1997 Pontiac Bonneville Review & Road Test

as they appeared identical. But that isn't a problem with the Pontiac Bonneville.

In spite of sharing its underpinnings with the equally competent Oldsmobile

Eighty Eight and Buick LeSabre models, Pontiac's handsome four-door remains

one of the most visually and technically distinctive products in the GM

line-up. And it underscores Pontiac's position as GM's youthful, sporty

division.

With the competition relentlessly rolling out new products, one might

expect the Bonneville to look and feel somewhat dated, yet it remains fresh,

thanks partly to this year's enhancements.

Bonneville is a sports sedan that will appeal to enthusiasts despite,

or perhaps because of, its size. And there's a package and powertrain to

fit almost any need or budget.

of the GM styling studios and it remains contemporary. Based on the same

platform as the Oldsmobile Eighty Eight and Buick LeSabre, you'll see some

family resemblance, though the Bonneville is the more youthful and sporty

package.

Indeed, its shape has had strong influence over the entire Pontiac model

line. Bonneville is curvaceous without being soft, like some of the marshmallow

designs that have become popular in recent years. And it continues to draw

envious stares.

Bonneville comes in two basic models. The SE competes with the Dodge

Intrepid, Chrysler Concorde and Nissan Maxima, but it's one of the most

well-equipped models in this group. The SSE goes up against the more upscale

Chrysler LHS, Mazda Millenia and Toyota Avalon. From the outside, the SSE

is distinguished from the SE by its ribbed side moldings and ground effects

package.

If you're looking for a little more performance, upgrade the SE to the

Sport Luxury Edition, or SLE package. You'll get sporty 16-inch, five-spoke

aluminum wheels, leather bucket seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel

and cobra-head shifter. If you need a bigger kick, add the supercharger

option, pumping the 3800 Series II engine up to a tire-smoking 240 horsepower.

The supercharged engine is also available on an upgraded SSE package, called

the SSEi, which we drove.

It's a rich yet subtle hue with European-style stitching. The gray plastic

buttons on the heating/air conditioning console diminish the otherwise

attractive effect.

The other controls are darker, better grained, and more organic in shape.

The stereo system, especially the upgraded Bose package in our tester,

would match the performance of an expensive home system. The controls work

well, with a large volume knob adjacent to a smaller dial for tuning. If

you'd prefer not to take your hands off the wheel, often-used controls

are designed into the steering wheel hub. A deft touch of the index finger

is all that's needed to change stations or adjust the volume. Thankfully,

Pontiac engineers have gotten away from earlier pod designs that embedded

as many as 25 different controls in a confusing cluster smack in the center

of the steering wheel. However, they still maintained an array of buttons

on the center console.

There are nine separate ways to adjust the seats and it takes careful

attention to make sense of the smallish icons that tell you which adjustment

does what. More than once we attempted to slide our seats forward, only

to have the lumbar support try to rearrange our kidneys. But, when you

get the hang of things, you'll find the bucket seats comfortable and supportive,

even in harsh maneuvering.

And even with the front seats all the way back on their tracks, your

rear seat passengers will find more than adequate leg room. This car has

acres of space and uses it well.

The instrument panel is a clean, performance-oriented design but it

may be the most dated part of the car. The analog gauges say performance,

but the look is a little one-dimensional. There are two, large LED displays,

one a compass that tends to lag behind as you turn. The other an oversized

Information Center alerting you to a variety of potential problems, such

as low fuel or an open door.

Perhaps the most notable feature is the Head-Up Display, or HUD, offered

as an option on SSE and SSEi models. This technology, borrowed from military

fighter jets, projects images onto the windshield in your line of sight.

The main display is a digital speedometer. We found it consistently disagreed

with the instrument panel's analog speedometer by a couple of miles an

hour. There are those who like and those who dislike HUD. We appreciate

the way it helped us prevent a potential problem when, on a long drive

on a lonely freeway, a little gas pump popped into view reminding us we

were about to run out of gas.

Dual airbags are standard fare. So are daytime running lights.

valves or four, push rods or overhead cams. The Bonneville's 3800 Series

II V-6 convincingly argues for the simpler, push-rod design. This engine

delivers lots of power and responsiveness, surprisingly good mileage and

environmentally friendly emissions numbers. Normally aspirated, the Series

II delivers a comforting 205 hp and 230 lbs.-ft. of torque. Opting for

the supercharger increases the pony count to 240 and torque jumps to 280

lbs.-ft.

Better yet, with the supercharged engine, you'll get a new, electronically

controlled, four-speed automatic transmission. It's designed to handle

the extra power and allows selection between normal or performance shift

modes. The latter lets you wind out the engine under heavy acceleration,

approximating the feel of a manual shift.

The Bonneville features front disc and rear drum brakes. Anti-lock brakes

are standard equipment across the model line, and traction control is an

option.

The base Bonneville SE comes with conventional power steering. With

the SSE and SSEi, you get GM's Magnasteer system, an option on the SE and

SLE, which uses an innovative magnetic control to reduce the amount of

effort needed to steer at low speeds. The faster you go, the less boost

you get, improving road stability. Magnasteer is a definite improvement,

though we find that it still doesn't deliver quite the precise feeling

of contact with the road that you get from European sports sedans.

The overall ride is a pleasant compromise. It's not quite as stiff and

responsive as a BMW, but offers much more precise ride and handling than

Detroit's traditional boulevard cruisers.

The one minor problem we experienced is something known as torque steer.

Under very aggressive acceleration, the car had a tendency to pull to one

side. It's a common problem with powerful front-wheel-drive cars.

don't let its size fool you. This Pontiac sedan is quick, nimble, stylish

and, yes, quite roomy.

And while it may be big on the outside, Bonneville is a relatively compact

package in terms of the dent it will make on your wallet. Sure, you can

load up on options, or order the fully-equipped SSEi, but the base SE will

meet the needs of most buyers.

The Bonneville, whichever model, should rank high on the shopping list

of those who want room without sacrificing performance.