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Oldsmobile Aurora

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Comments

  • pizza442pizza442 Member Posts: 110
    Just got my new battery in today. When I parked the car for the weekend, it would still start slowly, but was dead (click, click) this morning. My dealer buddy got the new Delco in within a few hours. Lists just under $150, my wholesale cost $105 plus tax.When I popped the rear seat, the battery in there looked new! But as it was a Delco "Freedom", it was off the assemblyline. The charge eye was still "green", but apparently that only reads one cell. Mine had a bad cell and was two months short of 7 years old! Very heavy battery.
  • wingnut396wingnut396 Member Posts: 50
    Zinc,

    I posted where I got a quote from AAA Rims for center caps at $25 per on your board. They are new aftermarkets types.

    Seems like a reputable company, but I have never dealt with them before, or really talked to anyone who has.

    BTW, thank god your board is threaded. I really hate wading through these flat boards..
  • redskin024redskin024 Member Posts: 110
    DREW>>>>> toss me some info on your carfax report, where it was registered in NY, etc. ill let you know whyafter i see the dmv city.

    also if you could tell me the color combo, thanks.
  • stylin19stylin19 Member Posts: 4
    It's been awhile since I've been here. Good to see all the classic customization goin on.

    I own a 97 Aurora, bought 10/00...42k miles. Bought a warranty from [b]Auto Connection[/b]. 800 bucks/no deductible/bumper to bumper including wear and tear.

    They were to bill my credit card x amount a dollars per month, for 6 months, until paid in full. by that time, the OEM warranty would have run out. Coverage with this warranty was to be effective immediately ( for $49.00 ) on 11/01/00.

    A/C went down the flusher 6/01. Called Auto Connection, they said I hadn't paid in full= no coverage. Turns out, they stopped collecting the premium from my credit card in 04/01. They collected 580 bucks from me, stopped collecting - then denied the claim.
    They wouldnt let me make up the difference, they wouldnt give ANY refund, they wouldnt even consider me buying ANOTHER warranty and applying a credit.
    I have a complaint in to AZ Atty Gen - Fraud. Alos working up a complaint to the US Postal Service( contract came thru the mail) and the FBI( wire fraud ). Probably wont get anywhere, but will cause enuff grief for them.

    In the mean time, the alternator went, the battery is on it's last legs ( can't find a battery replacement except at the dealer.165 bucks..agh..)

    The temp gauge used to be rock solid on 200, now it's a hair short of 200 and runs as hot as 240. I seem to recall that there was a specific thermostat to use, to replace existng. I thought it was in this message board, but i can't seem to find it. I also don't see any mention of it in any service bulletins. Anybody recall this ?

    anyway, even with all this, this car is still the overall (performance/economy/cost) best car i've every driven. Went to North Carolina and back (from Illinois) getting 25.5 mpg..@ 70mph..the mpg seems to be better at higher speeds..too wacky.

    anyway..thanx for any info on the thermostat.

    rock on !
  • drew43drew43 Member Posts: 18
    redskin>>>>>> Here is the info.From the beginning, on 9/1/94 under info source has New York motor vehicle dept.BELLPORT,NY. Under comments says,registered as private vehicle.On 3/21/95 Info source is Inspection CO. NEW YORK Thats all it says, gives no specific city.Under comments says,vehicle inspected.(mileage-7,893)On 3/29/95 info source is New York motor vehicle dept.SMITHTOWN,N.Y.Under comments says,Title issued,AND potential odometer rollback.(mileage-13)Thats it for the New York info.Color-Combo is light blue,silver mist,teal take your pick.With blue leather.
    If you know something really BAD about this car break it to me GENTLY!!Actually I've had her 2 years plus,with few problems.(KNOCK ON WOOD)THANKS.
  • redskin024redskin024 Member Posts: 110
    Nope, its not that one.

    My father had a '95 - Black/Neutral... he leased it(any miles over 55,000 for the term are charged at 15 cents a mile) so needless to say the odometer "went kooky" one day...

    So, it wasnt yours, because we are in the Buffalo area of New York and the colors dont match.

    They say in the owners manual that if the odometer has been rolled back, then you can see silver lines in between the numbers.
  • zinc1zinc1 Member Posts: 133
    Hey, Brett, thanks for the info. I think that should work! I'll pass it on to him.
  • matrixfrogmatrixfrog Member Posts: 180
    My rear window seal on my 98 is poping out on the lower driverside. :o( Also I believe my fuel pressure regulator is going out. My aurora starts hard and I can smell gas when starting. Could the fuel pressure regulator be the problem I have with the surging?

    Question; If it is common for Auroras to have the fuel pressure regulator go bad, and the rear window seal to go bad then why not make a recall?

    Also how much does it cost for the fuel pressure regulator and how much does it cost for the part and labor? Is this something I can do on my own? I've taken off the plastic Aurora piece on the engine and remember seing a diagram with it on there and didnt look to hard to get at.
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    Now that we have the Owner's Club, are any of you interested in doing a live chat one night???

    sHOP KiNG
  • zinc1zinc1 Member Posts: 133
    Karen was nice enough to start a separate thread for this great thread that Henry started. If anyone wants to add to it, it's under "You know you're obsessed with your car when..." I did take the liberty of reposting the first ones I could find, but probably missed some (apologies to Henri and Hardesty for reposting their additions).
  • drew43drew43 Member Posts: 18
    MATRIXFROG-GOOD TIMING.After dealing with a hard starting-stalling problem for about a month i've got her fixed up and running smooth.In no small part to the good people at this site.That's what it was all right, the Fuel PRESSURE REGULATOR.Much Thanks to everyone who helped me to diagnosis this problem.It's an easy fix no tools needed.(unless you count the socket to get the engine cover off)Just make sure the clip is on correctly,the first time I did it it leaked,just had to adjust the clip.I have a freind who owns a carquest parts store got it for $68.00 his list-125.00 Called the dealer they wanted $141.00 Who knows what they would have wanted for labor?? AHH! Life is good when you can avoid the dealer!! (where I live anyway)
    redskin024- see no silver lines-good sign??
    matrixfrog-I don't think I had a surging problem to begin with,but that whole subject confuses me-maybe I did.My main problem was excessive cranking to start engine and stalling at low idle.The rpm's would also fluctuate at low idle.Well problem solved THANKS EVERYONE!!!!!
  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    I called the reference that Corsa gave me about the cat-back exhaust system. This guy has it on a new Caddy STS. He was not sure about doing it (his neighbor is a guy at Corsa and they needed a Caddy to do for pictures and filming) Anyway, they promised to go back to stock, but this guy really likes it and kept it. He said it is not too loud for normal driving (barely noticable on the highway), sounds tough, (not exactly his words - but I'll keep the human anatomy out of it), and most importantly it is definitely more powerful. He can feel the difference. It sounds like a very livable system. I really hope this happens.

    Magnaflow 1-800-959-9226 makes high flow catalitic converters too. These may be good to do with the cat-back system, but I think it may be best to stick with the stock size so as not to lower exit velocity. My understanding is that exit velocity is good for scavanging the engine. The trick is to reduce the back pressure without lowering the exit velocity too much - otherwise you lose low-end torque.

    I submitted some questions to magnaflow about the converter. I'll let you know what I find out. They don't make a cat-back for the Aurora either. But they do for the Lincoln LS and the Lincoln LS guys said it was LOUD.

    Blk97 - yeah these northstars like to use oil. I'll bet the 0 to 60 runs burned some.
  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    Blk97 - have you considered duralube? My buddy works with machines building machines and they had this old thing that just had a shaft/sleeve arrangement. It always got hot and smoked. He put some duralube on it and he swears it has been trouble free since. Neet story. Does anybody have experience with this stuff? I'm thinking of using some, but you would have to use 2 because of the 8 quart capacity. It is supposed to be about 20% when using it.

    Fjk - thanks for the 98 pricing. Very interesting. I remember drooling over the Aurora
    years back, but that $39,000+ sticker slapped me back to reality quick. I still can't believe I own one now (6 months later) after finding an almost-new hardly driven 98 for half price.

    Someone here mentioned the possibility of this car being a classic, and I have to admit to wondering myself. It is a remarkably beautiful car inside and out. With Olds gone, maybe that will add to the interest.
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    Hello again,
    Since the latest postings did not address my question, I will ask it again.

    Is anybody interested in having a live chat now that we have the owners club????
  • hammen2hammen2 Member Posts: 1,284
    Henry - yes on the chat!

    Garnes - I know I've posted before about the "original" Aurora becoming a classic... and I really think it will. How many were produced in its 5-year lifespan? Something like 200,000? While this isn't an ultra-low volume like a Viper or Prowler, it's much less than the yearly volume of, say, a Camry, Accord, or Taurus. Combine the fact that it has head-turning design, and, with the impending death of Oldsmobile, I think it is destined to become a classic. What other late-model Olds would fit that bill? Not the Alero or Intrigue, or the new Aurora or Bravada... or even the last 98 or 88, for that matter.

    I also know what you mean about being able to afford one. When they came out in '94, I was interested, but it would have been a tough stretch for me to get one (I wasn't even 30 then). I instead chose to get married, buy a house, etc., and dreams of Aurora ownership languished. I helped my mother-in-law find her pearl white '98 last fall, and occasionally looked. When I stumbled across my pristine black beauty (with all of the options/colors I would have wanted had I ordered the car), for less than half of the sticker price (thanks to whomever posted the price list - my Aurora stickered for over $40k!), I had to pinch myself... lost much sleep in the month of March, until the deal was done...

    --Robert
  • matrixfrogmatrixfrog Member Posts: 180
    Drew43-Thanks for the info. I checked Autozone.com (my local parts store) and they list it as a Fuel Injector Pressure Regulator made by GP-SORENSEN for $86.99 w/ a 1 year warrenty. I dont want to get the factory one because obviously it had problems. (Unless they made an updated version). This isn't a facotry one is it?

    BTW I had a friend who's mom drives and Aurora and he said she had to get the same thing replaced but it costed her a little over $250.00. The must of raped her w/ labor charges.

    Henry- Im up for the live chat. I'd prefer it if we could do it during the day because Im still swapping over parts from my old computer to my new computer and have not yet installed my modem drivers at home.

    It's gonna be time for a new set of brake rotors soon. Any reccomendations? I've heard the company Brembo brought up a few times in here. Prices? Does any one in here have cross-drilled vented rotors? Just wondering.

    Zinc- Just a suggestion but on your webpage you should start listing mods people have made to their aurora next to their photos.
  • zinc1zinc1 Member Posts: 133
    Matrix - I agree, but they have to tell me what they have first - and pics of their mods would be great too. And, speaking of mods, here are some very rough copies of custom Aurora header info from Ramon Duvernay. The scans aren't sorted out yet, but the info's there for anyone who wants to research it.

    Henri - Most anytime is okay by me for a live chat, this coming week anyway.
  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    Hammen2 - Hey, we both bought our almost identical 98 black Auroras last March. I don't have the chrome wheels, but really don't care. They are both good. I'd guess we are about the same age too. I'm 35. I'm tall and have always liked big cars.

    I would guess the total number of classics at about 125,000. I'm basing that on reading somewhere that about 25,000 were made in one of those years. I'd bet that in 10 years they will be somewhat uncommon. I may be wrong on this, but I seem to remember the original Mustangs being produced at 100,000+/year easy. I think a lot of the common cars are similarly numerous.

    Yeah, there really isn't anything in the luxury/sport segment that comes close to looking as good as a Classic Aurora. Some of the others can boast about marginally better acceleration or ability to manuver around pylons (never have run into those yet other than lane closures), but they are slab sided, box like, and just plain ugly - and cost WAY more. The Aurora is a work of art inside and out. And some simple mods can always make you move faster if you want it. can't say that for lack of styling.
  • nne3jxcnne3jxc Member Posts: 134
    I was talking to a friend of mine about this same subject -- he happens to be the exceedingly lucky owner of both a 1972(?)Olds 442 convertible with the 454-V8 AND a 1998 Aurora. Of course a comparison was made between our Auroras and his 442.
    We think you can make a decent case for the Aurora being the '90s (and final) version of the 442 -- you can even make the numbers work: 4 liter, 4 speed, Dual exhaust. Well... not really, but it DOES have two exhaust exits. :-)
    Could our cars be collectables like the old 442s in another 10-20 years? Who knows -- it's nice to think so.
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    4 door sedans are rarly worth anything in terms of "classic" cars. The most likely outcome is that the car will become an oddity that will have a small but devoted following (like now). It may well go down as the last near great Oldsmobile. The problem is that the car costs so much to maintain/operate. That was its downfall and it will be remembered.

    Don't get me wrong. I like my car a lot. I am even the one that made up the name Classic for the old body style. But my conversations with car buffs leeds me to believe that the car will never truly be a collectors item.

    One other point to consider, the aROARa is a very high tech car. You guys think its costs a lot to maintain it now . . . just wait ten years from now!

    Try getting a module replaced or the center console replaced on a car from a defunct company. Baby, I hope you are starting a trust fund for the car now.

    However, "she" is still my baby.

    Henri
  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    No, four door sedans have been looking good for years, and I really think that stigma is gone for today's cars. Look at a 2 or 4 door Grand Prix. They both look good. It used to be that the four door version looked terrible, but not anymore. I just don't think it really matters as much now.

    Zinc - I printed out the header stuff. Looks interesting. Thanks again for more great info.

    Well Magnaflow said they don't sell any high flow catalytic converters for 1996 and newer cars. Something about newer emissions and they aren't up to them for those years. It seems Superchips web site lists stop at 95 for most GM cars too. I wish something would break.
  • drew43drew43 Member Posts: 18
    henri--stop it your scareing me!!
    stupid question#1-and i'm sure you'll be getting more from me in the future-In the 2 years plus i've owned this car i've put about 15,000 miles on her.In the DCI the tranny fluid life still reads 100% I know you don't change it like motor oil-but still, should'nt it have droped at least a few per percentage points??? just wondering.
    well i'm going out to hit her with some meguires #7
  • jfb7jfb7 Member Posts: 11
    I was just wondering, due to the fact that Oldsmobile will sadly be off the market soon, how that fact is affecting sales of the new Aurora? Are dealers having to discount big-time to move them? I really love the styling of the Aurora, especially the newest one! Any opinions as to what one could expect to pay for a loaded out V8? Do you consider it to be a high quality, well-built, luxurious, great handling and reliable car? Are any of you skeptical of Olds' claim to always have sufficient parts availability and their promise of continued service over the course of the 5 yr. warranty period? Thanks for your input!
  • hardestyhardesty Member Posts: 166
    A lot depends on which part of the country you are in. Overall, Aurora production in CY 2001 is equal to CY 2000 (at a 12 month pace just shy of 40,000 cars). Here in CA, Oldsmobile (and all other "American" brands) are not faring well this year, so buyer bargining power is strong. In most cases, however, you should be able to bargain most GM cars to right about invoice (as published on Edmunds, etc.) plus regional advertizing (1% of MSRP - destination where I live), then apply any rebate or special financing. I think that in much of CA, you could do even better, especially on 2001 models. You should be able to get that near invoice price even on a special order. For your information, the "rock bottom" on the 2002 Aurora is 87% of base MSRP + 86% of option MSRP + destination. This is the GMO (GM employee Order) price. It is below invoice - holdback and does not add any advertizing cost. 2002 models currently have a $2000 rebate and 2002 models a $1000 rebate. If you have one of the $1500 Oldsmobile loyalty coupons, the deal gets even sweeter. While I consider these cars a bargain at these prices, don't be fooled into thinking that this value will hold after the sale. Look at the prices being paid for late model classics and assume that a new Aurora will be worth the same when the same age. New Auroras have the advantage of the 5 year, 60,000 mile warranty, and judging from my first year of driving a 2001 AV8, may never need to use it, but it is one of the reasons that I ordered a 2002. If you like to trade cars every few years, then a new Aurora is NOT a good choice, but a used one IS. Both versions of the Aurora are a blast to own, baby, and most of all, DRIVE! As for future availability of parts & service, Oldsmobile models will most likely continue to be produced through their current chassis life cycle, and like any other car, will continue to have parts & service available from GM dealers for a long time to come. My local dealer is a Chevy/Olds outfit, and the vast majority of their business is Chevy, so I expect to continue them as the long term service center for both of our 2002 Oldsmobiles.
  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    I think the Aurora basically qualifies as having true dual exhaust. It runs the length of the car through a single pipe (and resonator) that I'm sure has the same cross sectional area as two pipes would, and the flow is split to two separate mufflers. If it were separate all the way down, I'm not sure it would really be better.
  • tipsicobobtipsicobob Member Posts: 29
    I'm surprised I haven't seen much discussion about the onstar sytem.I use the hands free phone option and frankly like it better than expected. It is analog rather than digital, but now I understand why the total system uses analog--the cell availability is much wider than digital and it operates in areas where my digital won't. One problem however is that you can not send key tones if you get a recorder or a menu . I solved that with a nifty $12 keyring tone generator which i just hold up to the mike when needed--works grt.
  • redskin024redskin024 Member Posts: 110
    From the Associated Press:

    GM SETS DATE FOR END OF OLDSMOBILE

    GM said Friday it would end production of the Oldsmobile line with the 2004 model year, although production of the Intrigue and the AURORA would end sooner.
    "Oldsmobile production has remained unprofitable," the company said in a statement.
    Sales of Oldsmobile vehicles through August were down 14.5% from the first 8 months of 2000.
    Production of the 2002 Intigue and AURORA V6 will end in June. The last AURORA V8, a 2003 model, will roll off the assembly line in May 2003. The exact end of production dates for the 2004 model year Alero, Silouhette and Bravada have not been set.
  • iahmatthewiahmatthew Member Posts: 7
    blk979Aurora -

    "recommended" is AC Delco.
  • mosaixmosaix Member Posts: 106
    I have Onstar on my 2001 Intrigue and I really like it. I paid the extra $200 and upgraded to the premium package like Cadillacs have and I also use the personal calling feature. You can change the system to where it will confirm your number commands with a tone rather than repeating the number, however, I don't know whether this will trasmit a DTMF tone or not. I basically like the hands free feature for when I'm driving and it works so much better than aftermarket installed cellular phones as far as sound quality. The system is analog and the reason is the analog format has one standard(AMPS) versus 3 for digital. And analog coverage is still superior than digital in alot of areas, especially rural areas. The unit uses a 3 watt transciever so it can power up alot more than a typical .6 watt handset. Onstar became standard on 2001 Auroras sometime after production had begun in 2000 and was optional on 98 and 99 models. I've only seen a couple of older Auroras with Onstar(or it could have possibly been just an installed cell phone) as the antenna is the giveaway.
  • darren13darren13 Member Posts: 7
    Thanks for the advice everyone -- I am now the proud owner of an Aurora -- silver on beige, '96 w/ 47k miles. The car is extraordinarily clean (cleaner than most 1 year-old cars). The previous owner must have been obsessive. The car checked out at the mechanic -- though he recommended, and the dealer agreed to complete -- new rear brake pads, new rear shocks, and AC coolant. It drives so wonderfully. I can't believe I got it for $11.7k. It's great to be a part of the club.
  • drew43drew43 Member Posts: 18
    Went to the local Auto Zone today to pick up some car care products.It was quite busy, as I exited the store to a packed parking lot a big smile broke out on my face(people must have thought I was looney)You see,as I looked around it dawned on me,DAMN! I have the best looking car here!(no other aROARa;s)And it's not even close!!!
    AHH!! What a joy to be an aurorian!!
  • hardestyhardesty Member Posts: 166
    Aurora sales (in USA) from AutoSite:
    2000 through August - 17,607
    2001 through August - 18,130 (+1%)

    Silhouette:
    2000 through August - 26,824
    2001 through August - 27,020 (+0.7%)

    Alero:
    2000 - 90,233
    2001 - 83,143 (-8%)

    Bravada:
    2000 - 21,600
    2001 - 15,329 (-29%) remember the line shutdown?

    Intrigue:
    2000 - 44,144
    2001 - 29,044 (-35%)

    Total:
    2000 - 200,318
    2001 - 172,666 (-14%)

    Build #s
    2000 through August - 219,380
    2001 thought August - 189,832 (-13.5%)

    GM total
    2000 - 3,833,591
    2001 - 3,285,310 (-14.3%) Olds better that GM average.

    GM killed the Intrigue by pricing it high and the other W-body cars (mainly Impala) low. The Bravada suffered a lengthy sales stoppage while the front suspension was fixed. The Alero continues to outperform GM as a whole by a wide margin. The Aurora and Silhouette, by staying at last year's pace should be considered shining stars.
  • zinc1zinc1 Member Posts: 133
    GM dumps the division with the best selling model during a recession, runs off to China to create a new market in uncharted territory, and brings Saab here from Europe. Sounds like the execs just want some more frequent flyer mileage before they're canned.
  • daevendaeven Member Posts: 28
    Anyone with a CD changer get the error message "E 30" when trying to access a CD? My changer has been temperature sensitive since I got the car. I would play CD's at temps above 70 deg or so, but it wouldn't work at colder temps. Lately, it has been getting worse.

    A dealer once told me the magazine could be causing the problem. AT $80 for a magazine replacement, I decided not to do anything about it. Sending the changer unit out for repair would cost over $300.

    Has anyone had any experience with this on a 1995 Aurora?
  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    Darren13 - Congrats! That is a whole lot of car for 11+k. Aurora's are probably less likely to be beat on and neglected/abused. Don't feel bad if you have to drop some $$ into it in the future. Just consider it part of the purchase price. If it is really clean, then that sounds like a great deal.

    Hardesty - thanks for the numbers. Interesting. Any car holding its own or increasing sales in this economy is incredible.

    I agree with you about the Intrigue. We looked at one and then an Impala. We got the Impala loaded with everything and all upgrades and On-star for less than an Intrigue - plus it has significantly higher safety rating with side air bags and all. No side air bags for Intrigue. Impala mileage is incredible too. Not that the Intrigue is a bad car but the Impala is one hell of a car for the money. My wife really liked it. The 3.8 is not as fancy as the 3.5, but is a great engine nontheless. No offence to Intrigue, but we really liked the Impala better. I think GM out-did themselves with that car, hence the lack of "rebates".

    Zinc1 - I agree with your GM executive analysis. Another thing I can't understand - you should see our Impala's air box. It is hopeless. It is WAY more restrictive than the Aurora box that I've rambled about. ALL the dirt ends up on literally a few square inches of the filter. One look at the box and it is self explanitory how the engine is being suffocated at full throttle. It could be SO much better if simply redesigned. I don't see how to modify it much. I'm looking at the Pontiac air boxes (they get another 5 HP from their 3.8's - and I think the engine is identical). Maybe I can swap. Why do they do this???!!!
  • hardestyhardesty Member Posts: 166
    Looks like with only 2001-2003 on the plate for the current Aurora, there will be fewer V8 models built than in the 1995-1999 run. I guess we will hold on to the 2002's (Aurora & Silhouette) until someone comes back to some "real" style, something that has attracted me to Oldsmobiles since 1995 (the last Cutlass Supremes are still good looking cars). The 1995 Aurora and the cars that have followed it have all been pleasing to my eyes. I don't see much else on the market today I could do anything more than settle for. The near future does not look good either (apparently the new designers at Cadillac secretly think the Aztek is cool).

    I think that if GM, Ford, and DC could figure out how to put 5 year warranties on all of their cars and trucks (can you say build quality?) that they would gain back some of the market share they have lost in recent years. I think that the added warranty on current Oldsmobiles has clearly shown just how important this is to modern consumers. At a time when sales should just plain tank, they are selling well, and I think that the security of five known cost years is the main reason. People are certainly not looking at resale values and thinking that the rebates are any great bonus, these cars are being bought for the long haul.

    OK, I'll get down off the box now. I am really going to miss Oldsmobile (but nowhere near as much as the people that don't own one).
  • mosaixmosaix Member Posts: 106
    I've always thought that GM built pretty darn good products for the most part, but they make some of the dumbest business decisions ever. Like dropping Oldsmobile, now that is a dumb move. 2001 Bravada sales are way off because the 2001 model went out of production at the end of 2000 or the very beginning of 2001. I don't think those numbers includes the 2002 model which has been on sale since the spring. I also don't see why Intrigue sales are way down, even though some of you say it is overpriced. If you think the Intrigue is overpriced, go look at a fully loaded Nissan Maxima GLS, Toyota Camry XLE V6, or VW passat. These are the Intrigue's main competitors and they all cost more fully loaded and have less features. None of the other even offer a stability control system or Onstar and they do not have features like traction control and ABS standard. The Intrugue has alot of high tech hardware and really shares more than you think with higher end GM products. Olds shot themselves in the foot 6 years ago. When the first Aurora came out, it was supposed to be the division's new direction and it was if you had $32K to spend on a new car. Otherwise, you were left looking at Achievas, Cutlass Cieras, and Eighty-Eights. Olds should have immediately followed up on the Aurora with the Intrigue and Alero, not waited until 3 years later. Again, that was a GM's fault for delaying new car development programs in the early and mid 90s.
  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    mosaix - you hit it right on the head. I drove a used/used up 94 cutlass calais or something like that as a loaner. All I can say is - PU. what a crummy car. If they were still making the same stuff in 95, 96, 97 then yeah they waited too long. The Intrigue and Alero are really nice, and it blows my mind that a lineup like they have now is being dropped.

    And your high price comparison is self explanitory. The imports are unbelievably expensive, but people eat them up. I think there is a perception (among some people) that an import is just better/smarter at any cost and carries a certain snob attraction. Yeah even a Camry. Logically, none of this makes sense, but people pay big money for all sorts of name brand things that are not any better than another brand.

    My wife is a flight attendant and she works with a different crew each flight. She noted many flight attendants just won't buy American for no other reason than it isn't cool. Sad really. Some people don't feel complete or competitive unless they have that Honda "H" on the car.

    Now if any of you have a Honda, Camry, whatever, please don't take offence. My point is that some people buy things for weird reasons.
  • fjk57702fjk57702 Member Posts: 539
    The numbers for the aurora production are for the 2001 model which started production in early 2000. So the comparison is flawed. Aurora should be able to outsell Park Avenue shouldn't it???!!!

    Intrigue numbers are worse than the Regal. Intrique has the expensive shortstar engine, it should cost more than the Impala.

    I have long wondered why Buick and Oldsmobile were both in production. They seemed to me to have exactly the same products. At one time there were diffences in engines and buick really had some interesting automatic transmission ideas that are now part of GM's hydramatics.

    If the Aurora/Intrigue's were on the new sigma RWD chassis, the european flavor might be more successful than it has been.
  • shucknetshucknet Member Posts: 98
    Buicks aren't the same cars as Olds since the mid 90's. Starting with the Aurora - they went on their own paths. The riv was a little the same as the Aurora, but enough different not to be the same car.

    I think GM is skewing the numbers to get rid of Olds because they think it will make their stock numbers jump.

    On top of that, Buicks are the ugliest cars this side of the Pacific Ocean - why would someone want to purchase a car that looks like an insect?

    Olds is a far better brand than Buick, GM is just afraid they will lose their traditional older buyers if they dump Buick - which, by the way, sells fewer cars than Olds does.
  • zinc1zinc1 Member Posts: 133
    I think Buicks look like the Alien, from the movie, but the Riviera was a nice testbed for gadgetry. The current Olds lineup is a great middle-ground offering between the kid's Pontiacs and Gramps' Buicks. The biggest competition for Olds within GM was probably from Chevy or Cadillac. Aurora/Intrigue could fit into the Cad lineup nicely. And an Alero with a 4.6L Northstar would be awesome.

    But I agree with Hardesty that Cadillac, and GM in general, are leaning toward the chiselled look with hard, straight lines. Not at all like the new Olds models. Funny, though, that Jaguar has done well with the muscular look for decades. And how about the sleek Chrysler bodies? The PT Cruiser is a hit with rounded lines alone - surely not for the gutless engine. I'm sure GM has done the polling and found the market likes the 'Aztek' lines better than the retro-looking rounded shapes. Or maybe they're just gambling, as they are in China.
  • wingnut396wingnut396 Member Posts: 50
    I replaced my rotors a few month ago with the autozone carried brand. I also bought the carbon-metallic pads with them. The stopping power is quite good, and there is very little noise.

    I had looked at buying some cross-drilled jobs, but just could not bring myself to paying the 3X as much. I don't do any weekend racing, and I don't spend more that 20 minutes in stop and go traffic, so I don't have to worry too much about heating and fading.

    Total I spent about under $160 on pads and rotors. No too bad, considering there are monster front rotors on these babies. Of course I'm compairing that to my old VW Golf :)
  • fjk57702fjk57702 Member Posts: 539
    from autosite for year to date (august)
    Buick century - 94K, lesabre - 99K, regal - 36K, park avenue - 24K = total 250K
    Olds alero - 83K, intrigue - 29K, aurora 18K, silhouette 27K,bravda - 15K = total 172K

    I think buick is doing much better than Olds. Granted the product lines are different, which is in fact why I bought my Aurora. I did have an electra T-type which was every bit as good as the Aurora for its time.
  • shucknetshucknet Member Posts: 98
    I wish I could remember where I had seen this statistic, but it had the two divisions' numbers broken out for pretty much the entire decade and there was one year where Buick beat Olds. The numbers I saw were siginificantly different than what autosite has, but without the real data I am useless!

    This is all beside the fact that Buicks are ugly as a bucket of hair these days.
  • fjk57702fjk57702 Member Posts: 539
    In years past I am sure that Oldsmobile did much better. In fact the first generation Aurora did well enough that a second generation was done. I am not trying to start a which is better argument and styling is a matter of personal taste (or lack of). Assuming that the autosite production numbers are "real", I can see why GM is giving up on Olds. With 5 product lines they are selling way behind buick with only 3 (century and regal are the same). The Bonneville outsells the Aurora too. The current Aurora is now the "old" olds 88 and 98 lines. The olds 88/98 buyers of old have really been left out in the cold by oldsmobile. I don't know who made the decisions at GM to change Oldmobile into what it currently is - certainly either buick or olds needed to change since they were too much the same basic car. Anyway the intrigue and aurora's are not selling that well.
  • vwbus1979vwbus1979 Member Posts: 42
    What? What does an iMac have in common with an AroarA? Well...That is why I write to this faithful forum...To hopefully answer this question:

    When a CD gets stuck in an iMac (not that I own one), you can insert a paperclip device into the right side corner of the slot and it will eject the CD...

    So...As you can guess...CD's will no longer eject from my AroarA player. So is there a quickie manual release button on our CD players? Hidden? I didn't read about one...I'm too afraid to start randomly inserting paperclips into my CD player for fear of ... of... well... I will break it.

    and NO...The CD's are not illegally burned copies!

    and YES...The music is real good.
  • mosaixmosaix Member Posts: 106
    Buick didn't get the boot because they are more profitable than Olds. Olds' best selling model is the Alero which is also their cheapest, hence lower profit mergin. Conversely, Buick's best seller is the LeSabre which has much more mark-up than smaller cars like the Alero. Additionally, Buick isn't having to give away extended warranties to sell their cars. I like both divisions and right now Buick may look better financially, but looking down the road at product and future trends, I think Olds would have been worth keeping.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    Intrigue has been uprated to 30 mpg hwy. for 2002. I wonder if they have done the same thing to the aurora? Lets hope they haven't put a taller gear in it.
  • zinc1zinc1 Member Posts: 133
    vwbus - That was yet another problem I had. Had to replace the unit - radio, tape, CD - because the dealer said they didn't replace, or repair, just the CD. Found a dealer 20 miles away that dealt with a local shop that sold refurbished units for $300, with a trade in of the old one. They wanted $750, I think, for a new unit.
  • zinc1zinc1 Member Posts: 133
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