Oldsmobile Intrigue

jgriff · July 2001

one2one ::: another vote for Zaino, a little more work the first time around, but after that it is a breeze. I have not found anything that looks or works as good [Mequiars is the best OTC]. I place my second order [via check] just this last July 2nd, and received it on July 9, even with the July 4th holiday.

dindak ::: there is absolutely no-way that a Saturn L is faster and more fun to drive than a Camry/Accord. When was the last time you drove all 3 [back-to-back]. Granted a Camry may be a softer ride but it very quiet.

I did not want to say it point-blank, but ab348 is right Saturns are simply cheap, cheap-looking, cheap-feeling. I would recommend a defunct Olds Alero first, long before any Saturn. They really try to snowball you with all the customer attention, almost too superficial.

GM should have spent their $$$ more wisely, by improving on their existing divisions rather had rather then spending the BIG-Bucks to upstart a new one. Just think where Olds might be, if Olds had some of Saturns R&D money.

C&D ranked the Vette [C06] # 1 in a rag-top show down [Aug. issue] against some very tough Euro competition * very impressive * .

dindak · July 2001

Saturn L300 vs V6 Accord (soruce.. edmunds)

0-60 : 7.3 Saturn, 7.8 Accord
Slalom (mph) : 56.9 Saturn, 56.6 Accord
Skid pad (g's) : .83 Saturn, .82 Accord
MPG : 20.3 Saturn, 18.1 Accord.

Nuff said. Camry wouldn't be as good with soft ride for older folks.

Wow.. jgriff admitting a GM Corvette is "impressive". Big step Honda man.

one2one · July 2001

Is harlanc still lurking in the shadows? Wonder what he thinks about all the discussion going on over the past few months. After all, we have been in the top ten all week. Not bad for a division and car that's riding into the sunset.

one2one · July 2001

I actually like the new ones better regarding overall design. I like that they are flat, emphasizing the buldging wheel wells. I'm not a fan of the paint used. It doesn't have a metalic finish like the old ones had. Looks like they just painted them a flat silver. I think they look great in chrome. If I had a choice between the two (assuming no chrome), I'd take the new ones.

teo · July 2001

http://carreview.com/reviews/midsize_compacts/product_288.shtml

redline65 · July 2001

The old style wheels are a bit more agressive, IMO. They fill the wheel wells better. It's just too bad that the minivan uses the same wheels now.

b4z · July 2001

Old wheel and steering wheel were the same design, which i liked.
New wheels do look fairly good in chrome.

9899olds · July 2001

one2one::::::You are a tall person who resisted all the negative BS on this forum and showed us the way to another Intrigue; knowing that it ain't a cheap date..

I would appreciate if some of our very seldom posters who are also non-owners would stay away from telling us how great life is on the other side of the fence.. Ex-Intriguers owning a Yankee Doodle dandy type are always welcome..

I mentioned the Saturn this morning to build a little fire on the forum..naturally the owners of similiar type cars will trash the Saturn; because they purchased something else for 30% more which is vastly superior..

one2one and myself are the only repeat owners on this forum, with the exception of limadelta of California..It's a unique club with limited membership; maybe considered a bit whacky by some; but nevertheless we have taken the step..

I must take a drive a limbered-up demo to see what the difference is btw the 01 and the 99..

Again one2one--best of luck and get the oil changed at 1k miles and hold the speed down for the first 500 and then you can let it roll through the ranges..Break-in period is a little longer for the 3.5 for it has a few more parts to get seated..

b4z · July 2001

Seems like there are fewer aftermarket wheels available for GM cars. I am assuming the backspacing is far different from the other manufacturers so the wheel makers don't tool for GM cars.
Wheel selection for the wbody cars is not great.
And when i find one that i like it is a 7" wide wheel. Hardly bigger than what comes on the car. I want a 7.5 to 8" wide wheel so i can put some 245 section tires on and not have them rub the inner wheel well.
Tires.com has a better slection than tirerack but does not have the nifty deal where you can put the tires on a picture of your car.
Wheel selection for ford products is better. I guess it is from all those guys trying to make their mustangs handle and accelerate as fast as a stock Z28.

teo · July 2001

http://www.usatoday.com/money/bcovthu.htm

dindak · July 2001

teo : Lots of articles to read. Your Intrigue survey seems to indicate most dissatisfied owners had 98s and some 99s. Most (if not all) 2000 owners seemed very satisfied. I'm sure 2001 will be even better. As for the USA Today article, GM should indeed not stop making improvements to quality and efficiency. This is the first time I have been optimistic about the company's turn around. Taking market share from Ford is the first step. The second is the Japanese, especially in cars. I hope they can pull it off.

While I try and buy GM/Ford, I will not buy something I don't want. Like I've said before, if GM doesn't build something comparable to the Intrigue in the coming years I will go to the Maxima. Ford has nothing exciting to buy and I won't buy a Chrysler.

9899olds · July 2001

Teo::::::The article is right on target--sad but true--The Big 3 shrink again as predicted..

Headline:::::Detroit Free Press,7/13/01

"Imports carve deep into U.S. auto sales"

My continuing presence on this forum prohibits all discussions of a political nature or anything aimed at blasting imports or transplants..

It's tough to be silent having been involved with the automotive supplier side since 1968..

The CTS series due to debut 03 Model will feature a V-6 only..Caution to the any buyer is based on dealing with the Cadillac dealer for service.. There is nothing economical and once the warranty is gone be sure you carry a bag of money with you..

The CTS mission is to compete with the BMW 3 series and the MB C-Class.. WoW--now that is a large market???? Small cars, big prices, and lots of dealer trips to tweaky; this and that..

The current Intrigue with some tweaking is not too far away from teasing the 3 series or the C-Class and have a pile of money left to play the market..

For a $20K car one must admit it is big-time bargain; so good, everybody is afraid to buy one..

Impala comment::::the side molding is a real piece of junk; fit and finish could use some tweaking..

dindak::::::what happened to the Cambridge plant??? CAW in or out??

Caution::::Friday the 13th---better obey the speed limit today, buckleup, and don't use the cell while driving..

one2one · July 2001

9899olds brings up a good point. The Intrigue is not just a cheap date. In fact, the reason I got another one is because of the fact that I know what to expect. I'm not deluded into thinking that if I buy another (specifically Asian) brand that any problems will magically go away or that I'll have no problems at all with Asian brands.

I don't have the typical new car excitement--you know... "let's see how this baby works!" I already know how it works. When I picked it up I was telling the people at the dealership about the features when they were explaining them to me. They were wrong on a few points but so what.

After 80,000 miles of ownership and despite the problems, I still enjoyed driving the car. Friends were sure I hit the roof when the old one got smashed because all I ever talked about my "my ride". So with the 2001, I'm simply picking up where I left off, just with all the toys I wanted.

one2one · July 2001

Speaking of Asian perfection--Lexus perfection specifically--the July 9 Autoweek's long-term report of the IS300 had them in the dealer early to replace the ignition and all the locks in the car (so 2 keys wouldn't have to be used). They turned the car off but the radio stayed on.

Here's the point for the "Japanese cars are superior" club: Had that happened to ANY domestic car from Ford, Chrysler or GM, you'd say that it's just another example of poor American craftsmanship. But because it happened to, not just a Japanese car but a Lexus, you'd more than likely say that "it was a fluke. No car is perfect." Despite "the relentless pursuit of perfection".

This isn't to say that the IS300 is a poorly built car. But it does show that any car can have it's problems. The recurring problems in the Intrigue have been fixed (don't think Toyota with their blown struts on brand new Camrys are immmune to recurring problems--check the forum) yet it still gets badmouthed.

So while the Intrigue isn't perfect, neither are those that it competes with. Although I still think GM can raise the bar higher.

one2one · July 2001

As I do my daily commute, I'm noticing more things that are different between when the car first came out and now.

In '98, Olds used Teflon on the stalks for the turn signal and wiper stalks. It gave it a luxury feel. I remember it distinctly because I came out of a Camry into the Intrigue. The Camry's stalks felt "clunky" by comparison. From my tactile senses, it feels that they have stopped using teflon.

Also, it takes a little more muscle to hit the horn. Or maybe I just knew where the best spot was on the old one.

Fit and finish are much improved over 98. Not that it really bothered me in the first place.

Mentioned it before but it's worth repeating for those who may have had a problem with it and dropped Intrigue off their list. The trunk is much easier to close. In 98 you needed to climb on the top of the car and jump down to shut the trunk :-) Now it closes with the ease of a hinged trunk without the damaging effect of hinges.

I'd forgotten how much I didn't like the stock Goodyears. They handle pretty well but protest a little in hairpin turns. I had gotten so used to the Pilots that I expected the GYs to be the same. Not annoying enough to replace them yet. But when the time comes, Pilots are going on this one too.

Another feature of the trunk that I either overlooked on the '98 or (I'm almost sure) wasn't there is an inside trunk release. So if you get "jacked" and tossed in the trunk, a glow-in-the-dark handle is inside for you to pull and get out. Must come as standard as a windshield because I didn't see it anywhere as an option.

9899olds · July 2001

swagled::::I always assumed the suspension on all Intrigue models is identical?????

Maybe I missed something!!!

one2one::::::PSC or not?????

dindak · July 2001

Toyota 299
Honda 318
Buick 340
Cadillac 360
BMW 377
Oldsmobile 380
Nissan 419
Mazda 438

Not a huge difference is problems. While the severity of the problems is not specified, GM is not that far behind. 10 years ago is not 2001. Things have changed a lot.

one2one · July 2001

Don't have PCS. Thought I would miss it but this car is no slouch with the 3.05. Would still have liked to get it but knew my choices would be limited. Would have considered a GLS just to have it and the chrome wheels but that sunroof isn't kind to my noggin.

zinc1 · July 2001

In case you haven't seen the article yet.

one2one · July 2001

Just goes to show the incompetence of GM execs. They aren't selling because they're going out of business. They're giving people a reason to buy them. Had they done this thing with the warranty and rebates only 2 years ago we'd be talking about the next generation Olds.

b4z · July 2001

The intrigue strut design will continue to be a problem unless an aftermarket manufacturer redesigns it.
I could put up with the other problems the intrigue had, but not the clunky and popping suspension.

teo · July 2001

I can number lots of 'chintzy' fit and finish items that I have observed on the GM ultimate driving machine.

Back in early 2000, my Olds/Chevy dealer was pushing hard to deviate my attention from a Silver Impala LS in the showroom to an ocean of still unsold Intrigues in the dealer's backlot. At the time they had heavely discounted '99's and factory fresh 2000's with the recently introduced PCS.

The sales person pulled on in front of the showroom for me to test drive. I believe it was a silver GLS/leather/rear wing, nice car. I drove it and really enjoy it....but once I had an opportunity to closely inspect each corner in the car I was in for a dissapointment. Horribly finished trunk liner, misaligned front doors, misaligned hood, creaky center console, flimsy door trim panels and other imperfections that caught my eye. I was under the impression that the sample I had taken for a test was the only one like that. I checked other 3 cars with my salesperson and they were the same if not worst. I pointed out to him most of these manufacturing defects.

He kept insisting on seeling me a PCS equipped Intrigue for $2,500 under sticker. I said no, I still like the Impala LS better. They would not bulge more than $500.00 on the Impala. I told him, that while the Intrigue was a nice drive the car was no where near $24,000 in my book due to the sloppy fit and finish. The Impala LS was better finished by comparison and almost $2.5K cheaper than the Intrigue GLS.

Sorry, but the Fairfax Kansas plant still needs to take a full re-training on how to properly finish a premium automobile. The Canucks up in Oshawa, Ontario do a much better job at finishing their products with even gaps between body panels.

Perhaps Intrigue production was better left to the Oshawa plant than the sloppy Fairfax operation.

jgriff · July 2001

9899olds ::: Ok then I still qualify as an owner of a USA vehicle. Last year I bought my wife a used 89 Chevy Beretta to get to and from work [just a couple of miles]. She manages one of those home improvement retail meccas, therefore cart dings are very common happening. Got a very well cared for [132k miles] from a one-owner friend [otherwise I would have past]. The A/C works very nice for being 12 years old. I will not go into the up & downs of this particular make and vintage, it is getting the job done cheaply [for now].

GM/Ford/DC ,,, I will say that if someone put a gun to my head and said pick a domestic car, hands down it would be a GM brand. After years of dismal experiences, Ford & DC are of NO interest to me.

I also have to admit I have been tempted to go test drive a new 2001 Intrigue, just to see if is vastly improved over the 98. But I do not think I would be apt to sign on the dotted line for one again [once was enough for me].

9899olds · July 2001

I figured a little jabbing at the Impala drivers would wake up our Flordia friend.. Agree that the Intrigue is a little sloppy in certain areas; but the material quality is a cut above the Impala..

The Intrigue doors panels are big-time breathers and I am still amazed that my panels have not popped off..

I am somewhat fussy; but not fanatical..My main bag is that everything works, and no vibrations at speed. The rattle or a creak does not spoil the day..A rattle or a creak in the Caddy would tend to get my attention because according to the economic scale it is a NO-NO..

Truthfully the Intrigue is a very noisy car compared to a the Caddy; but at 100 give me the Intrigue..

The lack of any performance options on the Impala is really an insult to its hertiage.. I assume the SS MC uses some of the suspension goodies and the speed-rated tires are a give away to the 125+ area.. Chevy and some of their NASCAR paint themes are pure nonsense..other descriptions would bring protests..

dindak · July 2001

teo : Impala has it's faults. Interior design is poor. Rear lights are ugly. Base models look cheap. While Intrigue could have better fit and finish, it's still a cut above Impala in function and over all style.

jgriff : No response to my Saturn vs Honda number. Wonder why.

9899olds : Impala is a performance and style disappointment. I was hoping for a lot more when GM announced it's come back. It's an ok car, just nothing special.

teo · July 2001

"The lack of any performance options on the Impala is really an insult to its hertiage.. "

That the same BS argument supported by the Mid 1990's Caprice SS (That was a Caprice poised as an Impala) fanatics that sound like crybabies because they no longer can buy a B-body whaled styled rig with V8 and RWD....

The Impala in its origins was meant to be a sporty family car. Most 1960's models were plain Jane sedans with 6-in line engines and RWD, because that's what was only available at the time. The SS versions were the high performance units equipped with monster V8 powerplants. But these fanatics seem to forget these tidbits about the Impala history.

Fast forward to the 21st century. The middle ground family sedan market is made up of......Yes! you got it right FWD and V6 sedans. That's what buyers want today. Very few buyers in this segment are interested in gas burning V8 beasts with RWD, except Muscle car lovers and purists.

The current Impala is faster or about the same (With the 3800) and handles better than the late B-body Caprice, no comparison there due to the weight differences and suspension calibration.

The car is faithful to the TRUE meaning of the Impala nameplate...a nicely equipped sporty family sedan at a Chevy price. I don't understand why the Impala name brings up images of some sort of exotic high performance sedan when this car has really never been that.

In the absence of the SS badge, V8 and RWD the current Impala is selling pretty well and its outselling most of its W-body cousins.

With the advent of the 2003 Mercury Marauder (or spiffed up Grand Marquis) hopefully the GM brass will re-think their decision of axing the return of the Impala SS in the current W-body format. GM scrapped the project last year citing torque steer problems when sending 300+ horses to the front wheels on such compact platform. I have never seen a W-body with a V8 engine and I doubt the W platform was ever meant to house a V8 in it.

The SS protype shown last year had a LS1 detuned Corvette/Camaro SS engine (5.7L V8) coupled to the 4T80-E FWD 4-speed auto found in most Cadillacs.

Another problem is price. Currently you can get a nicely equipped Impala base sedan (3400 V6 and seating for six) for about $17K with the current $1K rebate in the southeast region. This clearly undercuts the Honda Accord LX which sells for 18K with automatic. An Impala LS nicely optioned can be had for about $22.5K. The Impala SS will push the price to near $30K taking it out of range of most buyers in this category.

Gas prices + insurance costs are another important consideration.

So if the Impala insults its heritage, the Intrigue double insults GM/Olds history of high performance muscle sedans (Remember the 442 Hurst??)...Where is the RWD/V8 and 4-speed manual mashed to the floor??

The irony is that the supporters of Lolita the whale 94-96 Impala SS bad mouthed the car when it first came out in 1994 because it didn't have a manual transmission and a tachometer...go figure!

Today these fanatics either drive Corvettes, Camaros or SUVs.

teo · July 2001

You obviously haven't own an Impala and don't know what you are talking about. The ergonomics of the Impala are actually much better than most cars in its immediate class. Everything falls in hand without taking your eyes of the road.

Style is highly subjective and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For once I like the huge Impala Butt...looks mean! I like the Intrigue but hate the ugly front end Saturnish treatment.

If the Intrigue was SO GREAT then why the Impala outsells it day in and day out?

jgriff · July 2001

dindak ::: well I was just not sure how to response to your numbers. OK, so according to Edmunds the Saturn is a half second faster than the Accord and get a couple MPG better. This on paper YES, but what is a persons feel and perception once you come away from a test drive. To me the Accord just looks and feels more solid.

However [last year] I test drove a Camry right after an Accord, and then promptly dismissed the Accord. My wife included thought she want the seemly inexpensive Saturn-L until I got her to test drive the Camry. The Saturn is not in the ball park as the Camry & Accord, it wants to be, mine you, but it is NOT even close.

Are you saying that you would rather drop 23k plus on a Saturn over an Camry or Accord? Good luck with the depreciation and resale value my friend. Too many people think the L looks too much like its little brothers and sisters, and have a hard time spending that kind of dough for a Saturn.

white6 · July 2001

I was reading up on the KYB adjustable struts and came across this; thought you might be interested in reading...

http://128.242.37.209/shocks/dboots.html

one2one · July 2001

Teo, you bring up an interesting subject. It's true that the majority of sub-luxury cars are front wheel drive. But is that really what people want?

Let's go back, shall we? In the late 70's/early 80's people fought against front wheel drive citing, among other reasons, that it was unreliable. Nope, people wanted real wheel drive.

Now they want front wheel drive. What happened. These are the same people who balked at the idea. The younger generations had no choice. But we're talking people old enough to remember numerous rear-wheel drive vehicles, even if they weren't old enough to drive them.

What people want is dictated by Detroit, Tokyo and Madison Ave. Front wheel drive's virtue isn't its foul weather capability. That's not why they did it. It was to lighten the weight of the car so it could meet EPA(CAFE?) standards.

But since people hated the technology, the boys & girls in the advertising dept extolled the virtues of foul weather driving and downplayed the lack of durability of front wheel drive. Now, they've got so many people duped into believing that FWD is the best thing since Goobers that they don't know anything else.

Now that technology is available to provide bad weather traction w/RWD and still satisfy the EPA, the Big 3 are going back to the RWD setup. Keep in mind MB and BMW never changed and people have no problem forking over big cash for them. So the challenge now is to reprogram the public to believe that they can still have the control of FWD (most drivers are so uninformed that they don't realize they actually lost control with FWD) with the performance of RWD.

My feelings are that I'd prefer RWD over FWD. As far as how that relates to the Impala, I was very disappointed about what they did to it. It may have started out as an affordable sports family sedan but what it evolved into is why people bought it. Look at the 300M. It was created the same way the Impala was at the same time period. When Chrysler ressurected it, they tried as much as possible to retain the original characteristics despite FWD. Chevy could have done the same. Even though Chevy may have had a performance version as well as a standard machine, now there isn't even a sport edition. Plenty of superchargers in the parts bin to be shared by all. So Chevy doesn't have to use a V-8. That's just an excuse. Pontiac and Buick are doing just fine without a V-8 in their performance machines.

tpken · July 2001

You're so right about the Impala always having been a mainstream car for the American family - with a sports edition available for those preferring extra ponies. The present edition does the same thing very well for the typical family sedan buyer - offer a great car with a little extra in terms of features for a very competitive price.

Cutlass took over for Impala as the mainstay family ride in the 70s into 80s but then Olds lost it's direction. Impala has the torch back.

I like the present Intrigue very much - IMO the best looking Olds in the line-up (if not the entire midsized field) and a great automobile - but has been a bit pricey up to now I think.

Have a great weekend - we've been experiencing typical Fla style T storms around here in New England lately - but fortunately not Fla heat!

Ken

teo · July 2001

Is a flop for the most part....expensive, FWD, underpowered and dubious quality. Besides the 300M is tauted as a near luxury automobile in the High $20's price bracket. DCX has already announced that it will scrap their Cab Forward design in favor of RWD and a different more down to earth design approach.

I fail to understand what is dissapointing about the current Impala? Specifics?

Is selling pretty well last time I checked and the owners seem to be a happy bunch in despite of some first year problems.

one2one · July 2001

My personal reasons for not looking at the Impala:

-no Automatic Climate Control (primary reason)
-interior looks cheap. Better word should be "economy". It's not a Kia but could be better.
-can't stand the square design theme
-looks like a Malibu on steroids (2nd biggest reason)
-wanted the 3.5L engine (and glad I made the choice on that)

As far as the M goes, I'm not talking about sales, satisfied owners or anything relating to it. I'm talking strictly mechanics. Sales may not be where they want, but people are buying them. And plans are on track for a 300N. The thing is, at least Chrysler attempted to bring performance to its FWD marque. Chevy tries to stuff a V-8, doesn't work then throws their hands up in failure saying it can't be done.

Just so that you know where I'm coming from, I would have put aside all the above reasons and purchased an Impala SS if they had been able to shoehorn the V-8 into it. I want a car that 1. I fit into and 2. is fun to drive. The rest are subjective options.

b4z · July 2001

Agree with most of what you said.
FWD had advantages of packaging, weight and fuel efficiency.
Don't care what the rice burners say. FWD can never hold a candle to RWD. Torque steer and under steer immediately come to mind.
The camaro/firebird are the only rear wheel drive passenger cars in GMs stable.
FWD has practically killed Cadillac.
The luxury car audience demands RWD, the midsize crowd could care less.
My impala by the way has huge torque steer. Pulled out of a side road last night onto a 55 mph highway and the steering fought me the whole way while i accelerated and changed into the left lane.
I can only imagine what a handful a 300 hp fwd impala ss would have been like.

teo · July 2001

"My impala by the way has huge torque steer. Pulled out of a side road last night onto a 55 mph highway and the steering fought me the whole way while i accelerated and changed into the left lane."

Did you mash the accelerator to the floor?. I think the Impala is one of the few FWD/V6 with very well controlled torque steer behavior. Oh well...

dindak · July 2001

teo : Although the ergonomics my be fine, the look of the dash (especially the base models with the shifter on the steering shaft) is strait out of the 80's. Dated and utilitarian come to mind. The LS is better, but not much. Ya, Impala out sells the Oldsmobile but base Impalas make up the majority of sales and they are thousands less than an Intrigue. Impalas are also sold to the police, cab companies and rental fleets. I suppose it is a good value for the masses, but the Intrigue is just simply more fun to drive and just a a little classier. I didn't say I didn't like it. I'm just saying the Intrigue is a cut above.

Jgriff : We weren't discussing "feelings". We were discussing performance. FACT is, L300 outperforms and handles as good or better with less fuel. Yes, I realize Honda makes very solid cars but your "ball park" is tainted and your attempt to detract from the main topic with re-sale arguments don't change the performance numbers.

Seems to me the Accord looks just like it's little sister the Civic. Don't think Honda and Toyota are winning any design awards. Would I buy a Saturn over a Honda/Toyota........ sure would! Better service, price and performance. Saturn resale has been excellent and if I don't think it will be I'd lease at 0.9%!!

jg28 · July 2001

I like the new wheel design but they are a bit** to clean. I think they look classy and give the car a forward motion look.

I installed my Cabin Air Filter. That was rather difficult. Had to just pull on one of the screws because they don't unscrew. But the main bolt holds the piece in place anyhow. I'm glad to have filtered air and already notice a difference especially when I first turn on the A/C and it doesn't blow dust.

I was SO IMPRESSED with the service rep at my dealer. When I went to get the filter, he addressed me by name and asked how I was. VERY IMPRESSIVE since I haven't been there since March. (Maybe I have a reputation for being picky, I dunno). Nevertheless, I was impressed. I've always liked him, even when he's telling me they couldn't find anything wrong.

Seems I'll be taking her back in though. Had the car surge yesterday when I was pulling into a parking space. Scared the sh** outta me. I've been having little bouts of it but just thought it was normal. I think somethings wrong with the transmission. Is there a TSB on that? I know someone else mentioned he had a problem with it.

Thanks for the KYB article. I think I'll look into replacing my strut mounts? See if that helps. I wonder how much I could get for the used Eagles (with 20K on them) to replace them with pilots.

I'm also going to ask about the wheel liners being installed aftermarket.

One thing I FORGOT to check on my sister's car is to see if the doors "breathe" when the window goes down. As I said, the doors seemed heavier, so I wonder if they've put additional insulation in them for 2001. I sure like my auto gas lock though. Don't know why they got rid of that for 2001.

jgriff · July 2001

dindak ::: No doubt the Cam&Cords are very basic design, nothing to get excited about and they are everyway, a dime a dozen [interested in seeing the 02 Camry]. I personally like something that is a little different from the crowd, [however not a upper ego luxury box like Lexie, Bimmer, or MB], which is why I had opt for the Intrigue back in 99.

RWD / FWD : I know the plus & minus of both of these setups, aside from being more expensive, I like the concept of AWD. Getting the best of both worlds. I for one do not trust RWD in the winter, and have yet to drive any of the latest & greatest that would prove otherwise, to be a worthy asset in the rain, snow & ice.

Man, are cars not a great subject for people [guys mostly] to discuss?

Everyone has their thoughts & opinions. I think everyone can somewhat agree on the BEST & WORST of the lots, it is everything in-between that gets all of the heated debate.

htwired · July 2001

Regarding the recent thread, I don't understand why GM doe not offer a rwd four door performance sedan. BMW fills this niche with cars costing $50-$70k Clearly there is a demand for this kind of vehicle and as one2one points out the technology now exists to produce a rwd car that drives safely in bad weather conditions. Most of the GM muscle cars of the 1960's (although two doors) had styling, performance and the capacity to accommodate four people. GM all but abandoned the performance market during the Roger Smith era and with rare excetion (the Intrigue being one of them) GM has few exciting performance orinented sedans. JG28 did you install a replacement filter to a preexisting filtration system or did you install the entire system? Is it possible to install an after market filtration system?

ab348 · July 2001

You mean, like this?

http://www.gmme.com/chevrolet_cars/caprice/caprice_ss.htm

teo · July 2001

Been there done that. You are looking at a long wheel base Cadillac Catera with a big V8 and a Bowtie attached to the front grill.

Nice car indeed.

one2one · July 2001

Now I'd pay money for that! (don't know what else I would use :-)

teo · July 2001

Is where it is sold as a Chevy Caprice. You can also buy it as the Holden caprice in the land down under...

9899olds · July 2001

teo:::::Most Chevies in the 60s were I-6s; wakeup my hero and take a deep breath..They were sticking V-8s into any thing that had four wheels..Had a 60 Impala conv.. new w/348ci V-8, 64 Impala 4dr V-8, 68 Impala 2dr V-8, and 69 Impala 4dr V-8, all purchased new and ran a few miles.. Also had a 61 Biscayne 4dr stick/shift I-6 and a 63 BelAir 4dr auto I-6, also all purchased new..

The SS Impalas of the 94-96 were great cars and the resale value is outstanding..I struggled to stay away but the damn thing was longer than the Cadillac and my side of the garage was cramped because the queenie needed her space. I get the small space in the 2 1/2 car garage..Just had the plaster all patched in the garage and the entire interior two coated with white..Looks like a surgical room..junked everything I could get my hands on..

The old time Impalas were movers and great cars.. The little 3.4 V-6 is okay to push the Aleros and GrandAms but it's nothing but a price leader in the Impala..

The cars of today are basically dull with only more dullier prospects due in the future.. The rantings of the enviros and the other factions will temper any movement..The cars were killed back in the 70s with the engery bit,emission stds, bumper stds, and general increased costs to make the car idiot-proof.. I don't really care to go back into the bag of worms but somehow you all should know/realize today's car is a dull piece of transportation..

Now I can't talk in depth about it because of the restrictions placed on forum subjects..

The Intrigue is about the only piece of affordable domestic excitement left..The Zs, Trans Ams, Vettes, and Mustangs still are able provide some pleasure but they are disappearing..

Before I would buy a Impala, I would certainly try out the R/T Intrepid..

Another item which surfaces every time a new engine comes out is the question of offering of a manual 5/6 stick would sure make the car a hit..The market for manual shift is not large and transmissions are expensive to design and produce in limited quantities..Ask Ford and the SHO nearly died until the auto came along for the V-6..

jgriff::::I will not get into a discussion involving the foreign offerings..I am a totally domestic oriented user and our guys have been the backbone of this country for 100 yrs and I ain't bailing out ever.....period..Thanks!!!

htwired · July 2001

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is exactly what I am talking about. Had the caprice been available last year I would not be the proud owner of an Intrigue.

redline65 · July 2001

teo - ever thought about importing one of those Caprice SS's from Saudi or Australia?

jgriff - you purchased your Intrigue in '99? Was it a '98 or '99 model? What was the build date? Also curious what trim line (GX, GL, GLS) and options you had (3.8 or 3.5, Autobahn package?).

teo · July 2001

One can dream! Sure, but our EPA regulations, customs and CAFE have put enough barriers in place to ensure that these beasts never cross over our borders.

b4z · July 2001

You and i are both happy impala owners.
Please don't feel like you need to defend it everytime someone posts something even the slightest bit negative.
Let it pass.

9899olds · July 2001

Will guarantee you dull expensive cars forever, for they must be feel good autos..

Cure for warped rotors>>>>>>do not have the tires rotated...works great..15k miles since rotation and no pulsating..

white6:::::Thanks for the tip on struts but we will leave that to the next owner. The Z is the next move..

lee18 · July 2001

Intrigue was my first FWD car, although I had driven plenty of rental and company FWD cars before.

In an area where snow and ice dominate for at least 4 months of the year, traction is very important. RWD cars just don't cut it under those conditions. It doesn't matter what kind of computerised traction control you put on them, when only about 1/3 of the car's weight is on the driven wheels, you can't get aggressive traction. At best, traction control on RWD cars eliminates the need to 'finesse' the gas pedal.

I live in a housing complex with a sloping road between my driveway and the main street. With my RWD cars I often couldn't get up the hill without a running start so I had to go down to the bottom of the hill and turn around. Limited slip differentials, Michelin snow tires, and sand bags in the trunk were of little help.

The difference with the Intrigue (w/o PCS) was like night and day. It barrels straight up the slope with no slipping and I've never had to go to the bottom and turn around.

I resisted FWD for years, partly because of the reliability problems and expense of repairs, but mostly because I HATE torque steer.

I would not buy a car with noticeable torque steer. Fortunately, among all its other benefits the Intrigue has virtually no torque steer (this is the 3800, the 3.5L I'm told is not so lucky).

For whatever reason the auto industry decided to change to FWD it sure has made a huge improvement for me and I won't be going back, at least for any car I have to drive in the winter.

Oldsmobile Intrigue

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