Pontiac Bonneville reviews

2001 Pontiac Bonneville Driving Impressions

Fortunately, the Bonneville's driving characteristics match up to its looks. Even in the standard SE configuration, the Bonneville has enough power to provide respectable performance. Thanks to the engine's relatively large capacity it has more torque than most of its rivals, which is what counts when it comes to quickly leaving a stop light, and enough power to accelerate on to the highway. The transmission shifts smoothly and the car responds promptly to the driver's input.

The Bonneville has a stiff body shell that acquits itself well in handling twisty roads. This is a solid-feeling car, and doesn't wallow like so many full-size American models of years gone by. Pontiac's advertising brags about its cars having a wide track (which lends itself to secure handling). But while the Bonneville is indeed wide, the Dodge Intrepid has nearly the same dimensions.

Even though the car has front-wheel-drive it does not suffer from too much torque steer ? thanks to a careful suspension design. (Torque steer is a phenomenon found on front-wheel-drive cars that pulls the steering wheel in one direction under hard acceleration.) Traction control (optional on the SE) helps keep the front tires from spinning under heavy acceleration. All models have a standard load-leveling rear suspension system, which helps make the car handle consistently regardless of the cargo load.

Naturally, the SSEi model ? with its slightly stiffer suspension ? handles better than the SE but still gives a smooth ride without being too harsh. The base SE has a little softer ride, but offers better control than other cars of similar size, such as the Toyota Avalon and Dodge Intrepid.

A clever tire-inflation monitor that constantly informs the driver of each tire's inflation status is a useful standard feature. An optional StabiliTrak system helps provide additional stability by selectively applying the brakes to the front wheels in emergency situations to counteract skids. The SSEi is also available with a head-up display, which projects information such as vehicle speed onto the inside of the windshield on the driver's side.