Oldsmobile Intrigue

oldsman01

The pics of the 04 GP look impressive as does the 280 hp engine. Lets hope the design doesn't get watered down when it goes to production. Still, I think the Cadillac CTS is near the top of my list. It's looking like 2004 will be when I'm truly in the market again and it so happens the already excellent CTS will be getting a new 3.6 liter 250 hp V6 that year. Unless the price is raised significantly, I will pinch pennies and try to buy one as I've been very impressed with the CTSs I've driven thus far.

oldsman01

I think you hit the nail on the head. Even today, I still get people asking me what my car is and when I say "an Intrigue" they ask who makes that.

rhall4

I'am With you oldsman I am waiting for the new v6 powered CTS or The CTV v-8 when it becomes available as a replacement for my 2000 intrigue. I was thinking of the gp
when it was supposed to be introduced with the new 6 but now that it's going to be introduced with the 3.8 they can keep it. Usually Hate the pontiac interiours anyway. God you would think that they could get there act together, When you suggest to the public that you are going to
release a new vehical with such and such a powerplant and then fail to deliver it certainly
doesn't help the cars launch any.

redline65

I'll have my Intrigue until 2006, so I don't know what car I'm holding out for. By then the CTS will be about a year away from a total redesign.

dindak

I'm on about the same buy line. Maybe they will be clearing out the old CTS' by then for the new model and we can get a great deal on one!

TSchramm

I like it, myself. But I really don't trust GM too much. They build a great, brand new engine, the 3.5, and only give it to Oldsmobile, and then kill the division - and the engine. Why they don't put it in the GP, Regal and/or Impala, I don't know. I wonder how much GM will have lost on a per-engine basis when the 3.5, and Oldsmobile, is gone.

Somtimes I think GM is the dumbest car company in the world.

swagled

Just a quick hello from a public access terminal in Nelson, BC. I've been putting 1500 miles on my car since leaving Portland and spending a lot of time in 3 (or 2) gear on BC highways. I'll probably regret loosening up the chassis on some of those gravel roads, we all know how Inrigues can squeak and fuss.. but oh well, a car should be able to take some (limited) heavy use. I sure put my old Mazda through some crappy roads in the Sierra Nevada!

Intrigue seems to handle mountain driving well. I have yet to see the heat guage much past the halfway mark. No brake fade, either, coming down.

This will be going on for another week or two before I return to Portland to pick up my things and drive to North Carolina.

dindak

TSchramm : Actually, the 3.5L was expensive to make for GM and would have been even more expensive if they had to modify it for the new emission standards. It unfortunately made perfect sense to kill it from a financial standpoint. The only down side is that they do not have a larger DOHC V6 right now as the 3.0L is too small for the GP.

swagled : BC is a beautiful place. If it wasn't so far I might live there, but both of our families are in Ontario. Enjoy your travels!

oldsman01

Have you seen any interior pics of the G-force concept? If Pontiac stays close to this(fingers crossed) cheap looking interiors are a thing of the past for them. And while a new engine would be great, I could certainly live with the supercharged 3800 if they bump the power to 280 hp. Still, the RWD layout and upscale image of the Cadillac brand does have me leaning toward the CTS and as long as they don't radically increase the price, it is not alot more expensive than a loaded GP would run. The 04 Pontiac GTO looks tempting as well. AT LAST a decent two door coupe with a mill under the hood driving the proper wheels with a proper IRS. I always knew we Americans had more in common with the folks down under than many thought:)

swagled, do you put your tranmission in "3" when going down the mountains? I do this and it saves the brakes big time. Other cars will be on theirs continually and I can actually take my foot off the brake at times and just let the engine do the braking.

TSchramm

dindak: which makes one wonder why GM built the engine in the first place. Sounds like nothing but a loser all the way around (financially speaking, not performance-wise). Did GM really not have a pretty good idea they would kill Olds when they started producing the 3.5?

Also brings up the point on how much service and support the 3.5 will have for long-term owners - past what GM currently says they will provide. Probably makes the Intrigue used market very unattractive -who would buy a car with an engine that GM produced relatively few of and then discontinued. At least parts and support for the 3800 will never be an issue - there are millions of them around - and will be for some time. And practically every GM dealer and independent shop can work on them.

Good thing GM makes such huge margins on it's SUV's and pickups. I wonder if any of their cars turn a profit.

sunsession

Met with my dealer today to discuss warranty situation on new 2000 I'll be taking delivery on next Wednesday. Bottom line: 3 years/36,000 miles, starting next Wednesday. Once I get into GM's database as a new customer, they may notice that I don't have their current 5yr/60,000 promotional warranty; maybe they'll consider it a dealer oversight and offer it to me. (Ya think??)

pgl1

Good pick - great price, power, crash worthiness and quality, but I agree with dindak; I'd want something with a sportier suspension. I plan on diving my Intrigue for a number of years to come, and plan to replace my wife's soon to be off-lease Jetta with a Passat. As for myself, I will keep my eye on the GP, next gen Maxima, Mazda6 and 3-Series.

Warranty - try getting the dealer to throw in an extended warranty for either no or a reduced cost. They pay a pittance for them and sell them to the public at a huge profit.

badgerfan

I haven't noticed that current Taurus suspension is too soft. I had a bit of concern when I bought it that they had softened too much to reduce ride harshness ( I had a '90 Taurus for ten years prior), but that doesn't seem to be the case. I notice virtually no body lean on hard cornering. Main limitation is the OEM tires, that don't have the greatest traction, but those I can easily fix when the OEMs wear out. That, and I wish Taurus had rear disc brakes, at least as an option.

I agree that the Passat probably handles quite a bit better, but also likely at quite a cost premium, as well.

dindak

TSchramm : I don't know all the details, I don't work for GM. My guess is the Aurora and Intrigue were suppose to sell much better than they did and the volumes weren't high enough to keep the motor. It was suppose to be an Oldsmobile only engine. I am not worried about parts, they will be around as long as I own the car. I think the 3.5L may some day be a collector as it's an amazing engine and there aren't a lot around. In fact I was watching Hot Rod TV on SPEED a while back and they had a guy on who installed a used 3.5L in his vintage Chevy.. very cool!

oldsman : I'm pretty excited about the new GP. Thankfully Mr. Lutz has had his hand in this car and it should have a nice interior.

one2one

I'm going to put the Aurora V-8 under there. I take care of my cars very well so hopefully that will be a while from now (mileage-wise). The way I drive that should put me at the very end of my loan :-)

b4z

There has got to be another reason GM stopped offering the 3.5L.
They could have continued to offer it as an extra cost option. $500 would have been fair. Or even $1000. GM charges more than that for the 5.3L engine in the Silverado, even though it is the same engine as the 4.8L.
Heck, in 1984 I paid $505 for the 5.0L H.O. motor in my Z28 and all that was different about it was a Corvette camshaft, dual snorkel intake, electric fan and a big mouth catalytic converter.
That $500 bucks got me 40 hp and a whole lot of fun.
I would gladly pay that to have a smoother and more powerful engine in my Impala.

dindak

I think the 3.5L would have continued for another year or two were it not for the new US emission standards in 2003.

oldsman01

I would call Oldsmobile ASAP(1-800-442-OLDS) and talk with somebody there. My understanding of the warranty was that any new 2000, 2001, or 2002 which in which delivery is taken before 10/2002 after the Olds phase out annoucement date(12/???2000) was eligible for this warranty. I would really hold out for this as if the car is being sold to you as "new" then you should be eligible for this warranty.

oldsman01

I'm not too concerned if engine problems develop down the road as if an Olds or other GM brand dealer can't fix it, chances are a Cadillac dealer can. Remember, this engine is based heavily upon the Northstar V8 right down to it's two piece alloy block. This is partly why is it so expensive to build. Cadillac can afford to build expensive engines and put them in their cars, a lesser brand doesn't have the margins. Also, I think Olds and GM had bigger plans for this engine intially as Intrigue sales were near the 90,000 annually mark in 98 and 99 and they expected the Aurora 3.5 to sell better than it did. Not to mention the 3800 was originally scheduled to be phased out by the end of 2001 and the 3.5 the likely replacement. Just as Mustang owners did in the 80s when Ford planned to replace it with the FWD Probe, current owners and dealers expressed to GM that the 3800 was VERY popular. And it is a pretty good engin despite it's age. And hey, it doesn't cost GM anything other than parts to build it as tooling was paid for long ago. I hate to see the 3.5 go as it is a good engine, but I think the new generation of OHC V6s under development will be very impresive and due to their 60 degree design will have more application ability.

sunsession

Should I make this call now, or right after I take delivery and actually own the car? I don't want to annoy the dealer at this point. He swears he's losing his shirt on this deal. Shouldn't I wait to get the car and then "just notice" that the warranty is for 3/36,000 and make an inquiry to the Olds number? Or, will I just automatically get the 5/60,000 from GM, based on the date I took delivery? Is it really in the dealer's hands at that point--once I become the titled owner?

ketch

Anyone know the TSB number for the intermediate Steering shaft problem(s)? Also is lubing it the only fix folks are seeing, or are dealers replacing it ( I assume the TSB, if any, would give the how to on the fix).

Seems my 2000 GL with 25 k miles is so afflicted after all. Thanks

oldsman01

I would call them now and just ask them for the exact details on it. The warranty is actually a GM backed full extended warranty through Major Gaurd and when you take delivery of the car, they have to fill out the contract and major gaurd sends you the information. The owners manual will only list the basic GM 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. I would call Oldsmobile and just ask them since the car has never been titled and is technically being sold as new. He may be "losing his shirt" on the car, but thats not your problem. And the extended warranty is through GM so it isn't going to cost him anything extra. Anyway, as for him losing money on you, he's losing money EVERY day that car sits on his lot. Heck, he's probably been paying for floor space on that vehicle for over two years. Thats why I'm surprised it's still there as most dealers will cut their losses when they have a vehicle that sits there too long and offer their sales people a spiff to sell it or discount it big time.

TSchramm

I just saw a photo of the '03 Bonneville, which noted has had the "egregious" side cladding removed and some minor changes, and it looks very sharp. Again, Lutz had some say-so in cleaning up both the exterior and interior, and it shows. Said that a more powerful version would be out early in 2003. The SSEi already has the supercharged 3800, so I wonder what GM has in store. Also read some speculation that the '04 Bonneville may assume the mantle as the new "mid-lux" sport sedan at GM that the Aurora tried to be in it's last incarnation, to be positioned one notch down from the CTS equipment/performance/pricewise. Is there a Northstar derivative in Pontiac's future?

Frankly, when GM shrunk the dimensions of the Bonneville somewhat to make then look less like the LeSabre or 88, it is actually closer to the Intrigue than the GP by some measures.

one2one

I can very easily see the Bonniville using the Aurora V-8. Remember, only the 3.5 has officially been sent out to pasture. The Aurora V-8 is still being using in Aurora. I would suspect it is cheaper and easier to produce than the 3.5 since it has been in production since 1995 and (I would assume) needed fewer changes from the Caddie Northstar to come into production than the 3.5 V-6 needed when being ported from the Aurora V-8. Not to mention the V-8 uses regular gas and no maintanece of a supercharger. I hope they don't can the V-8 as well.

If you haven't driven the Aurora V-8, give it a spin. If you love your 3.5, you'll be in lust with the V-8. From a power perspective, if a person only has only been behind the wheel of a S/C 3800, they'll look at the spec sheet and question the need for the V-8. It's only after a spin in the Aurora that you can feel the difference.

TSchramm:: I actually fit better in the Intrigue and Grand Prix than the Bonniville. I've only seen exterior shots of the Bonniville. Have you seen how the interior will look? If so, where?

hammen2

The Aurora V-8 underwent a significant redesign between the Classic and New Aurora. Only the New ones work with regular gas - all Classics require premium. Still, I agree, it would be good to take the Aurora V-8 (another NorthStar derivative) and put it to good use somewhere else. It would help us devoted Aurora owners have a path to go for our next car (oncde you go DOHC V-8, it's hard to go back to anything else :-)

arnie82

I just had my 2000 Intrigue in to address the intermediate shaft. The solution was lubricating it, a job that took most of the day.
I searched for the TSB to see if it specified replacement but I wasn't able to find it.

arnie82

What tires are people using out there?
I'm at 36K with the original Goodyear Eagle LS and one is starting to show tread seperation on the inner edge. The tread depth is down and wear bars are starting to show.
Thanks

vcjumper

I don't think you can go wrong with Michelin Pilot XGT/H4's, Michelin X-Ones, Bridgestone Potenza RE950's, Dunlop SP Sport A2's. I have the Pilots right now and in another year or so I'll probably buy them again, or try the RE950's or SP Sport A2's.

focus

Who has it and how much? My 01 intrigue is almost 1 year old (how time flys), and i would like to (or have to?) buy extended warranty before the 1st year is up.

mitzelj

Hello Gang-
I have a couple of questions. I recently bought a 2000 Intrigue to replace my aging 95 Olds Cutlass Supreme. Anyway, I have two questions. One does anyone else find that the steering is a trifle to sensitive, I find myself over correcting it alot. Two what are the symptoms of the intermediate steering shaft lube problem? Thanx in advance. Jeff

one2one

Do you feel a "jiggling" sensation thru the steering wheel and/or the brake when applying the brake at low speeds? If you turn the wheel completely to the left or right then gently accelerate (such as when making a 3-point turn), does the wheel feel loose? Or do you feel the above when going over speed bumps or driving into parking lots where the lot is higher than the street (i.e supermarket parking lots)? If so, then you my friend, may have the intermediate steering shaft problem.

Depending on your dealership and their experience with this you may or may not have to fight with them. When I described my symptoms to the service manager he tried to tell me that what I was feeling was probably warped rotors (the technician that worked on it correctly thought otherwise and I had JUST got the rotors cut). Don't let them feed you that. The pulsation of warped rotors increases as a function of speed. That is to say, the faster you're going when you hit the brakes the more intense the pulsation. The steering shaft problem is more pronounced at low speeds (40mph and lower) and the "jiggling" is more noticable as you slow down (warped rotors pulsate less a the speed decreases).

I think both your questions are answered by fixing the ISS. You'll find that your whole driving experience will change for the better when this is fixed.

oldsman01

I've said for years the high end Bonneville and also Buick Park Avenue Ultra should have this engine. I'm with one2one, the 4.0 may not "look" any more powerful than the supercharged 3800, but what it lacks in low end grunt, it more than makes up for in higher end power and more noticeably REFINEMENT.

ketch

one2one, you exactly described the symptoms i am getting, so mush so i saved it off to read from for the service guy. I hope to have it in the shop in several weeks for the ISS lube, if i can get them to "believe" me. -thanks, ketch

one2one

Glad to be of service. I got the whole kit--whatever that consisted of. It was more than just the lube. But it feels good. I stop shy of saying great because my '98 felt extremely tight (probably because of that iron block 3800 laying on the front wheels) after getting fixed. But it is enjoyable.

one2one

I HATE THESE GOODYEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Boy, that felt good. Too bad these Goodyears don't. I'm (being cheap and) waiting for the Dunlop Sport A2's to go on sale at Sears. I could get them at Tirerack.com but I prefer to get them at Sears because I like and have used a few times the road hazzard warranty. Plus, Sears is a lot closer than the nearest Tirerack installer and they have better hours.

Now, I know that tires loose air over time. But these things leak like a busted pipe. I might also be spoiled from my experience with Michelin Pilots. I can count the times I had to refill the air in them. These Badyears I have to fill up about once every 2 weeks. I got them checked to make sure there were no leaks. And even when they are full, I don't have the confidence I used to in the Pilots. Push come to shove, I may have to go to Tirerack. At $89/tire at least I save some money vs. $123/tire at Sears.

I hate 'em, I hate 'em, I hate 'em, I hate 'em!!!!

vcjumper

You could also check out tires.com/discount tires direct

dindak

Love my Goodyears.

Love them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Actually, I don't, but I have no complaints either. I have always had very good luck with them on previous cars.

sunsession

I just pulled my new 2000 Intrigue into the driveway, complete with 5 year/60,000 mile GM Protection Plan. Thanks very much for your help.

b4z

Congratulations!!

vcjumper

Sweet!

sda

While our Passat was in the body shop having the rear bumper replaced, our Intrigue was in the hands of my wife. I drove the rental '03 Toyota Corolla. Now my wife enjoys a nice driving car, but she is hardly the enthusiast, and I know I bore her with all my car talk. So, after driving the Intrigue for about a week she volunteered she 'loved' the Intrigue. Needless to say, I was delighted. The Corolla was a CE model, no options. Drove nicely, had good power, but I found I couldn't find a comfortable seating position. The steering was wheel too high and far away, pedals too close. I was glad to steal the Intrigue back from my wife, and she was happy to have her ride back from minor surgery. Enjoy.

lmacmil

Mine are OK and don't lose air at all. 36K miles and probably have another 5K or so left. I won't buy them again due to the price. I may try the Yokohama Avid Touring which are inexpensive, great treadwear warranty and good reviews on Tirerack (which is about 10 miles from me.)

oldsman01

Congratulations on your new ride. Let me know if you have any technical questions and I'll be glad to give you any info from the factory service manual. Glad you got the warranty too as you should have. You should be receiving a packet in the mail from Major Gaurd in a few weeks, this contains your warranty ID cards and information about what it includes and excludes. My guess is you'll enjoy the Intrigue three times as much as you did your Cutlass Ceira:)

oldsman01

I don't love(or really hate) my Goodyear tires, but they are not my favorite either. For what Eagle RS-As cost, there are better riding and handling alternatives out there. I now have 21,000 miles on my car and looking at the tires, they will be bald by 40K if not sooner.

moonshadow

I too have problem keeping air in one of my tires.

Every couple of weeks it needs a few pounds. While at the goodyear outfit to get a balance problem fixed that gm would not address since new, I asked about the stupid rsa and buddy told me that the ls are much quieter, have a tread life of 100000kms instead of the 40000kms on the rsa. (they re-balanced for FREE at 24000 kms and one of my long standing gm problems has been fixed. First time a satisfactory and permanent repair for the beast. GM sucks)

I have had a couple of sets of eagles years ago on a t-bird. I found they wore out fast and were noisy. I went with something else and had no problems.

My question: I really do not want eagle any thing on the car. Is there a tire out there that can reduce the overly excessive rolling road noise that these things produce. Is there a tire that can reduce the tractor ride the the out-trige has. I find that if you drive over a hair in the road you can feel it. Can the rsa have a stiff wall or something that is augmenting the roughness that so many find. Any comments and experiences regarding tires is appreciated and welcome

My love /hate relationship with this car is tipping more to the hate. GM and there pack of liars isn't helping.

vcjumper

The ride the Intrigue has over small cracks in pavement at low to medium speeds (I find it bad between 20-50mph) has more to do with the suspension pieces and chasis than the tires. My commute on high traffic days involves a lot of this unfortunately. I found front and rear strut tower bars helped stiffen the now somewhat dated platform a bit but not alot.

RSA's do not have a good reputation at all for noise. I think you could do a lot better with a set of Dunlop SP Sport A2's.

arnie82

I've been on vacation for the last 2 weeks and enjoying driving the (wife's) Intrigue. I spent about 2 hours rotating the tires and giving the wheels a thorough cleaning and polishing. Inspection of the tires showed that they have reached the end of their useful life, and I'll be replacing them this morning with a set of Michelin Agility Touring.
I really enjoy the Intrigue. It's had it's share of problems, but the service departments have been (eventually) able to correct them to my satisfaction.

dindak

After a little over 2 1/2 years it would appear I have the intermediate shaft issue. I'm kind of glad as the car is still under warranty so I can get this all licked before it comes off. I detect a faint clicking vibration through the wheel/brake pedal when I turn slowly. I just noticed it yesterday. No rush to fix it, I will wait until I go for my next oil change which is probably in a couple of weeks. I know it's not the brakes as I had them check last visit and they told me they were fine.

Other wise trouble free driving with about 47K kms on the dial now. Goodyears are fine and the engine is as smooth as ever.

ian18

I ran my Goodyear RSA's for 63,000 miles. I have to say they were a pretty decent tire and I really had nothing to complain about. However they are very expensive and I have now replaced them with Firestone Affinity LH's. After about 1500 miles I can say that the ride is better (perhaps due to a slightly softer sidewall) and it is quiet. With a mileage warranty of 70,000 miles they should be considered. By the way I did look pretty hard at the Dunlop SP A2's but the tread pattern really turned me off.

bchuc

I bought a 02 Intrigue in March of this year. The center hub cap on the wheels have a clicking noise when the car is moving. After the third time to the dealer, he put some grease on them to get rid of the noise. However, the rims still flex and the center caps are now crack in various places. Does anyone have this problem with your wheel caps. The dash board is also delaminating at the center air vent. The dealer had to order a new dash board, and I am taking it in next week to have it replaced.