Oldsmobile Intrigue

evandro

And, of course, no one in the press points that out. Take the Accord TSX, whose head-lights are a carbon-copy of the Bonneville's. Or the upcoming TL, with the same Bonneville-copied head-lights, and C-column from the VW Phaeton.

The Asian school of styling is a paste up...

oldsman01

In certain angles of the next gen TL, you can even see some CTS elements. And while I know it probably had little influence on it(as they both came out about the same time), I still think the G35 looks like a watered down CTS, especially from the front. And speaking of ponchos, seems some BMW loyals are upset that the upcoming 6 series has some resemblence to the front end of the Bonneville.

lmacmil

I've never felt the air conditioning on my 2000 GX cooled as well as it should. The air coming out doesn't feel nearly as cold as the air on my wife's Explorer. It takes too long to cool down the car after it's been sitting out all day. Most troubling is that the last few times I've had it on, it cuts in and out (as does the A/C light) randomly.

Anyone else have or had issues with their A/C? I probably won't do anything since summer is almost over but it looks like I may have to get it serviced next spring.

rjs200240

You can buy clay in the auto store. Meguiar's sells a kit, Mothers, Clay-Magic... You would just use it on the glass instead of on the paint. I'd try clay before a razor or steel-wool or paint thinner. Clay won't hurt anything else. It is very hard to screw it up. Plus, if you, say, cut it into thirds, then you can clay your windshield (may as well do all the glass with the piece) and then still have two clean, new pieces if you want to clay your paint (you'll be surprised how smooth it makes it).

You can find a lot of good info on how to use clay right here in the store-bought waxes forum. Just search through it a bit.

I agree with you all about mileage and styling. The foreign cars get all the credit, but are mainly just rip-offs. And GM is the tops in fuel economy in something like 38 of roughly 80 vehicle classes. GM has excellent economy, but of course magazines just talk about Honda for that. When a domestic has better economy (or a lower price) in a comparo, they just talk about how no one cares about that stuff.

I get the impression the most important thing to these magazine writers is how commercials make them feel about the cars... Remember those Camry commercials where they went on and on about how sexy the car is?? How else can any auto journalist go on and on about how the feel of the car is more important than the cost or economy or maintenance cost or any other place the imports fall short, and then recommend that such a vanilla car is the champion of any comparo? Ok, enough ranting...

I'm always impressed by the Z06, which makes 405 horsepower, boatloads of torque (unlike many other 300+ hp cars) and gets 28 mpg on the highway! It's amazing!! If that isn't incredible engineering, I don't know what is. I guess they should have put in more gizmos and reduced the power, torque and economy, though, if they wanted to be recognized for engineering in the way Porsche or BMW are...

b4z

for displacement on demand and the 6 speed auto trans. How about a 35 mpg Corvette?

Also GM Performance parts now sells a crate motor LS6 with 400 hp and also offers a severe duty auto trans that can handle 400 lbs ft of torque.
Old trans could only handle 370.

oldsman01

If your A/C is cutting in and out and the A/C light flickers, I would take it in and have it checked now. There may be a problem with the control module. As for the system never cooling well, I've felt the same way about my Intrigue. When I had it in for service last week, I had them check the A/C and they said it cooled to spec and the charge was okay. The system cools the car, but the air has never been as cold as I like(or have felt in other cars). My old 89 Olds Touring Sedan had an air-conditioner that would freeze a side of beef. I'm not sure what part of the country your in, but we've still got a good month and half of A/C weather her so I would have yours checked, especially with that light blinking.

ozznet

Just got back from my vacation to Alberta. Put about 3300KM on the Intrigue. It runs great on the highway. That trunk is friggn huge. We just kept cramming things in there and the trunk kept shutting.
We put 2 big suit cases, 2 med, 1 small, 3 sets of golf clubs and other small things. And with all of that and 4 people in the car it still hauls [non-permissible content removed]. Even in the mountains where we were staying.
I have to get an oil change again(2 in 1 month) so I am going to get them to check the car over also.
I also just went over 30,000km and still no problems aside from the flicker which I had when I first got it. It hasn't come back yet.
I just love my car.

mfletouva

Speaking of tailights...
The last generation Mazda 626 had very similar tailights to the Intrigue. At night when a 626 was ahead of me, I would sometimes think it was an Intrigue until I got closer. I don't know the chronology of the styling though and who copied who...

One thing I liked about the Alero was that the tailights were very aggressive and at night basically it looked like 4 lights back there--just like a Corvette!

javidogg

In Reply To:______________________________________________________

#9871 of 9894 javidogg by redline65 Aug 13, 2003 (11:29 am)

Yo javidogg! Love the dubs on the Aurora. Did you lower it any, or did you stick with the stock suspension?

________________________________________________________________

Sorry for the super late post but ah,

I did not do any mods on the suspension,

I decided to keep it stock,

I went with the bigger wheels because,

I felt that my Aurora would look real nice with some bigger wheels, setting it off real nice,

One thing I did was, parking my car with the steering wheel turned all the way to the side and I noticed that there is like about an inch clearance between the front wheels and the wheelwells,

20 inch wheels are like the precise and the perfect size for my Aurora, and I was already thinking of some 21 inch wheels next.

Well thanks for the line there,

I leave with a picture of my Aurora on 20's.

Peace.

oldsman01

Your right about the last generation 626 having Intrigue-like taillights. I used to sometimes think it was an Intrigue until I got closer. As for who copied who, both the Intrigue and that generation 626 were new in 98 so it's hard to say. Technically, the Intrigue was here first as 98s went on sale in the summer of 1997. I personally like the Intrigue's taillights better than the Alero's. The Alero is not bad, but those lights are almost too big IMO. The Intrigue has one of the best looking rear ends of any car on the road. Just like if an attractive woman is in front of me, I have no problem being behind another Intrigue:) Seriously though, many cars are just plain ugly from the back. And today, one of the new Toyota Sienna minivans was behind me and seeing the front of it in my rearview mirror, all I can say is it looks like something you would see in a cartoon. Just plain weird looking.

dindak

ozznet : Glad to hear your Intrigue is running well. The trunk was a big selling point, very unique set up for maximum storage.

mfletouva : Tail lights on our Alero look real nice at night and even the GX we have has the nice LEDs in the middle.

mfletouva

I think I'd probably rather have an attractive girl in front of me, but I agree that the Intrigue looks good from the back. Does yours have a spoiler? I normally don't like them but I think the Intrigue looks classy with it. And I love how the brake lights are on the spoiler. I was never crazy about the Alero's rear end until nightime when I loved it. Those LEDs are nice.

Those Siennas are Aztek-level ugly to me. Actually, this will probably start a war (although maybe not on this board), I think that the Toyotas overall as a brand are just plain ugly. Camry is too bloated looking, Sienna is awful, Echo...eek, it looks like something a 3 year old drew with a crayon, Avalon is like a Camry on 'roids, that new 4Runner looks like its missing a few pieces or something...the Maxtrix has a ridiculous beltine..these are some UGLY cars. And you can't accuse me of being anti-Japanese car because I'm about to buy a Subaru Forester for my mom. (I wouldn't buy any other Japanese car, but somehow I feel like Subaru's don't count--they're kind of an underdog, and nobody else makes cars like them, especially in the US...)

redline65

I used Clay Magic on my Intrigue a few weeks ago. I'm very impressed with the results! The car had 4 years worth of crud embedded in the paint, and Clay Magic did a great job of removing it. Stubborn bug guts were pulled right out. Dirt that had become permanently attached to the paint behind the wheels was removed. Also, on the horizontal panels I noticed the clay turned kind of a rusty color, so there must have been some oxidation or environmental fallout that was removed. And it made the surface very smooth for waxing. Plus I cut the bar into six pieces, and was able to do the whole car with one piece.

dindak

We have a spoiler on the Intrigue and I love it. I generally don't like them but the LEDs make it worth while. I don't like them on the Alero though and the LEDs are embedded in the trunk so you get them regardless.

akitadog

Your story reminds me of a roadtrip I took.
I was able to hit 112 mph (yikes!) going down I95 with 4 people and a full trunk.

I had to show up an early 90's Grand Prix GT w/ 2 punk college kids in it.

oldsman01

My Intrigue has the spoiler and I think it is one of the few cars that looks better with one. The LED high-mount brake light looks very nice. One thing I've noticed on alot of Nissans with a spoiler is they have a brake light in them but there is also the standard thrid mount light in the rear window. I'm glad that Olds didn't install the light in the rear window on models with the spoiler. The only Toyo that really looks pretty good is the Land Cruiser and who knows what they will do to it when it's re-styled. RUs are kind of an underdog, although they are gaining in popularity here. The WRX is ugly as sin IMO, but a performance bargain.

dindak

Yes, Olds did the spoiler right in every way in the Intrigue. Small detail, but I notice it when cars have 2 center stop lights. Makes the spoiler look like an aftermarket (or afterthought).

dekester

Has anyone had to replace one of the lights yet? I've had one burned out for a while and picked up a replacement. What a pain in the [non-permissible content removed] to get to the bulbs! Remove the TORX screw, pull out the assembly, THEN remove three screws from the back of the housing and pull loose. All those screws are easy to lose if you're not careful.

The bulb size is 891, but what's available in the auto parts store is not identical to what the factory used. The new bulb has a longer base and a "nipple" on the end that the original doesn't have. I couldn't get the new bulb to properly seat, and therefore, it doesn't work. Wasted $9.00 on it.

Anyone find an exact replacement? Does anyone have any extras they could spare? At least the other three bulbs work, so I'm safe in that regard.

Deke

oldsman01

What year is your Intrigue? Is it a 98 and if so, does your spoiler brake light use LEDs or 4 bulbs. Some of the early Intrigue's used 4(or maybe 5) bulbs for the brake light. Later models(late 98s or 99s and on) used LEDs for the brake light.

dekester

My 'Trig was built August, 98 - right after the strike - and I have four bulbs in the brake light. The bulb is small and round on the end while the replacement has a "nipple" on the end and a longer "tail" that doesn't let it seat in the socket properly. Service dept person gave me the bulb size. Were they supersceded at all?

Hate to be having to scrounge junkyards for Intrigue parts already!

Deke

dindak

Hopefully this will be closer to a replacement for our Intrigue

http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat- _code=carnews&loc_code=index&content_code=06494585

dekester

Sent an e-mail to Goodwrench.com asking about the spoiler stop light bulb, they responded with the following info:

GM part# 09441724
Aftermarket# L891

Does the "L" signify an LED? If so, that would explain why the #891 bulb wouldn't work.

They also said to order the part at my local Olds dealer. He-LLO! There IS no locat Olds dealer where I live! They sold the franchise the minute the announcement was made and the new "owner" closed it down as soon as the last Olds was sold! I called my Chevy dealer and they refuse to order Olds parts (they were a Chevy-Olds shop since the 1930's and resented GM forcing them to give up the Olds franchise in the mid 90s to give it to the Caddy place)!

I used to have better luck scrounding parts on the Chrysler dealer network back when I drove Mopars! And everyone knows how hard it is to get Chrysler Corp parts!

Why is the General making it so hard for Olds owners to get parts and maintain their vehicles?

Deke

javidogg

I would say if your looking for that part or light piece, go to any Cadillac dealer, they should be able to hook you up with any Olds part.

I have gone to a Caddy dealer for some Warranty work and they have been good to me, I don't know if it's because I have an Aurora and it makes it easier for them since my Aurora has the parts from the STS and/or SLS, but they been good to me here in the Chicagoland Area.

Well good luck,

Peace.

http://www.cardomain.com/id/javidogg

oldsman01

We have an Olds dealer here(they've vowed to continue selling Oldsmobiles until they are no longer built) and it is forever getting parts in. Let's see, they had my car 16 days at the beginning of this year waiting on the power steering pressure hose, about a week or so waiting on a new transmission in April, and it took nearly 2 weeks for the P/S gear to come in. I took the car in on 8/4 and part was ordered and got a letter saying it was in on 8/14. Speaking of the P/S gear, got the new one installed and the rubbing noise and loss of power assist when turning right is gone, but I now have more engine noise in the passenger compartment. I can hear the engine starting now and when accelerating, I can hear some valvetrain noise which in the past I didn't. It's not overly loud, but certainly more prominent than before. The new sound effects come from the steering column so I assume it has to do with the removal of some parts(and probably disturbing a sound barrier) when replacing the steering gear. I love the car, but gentleman, I think she's got to go! Imagine having a beautiful wife and then discovering she's cheated on you. On one hand you hate to do it, but in the end you know you'll only end up with more grief if you keep her(in this case keeping the car). And I'm really desparate here, first dealer to give me within $1500 of what I owe gets her! With the service history of this car, I'm not going to even try and sell it. Not to mention I don't have the time to deal with trying to sell it myself.

So what am I considering, well the Cadillac CTS and Saab 9-3 are still in the running but I'm also considering going over to the dark side. Yes, I'm considering an SUV. And yes, even that dreaded "F" word, otherwise known as Ford. Been researching the Explorer and am impressed. Haven't driven one yet so that will be the telling story, but they seem to have some excellent deals on them right now. Still can't quite believe I'm considering an SUV as much as I like to drive, but being single and only having one vehicle, I could certainly use the utility one offers. Heck, I've got a piece of furniture that I no longer want and have been trying to get a way to get it to my father's house, but unless I rent a truck I can't move it as neither he nor I have a vehicle that will hold it. I actually considered doing a GM 24 hour test drive on an SUV just to get it moved! So while I haven't really decided on a vehicle yet, I have decided that it is time for the Intrigue to go.

dindak

I feel bad for you. You have the biggest Intrigue lemon I've heard of. Even the guys with 98s never had close to the issues you have.

New Explorer is very decent, great deals out there. I generally like the TB better, mainly because of the I-6 under the hood.

dekester

Check out the TB/Envoy board sometime. Engines are being replaced because the sleeves in the cylinders are coming loose and dropping! GM replaces them, but doesn't say whether they're NEW or reman units with prior failures (I think the latter as it'd be cheaper for them).

Also, they've had quite a few software reprogrammings for tranny shifting, lack of power, etc.

Man, give me an 88 Dodge Ramcharger, any day, if I had to have an SUV!

Hate to say it, but the next car will be Asian....Wife will be getting an '04 Camry XLE V6 some time in October/November. Her 91 Tercel was trouble free for 12 years and 72G miles until the nickle and dime-ing started and little, but important things started going.

As for me, I get to keep the 'Trig going - 31G, new Avids and soon to be upgraded brakes with cross-drilled rotors. Love the 3.8.....

Deke

dindak

No offence but the Camry is pretty much a Japanese Buick. If you go Asian, I'd take an Accord or a 6 any day over a Camry. In fact, I'd probably buy a Buick before I'd buy a Camry as they have the same (or better) reliability for lots less $$.

mfletouva

Hey, whatever floats your boat, but a Camry XLE V6 is some SERIOUS money...probably pushing $25k...there's a lot you could buy for that...

b4z

I am guessing that a IMpala SS with 240 hp at 29K will soon have a $3000 rebate on it. Coupled with $2500 back from the dealer would allow you to buy one for about 24K.
But then, I already own an Impala and don't want another one.
So now I have to decide what will be next.
Unlike oldsman I am not going over to the dark side. The darkside being a SUV, not a Ford product. LOL.
My Intrigue had many of the probs that oldsman's has had, I am glad I did an early lease termination.
My question is what is the heir apparent to the Intrigue. THe CTS? 32K minimum optioned the way I want.
What other non GM sedan offers the room of the Intrigue? I can't think of any.

ab348

After all this time I might be taking the plunge. My Park Avenue has started becoming unreliable and I have been car-shopping in earnest of late. This week I found a car I really liked - an '02 Intrigue GX (program car), 30K km (18K miles), Tropic Teal/pewter, for $16K Cdn or $11K US. It came with the GX option package (rear spoiler, 6 speaker stereo, power seat, split folding rear seat, maybe some other things) so it isn't a totally basic model. I drove it and it is head and shoulders beyond the other stuff I've tried in that price range. I really like the color too and it's nice knowing that only the '02 models came in that shade.

It is a little disconcerting reading about some of the problems here but others I have communicated with have great things to say about the Intrigue so who knows. Maybe being an '02 some of the problems were sorted out. Besides, any car is a bit of a crapshoot. The nice thing about this car is that it still has 2 years of GM total warranty and 4 years of Olds powertrain remaining. Given that I'd be buying it and financing it over that time period that means a lot.

Might be mine by the weekend. Stop me now or forever hold your peace....

redline65

Check out the TB/Envoy board sometime. Engines are being replaced because the sleeves in the cylinders are coming loose and dropping!

Off-topic, but that only applies to the early model engines, and the number of cases on that board isn't very high at all.

dindak

Intrigue is the best midsize sedan GM has made. More likely than not your car will generally be good. Watch for the headlight flicker in the winter, that is likely your only concern. There is a bulliten on this and a fix (at least mine is fixed I think).

Good luck.

redline65

That's a pretty sweet deal. If it has the 5-year 60K mile GM Protection Plan you can't go wrong. The tropical teal color is intriguing, you don't see too many of those around. Plus you can take advantage of the huge depreciation savings. For that kind of money you could probably get a 4 year old Accord with a 4-cylinder engine and steel wheels!

dekester

Made a call to another Chevy dealer and they had three in stock. Went down after dinner and had the old one with me for comparison - perfect match! Price was a bit steep ($13), but if it lasts, who cares. It is NOT the same as the regular #891 bulb you get in Pep Boys, etc.

As for the Camry.....
Since I was very impressed with the wife's 91 Toyota's reliability - replaced original battery after 9 years, only one set of brakes, timimg belt at 61K and it had ALL the original bulbs still working except one dash light, never failed to start in any weather, etc - we decided to get the Camry. Didn't like the looks of the Accord, the Mazda 6 was too small inside and the Hyundai XG350L has NO resale value.

So, we'll look like everyone else out on the road.....Right now I don't care. I'm different with the 'Trig - not too many around and with SilverMist being a 98-99 only color, not too common.

Thinking of getting those red/white/blue magnetized flames with the eagle head to put on the sides to go with my 9/11 memorial message and FDNY window decals in the rear windows. Second anniversary is upon us.....

oldsman01

I like the Envoy/Trailblazer alot myself and that inline 6 is a gem of an engine in terms of performance and refinement. You think this board was active, the TB/Envoy/Bravada forum has had over 12,000 posts! And they've only been on the roads a couple of years. I remember reading several reviews of 02s having multiple problems and recalls, but I simply can't read through 12K posts to look for trends. The reason my nod is more for the Explorer is is has a much better looking interior in lower trim lines. With what I'm willing to spend on a new car now, either a TB or an Explorer would be moderately equipped models(i.e. no leather) and from the pics I've seen, the Explorer has much better looking materials inside than the TB. But who knows, I haven't taken a test drive yet, so that settle things. As for the Intrigue being the best midsize GM built, I'd say it was the best designed midsize GM has ever had. The car is brilliantly engineered, but somewhere between the drawing board and final assembly, something went wrong.

b4z, the Impala SS is tempting, but after owning one GM W-body already, I kind of want something different. Even if the Intrigue had been flawless, I'd still likely want something other than another midsize FWD sedan.

dindak

Explorer is cheaper, no doubt. Fords in general are cheaper than GM vehicles. A co-worker just picked up a base Windstar for C$19K (about U$14K). You could not get a base Venture for anywhere near that. Clearly Ford is giving them away.

I think I would have gone with a next generation Intrigue in a few years had there been one. I just love my car. If I was looking this year at a midsize GM sedan, the new Grand Prix and maybe the 04 Malibu LT or Maxx would be my only interest (at GM). Of course these are both first year cars so you have a risk of bugs.

Our next vehicle is likely an SUV or wagon/van, but we have a kid. If I was single I would go CTS as I would be able to afford it with no day care and house expenses.

mfletouva

Go for it! I have a Red 2002 GL and through 10 months and 8500 miles have had absolutely nothing go wrong with it. Its been flawless. I enjoy driving it every day. There is nothing better than the smooth torquey engine accelerating past of those generic Camrys and Accords. With the warranty, you can't go wrong...

rjs200240

My sister has an '02 Explorer, and my mom an '02 TB. I know what you mean about the interior. The Ford is a lot nicer. The TB seems more truckish and cheap. I don't like the hard shiny plastics so much. But, the I-6 blows away the Explorer V-6 IMO. It is so much more powerful, and better in economy. It's a real toss-up... Nicer interior vs. nicer engine. Also, the Explorer didn't seem quite as floaty as the TB, but it's hard to say about that sort of thing without driving them a lot.

For my money, I'd buy another Aurora... Nicer interior and nicer motor... heh heh...

ab348

Well, I bought it. Very easy deal. I pick it up Monday night. All I have to do now is figure out how to pay for it...

It looks like every other teal Intrigue I guess but if you want to see it, here's a link to the dealer (I can't figure out a direct link) - just do a search:

http://www.forbeschev.gmcanada.com/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+Intern- etUsedVeh.Search?dealer=87020&lang=en

ketch

as you said: "Our next vehicle is likely an SUV or wagon/van, but we have a kid. If I was single I would go CTS as I would be able to afford it with no day care and house expenses. "

I feel your pain bud. With a 9 and 11 year old, plus getting back on our feet after being laid off after 23 years (working again, in Vegas baby), had to pass up the CTS! We are loving the new Saturn Vue AWD v6, and still Love our 2000 Intrigue. Just put Michelin Pilots on "her" and it really improved already outstanding handling dynamics.
When in Vegas, look for the Silver Mist Intrigue with "Caddilac Northstar Powered" in the rear quarter glass!

-ketch (hey, I think I saw Elvis!)

dindak

ketch : Glad all is well in Vegas. One of my favorite U.S. cities. The VUE is a definite finalist assuming the new 3.5L under the hood yields decent mileage. Waiting to see the new Equinox also and the Escape is always a possibility as the deals are outstanding at Ford these days.

ab348 : Congrats. Nice wheels, but I'm biased.

rjs200240 : Envoy has a nicer interior for not much more.

mfletouva

the Subaru Forester (I know, not AMerican, blasphemy!). We just bought one for my mom, though, and it really is a perfect car--perfect size, technically superior to everything on the market in the SUV/crossover class, and a remarkable value. It comes standard with side airbags, power everything, ABS, keyless, AWD (of course)and a CD. Got a great deal, $865 under invoice. Shopped the Vue and the Escape and both were considerably more expensive and offered less in terms of AWD systems and safety
features (not to mention ratings). I know 2 Escape owners who never shopped the Forester and now want to trade for one...

redline65

I have to agree with dindak, the Envoy's interior (in dark pewter) is nicer than the Explorer's. I know the Envoy is a little more expensive than the Trailblazer, but to me it's definitely worth it.

The Aurora's interior is beautiful. I wish we would have bought one, but my wife had her heart set on an SUV. We really needed the room for trips and hauling stuff from Home Depot. I won't be replacing my Intrigue for another 3 years or so, too bad there won't be any new Auroras then.

dindak

mfletouva : Subaru is actually 20% owned by GM now.

redline : Envoy is not a whole heck of a lot more. I like the exterior of the TB better than the Envoy, but the GM has the better inside, no doubt.

oldsman01

Well, yesterday I ventured out into the 90+ degree weather and looked at some Explorers. Let me say that I liked the truck alot. While no Intrigue in terms of handling, it did corner very well with little body lean. Also, the ride was very smooth. For someone who typically does not care for trucks and SUVs, I was impressed. So impressed that I sat down with them and started talking numbers. The deal on the Explorer was great as I can get Ford X-plan pricing(was a couple hundred below invoice on the Explorer) and THEN take the $3000 rebate off that. No haggling, no "I'll have to check with my manager", no nonesense, etc. However, when I had them appraise my Intrigue, they offered me just a bit over 10K for it. Now I realize that these cars are not paragons of resale value and I was fully prepared to be offered(and even accept) a figure which was below my payoff amount, but certainly not this low. Lets just say that even the rebate on the Explorer doesn't make up the difference. Needless to say that despite wanting to unload my flawed beauty on them and drive home in a new car, I walked. I was a bit insulted as I thought that figure was way low until I got home and looked up trade-in value on both Edmund's and kbb.com for an Intrigue with the mileage and equipment of mine. Edmund's trade-in value was right on with what they offered. What really really ticks me off is when I bought this car 25 months ago, I put a substantial amount of cash down to try and prevent being in the situation of being upside down on my loan. And the car was discounted heavily to boot. To recap, I have a 25 month old car with 35,000 miles that is in excellent physical condition, has every available option, carried a window sticker of $29K and now is worth a touch over 10K on a trade. Even the Edmunds and kbb private party and dealer retail pricing on one are still below what I owe. Only the Edmund's certified pre-owned retail on one is more than what I owe. So at this point, I guess I'm stuck with it. Just for laughs, I am going to take it by carmax and see how much they will pay me for it. Guess I better plan on stopping at a bar for a drink after that:) Although it can't be any worse than what I was offered at the Ford dealer. I also guess that really dashes any hopes of getting a CTS anytime soon as I simply cannot afford to roll that much money from this car onto the price of the Caddy. The only other thing I may do is check out a Chevy Trailblazer and see if they can do any better. There is a $750 loyalty discount for GM owners($1000 if your buying the same brand) and I think TBs have similar rebates as the Explorer(and I can get one at GMS pricing), but $750 won't help me much if they can't give me anything more for my car. Anyway, sorry for the long rant, I'm just really fed up with this car at this point. For a car that I really loved, I am really, majorly disappointed right now. BTW, anybody know what happens if a piece of space junk falls out of the sky and crashes into it at night? No, I'm not thinking of doing something shady, but am concerned about how insurance will handle payoff if they car is totalled beyond my control. Will they pay the loan off or will they only pay what the car is worth? And if the latter is the case, what value do they go on? Just as I once told an ex-girlfriend that I wished I'd never met her, I really really wish I had never bought this car!

ozznet

Insurance would probably screw you over worse and give you like 9k or lower. I don't know how they are where you live but here they screw you over and take forever to pay.

I just cleaned and waxed my car today for over 4hrs. I wasn't to impressed with the clay bar I used cause it didn't seem to do anything.
It looks amazing though in the sun. It is a little depressing though when you see all the little nicks and scratches in the paint.
The bottom of the driver and passenger doors are nicked and chipped.

Has anybody put mud flaps on the rear tires? Is it easy to do? Theres lots of chips there.

focus

Hey, we are all in the same boat (car). Go buy that SUV in 25 months, and visualize how much money you'll save then; however, i wouldn't use the same strategy to a girlfriend.

redline65

Buddy you have got to start using some paragraph breaks! I thought we had this discussion a few weeks ago. :-)

As for the Intrigue, it's cheaper to keep her. But if it were to get hit by an asteroid I would make sure the insurance company knew how much it would cost me to buy a comparable Intrigue at a dealership, plus sales tax.

redline65

Did you notice how much smoother the surface was when waxing? My intrigue had 4 years of stuff embedded in the paint. I could see how it probably wouldn't make much of a difference if the paint were pretty new, or well taken care of. Mine had been a bit neglected.

ketch

Great vehicle, defintely tops in the small SUV market. Wins most road tests both current and past generation. New turbo just adds to the greatness. Looked at one when the In-laws were shopping, but less room than the VUE, very noticeable when you have two kids and all the luggage et al. We got the the side curtain airbags and the crash rating (due to the safety cage design) is one of the better. Too, we liked the durablility of the plastic panels. We keep our cars 8-10 years, and this will help it look new longer we hope. Too us the Forester looked too wagon like, as do many in this market (Highlander) and the CRV is just plain ugly. Escape has too many recalls and reliablity issues, otherwise it would be great.
What is weird is I am beginning to like the Element. OMG!
...back to the Intrigue subject- ketch