For many years, the Pontiac Bonneville was an attainable alternative to high-tech, high-performance and high-dollar sport sedans. It was the late eighties when the seventh-generation Bonneville brought the nameplate out of the realm of generic, rear-drive monotony and gave it a unique and distinctive presence in the marketplace.
Fast forward a few years and two more generations to the 2000 Bonneville, and Pontiac had given the car a complete ground-up redesign that included plenty of advancements, a selection of engines, and a one-of-a-kind style.
For this ninth and final generation of the Pontiac Bonneville, shoppers were presented with plenty of options. Look for standard cloth seats, 16-inch wheels and a cassette player, depending on the year and model in question. Dual zone climate control, power accessories and ABS disc brakes were available, too.
Heated leather seats, a sunroof, larger alloy wheels, OnStar and a CD player could also be fitted, alongside a Monsoon audio system and 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat. This generation Bonneville had the ‘SE’ designation as the basic model, while SLE, SSEi and GXP took the higher model ranks, respectively.
Owners generally report loving their Bonneville’s. Pontiac had generation’s worth of time to iron out this car-- and functionally speaking, there are no glaring faults apparent. Most drivers praise the comfortable ride, generous trunk, sporty handling and powerful engine lineup. More console storage and more durable interior materials tend to wind up on most Bonneville owner’s wish lists, though.
What’s under the hood? GM’s workhorse 3.8 litre V6 engine started the lineup, with 205 horsepower.
This engine is reasonably reliable, easy to maintain and proven. In fact, it’s one of the most produced engines of all time. Issues with this engine tend to centre around intake gaskets that could allow a coolant leak from the intake manifold. Your GM trained mechanic can have a look for this somewhat common problem, correcting if necessary.
 |
| 2004 Pontiac Bonneville |
Fast forward a few years and two more generations to the 2000 Bonneville, and Pontiac had given the car a complete ground-up redesign that included plenty of advancements, a selection of engines, and a one-of-a-kind style.
For this ninth and final generation of the Pontiac Bonneville, shoppers were presented with plenty of options. Look for standard cloth seats, 16-inch wheels and a cassette player, depending on the year and model in question. Dual zone climate control, power accessories and ABS disc brakes were available, too.
Heated leather seats, a sunroof, larger alloy wheels, OnStar and a CD player could also be fitted, alongside a Monsoon audio system and 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat. This generation Bonneville had the ‘SE’ designation as the basic model, while SLE, SSEi and GXP took the higher model ranks, respectively.
Owners generally report loving their Bonneville’s. Pontiac had generation’s worth of time to iron out this car-- and functionally speaking, there are no glaring faults apparent. Most drivers praise the comfortable ride, generous trunk, sporty handling and powerful engine lineup. More console storage and more durable interior materials tend to wind up on most Bonneville owner’s wish lists, though.
What’s under the hood? GM’s workhorse 3.8 litre V6 engine started the lineup, with 205 horsepower.
This engine is reasonably reliable, easy to maintain and proven. In fact, it’s one of the most produced engines of all time. Issues with this engine tend to centre around intake gaskets that could allow a coolant leak from the intake manifold. Your GM trained mechanic can have a look for this somewhat common problem, correcting if necessary.
 |
| 2005 Pontiac Bonneville |