2000 Pontiac Bonneville Review

by Ted Laturnus

Car manufacturers love slogans. Two or three word epithets that, they feel, encapsulate what their vehicles are all about. For example, BMW utilizes the somewhat lofty “Substance and passion”, Volkswagen, a simple “Drivers wanted”, and Mazda, the rather presumptuous “Get in. Be moved.” With their new 2000 Bonneville, Pontiac’s contribution to the world of descriptive brevity is: “Luxury with attitude.”

I don’t quite get the attitude part, but this latest sedan from GM is certainly not short on luxury goodies. The new Bonneville - in particular, the SSEi version - is loaded. In fact, were I in charge, that’s how I’d describe this car: “The Bonneville. It’s loaded.”

Bearing a strong family resemblance to the Grand Am and Grand Prix and categorized as a “large” sedan, the new Bonneville comes as a four-door only and shares absolutely no sheet metal with its predecessor. Brand manager Mary Boland describes the new shape as “athletic” and “windswept” and “unmistakably Pontiac.” Whatever you think about the new design, it’s definitely better looking than the last generation of Bonneville, which never really hit the mark, in my opinion. It’s also stronger, with Pontiac claiming a substantial gain in structural rigidity and torsional strength.

Power for the new Bonnie is provided by GM’s ubiquitous Series II 3.8 litre V6, which develops 205 horsepower at 5200 rpm and 240 hp in its supercharged form. This is the same powerplant offered by Buick in their Regal line. In the 3600 pound Bonneville, it offers lively but not overwhelming performance. Pontiac is claiming a 0 - 100 km/h time of 7.7 seconds for the supercharged SSEi version, which is faster than rivals such as the Chrysler 300M or Toyota Avalon. During the introduction of this car, Pontiac set up a drag race, slalom course, and braking test for journalists, and we found the Bonneville outdoes the 300M, for example, in terms of handling, braking, and acceleration, although, handling-wise, it’s pretty close. A four-speed automatic transmission is the only choice, and the car comes with four-wheel anti-locking disc brakes.

In fact, the Bonneville, in all trim levels - SE, SLE, and SSEi - comes ….well…..loaded. Dual front and side impact airbags, power door locks, power windows with driver and passenger express-down, cruise control, air conditioning, and anti-locking brakes are all standard features. The top-of-the-line SSEi also has goodies like dual zone heat/ventilation controls, leather upholstery, traction control, an electronically adjustable suspension system known as Stabilitrac, an emergency road kit, and heads-up display, also known as Eyecue or HUD. This latter feature projects functions such as speed and radio frequency onto the windshield so that the driver can see them without glancing down at the instrument panel. Nissan also tried it out years ago on some of their upscale models. Thankfully, they decided not to run with it. Of all the things you can order in an automobile, HUD is the least useful, in my opinion. On the other hand, the SSEi also has a nifty little feature in the form of a built-in air compressor that runs off the suspension system. Activated by a trunk-mounted button, this air line can reach any tire on the car and can also be used to inflate things such as air mattresses and liferafts. Automotive trivia buffs may recall that Pontiac offered this same feature, at least ten years ago, on their 6000 STE.

Although the new Bonneville is being billed as a performance car, its real strength lies in pampering its occupants. For example, the company is claiming no less than 83 different way to “personalize” the vehicle. You can preset things like the driver’s seat position, heat/ventilation system, stereo, and door locks so that they are all automatically where you want them to be when you get in the car. You can even leave a message for the next driver on the dash readout. All this is aimed primarily at families who have the Bonneville as their only automobile.

Pontiac also has a pretty firm grasp on their target market. They understand that the demographics of the car business are changing, and the Bonneville is aimed squarely at upscale boomers who have “changing expectations”. That is, they want to get maximum bang for the buck. The Bonneville, in the words of Pontiac’s marketing department, is for aggressive drivers who want everybody else to see them coming and get out of the way. No surprise that the majority of Bonneville buyers are male.

As far as prices go, Canada hasn’t released its pricing structure yet. But down south, the entry-level SE starts at $25,700 (US), with the SSEi coming in at $33,825 (US) before options. Prices in the Great White North are bound to be higher, but probably not by more than a few thousand dollars. By way of comparison, the 1999 Bonneville starts at $29,000, topping out at just under $37,000.