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?-May 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
I Want Something With V8 Power, But It Has To Be Different! What Car Should I Buy?
I Want Something With V8 Power, But It Has To Be Different! What Car Should I Buy?
Zach has a 2004 WRX wagon that is getting up there in age. He wants to change it up and try something with V8 power, but he doesn’t want the usual suspects of Camaro, Mustang, Challenger, etc… With a $30,000 budget, what car should he buy? (Welcome back to...
May 15, 2026
At $19,500, Could You Make Friends With This 1969 Citroën Ami 6 Break?
At $19,500, Could You Make Friends With This 1969 Citroën Ami 6 Break?
Today’s Citroën is a wagon, which in France is often referred to as a Break. Let’s see if this rare-in-the-U.S. longroof is priced not to break the bank. The holiday season is in full swing and yesterday we formally welcomed December with a that would likely prove a holiday...
May 15, 2026
The Ford Maverick Hybrid Is Already Sold Out
The Ford Maverick Hybrid Is Already Sold Out
The Ford Maverick is, unquestionably, one of the coolest trucks on sale today. It’s a reasonable size, a reasonable price, and . Its most interesting variant, however, was : The hybrid Maverick is no longer available to order. , a forum that once again proves , first spotted a...
May 15, 2026
The Panoz Roadster Is What Happens When A Mustang Grows Up To Be A Sports Car
The Panoz Roadster Is What Happens When A Mustang Grows Up To Be A Sports Car
What’s the first car you think of if you’re looking for a cheap enthusiast car from the 1990s? There’s a good chance your brain just threw up a picture of a Fox Mustang in your mind’s eye. Ford made hundreds of thousands of those front-engine rear-drive machines, and while...
May 15, 2026
At $17,500, Would You Capture This 2002 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning In A Bottle?
At $17,500, Would You Capture This 2002 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning In A Bottle?
With the Ranger Splash and today’s SVT Lightning, Ford declared the step-side to be the sporty truck of choice. Let’s see if we agree and whether or not this hot F-150 comes with a price that’s just as agreeable. There were so many issues with yesterday’s that a few...
May 15, 2026
California Car Dealer Sues BMW And Mercedes Over Lease Buyout Restrictions
California Car Dealer Sues BMW And Mercedes Over Lease Buyout Restrictions
If you were leasing a car, there was a time when you could trade that leased car to any dealership instead of giving it back to the brand you got it from. Due to the used car shortage, several automakers are no longer allowing these third-party lease buyouts, and...
May 15, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved