Oldsmobile Intrigue

etharmon

Thanks for the response. I talked with the guy this morning and the dealer is still telling him that with the .9% financing, no other discounts are available. He actually found another Intrigue which was in North Carolina(I think) that had only been in inventory for about 200 days and is going to try and get that one. I'm still wondering though, if discounts are available with the .9%. And also, the discounts(i.e. $2000) that are shown on Edmunds's, is that off MSRP or is that off the price that you have negotiated. He is farily comfortable with the deal as is because of the .9% financing and the 5 year/60K warranty. He figured borrowing $25,000 at the 0.9 for 5 years and $25,000 for 7.9% for 5 years and the interest alone saved is over $8000. It sounds okay, but I still think that a better deal might be had as we are talking about a 2000 models. Let me know, he hasn't signed anything yet and probably won't until the car is delivered next week.

etharmon

BTW, the Intrigue model he is looking at is a GLS with sunroof, Bose, spoiler, and PCS.

b4z

I wonder if that car is in Hendersonville NC. I was up there in August and went again the end of Oct. and they had some 2000s GLS fully loaded.
I think it was called Osborne Oldsmobile GMC. I had my oil changed there. It didn't look like they had any traffic at all in the showroom. I would seriously check on that $2000 rebate. Sounds like we are talking about $28,000 plus car here. I will check on the availability of the rebate. The financing is basically free money and the 5 year warranty is a big plus.
Oh yeah, the rebate is completely seperate from the deal he negotiates, provided the dealer is not contributing.

t4drman

etharmon,

my understanding is that the 0.9% is in lieu of the standard $2,000 rebate. he can have one or the other, but not both. i also note that out here in california, the dealers are offering their own heavy discounts for the end of the year models as well, as heavy as $3,500-$4,000.

for what it's worth.

etharmon

Some of you fellow Intrigue(or Oldsmobile) enthusiasts, come by the "RIP Oldsmobile" forum sometime. There seems to be a bit of a debate going on why Olds was not sucessful. I still stick by the lack of good advertising and poor product timing.

dindak

Poor marketing is the key, not doubt. They also hid the Oldsmobile a little too much. I think I would have rather seen a "this is the new Oldsmobile" campaign rather than having people wondering who makes my Intrigue.

Nice to hear Saturn may be getting Intrigue's next evolution. I have no problem buying a Saturn mid-size though I will always wish it was an Oldsmobile.

htwired

Jgriff if your out there, take the time to read post 199 at Edmunds sedan topic "I will never buy a___" It makes for very interesting reading about the beloved Acura.

bryangz

We've had about a month of sub freeze temperatures here in Cincy and I haven't really had a chance to wash the Intrigue. Finally today it reached a balmy 34 F and the sun was out. I almost forgot what color it was with all salt and grime over it. It sure looks good.

Bryan

j_coleman

Almost wrecked the Intrigue here in Dallas last night. People were sliding all over the road. I started down a hill and the Intrigue would not stop!! ABS was chattering away but I kept sliding on ice. A car was directly in my path so I turned to hit a curb instead. I thought for sure I would have some damage, but there doesn't appear to be any. Besides that incident the ABS and traction control were a big help. Might have to look into investing in some tire chains. Anyone use them on the Eagle LS tires?

dindak

Yikes! Guess you folks down south aren't really prepared for that kind of surprise. Glad you saved your car and you are ok.

b4z

We don't have that problem here in Charleston, SC. Its not that it never snows, its that we don't have any hills. I'm talking flat as a pancake. I always wondered what people did when they slid down a hill, I guess throwing it sideways is the best defense. Do you think PCS would have helped, or did you not have any traction at all?

rgibbs1

I am comparing two different Intrigue 2000 styles - a GL and GLS - against several competitors - Volvo S40 1.9L, a Passet GLS 2.8L and a Camry XLE 2.2L. I own a 1996 Olds 88 LS which has given me excellent service. I will be adding a car. I keep cars until they wear out so I'm not worried about re-sale of the Olds.

The Intrigue GL has pwr seat adjusters, sunroof, heated seat, 3.5L engine, steering wheel touch controls. The dealer paid $24,484 on 12/9/99 - been on his lot over a year - and with dealer rebates and my $1,500 Olds rebate priced it to me at $20,700. The Intrigue GLS, at another dealer, is loaded with sunroof, decklid spoiler, precision control system, Bose radio with CD, and the GOld package. The invoice is $26,240 and the window says $24,450 with rebates but not my $1,500. THe car was a sales car and has 4,000 miles. I believe the price should be lower but how much is the question? I have test driven both. Who can help me? Either answer here or email at my profile address. I will take calls at 888.479.0430 because $2,000 in rebates go off 1.2.01. Also what can anyone tell me about the other models I am looking at? Thanks.

etharmon

Are you going to take advanatge of the 0.9% financing in addition to those discounts? A co-worker of mine is getting ready to purchase a 2000 GLS with pretty much everything but chrome wheels and the gold package. The dealer is selling it to him at 1% over invoice and is also giving him $1500 off that because his wife has a 97 Cutlass( I had forgotten about that discount) and then he is getting it financed at 0.9% for 60 months. With the $1500 off the invoice price and the extended warranty, I do feel this is a pretty good deal. Now he just has to wait for the car to be delivered from out of state. His salesman gave him several printouts of cars they found in the region and some of them had been in iventory for 400+ days. Thats over a year! The one he is getting has only been in inventory about 200 days. Good luck with your decision. As for the other models you are considering, skip the Camry unless you go for a V6 model. The Passat is a nice car, but they cost as much as an Intrigue and there are few if any discounts on them. i don't know much about the Volvo.

etharmon

Well, here in East TN we had about an inch or so of snow today and the below 30 degree temperatures made it an icy mess. I was out for a while today and after the sun went down, it became tricky. The traction control and ABS got a real workout and at one point, I think I overheated the system. I was trying to get up a hill which I have driven up in the snow before with no problem, but this time there was a layer of ice under the snow. The traction control basically stayed engaged the entire time I tried to get up the hill and the wheels would still spin alot. I noticed at one point that the temp gauge was nearing the 3/4 mark(have never seen this happen on the Intrigue) and then all the sudden the "Service Vehicle Soon", "Anti-Lock", and "Trac Off" lights all came on. I could smell the tires getting hot too so I let the car slide off the road onto somebody's lawn and shut it off as I knew I was going nowhere with it and walked home. I went back later after the tires had cooled off and was able to drive it home and no lights came on and the Traction Control and ABS worked okay. I'm assuming that a wheel speed sensor or something got hot and that the system shut itself down for protection. Needless to say, it was an interesting experience. Snow is one thing and the car with it's traction control does well, but ice is something totally different. Anway, just curious if anyone else has ever had this happen. Hope everyone had a good New Years Day.

rgibbs1

To etharmon - Thanks for the info. I appreciate it. How can someone get both the rebates and 0.9% financing? My dealer says "No Way", it's one or the other.

Let me know.

tensor

etharmon: have you checked the regional incentive programs on Edmunds? The $2000 rebate is a national program, but they are also offering a $1000 Holiday bonus rebate in the northeast (they list the states) that I think expires today. Maybe they have one for your region, too?

tensor

Does anyone change their own oil with the 3.5L? Is it difficult to do? It uses a paper filter that is unlike anything I have had before.

b4z

Why is it that when you click on sedans it give you 565 ARCHIVED discussions? Has anybody else noticed this?

dindak

The local Toronto news (CFTO, channel 9) had a feature on the PCS system and featured an Accord and an Intrigue with PHS going through the same slide, but the Intrigue making it through without spinning out. What great publicity for Intrigue! The GM Canada spokesman said the feature would be available on many GM cars in the coming year including the new Cadillac Escalade SUV. Again, Oldsmobile innovation transferred to other divisions. Probably the last time. Sad!

vcjumper

Too bad it wasn't an NBC feature :-). Maybe Toronto Intrigue sales will skyrocket and when I get my strut tower bars installed at RSM soon they will be saying "Man, we work on more Intrigues than GP's these days!".

I think PCS (like the original Aurora) is a renamed Caddy feature that started a few years back.

limadelta

tensor::: The filter in the 3.5 has been around for many years, on motorcycles!

It is a nice feature and allows for better draining of the engine. As an added bonus, for any EarthFirst members, paper filters are better for our Earth Mother (gag)

tenn1975

I was wondering if you purchased your Intrigue in May, could you get the 5 year deal for your warranty?

dindak

Anyone know if these $1000/$1500 certificates are good for Saturn?

lindsey

I wanted to relate my experience over the holidays. My family traveled to Andrews, North Carolina, for a little R & R. Our rental cabin was situated up a fairly steep gravel road covered with snow and some ice. Other family members drove a 4 cyl. Accord and a 4 cyl. Camry.

Guess which car was the only one to make it up the hill? You guessed it: my 3.5 liter GL with Traction Control. The Camry only made it up by being pulled behind a 4WD Chevy pickup. The Accord spent the entire vacation at the bottom of the hill.

You just have to love it.

b4z

Your experience with the intrigue speaks to GMs incompetence in marketing the car. Nobody knows about it or what it can do.
If olds could have gotten just 25% of the people who shopped Accord and Camry into the car then we
wouldn't be talking about the death of olds.
Also they should make it mandatory for olds' salesmen to put potential customers in the car,
take it up to exactly 30 mph and then floor it up to 70 mph. Nobody would buy a accord or camry after that test ride.

vcjumper

Ahh your post is making me look forward to the drive home tonight :-). Wish I didn't have such a short trip to the highway so the motor would be warmed up before I floor it. Its around 10F outside.

yurakm

Salesmen never offer to test-drive a car on highway in my experience.

The first time I first get onto highway after buying. And thus missed to demonstrate to the salesman the warped brake rotors.

With the next car I asked and insisted. The salesmen agree every time, but rather reluctantly. Never was permitted to test-drive the cars for more than one exit, and only the one selected by the salesmen.

limadelta

Before I bought my second Intrigue, the general manager let me drive the following cars WITHOUT any salesman in the car:

Aurora: 3.5 and the 4.0
Intrigue: GL with and without PCS, GLS with and without PCS

I think I put a total of 25 miles on each of the cars named above. That has got to be the best way to sell a car because... it worked!

They trusted me to not wrap the car around a barrier fence and driving each of those cars over the same roads, back-to-back, let me make an informed decision. That's a winner.

Now if I could get the idiots at GM to rethink their blunt axe way of trimming their losses, I'd be even happier.

vcjumper

I got to take an Alero 4 and v6 and then an Intrigue out on the highway with the salesman for 3 stops or so on my test drives. Accelerating to higway speeds, the Intrigue sure put a smile on my face.. I think I said something like "Oh My" (not a phrase I use often come to think of it), and the salesman just laughed, must of known then he had me.

b4z

After stopping the car try rolling forward a little bit. This will stop the hot pads from
sitting on the hot rotor in the same place for an extended period of time. It seems to work for a lot of people.
In my camaro, which has a manual transmission, i take my foot off the brake at stoplights. I now have 200,000 miles on the original rotors!!
Have any of you floored it a 70 mph?? The 70-90 mph charge is almost as fun as the 30-70 mph ride.

rpsenger

Well, after putting 85,000 miles on my 98 intrigue I went in and picked up a 2000 at the end of October. The cars were virtually identical except the first was green/grey and the second, bronze mist. both had most of the bells and whistles. I want to start out by saying that I really like the car. It's style and ergonomics are great. The heated seats in the 2000 are a great touch. However, I want to share some of my irritations with you because they seem to speak for the poor management decisions at GM.

Like most people that bought the autobahn package I experienced continuous problems with the 98 in the steering and warped rotors. I also had the problem with the under-dash panel coming loose and a slight gap in the air vents. Other than those problems, the car was a great commute at over 35,000 miles per year. I drove desert, LA traffic, and many trips to the snow without problems.

I bought another Intrigue primarily because I thought the rotors had given the car a bad reputation and that I could take advantage of the 0.9% financing for 5 years. Really a great deal! However, I drove a mountain road to work and immediately discovered that the new intrigue felt unstable in the curves. I discovered that the car had been sitting on the lot so long in the desert heat that the tires were coming apart.... got them replaced... then I started to notice that the gaps on the 2000 air vents were far worse than the 98. Also the passenger airbag cover looked like it was fitted by a guy with a hammer.....The dealship will be replacing the dash this month....At the same time they will be replacing an alternator that allows the headlights to dim every now and then.The service dept. knew all about this problem..... I did not expect this car to be perfect.... I bought a 100,000 mile commuter warranty that I intend to use, but the fit and finish on this car is no where near as good as the 98.... Also, no 10 minute oil change places carry the new oil filter....special order....and the only real difference I've found with the new engine design is that the front end scrapes the street entering and exiting the same driveway I had no problems with in the 98....

Between the lack of interest in quality control and GM's poor marketing, it is easy to understand why more people arent giving GM a chance.... The sad thing is that I think the Olds division is about the best GM has to offer. Anybody drive an impala lately?

despite all this, I still think the car is a basic winner . It is a lot of car for the money and it does alot right!

It takes a really bad management to allow such a strong division to die...

b4z

Its good to hear feedback from someone who has put as many miles on an intrigue as you have.
Do you prefer the 3.5L to the 3800?
Sorry to hear you are having problems, so much for the 2000s having all the bugs worked out. What is the build date on your intrigue and when did you take delivery.

limadelta

rpsenger:;: I, too, had a '98 Autobahn and bought a '00 GLS at the end of October primarily because my first Intrigue worked well and 5 years @ 0.9% was too good to pass up.

I totally agree with your last comment about bad mangement and Olds. The pity is that these guys will probably get promoted because they proved their ability cut their losses with Olds.

I change my own oil because I've never trusted the 10 minute guys to get it right. When I've changed the oil in the 3.5, I notice that it does take a while to get 6 quarts of oil from the engine and I don't know if the production line mentality of most 10 minute shops would let the engine totally drain. The other good thing about this engine is that the filter can be removed without munging up the suspension pieces like the 3800 did.

You talked about the scraping from the front end in your '00 when entering your driveway. I can say that mine is in the same boat. However, I've also noticed that the air dam for the 3.5 is taller than the old 3800 in order to direct more air up into the radiator. Since you and I both drive in the mountains and deserts of LA, I think that you'll remember your 3800 running at or near the halfway indicator on your temperature 'gage'. The 3.5 runs just above the 1/4 mark to well below the 1/2 mark. GM could have recalibrated the thermostat, but I think that our 3.5 engine runs that much cooler because of the all aluminum engine and more cooling air being directed to the radiator.

My alternator will be replaced this month because of the same problem you mentioned, but I haven't seen the dash gaps you have. The trim guy at my dealer noticed one of the interior trim pieces wasn't quite right so he ordered the replacement and installed it.

This is a fine car and I don't expect it be as 'perfect' as an LS430, but it does not deserve what happened to it because the lunatics at GM didn't realize they had some very nice jewels in the corporate crown that WAS General Motors.

htwired

Edmunds has an interesting topic entitled I would not buy a ___. Here's my question to all if you could afford any sports sedan but if money was still a consideration what sedan would you buy. Here are my thoughts a re designed Cater with the Oldsmobile 3.5l engine might be a good choice, same would be true for the Grand Pix if the dash were rezone to eliminate the night vision red lighting. This would be especially true if the 3.5l were supercharger. I would love a BMW 540 I sport, but $60k plus if a lot of money. What are your thoughts?

b4z

Take a guy who is used to selling soap and tell him to develop and sell cars and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell you what is going to happen.
Remember a few years ago when Michael Moore tried to get the CEO's of the big three to change the oil in a car. The president of Ford pulls up in a Explorer and changes the oil in about 10 minutes, gets back in and drives off. Do you think GM's current president could do that?
The 3.5L with a supercharger would be awesome.
Top end AND low end power plus refinement for less than a V8.
Put me on the list.

dwg

Good question. I won't list the usual suspects in the $40-60,000 range. I'll stick to the likely replacements for the Intrigue now that it won't be around in 2-3 years. Please accept my friendly amendment: "What sport sedan under $35,000 would you buy to replace your Intrigue?"

1. I'll look at a Catera/CTS if it has the 3.5l and it doesn't run over $35,000.

2. I'll wait to see the new mid-lux platform from GM. Probably the successor to the Regal if it gets the 3.5l and the interior is brought into this century.

3. Passat has to make the list. It did the last time around.

4. Audi A-4. I may have just passed the $35,000 limit.

5. 300M (or N), if DaimlerChrysler's quality doesn't deteriorate due to its financial problems.

dwg

dwg

I forgot to list an Acura. I wouldn't want to leave that off of my wish list.

dwg

etharmon

Don't forget Hondas, those should be number one on anyone's wish list:) As for what will replace my 98 this summer, more than likely it will be a 2001 Intrigue. Right now Olds is offering 0.9% for 36 months and I think 3.9 for 60 months, but I'd guess that later on in the year, the 0.9% for 60 months will come back. That along with the $1500 in loyalty cash make another Intrigue very tempting. Now if I get a promotion at work and Olds runs 0.9% on Auroras, well that may tempt me even more:) My co-worker signed the paperwork on his 2000 GLS today. It is Sandstone with sunroof, Bose, trunk mounted cd changer, spoiler, and PCS. They sold him the car for 1% over invoice then gave him $1500 as his wife has a 97 Cutlass and then financed it for 60 months at 0.9% and he got the 5 year 60,000 mile warranty. He left work early today to do it, soI haven't had a chance to talk to him about the car.

etharmon

From what I understand, you cannot get the discounts and the 0.9% financing. However, 2000s are selling at about 1% over invoice and if you have a 96 or newer Olds, you do get $1500 off, even with the 0.9%. Your just not going to get $2500 then another $1500 and get to finance it for practically nothing. If you figure the financing at 0.9 and at a conventional rate, you save more in finance charges by taking the 0.9 unless you have a large trade allowance or down payment. I think alot of the promos ended today and some new ones are probably starting about right now.

vcjumper

I will probably be looking 4-5 years at cars like the next Maxima (should be redesigned by then hopefully with a better look and more horsepower still), and the next Passat. If I'm in with the Acura dealer still and can get a TL-S cheap then I'll have to see. For $36 Canadian or about $24US, my friend's CL-S is real nice.

GM could surprise me with the next Catera or next gen W-bodies, but I'm not holding my breath. I have not liked their recent 2000+ efforts style wise except for the Aurora (Aztek, Monte, 2000 Sunfire, Saturn LS and SC). 2000 Cateras are selling for $36cdn brand new right now.

If things go well for me then it may be Lincoln LS time. If I transfer to my company's Barbados branch, I'll drive a scooter or something.

yurakm

Sorry, I do not have Intrigue.

The first car I told about is a 98 Malibu. I bought it used, one year old, with 15k on odometer. The rotors already were warped, but then I did not realize what the brake pulsation means. Thought it is ABS.

Drove it with the warped rotors for another 7-8k miles, than had to replace the brakes. Now had put another 15k miles; everything is fine.

By the way, I am braking almost exactly as you told. Not for the rotors sake, but to be sure to not overshoot. Better to brake early and then crawl to the intersection.

You see, I first learned to drive when I was 45. Not the age to take risk.

As to the fast acceleration from 70 to 90, I did it only couple of times, to break-off from tailgaters. The both times it was rather to 96 than 90, up-hill.

I like the sensation, but would not repeat it intentionally. We have a 65 mph speed limit on most highways. This is the official number; practically 75 mph is OK, but not much more. 90 is definitely off-limit.

Both cases happened the next week or two after we bought our new car - a close cousin of your Olds Intrigue, mid-size Buick Regal.

Buick have a very smooth ride. I did not feel its speed and did not realize that the acceleration from to 95, up-hill, takes only about 2 seconds. No flooring: did the manoeuvre at 3600 rpm, the performance shift mode was off.

dindak

Our next car will be a sport utility as the baby is our new priority. I will look at the new Saturn Vue, '02 Oldsmobile Bravada (and siblings), Nissan Pathfinder, Isuzu Rodeo and perhaps the new Ford Explorer (without Firestone tires).

As my Intrigue is just less than a year old, it will be around for 5-6 years. Buy then everything will have changed and who knows what car I'll look at. If things go well, perhaps a Cadillac CTS and if not quite so well the upcoming Saturn mid-size replacements or Nissan Maxima. Who knows.. maybe even a cookie cutter Accord?? Jgriff would be proud!

jgriff

If you're looking towards an SUV, you might take a look at Acura MDX. It has been getting very good reviews, very car/sport car like handling. I'm also real curious how well it will do on a crash/roll-over test.

teo

The $0 down, 0% Interest and 0 Payments for 1 year incentive program on all Oldsmobiles just ended on 1/2/01. Last night I was browsing the Olds website and found out that GM just renewed their purchase incentive deals on all models with even better offers (I think). As you all know, I currently drive a '00 Impala LS 3800 V-6 which has given me so far 13,000 trouble free miles. However I have had my eyes set for some time now on the 2001 Aurora 3.5 and with the current Cash Back/Financing rates this car seems a bit too hard to let pass on. Olds is offering $2,000 rebate on ALL 2001 Auroras or GMAC financing as follows:

0.9% for 36 Mos
2.9% for 48 Mos
3.9% for 60 Mos (All offers require a minimum 20% down)

I think this car is a true bargain in the near luxury class and with GM's 'free money' I almost break even with the financing costs on my Impala LS Vs. the '01 Aurora.

I haven't driven the V-6 Aurora, but based on some reviews, they seem to critize the handling dynamics of this car. Anyone has any 'real world' experience with this car? I love the styling, the fit and finish seems to be top notch (I have sit inside one but never driven it)and the excellent safety scores this model has received by the Insurance Institute for Highway safety.

Also the prospect of a longer powertrain warranty (5 Years/60K Miles)the idea of upgrading to the Aurora 3.5 seems very palatable. (Further reduces any reliability risks involved with the purchase)

As long as GM provides full parts and service support after Olds is gone, I don't really care. Ditto for re-sale value. Domestics and most cars are not to be looked upon as long term investments so 're-sale' is not paramount to me.

Am I crazy by doing this?

Pros and Cons on the 3.5 Aurora??

I appreciate your comments.

dindak

Jgriff: While Honda does rule, I don't have the $$ for an Acura.

teo: Aside from the hit you will take on the Impala, buying an Aurora sounds fine. I have driven only the 3.5, but my impressions were very positive. It is truly a nice car!

one2one

I've driven both. I think it is a fabulous vehicle. I saw nothing wrong with it at all and checking over at the Aurora 3 forum no one seems to be having consistant (or any) problems that indicate quality issues.

While I don't know your personal reasons for optioning for the V6 I highly recommend test driving both V8 and V6 before making a decision. I drove the 3.5 a couple of times and was greatly impressed. Very smooth, liquid feel, more quiet than the 3.5 Intrigue, super comfortable. But then I drove the V8... OH, MAMMA!!! What a difference! The sound of the V8 is just hypnotic. If you thought power was instant in the 3.5, the 4.0 is even more so. Not that it is faster than the 6 but the smoothness and immediate power combine to make it feel like a TRUE luxury car. I think the 17" rims on the V8 also help create that feeling.

That doesn't mean the V6 is inferior by any means. I was convinced I could by one after driving only the V6. I guess it's like the saying, You can't miss what you've never had. If you drive only the V6, you'll fall in love an be more than happy. If you drive the V8 and the sticker shock doesn't hurt too much, you'll fork over the money and never look back.

Since this is the Intrigue forum I'll mention something about it. My wife and I have been "observing" how GM is working the rebates. We suspect that by this time next year incentives will be higher than they are now, similar to what they did the final year of the Aurora classic. With that thinking, we're hoping to get a '01 Aurora so cheap the cops with put out an APB on us. Or, we'll get the '02 Intrigue with the additions harlanc said will be on them. That's what our initial thought is.

teo

If I do decide to go for the Aurora, before anything, I will need to sell my Impala first as I will not give up my 'baby' on a trade-in. I actually have some equity in the Impala (I am not upside down if I make the effort to sale the car on a private transaction)so I can afford to wait 2 to 3 months to sell it (Again if I decide to do this). The Aurora deals will be good until 4/1/01 so there are no time pressures. Even I would be willing to wait longer if GM can increase the rebates. My Impala has been trouble free and dead reliable on the 1 year since I bought it. But the Aurora is sure to be a nice car and a bargain in the near luxury class.

jgriff

Just how much are you thinking about of spending on a new SUV. Cuz even the Tahoe/Yukons, Surbs, etc. are pushing the upper 30's & 40 plus. However the MDX it does not have as great of a towing capacity as the others.

FYI: A base MDX (nicely eqt. leather, seats 7) is 34k (US). It will handle 4x8 sheets of plywood w/ no problem. Dollar for dollar & options it will match up to any SUV.

Don’t automatically assume by A “Label” that something is too expensive or cheap for that matter. Heck the new Aurora price ranges from 30 to plus 40k. Heck maybe the GLS sticker price of +30k is what scared some people from seriously looking at an Intrigue. I thought Acura was out of my price range, but my CL is 2k [MSRP] cheaper than a fully loaded Intrigue [not to mention some of the other extras].

mkco

I test drove both the 6 and 8 versions of the Aurora and was not impressed...

I thought the 6 handled well, but was a bit underpowered, using the Intrigue's engine to lug around a heavier car. The 8 solved the power problem (though wasn't impressive in that regard) but didn't handle as well, being (nose-)heavier still. In other words, neither Aurora had the "balance" I was looking for.

(Plus the Intrigue is a lot better looking, IMHO.)

I ended up getting a Grand Prix GTP, saying a fond farewell to my Intrigue last week. I like the GTP a lot, but the Intrigue has it beat in some areas. Intrigue's ergonomics are better, Intrigue offers a cassette as well as CD in the radio, Intrigue has automatic temperature control, and PCS. (On the other hand, the GP's supercharged 3800 KICKS [non-permissible content removed]!)

I remain convinced that the Intrigue is one of the best sedans in GM's history. It deserved a better fate, but then again, "that's business."

dindak

Jgriff : I am looking for a low to mid I$20'sK sport utility. I never mentioned Tahoes or anything expensive except the Bravada. The only reason I mention Bravada is because I figure the discounts may bring the price down to a Chevy/GMC price range. Honda does rule as you know.. but the MDX is way out of range!

mkco : Congrats on the Grand Prix! We will miss you around here but having had a 98 Grand Prix, I know you will like it. I would love to try out a GTP.

I think the next generation Intrigue will end up at Saturn. I really hope it happens.