Oldsmobile Intrigue

one2one

The Pilots do firm the ride a little but it's not uncomfortable. It's kind of strange. The car feels more controlled and, compared to the Pilots, the Goodyears made the car feel sloppy. Keep in mind I put H rated Pilots on my Intrigue. The ride is very smooth and linear now (not that it wasn't before; just better). IMO, the ride quality improved with the new tires.

Although it's a matter of choice, if the Goodyears don't bother you too much, keep them until you're ready for a change. For myself, if I bought another Intrigue, I would almost immediately put another set of Pilots on. Bumps large and small do seem to be less pronounced. I also have over 7,000 miles with the new tires. Perhaps that may account for my feelings.

slopedirk

RE: noise - you'll have to judge for yourself, but apparently GM added wheel housing sound deading material for '01, and I did not drive a earlier version but the '01 was a very quiet car to my ear.

j_coleman

jg28: Make sure you stay on top of the tire pressure. I've noticed when mine gets down around 28 psi it starts feeling a little sloppy. Keep it at 31 psi (cold) and you should be OK. Also - every 10 degree temperature change can cause a 1 psi change in the tires. Otherwise, my suspension is still tight at 22,500 miles.

jg28

after production? I'd really like a quieter ride. How much is a set of the Michelin Pilots? I don't think tire pressure (which I always keep in check) would affect body roll.

vcjumper

Pilot XGTH4's are about $100 a pop for the Intrigue size at www.tirerack.com.

If you want less body roll and are willing to pay, you could always check into fitting the Impala police package rear sway bar on your Intrigue. For sharper steering response, you could install front and rear strut tower braces. I intend to install those braces in the spring.

b4z

You could have your car undercoated. Or have a spray in bedliner like Line-X or Rhino lining put on.

vcjumper

Hmmm I want one:

http://www.holden.com.au/sc02_vehicle_showroom/sc02_7_vxcommodore/sc02_7_4_ss/popup_360_exterior.asp

b4z

There was talk a few years ago that the new camaro would be based on the holden chassis. It already has the LS-1 and an IRS.

No brainer right ? Apparently not for GM, if anybody could miss the obvious its GM.

vcjumper

I want one of these too. I will subside on Kraft dinner and water alone if that would help.

http://coming.to/holden/vt_coupe/interior.htm

one2one

On the Daimler form we bought up the subject of the new Epsilon vehicles. Has anyone seen any pictures or drawings of proposed concepts?

one2one

The other day my wife and I went to the Buick dealer to test drive a Regal GS. Not so much to see if we wanted one but more so to be sure we didn't. We couldn't drive one because all the GS's they had came with a sunroof and that wouldn't work.

A few thoughts on the Regal and why the only mid-size GM car I'd get is the Intrigue:

1. Dashboard: besides looking like a mini sand dune, the guages seemed like they were an afterthought. Especially the guages on the right. It looked like they forgot to add the fuel guage so they dropped it below the tach.

2. Shifter: To shift you have to push the button on the top of the shifter. The problem is it feels like a lump of unmolded clay. There's a button on the left side. Place your hand like most shifters and it feels natural (and you can push the little button on the side). The problem is you can't shift out of gear like that.

3. Headlight switch: After being in the Intrigue it feels awfully awkward to stretch forward just to turn on the lights.

4. Wiper/cruise control/turn signal stalk: Come on. Back when the gear shifter was mounted behind the steering wheel it made sense. Is GM trying to empty out its stock?

On the positive side, the seats felt very comfortable as they should in a Buick.

Not that I think the Buick is a bad car, but I do think that the Intrigue interior was thought out much better than the Regal. The guages are symetrical, the dash seems better laid out and the shifter feels natural. Some folks don't think the shifter feels right because of the way it looks (Ann Job seems to think so). If you let your arm fall naturally, you'll notice the Intrigue shifter fits perfectly into you hand.

Considering that Olds will probably not even be selling leftovers by the time Epsilon-cars are released ('cause they probably won't be around), I wanted to be sure that getting another Intrigue wouldn't lead to buyer's remorse.

I know this will spark some comments from Regal owners. But hey, maybe it will put us back in the number one spot on TownHall.

etharmon

I agree with you on alot of points. I'm 26 and styling wise, the Regal is not bad, but the Intrigue is clearly more crisp looking inside and out. The Regal's interior is what needs help. The seats are very comfy, but the dash layout on the Intrigue wins hands down. I remember when I drove a Buick Regal LS a couple of years ago, the placement of the air-conditioning vents were at 3 O'clock and 9 O'clock, right where you put your hands on the wheel. So while on a long straight drive, your knuckles get cold. The radio was positioned nice and high, but the dislay was almost too large. The shift lever seemed to work okay, but it didn't fall right in the palm of my hand the way the Intrigue's does. The push-pull headlamp switch was different. Certainly not modern looking, but at least it is a functional design. My father wishes all cars still had them. Actually, like the Intrigue the Regal had auto on-off lights so you seldomly use the switch. The gauges in the Regal were no where near as crisp as those in the Intrigue. And don't forget the Intrigue's dash mounted ignition switch. Having said that, the Regal was not all that bad of a car. I would consider one, but I simply like the Intrigue better. I think that by having both cars, GM is able to offer a midsize sedan to basically two different types of customers.

etharmon

Hey guys, we're now over 1000 posts!!

yurakm

1. The Regal gauges are OK.

Accustomed to them in the very first day I received the car, and since never had any trouble with reading them.

2. The Regal vents are inconvenient somewhat. Tend to blow the cold air on the hands. Good for hand heating, bad when used with cool air.

My wife does not use the auto mode of the Regal climate control for this reason, while I aim the vents above my shoulders.

Additionally, the vents or fan rattle a bit at higher speed (in the auto mode it happens suddenly, without driver control).

The same two problems as with Malibu vents. The Ford Taurus ones are a bit better, but not so much. The best vents I had experience with belong to the Pontiac GrandAM. They look as rough industrial design and are made of plastic, but are very functional, easy to aim and quiet.

3. The Regal stalk is inconvenient, especially if you switch back and forth to other car. Overloaded by functions as a Christmas tree. After 3.5 month I am still have to recall how to use washer, and am engaging the cruise control instead sometimes. The same with high beam toggle.

I believe, the stalk is still used with Regal, Impala LS, and even Monte-Carlo because the other cars produced on the same plant have bench seats and column shift. Century, the base Impala, LeSabre...

4. The headlight switch on the dash is a consequence of the single stalk. Otherwise it would have even more functions. Any case, it does not matter at all: with the automatic headlights, I used the control only once in 3.5 months - and only to test if it does work.

5. I found the cassette controls and the air condition controls to be somewhat inconvenient. A lot of buttons, most of them of about the same size. Cannot distinguish the buttons (and the settings) by touch. Have to remove my eyes from the road to read the temperature etc. on the under-dash panel. Switched the air flow direction often instead of increasing / decreasing air flow and / or the temperature.

Fortunately, the cassette controls are duplicated on the steering wheel.

As you can see, some real car's deficiencies became clear only after using it for time being, while some perceived deficiencies turned to be not-existing.

b4z

I have a name for the style of regal's interior, "early french bordello."

dindak

I agree with most of what you said about the Regal. I only hope the next generation Regal is more Intrigue like in design.

slopedirk

Well, some may be wondering if I'm ever going to get a car. Good question. My wife (a safety manager) likes the crash ratings better on the passat, as well as the driving experience with its german style design. I don't mind the passat, like the way it handles, but over all I think its a bit over-rated and the motors are smooth but unexceptional. Add goodies to it and its damn expensive. Saw the new design one last night at a local dealer, who wasn't even supposed to sell them yet - it was there for the car show.

She's cold the GM mark having owned at one time a Vega, and her father a diesel impala -both terrible mistakes by GM. Anyway, out of the cars, I prefer the olds comfort features and nice 3.5 motor and trans, the good looks and size. The maxima is a great car but ugly and very japaneese in design, costs a ton to get a equipped one. Anyway, I may go rent a intrigue to show her what a good car it is for 24 hours, they have them nearby.

RE: regal - I think the outside is very sleeper, but inside could use some work, very 80's or even 70's.

Slope

tpken

Both Grand Prix and Bonneville (my car) are terrific products with great performance and handling, and based on your styling likes/dislikes they are interesting designs - very UNLIKE the Japanese clones.

Best wishes

Ken

vocus

That is one HOT looking ride! I would kill for an SSEi with leather and all decked out. Unfortunately, I can only afford the SE model. Oh well. I will use it to replace my 1993 SSE that I love dearly within a year.

j_coleman

I had the dealer change the oil and rotate the tires yesterday. All my lug nut caps were attached before I left the dealership. When I got home one was missing. When I got to work this morning three were missing. Obviously the tech didn't do a good job replacing the caps. I've had the tires rotated before by the dealer and have not lost any. What is the "secret" to securing them properly?

dindak

I would consider a SSE/SSEi is they got rid of the cladding. The general shape of the Bonneville is nice. Still prefer the Grand Prix though. Perhaps a next generation 3.5L Grand Prix GT with a better interior would be a future option.

teo

Last week I test drove a 3800 V6 Bonneville SE...what a sweet car and ride! No wonder Tpken is all over his! No cladding on that model and definetely, the best Bonneville value of the bunch. The SLE and SSE-i are nice but the exterior ornaments make too much emphasis on the Batmobile theme.

However, the W-body sedans still give much bang for the buck and you can get the same powertrains and equipment as in the larger H-platform sedans for less $$$. Still the Bonnie SE is one of my favorites.

vocus

My 1993 Bonneville is an SSE model, and I like the look of the aero body addenda. It makes the car look sportier. It is a little boy-racer though, but I still like it. I also like the features (like head-up display and the digital compass) on the SSE model too. But now, it's the SLE and SSEi (no more SSE) so the equivalent to my 1993 SSE would be the 2000/01 SLE model.

jgriff

Have you looked at the Acura TL? It is in the same price range as a fully loaded Passat. A fully loaded TL w/ no Navi can be had for 29k and comes w/ 4/50k warranty package. I had test drove and compared both, and really preferred the TL over the Passat [of course in case you have not read previous postings, I currently own the Acura CL thus after an 18-month ordeal w/ an ’98 Intrigue].

I once owned a VW Golf, it was great until about 80k miles and then it got real expensive to repair, and plus a bunch of little things kept breaking. German cars in general can be very expensive to keep on the road JMHO.

ketch

I agree, I love that Holden Commodore SS, its even sold
in the Middle East as well as a Lumina SS for chris' sakes. Hello, GM, anyone home, bring it here. I always liked the Aussie's, how they combined European chassis tuning with American V* muscle, the best of both worlds.

Saw yesterday while printing Intrigue articles and data, that the recent SEMA show had the 2nd gen. OSV Alero with the 3.5 this time (!) and a new OSV Intrigue stuffed full of caddy Northstar 4.6 v8! And they decide to kill them all off of course.

Ron Zarrella needs some time off, permanently, as he obviosly doesn't have a clue.

ab348

Awesome car: check this out:

http://www.caprice2000.com

teo

The main reason that we don't get jewels such as the Holden Commodore SS or the Middle East only Chevy Caprice (Essentially a stretched wheelbase version of the Cadillac Catera with a V-8 and RWD)is because of CAFE regulations. Most of these cars due to their high powered V-8 engine's would be heavely taxed thus making them go beyond their own price range. Also GM would have a tougher time meeting government CAFE fuel MPG regulations...this is the reason why GM still produces crops of Chevy Metros and Cavaliers, just to be able to meet those requirements or otherwise be fined.

So in the end, extend your gratitude to some of our elected official that if left up to them, bycicles and horse carriages should be good enough methods of transportation. Thank God Al Gore did not make it to the White House...He is the #1 enemy of the automobile as we know it.

And yes, Ronald Zarella could take an extended vacation in the process.

teo

That 'Middle East' Caprice was outsourced from Holden in Australia, not GM North America. This car was developed for the Australian and Middle Eastern markets only. It rides on a stretched Opel Omega (aka Cadillac Catera) platform with a 5.7L V8 engine (same as Corvette's) and RWD. This car is also sold in Australia as the Holden Caprice and Holden Caprice Statesman.

Check them out at:

www.gm.com

Then select the brand link to the 'Holden' website.

Due to CAFE regulations, we won't see these cars in the US.

dindak

Hey... Honda spokesman jgriff back from the lurk. Honda rules!!

teo: I've seen the SE and it is much more to my liking. Probably can't option the supercharged engine though. Still, the 3800 is a darn good engine. Another concern with Bonneville is there is rumor the car will cease production in 2003. Any thoughts?

vocus: Nothing wrong with "boy racer" look, just don't personally like it much for me. Didn't know about the SSE name drop though.

teo

yes I have heard the same rumors about the Bonneville getting the ax in a couple of years. the problem that I see with the H-platform cars (LeSabre, Bonneville, Aurora) is that they are much more expensive, have similar content levels are are not that significantly bigger in size when compared to similar W-body cars. Indeed, the W-cars out sell the H-cars (Full size) by a wide margin, hence the decision of GM to retire them fairly soon. Of the H's my favorites are the Bonneville (Classic American Sport Luxury) and the Aurora (Import oriented classy luxury). Its nice too see how these cars have such diverse 'personalities' in despite of sharing basic underpinnings. I personally don't care for the LeSabre style.

oscarz2

The plastic caps can break off, as did a couple of mine at last tire rotation. Go back to the dealer and have them give you a few. Screw them on with your fingers til tight but not too tight.

It's probably the air wrench (at the hands of careless techs) that breaks them.

etharmon

Actually, the Bonneville and LeSabre are now G-body sedans like the Aurora, Park Avwnue, Seville and Deville. I like the Bonneville, although some of the cladding is a bit overboard. If they only offered the supercharged 3800 V6 in the SE like they did for a few years in the mid 90s. What a sleeper that would be. The trouble is, for what a loaded SSEi costs, your within a grand of an Aurora 4.0 and the Aurora simply has a more upscale interior and a more refined powertrain than the Bonneville.

tpken

I love my Bonnie SE but I agree about the overdone cladding on the SLE and SSEi and that the Aurora interior is just soooo nice. Actually, I'd like to see the interior of an Aurora in the sexy body of my Bonnie SE - best of both worlds. I can do without the premium gas bills for a supercharged 3.8L SSEi. Does Aurora 4.0 require premium?

Best to all

Ken

b4z

The Aurora 4.0 does not require premium.

b4z

Saw dutch mandel at the naias in detroit talking about the death of olds.
He was in front of the olds booth with all sterling silver oldsmobiles behind him.
He was standing next to a silver intrigue with the dark grey interior. A combination that i really like. Although i know a lot of people don't.
He said at a recent auto auction an a 2001 aurora came up and they couldn't even get people to bid on it at $15,000. Thats about $11,000 depreciation at wholesale level!!! Not good.
I am still trying to see if olds will cancel my lease early and let me buy a 2001 Intrigue, but my dealership has not called me back, so i guess they are not really interested.
I want the same deal that limadelta got.

b4z

Trying to do the same deal that you did but I am not getting much cooperation from my dealer. I feel that he is not taking me seriously. He keeps telling me that he is checking into it, but doesn't call me back. If you could email me at rwebb@prucar.com I would greatly appreciate it. I would like the name of the dealership that you dealt with, a contact person and a phone number. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

dindak

bz4 : I want Dutch Mandel's job! ;-)

etharmon/tpken : I would take a 3.5 Aurora over any Bonneville. That being said, the Bonneville is not a bad car at all. I just really like the Aurora's looks inside and out better. It's also more sophisticated mechanically.

Auto show is 2 week and counting!!

bryangz

Just passed the 6000 mile mark on my 2000 Intrigue GL. So far only one problem: warped dash around central vent and that was fixed right the first time by the dealer. Otherwise, no warped rotors, no rattles, no sliding door trim. Overall, I am very impressed by the Intrigue, but unimpressed by GM giving Olds the ax and giving me a lousy $1500 rebate, especially since I just bough the car in July.

One note though, I did notice that the 3.5 does use a little oil between changes. Nothing drastic, but I'm sure it will cause problems for those that never check their oil, antifreeze or tire pressure.

On the lighter side, still winter in Cincinnati, with more car painted a nice shade of salt white a lot of the time. On the other hand, when I do wash it, the silver mist really does shine.

Bryan

tpken

Where do you live? We had the NE auto show in Boston last Nov. I've gone for every year since I was 11 in 1966 and now take my boys - 11 and 8. Auto shows are such a great time!

Ken

slopedirk

Well, we compared like crazy and test drove, was about to buy a 2001 GLS but nissan started a 1000 rebate on the maxima's for 2000 year. found one that was loaded. Dealer wanted out of it badly. Taked him down to invoice. Then he took off holdback, was at basic dealer cost. Then was about to leave (always a good tactic to get a bit more) and got another 500 off. So we got a brand new Maxima SE with 5 speed, leather and C&C package, bose stereo for 23,700! Was 1,000 cheaper than the 2001 gls with PCS, even with 2k rebate.

Both are great cars, but wife and liked the max a little better, and better resale -and at this price, was cheaper. The olds is better looking, but hey I can live with the max.

Have fun and thanks for help. That 3.5 is a strong and good running motor, trans works well. It was the ride (about the same it seemed) and road noise (olds silent on smooth roads, but really got pretty noisy on rough roads) that swayed us beyond price.

Slope
Houston, Texas

grbeck

I love going to auto shows. Went to Harrisburg's yesterday, and am planning to visit Philly's next week. At the Olds display in Harrisburg, EVERY car and minivan had a "sold" sticker in the windshield, but very few customers were actually looking at the vehicles. (For that matter, the Buick display was virtually deserted as well. The Honda, VW, Mercedes, BMW and Ford displays were jammed.) Wonder if that's a ploy to get people thinking that Olds' sales are still strong? They had a 2002 Bravada at Harrisburg...very nice vehicle. Too bad it marks the end of the road for Olds.

oldtimer4

With barely 1300 miles my Intrigue showed an oli leak. Dealer replaced oil sensing unit, but leak persisted. The replaced valve cover & gasket @ 1550 miles on the 26th, and I still have the leak.
Q1; Anyone with a similar experience?
Q2: Anyone familiar with NYS Lemon Law?

etharmon

Congratulations on the car, even though you didn't get the Olds:( Hey, a deal is a deal and nobody wants to pay more than is necessary. And it bodes well for Olds that people were actually cross shopping the Intrigue with cars like the Maxima and Passat. Somehow I just don't see as many people cross shopping a Maxima with an Impala or a Regal.

b4z, I like the Sterling with dark grey combination alot. Midnight Blue is still my first choice and either sterling or black would be my second. With Bronzemist coming in third. I like the Ruby too, but since my 98 is red(Crimson) I want something different. Forest is okay, but I like the Aurora's darker Polo Green better and White and Sandstone just don't attract me. BTW, anyone remember that purple looking color they offered in 98? I remember seeing that in the bochure and on the color charts when I was looking at mine and the dealer said they had never had one in that color or ordered one. I actually saw one on the road the other day. It had chrome wheels and was okay looking I guess, but I don't think I'd want one in that color. Anyone else also think Olds should have offered better interior color choices? Light grey which is what mine has is no longer offered.

oldtimer4

Can anyone help with #1090? I'm really geetting desperate, and the dealer's svc dept doesn't seem to be able (or willing) to diagnose & fix it properly. HELP - HELP- HELP

dindak

tpken: I live in Oakville ON, about 20 minutes out of Toronto. Toronto show is very big, billed as the "Canadian International Auto show". Can't wait!!

slopedirk : Congrats on the new Maxima. I'm sure you will enjoy it. If they fix the back of it and tune if for regular gas for the next generation perhaps I'll get one in a few years also. Won't be any Intrigues left to buy and I don't want a tin can Accord.

etharmon : The big advantage of the silver color is that it doesn't look so bad with winter crap all over it. If I lived in a less snowy climate, I would have gone with the dark blue for sure.

b4z

Call oldsmobile and ask for a case #. Once you do that they will call the dealership. If the service manager is there they will put you on a conference call. They will set up an appointment for you to bring the car in.
Demand satisfaction and you will get it. If they can't fix it go to arbitration.
This is the first time i have heard of leaks on the 3.5L motor. So it is unusual.
It is probably something minor. But, GM has been known to give people new engines if they can't fix them.

ab348

I have been on a crusade against these prison-cell gray interiors for some time now. I hate them.

At the auto show here when the Intrigue first came out in the '98 model year, the first one I saw and sat in was a black '98 with a gray interior. It was about as inviting as a concrete block. That alone made me question what GM was thinking. The neutral is better-looking with most colors, though it has a terrible name. The paint colors have been disappointing to me too. I absolutely despise Silver Mist, and no interior color seems to go with it anyway. The '98 Opal Blue wasn't very attractive either. The Midnight Blue is the best of the current colors IMO, and the Sterling would look better with a different interior than the gray. I don't care for the green they're offering, and the sandstone is everywhere on cars these days so I wouldn't want that.

vcjumper

Congrats on the Max... Be kind to Intrigue owners and don't smoke too many of us with that SE, that is a fast car.

vcjumper

I like the Midnight blue with the neutral interior colour(think it looks better on Alero though, a coworker has one with the light leather interior and it is really nice), but I think Bronzemist is the nicest Intrigue colour. Works well with the "neutral" interior.

dindak

I am the opposite, I do not care for "neutral" interiors. Black or gray rule. I don't mind some of the blue-gray or neutral-gray interiors though. My mom has a neutral interior in her Alero, but it has a lot of black on the dash which makes it ok.

As for exteriors.. what about the dark red color?
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Raven's win the Superbowl. Yaa! Anyone but NY was my hope.