1988 Pontiac Bonneville SE review from North America

The main problems with the Bonneville is that the alternators go out on a pretty regular basis. I think that in the seven years that I had it, she went through about one a year, and I know that she went through two before that. Also, she would burn through about a quart of oil every 1000 miles, but for a car that was almost ready to vote, I'm not surprised.

This was my first car, and she will always have a special place in my heart. I had to sell her at 200,000 after my fiance said that she wouldn't step in it again (mainly because she grew up in Cadilacs and other high-end luxury cars).

What always impressed me about the Bonneville was the amount of speed that you could coax out of them. I hit 100 mph a few times by accident just because I kept incrementally pushing down on the gas. I was able to cruise in them at about 85 on the freeway without even blinking, and the mileage was always really good if I set the cruise at 80; generally around 25 mpg or so even with the a/c on.

I think that anyone who can get their hands on this car while its in good repair and under 150k miles will be able to drive it until at least 250, so long as you keep it in good repair. This generally isn't hard to do because there is ample amount of space for you under the hood to do repairs yourself, or to cut down on labor costs when you take it into the shop.

For a teenager's first car, it may look like a boat, but the creature comforts and reliability of this car made me very popular with my lady friends.