From the March 1999 issue of Car and Driver.
Our last official visit with a Pontiac Bonneville was not unforgettable. It was even dark. It was part of the extensive 10-car comparison test of “Salt-of-the-Earth Sedans” in June 1998. The Bonneville took on flashy newcomers like the Oldsmobile Intrigue, the Dodge Intrepid, the Honda Accord, the Toyota Camry, etc. to the eventual winner, the Volkswagen Passat.
The 1998 Bonneville SE found few friends among test drivers. Criticisms such as “mushy feel,” “indulgence,” and “spongy” characterized the short six-paragraph report, which ended with: “In its seventh year, the Bonneville is the oldest car in this group at three, and that shows.” at.”
The Bonneville finished 10th out of 10 cars. A subsequent drive in a 1999 Bonneville showed no improvement over the 1998 model – after all, it was simply a year older.
The people at Pontiac took that criticism to heart. To be honest, they weren’t surprised. They were aware that a new Bonneville was on the way. And when they offered us an exclusive ride in the 2000 Bonneville, we took that as a sign that they had faith in the new car. This trust was justified.
The current Bonneville harks back—at least spiritually—to the new-for-1987 model. On a platform shared with the Buick LeSabre and Oldsmobile Delta 88, the 1987 Bonneville SE was powered by a 150-hp version of the 3.8-liter pushrod V-6. It was a single-mindedly sporty sedan, clearly aimed at the Europeans, and it hit the mark in a few respects: the interior was “the closet thing of a BMW this side of the Black Forest,” we wrote, and proclaimed the Bonneville one of our top 10 cars for 1987. The following year, a sportier SSE model was introduced, setting the tone for the top-of-the-line Bonneville that has endured to this day.
The Bonneville has been redesigned for 1992, and again we voted the performance model our favorite. The SSEi retained the 3.8-liter V-6, but a supercharger boosted output to 205 hp from the stock 170. Rounding out the package were dummy ground effects for young racers, Z-rated tires, electronic ride controls and dual airbags – the 1992 Bonneville SSEi was the first GM car to feature driver and passenger airbags.
Not much has happened since then. The 3.8-litre engine holds out – output is up to 205hp for the standard engine and 240hp for the supercharged model, but other changes to the Bonneville since 1992 have been so minor and evolutionary that newer competing models have overtaken it immediately.
That’s where the Bonneville 2000 comes into play. It is based on the same platform as the new Buick LeSabre (C/D, January 1999) – which will be introduced before the October 2000 Bonneville sales date – and the Oldsmobile Aurora, which will be introduced thereafter. According to GM, the Bonneville is by far the best performing application of this G platform.
The Bonneville’s wheelbase is significantly longer: 112.2 inches (previously 110.8 inches). The track was widened by two inches. The body is slightly longer overall and 0.3 inches taller. The wheels were moved to the corners of the car, which contributed to a more aggressive appearance. The windshield incline is a sweeping 64 degrees, compared to the nearly upright 58 degrees of the 1999 model.
On the sides, a little reminiscent of the tapered shape of a Coke bottle identical to the Grand Prix, giving the profile a family feel within the Pontiac brand long gone with the Bonneville.
There will be three models: the base SE, intended primarily for fleet sales; the more upscale SLE; and the SSEi, the top of the range. Pontiac has deviated somewhat from the previous marketing strategy, which catered to Bonneville SSE customers who wanted a sporty look but the base engine; Those who wanted more horsepower got the compressor and the SSEi emblem. Now the sporty look is exclusive to the SSEi and the supercharger is purely an option. That could confuse current Bonneville owners — the car has a surprisingly high 35 percent repurchase rate, after all — and insurance companies, too, who may assume it needs to be charged because it’s an SSEi.
The base SE, which is likely to account for about 70 percent of the 80,000 Bonnevilles Pontiac plans to sell in 2000 (about 20,000 more than 1999), is still a nice, well-appointed car. Power comes from a 205 hp 3.8-liter V6. 16-inch tires and wheels are standard, as are driving lights, a good AM/FM/cassette stereo with CD player, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, a tire pressure monitor, front and side airbags, and four-disc brakes, a first for the Bonneville. This car should start at around $24,000 – a very competitive price.
The supercharged SSEi we drove is on the opposite end of the spectrum — loaded, it should cost around $34,000, a modest increase over a comparably equipped 1999 model will cost US dollars.)
And it was “loaded”, missing only heated seats and a sunroof, since it was a tick-everything example. There are few holdover parts from the current car – even the venerable 3.8-litre V6 has undergone some fairly sweeping changes, including a new harmonic equalizer, new power steering pump, new alternator, transmission oil pump, and intake and air filtration systems. The Bonneville’s battery was moved under the rear seat, improving battery life (a better controlled temperature, less exposure to the elements), relieving stress on the car’s nose and allowing for better under-bonnet storage. There is also a clearly marked junction box under the hood for connecting the jumper cable.
The Bonneville shares many similarities with the Cadillac Seville, particularly in the suspension, which features struts at the front and semi-trailing arms at the rear. The brackets and bushings are tuned differently on each Bonneville model, with the SSEi getting the most aggressive settings, as well as different valving for the shock absorbers and a 30mm hollow anti-roll bar up front (larger than the SE). , and the addition of a 20-millimeter anti-roll bar in the rear (which is entirely absent on the SE). The 17-inch tires and wheels on the upscale Bonnevilles allow for slightly larger brakes. Top speed is 130 mph and is limited by the H rating of Goodyear radial tires.
Inside, the current Bonneville’s busy dashboard and controls have been refined and vastly improved. The SSEi adopts the helpful head-up display (HUD), which can show speed, turn signal operation and radio frequency if desired. Coupled with the audio controls on the wide, leather-trimmed steering wheel, this means there’s little need to take your eyes off the road – a much underrated safety feature. You can turn off the HUD entirely, or dim it down enough to be readable but never intrusive. Unfortunately, like the rest of the gauges, it’s lit with the harsh, typically Pontiac orange-red light that’s starting to look dated.
The leather-covered front seats are comfortable and multi-adjustable, but they lack lateral support. The front belts are attached to the seat, a huge improvement over the current vehicle. The rear seats are more than adequate for a 1.80m car and getting in and out is easy. The 150-watt, eight-speaker Delco/Bose stereo is as good as any on the market; Our car had a CD player in the dash and a 12-speed changer in the trunk.
As before, Pontiac packed a lot of bells and whistles into the Bonneville SSEi. If it can be accomplished electronically – be it a small trip computer, speed-compensated radio volume or heated mirrors – it’s likely part of the package. There are three sockets – one next to the ashtray, one in the rear part of the console for the rear seat passengers and one in the roof, but this disappears when the optional sunroof is ordered. The rear seats have cleverly designed child seat tethers integrated into the luggage rack. In the trunk is an emergency kit with a rain suit, first aid kit, gloves, lamp, snow scraper and an air hose connected to a small compressor.
On the road you can tell immediately that this is a new, improved car. This pushrod 3.8-liter V-6 may be a veteran, but it’s smooth and torquey, and when boosted, it’s fast. Pontiac says the 0 to 60 mph time should be 7.1 seconds, which was confirmed by an impromptu run with a stopwatch. The accelerator pedal feels great, and on Arizona mountain roads the four-speed automatic transmission always shifted up and down at the right time. Previous experiences with variable-assist magnetic power steering have drawn mixed reviews, but in the SSEi it felt linear and natural. The brakes are firm and progressive – again a departure from the current car’s squishy ride – and there were hardly any dives during panic stops. The exhaust sound is pleasant – the SSEi has two mufflers fed by a catalytic converter.
More Pontiac reviews from the archive
Pontiac adapted most of Cadillac’s StabiliTrak system, omitting the road texture compensator and adopting Cadillac’s old name: Integrated Chassis Control System (ICCS). Yaw sensors, wheel sensors, a lateral accelerometer and a steering angle sensor provide information to the traction control system, which can, among other things, help steer the car using the brakes in the event of a skid. The ICCS works smoothly even with a sporty driving style.
Like the 1987 Bonneville, the 2000 model is theoretically aimed at Europeans, such as the BMW 5 Series and Audi A6. Realistically, the direct competitor is the Chrysler 300M. (When Ford dropped the Taurus SHO, it all but gave up the $30,000 sport sedan market.)
We like the 300M – a 1999 10 Best Car of the Year – and we like the 2000 Bonneville SSEi. We are sure that Pontiac is looking forward to this comparison test.
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specifications
specifications
2000 Pontiac Bonneville SSEi
Vehicle Type: Front Engine, Front Wheel Drive, 5 Seater, 4 Door Sedan
PRICE
Base (estimated): $24,000-31,000
ENGINE
Pushrod 12-valve 3.8-liter V6 engine, 205 hp, 230 lb-ft; 3.8-liter supercharged pushrod V6, 12-valve, 240 hp, 280 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
4-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 112.2 inches
Length: 202.6 inches
Width: 73.8 inches
Height: 56.0 inches
Curb Weight (C/D Estimated): 3750-3950 lbs
MANUFACTURER’S PERFORMANCE RATING (CHARGED)
60 mph: 7.1 sec
Top speed (limited by the governor): 130 miles per hour
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
City/Highway: 18/27 mpg
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