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Pontiac Bonneville
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Comments
my 98 SSE was manufactured in July of 97, and since I purchased it in Jan of this year- it now has approx 64,000 Miles on her- this July will be 5 years- but I'll never have 100,000 Miles on the car by July- right now( Knock on wood of course)
the car is running strong and great- no problems- last week when we had that record breaking temps for a few days that hit around 96 Degrees- in stop and go traffic up Rt 80, etc- the temp never moved more that 10 degrees above 200- and held that way with the A/C full blast! my question is- should I go ahead and have a full service done in July -(5yrs) on flushing the complete system etc or don't fix what isn't broke- keep going as is until 100,000 miles, which at the present rate will probably be another couple of years.
Thanks for any opinions either way!
Chuck
It's a good website and a way to buy out the remainder of a lease.
Why are we doing this? We found another car that we like even better -- a 2000 Seville SLS !
The SSEi has a paid-up extended warranty to 45,000 miles, a refundable security deposit and prepaid miles to 45,000. 12-disc CD changer; moonroof and heated seats. Excellent condition.
Go to leasetrading.com and make a bid.
I drove a 2K1 SLS a couple weeks ago and loved the sound and feel of that Northstar. Sounds just the way it should!
Ken
I also just got around to discovering the "What is Wrong With Pontiac" thread (also in News & Views). Great discussion going on there (of course Ice has been contributing there for awhile) -- worth checking out if you can deal with the wags who think the answer to the question is "cladding." What I really find fascinating is the nostalgia people have for the land barges the big three built back in the '70s (me included). Does this mean people still like the big cars? If so, is the SUV craze responsible for the Bonneville's fall from "greatness?" Oh, what a shame!
My own experience - I moved from small, Japanese two door coupes to midsized four doors (when I got married), to a Volvo station wagon (when kid 1 came along) to a minivan (when kid 2 came along). When the minivan had to go, I thought hard about our transportation needs and decided that a large car would give us the utility, comfort, style, fuel economy and safety we wanted. Prior to that minivan and wagon, a large car would have seemed waaay too barge-like for my tastes and I'd probably still be driving an Altima or one of its ilk.
We've been without the minivan for over a year now and have not yet had one occasion to miss it. My sense is that as more people move out of the child-hauling years, the demand for SUVs and minivans will dip. As this population will be comfortable with larger vehicles, they will lack the aversion to large cars and may even have an affinity towards them. I believe that large and stylish cars which offer utility, safety and better fuel economy (than SUVs and vans) will start looking increasingly attractive. I think that this is what GM was attempting to accomplish with the Rendezvous - although I they didn't quite hit the bull's eye. IMHO.
right on when it comes to routine service for my cars- the manual calls for 150,000 miles(don't know why I originally thought it was 100,000 miles) OR every 5 years- whichever comes first- i'll have it changed this summer! way to long apart to go from 64,000 miles to 150,000.
Thanks again for your input.
Chuck
Looks to me as though this is the trend and that we will soon see cars that have Crown Vic interior proportions inside 'midsized' packages. Indeed Ford is planning just such a vehicle already. As the large boats fall by the way - at what point do these 'midsized' cars then become the new 'large' segment?
I own an SUV (Tahoe), and I love it. Why? Because GM's best products are it's full-sized trucks. Far and away better than any of their cars. I also love it because it really is a go-anywhere (within reason, of course), do-anything vehicle that I can drive 365 days a year without a worry (except for maybe that $40 fill-up every week or so). I admit that down here in Florida I have had no use for four-wheel-drive, and the only off-roading is the occassional sandy trail, but when I lived in Colorado I really did need and use an SUV. 90% or more of the SUV owners never go off-road, or even use four-wheel-drive. Heck, half of the SUVs don't even have 4WD! The SUV craze is all about the American excess of the '90s, and that's on the decline. But unfortunately, the manufacturers have neglected their cars at the expense of the trucks and buyers don't have much to go "back to" when they finally decide to downsize from that Explorer.
Riding high when so many vehicles today are oversized is an advantage that is being incorporated into new car designs - the Matrix I believe is one that touts this feature.
People are going to be reluctant to give up that feeling of security that comes from seeing better from a big SUV and even a minivan.
I agree completely. People like the look and slightly elevated ride of these new mini-SUVs/wagons/whatever they are. I think they're cute, but not as rugged and manly as a full-size car or truck. Think Tim Allen/Home Improvement. Arrg-arrg!
I myself am considering a change when my lease expires in May 2003. Any thoughts on the GMC Envoy?
I helped a family member shop for an Envoy/TrailBlazer (they went with the TB) and I think the Envoy is the nicer vehicle. I like the looks better, and it has a load-leveling rear so the back end doesn't ride all high and bouncy when it isn't loaded. If you don't plan on off-roading much, then the Bravada is the nicest riding and has the longest warranty. It's AWD system is pretty neat too. The look is the most unique although the front takes some getting used to. It looks a bit like the nose of an Alero grafted on a truck.
It will be interesting to see how they hold up.
Hybrid advantages:
higher driving position versatility to carry bulky cargo more "airy" cabin popular (for now) rugged styling walk-through access to rear seat (minivan platforms only - and this is eliminated if you have a center console) better resale value (right now - that can change)
Car advantages:
handling - especially cornering and emergency maneuvers fuel economy acceleration better access for seniors (e.g. my parents) and small children due to low ground clearance lower roll-over tendancy lower maintenance costs (on average) view of objects in rear (esp. backing up at a daycare centre, etc.) lower purchase price for same drivetrain and equipment levels
Although I liked the forward visibility of our minivan and the cargo/passenger versatility, we used the latter so infrequently that it became irrelevant in our last foray into the market. When it came to making a decision, we just found that we valued a minivan/hybrid's advantages a lot less than we had originally thought.
To each their own.
Like the Envoy though - I put it up there with the Highlander and RX300 as my favourite SUV/hybrids.
Stan
If I had a better buffing wheel they might have been better. (more time too)
They still look good after two days of driving.
I will try to post some pics...
Alas.
http://www.geocities.com/boosted_bonne/tips.html
The new addition is Carolyn's new GrandAm GT1. Count the sparkling ehaust tips in this photo (10 of 'em)
http://webpages.charter.net/weshelton/A2-98-A0.jpg
Bill
H. - Nice to see you are still here.
Envoy, Highlander, RX300 - Dittos to Ice - these are also my favorites in that class. Envoy is the best looking of the lot - I'd love any of them.
rjs200240 - Glad you liked the Bonnie SE. It sure is a great value. I congratulate myself on that point often.
Yesterday I drove the new Infinity G35 since I had a bit of time on my hands. The neck snapping power of that car (260hp) is incredible and it handles well enought to be attracting BMW owners. The local dealer sells both brands and is seeing trade-ins from long-time Beemer folks.
The ride is a bit too abrupt for my liking but the exhilarating performance and the buttery soft leather upholstery with either genuine wood or brushed metal appointments surpass the more austere german look and make the car very inviting. Ought to be a best seller and I hope it's a taste of what waits in store for Maxima GLE/I35!
smfran (at least thas what my memory tells me) and I were discussing what to do with the exhaust tips and I posted this photo. They are actually pretty easy to maintain when ya paint the sides and inside with heat resistant paint (I used Rustoleum's spray barbeque flat black). Then, once in awhile, take steel wool to the rim... looks great
http://webpages.charter.net/weshelton/A0-tips.jpg
Car's running well but I guess it's time to pull out the owner's manual and see what maintenance might be coming up
Question for you - on weekends do you and the wife trade off on vehicles? I can imagine both would very tempting.
Best wishes for enjoyment of both your SSEi and the Envoy.
Ken
Tpken - Sorry, but I'm the "old man" of the group with over 57,000 miles on my 2000 SSEi. It will be two years old in one week.
loub2b - I've also had five Bonnevilles. Three SE's with the SLE package (that's the way they used to do it). One actual SLE. One SSEi (current). I'm glad to hear you like the Envoy also.
Pontiacrick - I'd like it if I had a little more exhaust rumble. I'd prefer the SSEi to sound more like it looks.
What didn't you like about the Envoy?
I am hoping that with the smoother inside surface, and the clearcoat finish, that I will just have to wash the inside of the tips when I wash the car. Its been a week now and they are still pretty clean. I think (hope) that the smoother surface stops some of the "black" from sticking.
I'll let you know in a few weeks...
Ken
You guys have me so beat in the mileage department - I'm only at 20k miles now on my '00 SLE. But I only bought mine in December 2000. Some of you guys make me believe that my commute is a lot better than it normally seems to me.
Hey, I've had two compliments on the Bonnie from passengers in the past few days. Both are owners of recent vintage BMW 330i sedans. One just couldn't get over all the neat features the car had (and particularly liked the layout of the DIC) and actually liked the leather while both liked the spaciousness of the back seat.
Have a good weekend all!
Speaking of BMW - have you sat in one of those new 7 series with the unusual console arrangement? I foget what they call that dial there where the shifter usually resides but it's sure different! If you've got $75K in your pocket it could keep you quite entertained I suspect.
2000 SSEi purchased 01-25-00
Just wanted to pass this info on.
I saw far more Bonnevilles on this trip than on the others combined, almost as many as on the other trips combined. I also noticed there was a white SSEi of the 2000 to 2002 vintage fairly close to us in Maine. When we go back in June, I might just have to stop if I see someone out and chat them up about their car.
To Dan's point about the console in the vans restricting access to the back seats, the Caravan has a movable and removable console that can go between either the front seats or the middle seats, complete with power outlet. We actually normally leave ours out altogether because of the access issue.
Great time to enjoy the scenery and the great outdoors.
Your 1000 mile ride's got me itchin to take the wheel again here sometime - perhaps New Brunswick or N.S. in June.