2000 Pontiac Bonneville: Luxury with Attitude

Photo Courtesy of General MotorsBy Steve Eckelberry
Special to Motor Age

What a difference several years make. The 2000 Pontiac Bonneville truly has what Pontiac calls ?luxury with attitude.?

Although the Bonneville has evolved through the years, I had only ever sat in one before driving the 2000 sedan a 1982 model my grandfather still owns. That model has no frills, and it?s just plain big and boxy. But since then, the 2000 Bonneville has been entirely redesigned, giving the driver a true luxury sports sedan. Climbing behind the wheel of the top-of-the-line Bonneville SSEi, I knew I was in for more than just a ride in a luxury car. From the dual climate-control system to the Head-Up display projecting my speed onto the windshield, I was not let down.

What power The SSEi is outfitted with a supercharged V6 engine <\m> more than enough power for just about anyone that offers the power of a V8 with better fuel economy. Pontiac says the car should average 17 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. My mixture of driving brought me an average of 16.5, according to the car?s on-board computer, which conveys the vehicle?s fuel economy through the Driver Information Center on the instrument panel. The engine generates 240 horsepower (hp) at 5200 rpm and 280 ft.-lbs. of torque at 3600 rpm. The SLE and SE versions feature the same engine but without the supercharger to generate 205 hp at 5200 rpm and 230 ft.-lbs. of torque at 4000 rpm.

Pontiac?s advanced stability control system, StabiliTrak, helps brings the 2000 Bonneville?s level of responsiveness and safety to a new high. Standard on the SSEi, this system employs a number of sensors that monitor steering, wheel speed and yaw, the rotation of a car around its center of gravity. Magnetic Speed Variable Assist (MSVA) power steering is another advanced technology that offers SSEi drivers more control. The system adjusts the level of steering sensitivity to changing driving needs. For example, it requires more input at higher speeds and less effort at lower speeds, when more sensitive response is needed for such tasks as parallel parking.

To protect the battery from the harsh engine environment, Pontiac located the battery beneath the rear seat. But the vehicle continues to offer easy access to the battery terminals under the hood in case a jump is needed. The need for this is reduced, however, with the standard Delco Freedom II battery with rundown protection feature. The system turns off any lamp that is left on 10 minutes after occupants exit the vehicle.

For your comfort The SSEi is outfitted with 12-way leather seats for the driver and the front seat passenger. The seats adjust to individual drivers? settings, depending on which remote transmitter is used to unlock the car. Along with the seats, the mirrors, radio presets and climate-control settings are changed.

Although the climate-control system in the test car failed to work properly after the first day, the system is designed to make it easy to keep everyone comfortable in the vehicle. There are separate controls for the driver and the front seat passenger each may dial up a temperature on the digital display. The auto setting then adjusts the fan speed and air temperature output accordingly. All of the climate controls are within easy reach of the driver, alleviating the need to lean forward to reach them. The SSEi also has optional heated seats for the driver and front passenger.

All of the Bonnevilles feature a Delco Electronics 100 Series radio with Radio Data Systems (RDS) technology that can be programmed to alert the driver of important traffic or weather conditions. Station call letters are indicated on a display, and the radio can also search for stations with preferred formats, such as jazz, classic rock and talk radio. Because many radio stations do not yet broadcast with RDS, the search feature was somewhat limited. The stereo in the SSEi features an eight-speaker Bose premium sound system and a programmable equalizer.

Getting the message The Driver Information Center included on the dashboard of the Bonneville SSEi is quite extensive. More than just a ?Service Engine Soon? light, this digital readout has more than 15 messages, including oil life, tire inflation pressure, miles per gallon and the number of miles you can travel before you have to refuel. This is also where drivers can configure their preferred settings, and a ?Check Tire Pressure? message appears if a single tire?s pressure falls 8 psi or more compared with the other tires.Starting with Bonnevilles manufactured in January, Pontiac began offering its OnStar system on the SSEi. One of the system?s features has an OnStar representative call the vehicle?s occupants if an airbag deploys. If there is no answer, the representative calls emergency services and provides the vehicle?s location through the built-in global positioning system (GPS). In addition to the safety and security benefits OnStar, motorists can take advantage of its locator service for such places as restaurants, hotels, gas stations and entertainment spots.Stepping UpEach 2000 Bonneville comes equipped with more than enough to make any driver happy. The models are equipped as follows:

SE Key standard features include independent front and rear touring suspension with electronic level control, tire pressure monitor, four-wheel antilock disc brakes, daytime running lamps with twilight sentinel, driver and passenger front and side-impact airbags, PassKey III security system, power windows with express down, power outside rearview mirrors and trunk pass-through.

SLE An even stronger emphasis on style, performance and convenience is offered with this mid-range model. In addition to features offered on the SE, the SLE offers a six-way power driver?s seat, six-speaker sound system, remote keyless entry, anti-theft alarm system, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio controls, dual zone climate control, independent front and rear performance suspension with electronic level control, aluminum wheels, a 3.05 performance axle ratio, heated and tinted outside rearview mirrors, a rear deck spoiler, a Driver Information Center and more.

The SSEi takes the Bonneville?s performance and feature content to the highest level with a standard supercharged V6 engine that performs like a V8 with excellent fuel economy. In addition to features found on the SE and SLE, the SSEi includes the StabiliTrak system, Head-Up display, variable effort steering, 12-way driver and passenger leather bucket seats with memory, a Bose eight-speaker premium sound system, a trunk accessory kit, the right-hand outside rearview mirror "dip" and more.

Check out http://www.nhtsa.gov to see how the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rated the vehicle.<