Review Car

2011 Pontiac Sunfire

2011 Pontiac Sunfire offers sporty, expressive styling and decent performance in an affordably priced coupe.  It is powered by a 2.2-liter overhead-valve four-cylinder engine rated at 140-horsepower. A five speed manual transmission comes standard. A four-speed automatic transmission is optional. Anti-lock brakes are optional. Package 1SC comes with the 1SB equipment, plus anti-lock brakes, Sports Suspension, P205/55R16 tires with aluminum wheels, a cargo convenience net, reading lights, overhead storage, power door locks, remote keyless entry, content theft alarm, XM satellite radio with RDS and equalizer, digital clock, leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather wrapped shift knob and parking brake handle, driver lumbar adjuster, intermittent wet-arm wipers. In spite of updates for 2011, it lacks the refinement of some of the latest models from the competition. Its base price looks attractive, but options will likely be needed to add desirable safety and convenience features.

The PASS lock theft deterrent system that comes on all 2011 Pontiac Sunfire models shuts the car off after a few moments if it is started with anything other than the encoded key. A single key is used for ignition and all locks, and a remote keyless entry system is optional. All Sunfires are equipped with daytime running lights. Whenever the ignition is on and the handbrake is released or the automatic transmission is shifted out of park, the headlights will be on at reduced power.

Sunfire’s relatively short deck lid conceals slightly more than 12 cubic feet of trunk space, easily accessed with a low lift-over height. The rear seats in 2011 models are split 60/40 and fold down for versatility and increased cargo capacity. A variety of audio systems is available, including a 200-watt, eight-speaker Monsoon system designed for The 2011 Pontiac Sunfire’s interior acoustics. 

The eight-channel amplified system features active crossovers to direct low, midrange, and high frequencies to the appropriate speakers. Crisp bass response and clear high frequencies make for great sound. 2011 Pontiac Sunfire is easy.The five-speed manual transmission, built by renowned German gearbox maker Getrag, offers pleasant shifting and we enjoyed it. The optional four-speed automatic transmission works well around town, keeping the engine in its best operating range at lower speeds. The Ecotec 2.2-liter engine offers responsive performance, particularly when paired with the five-speed manual transmission. This newly developed four-cylinder engine generates 140 horsepower at 5600 rpm, giving The 2011 Pontiac Sunfire enough power for confident passing and merging into busy highway traffic. Revisions to this year’s model improve refinement and add convenience. 2011 Pontiac Sunfire is getting long in the tooth, however, so look for deals. The 2011 2011 Pontiac Sunfire handles well. It hangs on confidently in fast corners and stays poised and predictable. It is balanced well, exhibiting surprisingly little under steer for a front-wheel-drive car. You can really throw it around. Ride and handling have been improved for 2011 by stiffening the structure of the car, and re-tuning the suspension for a sportier, more controlled ride. The chassis did feel more rigid, more secure when driving quickly down a rough back road. The revised suspension dampened road vibration reasonably well. Hitting a series of bumps didn’t generate the aftershocks associated with older domestic compact cars. Bigger rear drum brakes and more rear brake bias are designed to improve braking performance. The brake pedal feels nice and firm and the brakes are responsive.