1989 Pontiac Bonneville SSE 3.8 V6

Summary:

Greatest car I have ever owned

Faults:

Paint has oxidized.

Replaced normal items that wear out, such as alternator and brakes.

General Comments:

A great car, very nice to drive. I wish Pontiac would build the exact same body style again.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th December, 2007

5th Aug 2010, 20:38

I agree... great car overall... As with anything, if you take care of your car, it should last and perform. Sure...I've had to replace components, and there are little quirks to it... but I'm sure I'm getting my money's worth on this one... Bought new in 1989, still driving to and from work every day - August 2010.

1989 Pontiac Bonneville SE 2.8

Summary:

Great first car; reliable, affordable, and fast

Faults:

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.

General Comments:

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.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th September, 2007

25th Sep 2007, 12:50

Sounds like you needed to replace the girlfriend, not the car. Lets get our priorities straight, men.

11th Jul 2021, 17:01

That's hilarious and I agree.

1989 Pontiac Bonneville SSE 3.8

Summary:

I would by one again if they would still make them

Faults:

My Idler on the belt tensioner went. (around 400.000km. Drove home only on battery.

Replaced idler - o.k. after that.

Oil line underneath radiator rusted through.

Drove home again without oil pressure.

Replaced oil line - o.k. after that.

General Comments:

This is a very well build and designed car.

Couldn't had a better one.

Looking to replace my Bonneville.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th November, 2006

11th Nov 2006, 11:33

If you look try to find what you had or a 1990. I had a great 1990 LE and also have had friends with newer ones 92 up that indicated that they had problems however. I sold my 1990 wrote a review on here... the latest is the lady I sold it too is driving it 60 miles a day to work and it runs great with 175,000 miles on it now. I should have kept it... big mistake!! It had a lot of nice features, great engine on and on... needed paint on the hood and the paint job would have been worth it.

1989 Pontiac Bonneville LE 3.8 V6

Summary:

One of the greatest united states domestic vehicles ever manufactured

Faults:

Mass Air-Flow Sensor Failed at 128k.

Radiator Clogged at 126k.

Starter Died at 132k.

Color is Wearing off Steering Wheel (known to be extremely common)

Paint on Hood, Trunk and Roof is in AWFUL condition, Paint on sides is in excellent condition. Go Figure.

General Comments:

This is an EXCELLENT vehicle. I would like to see someone show me a better 17 year old vehicle perform, and be as reliable as this one.

It is very quick for a large sedan with a V6. even with the 2.84 final gear ratio.

Handles very well for its size and weight. And it is only the base model with the FE1 suspension!

Does VERY well on gas for a large car. I get about an average of 24 mpg per tank. That's with about 30 mpg on the highway.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st October, 2006

21st Oct 2006, 20:46

Congrats on a great car. The old Pontiacs are awesome. My family still has (believe it or not!) a 1955 Pontiac that we bought in 1956. It has had one engine rebuild and has been repainted. It still runs great. Not bad for a 52- year-old!!

The reason the paint fades on the top, hood and trunk is very obvious. Those areas take the brunt of the Sun. Now when we buy new cars I always make sure to put two coats of wax on the upper, horizontal surfaces. This helps delay the fading.

I hope you get many more miles out of your Pontiac. GM builds very good cars. At the moment we own two GM cars and a Ford truck. All three have been flawless.