1993 Pontiac Bonneville SLE | Retro Review

[@paulm6481]

Pontiac was the performance division. They should have never let it die.

[@MistahJigglah]

GM ditched the strategy of overwhelming the market they used from the 1940s-1970s and decided to embrace the BMC strategy of pitting divisions against each other and worrying about nonsense like "Internal competition".

[@jtckentucky3481]

The green with gold trim model was so ridiculously popular in the 90s. Saw them everywhere

[@Nonamesareleft99]

I drove an SSE like that for many years. Best car I ever spent $600 on.

[@antd8259]

Yes! They were everywhere

[@prplcncrd83]

OMG I had a Chrysler Concord LXi with gold trim and at the time I thought it was so good looking!

[@jcraig1848]

Can't beat the 90s Era Pontiacs. Sporty, good looking cars for a great price.

[@matthewlibanio8227]

Still a supremely handsome cat. Always loved this car. Bonneville from this model until it's demise were superb cars.

[@runoflife87]

Handsome? You must be Stevie Wonder's son then.

[@anibalbabilonia1867]

@@runoflife87 😂he’s blind! Great sarcasm!👌😂👍

[@texan903]

@@runoflife87 In higher trim levels, particularly the SSE and SSEi, looked really good. They were vastly different looking that the lower end Bonnevilles.

[@runoflife87]

@@texan903 no trim levels can save main design mistakes, You know. The car doesn't feel as a whole thing - some brougham influences, some old BMW styling.

[@texan903]

@@runoflife87 these were a relative success so something went well. In terms of looks, it was in line with the Oldsmobile Eighty Eight, yet better looking, and the Ninety Eight with a more athletic flair.

[@dohc1067]

I love those classic bbs rims and that 3800 v6.

[@jaysmith6013]

Their time tested absolute best engine in GMs history

[@seththomas9105]

@@jaysmith6013 The 3800 is up there in GM history with the 292, 327, 409, 398, 454, and 350.

[@charles1964]

I had a white '94 SE that I bought used. Loved that car, the ride, the 3800, the 4 speed OD Trans, everything. The Bonne was very comfortable, and very reliable

[@LrulestheworldM8]

These cars were, and still are, fantastic automobiles. They sold great, people with families loved them, and they were mighty good cars for the money. I'd recommend them to anyone looking for cheap transport.

[@Andyface79]

Yeah most 90s GM was garabage but these and the A-Bodies were solid cars. Too bad the A-Bodies completely undermined the W-10's that replaced them.

[@dougsmith9571]

This was a beautiful car and color combo , even today .I remember and drove them when new , and used. When working for a Pontiac dealer in 1994 , the car would almost sell itself once customers took a test drive . The Bonneville SLE , and SSE were as good as anything on the market then for it's price and size . It even brought in people interested in the Nissan Maxima and Acura Legend occasionally. If you compare it to those great cars , in 1993-94 , it was very competitive and outhandled them! GM was trying hard to up it's quality in the early to mid 90s . I'm looking at used ones to aquire as we speak. They were very good reliable cars that handled surprisingly well. Thanks for this post

[@jdubskiwright2380]

No way the Bonneville out handled any acura legend or Nissan maxima and the transmission gm put behind the 3.8 was garbage it was the same trans used fir the 3.1 and 3.4 v6 the 3.8 and especially the supercharged 3.8 made too much torque for it..every single person i ever knew that had a 3.8 in anything always had problems with the transmission between 50k and 70k miles which is pathetic..gm should have built that trans to be stronger and it would have been fine..

[@kirbyswarp]

I was also looking at them, but couldn't find one that wasn't completely trashed. Ended up with a 1999 Grand Prix GTP which is also a very good car.

[@matthewcaughey8898]

@@jdubskiwright2380 when the 3.8 got a good trans it actually ended up being in the top 5 engines that would go to 250k or more. I had the 3.8 in a Reatta. It was no fireball but it was reliable. See that’s why GM killed it. Anything GM doesn’t make now it cause it worked

[@jdubskiwright2380]

@@matthewcaughey8898 yea cause thats great business practice if it works good het rid of it..wtf??

[@BigWheel.]

@@jdubskiwright2380 it could be argued these can out handle a maxima. I own the last gen bonneville (2000-05), which is still a big car and it turns just as tight as a smaller maxima. A legend not so much. Cornering is surprisingly controllable even with it's soft rear suspension and immense weight. The legend probably easily out handles a bonneville though. Those are on rails but I'd still argue the bonneville rides better and with that soft ride it's still cornering fairly flat and tight. Just my anecdote. I know for a fact the bonnevilles are faster than both of those cars in a straight, it just pulls even without a supercharger, the 3.8 has a Lotta torque for a big iron boat anchor with 200hp and it tends to stay at ~3k rpm under acceleration which is when you start reaching peak power.

[@theKevronHarris]

I love the distinctive mesh spoke wheel design on the Pontiac Bonneville SLE along with other Pontiac vehicles.

[@Mr-Clark]

They were a pain in the butt to clean specially with caked in dust.

[@fredaydaybae8450]

@@Mr-Clark I had a 91 SSE with the larger crosslace gold wheels and they were a breeze to clean. When they went to the mesh design it was horrible for cleaning. Preferred the SSEi body color wheels of this generation by a looong shot.

[@theKevronHarris]

@@Mr-Clark I agree with you 💯 Those mesh spoke wheel design is a huge chore and extremely difficult to clean.

[@theKevronHarris]

@@Mr-Clark my OCD will flare up swiftly if I had noticed that the mesh spoke wheels are dirty. To me, I would skip the mesh wheels because they are pain to clean.

[@futon02]

This year was the year that really got me interested in the Bonneville. I was in high school at the time, didn't get one until 2000

[@toddprater14]

The redesigned bonneville of 2000 looks good too.

[@futon02]

@@toddprater14 the 2000 Bonneville SSEi is one of my favorite cars I have owned. I really love that car.

[@antd8259]

Me too.

[@mattm9619]

I had one of these and it was a super reliable car never let me down.

[@davidaubin3902]

4:10 John’s praise for the full set of gauges!

[@jeremyjackson8196]

Sport sedan 🤣🤣🤣

[@gooondie]

It’s all he ever wants lol

[@axwapples]

hes consistent we can give him that

[@patt693]

Yep, it better have a volt meter, lol

[@T.S.1020]

This car still looks good even in 2024. Great car design.

[@michaelsimko7694]

I saw tons of these on the roads and highways when I was a kid in the 90s. Black and this dark green were very popular colors. The exterior styling of this generation was very eye-catching and had a combination of luxury, Euro contemporary, American muscle, and performance.

[@seththomas9105]

Yep, PMD sold the hell out of them, and green and black WERE the color. LOL.

[@BonBon-ue9rz]

One of the best cars I've ever owned!! Really nice ride and very peppy engine too!

[@1985_Honda_CRX_Si]

Underrated car

[@jhomrich89]

My grandma owned one of those in white honestly I thought the stance of it was quite imposing as a kid and even compared to what's considered a large car today it really still is

[@DEVILTAZ35]

It looks like a cross between a Rover and a Nissan :)

[@cgreenfield6655]

My Dad had a 92 se in green. Such a nice car. Man, I miss the simpler times. :(

[@earl1394]

In 1993 a 3300 lb car was considered a “large family car”, now in 2022 a Civic weighs nearly 3000 lbs. Crazy how times change.

[@Andyface79]

Safety, safety, safety.

[@workingcountry1776]

​@@Andyface79other than no side air bags, in most accidents these are fine.

[@covertlaw]

This generation Bonneville was Pontiac’s pinnacle. This car and the second gen FWD Grand Am were everywhere in 1993-1997. Everything that came later until the end in 2009, save for the last Grand Prix, were terrible cars. This Bonneville was one of the best sedans to ever come out of the GM design studio.

[@bobthbldr3]

I disagree. I had a '90 and a '96 SE, and then an '05 SLE. All were great cars and extremely comfortable. The '05 SLE was a one year body style which was the same as the GXP but with the 3800 V6. It had no body cladding and a smaller grill like a Grand Prix. Right after I bought it I put a good set of tires on it and it was one of the best driving cars I ever owned and I've had a lot! The ergonomics on that interior were perfect! I only had it about a year and a half and got carjacked and it was totalled. 2005 was the last year for the Bonneville.

[@Lamtitude]

My parents had a 93 when I was a kid. It was surprisingly fast, especially for it’s size.

[@liamnoname6662]

Awesome car, these still are great fun today. Surprising amount of power and speed considering the size.

[@raymondhaley6185]

Pontiac, Bonneville, was the be all and end all, the last traditional luxury combined sports sedan,gone but not forgotten❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤.😮

[@raymondhaley6185]

Family sports sedan❤

[@OLDS98]

Driving Pontiac! Get in your Bonneville and drive.. Bonneville drive! Driving Pontiac! Thank you for sharing this GM car and review. I really enjoyed the video. This car is missing a bunch of options. There are no steering wheel controls, automotive climate control. I know they were offered on the SLE trim level. Thank you so much again!

[@TheRealHungryJoe]

The space on it is amazing

[@jeremiahallyn4603]

I had a 1987 Bonneville when I was younger. It was ate up with rust, but it ran like a champ. I always liked them, even the later ones.

[@joelpierce3940]

I had one just like that in Black. Loved that car. Most comfortable seats I’ve ever had. Handled well, ran well and got about 30 mpg, highway.

[@cub1009]

The SSEI with it's supercharger would give this car plenty of power. I'd like to see motor weeks review on that car.

[@ImmortanDan]

I think they covered the SSEi on in their review of this car's next generation.

[@BigWheel.]

@@ImmortanDan they did. this generations ssei was highly liked, but was lacking the refinement the 00s cars had. I heard complaints about the fog lights getting full of snow because they were too deeply inset, windows leaked and let in too much air because of how they opened. Dash and interior tended to shatter apart. Etc.

[@seththomas9105]

My dad bought one of these used in 95. It was high milage at almost 100K on the clock but he maintained that car and put on 470,000 MILES on it on his 100 mile round trip commute before the gas tank started to rust out (Wisconsin). A $70 cam sensor was the most costly part I think he ever put in it. Oil change and serviced every 3-4K miles, rotate tire at least once a year, belts, hoses, tires, etc. Car DID NOT USE OIL when he gave it to a buddy who owned a shop to use as a parts donor. I told him to write GM and tell them about the car, he never did. Oh, he hit two deer with it and made the insurance fix the car twice. It really was a hell of a good driving car, and dad wasn't a PMD guy but always praised that car. If there were any of these still around I would buy one in a heartbeat.

[@ryantomei]

My 92 was the best most reliable car I ever owned. I miss it so much

[@RaymondHaley-lv2mo]

It was a winner 🏆, and after 30 years it still is 3800 and all

[@JohnnyAloha69]

My first new car was identical to this one including colors except I had the dealer swap out the cross lace wheels for SE five spoke wheels that had gold accents. I’ve owned many far more expensive new cars since then but I got more compliments from strangers about that green Bonneville than all the others combined! Excellent car overall with only lousy brakes and front drive torque steer to complain about. Mileage was excellent and I never had any issues in three years and 75k miles. The 3.8 only made 165 horsepower but it was very pleasant and torquey. Great seats, lots of room and trunk space too. I liked it so much that I traded it in on a basically identical 96 SLE but ordered it with the 240 horse supercharged engine (no emblems so it was a sleeper). However that car didn’t look as nice (it was restyled a bit that year), the extra power highlighted even more the lousy brakes and the torque steer rendered the extra power unusable except on the freeway. When the transmission failed twice within a year I dumped it for a 96 Caprice with the LT1 option, best car I ever owned!

[@JJPMustang]

Best color combo on these IMO Wish there were more greens available for new cars today. I get so tired of parking lots in greyscale

[@jcraig1848]

Forest green definitely ruled the mid to late 90s when it came to paint color.

[@tkskagen]

I have ALWAYS loved the design and drivability (performance) of the Bonneville SLE/STi! Just imagine how this would have been if RWD and powered with an LS V-8... 🤔

[@RomanJockMCO]

Think of the G8 as it's spiritual successor

[@LrulestheworldM8]

Please see the last iteration of this car. It had the Northstar V8 and front wheel drive. It was a great car. They called it a GXP

[@joshamann5921]

VR Holden Commodore is kinda close

[@fredaydaybae8450]

@@dr.jiIIaIicecooper2587 I’m guessing he meant SSEi

[@bobwalsh3751]

My Dad had a 94 Bonneville SE when I was little.

[@joebrito2066]

This is one of the best looking GM cars of the 90s

[@fredaydaybae8450]

Still prefer the SSEi’s styling hands down. It was like a Firebird sedan.

[@RaymondHaley-tz4do]

A remarkable family car,sorely missed

[@scubatrucker6806]

I've always loved these.

[@jamieshields9521]

Nice car but you USA miss out on 93 VR Holden Commodore, same engine n automatic but RWD, disc brakes all round. I had Berlina model with climate control, added cold air n improve exhaust system close to 200hp with fuel mileage 8lt/100kms.

[@palebeachbum]

Still a very handsome car. I think this was the best all-around iteration on this platform since it balanced styling, luxury, and performance so well. It's interesting that this rather large sedan weighed around 3,300 lbs, which is equivalent to many of today's subcompact CUVs, which are often powered by small 4cyl engines, yet still manage a similar 0-60 time with significantly less power.

[@igormac88]

Yeah I have no idea how a Nissan makes 0-60 in less than 10s with 115hp

[@igormac88]

*weight count

[@ImmortanDan]

Just what a 4L60 does to your acceleration times, I guess

[@oldtwinsna8347]

Gearing is a big one. Only 3 forward accelerating gears, as 4th was heavily overdriven for fuel conservation. Modern autos have far more gears and a lot less power losses going on. CVTs are incredibly efficient with infinite ratios, despite the hate for them.

[@palebeachbum]

@@oldtwinsna8347 I was thinking CVTs have something to do with better acceleration. I know manufacturers are using them more and more for their fuel efficiency. Apparently, they help with getting power to the wheels better too.

[@johneli495]

Great car with a solid reliable engine

[@antd8259]

These were all over the road during the 90s and came in dozens of trims.,the lush interior and all the wonderful knobs and gadgets for the controls were everything. Even had the radio controls on the steering wheel. I remember getting the dealer books swnt to me as a child and use to imagine picking out all my features. Those cars had power too! Even came in super charged.

[@mikealba]

My nextdoor neighbor growing up had this exact spec car...always loved how it looked and they still catch my eye when i see one today!

[@bobhenry6159]

I had the 2000 SSEi. Great car. Traded it for a 2004 LeSabre because I prefer a smoother ride and quiet vs better handling and power. Both in the GM family and VERY similar.

[@kingkat8080]

Green I think was the most popular color for this car, saw a lot of them around NW Ohio-SE Michigan back in the 90s and early 2000s. Less then 20 years, Pontiac would be no more.

[@kemicala]

Still got my 93 sle with the gold snowflakes. Can't bring myself to sell it. Someday I'll fix the brake lines and get it back on the road

[@map3384]

I loved that car. I think it was one of the few American cars which could go toe to tow with the Japanese import of the time.

[@GeorgeSawtooth]

Beautiful car. I wish I had one. I still have my 2004 Grand Am which has been a problem-free car. I still can get it over 90 mph on the freeway and the steering wheel and handling at that speed is as smooth as Noosa yogurt. My 2019 Tacoma doesn't impress me like my old Pontiac.

[@jeremyjackson8196]

What a beauty and with extra power. Can't wait to see the 2023 Bonneville

[@knowbodiesfull5768]

@terrance codwell We wish. But that'd be nice, wouldn't it? _(10/6/2022)_

[@99SVTBolt]

We’ll see it when Pontiac makes a comeback.

[@hbanyea]

My deceased father had a few from this era, I had a few later models. Always loved these cars!

[@zachfolts]

Probably the best looking sedan from the 90s

[@codycrawford2385]

I had a 1995 SLE mine had a sunroof, steering controls and the auto climate controls, paid $200 for it and loved it I sold it and regretted it

[@peteyification]

Love these cars... do you guys have an SSEi of this generation in your archives?

[@retiredsnowbunnyhunterx5106]

They did a video it already

[@jv8296]

My dad had a ‘93 SE and then a ‘96 SLE. Those cars where so good looking in their day, especially with the updates made in ‘96.

[@lelandfranklin3487]

Wish Pontiac was stlll around....great cars.

[@mattmayo3539]

This platform gave us some of the best from General Motors. The 3800 is a legend. Cool to see they made so many variants.

[@jdubskiwright2380]

The 3.8 motors are good but the transmission behind them were not..they need to be upgraded and built to a stage 1 if you want them to last beyond 80k miles.

[@mattmayo3539]

@@jdubskiwright2380 unless you don’t beat it. My Grammy put over 200k on her over 20 year Park Avenue.

[@jdubskiwright2380]

@@mattmayo3539 she was lucky then. And probably never revved the motor past 2700 rpms either.. some were built stronger or better then others as well.

[@raymondhaley2419]

I had 93 SE, even though I wanted the ssei, but my wallet wouldn't go for it, but the SE was just as good.

[@johntyson]

Still the official car of Southern New Mexico

[@jmin8400]

Hehe. Saw plenty of these in ABQ in the mid-90s.

[@victorcumba6305]

I always love them cars I have a few of them especially the ones with the supercharger had nice power 👍

[@JetsetMikey]

LOVE LOVE LOVE these. Such a handsome car. I’d love to find a mint conditioned one.

[@DigbyOdel-et3xx]

1990's cars got most of it right. All cars, truck's and SUVs looked good. Brands had their own style. Performance for most cars was adequate to great. A nice mix of features, performance, economy and style to price. All these 90's automobiles could be made today, with minor tweaks in styling, wind tunnel design and just modernize all these 90's engines, add either 6 speed manuals or 5-6 speed automatics and the manufacturers would be on their way to selling lots of these automobiles.... Add the ability to connect your phone for use and music playback and most will be happy, especially if you could keep the prices down.

[@sasz2107]

I always thought these cars had great styling, and the interiors were very nice. This dark green color was very popular on them. The 3800 V6 is a great engine. I've never owned one but I would definitely buy one.

[@MichaelandCathy1999]

I’m still driving a great Pontiac, a 2009 G6 GT, fully 😊optioned, with the 3.5 liter engine. I bought it 3 years ago and have never had a problem with it. Usual things to do maintenance for, but that’s it. I added a Stage 2 performance chipset and Cold Air Intake, good for 30+ hp over stock (220>250).Runs like stink. Just turned 100,000 miles, plenty left to go. 👍🇨🇦

[@SimpleAsBDCs]

Pontiac Booneville is my fav car I had a 1999 SSE in maroon wish Pontiac didn’t go out of business growing up we had 3 Pontiac cars…

[@georgeprotopapadakis4752]

Soo ahead of its time!

[@jorgeluiscapiello414]

Still looking so good.

[@marshalmagooo3899]

Amazing car, aunt had an SSE..... comfortable and so reliable

[@erinfreize]

These would make excellent first cars for a new driver. Safe, large, comfortable and stylish, with decent fuel economy and an affordable price tag, probably a few thousand dollars for a well maintained classic.

[@j-rockwells3807]

My first car was a 93 Bonneville loved that car

[@honkhonkler7732]

My aunt had one that looked just like this when I was kid.

[@azamar1000]

what a beautiful car, I wish I could own one, long live the 90s

[@TheComputerZombie]

First car was a 1995 Pontiac Bonneville SLE spec just like this one but with a black trim. Loved that car!

[@man_on_wheelz]

I saw these a lot as a kid and I always thought they were pretty nice looking cars. Never rode in one, but my 7th grade teacher had one. She also occasionally came to school in an Isuzu Rodeo. Thinking back in it now, it was probably just her and her husband swapping cars from time to time.

[@V8AmericanMuscleCar]

Pontiac: We Build Excitement ❤️

[@nightwolf883]

I’d love to see a retro review on the 98 crown Victoria

[@injustifiiable]

My parents got the refreshed version of this as a rental and I thought it was like the best thing since sliced bread lol

[@dmc7911]

Dad had two of these, a 92 and a facelifted 96. He loved those cars, have to agree that they had solid performance for the time off the line, but felt a bit lazy in passing maneuvers. The 3.8 would get close to 30 mpg on the highway as well.

[@RaymondHaley-r7r]

That's still my favorite,93 I had plenty of room and power wish I still had it

[@tkewrestler2662]

Ah the nineties!

[@HackHunter1835]

"Liked" cuz i owned that same car back in the day. That hunter green paint popped. At 210000 miles on the clock i let her go. Liked all my PONTIACs.

[@whyallthefuss201]

Had a new white 1993 Bonneville SSE and although I had few problems with it, I thought it was one of the better looking Pontiacs in the 90’s.

[@mattiemadison1234]

I had two in a row. Both great cars.

[@donteadoss]

I’ve always loved this model Bonneville in the SSEi trim after the 6000 STE having rode in both when it first came out … I’m actually considering trying to find a clean example to keep. I really believe Buick should’ve been scrapped in lieu of Pontiac. RIP

[@texan903]

@@dr.jiIIaIicecooper2587 Buick should've been sold exclusively to the Chinese market and the US could've kept Pontiac. Nowadays, Buick barely sell any vehicles in the US, they're overlooked and forgotten due to Chevrolet and Cadillac.

[@devinbiz]

I would have agreed, but China was obsessed with Buick, so that’s what GM kept

[@donteadoss]

@@texan903 smart move had they … but I believe they allowed the govt to rush them with those concessions in order to receive their bailout. Given how Dodge brought back their muscle successfully, may just have been able to do the same with GM Pontiac. Such a missed opportunity, and I regret it for them.

[@Primus54]

We’ve reached a point where manufacturers are designing and building “world cars” where only badging is different. I own an ‘18 Buick Regal TourX wagon which is actually a rebadged Opel Insignia built in Germany. BTW, I love it. Midsize SUV roominess but with a refined sedan ride height.

[@donteadoss]

@@Primus54 Absolutely … quite honestly I like that model Buick and find it unfortunate that it didn’t garner much appeal in the States.

[@rockerdriver]

This seems to be the best all around model at that time. It looks rather tasteful while being well equipped.The SSE and SSEi looked way too flamboyant! I loved them at the time but now when I look at them what was I thinking?!

[@JohnTitor-en5vo]

The Bonneville was the best looking of all H bodies

[@RaymondHaley-lv2mo]

A brilliant combination of traditional family car internal roomiest cabins padded and secure, but under the hood, it's time to leave it to beaver and get busy on the highway with the S/C and WS6 suspension.

[@ramoncarter6585]

Saw one yesterday it looked good was white between 96-99. I used to have 92 or 93 brochure when was a little boy loved these always had prefer the shifter on steering wheel for some reason didn't like it down by console guess because my late aunt '84 Buick shifter was on steering wheel. I always thought cars looked so good with nice styling sure miss these kind of cars and good old days the 90s was great.

[@Cheezwizzz]

Good looking Pontiac !!!

[@jonnyfennessy9812]

8yrs my parents had a SE same colored green. After damn near getting killed in a Tercel 91. Lol borrowed it at 14yrs old drove well, had a great speaker system, power was good for 1994.

[@hank1556]

hey MotorWeek, do you have any 1987-1991 'bricknose' F250/350 videos? love these, thanks

[@johnmolina607]

My parents had one of these when I was a kid in the 90s same color green too I loved that car as a kid I used to pull down the cup holders in the back and climb into the trunk lol I was about 7 or 8 years old at the time 😂 now at 31 I don’t think that will work out 🤣🤣

[@danny200mph5]

My parents had this car when it came out. A legitimate competitor to a BMW 5 series...at half price

[@landyachtfan79]

The H-body Bonnevilles were to GM's full-size cars what the A-body Pontiac 6000 was to GM's mid-size cars, the perfect balance of American luxury & European driving enjoyment.

[@TheRealHungryJoe]

Wish they made vehicles this spacious..

[@dannyarchives]

these look so nice

[@curtcollett2893]

If Pontiac had given Bonneville styling cues to the Aztek, they sure would have sold a lot more.

[@emilianocruz11]

We need the 1993 pontiac trans am road test

[@catjudo1]

I had a used one of these when my daughter was born and needed a four door car. Even at well over ten years old it was still an excellent way to get where we needed to go. It was replaced with a three years used Chevy Impala that was a complete dog by comparison. Six months in and it was starting to come apart because it was just about Trabant cheap. The Bonnie was a far better car.

[@devinbiz]

Preferred this body style over the 96 update

[@bohan9957]

GM's golden age.