1994 Pontiac Bonneville SSE review from North America
"A reliable, yet powerful machine"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
A month after I owned the car the hub bearings went bad because I found out the previous owner replaced them with junk yard parts.
I also replaced the rotors, which looked like Swiss cheese, and put some high quality ceramic brake pads on up front.
Recently I replaced the rear brake cylinders to be safe.
The previous owner never had to rebuild the transmission, but did put in a new battery, alternator, and tires.
General comments?
I wasn't expecting to buy an "old people's" car after selling my 1970 Dodge Coronet, but I have no regrets in buying a Bonneville. This car is extremely reliable and is not what it looks like.
The 3800 Series engine under the hood dishes out some impressive power when stock. However I've given my Bonneville a run for its worth since I purchased it with the following additions:
16" Chrome Epic Rims
215/50/16 Firestone Tires
Superchips Mod Chip
MSD Super Conductor Wires
Splitfire Sparkplugs
Pro Zen Motorsports Ram Air Style intake system
Intake Timing Advance
180 degree Hypertech Thermostat
Dynomax muffler with stainless steel exhaust tips (y dual exhaust)
I have also tricked out some parts of the car with strobe lights in the headlights, as well as GTS headlight blackouts and a hood protector.
I have decals all over the windows as well as my car club's decal on the rear window which really catches people's eyes.
I would have to say that taking a car no one thinks much about and turning it into a head turner has been a very fun experience.
Just remember, don't underestimate grandma's car!
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| 1994 - Bonneville SE 3.8 Series V6 A high performance car, but it's not very reliable |
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| Mine was a lemon |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1994 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8 V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 8 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 98000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 108000 miles |
| Previous car | Dodge Coronet |
| Date of Entry | 13th September, 2002 |