I'm considering buying a 01 SSEi, to replace my much loved 95 SSEi which died a horrible death from an engine fire. :( When I test drove it, it seems very sluggish in 1st when taking off from a stop. Even when I put my foot into it it just didn't take off like it should. Once it got going it seemed to shift and perform normally. Is this something I should really be worried about? Any ideas about what could be the problem?
The rest of the car looks as good as the day it was made. Clean engine, no obvious oil or coolant leaks. Thanks for any and all advice.

Was the supercharger belt on?

The Series 2 engine, particularly in the newer heavier body, will feel sluggish oof the line compared to your 95 SSEi for two reasons:

1. The 95 peaked it'* torque lower in the rpm band. They are known for their grunt.

2. The newer Bvilles have torque management in the PCM that limits what pounding you put to the trans. It can be defeated with an aftermarket PCM and simply disconnecting the WSS'*.

Having had/been in both..

If the 01 feels sluggish in comparison off the line, I would be looking under the hood. Might be as small as a vacuum leak and might be larger like a missing belt. WillWren has very valid points if you are referring to baking the tires off the car. The 95 PCM was much less restricted in the amount of power allowed to the wheels.

The supercharger belt was on, that was the 1st thing I checked.
While I was test driving it, I had to stop for traffic light on a moderate hill. Once the light turned green, I literally had to put the gas pedal half way or more down to get the car to start moving. The trans flluid was a nice reddish color and filled to level.I know transmissions generally aren't something Bonne'* have problems with, but I don't want to buy something that will need $$$$ to fix later.

Find another booster 00+ bonnie to test drive and see if you get the same results. That should let you know if its normal or not.

I hate to be a wet blanket you are at the altitude and I have found like you being up here it is harder to get going with out some work. I have a regal if you feel froggy you could come up to cheyenne and you will understand what i mean

edit: if it is silver with a gray interior and has 100k+ I would stay away from it I test drove one down there just like that and didn't like what I saw or felt