Buying a 2005 Pontiac Sunfire?? Brake question?

[Greg]

I am thinking of buying a used 2005 Pontiac Sunfire. I'm going to buy it from a private seller, who will have it certified and emission tested. The car only has 30,000 miles. I saw it, it is in PERFECT CONDITION!!!! It looks and feels like a new car!!!
The only thing that has me a bit concerned is the brakes. I test drove it, and the brake pedal felt kind of firm, and it didn't go very far when pressed.
I am not sure whether this is normal for such a car (Pontiac Sunfire) or whether it might be some problem? Should I not consider buying this car?
I have a 10 year old Subaru, and the brake pedal there feels much more responsive and lighter to the touch. In the Pontiac Sunfire, it feels I need to apply more force, and the pedal doesn't really move much????
It feels like the Brake Pedal resists being pressed??
The Pedal doesn't want to move much, when pressed??
I don't know whether its worth even to take the car to a mechanic??

 

[djphuze]

Sounds like it could be a problem with the power assist booster on the master cylinder. The booster works off engine vacuum pressure, so either there is a leak in the vacuum lines from the engine, internal damage inside the booster unit or a faulty check valve.
One quick comparison test is to take any vehicle that has power brakes to a quiet road with a very small incline and put the car into neutral, shut the engine off and let the vehicle roll very slowly. pump the brake pedal a couple times (this will vent off the pressure) and you will notice the pedal will become harder to press with each pump. compare that to with what you were experiencing with the Sunfire you were looking at. If its very similar, then what i said above will give you an idea of where and what the problem is.