When I had my 99, the front cupholder was for popcans and small coffees. 20oz bottles went alongside the seatbelt buckle, next to me in the seat. Arizone iced tea bottles would tip over when I got out, but anything smaller was usually fine.
The rear cupholder held the ashtray full of quarters for the tollway.
But yeah, the '99 cupholders weren't exactly good design. Better than some cars but hardly ideal. My '03 has a much better beverage control strategy