Pontiac Bonneville ModelsThe Pontiac Bonneville has three trim levels: SE, SLE, and SSEi. Four-wheel anti-lock brakes and front and side airbags are standard throughout. All Bonnevilles come with 3.8-liter V6 engines. The SSEi gets a supercharger that boosts engine power to 240 horsepower. The SE and SLE have a normally aspirated (non-boosted) version of the same engine, which produces 205 horsepower. Performance of all three models is good, although most driving enthusiasts will appreciate the extra oomph of the supercharged SSEi. Base SE includes a comprehensive list of features that will suffice for the majority of potential buyers. Standard equipment includes a four-speed automatic transmission, air conditioning, tilt steering wheel, power doors, power windows, power mirrors and a reasonably good AM/FM stereo cassette system. SLE adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel with redundant audio controls, dual-zone automatic climate control, 6-way power driver seat, remote keyless entry, an upgraded sound system, tire pressure monitor, alloy wheels and a performance suspension. SSEi pushes the Pontiac Bonneville into near-luxury segment price territory. But for this price, the buyer gets the supercharged engine, traction control, improved magnetic variable-assist power steering, leather upholstery, 12-way power seats, a head-up display, Bose stereo system, automatic mirrors and a universal garage door opener. Many of the standard features on the more expensive models can be ordered as options on the lower-priced models. Driving the Pontiac BonnevilleThe Pontiac Bonneville has enough power to provide respectable performance. Thanks to the engine's relatively large capacity it has more torque than most of its rivals, which is what counts when it comes to quickly leaving a stop light, and enough power to accelerate on to the highway. The transmission shifts smoothly and the car responds promptly to the driver's input. The Bonneville has a stiff body shell that acquits itself well in handling twisty roads. This is a solid-feeling car, and doesn't wallow like so many full-size American models of years gone by. Pontiac's advertising brags about its cars having a wide track (which lends itself to secure handling). But while the Bonneville is indeed wide, the Dodge Intrepid has nearly the same dimensions. Even though the car has front-wheel-drive it does not suffer from too much torque steer ¾ thanks to a careful suspension design. (Torque steer is a phenomenon found on front-wheel-drive cars that pulls the steering wheel in one direction under hard acceleration.) Traction control (optional on the SE) helps keep the front tires from spinning under heavy acceleration. All models have a standard load-leveling rear suspension system, which helps make the car handle consistently regardless of the cargo load. Naturally, the SSEi model ¾ with its slightly stiffer suspension ¾ handles better than the SE but still gives a smooth ride without being too harsh. The base SE has a little softer ride, but offers better control than other cars of similar size, such as the Toyota Avalon and Dodge Intrepid. A clever tire-inflation monitor that constantly informs the driver of each tire's inflation status is a useful standard feature. An optional StabiliTrak system helps provide additional stability by selectively applying the brakes to the front wheels in emergency situations to counteract skids. The SSEi is also available with a head-up display, which projects information such as vehicle speed onto the inside of the windshield on the driver's side. |