Now here's something I can agree with. The Bonneville GXP would seem to be a better value than the SSEi, but isn't this segment of car dying? I though that the Park Avenue and Bonneville were close to extinction. Is this just another example of GM improving a product just before killing it?

Still, a new Bonneville with a V8 trumps a used Lincoln LS, if only for the new car smell. The "Big Bonny" might also be a better ride than the V6 Caddy, if only for a few Northstar thrills. That's assuming that the Cadillac motor survived the "transplant" with all of its refinement intact. If it did, the top-of-line Bonneville will finally be differentiated from the Grand Prix.

Kinda like the old Parisienne.

Okay, maybe not, but I wouldn't mind a cut-rate impersonation of a Cadillac DTS.

 

Remember, most of the population still wants FWD.

 

Well before the new GP in 97 I think the Bonneville had more of a place. I guess it sold well enough just to leave it alone w/o major upgrades while other cars got the attention.

Maybe GM will have a police package version of the car now that it has a V8...it seems like this may be part of GM's plan.

 

doubt it on the police package, the Impala will get the V8 option in 05.

 

Supporting the performance nature of the car, the engine is tuned to provide maximum torque at a relatively low 5600 rpm

Is this a typo? I don't think that 5600 RPM is low. Not even "relatively".

 

guionM,

When I had a lot of Bonneville owners walk into the showroom (overall, a group VERY loyal to, and enthusiastic about, their cars), if they were currently an SE owner, often they would end up going to another SE Bonneville...at my time of departure in July '03, a nicely equipped SE Bonneville with a sunroof, radio controls on the wheel and some other gadgets (no leather) was running high $28s. These people tended to be pretty content with that. I should also note the youngest person to bite on a car at that price was almost 60.

We now get the car enthusiast Bonneville owners. These are the ones who had SE SLE models (they used to use both desginations on the same car), or SSEs, or SSEIs. My dealership personally sold a lot of these, in the '95-'99 model range. These people would look at the sticker, and have a coronary, looking at $34k for a loaded SLE or $36,500 for a loaded SSEi. I would then walk them over to a GTP, and as long as they didn't need the extra headroom a Bonnie provided....SOLD!!!!!!!!! I read somewhere SLEs were accounting for about 25% of Bonnie sales, and SSEis were about 10%...and that sounds about right.

Then there was the group of SE owners who simply hated the style of the new car. They went to a Grand Prix because they couldn't stand the look. This style, on the street, did NOT go over well. And I have said all along, the Grand Prix got so good in '97 (my dad had a '95...ugh...), people stopped feeling the need to go up to the Bonnie. It always made sense to me.

If people need the biggest car possible, they went Bonnie. But isn't that the roll of SUVs these days? If they were die-hard Bonnie owners and HAD TO HAVE another one, they went Bonnie. All others went to GP and saved $5k, comparably equipped.

I hope the Bonnie doesn't die, because I personally like the car. But it may not fit Pontiacs profile anymore, and the sales sure have waned...

 

I guess I am the only one here who would LOVE a 99- present SSEI or SLE. I love the looks of those cars and if I could get the Supercharged 6 of big 8 I would die a happy camper. I love the agressive in your face look these cars have. Hey that is the direction pontiac was going for a while, pre Lutz. Look at the 98+ firebirds, the Rageous concept, Rev, Aztek (with you guys on that one), and Vibe. My guess is that the 04 GP would have looked very much like the SSEI before Lutz and it would still be a great looking car. I know it is FWD and kinda an old mans car but let me tell you it has the right look.

 

I actually considered an 2002 Bonneville SSEi when I bought the 02 MC SS... but I couldn't justify the MSRP to depreciation ratio that was on the Bonnie... it was substantial... plus I was having a hard time getting past the whole 4-door thing (CTS is still the only 4-door I think I'd actually purchase).

Overall, though, I liked the SSEi quite a bit... it drove very nice.