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Comments
-CuzinBrucey
Dan
Actually, before I bought my Regal--which was WAY back when...actually 1999, but anywho--I considered the Park Avenue. I just loved the look of it. I mean, this was a car that fit in ON Park Avenue! Certainly, the same couldn't be said for almost any 5th Avenue, but that's another story.
What sold me on the Regal at the time was it was very close to half as much as a loaded Ultra. To me, the GS was like the Ultra's lil bro and I bought it instead.
Then along came the 0% deal with GM late last year. I went to trade my '99 for '00 GS to take advantage of the incentives, but the loaded GSs in the area were limited to white one (didn't really like white) and a 'demo car' with 10,000 miles on it. The Ultra wasn't part of the 0% deal, so I was going to go home. And then I saw my Bonnie. The rest is automotive history.
Point being, despite its image and lack of a namebrand stereo system (Monsoon, Bose, etc.), the Park Ave Ultra is a fine automobile. I guess a former Buick owner will think differently from former Pontiac owners.
My diatribe is done now. I think I'll get some water ;-)
Oh, and to all of the Rockaway attendees, have a FABULOUS meet and take LOTS of pictures!!
I spent a good part of the afternoon with a buddy who does detailing work and used some of his cleaners and waxes to make Bonnie sparkle. Now if we can just avoid rain and birds.....!
CuzinBrucey - What a shame! No way to stop by for even a few minutes? Well if it doesn't work for you - maybe another time.
Kevin, Chuck, Henry, anyone else coming - see you tomorrow.
Ken
I think Brian (Bdreggers) is holding out for one too - correct Brian?
Ken
Ken
If all goes according to plan, the Bonnie will be piad off by then, and I'll have a new Buick in the driveway.
Having the Aurorians there was an added bonus - including meeting Mr Goodwrench himself (Henry / Vince's mechanic) from the local Olds, GMC and now Pontiac as well dealership. The weather couldn't have been any better - 82 and sunny - (had to buy Solarcaine last night!)
Too bad we didn't have Cuzin Brucey's SLE to complement the product line-up but hey, who says we can't do it again?!!
Enjoy the day everyone - here in PA it is absolutely magnificent - the sun is shining brightly, the grass is green and the spring flowers, forsythia bushes and magnolia trees are in full bloom - about a month ahead of where I live in Maine.
Ken
Turn out at the meet was not great but the five of us had a good time comparing cars and talking.
AN INVITATION:
I had gone to a Porsche club track that morning. Apparently for $30.00 you get 8 runs on the track they set up in the Meadowlands parking lot. They are timed runs and appear to emphasize handling over high end power. ((IF you do not have a good 0-60 time the track is not your best friend.))
I was going to take my Classic on the track, but I got there too late to sign up. I would also like to have a few more sedans there with me doing the track. ((HINT)) The next time they set up the track will be May 3rd.
I would like to know if any one would be interested in coming to the next meet?? Put the car through its paces. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A PORSCHE TO DO THE DEW!
Come on guys/gals come and back me up! Let's show them that an American sports sedan (there were BMWs) can keep its time below 60 seconds.
Henry
Ken
5/6
5/20
6/10
7/15
8/12
9/8
10/13
There is no May 3rd date as originally posted.
The Park Ave is a terrific car, especially the Ultra with the SC engine and touring suspension. Nonetheless, the Park Ave is begging to be bought by senior drivers. It looks big and it is big and it drives big. I drove an Ultra as a loaner once. The engine has plenty of giddyup, but it honestly doesn't feel that much faster than my LeSabre. If the two cars raced side-by-side, I think the Park would win by a couple of inches, if that.
Handling is a different story. Even with the Gran Touring package, the car does not handle that well. It still feels like a wallowly Buick. This to me is the biggest difference between the cars. The LeSabre with the GT package is a very solid, confident handler.
The interior of the Park mimics the outside of the car. Comfortable, practical, efficient, not very sporty.
To me, anyway, Buick has moved the LeSabre in a different direction. The outside is much more aggressive looking than the Park. The front grille is much smaller and doesn't swallow up the entire nose of the car. The curves are much cleaner. The LeSabre is smaller, but the way Buick has designed the car makes it look even smaller. The trunk isn't as big, but there is plenty of room back there. The interior is much more sportier than the Park and has just about every other option the Park has. A SC engine, floor shifter, and dual exhaust would make this thing a serious contender to the 300, LS, Aurora, or even Bonneville SSEi.
Hopefully, Buick will get the LaCross out soon. That would the car to buy. If they do, it will probably be bye-bye LeSabre for me. Unless Pontiac decides to to some plastic surgery on the SSEi!!
Mike
I was frustrated because my dealer says he doesn't know how to do the DIC name change programming, so I asked a friend that works for GM. He gave me a copy of some material describing the programming of all of the SSEi options. It turns out that everything can be done from the dashboard EXCEPT changing the DIC greeting and setting the magnasteering firmness. There are three settings for the steering, with a factory default setting in the middle, a firm setting, and an easy setting.
Those two options need a tech2 tool to do the programming. My friend can get a tech2 to use, so I'll be trying it out next week (including the firm steering setting) when we get a chance. I'll post more detailed information for you then after I see the exact programming steps.
Robin
The LaCrosse looks great. I was hoping for the Cielo (even the Regal Cielo!), but everyone's doing that crossover gig now.
Chrylser: Intrepid R/T, 300M, LHS (nice looking cars but the Chrysler powertrain reputation kept me away)
Toyota: Avalon (can be had with a bench seat, rides like the Buick LeSabre and not quite as large - I was unimpressed)
BMW/Infiniti/Lexus: nothing in the 30k ballpark
Ford: Crown Victoria / Grand Marquis (drives somewhat like the Buick but styling is a little dated - still, a lot of car for $25k)
Acura: TL (Type S is a nice car and you can get with a Nav system - $32k without Nav)
GM: Buick Lesabre Custom (or Limited) - nice cars but don't toss into the corners like the Bonnie. Plus: a lot of SSEi equipment is not available on the LeSabres. Aurora: an extremely nice car, not quite as big as the Bonneville but only the 3.5 is in the Bonnie's price range and, at least up here, there's a higher labour charge for servicing Aurora's.
Why go Bonneville? size - interior and trunkwell-built (one minor recall and only affects of cars built in Jan. '00 - methinks) but otherwise no serious problemsexcellent platform (shares with LeSabre, Seville STS and Aurora - not bad company)performance (particularly the SSEi) - corners well, accelerates very well and fuel economy's great (I'm getting 23.7 mpg in daily commuting - I know because I've never reset the fuel economy calculator since I bought mine in December)looks - that aggressive boy-racer ready-to-pounce look is definitely for meinterior - gobs of room, nicely set-up driver's cockpit (canted towards driver - the way it should be)creature comforts - the SSEi has everything you could want, the SLE's features are pretty good too.
I have a '00 SLE but looked long and hard at the SSEi - couldn't do it because I bought off the lot (end of model year discounts...) & all the SSEi's I saw had sunroofs. If headroom's an issue (like it is for me), watch out for the sunroof. The SSEi has a lot of great features (Heads-up display, stabilitrak, magnasteer, a tad better cornering than the SLE or SE, a Bose stereo, memory seats and a few other minor things that aren't even available on the SLE or SE) in addition to the supercharged engine but it takes premium fuel and the fuel economy isn't supposed to be as good. That being said, I would have snapped one up (even at the almost $5k premium) if headroom hadn't been an issue - as happy as I am with my SLE.
You might want to go back 400 posts or so - I had solicited a list of nitpicky items about the current Bonneville (useless front cupholders were way up there) but nothing that should keep you from buying one. Good luck and let us know what you decide - even if you go elsewhere.
Dan
Again, good luck!
Good luck with your decision.
Ed
A 3.25 feels even better.
In either case do something to improve intake. Either a drop-in K&N or better yet a CAI.
News and Views "Actual names you gave your vehicle" (something like that). Wrote about my Beretta (Greta) and how I couldn't think of a good name for my Bonne. You can go read it yourself, if you want. I did tactfully come back, but there's just times when you would rather throw tact out the window. This would be one of those times...what a jerk...guess what he can kiss?
O.K., I feel better, I know I can come here and no one will say anything mean about my car...man, what a jerk, didn't his mother tell him "If you can't say anything nice...blah, blah, blah"? O.K., now I'm done...really.
Good luck in whatever you decide on, Denise51!
Xena
Denise - Go for the Bonneville - you will absolutely love it - not be disappointed with your purchase after you've driven it a while and say "I could have had a V-8"!!
Seriously - I have the 2000 SE model - an affordable pre-owned Spruce Green beauty - see pics in the Bonneville owners photo gallery. It has tremendous power and terrific gas mileage on regular fuel (30 mpg on highway, 25 or so overall) It is such a pleasure to take out on the open road as often as possible (Turnpike Ken is what my monika means). I have the cloth buckets, CD and alum wheels, no SR - pretty basic but a great value.
I would definitely go for the leather wheel with radio controls - Gotta have em next time!!
If you can swing the SSEi you'll love the goodies, if not - the SLE is a great compromise, and the SE with the 1SC package is a terrific value - also slightly different front end styling that softens the aggressive look of the SSEi and SLE a bit if that matters to you.
Best wishes on your decision - BTW - have you looked at Impala LS too? You should at least do that before deciding - that is my other car of preference. Very similar to Bonneville and another terrific value at around 25 K loaded.
Ken
Ken,
You just want to have more girls in here, huh?
Denise,
The SSEi is a great buy if you love those 'pretty button' gadgets...I do! The power alone really sold me on an SSEi and all the options it comes with is just icing in the cake.
As Ken said, if price is sticking point a nicely-equipped SE or SSE is a good alternative. Also check into the Buick Regal GS and Grand Prix GTP. Although those are smaller (midsize W platform), they offer lots of features for the money and the supercharged engines. The Impala is also worthy of a look.
Good luck and please keep us posted!
Dan, Xena's Machina...too funny, but yeah, too cutesy. With a name like Xena, you know I need attitude. And it is a Bonneville...
Here's something else that helped me get over Blarg's insane ponderings...I went to the market at lunchtime, I come out of the store and this guy is walking around my car and looking inside. So, I'm walking across the parking lot, getting ready to swing my giant bag of kitty litter upside his head, he sees me coming and says "Is this your car?". I say "Yes, it is" and he proceeds to go on and on about how his friend told him to look into buying a Bonneville, but this was the first time he was able to get a good look at one and how he was very impressed. So, then he asked me a bunch of questions, did I like it?...how much was it?...how it drove?...was I married? (nah, just kidding). Anyway, I just felt so proud...could care less what some outsider thinks of Pontiacs.
So, that was cool, made my day...along with my Bonneville Buddies.
Xena
Dan
So, Xena - how about naming your car Bali-Hai? What do you think?
Ken
Good Luck.
Xena - What about: The X Machine?
The Green Machine?
Xonneville?
The funniest comment would probably be from a bunch of teens who were standing around my car about a month ago in a lot. First I was thinking "Panic button," but they inquired as to what kind of car it was. I told them, they responded by telling me it was nice and had "pimpin' rims." I don't think I'll forget that one soon!
Xena,
In the spirit of the color and its similarity to the color of the sea, how about:
Calypso?
Typhoon?
Posiden?
All this talk of buying and car, and what to buy... All the different options to ponder... The price, Trade in Value... Does it Zing or Swoosh...
Denise... Go with your heart on this one... Drive them all... And go with your heart... Which ever one on your list gets your heart racing is the one to buy, no matter what the sticker...
I drive an Aurora... But I test drove the Bonneville before I made my decision... The Bonneville is a great looking great performing car... But the Aurora got the heart pumping...
As for parking lot encounters... I always get "What the hell is that thing"... There are no markings on the Aurora to let you know it is an Oldsmobile....
Mordecai...
I guess this is my last posting here. After the meet I thought I would track this board for awhile. You guys make this a pretty active board. However, since I am not one of the "Bonne Boys" (putting in girls would spoil the alliteration (sic)), I think I will sail into the sunset. Plesae think of us over in Aurora land if you assemble the GM/Edmunds team again.
KAW-WA-BUN-A gang!
Let me fill you in a little on my situation. Like I mentioned in my first posting, I leased 2 Bonnes ('92 & '95) and didn't want to get a 3rd because there had been no changes to the body and I wanted a change. So believe it or not I went to a BMW. No, Iceman, I wasn't on the Bonne vs. BMW board!! And if I was I certainly wouldn't put down the Bonne because I really loved both of mine. But situations change. Right now I need to lease another car. I will never again get a car that is not FWD in Chicago winters (sorry all of you RWD advocates), I really miss the interior room of the Bonne, and most importantly, I can't afford another "bimmer". I must admit, I liked the way the BMW grips the road, but not enough to get another one. I also have thought about the Avalon and Volvo S60. But after thoroughly looking at their message boards, I feel I have been pretty much scared off! The Avalon seems to have nothing but problems that don't seem to get resolved, and the Volvo has glass that scratches easily and noises and rattles that don't seem to go away.
I am probably going to check out the Bonne this weekend and take it out for a test drive. I am hoping that I like it as much as I did the first time. I'm getting excited, I love new cars and the more bells and whistles the better.
Thanks again everyone, I'll let you all know what I end up doing. And by the way, Xena what about BonneXenaVille rhymes with Margaritaville, get into your teal blue Bonne and ESCAPE--think about a nice cool drink, sitting on the hot sand, looking at that clear teal blue water.
Bye all!
Denise
Doug
So I ask (bear with me guys) Miss Denise, are you possibly available??? Are you even remotely close to Southeastern Wisconsin???
Who knows, if you will let the Buicks in, why, might I ask, could we not let this be a forum for potential romatic bliss also??
(Reaching I know, but just deal with it)
Zzahh
Guyz/Galz: So, I go to the dealership at noon today and get some prices on that 2nd car I've been looking for. I'm looking at new because the incentives are just too much too ignore. Still, I have a budget ya know and a list of requirements (like: mid-size; traction control; ABS; fold-down rear seat, etc.). I want something that'll look nice but it's going to be a commuter-car/grocery hauler sort of thing. So today I get a really good price on a Buick Century and it's a "nice" car but my heart's just not in it. I kept telling myself "it's a second car, it's a second car" - and, frankly, it's a very nice 2nd car. And then, beside it in the showroom is a Regal - an LS with a GS package and it's frickin' gorgeous. So I repeat the 2nd car mantra to myself and look the other way. At home tonight, I'm talking with my wife about it and she asks me "and how much would the Aztek cost?". I might lose this one guys - 'cuz I'm afraid my heart's not in it.
Advice?
Dan
Great idea Denise!
Ken
Look at it this way - you've got your car and if she gets something that she really likes she will be less inclined to ask for yours. On the other hand if you convince her to buy something that you like more than her - you just might end up driving it - but perhaps in the case of a Regal GS maybe that works too. I would look something more utilitarian for her though - perhaps not a Suburban or an Aztek - but how about the new Pontiac/Toyota wagon that's coming out for 2002? I forget the model name - is it Vibe?
Good luck buddy!
Ken
Anyhow, with all these suggestions, my mind was boggled...I was just gonna stick with the un-original "Bonnie", rather than make an actual decision. Although, Smfran, I did like "Xonneville" and I also liked "Green Machine" mainly because I'm a diehard Phila. Eagles fan (no jokes, we did good last year), but the car just isn't Eagle green.
But then, I saw Denise's suggestion..."BonneXenaVille", you go, girl. I think she won me over. It's also real appropriate this time of year, since my neighbors and I will soon be sitting on the veranda (our patios, actually), sipping Marguerita Slushies and yelling at our kids..."CAR!".
Or paying absolutely NO attention to our kids.
So, I think we have a winner...thanks, Denise and have fun on the test drive...I know you will and I won't be surprised to see you become a permanent member (Zzah would like that...hee hee).
And thanks to all you's guys...when I get the dog my daughter is SO bugging me for...you can help me name that.
BTW, Dan, I don't need mace...I'm Xena, Warrior Princess. Battle on...
Yesterday on my return trip from PA back to Maine I counted at least 9 new generation Bonnevilles. Of these, 7 were SE models: a pair of white, a pair of red ( I think one was that elusive Red-Violet color), a Midnight Blue, a Black and a Light Bronzemist. There was one Galaxy Silver SSEi and another silver - either SLE or SSEi - couldn't read the emblem. There are definitely far more Bonnevilles on the road now than just a few months ago. Still haven't seen another green one though.
As I was following the Light Bronzemist SE model, it pulled into a rest area so I decided to follow him in and ended up having a great conversation with the guy (a PA resident). I told him about the weekend Bonneville meet in NJ and then about this club and he seemed quite interested - hopefully he'll sign on and join us here. It was fun to follow him for a while until I pulled off for a McDonalds - and I reconfirmed my opinion while watching that Bonneville cruise down the highway that there just aren't many other cars on the road that look any nicer.
Have a great day, everyone.
Ken
still no computer- i'm posting from a different site
It was real nice to finally meet you and kevin, and also Henry with his Aurora this past Sunday- although the turnout was disappointing, it was great seeing the cars and the wrap session we had.
*GREAT PICTURES KEN- THANKS FOR THE POSTS ****
Hey ken- guess what I saw on the way to work today on Rt 80 East- your right- ANOTHER SILVER SE- DID PONTIAC STOP MAKING OTHER COLORS???
Xena: congrats on your TEAL BONNY and welcome to the fold
Denise: I agree with most of the other guys- let your heart be guided- all the cars mentioned are quality cars- of course, Bonneville being the number one pick (not showing any biased feelings here- right- HA.HA.) I would just mention one thing- IMHO- I would not recommend CHRYSLER- especially the Intrepid- check out the CARPOINT bulletin board-customer reviews-and also on this site- repairs etc- many problems that make you shudder-Chrysler's reliability is still in question over the long term on their vehicles.
Henry: great Aurora- good luck and happy motoring to you and your fellow Aurora owners- It was a pleasure meeting you and talking shop; Take care!!!
Chuck
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Stephan and anyone else waiting for their Saner stabilizer bars, I received a call today from where I used to work until I retired. It seems that Saner must have gotten my work address from when I originally registered for Edmunds and shipped the rear bar there. At least I have it but with trying to get my old Camaro painted before I leave for Maine for the summer, I'm not sure it will actually be installed before fall.
Dan, I must say that of all of the cars that I rented over the years in my travels, the Century stands out as having the biggest "blah" factor. There's no doubt that if you consider the function of a car to be to get you from point A to point B, the Century will do that. It's like I told my daughter when she was trying to decide between the Civic and the Focus, the Civic is what you would choose if you were strictly using your head. It will get you from the proverbial point A to point B and do it very reliably. However, if she was using her heart, she'd get the Focus because it had a much higher fun factor. She actually did get the Focus and she loves it. I know the Century is decently equipped and comes at a very reasonable price but it is like driving a 3000 lb jar of vanilla. Good luck.
ezrapon: I agree with your Aztek safety question - but it actually did okay on the NHTSA tests and may never be tested by the IIHS so we may never know the offset results. Can we use the Montana results? Probably not. Generally, my rule with a car is to rule one out with less than average crash test results and then I look at the car's safety feature. Both the Aztek and the Century have decent handling (okay, the Century is wallowy and the Aztek seems to handle heavily) and traction control and ABS standard. And they have above-average weight on their side. BTW, if you check out the crash tests, you'll understand why the Intrigue is off my list.
Ken, I also agree with you - this is her call because it's going to be her car. I thought love was never having to say your sorry - have I forgotten about the "putting up with an Aztek in the driveway" clause?
I do want to say that I am not principally opposed to the Aztek based on its looks. No, I'm trying to use my head more than the heart on this one: why pay that kind of money for what is essentially a down-sized minivan when the extra features, while interesting, are useless too us? (Although that 200w pioneer system was good...) Next question: why buy a pretend SUV?
Maybe we'll by a used '98 or '99 something-or-other. And then there's the set of Cobra irons that they're throwing in with the Century and I do need new clubs....
Dan >:~)
Kidding aside - I agree with Mark on the vanilla factor - there's just nothing to get excited about at all with a Century - now a Regal might be at least interesting, particularly a GS
Speaking of 98 and 99 preowned - how about that Aurora Classic? There are some very good deals around on those and it's a sweet car - I know you were looking at them before - how about considering that one?
Ken
Stephen