Used 1996 Pontiac Firebird Consumer Reviews
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Nice, Fun, and Reliable Daily Driver
CB, 12/30/2016
1996 Pontiac Firebird Formula 2dr Hatchback
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
When you buy one that was cared for and well maintained anyway. I was lucky enough to buy mine from the second owner and himself as well as the first owner were OCD about maintenance just like me, and I suspect also like myself they never abused the car. This is important for any car but especially on one that has the power to break things via neglect or abuse. The LT1 is a great motor and the Borg Warner T-56 is a great transmission, great low end torque and the transmission shifts out smoothly. Engine revs out nicely and the powerband is everywhere. Fuel economy is good shifting out between 2,000-2,500 and 5/6th are .74 and .50 respectively so you more or less idle doing anything under 55 mph, I average mid-upper 20's using 93. Opti-Spark is blown out of proportion with revised versions and can make it 200K miles without missing a beat. Clutch engagement and feel is nice, somewhere between my Miata and Celica in terms of effort. The transmission shift feel is ok stock, but a Core Shifters short stick makes it what it should've been from the factory for $30. The stock sealed beam headlights suck, but a Hella ECE H4 conversion with an upgraded relay harness and you're meeting/exceeding modern halogen setups for around $100. Also I can't overstate how important getting rid of the stock DeCarbon shocks for some Koni, Bilstein, or KYB shocks is, ride and handling are improved immensely with just that. The ride is comfortable and handling is good for what it is with the DeCarbons long gone, of course get into UMI, MWC, and Strano suspension parts and they can be very competent handlers along with putting on some good tires. At times you forget the car has a solid axle but in hard(especially left hand) cornering and/or over rough roads you're reminded but so long as you keep it in mind and drive accordingly it's a non-issue. The car is nice and quiet going down the road, no squeaks and rattles and nice solid feel. Which it's the hardtop but they're all cutout for T-tops in the fourth gen from the factory so no difference in terms of chassis rigidity, but NVH is definitely better as my father had a same year Z28 with T-tops and it wasn't as quiet or rattle free. A/C is nice and cold even in hot and humid climates and the heat works great as well though it rarely gets below freezing here, blower fan output is good to great. The biggest complaint I have and where a lot of people like to knock fourth gens is the interior, first let me say for the time period and for what it was it's actually pretty nice and really no worse than comparable imports of the time. Further adding to the that the carpet and the seats are very nice, the cloth material for the seats is nice and high quality(yet they cheaped out on the vinyl/leather) and the seats are comfortable and fairly supportive. Interior plastic panels are good and standard fare, except for one...the dash. The dash is downright frustrating, mine was nice except for one small crack when I got it and I made the mistake of removing it to reinforce and prevent cracking. Total nightmare I'm still trying to sort, but in their defense NA6 Miatas, S13 240SXs, and some same year BMWs just to name a few also have crap dashboards so it's not just them unlike how some would have you believe. All in all probably the best car I've owned, but I attribute a lot of that to the great previous owners. Find a nice one that's been taken care of and you can't go wrong, well so long as it's the 6-speed anyway.
- Safety
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Top bang for the buck!
J-Rock, 03/12/2006
1996 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 2dr Hatchback
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
WOW - what a car. To cut to the chase, if you can find one of these vehicles that hasn't been flogged to death by a snot-nosed kid and was properly maintained, it's an absolute bargain. For about the cost of a new Yugo back in '86 you can have Corvette level performance and handling, and in my opinion - exceptional looks (I prefer the T/A to the Vette of a similar vintage). Sure the ride is somewhat stiff, the plastics are typical GM, exterior panel fit varies wildly, and fuel economy suffers because it's soooo much fun to rip to 6,000 rpm on occasion, but who cares - you'll smile every time you drive it, and that is a quality that's hard to put a price tag on. LT1 engine is phenomenal!!
1996 Pontiac Firebird for sale near you
3 of 25 listings
- 1996 Pontiac FirebirdMSRP: $19,800119 mi away
- Formula ConvertibleMSRP: $14,190142 mi away
- Base 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $4,495199 mi away
See all 25 listings
1996 firebird v6 3.8
brandon, 09/29/2008
1996 Pontiac Firebird 2dr Hatchback
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
My firebird is equipped with a 3.8 L v6, t-tops and and some nice rims and i am very happy with it.The power is amazing. I put headers, cold air intake and did some head work to mine and it will rip the tires off. The fuel economy is great. This car is all around fun to drive. The only reason I would sell this car is to by a v8 model.
my 95 trans am cnv
t.y., 03/24/2003
1996 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 2dr Convertible
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
overall, i have had lots of fun with this vehicle. It is very fast and has the power when needed especially with the 6-spd transmission. i change the oil on a regular basis and i take care of so that it can last me a very long time. The only thing with these tras ams is that you pretty much have t live with the oil leaks that occur. you will not be able to avoid it since so much power creats lots of pressure thus causing oil leaks.
Awesome Car
firebirdbandit, 10/30/2002
1996 Pontiac Firebird Formula 2dr Hatchback
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This car is awesome. I feel like I am on a Rocket every time I go onto the highway. More powerful than most engines with a supercharger. And the scary part is you can get one for this engine. I love everything about this car but the performance is the best. Rear wheel drive is awesome. Who wants to lay rubber with the front tires anyways. Fast and deadly 1996 black firebird formula with t-tops