The flashy dashboard driver information center on our test car had a high-tech attitude. An overhead diagram of the vehicle illuminated prior to ignition for a quick look at all of the systems being monitored: oil level and pressure, battery voltage, coolant temperature and level, washer fluid level, parking brake, traction control, hood ajar, trunk ajar and the list goes on. This preflight test also gave us a peek at the entire spectrum of directional indicators on the calibrated compass-a nifty graphic device with a rotating axis that showed which direction we were pointed.At first, we fell victim to the too-many-choices syndrome when we encountered the myriad of options offered by the console's Power-seat system. Besides the obvious (forward, back, up and down) the seat tilted and rocked to adjust its angle relative to the floor. Plus, for the skeletally sensitive, there were three lumbar-support buttons in high, medium and low positions-a thoughtful addition. The front bucket seats had classy leather on the seating surfaces and vinyl on the sides. An additional set of stereo controls was mounted on the leather-wrapped steering wheel. This might be handy for the easily distracted driver, but the buttons felt flimsily mounted and seemed easily breakable. In fact, they were almost superfluous; unlike so many vehicles, the SSE allows full access to the dash-mounted stereo knobs without having to reach around the gear shift-kudos to Pontiac engineers for this conscientious touch. The rear seats, meanwhile, were comfortable and spacious enough for two adults and a child. The fold-down, rear-seat console was one of the roomiest and sturdiest we've seen, with two modular cupholders and a storage bin. And the rear-seat headrests were so ergonomically designed that you could take a nap and awake without any displaced vertebrae. A dour note on the climate control: The Bonneville SSE does not permit the driver to choose from which vents the air will flow. This baffled and annoyed us.
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