2000 Bonneville cupholder: Worst cupholder design ever?

[Ken_W]

I dread taking my son to a fast-food restaurant, because there is NO ROOM for two drinks in my 2000 SLE's cupholder. We wind up having to take a quick gulp out of each drink and then shove them in at weird angles to make them barely fit.

I noticed that this design changed after only a model year or two. Thank goodness for that!

Has anybody ever seen a worse cupholder design? Does anybody have any tips or tricks on how to cope with what us 2000 model-year owners are stuck with?

Ken_W

[myfirstbonnie]

A lot of people do a console swap. Here is my post:

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=16022&hilit=console

[00Beast]

Upgrading to the 02+ style cupholder is the best solution. You could probably find those clip-on cupholders for the side of the console, but they would probably get in the way of your leg.

I feel your pain, I had a 2000 SSEi before I got my 03. They absolutely sucked. I don't think I've seen a worse design...

[Gumball]

even the newer models design sux, large soda cups from fast food places still dont fit side by side. I just let my passengers know that the holder is Mine

[00Beast]

Yeah, I have noticed that too Jim. Even two mediums from like McD's barely fit. 2-1L bottles fit fine in there tho.

[repinS]

92-99 in-door cupholders are pretty terrible as well.

[wjcollier07]

Although a 92-95 door will hold the drink much lower than the 96-99...which is WAY too shallow for its own good. Essentially made for no more than a coke can.

[bobtaz13]

What parts do you have to swap to upgrade the 00 & 01's?

I think the 87-91 had the worst cupholders. Wait there was none

[Night Crawler]

Here are bad cup holders (pic from the internet) I had a '99 grand am and i couldn't go put a drive thru cup in the cup holder unless I was in Drive. In park the shifter would push the cup against the climate controls or wouldn't go into park if you had a travel mug in it.

[00Beast]

bobtaz, you'll need the console assembly and the plate that goes where the cubby hole is and has the TC and Heated seat buttons, if you have heated seats.

[BlackHawk99]

even the newer models design sux

This. You're seriously not lying. I hate the cup holders in my 03.

[00Beast]

Just be glad you don't have an 00 or an 01 Mark....

[Ken_W]

Wow! After reading Night Crawler's post above about the 99 Grand Am, suddenly I don't feel so bad. That one surely takes first place in the "what the heck were you thinking" cupholder design contest.

I might have to look into an upgrade to the 2002-5 console. My traction control switch is busted out and fallen down into the console, so I'm going to have to spend some money on console parts anyway. The only thing holding that switch in place was a flimsy plastic bracket that could easily break. I wonder how common this is on other 00's and 01's...?

Ken_W

[swampthing]

One thing i did to improve after switching to the 2002+ style is pull out the rubber insert that gives you a good bit more room and it doesn't bother me any apperance wise

[CMNTMXR57]

The ones in my GTP (the Regal is the same) were terrible. It was a little flip out door back towards the console lid. They could hold some decent sized beverages, but if there was something there bigger than a can, you couldn't put your right arm down.

[Night Crawler]

in my 02 i only use the cup holder closest to the arm rest. a regular pop bottle sits in it and it barely comes over the arm rest. Which is great. But my phone usually sits in that holder while the other is used to hold club cards. The old emblems fit perfectly in these cup holders


I mainly put my drinks in the cup holders that are in the arm fold down arm rest in the back.

[00Beast]

My younger sister and I each got a large at McD's today. Needless to say she was holding hers while I drove, LOL.

[maduag]

Maybe pontiac was trying to prevent obesity from the get-go. Don't go to a drive through restaurant, and you won't need such a big cupholder

[viper79]

My younger sister and I each got a large at McD's today. Needless to say she was holding hers while I drove, LOL.

@ 00Beast - My wife does the same thing.

Guys, I also notice this before I bought the car and thought to myself...Bonnie or better cup holders....Bonnie or better cup holders....Bonnie or better cup holders....the pain, the agony. Does it really matter if they fit a couple of 42 or 32 oz of sodas? I just order the 20 oz soda W/O ice due to the fact you get the same when the 42 oz has ice in it. Don't get me wrong, but I will pick a Bonnie over those silly cup holders any day. But, if you need to have better fit for those large drinks...I agree with the swap. Or you could just get savvy and rob and mod other car parts off of other models.

[nos4blood70]

I never really use my cup holders for their actual purpose cause they're usually filled with crud like gum packets, pens, keys, and change.. If I ever have a drink it goes in the back and usually it's just water bottles...