2002 Pontiac Sunfire: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

Sunfire shares its design with the Chevrolet Cavalier. It comes as a coupe or sedan in SE trim, and as a GT coupe. SEs come with a 115-hp overhead-valve 2.2-liter 4-cyl engine. A 140-hp twincam 2.2-liter 4 cyl replaced a 150-hp 2.4 after the start of '02 production. It's standard on the GT, optional on the SE. Manual and automatic transmissions are offered; traction control is included with the automatic. ABS and air conditioning are standard. Also for '02, the SE gets a standard tilt steering wheel (the GT already had it) and both gain a trunk release switch for the driver.

COMPETITION

A perennial favorite, the Honda Civic, is as good as ever. We love the wide range of bodystyles, engines, and equipment. Civic is a solid car that has good performance, a nice ride, and a high degree of civility. We also love almost everything about the Ford Focus, but were reluctant to rank it a Best Buy because it was new from the ground up. After a year of living with a ZTS model, we can say that the reliability is good. Focus ranks a notch below Civic in some areas but costs less.

Topping the crowded Recommended list are the Volkswagen Golf and Jetta. They easily could be Best Buys. However, they are among the most expensive cars in this segment. Other Recommended choices include the no-frills Toyota Echo, the sporty Nissan Sentra, and the roomy Mazda Protege.