then I can have his personal car seized or garnishee his wages.  Once he pays then I will try and sell the Sunfire for what I bought it for and I will come out even.  Then I'm going to buy a Mustang.

I wasn't aware of this. Care to elaborate on bringing a court order down on the previous owner?

[omicron]

I'd go as far as to say that for the money, there aren't any cars that can take a properly set-up 5.0 on the street. A clean car + under $10,000 and your time will build you a reliable 11 second, 0.9-1.0 G import killer that stops on a dime as well. The biggest chunk of change is the forced induction  setup and the internals to go with it, but the stock block can easily handle 350-400 hp. However, I'm the type who'd spend the extra cash to make it bullet-proof, especially when the motor is 15 years old. But parts are cheap and advice is plentiful. Swap the shocks, brakes, anti roll bars and change the rear end. A short throw shifter and a set of decent 17" wheels and tires. Tint the windows (remove the spoiler if there is one). Fuck the big stereo: 4-6 speakers and a head unit is all you need, and that shit is heavy. Voila! Putting the same money into something like a Civic would be a damn waste for what you'd end up with.

That idea of yours is just the sort of thing I'd love in my garage. Nice, clean and gutsy.