I should tell you up front that I've always liked
Pontiacs. You could say it's genetic.
My dad owned a string of Pontiacs, and kept on buying them until our family grew so large that it required a big Chevrolet station wagon.
His first new car - a 1949 Mayan Gold Pontiac Club Coupe - swept him away on his honeymoon. Here's a man who has trouble remembering the birthdays and middle names of his own children, but who can recall in minute detail how he went from one dealership to the next dickering for that car, finally negotiating $50 off the $2339 price tag.
I am equally smitten with Pontiacs, particularly the Bonneville, for the same reasons that my dad loved his cars: style and performance.
That is what made this test drive intriguing. And when it was all over with, I ended up leasing a Bonneville SE of my own to replace my aging Honda Accord.
When
Pontiac restyled the Bonneville for 1992, not everyone was thrilled with the result. Personally, I preferred the previous model, which seemed to resist aging. As time has passed, however, I've grown fond of the sleek but aggressive profile of the current car. I especially like the clean, no-clutter look without the body clad-ding and gold trim that
Pontiac applies to some models.
The Bonneville line has been simplified - sort of. There are now only two models available: the SE and the SSE. The gaudier SSEi has been dropped as a model, and is now available as a package.
The Bonneville SE competes with the Dodge Intrepid, Eagle Vision, Toyota Avalon, Nissan Maxima and Mazda Millenia. The fancier SSE is pitted against the Chrysler LHS, Mazda 929, Lexus ES 300, Mitsubishi Diamante and Acura Legend.
That appears fairly clear-cut. However, it becomes more complicated when ordering the packages offered; they include the Sport Luxury Edition (SLE), the Supercharged SLE and the SSEi.
The SLE package is billed as the Bonneville's import-fighter. It includes leather bucket seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and cobra-head shifter, upgraded carpeting and floor mats, floor console, rear deck lid spoiler, rear-window defogger, power antenna, 16-in. alloy wheels with upgraded touring tires, and a variety of other items.
The SLE's Customer Interior option group adds illuminated visor vanity mirrors, a console with rear air-conditioning vents, an overhead console with power outlets and a trunk convenience net.
Our test model was an SE with the SLE package. We thought it was a perfect mix of a sleek, clean look on the outside with great performance under the hood and every necessary creature feature.
