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Pontiac Bonneville

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Comments

  • mfahey1mfahey1 Member Posts: 419
    Well, it only took 6 months to record the second 1000 posts. I was going to post #2000 but figured someone like Dan or Ken should have the honor.
    If anyone remembers the Dire Straits song "I want my MTV", substitute "Bonneville" for "MTV" and that's me. Looking on the positive side-as hard as that is, the dealer in Maine has saved me from putting another 3,000 miles on the Bonneville which would have been all the way up to 14,000 by the time I return to Maine next week to pick it up. One thing the Caravan can do much better than the Bonneville is haul stuff. Right now it is packed with a dresser, 5 old kitchen cabinets for the basement in Maine, a coat rack, a floor fan, and an undercounter microwave plus other miscellaneous things.
    I saw a reference in the paper today about a new 2002 Bonneville. Did I miss something or was it a misprint?

    Mark
  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    Thanks for thinking that any honour would even partly belong to me. I too had noticed the #2000 spot open but had nothing much to say. Actually, I've been kinda goofing around here on Edmunds of late and have been thinking of giving it up altogether but THIS forum is actually USEFUL on occasion so it keeps me coming back - for now anyway. This forum's been quiet, to be sure, over the summer months and since Sept. 11th. Given that most of us Edmunds "oldtimers" are past the discovery phase with our Bonnevilles, I suppose that it's also fair to say that nothing much stirs us to post our thoughts any more.

    I have to say, that I STILL love the Bonny, I still get people walking up to me in parking lots asking me about the Bonneville and I still turn my head whenever I see a new-style - even though that's a daily occurence. There's a black SE I see fairly regularly now (I don't recall if I had seen one of those before I first spied this one), a couple of SLEs and about 1/2 dozen SSEis. And, yes the '02 reference in your paper was misleading - the cupholders might be new but the car isn't.

    I note that sales of the Bonneville are quite slow - well off GM's expectations and not likely to increase now. I don't think that that bodes well for its future but, given that GM has now confirmed the demise of the Aurora for 2003-04, a dead Bonny would leave only Buick with an H-body. Perhaps there's no market for an affordable, full-size sports sedan any more - I hate to think it though. This is my first Bonneville and I have every intention of buying another in 3 or 4 years.

    My mileage is still hovering around the 24 mpg mark and, at 13k miles, there have been NO mechanical problems save that ignition cylinder replaced on day 2 (an inauspicious start!).

    I haven't had time to Zaino it in months (sorry Dennis!) and the days when I'll be able to are rapidly disappearing. I saw 48° F register on the dash this a.m. and shuddered thinking that that'll be downright balmy in 2 months' time!

    Over for now.
  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    The V6 Aurora will stop production in June '02 with the V8 going until May '03. I'll keep an '03 in the back of my mind.


    Here's a link to the press release on the Oldsmobile production phase-out: GM.com.

  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    Not much here yet but maybe Intense should post his times here: car-stats.com
  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    I noted the following in GM's press release about the closing of the F-body plant in Ste-Therese, Quebec - the only plant making Camaros, Firebirds and TransAms:

    "Pontiac will also continue to offer excitement with performance powertrains, including the supercharged Grand Prix GTP and Bonneville SSEi and the forthcoming Vibe GT."

    Given that a local Pontiac dealership told me that they were selling 1 or 2 F-bodies a month, I won't expect line-ups to snap up GTPs and SSEis.
  • zzoom1zzoom1 Member Posts: 31
    I certainly hope that GM keeps the Bonny around. Perhaps dropping in the Aurora 4.0 would create more interest in the car. I'm quite satisfied with the 3.8, but a Bonny with around 275 horses would be a lot of fun. I know the current Aurora is a bit shy of 275, but I'm sure that engine can get that much or more quite easily.
  • mlm4mlm4 Member Posts: 401
    I think it is more likely that the Bonneville will be discontinued (although I hope it is not so) and the Aurora will live on, possibly as a Buick. 2003 appears to be the final model year of the Aurora as an Olds, but rumors are that the car will continue to be produced in some form. GM will be reducing it's full-size sedan line-up to the absolute minimum. The so-called "large-lux" sedan which the Bonneville is does not fit into Pontiac's future plans.
  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    You're right - we won't know for a while. If they recreate Buick's image, the Aurora could fit in nicely. Otherwise, they'd have to change the Aurora to fit the clientele - and where would that leave the LeSabre (already in or close to the top 10 in sales)?

    I'd be happy buying an Aurora next time around - or buying a Bonny with the 4L Northstar under the hood. Whichever will suit me jes' fine.
  • mfahey1mfahey1 Member Posts: 419
    I own one car that is definitely being discontinued(Camaro) and one that is on decidedly shaky ground(Bonneville). With my track record, can the Caravan be next(two of them)?

    Mark
  • mfahey1mfahey1 Member Posts: 419
    Oh yeah, I forgot my all time favorite car, the Taurus SHO(sorry Pontiac). Although it was absolutely miserable in snow, probably as bad as my Camaro is or rather was, I still truly enjoyed that car and yet look where the SHO is now, in the slagpile of automotive history. Maybe they should pay me not to buy cars so they won't be discontinued.
  • mfahey1mfahey1 Member Posts: 419
    I saw an interesting note in the latest Pontiac magazine. It said that because all of the Bonneville models now come standard with remote keyless, Pontiac has now removed the outside key cylinder.
    I assume Pontiac has thought this all the way through. First thing that came to my mind was that no longer can you get a $10 spare key but instead have to get a $50+ remote. Next thing is what happens if the battery goes dead? Also a little tougher to hide a key somewhere for when you need it. I'm not sure if this also applies to the trunk.
  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    dumb dumb dumb! I must say that, in 9 months, I have never opened the door with my key but, for the reasons you outlined, would like to retain that option. dumb dumb dumb!
  • ehaaseehaase Member Posts: 328
    The Bonneville, Park Avenue, and Aurora will be dropped. The Aurora will not go to another GM division. The LeSabre and Cadillac Deville will be redesigned for 2006 and will share the same platform. There are rumors that Buick may build a LeSabre Ultra with the supercharged 3.8L V6.
  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    The Bonneville only drops the key cylinder on the right side. Still have driver's side. I think I have seen other GM full size cars this way. Also on future of Bonneville, with the current Grand Prix and Bonneville having a 1.7" wheelbase difference, and the Grand Prix being redone for 2004 (Spring 2003), I am guessing the Bonneville becomes unneeded, if the redesign is done right.
  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    thanks for the key cylinder clarification - that would make more sense. Still, two cylinders is nice to have in this land of bitter cold where frozen door locks favour vehicles with multiple points of entry....

    As for the retirement of the Bonneville - the (small) difference in the two cars (remember, I have a '00 Bonnie SLE and a '01 GP GT so I can attest to this) IS the root of the thinking here. The plan that I heard was to simply name the top of the line Grand Prix a Bonneville and equip it more luxuriously - and sportily. That might also mean the death of the GP GTP.

    We shall see.
  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    Or the Grand Prix will be the two door version and Bonneville will be the four door version.
  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    I wonder if they'll be getting rid of the GP SE. It's a four door but not in the class of a Bonneville. If Pontiac is going to make these changes, it would make sense that they'll cancel the 3.1 L engine. (I have the SE and I see a number of SE's in this area so it seems to be a good seller for people who want a GP but can't afford the extra expense of the GT. When it breaks down to the number of SE owners and GT owners, I believe I see more GT's on the road though.)

    We'll have to wait and see.

    I assume if they cancel the SE that we can still get good service on our cars.
  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    the 3.1 has been around for a while and service for it will be widespread for a loooong time.

    I think what happens with the GP SE will be dictated by what they do with the Grand Prix / Bonneville and Grand Am
  • mlm4mlm4 Member Posts: 401
    Really, it's gone now? OK, I'm going to whine (sorry). This is just to save GM a few bucks, there is no benefit here for the owner. Ford has been doing this for years. Every time I rent a Ford, I get a car with no keyless remote (the rental car agencies usually hold on to them) or passenger door lock (Mustang, Taurus, Crown Vic). That leaves only one way to get into the car - through the driver's door.
  • mlm4mlm4 Member Posts: 401
    Someone on another board posted this link to an interesting commentary about GM:


    http://www.forbes.com/2001/10/01/0928flint.html


    It reads, in part:


    Those people love cars like the Camaro. One by one, GM has axed time-honored nameplates such as the Chevrolet Caprice and Buick Riviera and Roadmaster. GM even killed an entire division--Oldsmobile. The word is out that the Buick Park Avenue, Cadillac Eldorado and Pontiac Bonneville are also headed down Cemetery Lane. Meanwhile, GM isn't winning hearts and minds with replacement vehicles such as the Pontiac Aztek.

    When they kill all the heritage, what will be left?

  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    Memories.
  • evandroevandro Member Posts: 1,108
    A Bonneville, of course! I got a silver 2002 SLE last Friday.

    Boys and girls, what an awesome car! I spent the weekend volunteering to run errands with a big grin on my face! ;^) Roomy, silent, smooth, plushy, powerful, and sure looks sharp! What a joyous ride!

    Thank you all again for your comments.
  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    Congratulations and welcome to the club. Tell us about the details - options you got, how you like those cupholders, etc. etc.

    I'm envious!
  • tpkentpken Member Posts: 1,108
    Welcome to the somewhat exclusive brotherhood (in a genderless manner of speaking) of Bonneville owners! You will, no doubt, become even more enamored of your classy automobile over time. Considering the style, perfomance and outright panache of our favorite car - you are to be commended on your impecable taste and flawless reasoning!

    Best wishes for many enjoyable miles and years of Bonneville driving.

    Ken
  • tpkentpken Member Posts: 1,108
    If Auorora, Bonneville and PArk Ave are soon to be history, it looks like the full sizd progression will be Impala - LeSabre, new top of line Buick then Cadillac. No Pontiac or Olds in the line-up but still a path of sorts. My hope is that Impala moves up a bit in size and styling and takes over the present Bonneville slot. I'd do one in 2006 or so.

    BTW - I still love my 2000 SE - despite present vibrations and have no interest in trading it for anything any time soon.

    Ken
  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    I know some of you have had difficulty removing your back seat. I removed mine this past weekend - as part of a thorough cleaning - in a matter of seconds (IOW, very easily). It snapped back in just as easily and apparently securely.

    I have two small children. For those of you who are or who have been in "that place", I don't have to itemize what I found down there. For the rest of you, just rest assured that there is a place for pocket change and candy to go.

    It occured to me tht one of the nice points about a removable rear seat is the ability to sun-dry and air it out in the event of a spill which soaks through the cloth (or in our case the perforated leather).
  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    It's also possible that the Bonneville name will stick with a Grand Prix model with a slightly stretched wheelbase (for rear leg room) on the new platform coming out in '04.

    I'd like them to keep the name but slow sales loom larger than history in GM boardroom discussions I am sure.
  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    Congratulations on your new Bonneville. Sure you'll enjoy it.

    Dan - A dark bronzemist Bonneville passed me on the interstate today. I saw a dark bronzemist a while back but it could have been the same car.

    Ken - I see a green Bonneville (2000+) quite often. It must be the same car and the owner lives in my part of town. Don't know if it's the spruce green or a 2001 that's a different shade of green. I was trying to see the side of her car to see if it was an SE but couldn't tell. It did have a single exhaust pipe as best I could tell. Didn't want to look too much and look like I was a stalker.

    I believe I've seen most of the colors around town but am not sure about black.

    evandro - I've seen a silver one too.
  • evandroevandro Member Posts: 1,108
    My Bonny has leather, power passenger seat and heated seats (these last 2 make up a package). The CD/cassette player is standard now. But the SLE is pretty well loaded. I did only without sunroof and chrome wheels. However, even being over 6' tall, the Bonny probably has enough head room even with the sunroof.

    The 2002 model has, as far as I could tell, different cup holders and new exhaust tips, more noticeably. Even though I prefer a covered cup holder, I have to agree that the previous design it was sometimes impossible to use both receptacles at the same time. They're now staggered and hidden from sight somehow by the console bin. I have no problem with them, although with the cover it was more refined.

    The new exhaust tips are oval, like the Grand Prix's, not trapezoidal as before, which were a bit on the overdone side, IMO. I think it looks better balanced now, even if a bit more squareness would improve them a little.

    I think it's also new for the 2002 the 5-spoke wheels, instead of the previous crisscrossed style.

    I showed it to a couple of closer friends who own a Lexus and a Volvo and they were impressed with the Pontiac. They had no idea that it was actually comparable to their cars, costing $$$ less. Both thought it was an amazing car!

    It is a very exclusive ride, most have no clue what car it is. And I love it! ;^)
  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    you've summed it up nicely and touched on a number of improvements compared with my '00 SLE. For example, although leather-endowed, mine lacks On*Star and a cassette player, heated seats and power passenger seat. Further, the driver's seat incline and lumbar are manually adjusted. OTOH, the MSRP since I bought. Still, I woulda gladly paid for the heated seats.
  • evandroevandro Member Posts: 1,108
    Ah, yes, it has On*Star, which I haven't activated yet... The seats are just 6-way, with manual lumbar and inclination on mine too. The driver's and the inside mirrors are electrochromic; pretty neat feature. ;^)
  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 19,031
    Bronzemist seems to be a standard GM color in most car lines. It has me somewhat confused though.

    I have seen some Bonnevilles in what I assume is Bronzemist and they look very good indeed. However, when I see what I believe to be the same color on Intrigues, Malibus, etc., it looks different -- dull, muddy-looking, not at all attractive.

    The question: is this the same paint for all, or is Pontiac's shade different somehow?

    2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6

  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    Jayski.com, a Winston Cup new/rumor page, is saying that he hears that the new Pontiac to be run in the 2003 Winston Cup season will be a Bonneville. Another indication that the "Grand Prix" replacement will also replace the "Bonneville".
  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    My brother has a medium bronzemist Malibu and I have a dark bronzemist Grand Prix. They look like the same color to me. If there's any difference, I sure can't tell it. My car has a little more shine in the sun, but I figured that had to do with the waxing they gave my car when I bought it. (And my brother doesn't wash his car, so if it's duller, it's probably due to dirt.)

    Pontiac also has a light bronzemist but you can definitely tell the difference with that color.
  • tpkentpken Member Posts: 1,108
    Dan - Time will tell what the new line-up looks like. Whatever the models are, the new mid-luxe platform will probably be quite nice and with RWD, probably ride very smoothly so it will be interesting to see what the variations are in a few years..

    Stacy - you are almost certainly seeing a 2000 Bonneville. No green offerings existed in 2001 as I recall. My Spruce Green is not a teal hue and does have a definite yellow tint in the color - not like any other green I've noticed except other Pontiacs. If you see large chrome letters on the side panels it's an SLE or SSEi. The SE is more understated - but has BONNEVILLE in chrome letters accross the trunk lip and a chrome strip running along both sides. If you looked at the front of an SE vs the other two - SLE and SSEi you would see a difference in the grille - lower and 'edgier' in the latter two, chrome lipped and less aggressive on the SE.

    Now you're armed for instant recognition!

    Best to all

    Ken
  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    I believe I saw an SE. I looked on the passenger side panel to see if it said "Bonneville SE" but didn't see anything.
  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    I haven't see one yet but I like the pix I've seen. This is what edmunds has:

    image


    I note that GM says that the SE's front and rear fascia have been redone (I haven't seen the rear yet). But I really like the new front clip - it appears from the photo to have less bright trim - always a plus to my tastes. Heck, if there was no such trim around the nostrils, I'd even consider swapping the clip on my SLE.


    I also notice that early reports about the retirement of dark bronzemist Bonnies have now come true. Pity.

  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    I wonder if they'll be discontinuing the dark bronzemist on all of their Pontiacs.
  • evandroevandro Member Posts: 1,108
    Is it only me or the side cladding has been a little subdued? The fenders also seem a little bit flared out (Coke-bottle) as in the rest of the line-up, don't they?
  • tpkentpken Member Posts: 1,108
    Looks to me as though the side strip is no longer chrome - the one above looks like the body color but that might be just the lighting or angle.

    Front end changes are very minor. The two or three fins in the lower air dam now replaced by one. No other changes obvious to me.

    Wheels are apparantly unchanged.

    Evandro - there is no cladding on SE models - only SLE like yours and the SSEi.

    Still a classy automobile - I'm proud to drive one!

    Best wishes to all

    Ken
  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    Doesn't it look like a better integration between the lower air scoop and the foglights in so far as there's now a recess which ties these together? Further, the front bumper-mount bright strip seems to be gone - I'm guessing that the bright trim on the side and rear bumper is also gone.

    I've always preferred less bright trim (although it works on dark colours) so I like the new look

    evandro: I do not detect any changes to the sheet metal.
  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    is being retained by GM - I note that they are introducing for the first time on the Century and Buick for 2002.

    I've long felt that chevrolet bronzemist and pontiac dark bronzemist were different. But I'm not so sure about it any more.
  • evandroevandro Member Posts: 1,108
    It's just that I don't remember noticing the Coke-bottle profile on the SE before...
  • itiaitia Member Posts: 4
    Hi "guys". Just letting y'all know - after 2 1/2 months I still LOVE my 2001 SSEI. Black Beauty is my "new best friend". We go everywhere together. Still having fun. My former boss just got a new Lexus. He can't handle the fact that I even have the heads up display and that the radio goes louder when I drive faster. Completely blows his mind. His GPS is nice but sends him the wrong way - ROFLMAO. Ciao for now.
  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    Yeah, GM puts some neat things in my car. A buddy just spend $40k on a Bimmer - couldn't get over that the Bonny had tire inflation and oil life monitors, the DIC, etc. He didn't get these "options" on his Bimmer (to much $$$ one must presume).
  • ecarmackecarmack Member Posts: 161
    Just curious, has anyone had problems with the cladding coming off of the SLE/SSEI? I saw an SSEI on the lot last weekend and one piece of cladding was already coming off. Pretty embarrassing for a brand new car. My sister has had to deal with the cladding on her Bravada a couple of times. Personally, I think the SE looks sharp without it. It's nice that Pontiac will be using less cladding in the future.
  • ehaaseehaase Member Posts: 328
    Mid Lux platform for 2004 Grand Prix is just an improved version of the current FWD W-body platform used for the current Impala, Grand Prix, Regal, Century, and Intrigue. Automotive News showed a prototype 2004 Grand Prix, and it didn't look much different from the current model.
  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    I have heard of others who have had some side cladding problems but they are few and far between.

    The advantage of cladding is the protection it will afford the doors and rocker panels over the life of the car. Stone chips, door dings - you name it. Paint's adhesion to plastics is very good these days and if plastics can be used for bumpers - which nowadays wrap from one wheel to the other - they can certainly be used for cladding.

    Being body-coloured, the side cladding on the Bonneville is less intrusive than say on the outrageous Aztek or Avalanche but I can still see why it catches people's attention - positively and negatively. I somewhat prefer the less-straked and more coke-bottle look of the SLE/SSEi's sides to the SE's but concede that this look could have been achieved with sheet metal. I think the answer as to why common sheet metal is used is obvious.

    To be honest with you, I never saw the side cladding as the Bonneville's aesthetic achilles heel. Rather, I think the foglights and exhaust tips on the SLE/SSEi are overdone - and the ribbed treatment of the tail-lights "GrandAms" the car too much. If I were to polish the SLE/SSEi's looks, I'd:recess the fogs (keep them centred though)and make them somewhat smaller;change the front headlights to something closer to what we see on the IS300 (and other cars) and I'd make them HID;swap the exhaust tips for those on the Caddy STS; andswap the tail-lights for virtually anything out there from Chrysler, Cadillac, Acura, etc. (you know, something "jewelled" but not clear - a "refined" look)

    That's not a tall order - and that points to what a nice looking car this really is.
  • mlm4mlm4 Member Posts: 401
    I have seen many '02 Bonneville SEs running around Orlando, the rental car capital of the world. I like the new front facia -- it looks more agressive -- except that it now lacks the front license plate depression cover, so the depression is always there, plate or no plate. I have not had the chance to study the rear end closely, but I cannot see any differences there, other than the lack of chrome.
    Other than for some really beat-up Bonnevilles, I have not seen any running around with missing cladding. The previous generation Bonnies had cladding attached with nylon fasteners which could break or weaken. The cladding is now attached with adhesive tape. On my SSEi, I've noticed that at the edges of the doors the tape is not adhering, but only at the very edge. Hopefully it will not worsen over time.
  • boosted1boosted1 Member Posts: 90
    The side cladding on my 2001 SSEi had to be replaced. It was warping slightly on one corner. This was noticed the day after I got it home. I wonder if maybe it got "snagged" when they prepped the car.

    No big deal...

    The new one matches 100%.

    Enjoy the ride.
This discussion has been closed.