1989 Pontiac LeMans Reviews - Page 3 of 5

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4th Feb 2004, 20:09

10/10 on performance?

Get real!

14th Sep 2004, 07:50

Nice car. I have one too, it's a 1989 Le Mans Gse. All stock except for the new black paint job. Hey E-mail me to give me some tips on how to buy aftermarket parts for this HB. This1guy75051@yahoo.com.

7th Dec 2004, 05:58

Hello guys. I am trying to find a GSE LeMans for cheap. I am in college and know how great these cars are on gas. If anybody knows where to find one, please e-mail me at mturdburgler@yahoo.com or call my cell at 484-880-6758.

1989 Pontiac LeMans GSE 2.0 from North America

Year of manufacture	1989
First year of ownership	1994
Most recent year of ownership	2003
Engine and transmission	2.0 Manual
Performance marks	10 / 10
Reliability marks	10 / 10
Comfort marks	5 / 10
Running Costs (higher is cheaper)	7 / 10
Overall marks (average of all marks)	8.0 / 10
Distance when acquired	24382 miles
Most recent distance	89887 miles
Previous car	Mercury Topaz

Summary:

A $500.00 sports car, WOW

Faults:

Head gasket blew at 77,000.

Seats are wearing bad.

Dashboard switches have needed replacing.

New muffler at 89,000.

General Comments:

My Lemans came standard with a 2.0 liter single overhead cam 16 valve engine and a close ratio 5 speed transmission as well as a rally inspired suspension. This makes the car a blast to drive. It has great power and acceleration and handles like a sports car.

I blew a head gasket when the radiator fan quit, my fault I let it run hot trying to get home without a tow truck. The dashboard switches (I.E. headlights, heater fan, rear defrost etc...) are very cheaply made and tend to break on a regular basis, but at least their easy to replace.

Whats not easy is finding parts. I was told at the dealer that Pontiac had dropped this car from its parts catalog so now I'm down to searching the local salvage yards for spare parts. Since the car is a GSE edition this is a little hard because many of my parts have to come from a GSE car and there are not many of those around.

The car may say Pontiac Lemans on the deck lid, but it is actually a Daewoo Lanos. After owning this car I'm not sure if I would buy another Pontiac or not, but I would definitly buy another Daewoo.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd June, 2003

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6th Aug 2003, 00:11

I also owned an 89 Le Mans GSE from '90 to '93. I LOVED it for the first year plus, but then it began to steadily fall apart. As you said, though, it was an absolute blast to drive, when it ran well.

25th Nov 2003, 18:19

Well, actually Daewoo bought the rights from the German car manufacturer Opel when they discontinued their Opel Kadett which had been in production since the late 70's. So the Pontiac LeMans is actually an Opel Kadett in its third edition. The car has been hugely popular in Europe for years and years and upon moving to the U.S. I was astounded to see this car as a Pontiac. My mom had an '85 model for a few years and it is indeed a nice car for cheap money. Rarely any problems and the car is quite sporty in handling and suspension. The GSE as mentioned here is called GSI in Europe and the 16-valve version produces 170 horsepower which makes (made) the car very popular among the younger demographic of car buyers.

8th Mar 2006, 00:28

I bought a Pontiac new in 1989 and did 200,000kms in it with no problems at all, only tyres and regular maintenance. I sold it 2005 and now regret parting with it.

John.

1989 Pontiac LeMans VL 1.6 gas from North America

Year of manufacture	1989
First year of ownership	2002
Most recent year of ownership	2003
Engine and transmission	1.6 gas Manual
Performance marks	3 / 10
Reliability marks	5 / 10
Comfort marks	3 / 10
Running Costs (higher is cheaper)	7 / 10
Overall marks (average of all marks)	4.5 / 10
Distance when acquired	67500 miles
Most recent distance	76779 miles
Previous car	Chevrolet Cavalier

Summary:

Cheap tin can

Faults:

I bought this car to drive to work in order to keep miles off my new car. I guess for what I paid for it I got a good deal.

It starts up every time the first time.

I have had to replace every gasket under the hood I can think of. The engine suddenly decided to empty out its contents in the parking lot at work. Repairs were a lot more expensive than I would have thought.

I have had to replace the speed sensor, due to the speedometer stopping.

The fuel and temperature guages only work when they want.

Just last week, the wipers decided to stop parking at the base of the windshield, though they still operate in all 3 speeds. Repairing this would require a new $150.00USD wiper motor, no way.

The interior parts like visors and window cranks fall off weekly.

Since I got it, the heater fan only works on high speed, so you either freeze or burn up.

The hatchback recently quit latching, so it provides no security for storage of items inside.

Amazingly, the paint and upholstery have held up amazingly well. The car still looks about brand new.

General Comments:

I guess I got what I paid for.

My friends laugh at my 'sled' and no one really wants to ride in it. However, its getting me to and from work and gets great mpg.

I just wish I had spent more and gotten something more substantial.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 4th April, 2003

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