Is a Pontiac Sunfire a good car?

I'm an 18 year old male and I'm currently driving a Ford F150. I don't need something this big and I can't afford to drive, own, or fix it. I was trying to find a Ford Ranger or a small truck. My aunt told me to get an economy car. My mom is trying to help me find a car. My mom's friend has a car for sale up the road. It's a 2000 Pontiac Sunfire 2-door coupe. It has an automatic transmission and it's in great shape. I'm normally not interested in these types of cars but, it's only got 50,000 original miles. It's being sold for $1,500. Would this be a good car?

Added (1). I need a different car. My truck has problems I can't afford to fix. With the fuel efficiency of the car, I'll be able to afford to fix it.

I've heard that they break down alot, not sure if that's true but I didn't take that chance when I was looking for a car.

2000 Sunfires are decent cars in all respects. They were designed to be affordable so aren't really exceptional at anything but their performance is decent, they're fairly reliable, get better mileage than most trucks (even quarter tons) and if they ever break down they're easy to find parts for (so therefore parts are cheap) since it's a fairly common type of car.

50k miles is pretty good. It's a low mileage vehicle. A lot of cars go on sale once they reach about 200k miles and that's when they start to show problems -- especially if they're poorly maintained (not having regular oil changes, fuel filters not being changed out, etc). You might be able to talk the seller down to $1200 but it may also be worth buying even at asking price.

I'm NOT a big fan of Chevrolet products of which Pontiac's are family to! But this really does sound like a good deal! Just remember that since it has low miles, it means that it has been sitting a lot. AFTER sitting a lot and then driving it all of a sudden, sometimes things start to reveal themselves. Like clogged radiator and over heating problems, etc. But for an 18 year old, this truly does sound like a deal! I would most likely buy this for my son if he was still your age.

If you do not hot rod it and treat it gingerly, it may give you lots of trouble free miles. But stir that puppy up and start flogging it and it will fall apart on you because it has not been driven much!

I know I will not get best answer on this. But I feel I should try to help prevent potential disaster and regret.

I would pass on that one and save the money for a better car. I have known two people that had a lot of bad luck with them. Their maintenance is above average IMHO when compared to the standards I expect. I admit, I'm spoiled on Toyota and their high reliability and low maintenance.

Before you buy, get it thoroughly inspected. Check to see if the coolant pH is between 9.8 and 10.5. If it is any lower, then chances are quite high it was not changed on schedule, and many internal parts such as the head gasket have deteriorated to some degree. And GM has a bad reputation and class action lawsuits for their head gaskets for that era. Also for its age, regardless of miles many cables and hoses are well past due for replacement. I could go on.

I could list all sorts of reviews, complaints, etc. But that is something you should look into yourself for a more unbiased opinion.

Get a mechanic to look at it.

Pontiac's have been discontinued. That should tell you something.

For that price, it could be a good transportation vehicle for you. If it was well maintained and only has 50k miles, it sounds very good. You can't expect too much for $1500.

No, they are not good cars.