Pontiac Sunfire Tires

In production from 1994 to 2005, the Sunfire was the Pontiac counterpart to the Chevrolet Cavalier. The Sunfire replaced the Sunbird in Pontiac’s lineup; in its 11-year run, it was facelifted in 2000 and then again in 2003, with more streamlined aerodynamics and the plastic body cladding that was prevalent among Pontiac models of the time. This subcompact was available with a 2.2L or 2.4L 4-cylinder engine and was offered in coupe, sedan or convertible body styles. The Sunfire could be had in Base, SE and GT trim levels. When the Sunfire went away, it went the way of the entire Pontiac brand in GM’s lineup.

Using SimpleScore, here are the best Pontiac Sunfire tires on the market today, including some all-season, all-weather, and winter tire ideas. So without further delay, let’s get to it:

1. Goodyear Assurance MaxLife - Best All-Season tire

We’re going to kick things off with the Goodyear Assurance MaxLife, an incredibly versatile and capable tire, one you can count on for both compelling performance and year-round grip. For so many years now the Goodyear brand has been a synonym for value and quality, and the Goodyear Assurance MaxLife is a tire that absolutely keeps that reputation alive. The Assurance MaxLife also lives up to its model name; its tough internal design and durable rubber compound are engineered for long, even wear. Thanks to Goodyear’s TredLife technology package, the MaxLife is covered from the factory with a best-in-class 85,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, and we give this tire an outstanding SimpleScore of 9.9 for longevity. A semi-solid center rib aids steering response and straight-line road manners. A combination of semi-closed shoulders, sticky tread formula and a polyamide reinforcement layer work together to enhance braking performance, cornering and responsiveness, adding up to a SimpleScore of 9.5 for handling. A pattern of sipes are designed for dependable grip in wet or wintry conditions, and a system of circumferential grooves, angled, and lateral grooves all work together to avoid hydroplaning by cutting through any film of standing water. Any time a tire can give you the confidence you need for dependable cornering and braking in wet or dry weather, we figure that’s enough for a SimpleScore of 9.7 for traction.

2. Bridgestone WeatherPeak - Best All-Weather tire

Now we come to a great all-weather option for your Pontiac Sunfire, the Bridgestone WeatherPeak. Anyone who’s driven in winter weather and deep snow knows that a lot of times all-season tires are just not capable of getting the job done for you. All-weather tires are designed much the same as all-season models, but with better performance in snow, slush and ice. With that in mind, Bridgestone designed the Weatherpeak’s tread with a dense pattern of sipes, the hair-thin slits that add hundreds of extra biting edges that chew through snow and slush, giving you the advantage in traction that you need. Bridgestone’s sipes are a great innovation; these sipes a full-depth 3D design that continue to boost your winter traction as the tire wears down, along with “snow vices” that actually retain snow in the tread for snow-to-snow friction and better grip. The Bridgestone Weatherpeak is Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified for severe winter service, and testing has shown its braking distances are as much as 30 feet shorter than the competition in winter weather. After taking all that into account, we gave the Bridgestone Weatherpeak a SimpleScore of 9.7 for traction. Steering response and cornering are similarly strong; the Weatherpeak’s SimpleScore of 9.5 for handling comes from its rubber formulation and tread features that highlight top notch road manners, steering response and cornering ability. Bridgestone backs the Weatherpeak with a 70,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty, a best-in-class warranty that’s enough to inspire a SimpleScore of 9.8 for longevity.

3. Continental VikingContact 7 - Best Winter tire

For our winter tire pick, we arrived at the Continental VikingContact 7, one that scores pretty highly in our SimpleScore rankings all the way around. The VikingContact 7 uses a rubber compound that’s rich with silica and canola oil for great flexibility in subfreezing weather, with a winter tread pattern of cross-hatched grooves, snow grooves that actually retain snow for better friction, interlocking sipes for traction in snow, ice, and slush, and wider grooves to evacuate water and slush to avoid hydroplaning. All of that adds up to a hard to beat SimpleScore of 9.9 for traction. That tread pattern is linked together with interlocked block bridges for better rigidity and control, thus a SimpleScore of 9.0 for handling. Though the VikingContact 7 doesn’t have a mileage warranty (most winter tires don’t), we give it a SimpleScore of 8.0 for longevity. Unsurprisingly, the Continental VikingContact 7 is Three Peak Mountain Snowflake rated for severe winter service.

While these are the best Pontiac Sunfire tires on the market today, there are plenty of other options available:

4. Toyo Extensa A/S II - Great All-Season tire

The Toyo Extensa A/S II isa tire that we’ve always thought of as a great value in an all-season tire. The Extensa A/S II is engineered with a silica-rich tread compound that’s designed for long wear and tenacious wet-weather grip, formed into a system of circumferential grooves, lateral and angled grooves, and 3D sipes for the consistent year-round traction you need. After looking at the numbers and averages, we give the Toyo Extensa A/S II a SimpleScore of 8.7 for traction. Durability is another advantage with this tire; it has robust internal construction consisting of a polyester casing, two steel belts, and a spiral-wound nylon cap layer and a long-wearing tread compound. Cross-rotation with the Extensa A/S II is easy thanks to its symmetrical tread pattern, and Toyo backs this tire with a 75,000 mile warranty, which was enough to earn the tire a SimpleScore of 7.8 in longevity. Cornering, steering response, and roadability are all consistent, neutral and predictable with the Extensa A/S II; that symmetric tread pattern and shoulder design mean more rubber in contact with the road, for a SimpleScore of a solid 8.4 for handling.

Order Pontiac Sunfire Tires Online

Buying tires online can be a stressful process, but it really doesn't need to be. SimpleTire offers a simple approach to finding the tires that are best for you and your Pontiac Sunfire. Select your Pontiac Sunfire below, then tell us a few more things such as year and trim level to determine your tire size. From there, we'll show you tires that fit your vehicle and are the best match based on performance characteristics, but you can also look for the best value tires, tires that are on sale or part of a promo, have the longest tread life, and much more