zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
At $9,500, Is This 2003 Pontiac Bonneville SEEi A Bonnie Good Deal?
At $9,500, Is This 2003 Pontiac Bonneville SEEi A Bonnie Good Deal?-February 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:24

Nice Price or No Dice 2003 Pontiac Bonneville SSEi

Today’s Pontiac is named for the famed Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah’s venerated site for speed. The car is claimed to be loaded, but let’s see if its price stings like salt on a wound.

There is a myth that in the 18th Century, a law was enacted in Maine that prisoners could not be fed lobster more than twice a week as doing so would be considered inhumane treatment. That’s a somewhat bemusing story considering what a rare and expensive delicacy the large decapods are considered today.

Owing to its European specs, the we looked at yesterday is comparably rare and, according to some of you, rather expensive. As common as it may have been back in its home market, here, the cloth upholstery and four-speed manual make the car rather unusual which obviously is what engendered the seller to set a sizable $13,000 asking price for its sale. Too few of you were willing to consider that, though, and the Benz bombed in a 72 percent No Dice loss.

Image for article titled At $9,500, Is This 2003 Pontiac Bonneville SEEi A Bonnie Good Deal?

Of course, not all old cars are rare. And considering that the model name had been around since 1957, you wouldn’t expect the Pontiac Bonneville to be a particularly rare model of car at all. I’ll bet, however, that these days the only folks that give the model any consideration at all are those that currently own one. With its discontinuation following the 2005 model year, and Pontiac itself having gone down the tubes a few years later, it’s safe to say that those owners could be considered a special breed.

Should anyone want to join that band of brave and bold Bonneville boosters, this looks to be an excellent way into the club.

Image for article titled At $9,500, Is This 2003 Pontiac Bonneville SEEi A Bonnie Good Deal?

This Bonneville hails from the model’s tenth and final generation and was built on General Motors’ corporate G platform which at the time was shared with the likes of the Olds Aurora (dead), Cadillac Seville (dead too), and Buick Riviera (doornail poster child). According to the ad, the car comes with having had every option box checked and hence offers cool features like a heads-up display, a Monsoon sound system, and a moon roof.

Image for article titled At $9,500, Is This 2003 Pontiac Bonneville SEEi A Bonnie Good Deal?

As this is also the top-of-the-line SSEi model, it also comes with a supercharged edition of the 3.8 liter L67 V6. In the Bonneville, that made 240 horsepower and perhaps, more importantly, 280 lb-ft of torque. That’s mated to the standard four-speed automatic which sends the ponies to the front wheels.

Image for article titled At $9,500, Is This 2003 Pontiac Bonneville SEEi A Bonnie Good Deal?

In nearly 20 years time, those front wheels have only pulled the car a mere 62,000 miles. That’s peanuts and the car appears to be in almost as-new condition as a result. The Galaxy Silver paint still seems to be holding its own, as is the chrome on the factory alloys and the plastic lenses on the headlamps.

A heavy tint on the windows has probably helped the interior materials stave off time and the sun, although it should be pointed out that the plastics GM was using in this era were not the best they could be. Also, the Pontiac’s interior design could be considered a bit lurid and fussy for modern tastes. If you’re ok with it, then more power to you. Speaking of power, pretty much everything in this Bonneville, from the windows to the locks to the climate control are all power-operated or automatic.

The ad claims a new battery and shows all the original manuals, but doesn’t give us the car’s title status. That’s due to it being inexplicably posted under Craigslist’s General For Sale category rather than the more comprehensive Cars and Trucks. We can work with that since everything in the ad points to the car carrying a clear title. It also has a $9,500 price tag and it’s now incumbent upon you to comment and vote on whether you think that’s an appropriate amount for the car as it sits.

Image for article titled At $9,500, Is This 2003 Pontiac Bonneville SEEi A Bonnie Good Deal?

What do you say, is $9,500 a fair price for this Bonneville that seems so underused? Or, low miles or not, is that just too much to ask for a moribund brand’s defunct modelnamed after a long-dead sea?

You decide!

Denver, Colorado, , or go if the ad disappears.

H/T to mpssweeney for the hookup!

Help me out with NPOND. Hit me up at and send me a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your Kinja handle.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
At $59,995, Could This Modded 2009 Nissan GT-R Get You To Say ‘Go-Go-Godzilla?’
At $59,995, Could This Modded 2009 Nissan GT-R Get You To Say ‘Go-Go-Godzilla?’
If you’re going to drive an epic Nissan GT-R, you certainly don’t want a stock edition just like all your neighbors. Instead, you want a wild one-of-a-kind car like today’s custom. Let’s see how much you might pay for this level of exclusivity. You know, that Shakespeare was one...
Feb 28, 2026
At $195,000, Could This 2015 Panther WaterCar Be Fun If By Land And Two Times As Much If By Sea?
At $195,000, Could This 2015 Panther WaterCar Be Fun If By Land And Two Times As Much If By Sea?
With the threat of global climate change supposedly looming, there’s a strong possibility that many of our favorite coastal roads will eventually be under water. With today’s Panther Amphibious Car that won’t be a problem. Let’s see if its price will be. Colin Chapman is famous for his efforts...
Feb 28, 2026
Why Buy A Bugatti Centodieci When You Can Have This F-16 Fighter Jet For Less?
Why Buy A Bugatti Centodieci When You Can Have This F-16 Fighter Jet For Less?
The $8,878,800 (plus tax!) list price of the really makes you think. The fact that there’s a market for such a preposterous toy is a pretty clear indicator that some people are too rich. Then again–why would you park among peasants in one of these when I could hook...
Feb 28, 2026
Should The Average Buyer Really Care About Performance?
Should The Average Buyer Really Care About Performance?
As Jalopnik’s resident car buying expert and professional car shopper, I get emails. Lots of emails. I’ve decided to pick a few questions and try to help out. This week we are talking about buyer priorities, negotiating extended warranties on used cars, and performance ratios among trims. First up,...
Feb 28, 2026
$19.8 Million Sale Proves We Should All Go Back In Time And Buy A Warehouse Full Of McLaren F1s
$19.8 Million Sale Proves We Should All Go Back In Time And Buy A Warehouse Full Of McLaren F1s
There are certain cars whose values have shot up so much that we should all kick ourselves for not having filled warehouses with them decades ago. Air-cooled Porsche 911s and s come to mind, though one of the kings of collector-car appreciation has to be the McLaren F1, one...
Feb 28, 2026
The Lada Niva Refuses To Die, 42 Years And Counting
The Lada Niva Refuses To Die, 42 Years And Counting
If there was even a shred of hope for my objectivity, it was gone as soon as I climbed inside the 2019 Lada Niva, slammed its startlingly thin door shut, and felt the 84 horsepower engine rumble to life. Releasing the clutch, I heard the familiar ghost-like howl of the...
Feb 28, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved