Need a new daily driver under 5k 99bonne or 97gtp?
 

I need to get a cheap DD for now. I found a mint 99 bonneville SSE only problem is that is has 125k on it and he wants $5800. It is beyond clean. Other choise is a 97 gtp with 110k on it for $3500. Red and pretty clean for its age no dings, dents etc. well upkept by a GTP loyal fan. If I can get the bonneville for around 4200 and the gtp for 3500 what would you get? or should I not get either because of high milage? I had a 94 SSE and loved it, never had a supercharged gtp. Both cars are fully loaded with all options.

Not sure about your area, but the price for the Bonneville seems a little high to me. The price for the GTP sounds actually a tad low. Almost two years ago I paid 5000 for my car with 105,000 on the ticker.

Personally Id go for the GTP, cause im developing a closet case of boost envy. The 97 GTPs do have a few bugs I think, because that was the first year for them, but I dont know of anything catastrophic you need to worry about.

That sort of mileage on a well kept car isnt really much to worry about, especially with both the cars you mentioned. The engine should last far longer than you would ever need it too.

I say go for the GTP, but thats just me talkin. Drive both and see which one you like better. If you can afford 5800, buy the GTP for 3500 and then sink the rest into mods :twisted:

thats a tough question.. it all depends on you want more room, power or gas millage

my gtp got well over 30mpg highway where as my sle only got about 26-27 but my sle had alot more room... but my gtp had alot more power..

my sle was alot cheaper on insurange then the gtp.....

then look at the cost diff... you want to spend 3500 for a car or 4500....

Acutually my other option was a 01 intrigue with 30k on it for 6300. How reliable are the 3.5L motors? I love the 01 + auroras and they are going for around 7k here.

Bonne vs GTP really comes down to comfort and features vs power

agreed. my biggest gripe with the GTP is the cheap feel to the interior, the buttons, and misc plastic parts, they just dont feel as durable or as well built as the Bonnies

97 GP did not have traction control. That was added for 98. There were a couple other nuances that made them less desireable. For me, i'd go with the bonneville. Doesn't seem too bad for price, maybe a tad high. The GTP doesn't sound bad, but it does have a very cheap feeling (brother has a 98 GP GT that I am referencing from)

which has the most major work done that you won't have to do (brakes, tires, tune up, etc)

oh, and the insurance on the bonneville will be much less than the GTP, especially if you are under 25.

I'm with Bill, Aaron, and JimmyFloyd...I'd personally go with the Bonneville. You'll get alot more car for your money.

That sounds about the right price for the GP. These cars depreciate very quickly.

The GTP is a mechanically solid car, but you may run in to a lot of little annoying problems. Here are some problems I've had with my car:

- Wiper motor broke
- Key used to get stuck in the ignition, but that problem worked itself out
- Blower motor gets squeaky periodically when it's very cold outside.
- Broke the stock front swaybar just before I upgraded to the heavy duty one.

Some downsides of the GTP overall:

- Stock suspension is poor. The swaybars are weak, and there is no strut bar. The trailing arms look like they are made of folded paper. I upgraded to the GMPP kit and the handling is very nice now, much better than my old 95 SSE Bonnie.
- It has more squeaks and rattles than the Bonnie. The Bonnie is a flagship car, and is much more refined.
- Headlamp output sucks ... I mean it really sucks. Bad.

Upsides of the GTP:

- A tad quicker than the SSEi counterpart. Some "factory freaks" have been proven to dip in to the mid to lower 14's completely stock.
- Handles a lot better than the Bonnie because of better weight distribution, but I highly recommend upgrading the sway bars.
- Amazing gas mileage on the freeway. I can get over 30mpg.
- Women love this car.
- With a few cosmetic mods, it really turns heads.
- With that said, there is a huge aftermarket for stuff beyond the powertrain.

Upsides of the Bonnie:

- Smoother ride.
- Very well built, less little problems.


With both cars, you are getting a solid powertrain and an overall pretty reliable car. If you are not in to much performance, I'd say go for the Bonnie.