A Sedona, A 6, And The Prettiest Sunbird You’ll Ever See: Members’ Rides

Last week, we looked at a whole collection of modern classic GM cars. That was after looking at an awesome Buick Roadmaster the week before. Today, we get to continue looking at rad GM cars, this time with a generally unloved Pontiac Sunbird coupe that is shockingly similar to one that was very nearly my first car. So I couldn’t resist this one!

This week’s featured Member is Tyson, a data analyst living in western Kentucky with a great collection of cars to fit every need.

Welcome to Members’ Rides! This is where we share the cars and stories of Autopian Members. The potential to be featured here is a perk for Autopian Members of every level, from the ultra-affordable “Cloth” tier all the way up to “Rich Corinthian Leather.” Click that link and join today!

How did you get into cars?

My first word, according to my grandma and my babysitter at the time when I was a baby, was “wheel.” Cars have been my obsession and my passion for as long as I can remember. At one point in my childhood, I had well over 1,000 Hot Wheels and/or Matchbox cars.

What’s currently in the garage?

• 2018 Kia Sedona
• 2014 Mazda6
• 1992 Pontiac Sunbird

What led to the purchase of the Kia?

I resisted buying a minivan for a long time, due to my own vanity. We tried a 2019 Toyota Highlander before this, as a compromise. And “compromise” was the best word for it. The all-wheel-drive was nice during the rare Kentucky snowfall, but the third-row seat was unbelievably tiny and with said third-row in use, cargo room was non-existent. Short of the all-wheel-drive, the van solves all of those issues.

How did you choose the Sedona?

The Sedona always intrigued me from a styling perspective as it doesn’t look as “dowdy” or as “van-like” as other vans. I like the clean, SUV-ish styling as well as the dedicated, actual/fixed center console it offers. Many detract from that in reviews, as it takes away from the “pass-through” of other vans. But, we haven’t minded it so far.

Also, the Sedona is available for SO MUCH LESS MONEY than either the Odyssey or the Sienna. Both of those are still commanding north of $20,000.00 even with 100,000 miles. Despite them being capable vehicles overall, I wasn’t comfortable paying that much for something that had been possibly neglected for that long by someone else. And honestly, are minivans often the most “taken care of” vehicles? We brought the Sedona home in August 2018.

Any issues with it?

The A/C randomly stopped blowing cold when stopped in traffic or drive-thru lines during the hottest part of September in Kentucky humidity. The dealership did a leak test with the UV dye that detects any refrigerant leaks, and none were found anywhere. They said it was a little bit low, which could’ve occurred at the factory. The Kia techs refilled it with refrigerant, charged CarMax $250, and sent us on our way.

How do you like it?

We love it. The space, comfort, and utility are unmatched. Best thing would be the space and comfort for my wife and I, our two kids, our miniature poodle, and the kids’ friends. Or my wife’s younger teenage sister who travels with us often.

What about the worst?

Sedonas are not known for good fuel economy, and ours is no exception. Short, around-town drives net mileage in the high teens, and highway trips (like our six-hour drive to the Smoky Mountains this past autumn) result in the mid-20s. People usually tell me that Kias and the 3.3 engine in the Sedona are guaranteed to be junk, but I figure that time will tell and it’ll be CarMax’s problem anyway thanks to that MaxCare warranty.

Moving to the Mazda … you said you bought it new, do you usually buy new?

I had never owned a new car until this one, and I likely won’t again as the depreciation is annoying unless you buy a Toyota product or a Jeep Wrangler, and the first scratches, dings, bruises, etc. are too much for my heart to handle.

How do you like it?

I adore this car. It just turned over 88,000 miles and still continues to be reliable, efficient, and safe for my wife, my kids, the dog, and myself. Prior to acquiring the minivan, it was our primary road trip vehicle.

We’ve taken it from our home in Kentucky to the Florida panhandle beaches four different times. It can make it from Kentucky to the Florida state line on one tank of gas, averaging mid-to-high 30s, even while loaded down with our family of four and a week’s worth of luggage. Indeed. It’s basically a Toyota Camry with slightly more road noise but ten times more fun-to-drive factor.

It is still one of my favorite all-time contemporary car designs. I fell in love with the design when Mazda unveiled it in 2012/2013, when I was still driving a 2008 Mazda3 hatchback. It was my goal to own one someday. I even have social media memories in my post archives of me lusting after these cars and the design itself.

What do you love about it?

I love that it has been rock-solid reliable, economical, and stylish. It doesn’t look like a plain ol’ family sedan. I think it more resembles something fancier, like a BMW or a Lexus. But, it only cost $27,000 new. I can get 30+ MPG on my daily commute and Mazda even let me update the radio to have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, years after the car was bought new.

Anything you don’t like?

It didn’t come with the two features I really wanted: remote start and heated seats. Mine is a Touring model instead of a Grand Touring, and the Grand Touring had both of those. I added both features via the aftermarket and local shops, though.

The seats aren’t the most comfortable in the world, but over the last decade and such, they’re broken in and shaped enough to my frame (i.e. become worn) that I’m used to them.

Having had it nearly a decade now, has it ever given you issues?

In the last near-decade, I have had the following issues:

OEM brakes were weak and had to be replaced at 40,000 or so miles. I put Raybestos high-performance pads and rotors on and haven’t had any issues since.

The liquid-filled belt tensioner leaked and needed to be replaced, it never caused issues, it was discovered during a courtesy inspection at the Mazda dealer when they were updating the radio software to enable Apple CarPlay.

My mechanic replaced the tensioner and the serpentine belt as part of a thirty-minute job. Then within the last year, the bearings inside of the alternator started to whine. The alternator was still charging but was making the whining noise. I had this issue with the Sunbird as well. Alternators are not common failure points on Mazda6s, unlike on older GM products. I bought a remanufactured alternator from AutoZone and it has been fine so far.

Do you normally keep cars this long?

Yes. My former car, a 2008 Mazda3 Touring hatchback, was with me for over seven years and would’ve continued to be with me had it not been so small that modern-day infant car seats would be a pain to install. My wife and I planned to have a baby in 2016 or 2017, so we brought the 6 home in October 2015.

When the time comes, any idea what you’ll replace it with?

Someday, it will be replaced, but not anytime in the near future. I am enjoying its relative reliability and practicality too much. Plus, the fact that it is paid off and costs me nothing but occasional fuel, maintenance and insurance is too great of a benefit to ignore. Eventually, I’ll pick up an all-wheel-drive Mazda CX-5 or CX-50. I’d really love one of the new hybrid CX-50s, to be honest.

Now I know there’s a story behind the Sunbird. How did you find it?

I had a 1992 Chevrolet Beretta as my first car in 2006. I customized it quite a bit as it was a base model and needed some “sprucing up.” In 2018, my rusty 1995 Chevrolet S10 4X4 was quite literally falling apart, so much so that one day the exhaust fell off in the street. I decided it was time to dump it as my spare vehicle.

I asked my wife what she thought about me finding another Beretta to tinker with like I had when I was a teenager. She was all for it, provided I could sell the S10 first. Looking around, I found the Sunbird for $2,000 on Facebook marketplace with a short but sweet description. I hopped in the 6 and immediately drove the 45 minutes to the remote farm that the car was located on. I even had to traverse a rutted gravel road with chickens (yes, chickens) crossing it.

And how was it?

The car was a gem. Dirty, but unmolested and rust-free. It was only dirty from living down that dirt road for a few months. The owner and his wife had bought it from an elderly woman’s estate sale in January 2018 with 52,000 miles. It was garage kept all of its life until the couple bought it for the husband to use as an interstate commuter. He drove it on the interstate once and decided that its three-speed automatic and 96-horsepower 2.0 four-cylinder were not up to the task of 80 MPH modern freeways.

His wife was tasked with selling it to fund the air conditioning repairs that her 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan needed. Until that was done, she was driving her three kids around in the Sunbird, as it had a brand new air conditioning system complete with a conversion to fresh R134A refrigerant.

Was a Sunbird on the list or was it just convenient timing?

No it wasn’t, I was trying to find a Beretta or even a Corsica (I basically grew up in a 1991 version of the  Beretta’s L-body platform mate), but those are so rare on the ground nowadays that they are truly needles in a haystack. The Sunbird popped up, and I pounced.

Have you always liked these or is it a recent obsession?

I loved J-bodies from the start but any old GM crapbox is an obsession of mine, to be honest. W-bodies, J-bodies, L-bodies, P-bodies, N-bodies, etc. It doesn’t really matter. They’re old, undesirable junk to everyone but me and a few other weirdos.

What do you love about it?

I love that it is my favorite color, that it evokes good memories for me. There really is nothing like popping in a cassette of The Judds’s greatest hits and cruising a desolate country backroad like I’m a kid in the 1990s again, and that people constantly remark that they haven’t seen one in forever, or that they used to have one.

It’s also remarkably easy to work on and parts are still plentiful thanks to GM being cheap and stretching the J-body platform as long as they possibly could. I mean, 1982 to 2005 for an econobox? Damn. Cosmetic stuff is unobtainable, like weatherstripping, and God help you if you need convertible-specific parts, but I haven’t had trouble sourcing anything mechanical. The valve cover gasket, for example, was less than $2.00 on RockAuto.

You took it to Radwood?

Literally the highlight of my year of 2024. The drive there was exciting and nerve-wracking for my anxiety-prone self, but the car handled it brilliantly. My right leg, however, did not. Eight-plus hours with no cruise control does not a comfortable situation make. The car was checked over thoroughly by my mechanic beforehand, and the only faults were an oxygen sensor on the fritz (occasional “check engine” light and the car running lean overall) and the OEM suspension being well past its expiration date.

Did it handle the road trip well?

Literally performed like a new car save for the “check engine” light coming and going as it pleased and the little 2.0 struggling at 75+ MPH. I averaged 34-35 MPG, which the car is not known for – due mostly to it running lean as a result of that oxygen sensor…which I’ve since replaced.

Does it have any modern touches or anything?

Stock aside from some period-correct modifications such as AVS vent visors, tinted windows, and repairs/upgrades. I replaced the nonfunctional cassette player with one that works from a 1993 Pontiac Sunbird (found it on eBay). The amplifier for the tiny Delco factory radio is from a mid-1990s Cadillac. The original owner, a very particular elderly lady, made her son and grandson (whom I know on social media) fix literally everything that ever went wrong with the car, so it has had a slew of repairs even before I bought it. I’ve since done a lot of repairs as well – including an entirely new suspension.

What’s the plan for it?

Adding some GTS headlight covers and a rear “solar wing” (over the rear window) for additional 1990s-era touches. I’m also going to attend the occasional car show locally and I’ll of course be back at Radwood.

What makes you love the GM crap boxes?

Honestly, I love their unlovability. I root for the underdog and forcefully believe the old adage that an old GM car will “run badly longer than most cars will run at all.”

I grew up in these cars, from my mom’s 1991 Chevrolet Corsica LT that she bought when I was a toddler in 1991 to the various ones that came and went from the used car lot that my grandpa owned throughout my life. They’re sturdy, relatively easy to work on and upkeep, and stand up to lots of abuse.

Aside from the occasional lemons, they often provided their owners plenty of good service despite not always looking or feeling the best compared to their Japanese and European competition. Does my Sunbird compare to a 1990 Honda Civic or a 1990 Toyota Corolla? Ha! Not in the slightest. Do I love it anyway? Yes. Do you occasionally see one still puttering around and catering to its owner’s needs despite literal decades of abuse? Yes.

What is your favorite story of your time owning this?

On I-95 as I entered Detroit and found my way to my hotel for Radwood (close to my friend’s house in a suburb), a gentleman in a newer 4Runner literally cruised next to me in rush hour traffic and stuck his phone out the window while smiling and videoed the car. It was obvious that he was astonished to see one still in existence, much less in this condition. That’s what I like about it. It surprises people, whether in a good way or a bad way. Believe it or not, I’ve won several trophies at car shows with it. I have a bedroom table with them. Having a car that was all but disposed of over time but has somehow survived in this condition is a novelty, and I love it.

Thanks Tyson!

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