Oldsmobile Intrigue

vcjumper

Your car did not but anyone who consulted these forums back then or consumer reports would easily see lots of complaints that were not fixed right the first time very often.

Another reason the Intrigue failed was because the previous gen GM midsizers were so old, awful and behind the times, why bother giving the 98+ ones a shot?! I'm sure that was the mentality of many shoppers. There was no reputation of excellence/competitiveness of GM vehicles when this car arrived.

dindak

Late model Cutlasses were actually pretty reliable from what I've heard. I know I've been a bit lucky, but I also didn't buy a 98/99 and the major bugs were out of the car by then.

b4z/oldsman : If I can swing it, our next sedan could be a CTS. Problem is our next vehicle will likely be an SUV. :-(

jgriff

"Should be my next car"

?? "Should be" -or- "Could be"

I personally don't care for the looks of the head & tail lights.

evandro

Say, did it have the outgoing 3.2 or the new 3.6 V6?

white6

I personally think the root of the excellent CTS ride/handling dynamics owe to the fact that it is rear wheel drive. Great front/rear weight bias (and acceleration/braking weight shift) and you don't have only the FRONT tires handling all the acceleration, braking, and turning forces. I know that there are plenty of folks out there who are bias against BMW because of their "status symbol" image, but the fact is that, if you drive one, you will see how great a car CAN drive, if it is built toward those ends, instead of just how cheaply it can be made (i.e. the real reason most manufacturers love front wheel drive).

oldsman01

Unless something beyond my control happens with my finances, a 2004 CTS will likely be my next car. I've pretty much ruled the Saab 9-3 out simply because the 04 CTS is going to be so much more powerful and while the Saab isn't a bad car, reading over in the Saab board has revealed a few electrical gremlims which are annoying some owners. By contract, the CTS thread is about like a Lexus thread meaning there are very few complaints of problems. That is an excellent sign for GM and something they need to work toward with ALL of their cars, not just Cadillacs. Styling wise, I really like the CTS especially in dark colors. And as B4Z has reported, the car is nearly perfect in regard to the balance between ride and handling. While the Intrigue handles very well, it's ride leaves something to be desired. The CTS not only rides much smoother but handles even tighter than the Olds.

dindak, sorry your next car may have to be an SUV but you might want to check out the Cadillac SRX as it is based on the CTS platform.

TSchramm

Developing similar symptoms with my 3.8 - 2-4 cranks to start, occasional rough idle right after starting cold.

How involved is replacing the sensor? Is this a dealer scenario or could/should Pep Boys handle Any idea on cost? thanks...

oldsman01

I've posted several theories on why Olds and the Intrigue failed and in looking at it in retrospect, I believe the division simply didn't get the word out enough about their new line of products. The 95 Aurora generated alot of interest and there was an agressive advertising campaign along with very agressive first year pricing. But then, nothing really spectacular until 3 years later when the Intrigue came out(the 96 Bravada, 97 Cutlass and Silhouette were simply average). And despite the X-files movie promo and a decent ad campaign, many folks still had no idea what an Intrigue was and who made it. And it didn't help that Olds didn't put their name on the car. I still get people today who see my car and either ask who makes it(and mine has the large "Oldsmobile" badge on it) or say "nice Intrepid". Cadillac seems to be doing a better job at revamping their image as we are seeing new product after new product. First came the redesigned Escalade in 2001, then the CTS, now the XLR and very soon the SRX followed up in a year or so by a performance oriented CTS and totally new STS. Olds should have been much more agressive in their new product launches and a performance oriented Intrigue(complete with manual transmission) should have been introduced. And they should have dumped that lame ad agency which ran ads depicting squirels with their mouths full of nuts and the Aurora's burled walnut interior trim. Give me a break! Show off the real features of the car like that wonderful DOHC engines and well designed chassis. Better yet, let is hear one of those engines being revved up in one of the ads.

evandro

I agree with you. Just look at those ads for Cadillac: they're about motoring in an open country at the sound of Led Zeppelin! What could be better? ;-)

dindak

evandro : Don't think the 3.6 is available yet.

oldsman : SRX is out of range for us. I like the look of the upcoming Equinox though. I think you are right about Olds, if Cadillac can change it's image, Oldsmobile could have also. That said, Cadillac does also have extremely good product right now.

b4z

First 3.6 was to get to dealer's lots in Michigan on the 11th. Every where else later.
My car was a 3.2L

dekester

Actually, the 98 Intrigue DOES say Oldsmobile on it. I had the car two years before I saw it.

It's engraved in the back-up light lens on the passenger side amind the etched "pinstripe" line!

I've had interested aquaintances look at the name on the trunk fast, then yell at me later because when they looked at a Dodge Intrepid, it didn't look anything like my car, and they liked the Intrigue's styling!

b4z

Most of the people that I ran into thought it was a lexus.
Then when I told them it was a Intirgue they thought it was a Dodge Intrepid.

Back in the 70's I was talking to a guy who was looking for a sporty car. I asked him why he didn't look at the Z28.
He said 280Z's were too expensive.

People are idiots.

rjs200240

"People are idiots."

LOL!

ozznet

When ever I tell someone what kind of car I have I always have to put "Oldsmobile" infront of Intrigue. If I just say Intrigue nobody know what it is but they all like it once they've seen it. A lot of people think I said Alero and I have to correct them.

oldsman01
Another reason why it failed could be the little things like the middle line on my hood and front bumper don't match. Their out buy about 3mm. Also you can see where the rear outside pillers between the back window and rear passanger seat were welded together.
Its nothing major but its the little things that help sell cars.

ian18

My '98 Intrigue autobahn version suffered a broken front stabilizer bar. Anyone else had this happen? I think the front stabilizer bar was only put on the autobahn models. The car is at 73K and there was no incident of hitting a pothole or curb that caused the failure.

To me it looks like fatigue failure, likely caused by the part being undersized for the load or a manufacturing defect. My cost was $143 for parts, $100 for labour.

oldsman01

I have had a couple of people ask me if my car was an Infiniti. Mostly though they think it is an Intrepid. Whenever people ask me what kind of car I have I often say "an Intrigue" just to see if they know what it is. If they know it is an Olds, they win a free ride in it with me:)

evandro, the Cadillac ads are pretty good although being the car nut that I am, I would like to hear the sound of the engine revved up. Maybe they will do that with the new 3.6 liter engine:)

b4z

All cars have front stabilizer bars.
The more sporting the car is the larger the bar.
Many years ago they went to hollow stabilizer bars to save weight.
They do crack or bend from time to time.
If they put a large bar on the front then they have to put one on the rear. The larger the front bar the more understeer. A rear bar increases oversteer.
Didn't know if you knew this but the Intrigue has the largest front bar of any Wbody.

dindak

No doubt, the Intrigue does look a bit Japanese, I have had a few people say they thought it was. Many people are surprised what a nice car it really is. It's too bad Oldsmobile didn't do a solid marketing job like Cadillac to let the masses know things had changed.

I look at Cadillac's success and wonder how things could have been the same for Olds with some tighter quality control and better marketing.

oldsman01

People are also surprised when they see inside my Intrigue(a GLS model) as some have remarked they never saw one with leather. I think the bulk of them on the roads are base models as alot of the other Intrigues I see have no fog lights and have black mirror housings. I don't think the car looks overly Japanese nor does it look overly American. It has kind of an international blend to it's look. If Olds had followed up to the original Aurora with the Intrigue the following year(96) and then the Alero(97) as well as a few other new models, they might have had a fighting chance. As it was, you had the $30K+ Aurora which attracted some new folks to Olds, but if they were like me and could not afford the price of entry, they were left looking at Cutlass Supremes, Cieras, and Achievas. By 98 the Aurora's luster was waning and the marketplace was becoming very crowded with good cars.

dindak

Given the quality improvements at GM in the past 3 year, I think you would have seen some pretty nice 2nd generation Intrigues and Aleros.

Local dealer is offering GMS pricing to the public for 2 days. I wonder if they really are or if it's just a sales ploy. Anyone ever heard of this before?

oldsman01

Other than someone over in the CTS thread saying that GM is giving their employees a couple of certificates to give to a friend or family member enabling them to get a car at the employee discount price, no. Seems bizarre, but again several years ago whem they started offering 0% financing for 60 months I thought that seemed bizarre. While certainly not good for my 401K, it is amazing what kind of good deals a slow economy can produce on goods such as automobiles. That is probably your dealer's way of saying they are selling the cars at invoice. The kicker will be if they let you take any rebates which be being offered on a particular model. If a person(such as myself) is truly eligible for GMS pricing, then you get the car at the GMS price PLUS you get to take advantage of any rebates or financing offers that are active.

dindak

I wish I could buy now, but I can't until the Intrigue is paid of in a year and a bit. I am tempted to check it out, but I likely won't bother or I'll get stuck at the dealer for 2 hours.

Martypa

I am looking to purchase an Intrigue, 00-02. The few that I have looked at, most notably an 00 with 25 k miles, looked alot "older". What I mean is that there were rusting bolts on the strut towers....the shocks holding up the trunk were rusting, there was rippling in the paint on the hood-just to name a few of the problems I saw. I have only looked at a few. Are these common problems? I realize that these are used vehicles, but I would expect a car with only 25 k miles to not be in such condition. Others I looked at had similar problems. I realize that owner care, or lack of, may have contributed to the cars' condition. What are your experiences? I drove the cars and absolutely love how the Intrigue handles, however, even with a good deal I am not going to purchase something that will be falling apart or rusting out on me in a few years. Any comments appreciated.

dindak

I have no rust on my trunk "shocks" on my 00 but under the car may have a few rusty pieces, nothing unusual IMO, nothing on the the struts. Where to you live?

evandro

Having bought a used '00 Intrigue myself a couple of months ago, I can only tell you to keep looking and when you find one that strikes your fancy (and your pocket), get it before someone else does.

The state of used cars vary a lot, primarily due to the care it's got. I've also seen a '99 Intrigue with about 26000mls stinking to dog and with several interior panels falling off. The one I ended up getting has a pristine interior, a couple of dents and some deteriorating rubber around the windows. Not as good as one that I hesitated about and was bought by someone else, but I factored those minor issues in the bargain, so I'm happy.

But living in the South, I was careful to check that the car didn't come from the snow belt, so no rust anywhere.

Martypa

I did look around more. I found an 00 GLS with 29K miles in outstanding condition. It has been sitting on a dealer lot for about 6 weeks. I got the price down to 11k out the door. It has been inspected and still has a bit of warranty left. I can't wait to take it out tomorrow. I love revving the 3.5. The car has world class handling. I hope to avoid some of the problems others have experienced here........

dindak

Look for any strange feeling in the steering and check the headlights for any flicker. Those are the two main issues late model Intrigues had. They may have already been addressed or may never have surfaced, not all cars have these issues. Good luck.

Martypa

Would the steering issue be related to the intermediate shaft? I previously owned a 98 and had to have it replaced twice.

dindak

Martypa : Yes, the intermediate shaft was still an issue in some 00/01s.

3trigs : Intrigue sold to a lot of import buyers and since GM hasn't offered something comparable to replace Intrigue, those people who would have maybe bot another are going elsewhere. GM should have had another DOHC powered premium sedan in the pipe before canning Intrigue. I think the new Regal may do that, but it's another year away.

Martypa

with Dindak. I really like the new Grand Prix, but the Intrigue was the vehicle that got me interested in buying a midsized GM vehicle. It attracted interest buyers who would not look at GM otherwise. The only other vehicle like it in the GM stable is probably the CTS, which still alienates potential buyers due to cost. I am certainly interested in what the next generation Regal is going to be like, but it is going to be hard to attract the types of customers GM was going after with the Intrigue/Olds. GM should have given Olds more time and attention to get sales moving.

b4z

You owned one before and you want another one?

front end rattles are not always ISS.
I had the ISS lubed in my Impala which did nothing.

There is a front brake caliper shime kit that I found out about. Evidnetly the brake calipers get loose and rattle.

It was the first shim kit my dealer has ever installed and it did the trick. YAY.

I never did get the ratles in my Intrigue fixed.
Wish I had known about this shim kit 3 years ago.

dindak

Martypa : I like the new GP a lot, I just wish it had a DOHC motor in it. That said, I would consider one for sure.

b4z : Never had that front end rattle. I am very carfull coming in and out of driveways, speed bumps ect so maybe that had kept things quiet over the years.

white6

How's it going? Finally traded the Formula... for a special-ordered 2004 BMW 330Ci. It is currently somewhere in the north Atlantic on it's way to Charleston, S.C. Bush administration tax cut package saved me several thousand dollars (I'm self-employed and this is my "company car") so I went ahead and took the DEEP plunge... hey, you only live once! The Intrigue is still soldiering on... just did the 80,000 mile service last weekend. Still pulls down 24-25 mpg in week-in, week-out commuting. Burns about a half-quart between 5,000-mile oil changes. So far, I've spent $450 on repairs since the warranty expired 2-1/2 years ago. It's on it's third set of Goodyears... Regatta II's this time. The left rear strut needs replacing... it's the only original left on the car. Right rear replaced at about 20,000 under warranty and I replaced the fronts last summer.

b4z

BMW's leave and enter the U.S. about 5 blocks from my house here in Charleston, SC.

Want me to go down and check on her for you? LOL.

it is pretty amazing to drive down the street and see literally a hundreds of X5's. A few days later there are roadsters, then 3 series cars.

dindak

Like BMWs in general but I could never live with the attitude and stigma that surround them, at least around here. Just not my style. Congrats on the new car though!

vcjumper

That is a beautiful car. Some have the whole "snob" thing about people who drive them but its pretty much jealous people who cannot afford them. Enjoy!

lmacmil

Dindak said: "Like BMWs in general but I could never live with the attitude and stigma that surround them." Funny, my wife made a very similar remark after we test drove a Lexus RX300 as a possible replacement for her Explorer.

On an Intrigue note, made a 1500 trip last week, mostly interstate driving at 73-78 mph. Averaged 28.3 mpg (3.5 with 3.05 axle). Had one short burst up to 100 mph on a two mile straight stretch of I-57 with only 1 other car in sight. My better half said "it sure doesn't seem like we're going 100 mph."

oldsman01

I'm not as concerned with the "snob" attitude which some BMW owners have as much as they get very pricey when options are added on. And in affluent parts of a town, 3 series are as common as Accords and Camrys. I like someting a little less common. The Cadillac CTS fits the bill for me perfectly. And with the new 255 hp V6 coming(actually already here as 04s are in production) the car looks even better. I will say that even BMWs have become more value oriented if that is possible as they seem to offer more luxury and performance for the price. I think the days of buying a BMW(or really any marque) just for the sake of saying you have a BMW are over.

white6

for the comments. The bimmer "stigma" is probably the second biggest "downside" to the car (the first being price!) but I refused to limit my choices by what other folks think. You also have to consider my geographic location: central Oklahoma. 3-series are not uncommon, but certainly not nearly as common as CamCords. Fortunately, the wife is still tickled to drive the Intrigue. BTW, the Aquatread III's went about half the advertised mileage. Goodyear wouldn't do anything, though, because I didn't drive the 80 mile round trip every two or three months to have THEM rotate. I do my own rotations; also still on my original brake rotors. I believe that these two facts are definitely connected!
Front struts replaced with Delco Silver; I was trying to improve the ride (if that's possible). Helped a little. The Regatta's helped the ride significantly, though. Hopefully they'll last longer. My sister has had two sets on her Cougar. She was so happy with them (especially the snow traction in rear-wheel drive car) that she insisted on another set last Fall. She got around 60,000 out of the first set.
Just found out that the 3-series plant is being shut down on Monday due to strike at the German ZF transmission plant. Fortunately, mine is on the boat...

oldsman01

Is yours a 325 or 330? I'm not as concerned with stigmas either. After all, I was only 26 when I bought the Intrigue and have no problem at all driving(or telling people that I drive) an Oldsmobile. I'll have no problem driving an "old man's car" Cadillac if I do a CTS within the next year either. Heck, unless it had one of those God awful carriage tops, I'd have no problem driving a Deville.

vcjumper

I'm still original brakes and pads at 120,000KM. Lots of highway KM in there I guess though.

My rear end is a bit noisy at speeds of 25-50MPH now.. Dunno what it is yet, tires seem ok.

Other issue that is a bit troublesome is the oil consumption on my 3.5L.. Its up to about a quart every 5,0000km now and may be the deciding factor as to whether I keep it more than another year.

I'm not big on stigmas unless they are earned. Everyone in my age group called Olds old men cars and asked where my grey hair was buying it in my twenties. But it doesn't drive/float and have overboosted isolated steering like a LeSabre, Century, Malibu, or base Impala.

tander

I have a 99 GL 3.5. It was built in October, when the 3.5 was still an option. How can I tell which axel it has. For that matter, whats the difference, which is better/prefered?

b4z

All '99s have the 3.29 gear.

b4z

A car that uses 1qt every 3000 miles doesn't have an oil consumption problem.
Especially one that has 75,000 miles on it.
I also suspect that is not get any worse either.

The piston rings on the northstar/shortstar
do not have tight tolerances.

They are designed for low friction and some oil is bound to get past.

My dealer told me that you can disassemble a northstar/shortstar at 100,000 miles and it will still have the crosshatch boring pattern on the cylinder walls.

vcjumper

Mine has gone up from almost nil 3 oil changes ago. I'll have to keep an eye on it but hopefully it doesn't get much thirstier.

white6

is what I ordered... more dollars, but more horses, too! Funny, I used to think that lack of standard equipment was bad... wish I could have deleted some of the "standard" equipment on the 330Ci (Harmon Karden stereo, etc.) but I'm glad the moonroof was an option. I'm 6-3 and long of torso, so the $1,050 moonroof option was NOT checked. Acura is lauded for all the standard equipment; you have no choice when it comes to moonroof... you get it whether you want it or not. I was tempted to go cheap and buy a 325Ci with 5-speed manual, sport package, and nothing else for $29,000. Mine will be the new Silver grey metallic with natural brown leather interior. It's a color combo that is not supposed to be available in U.S., but I got my dealer to punch it in... and it was accepted. The interior is actually the same as the black, just the seats and door panel inserts are bomber-jacket brown... it's quite striking and not something you see every day.
3trigs... funny, you go through brake rotors like I go through tires... M3 was not really an option. And not just because of price... it's really a pretty extreme car. 330Ci is much more luxury oriented. I was amazed at the combination of superb ride, great handling, and quiet interior. How is it that BMW can build a car with these qualities, and others can't seem to duplicate? Can't be that hard to get one and reverse-engineer it? I would love to spend the same money on a domestic, but there just isn't anything out there that can do all this and also give you great resale value and classic styling to match. Cadillac CTS seems to have it all (especially with the new-tech V-6) but the styling simply leaves me cold. Interior design also looks very scattered, like it was designed by 5 different people and they never spoke until it all came together. Evidently, Lutz agrees since there is supposed to be a re-styled interior to go with the new engine. Exterior styling seems very faddish to me. Of course, could be that 10 years from now, we will look back and thank Caddy for a new "classic" look.

b4z

Acura is short on headroom. Can't figure out why moonroof is not an option, but i guess they know their target audience.

CTS is the only car that I have driven that drives like a BMW. Firm ride but not harsh, unlike the intrigue. LOL.

dindak

white6 : You are right, it depends on where you live. In the Toronto area I find it's generally certain groups that drive BWMs (especially 3-series) and some aren't groups of people I care to be associated with. The other big down side is they are as common as Civics and Cavaliers around here. I like cars that stand out a bit more.

oldsman : No problem with a Caddy. I would love a CTS, they carry nothing.

3trigs : Good to hear from you again. My Intrigue is still running well. Did a LOT of highway this weekend and as we all know that's where the car shines. Beautiful!

oldsman01

I don't think the CTS is getting a new interior for 04, just the hot new motor and a few minor changes. It's definitely different, but not bad. Also seems to be of much higher quality materials that most other GM cars of recent. Now a Caddy with an impressive interior is the XLR. I'm also looking very forward to the next generation STS.

b4z, every time I hit a small bump of patch in the road and it feels like the fillings in my teeth are going to come out, I start wondering how much better a CTS would take those bumps. I guess I'm getting the new car fever:) Funny thing is, the Intrigue will take larger bumps and dips in the road nearly as smooth as an older Caddy minus the wallowing.