Pontiac's Sunfire is easy to drive and fun to drive quickly. It hangs on confidently in fast corners and stays poised and predictable. It is balanced well, exhibiting surprisingly little understeer for a front-wheel-drive car. The GT seems at its best in transient, or slalom-type, maneuvers. You can really throw it around. Our only quibble with its handling is the unassisted steering that is a little slow.The chassis and suspension and steering combine to produce a good blend of ride and handling, and the car projects a secure feeling of stability and solidity. The suspension comprises MacPherson struts up front and a twist beam axle in the rear. It's not as sophisticated as the suspensions in some of the other cars in this class, but it gets the job done.
Power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering gives the Sunfire quick steering response and good on-center feel. At the same time, the Sunfire's body rigidity provides a ride that's firm and confident at higher speeds. And it's quiet. Standard on the GT Coupe are P205/55 performance tires on 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels.
With the new Ecotec 2.2-liter twin-cam engine, the GT Coupe provides comparable power to a Honda Civic or Dodge Neon. While some engines tend to be peaky, providing maximum power only in a very narrow rpm range, the Ecotec has a broad torque curve and that enhances the engine's driveability. It develops maximum torque (150 pounds-feet at 4000 rpm) at lower revs than the previous 2.4-liter (155 pounds-feet at 4400 rpm). Pontiac hopes buyers will view the Sunfire as a good candidate as a sport compact, so GM and its suppliers have developed a number of aftermarket parts for owners who want to modify the Ecotec engine to extract more power.
The new Ecotec engine is fuel efficient, EPA-rated at 24 mpg City and 33 Highway with the five-speed transmission, and 23/32 mpg with the four-speed automatic.
The aging 2.2-liter overhead-valve engine that comes standard on the SE achieves only 1 mpg more on the highway than the new Ecotec engine and produces far less power (115 horsepower and 135 pounds-feet of torque). It's noisier and less responsive than the new Ecotec engine, a $250 option on the SE. We recommend SE buyers spring for the Ecotec engine.
The five-speed manual transmission is built by renowned German transmission manufacturer Getrag and features decent shift feel and a synchronized reverse gear for easier engagement. A cable shift linkage aids shifting, while a reverse lockout mechanism makes for a good safety feature.
Sunfire comes with disc brakes in front, drum brakes in the rear. An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is standard. The Sunfire's brake components are designed to optimize wheel slip control, reduce noise, improve pedal feel and contribute to reduced weight. However, it is not as sophisticated as the braking systems found on more expensive cars, and overall braking performance is average.
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