A large
GM sedan, the flagship of the
Pontiac division. Used to be on the H-body platform with the
Buick LeSabre and
Oldsmobile 88. Since the redesign in 2000 now on the G-body platform with the
Oldsmobile Aurora, new
Buick LeSabre and
Cadillac Seville and Deville.
The Bonneville comes with three basic trims: the SE, SSE, and SSEi. The SE is the base model with the GM 3800 3.8L V6. From 1992-1994 the 3800 Series I was used, which made 170hp & 220ft/lbs torque. Starting with the 1995 models the engine was upgraded to the 3800 Series II, which makes 205hp & 230ft/lbs torque, and is still used to the present.
The top-of-the-line SSEi comes standard with supercharged versions of these engines, and middle-of-the-road SSE has the supercharger as an option. Through 1992-1994 the supercharged version made 205hp & 260ft/lbs torque. In 1995 it made 225hp & 275ft/lbs torque, and the 1996-present make 240hp & 280ft/lbs torque. The supercharger is easily modified to produce in excess of 280hp through addition of a smaller supercharger pulley, which only costs a couple hundred dollars.
The Bonnevilles have many cool options, including Heads-Up-Displays, drivers information centers, GM's OnStar system, and of course the flashy Pontiac styling. The Bonneville has been favorably rated by Consumer Reports in reliability, which is suprising given CR's extreme biasagainst American cars. The Bonneville is a strong contenter in the field of large sedans.