2003 Pontiac Sunfire- brace yourself...

[NotoriousJTC]

Someone got paid to design that?

 

[Pastore]

You expected more from the company that designed the Aztek?

BTW, I think it looks like a cross between a Saturn (front end) and a Dodge Stealth (rear)...

 

[N8Magic]

I think it looks better than the current model.

... but the interior! oh my :disgust:

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: NightFlyerGTI
Did anyone catch the huge gap inbetween the hood and grille? Anyone care to wager a bet? I'm putting it at .75".

lmao. who gives a crap about gaps? Soon people will be nitpicking about the texture of the door seams or crap like that.

overall looks matter more - in this case the new sunfire loses (IMO)

 

[Vic]

:Q Ahhh!! My eyes, my eyes!! :Q

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: Ultima

Originally posted by: NightFlyerGTI
Did anyone catch the huge gap inbetween the hood and grille? Anyone care to wager a bet? I'm putting it at .75".

lmao. who gives a crap about gaps? Soon people will be nitpicking about the texture of the door seams or crap like that.

overall looks matter more - in this case the new sunfire loses (IMO)

Wide and uneven panel gaps are evidence of poor build quality and low quality tolerances...a hallmark of GM cars.

 

[N8Magic]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Ultima

Originally posted by: NightFlyerGTI
Did anyone catch the huge gap inbetween the hood and grille? Anyone care to wager a bet? I'm putting it at .75".

lmao. who gives a crap about gaps? Soon people will be nitpicking about the texture of the door seams or crap like that.

overall looks matter more - in this case the new sunfire loses (IMO)

Wide and uneven panel gaps are evidence of poor build quality and low quality tolerances...a hallmark of GM cars.

You should see the new Saturn VUE. I saw one today on the highway, and I swear the panel gaps were AT LEAST 1" wide. :Q:Q:Q

I can't believe people buy cars with gaps like that... my VW was a similar price to a VUE and the gaps are .25" at most.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I vote for the '66 GTO

That is 10 times the car the Sunfire will ever be.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: N8Magic

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Ultima

Originally posted by: NightFlyerGTI
Did anyone catch the huge gap inbetween the hood and grille? Anyone care to wager a bet? I'm putting it at .75".

lmao. who gives a crap about gaps? Soon people will be nitpicking about the texture of the door seams or crap like that.

overall looks matter more - in this case the new sunfire loses (IMO)

Wide and uneven panel gaps are evidence of poor build quality and low quality tolerances...a hallmark of GM cars.

You should see the new Saturn VUE. I saw one today on the highway, and I swear the panel gaps were AT LEAST 1" wide. :Q:Q:Q

I can't believe people buy cars with gaps like that... my VW was a similar price to a VUE and the gaps are .25" at most.

The reason why Saturns have wide panel gaps is b/c of their plastic body panels. They expand and contract depending on the temperature, hence there must be ample cleareance for expansion.

There is no excuse for other cars though.

 

[DougK62]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Ultima

Originally posted by: NightFlyerGTI
Did anyone catch the huge gap inbetween the hood and grille? Anyone care to wager a bet? I'm putting it at .75".

lmao. who gives a crap about gaps? Soon people will be nitpicking about the texture of the door seams or crap like that.

overall looks matter more - in this case the new sunfire loses (IMO)

Wide and uneven panel gaps are evidence of poor build quality and low quality tolerances...a hallmark of GM cars.

That wide gap in the front is very obviously done for aesthetics and shouldn't be taken as a sign of build quality.

That said, it fails miserably.

They also butchered the Cavalier - which was just starting to look good again

 

[andylawcc]

good lord, why would they want to imitate "ugly." Saturn is fugly and Pontiac enhanced ugliness by bringing a whole new definition to it.


but what Gplanet said has some merit, it will eventually look "okay" from "hellishly ugly"

 

[SpongeBob]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Ultima

Originally posted by: NightFlyerGTI
Did anyone catch the huge gap inbetween the hood and grille? Anyone care to wager a bet? I'm putting it at .75".

lmao. who gives a crap about gaps? Soon people will be nitpicking about the texture of the door seams or crap like that.

overall looks matter more - in this case the new sunfire loses (IMO)

Wide and uneven panel gaps are evidence of poor build quality and low quality tolerances...a hallmark of GM cars.

There's no gap there, it's a piece of black molding which makes it seem like there is a gap.

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: Rallispec

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: Rallispec
i think who ever is in charge of design there needs a serious beating

Makes you wonder who approves these "design" updates

yeah seriously.. and more importantly-- why do people conitinue to buy them

I think you just answered your own question......

 

[Shantanu]

Hey, it's not anywhere near as ugly as this thing.

FYI, Pontiac Sunfire sales were up 20% last month. Pontiac knows their customer, and this is what their customer likes. For those that don't like this, GM also offers the Cavalier, the Saturn S-series, and - later on this year - 1 or 2 small Daewoos sold under the "Suzuki" brand. For those that don't like any of GM's compacts, I don't think they care, because this not a core part of their business strategy. Never has been; never will be. That said, GM still sells more compacts than anyone else.

This model will only last 2 years, as GM is putting out a new model in 2005 and investing $400 million to retool the plant in the meantime.

Did anyone catch the huge gap inbetween the hood and grille? Anyone care to wager a bet? I'm putting it at .75".

I see no unusual gap. Looks fine to me. Wood you rather the front end be welded shut so that you can't open the hood?

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Rallispec

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: Rallispec
i think who ever is in charge of design there needs a serious beating

Makes you wonder who approves these "design" updates

yeah seriously.. and more importantly-- why do people conitinue to buy them

Seems as if it is the best job in the world...getting paid to design cars that look like the last thing you pulled out of your ass...

 

[StageLeft]

sunfire is a total POS

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: Cuda1447
The only bad part of that car is the headlights, thats what makes it look bad. The rest of the body IMO is very sleak and stylish, I like it.

Isn't it still a little early in the day for you to be hitting the angel dust? Just say no!

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: Shantanu
Hey, it's not anywhere near as ugly as this thing.

FYI, Pontiac Sunfire sales were up 20% last month. Pontiac knows their customer, and this is what their customer likes. For those that don't like this, GM also offers the Cavalier, the Saturn S-series, and - later on this year - 1 or 2 small Daewoos sold under the "Suzuki" brand. For those that don't like any of GM's compacts, I don't think they care, because this not a core part of their business strategy. Never has been; never will be. That said, GM still sells more compacts than anyone else.

This model will only last 2 years, as GM is putting out a new model in 2005 and investing $400 million to retool the plant in the meantime.

Did anyone catch the huge gap inbetween the hood and grille? Anyone care to wager a bet? I'm putting it at .75".

I see no unusual gap. Looks fine to me. Wood you rather the front end be welded shut so that you can't open the hood?

That Corolla looks 10 times better than that POS Sunfire. And remember, most of those Cavaliers and Pontiacs go to fleet sales and rental agencies b/c most wouldn't give them the time of day (same with the Impala and Taurus...I believe that 45% of Taurus sales are fleet sales).

Also, just b/c GM may sell more doesn't mean that they make more money off them. Honda and Toyota make more per car off their Civic and Corolla b/c they don't have to discount them at all. GM has to discount the hell out of the Cavalier/Sunbird for them to actually sell which cuts into their bottom line.

Cars like the Civic and Corolla finds more actual "homes" b/c they are better built vehicles that last longer and keep their resale value and have a proven reputation for quality and dependability. They also have interiors that don't like a a 2-year old's playpen.

I can also attest that my '87 Pontiac Sunbird was a total POS!!

 

[tcsenter]

Hey, it's not anywhere near as ugly as this thing.

Wha? The Corolla is a hell of a lot more stylish than the Sunfire, with the exception of the side ground-effects on the S model that look like they were scavenged out of the Z24 Cavalier parts bin. I'm not particularly crazy about those, they could have blended them into the rocker panels more seemlessly instead of making them look as though they are a crappy aftermarket bolt-on.

 

[yakko]

Originally posted by: Rallispec
i think who ever is in charge of design there needs a serious beating

They need to be beaten with the rotting corpse of Bangle.

 

[Fritzo]

What's with Pontiac's obsession with "points" on the front of their cars??? Seems like all of their cars come to a sharp ugly point on in the front...like they're trying to make like a bird's beak or something. I don't know----it's hard to explain. Just look at all of Pontiac's front ends and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Squisher]

I have to agree the front end sucks like so many of Pontiac's offerings. Since front and rear ends are the most easily changed item on the car, we can only hope that Pontiac does a little massaging in the next model year.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: Squisher
I have to agree the front end sucks like so many of Pontiac's offerings. Since front and rear ends are the most easily changed item on the car, we can only hope that Pontiac does a little massaging in the next model year.

Massaging?? That ugly motherf*&ker needs reconstructive surgery

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: NFS4


Massaging?? That ugly motherf*&ker needs reconstructive surgery

Ouch!

 

[StattlichPassat]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Ultima

Originally posted by: NightFlyerGTI
Did anyone catch the huge gap inbetween the hood and grille? Anyone care to wager a bet? I'm putting it at .75".

lmao. who gives a crap about gaps? Soon people will be nitpicking about the texture of the door seams or crap like that.

overall looks matter more - in this case the new sunfire loses (IMO)

Wide and uneven panel gaps are evidence of poor build quality and low quality tolerances...a hallmark of GM cars.

^