slopedirk:::::::With a Maxima you should not have any problem after ten yrs; it will have either rusted away or Nissan is totally bankrupt.. The Intrigue isn't perfect but its manageable..
I wonder what happened to my lovely 98 GLS; for it was not repurchased through the lemon law guidelines. My 99 GLS is in a holding pattern until I get the Fla condo broomed offically, furniture stored, and the wife back up to Mich. Her Caddy is semi-sold to a party going to Fla mid-Feb..I will get a Lincoln LS or a bloated Town Car w/suspension upgrade and larger engine.
b4z::::::::What are the plans for new condo???Its a shame if you have to spend time working!!!!Did you ever get your 3.5L so it starts on time , every time,and not just when it wants to run. My 3.5L is great; hate to brag, but let's rub it in. The rest of the car sucks: doors, brakes, front end, and steering..Its a fun item for conversation though; and meeting other auto buffs who got shafted..
Interesting event which happened several months to an Intrigue owner who didn't like his car and I had to tell him that based on his problems he had no problems or not a leg to stand on in the complaint area..Car was totaled recently and no injuries.. Lease terminated!!!!
teo::::::The first one was easy; but the 99 is no cinch for such a deal...Timing and dealer support was the most likely the key points. Continuing support from the same areas is not the case on the 99.. The dealer finds it easier to say it is common to all Intrigues...no fix.
I believe the factory advises the dealer to decide whom they wish to defend.. To further shape the dealers vision/attitude some of the warranty claims are disavowed; charged back to the dealer instead.
Otherwords the honeymoon is over!!!! GM has made the decision to inform the public that Oldmobile cars are not selling well; and we are going to stop making them.. However to clean out our inventory of these troublemakers we will assume additional risk by offering an extended warranty. This peace offering is to smooze the public into buying a product that GM knows darn well is plagued with some screwed-up rapid wearing components.
Truthfully the 5/60 is an excellent deal and the rebates should get sweeter.
I am going to rent the condo for right now. I have to repaint it and clean the carpets. I am dreading painting. I got out of sanding floors and painting to sell real estate in '93, and look what i will be doing for the next couple of weeks. I am having a Charlie Brown moment. Arrghh.
I am a closet audiophile and have a question for the intriguers out there with both the bose and dimensional 6 speaker cd systems.
My home system includes Sony ES and Mirage bipolar and ported speakers. It sounds excellent and while i don't consider it to be a high end system i am extremely happy with it.
My question is, does the 6 speaker system sound right to you guys? It has good clarity and sounds good compared to most factory systems i have heard, but it does not have the tonal balance that my home system has. It seems to boost some frequencies and cut others. Also the tone controls really effect a lot of the audio spectrum. What do y'all think? Is the bose system an improvement? Your thoughts would be appreciated.
bz4::::::::Is there an audio system in the Intrigue???? The only real music is the 24 valves doing their jumping...My Intrigue has the audio systems but the car is so damn noisy its hard to tell which direction the music is coming; let alone which speaker!!!
While you are painting and sanding floors listen to music; and when you get into the car......... GOOOOO.
I have Mirage bipolar for my mains at home (along with some paradigm stuff), and Yamaha. In the car I have Sony ES, JL Audio and MB Quart with Kenwood amplification.
I tried the standard 6 speaker system and Bose, and I thought the Bose was a nice improvement sound pressure wise, but tonally I didn't hear a big improvement over the regular 6 speaker. Having the tweeters away from the midrange (and closer to your ears) on the Intrigue (like many cars) hurts left-right stereo imaging.
Cool! I have never been a fan of the bose philosophy (sound or pricing policy). So i really didn't even consider bose when i got the intrigue. I just wanted to make sure i wasn't missing something.
Which Mirages are you running? My mains are m-3s that i bought in Jan. '92 before the si series came out. They were cosmetically damaged (unnoticeable) in shipping so i was able to buy them for $1500 instead of the retail of $2500! That year I also purchased the center channel and a pair of Mirage M-260s for the rear. My next purchase will be the paradigm 10" sub. Although i really don't need anymore bass for music, Dolby Digital requires that i have that capability. I bought a Sony ES receiver to replace my Sony ES Pro-Logic integrated amp about a year ago, and have enjoyed the improvement of AC3 and DTS. I am also running a sony dvd player and a sony hifi vcr that i never use anymore since i went dvd. I am embarrased to say that i have about 80 dvds in my collection. Tell me about your home system and also your opinion of the mbquart speakers in the intrigue. I have heard good things about them.
I have Mirage M990's as my mains, bought in 95, really like them. Have the paradigm ps-1000 10" sub (about 6 years old), does wonders (though the neighbours in my condo may not like it so much). Have a Yamaha DTS setup upgraded from an old Harman Kardon Pro-Logic about a year ago, and Toshiba DVD. I'm at about 50 DVD's, but have slowed down recently on that front.
The MB Quarts are good, amazing highs, but in hindsight I probably could have got 95% of the performance for 30% cheaper. Put these or some nice Polks or high end Infinities in your doors and there is no need to change the rear speakers, just fade 90% to the front.
My co-worker says the Bose sound system in his Intrigue is wonderful. I haven't had the chance to test a Bose and non-Bose 6 speaker system back to back yet. Being a base model, mine came only with the four speaker system which was not very good sounding. I upgraded the speakers with some JBLs which helped alot, but it's still missing something. I think tweeters would help.
I guess if you spend a lot of time in your car, an upgraded stereo is great. I have a 10 minute drive to work so for me the upgraded Delco CD/Cas. 6-speaker system is fine. I really like the steering wheel controls when on the highway.
FYI folks - an honest salesman (oxymoron?) I ran into admitted that while he preferred the Maxima, he would sell me the intrigue, that he gets a 500 buck payment from old regardless of the price of the car.
Thanks for comments. I was surprize to see someone say Nissan's would be busted out. I live far from the rust belt and here in Houston Texas your car will go obsolete before it rusts through, and even my Maryland born '88 shadow is testament to that -- and I've driven to Canada a few times to go skiing and had the car white with road salt. I'd say production techniques have greatly increased corrosion resistance - I'm old enough (like many) to remember the dark days when cars would rust 2-3 years from the show room in some cases. I'm talking old Nova's, Aspen's, degas, Gremlins, Thunder birds, well beck, about anything but especially italian or english cars and [non-permissible content removed] trucks. I don't even see that many newer Toyota trucks rusting through. But I digress.
On the Intrigue, I like the 8 way seats on both sides, so I guess that means leather. Now leather is popular down here, but I've never had it in a car before. Since it is so popular, it can't be that bad in the heat can it?? I'd guess it gets hotter and retains heat a bit longer than the fabric. Has anyone had a leather car for more than 6 years? I hold my cars a long time and wonder about if the sun would brutalize the leather in a few years. We'd have the car garaged most of the time, but the sun here is brutal.
I agree, the dual climate control is a big plus over the competitive cars in this segment, and I'm married. Impala has dual temp controls, but after using a car with climiate control, it makes sense - you wouldn't want to have to turn the ac on and off at home would you?
The PCS seems hard to find, except for a dealer that has about 3 loaded GLS's with the PCS system. Its a cool feature, and cheap. Too bad the dealer hacks no nothing about it. I have to tell them what it does. We obviously don't get snow (I miss it) but it would be good for when you or wife overcooks a turn and the car starts to plow.
I also noticed the headlights doing a brief near-blink while test driving, and others reported it. Called service of a dealership owned by GM and they said they hadn't had trouble with it, but the guy was honest enough when I asked of other troubles to mention the brake rotors and steering shaft. Wonder what the deal is wtih the lights. On the brakes, it would seem the Chevy's police style brakes would cross-fit, are the olds brakes the same or whimpier? Has anyone looked at that before?
I do my own car repair and between the maxima and the Intrigue, the olds looks much easier to work on. the intake plenium had to be removed to get to the rear spark plugs on the maxima!
RE; price - The GL well equipped and the Max sort of equipped are about the same, the max can be more expensive with all the goodies. Olds has more standard features, Nissan nickle and dimes you, makes you get sunroof with the wheels, etc. My buddy has one and uses regular gas because he's cheap, didn't know they required premium gas...hmmm...between that and the increased insurance and purchase price, it might be too much. Not to mention the 17" tires are very expensive on the SE...
Slope
Overall, both are good cars it seems, I can't decide.
Sorry to post so many messages. If my text is disjointed, its because I'm writing for speed, forgive me.
I am wondering if the Intrigue has the driver info system like the Chevy Impala and the Buick Le Sabre (Dad recently rented a Lesabre)? It tells you current MPG, avg, coolent temp, miles to oil change, etc. I asked the sales guy and he didn't know, looked on a cheat sheet and didn't know, I didn't see it on the car, but it was listed as a feature on edmonds's page I think although under a cryptic name.
Does anyone know if its on the car and how it is accessed? The cars I was test driving had the manuals pulled out, otherwise I would have looked. Its a pretty cool feature, even tells you if a tire is going down.
Slope
ps. on the Gran Prix pages they are saying that the GP is being tested with a blown 3.5 for future models!
The max uses a chain now, same as the 3.5 in the olds. The honda interval has changed to 100k. The sales guy was making a deal about the honda v6 using a balance shaft to be smooth, and the nissan doesn't need one. I don't think the 3.5 has a shaft either, and when I looked under the hood it seemed to idle better than the max did, but both are exceptionally smooth engines, unlike my "paint mixer" 2.2 in my shadow turbo. That car is sort of fun at about 165hp with HP computer and K&N on only 2500lbs and a 5 speed, but its a noisy rough riding bucket compared to the new cars! I can't complain after about 140k miles in 13 years and purchase price of 10.5k, its cost of ownership has been minimal!
slopedirk:::::::For someone who trades and/or buys every 13 years; you seem to be very well informed.. First of all; Asian cars, politically correct" are not my favorite means of transportation; and I would like to see you buy one and give us an update every 6 months......... however, that will not work, since most of us Intrigue owners are shortimers due to the demise of Olds..
Personally I thought Texans had better judgement on car selection.. I am impressed with your comment about Impala brake rotors, police issue, and whether they would adapt to an Intrigue. The Intrigues brakes are pure junkkkkkkk, so be warned. I think you can figure out which car will serve you better over the next 10 to 15 yrs..you should be able to buy a $25,000 Intrigue for around $18,500; and maybe shake the saleman down for a couple hundred and hit the sales mgr for 50.00..
Over the past 13 years my driving mileage is probably close to 600k and sure was lucky to have stayed away from Oldsmobile for the first ten of those years!!!!
You might have been away when i posted about the guys in a grand prix site retrofitting their cars with......intrigue brakes!!! Because they are larger. Talk about twilight zone truth is stranger than fiction stuff.
You are in Texas. Y'all get some serious sun down there. I don't know if i would go for leather either. It will burn your thighs on a hot day. You will probably get your windows tinted. A friend of mine says everybody has garages and carports down there due to the damage that the sun causes to peoples paint jobs and interiors. I understand even the apartments have carports.
Intrigue does not offer a driver info center, aurora does. The intrigue is a 90 degree design and does have a balance shaft. The accord is a 60 degree design and is inherently smoother than a 90 degree design. I do not know if the accord needs or has a balance shaft. The one i drove before i bought my intrigue was incredibly smooth. But lacked the low end toque of the 3.5L olds motor.
Sounds to me like an Intrigue is right up your alley, and no I'm not a car salesman although some say I could sell Oldsmobiles better than most of their salespeople can. You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned you knew more about the PCS system than the salesman did. I mean, how do these guys expect to get a customer to move up to the high end? I used to sell home electronics for Sears and product knowledge is the only way you will sell higher price points. The days of "this is the Cadillac of..." are over. As for your questions, the Intrigue does not have a driver info center. I wish it did as I too like those. As for leather in hot weather, I've never had a problem with it. I live in TN and the summers can get very hot here and my previous car was an 89 Olds Toronado. Dark blue with a dark blue leather interior. After sitting in the sun all day, the seats were a bit warm, but unless your wearing really thin pants or running shorts, it's not a problem. Leather will breathe so it's cooler than the vinyl seats of yore. I like leather alot and my Intrigue does not have them and my next car certainly will. Leather also helps resale value and gives the car a more upscale look and feel. Climate control is also a must on my next car. On my 89, it would come on full blast when needed, then would slow down as the car cooled. In the winter, the fan would stay off until the engine warmed up. As those who are regulars here know, I currently have a 98 Intrigue(base model) and have been very pleased with it. 98 was the first year and some folks had problems with theirs, but mine has been pretty trouble free. My only complaints with the Intrigue's design are: the seats don't have an adjustable lumbar support, the speakers on the base model's audio system just plain suck, and road noise can get a little on the high side when driving at highway speeds. I'll admit, I lean more towards luxury cars like Cadillacs and Aurora so I tend to nit pick some. And I guess the fact that I am very impressed with the Intrigue and am seriously considering another one speaks something about the car. Good luck with your decision. Let me know if you have any other questions. BTW, a co-worker of mine just bought a 2000 GLS with PCS and he is enjoying the car alot. I've been bugging him to visit this forum and post his thoughts, so maybe he will join us soon.
One thing I disagree with is 1415's assessment of Intrigue brakes. They are the best I have seen in any car in this class and are very well rated. The ABS works well as does the traction control. Maxima is a nice car also, so which ever you decide on I'm sure you will be happy. They were my two final choices also.
With ~1400 miles my 'Low Oil' light came on. Bought car in late-Nov'00. Dealer diagnosed a leaking oil sensor & replaced it. Didn't fix the problem. Now thinks it might be the rear valve cover & gasket, but can't tell for sure due to inaccessibility without a teardown. Replacements ordered. Anyone had a similar problem? It's a beauty of a car otherwise, much better than the '98 Taurus I traded.
Appreciate info on engines, I've seen so many cars I couldn't have told you if it was 90 or 60 degrees. At one time I read the info on which was balanced inheriently and which wasn't but time erases my brain....
On the stereos -- I have what I consider a higher end but not a tweak home setup of carver 125x5 channel home theater amp, a new sherwood dts 5.1 receiver used a preamp, Polk 12a reference monitors (the big daddies about chest high on stands) and polk 300 center. No sub yet, saving for one, looking at the sunfire.
Stock Car radios, they all suck, even bose. Except for the Lexus iS300, it has a rocking stereo. I haven't been in all cars, but the one's weve been in have been pretty sucky. YMMV. Dunno personally what to do, I've had my clunker shadow broken into for my sony disk headunit, which was old and woudl hardly play a disk anymore and the display was half working. So, I hesitate to go again the full aftermarket route with allthe wiring and stuff. wheel controls are also nice on the OEM stuff. hard call, replacing the spearks is a step, but as I've foudn before its usually the head unit too that's at fault.
Bad news on the driver info center, the dang cheap chevy has that, and the magnabeam dash support, and a side air bag. Funny how GM let their divisions get so screwed up.
Funny how 1415 says he figured texans had better car selection -- didnot know if he was referring to my present beater or my choice, he cut down both the Olds and the Nissan it seemed. The dodge shadow is a clunker but at the time it was my first car and chevy similar was 4k more, the toyota was 5k more, etc. This has been a pocket rocket - not the fastest but for the money, a bargin. Problem has been headgaskets. Other than that and paint, I can't complain, original exhaust, waterpump, fuel pump, cv joints, etc.
Had to laugh about comments of road noise - if you rode in my car you'd know what road noise really is!!! I use ear plugs onlong trips. All these new cars sound really quiet to me! the Max is Avg, anyone know the DB rating of the olds at 60-70mph?
One thing about the max, I think it uses prem fuel, costs more to buy, more to insure. But it is a sweet car.
I'll post what I finally end up getting. The supercharged GTP is atractive too...but in Houston we don't need roughsuspension to go straight and flat!
slope:::::::Since present eggbeater has served you well; why switch???? Get a Neon with the big four banger and invest the savings in oil futures..
bz4:::::::The GP crowd is really hard up to start looking at the Intrigue brakes for improvement/upgrade. Strange world..The Florida condo sale is bumping along--too many turkeys involved and I am hoping that the buyer walks at this stage..I could use a couple more months before a move..
All you car buffs keep your eye on the road and try to help "slope" pick out his next set of wheels..Sounds like we may be getting our chain yanked!!!
Grand Prix's main down side is it's dash board. While it's functional and looks cool at night, it's generally a cheap feeling plastic. On the plus side, it's VERY fast and has a great exterior look to it. Good luck with your decision.
raise your hand! I am wondering if every Intrigue with the 3.5 motor has this alternator problem. If so, wow, what a problem for Olds! No wonder they are not advertising this problem... let's see, 3 years production x about 80,000 cars equals... almost a quarter million alternators! Better get yours quick... before supplies run low. Ooops, too late, they're already gone! One point about the leather seats... the lower cushion is about 2 or 3 inches longer in the leather interior... no kidding. If you have long thighs (I'm 6-3 and 165 lbs, mostly legs!) then you have a built-in excuse to pay the bucks for them. And, actually, I probably complain more about them being cold in the winter than hot in the summer. Believe me, our Oklahoma summers are as bad as Houston; just not as humid. Of course, our Intrigue has the light tan seats, so they probably don't get as hot as a darker color would; this may be something to take into consideration regardless of what you buy.
Spoke with Olds this morning and got a few additional details.
Certificates are being mailed out this month. Good for 5 (yes five) years as long as you still own your current olds at time of purchase. Good for $1500 on Olds or $1000 on ALL gm cars including SAAB and Saturn.
That is very good news! 5 years and can be used with Saab/Saturn is fantastic to say the least. My next vehicle will likely be a Saturn VUE so that will work out very well. Thanx for the info racerx9.
Thanks for advice/comments. I did notice the exceptionally long leg bolster in the leather GLS I drove, but did not know it was longer than cloth. My wife commented it was the most comfortable seats we sat in. I think the Chevy has a similar setup, I drove one a few weeks ago and it was also comfy, and knowing GM its probably the same in form.
RE: getting another mopar - Well, it may sound funny to be looking at GM as a quality improvement, but I do think their motors are "generally" (specific engines) higher tech, and the transmissions for DC have been a major sore point. I also think they over-rate the HP on their newer motors, they don't seem to perform as well as you would calculate a car with that power to weight ratio would go. I've taken care of my car with mobil 1, doing my own service & repairs, but there's a reason you don't see as many shadows on the road as you used to - 3 head gaskets on mine. The neon is a fine handling car, but I'd get a focus ZTS, except my wife's preg and since you don't pay much of a MPG penalty with these new tech cars, I'm upgrading to a bigger and more comfortable ride!
Brakes: Funny how the mfg's drag thier feet and claim innocence of crappy brakes. You can still get drums on cars, why? cheap. Drums really suck, but they are cheap. Most mid 80's GM's (and others) had brakes that would barely stop a vehicle from 80 mph once w/o fading, they were engineered for minimum standards. Look at motorcycles if you want to see what technology can do. Huge, multipiston calipers (some with 6 pistons) floating disks, cross drilled. These are capable of hauling the bikes down from 150mph many times a lap w/o fading.
The shadow is beater but funny, back then Chrysler was trying to save money sourcing parts I think and put the same stuff on everything, vans, new yorkers, etc. I know as I have the service manual. The brakes on my '88 Shadow are big and ventilated, as they are beefy enough for a minivan in the front, rear are cheap drums, but it does stop like nobody's business. I doubt they do that now, may weigh too much or cost too much, but sure simplifed their parts bins no doubt.
I'm goingto have to hit the dealer, I thought the sunroof was part of the GLS package, but its shown as extra on the web sites. I keep getting about (invoice) 24, 175 for a GLS with the rebate. The Maxima is 24,900 for SE like I want and 25,200 for GLE. Basically close enough to not make much difference to me. Gonna come down to the cars...
I've had good luck, but just the last week or so, the rotor on drivers side got warped pretty bad. Don't worry so much, they all do that. Dad's Bonniville's, imports, all of 'em. Of course depends on your driving style(G). I don't think the new metalurgy of the tiawan or other asian (besides Japan) sourced rotors are up to snuff personally, but that's globalization for you. Doubt anyone makes a rotor in the USA anymore.
Hey -- I am kind of new to Edmunds because it is getting time to get ride of the ooooold Volvo 740 (never thought that thing would die; actually it has not, just too much to maintain).
I am looking to buy a new car. I am not a car-crazy individual. I just need a nice-looking ride, for an affordable price, and one that will have some longetivity w/out too much time at a mechanic. Early on, I was considering the Ford Taurus (2000+), but I am now expanding my search (partially out of peer pressure -- "you don't want a "Ford" do you?). I am also wedded to the Volvo s70, but am concerned about reliability issues (well-documented in the Volvo forum).
Well I still have a rebellious streak -- I am considering the Olds', quite a move for a 32 year-old. I am seeking input on people's opinions about the longevity, reliability, and power of the Intrigue. I am looking to buy a used 2000 (if I can find one with low miles -- seems like a lot of rental cars on the market).
Edmunds has expressed a lot of hostility to the Intrigue (my guess, somewhat unfairly). What do Intrigue owners think of the car? Good price, but will it last for a while w/out too much trouble.
Take good care of the Intrigue board and beware of the Asian car folks baiting us for comments..Had a long conversation with my Olds/Caddy/GMC person and told him to order an Aurora equipped like the wife's Caddy and call me when it gets made.
Will be back sometime around the 5th of Feb. Condo will go way 1/29 and furniture to storage, then off to Sarasota for a couple days; on to Ocala to look a a house and then return to Detroit. It was a shortened winter in Fla; but after 11yrs I was sick of the crowded east coast; but loved the weather!!!The Caddy will see its first snow I imagine..
Find me a good set of aftermarket rotors for the Intrigue..See you all in Feb....
I'm also 32 and have had my 2000 Intrigue for almost a year. Thus far, trouble free aside from a engine temp gauge which went funny for a while and then fixed itself. I suspect perhaps something got caught somewhere blocking air to the engine.
As for longevity, I think the car will be fine over the long haul. I bought this car (as opposed to my previous leases) so I plan on keeping it for a minimum of 6 years. It's not a perfect car, but it is a very good alternative to the Accord and Maxima. The Taurus is no match for this car though.
My dad is thrilled that I am considering the Olds. He has a Caddy. I am not impressed by the Camry whatsoever -- think it is a bunch of hype. Ok, they are reliable, but they are not the only reliable cars.
I am looking at the Nissan Maxima, though. It really seems to be boiling down to a competition between a Maxima, Volvo s70, and an Intrigue. I could probably afford a new Intrigue, but would rather purchase a pre-owned Maxima and Volvo (to discount the steep first two-years depriciation from my costs).
I drove an Intrigue recently on a rental -- it drove really nicely. The S70 is just TOO expensive to have the reliability issues it has endured -- but I also rented one recently. It is an absolutely amazing car. As a previous Volvo owner, I have a bias for this car -- BUT am willing to be a maverick and try something new-- especially the Intrigue which seems to combine a lot of options with a low price.
I've got a 2000 Intrigue GLS which has already had the alternator replaced to correct the headlight flicker. That worked for about 6 weeks but now the headlights, dashboard and tail lights have started flickering again. Also the heater fan temporarily slows at the same time. Has anyone else experienced this "fix" not working? Or better yet, has anyone had the dealer replace any other components that corrected the problem?
I am 26 and have a 98 Intrigue and am seriously considering a 2001 to replace it later this year. Since I own a 98 and being the first year of production, they did have some problems. But Edmunds review was total BS. BTW, Car & Driver did a long term reviw of a 98 Intrigue and they were very impressed with it. The wrap-up report is in the June 99 issue and Olds even had a link to that article on their website at one point. For the price, the Intrigue is hard to beat. The Volvo S70 is certainly a nice car with a very comfortable interior, but it's also a higher class car. A fairer comparison to it would be an Aurora. I've never really cared for the Maxima ever since the 95 redesign and the new one still doesn't impress me. The engine is very nice(although it requires premium fuel) but Nissan still uses a beam axle rear suspension on the Maxi. The Intrigue and nearly all other cars in this class have independent rear suspension. One thing, if you buy a new Intrigue, you get a 5 year 60,000 mile full warranty. With Oldsmobile's demise known, they are discounting these cars pretty well and offering some very good finance options as well. If you do go with an Intrigue, I recommend at least a GL model. It will give you some extras not found on the base model. Good luck with your decision.
Slopedirk, on the 2001 GLS the sunroof is only available as part of the PCS package. On the GX and GL it's available separately. I'm not sure I like how they bundle the options on the GLS. For example, I would like a GLS and would like a sunroof and maybe PCS, but could care less for the chrome wheels and could pass on the spoiler. Yet to get a sunroof on the GLS, you have to get the package and get them all. On the GL you can get them separately, but you don't get the auto dimming rearview mirror(a must if you've had one before) or the wood trim on the doors and console. I would imagine that you should be able to get the Intrigue with discounts for less than a considerably equipped Maxima. And while I don't buy a car solely for it's warranty, the 5 year 60,000 mile warranty Olds is now giving is another value added feature.
On rare occasions when I have the heater(or A/C) fan on high, I've noticed the fan will slow for just a second if the engine has been running at a higher speed and all the sudden is slowed down. I don't think too much of it as I have been in other cars that do this. I noticed several weeks ago when driving in the snow that when the traction control and ABS engaged, the headlamps dimmed just a bit. Other than that, I've never noticed the headlamps dimming or a flicker.
for your analysis. i will definitely check out the aurora. i have heard great things about it. i am aware that the intrigue is in a different class than these others, but the (only) difference is that it would be newer/new (whereas I would purchase the others used). looks like i have a lot of test-driving to do (and haggling). i am somewhat new to this -- having spent most of my adult life in NYC (and having the Volvo bequeathed to me). I am becoming obssessed (thanks to the internet). I will let everyone know what I decide.
by the way, are there any "problem" years on the aurora? considering 98-99...
This board has me so interested I drove down tothe car dealer in the rain and had to twist the guy's arm to show me cars as it was "cold" outside at 45degrees. Being new to texas I didn't show any sympathy, esp since that's why I drove down there.
Anyway, my concerns with the headroom and the sunroof were false on first impression, with the power seat down in back I had 1" of head room - that previously was swaying me toward the Maxima. Since it was "cold" we kicked on the heated seats - and whoh nellie! Never had anything like that before but was sure dang nice! too bad we'd only use it 2 months of the year tops, but maybe my wife (who gets cold in the car) would run it keep warm. It took less than 1 mile to heat up toasty! ABS, trans, everything worked well. It was rainng hard and thunder/lighting so I couldn't tell if it flickered or not but car worked well.
Pricing - for similar major option groups, with rebate its about 1000 cheaper than a maxima with leather/auto/climate. The chevy is impressive but only 800 less and looks cheap inside and out. The Honda is well made and drives really nice, but no comparison in my book.
I got an offer of 100 over invoice right away (remember salesman gets 500 from olds), so I'm going to see what we can do better on that, but probably not much.
FYI, I'm looking at a blue metalic GLS. Yes, you can't get sepaate on the package with sunroof and all that. that's the way cars are now.
Guy told me to sell my shadow to some high school student (in a poor neighborhood he was probably thinking), rather than get 500 on trade in.
Sorry to babble, but we're excited, I don't buy cars very often.
oh yea, the olds does do some limited driver info, like "oil change needed" "oil low" via idiot lights, but not the screen display "miles to empty" and mpg avg like buicks. Too bad. I like that feature, Can't have everything ...
I would like to have PCS and head-up display with my Regal. Yet they are available only with Olds and Pontiac, correspondingly. Impala have bigger trunk, but is not available with supercharger...
Honda Accord is the most uninspired on the market aside from the Camry. It's amazing that these are best sellers. I think the boomers/ general public have lost their sense of excitement in favor of a few percentage points of better reliability.
I have been waiting for the redesigned alternator to show and still none to date. For those of you that are talking about the flickering headlights; did the alternators get replaced with the same model of alternator or did you get the updated one?
Slopedirk...Congrats on your color choice! The dark blue looks great with tan leather. I picked up my 2000 GLS on 1 NOV 00 and will be turning 10K this week on it. The 3.5 engine is a gem. Too bad GM doesn't know what they've got in Oldsmobile.
Have a great trip back down here to the land of dimpled chads....when you leave, don't forget to take a ballot counting machine for souvenir! Today is GW's big day, congrats!
My Impala saga continues....car is basically parked at the dealer waiting for some new 'parts' to fix the front end problems...very dissapointed to say the least...an 11 month old and babied car should not have this kind of repairs. Based on other negative posts in the Impala/Montecarlo forums, it is no secret that the front end of these cars and the Aluminum engine cradle component is PURE JUNK! GM needs to step up to the plate and conduct a massive recall of these cars...there is no TSB or fix for the front end problems!!!
I symphatize with the Intrigue owners that have had to put up with GM's lack of quality control and manufacturing defects..this is UNACCEPTABLE.
I am considering pursuing a 'buyback' if GM wants to keep my loyalty and $$$ going to their pockets..if not all the way to arbitration and Fl lemon law.
Am I being "overly concerned" about the fact that Olds products will (or have already)lost value due to the fact they are being discontinued? (I haven't done any in-depth research, but check prices in your local newspaper and see). I guess this is not an issue if you expect to keep driving your Olds until the wheels fall off, but if you are going to be trading it in/selling it before then, I would think it's something to consider, especially if you are thinking about buying one now! Any comments?
I certainly don't believe you're being overly concerned about value if you plan on trading your car in in the future. Go to www.kbb.com and check it out. I ran the numbers on a fully equipped 2000 Intrigue GLS w/all the fixin's. Did the same for a 2000 Impala. The Intrigue stickered at almost $3,000 more than the Impala. The trade in numbers painted a scary picture. 12,000 miles later the Intrigue was worth $2,000 LESS than the Impala. Remeber the Intrigue at purchase was $3,000 MORE than Impala. I think that shows where Intrigue resale value is heading.
depreciation -- means that people who want to buy pre-owned will get some good deals. of course, dealers are still pricing these vehicles as if the olds line is in its prime (at least in dallas). just have to haggle....
I've been following your posts with interest. I am also in the market and have considered Maxima, Intrigue, Aurora, Impala and Regal.
If you haven't looked at a Regal GS - they have incredible performance - a real sleeper. Styling is arguably too conservative - but that's certainly individual taste. There don't appear to be major problems associated with them and resale may hold up better than an Oldsmobile.
It's worth a look anyway - if for no other reason than to drive that incredible supercharged 3.8L in the GS. BTW - it does require premium gas like the Maxima.
Comments
I wonder what happened to my lovely 98 GLS; for it was not repurchased through the lemon law guidelines. My 99 GLS is in a holding pattern until I get the Fla condo broomed offically, furniture stored, and the wife back up to Mich. Her Caddy is semi-sold to a party going to Fla mid-Feb..I will get a Lincoln LS or a bloated Town Car w/suspension upgrade and larger engine.
b4z::::::::What are the plans for new condo???Its a shame if you have to spend time working!!!!Did you ever get your 3.5L so it starts on time , every time,and not just when it wants to run. My 3.5L is great; hate to brag, but let's rub it in.
The rest of the car sucks: doors, brakes, front end, and steering..Its a fun item for conversation though; and meeting other auto buffs who got shafted..
Interesting event which happened several months to an Intrigue owner who didn't like his car and I had to tell him that based on his problems he had no problems or not a leg to stand on in the complaint area..Car was totaled recently and no injuries.. Lease terminated!!!!
I believe the factory advises the dealer to decide whom they wish to defend.. To further shape the dealers vision/attitude some of the warranty claims are disavowed; charged back to the dealer instead.
Otherwords the honeymoon is over!!!! GM has made the decision to inform the public that Oldmobile cars are not selling well; and we are going to stop making them.. However to clean out our inventory of these troublemakers we will assume additional risk by offering an extended warranty. This peace offering is to smooze the public into buying a product that GM knows darn well is plagued with some screwed-up rapid wearing components.
Truthfully the 5/60 is an excellent deal and the rebates should get sweeter.
I am having a Charlie Brown moment. Arrghh.
dimensional 6 speaker cd systems.
My home system includes Sony ES and Mirage bipolar
and ported speakers. It sounds excellent and while i don't consider it to be a high end system i am extremely happy with it.
My question is, does the 6 speaker system sound right to you guys? It has good clarity and sounds good compared to most factory systems i have heard, but it does not have the tonal balance that my home system has.
It seems to boost some frequencies and cut others. Also the tone controls really effect a lot of the audio spectrum. What do y'all think?
Is the bose system an improvement?
Your thoughts would be appreciated.
While you are painting and sanding floors listen to music; and when you get into the car......... GOOOOO.
I tried the standard 6 speaker system and Bose, and I thought the Bose was a nice improvement sound pressure wise, but tonally I didn't hear a big improvement over the regular 6 speaker. Having the tweeters away from the midrange (and closer to your ears) on the Intrigue (like many cars) hurts left-right stereo imaging.
I just wanted to make sure i wasn't missing something.
Which Mirages are you running? My mains are m-3s that i bought in Jan. '92 before the si series came out. They were cosmetically damaged (unnoticeable) in shipping so i was able to buy them for $1500 instead of the retail of $2500!
That year I also purchased the center channel and a pair of Mirage M-260s for the rear.
My next purchase will be the paradigm 10" sub.
Although i really don't need anymore bass for music, Dolby Digital requires that i have that capability.
I bought a Sony ES receiver to replace my Sony ES Pro-Logic integrated amp about a year ago, and have enjoyed the improvement of AC3 and DTS.
I am also running a sony dvd player and a sony hifi vcr that i never use anymore since i went dvd.
I am embarrased to say that i have about 80 dvds in my collection.
Tell me about your home system and also your opinion of the mbquart speakers in the intrigue.
I have heard good things about them.
The car still does its "bog" deal when i try to start it. It will sometimes start then die immediately. It has never left me stranded though.
The MB Quarts are good, amazing highs, but in hindsight I probably could have got 95% of the performance for 30% cheaper. Put these or some nice Polks or high end Infinities in your doors and there is no need to change the rear speakers, just fade 90% to the front.
Thanks for comments. I was surprize to see someone say Nissan's would be busted out. I live far from the rust belt and here in Houston Texas your car will go obsolete before it rusts through, and even my Maryland born '88 shadow is testament to that -- and I've driven to Canada a few times to go skiing and had the car white with road salt. I'd say production techniques have greatly increased corrosion resistance - I'm old enough (like many) to remember the dark days when cars would rust 2-3 years from the show room in some cases. I'm talking old Nova's, Aspen's, degas, Gremlins, Thunder birds, well beck, about anything but especially italian or english cars and [non-permissible content removed] trucks. I don't even see that many newer Toyota trucks rusting through. But I digress.
On the Intrigue, I like the 8 way seats on both sides, so I guess that means leather. Now leather is popular down here, but I've never had it in a car before. Since it is so popular, it can't be that bad in the heat can it?? I'd guess it gets hotter and retains heat a bit longer than the fabric. Has anyone had a leather car for more than 6 years? I hold my cars a long time and wonder about if the sun would brutalize the leather in a few years. We'd have the car garaged most of the time, but the sun here is brutal.
I agree, the dual climate control is a big plus over the competitive cars in this segment, and I'm married. Impala has dual temp controls, but after using a car with climiate control, it makes sense - you wouldn't want to have to turn the ac on and off at home would you?
The PCS seems hard to find, except for a dealer that has about 3 loaded GLS's with the PCS system. Its a cool feature, and cheap. Too bad the dealer hacks no nothing about it. I have to tell them what it does. We obviously don't get snow (I miss it) but it would be good for when you or wife overcooks a turn and the car starts to plow.
I also noticed the headlights doing a brief near-blink while test driving, and others reported it. Called service of a dealership owned by GM and they said they hadn't had trouble with it, but the guy was honest enough when I asked of other troubles to mention the brake rotors and steering shaft. Wonder what the deal is wtih the lights. On the brakes, it would seem the Chevy's police style brakes would cross-fit, are the olds brakes the same or whimpier? Has anyone looked at that before?
I do my own car repair and between the maxima and the Intrigue, the olds looks much easier to work on. the intake plenium had to be removed to get to the rear spark plugs on the maxima!
RE; price - The GL well equipped and the Max sort of equipped are about the same, the max can be more expensive with all the goodies. Olds has more standard features, Nissan nickle and dimes you, makes you get sunroof with the wheels, etc. My buddy has one and uses regular gas because he's cheap, didn't know they required premium gas...hmmm...between that and the increased insurance and purchase price, it might be too much. Not to mention the 17" tires are very expensive on the SE...
Slope
Overall, both are good cars it seems, I can't decide.
Does the maxima require the timing belt to be changed like Honda? The intrigue does not. That should save you about $400 every 60,000 miles.
I am wondering if the Intrigue has the driver info system like the Chevy Impala and the Buick Le Sabre (Dad recently rented a Lesabre)? It tells you current MPG, avg, coolent temp, miles to oil change, etc. I asked the sales guy and he didn't know, looked on a cheat sheet and didn't know, I didn't see it on the car, but it was listed as a feature on edmonds's page I think although under a cryptic name.
Does anyone know if its on the car and how it is accessed? The cars I was test driving had the manuals pulled out, otherwise I would have looked. Its a pretty cool feature, even tells you if a tire is going down.
Slope
ps. on the Gran Prix pages they are saying that the GP is being tested with a blown 3.5 for future models!
I'm in Houston, Texas.
Slope
Personally I thought Texans had better judgement on car selection.. I am impressed with your comment about Impala brake rotors, police issue, and whether they would adapt to an Intrigue. The Intrigues brakes are pure junkkkkkkk, so be warned. I think you can figure out which car will serve you better over the next 10 to 15 yrs..you should be able to buy a $25,000 Intrigue for around $18,500; and maybe shake the saleman down for a couple hundred and hit the sales mgr for 50.00..
Over the past 13 years my driving mileage is probably close to 600k and sure was lucky to have stayed away from Oldsmobile for the first ten of those years!!!!
with......intrigue brakes!!! Because they are larger.
Talk about twilight zone truth is stranger than fiction stuff.
You will probably get your windows tinted.
A friend of mine says everybody has garages and carports down there due to the damage that the sun causes to peoples paint jobs and interiors.
I understand even the apartments have carports.
The intrigue is a 90 degree design and does have a balance shaft.
The accord is a 60 degree design and is inherently smoother than a 90 degree design. I do not know if the accord needs or has a balance shaft. The one i drove before i bought my intrigue was incredibly smooth. But lacked the low end toque of the 3.5L olds motor.
One thing I disagree with is 1415's assessment of Intrigue brakes. They are the best I have seen in any car in this class and are very well rated. The ABS works well as does the traction control. Maxima is a nice car also, so which ever you decide on I'm sure you will be happy. They were my two final choices also.
On the stereos -- I have what I consider a higher end but not a tweak home setup of carver 125x5 channel home theater amp, a new sherwood dts 5.1 receiver used a preamp, Polk 12a reference monitors (the big daddies about chest high on stands) and polk 300 center. No sub yet, saving for one, looking at the sunfire.
Stock Car radios, they all suck, even bose. Except for the Lexus iS300, it has a rocking stereo. I haven't been in all cars, but the one's weve been in have been pretty sucky. YMMV. Dunno personally what to do, I've had my clunker shadow broken into for my sony disk headunit, which was old and woudl hardly play a disk anymore and the display was half working. So, I hesitate to go again the full aftermarket route with allthe wiring and stuff. wheel controls are also nice on the OEM stuff. hard call, replacing the spearks is a step, but as I've foudn before its usually the head unit too that's at fault.
Bad news on the driver info center, the dang cheap chevy has that, and the magnabeam dash support, and a side air bag. Funny how GM let their divisions get so screwed up.
Funny how 1415 says he figured texans had better car selection -- didnot know if he was referring to my present beater or my choice, he cut down both the Olds and the Nissan it seemed. The dodge shadow is a clunker but at the time it was my first car and chevy similar was 4k more, the toyota was 5k more, etc. This has been a pocket rocket - not the fastest but for the money, a bargin. Problem has been headgaskets. Other than that and paint, I can't complain, original exhaust, waterpump, fuel pump, cv joints, etc.
Had to laugh about comments of road noise - if you rode in my car you'd know what road noise really is!!! I use ear plugs onlong trips. All these new cars sound really quiet to me! the Max is Avg, anyone know the DB rating of the olds at 60-70mph?
One thing about the max, I think it uses prem fuel, costs more to buy, more to insure. But it is a sweet car.
I'll post what I finally end up getting. The supercharged GTP is atractive too...but in Houston we don't need roughsuspension to go straight and flat!
Slope
bz4:::::::The GP crowd is really hard up to start looking at the Intrigue brakes for improvement/upgrade. Strange world..The Florida condo sale is bumping along--too many turkeys involved and I am hoping that the buyer walks at this stage..I could use a couple more months before a move..
All you car buffs keep your eye on the road and try to help "slope" pick out his next set of wheels..Sounds like we may be getting our chain yanked!!!
BTW. Maxima does use premium fuel.
One point about the leather seats... the lower cushion is about 2 or 3 inches longer in the leather interior... no kidding. If you have long thighs (I'm 6-3 and 165 lbs, mostly legs!) then you have a built-in excuse to pay the bucks for them. And, actually, I probably complain more about them being cold in the winter than hot in the summer. Believe me, our Oklahoma summers are as bad as Houston; just not as humid. Of course, our Intrigue has the light tan seats, so they probably don't get as hot as a darker color would; this may be something to take into consideration regardless of what you buy.
Certificates are being mailed out this month.
Good for 5 (yes five) years as long as you still own your current olds at time of purchase.
Good for $1500 on Olds or $1000 on ALL gm cars including SAAB and Saturn.
RE: getting another mopar - Well, it may sound funny to be looking at GM as a quality improvement, but I do think their motors are "generally" (specific engines) higher tech, and the transmissions for DC have been a major sore point. I also think they over-rate the HP on their newer motors, they don't seem to perform as well as you would calculate a car with that power to weight ratio would go. I've taken care of my car with mobil 1, doing my own service & repairs, but there's a reason you don't see as many shadows on the road as you used to - 3 head gaskets on mine. The neon is a fine handling car, but I'd get a focus ZTS, except my wife's preg and since you don't pay much of a MPG penalty with these new tech cars, I'm upgrading to a bigger and more comfortable ride!
Brakes: Funny how the mfg's drag thier feet and claim innocence of crappy brakes. You can still get drums on cars, why? cheap. Drums really suck, but they are cheap. Most mid 80's GM's (and others) had brakes that would barely stop a vehicle from 80 mph once w/o fading, they were engineered for minimum standards. Look at motorcycles if you want to see what technology can do. Huge, multipiston calipers (some with 6 pistons) floating disks, cross drilled. These are capable of hauling the bikes down from 150mph many times a lap w/o fading.
The shadow is beater but funny, back then Chrysler was trying to save money sourcing parts I think and put the same stuff on everything, vans, new yorkers, etc. I know as I have the service manual. The brakes on my '88 Shadow are big and ventilated, as they are beefy enough for a minivan in the front, rear are cheap drums, but it does stop like nobody's business. I doubt they do that now, may weigh too much or cost too much, but sure simplifed their parts bins no doubt.
I'm goingto have to hit the dealer, I thought the sunroof was part of the GLS package, but its shown as extra on the web sites. I keep getting about (invoice) 24, 175 for a GLS with the rebate. The Maxima is 24,900 for SE like I want and 25,200 for GLE. Basically close enough to not make much difference to me. Gonna come down to the cars...
See ya - Slope
I am looking to buy a new car. I am not a car-crazy individual. I just need a nice-looking ride, for an affordable price, and one that will have some longetivity w/out too much time at a mechanic. Early on, I was considering the Ford Taurus (2000+), but I am now expanding my search (partially out of peer pressure -- "you don't want a "Ford" do you?). I am also wedded to the Volvo s70, but am concerned about reliability issues (well-documented in the Volvo forum).
Well I still have a rebellious streak -- I am considering the Olds', quite a move for a 32 year-old. I am seeking input on people's opinions about the longevity, reliability, and power of the Intrigue. I am looking to buy a used 2000 (if I can find one with low miles -- seems like a lot of rental cars on the market).
Edmunds has expressed a lot of hostility to the Intrigue (my guess, somewhat unfairly). What do Intrigue owners think of the car? Good price, but will it last for a while w/out too much trouble.
Will be back sometime around the 5th of Feb. Condo will go way 1/29 and furniture to storage, then off to Sarasota for a couple days; on to Ocala to look a a house and then return to Detroit. It was a shortened winter in Fla; but after 11yrs I was sick of the crowded east coast; but loved the weather!!!The Caddy will see its first snow I imagine..
Find me a good set of aftermarket rotors for the Intrigue..See you all in Feb....
As for longevity, I think the car will be fine over the long haul. I bought this car (as opposed to my previous leases) so I plan on keeping it for a minimum of 6 years. It's not a perfect car, but it is a very good alternative to the Accord and Maxima. The Taurus is no match for this car though.
My dad is thrilled that I am considering the Olds. He has a Caddy. I am not impressed by the Camry whatsoever -- think it is a bunch of hype. Ok, they are reliable, but they are not the only reliable cars.
I am looking at the Nissan Maxima, though. It really seems to be boiling down to a competition between a Maxima, Volvo s70, and an Intrigue. I could probably afford a new Intrigue, but would rather purchase a pre-owned Maxima and Volvo (to discount the steep first two-years depriciation from my costs).
I drove an Intrigue recently on a rental -- it drove really nicely. The S70 is just TOO expensive to have the reliability issues it has endured -- but I also rented one recently. It is an absolutely amazing car. As a previous Volvo owner, I have a bias for this car -- BUT am willing to be a maverick and try something new-- especially the Intrigue which seems to combine a lot of options with a low price.
Slopedirk, on the 2001 GLS the sunroof is only available as part of the PCS package. On the GX and GL it's available separately. I'm not sure I like how they bundle the options on the GLS. For example, I would like a GLS and would like a sunroof and maybe PCS, but could care less for the chrome wheels and could pass on the spoiler. Yet to get a sunroof on the GLS, you have to get the package and get them all. On the GL you can get them separately, but you don't get the auto dimming rearview mirror(a must if you've had one before) or the wood trim on the doors and console. I would imagine that you should be able to get the Intrigue with discounts for less than a considerably equipped Maxima. And while I don't buy a car solely for it's warranty, the 5 year 60,000 mile warranty Olds is now giving is another value added feature.
by the way, are there any "problem" years on the aurora? considering 98-99...
Anyway, my concerns with the headroom and the sunroof were false on first impression, with the power seat down in back I had 1" of head room - that previously was swaying me toward the Maxima. Since it was "cold" we kicked on the heated seats - and whoh nellie! Never had anything like that before but was sure dang nice! too bad we'd only use it 2 months of the year tops, but maybe my wife (who gets cold in the car) would run it keep warm. It took less than 1 mile to heat up toasty! ABS, trans, everything worked well. It was rainng hard and thunder/lighting so I couldn't tell if it flickered or not but car worked well.
Pricing - for similar major option groups, with rebate its about 1000 cheaper than a maxima with leather/auto/climate. The chevy is impressive but only 800 less and looks cheap inside and out. The Honda is well made and drives really nice, but no comparison in my book.
I got an offer of 100 over invoice right away (remember salesman gets 500 from olds), so I'm going to see what we can do better on that, but probably not much.
FYI, I'm looking at a blue metalic GLS. Yes, you can't get sepaate on the package with sunroof and all that. that's the way cars are now.
Guy told me to sell my shadow to some high school student (in a poor neighborhood he was probably thinking), rather than get 500 on trade in.
Sorry to babble, but we're excited, I don't buy cars very often.
oh yea, the olds does do some limited driver info, like "oil change needed" "oil low" via idiot lights, but not the screen display "miles to empty" and mpg avg like buicks. Too bad. I like that feature, Can't have everything ...
Slope
I would like to have PCS and head-up display with my Regal. Yet they are available only with Olds and Pontiac, correspondingly. Impala have bigger trunk, but is not available with supercharger...
Slopedirk...Congrats on your color choice! The dark blue looks great with tan leather. I picked up my 2000 GLS on 1 NOV 00 and will be turning 10K this week on it. The 3.5 engine is a gem. Too bad GM doesn't know what they've got in Oldsmobile.
My Impala saga continues....car is basically parked at the dealer waiting for some new 'parts' to fix the front end problems...very dissapointed to say the least...an 11 month old and babied car should not have this kind of repairs. Based on other negative posts in the Impala/Montecarlo forums, it is no secret that the front end of these cars and the Aluminum engine cradle component is PURE JUNK! GM needs to step up to the plate and conduct a massive recall of these cars...there is no TSB or fix for the front end problems!!!
I symphatize with the Intrigue owners that have had to put up with GM's lack of quality control and manufacturing defects..this is UNACCEPTABLE.
I am considering pursuing a 'buyback' if GM wants to keep my loyalty and $$$ going to their pockets..if not all the way to arbitration and Fl lemon law.
If you haven't looked at a Regal GS - they have incredible performance - a real sleeper. Styling is arguably too conservative - but that's certainly individual taste. There don't appear to be major problems associated with them and resale may hold up better than an Oldsmobile.
It's worth a look anyway - if for no other reason than to drive that incredible supercharged 3.8L in the GS. BTW - it does require premium gas like the Maxima.
Best wishes in your search for the perfect ride.
Ken