2002 Pontiac Bonneville SLE review from North America

Not one thing excepting a minor manufacturer recall right after purchase.

I purchased this 2002 Pontiac Bonneville SLE new at the end of the model year in August 2002. I have now owned this vehicle for four and one half years and logged over 60,000 miles. This is the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. Other than oil changes and one minor recall, the vehicle has required nothing: no brakes, no tires (the 17” Goodyear Eagle RSAs will shortly be replaced), not even a windshield wiper. The vehicle is garaged and used primarily for high speed (60 – 80 mph) turnpike driving. It has consistently turned in a nominal 30mpg fuel consumption while driving on the turnpike. Around town the mileage dips to about 22mpg.

The seats are comfortable though not as much so as the 2000 Bonneville I previously owned.

My gripes with this car are few. The traction control system does not seem to work well. It is too easy to spin the tires duringn takeoff on a wet road surface. At turnpike speeds there is more wind noise than should be present in a car presented as an ‘entry level luxury’ vehicle.

My wife has a 2003 Lexus GS-430. One trip to the dealer for a 15,000 service cost more than all of maintenance in four plus years on the Bonneville. The Bonneville’s rate of vehicle depreciation is steeper than the Lexus’ but the amount of actual dollars lost to depreciation is more for the Lexus than the Bonneville at this point. I am not sure that the Lexus is any better with wind noise than the Bonneville, either. However, the Lexus does excel in one area: it accelerates like a demon leaving the Bonneville in its wake.