I HAVE NOT DONE MINE YET, BUT CHECK ON EBAY, THEY GO BETWEEN 50-169 FOR SET. OR CHECK THIS SITE OUT! PRETTY COMPLETE WITH PLENTY OF VEHICLES TO CHECK FOR. i ORDERED THE TRANSMISSION MOUNT AND PARKING / TURN SIGNAL LIGHT BULB HOLDER ASSEMBLIES. PARTS CAME REALLY FAST AND REASONABLE COMPARED TO DEALER. oTHER PLACES DID NOT HAVE ALL THE PARTS NEEDED. CHECK IT OUT!!! HIGHLY RECCOMEND IT!!!!
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I believe that GM forced the sales into the hole for an excuse to down size or something. I know families that went to buy an Oldsmobile and the dealers told them that GM would not work with them on prices, they could deal on the other makes. That was about 4 years before the announcement. I was having a hard time believing that until my sis and her husband went to buy one. The sales person told them the same thing. They told him they don't want anything else in the lot they were looking at 2 diff. Olds there. He said he can't. They went to another lot and was told the same thing. My brother in law said then I will just go to ford and get the LTD and the salesperson said sorry, but those are nice cars. Isn't that strange.
I bought a 2003 Olds silo van, the only problem I encountered was a dealer going out of business had to sell you from dealer stock, they could not swap a car with another dealer. The price though was negotiable.
:sick: I had a similar issue with my 98 Oldsmobile Intrigue and I am worried sick. I left work the othernight and as I went onto an on ramp my engine which was fine, started sputtering and shaking,once accelerator was hit, it barely moved. It wasnt making any smoke or any indication of engine failure, all fluids were full so I thought at first that the gas was gone even though it was reading at a qtr. I got the car on the side of the road and I had to call 911 dispatch to call AAA, due to the fact that I ran out of minutes on my phone. I figured it needed fuel and the gauge was wrong. I got it towed to a gas station and after getting gas, it kept doing it. It was just shaking! I dont know what it is, does anyone know what it could be? When it was in park, the rpm's were at 1,000 and when it was revving, it revved fine, but then it would stall out. I dont have a lot of money and right now my car is stuck 45 minutes away from me. I need to know if this maybe something simple, because people who I have told said it may be a fuel or throttle sensor. My guess is that I changed the first front 3 sparkplugs but not that back onces. :sick:
The service engine light kept flickering once the shaking/ sputtering started to happen. Every gauge was otherwise reading normal. That was the first time that service engine soon indicator came on.
Do you think these are inexpensive to fix? Ijust hate knowing that my car is 45 mins away at an unknown sunoco service station and the mechanic wont be there until tomorrow
If you have an Advanace Auto Part, Napa, Pep Boys or Auto Zone near your house, they will use an OBD II scanner to read the codes for free. Get the code number and post on this website. There are folks who more than likely had a similar problem and can help.
My guess is that I changed the first front 3 spark plugs but not that back onces
this is important info.
how long before the problem started. I would look closely at the plugs for cracks or plug wires that were not put back on correctly on perhaps a plug wire that got pulled on to hard is is broken internally. Did the plugs that you replaced have the screw on tops? If so, did you verify that they were tight/snug but not too tight that you risk breaking the plug top. Any of the above would cause misfires and would identify most of what you have described above in your initial post.
edit message board timed out and cut up my post :confuse: The service engine light kept flickering once the shaking/ sputtering started to happen
This is also likely to explain the misfires as if you have a serious condition like misfires then the light will flicker to get your attention and you mustn't drive far with this condition as the cat. converter can be toasted or other damage can occur.
Try resetting the plug wires or replace the old plugs and give her another go.
Were the plugs that you replaced the same as the original?
ok so heres my problem i replaced the alternator after getting stuck with car.3 months later my battery lite comes on while im driving,and i go back to shop.they say alternator is bad & replace it again.3 days later my battery is completely dead when i try to leave for work in the morning.shop replaces battery (for $100.00) later that same day someone tets battery with tester & sees a big drain of power with battery disconnected.shop cant seem to find where the short or the source of drain that is killing battery.so i have new battery that is being drained very fast but shop cant figure it out.any ideas
This is only a guess, but I have heard of starters that can short and cause the battery to drain quickly. The shop needs to pull fuses one at a time while they are checking for the drain. If they can't isolate the drain by pulling fuses, then the starter might be it.
Hi everyone, Wanted to do an update to everyone on my 99 Intrigue. Late last year the water pump went out on the car 40 miles from home. I got it fixed and things were fine for about a week till the temperature guage started to indicate it was running warm (3rd line). After posting on here suggestions I bled the radiator, and took the car back to the shop and it bled too. After a week it started running warm again. I took it to another shop and they thought that the thermostat was going bad because of the coolant lost from the waterpump and got it replaced. About 2 weeks later the problem stared back up again. They checked the guage and it was working fine, and they hooked up the computer to the car and it indicated it was running normal and could not duplicate the problem. I got the car back, drove it a few miles, and i got it to duplicate. took the car back and they were dumbfounded as to what the problem was. They finally did a thermoscan of the radiator and finally realized that it was partially clogged. After getting the radiator replaced, and allowing a few weeks of driving for the computer to re-learn the new radiator, the car is finally running normal. All said and done it cost me about $1,000 to get the waterpump, thermostat, and radiator replaced. On top of it when I drove the car over to get the radiator replaced...the alternator went out! They got a new one, replaced it, put the car back together and then realized that it was broken, so they had to tear the car back apart and replaced it again. Again thanks for everyone who suggested things to do to fix this.
Congrats bjp610. Interesting that the problem was a partially clogged radiator. There are a bunch of Intrigue owners who are suffering from this "overheating" problem.
My book says Mass or Volume airflow circuit low input. My other source says "The PCM detects that the MAF sensor frequency signal is less than 1,200 Hz for more than 0.5 seconds." It also says to check the MAF sensor harness to make sure it's not routed to closely to other electrical devices. If it's not a wiring problem and you've never cleaned/replaced the MAF sensor, that could be the problem. Unfortunately the MAF sensor is a little expensive, so you want to be sure it's bad before replacing.
I need help please...can anybody tell me as descriptive as possible where i find the Diagnostic code reader on my 2001 Intrigue? i looked, but apparently i am blind. thank you
under the driver side dashboard. Should be to the right of the steering wheel. It sits back a bit and is not visible if you are sitting in the driver's seat.
my 2002 intrigue has transmission problems (only has 76000 miles) when it warms up,revs & shifts pretty hard.is this common on car thats only 5 yrs old?also turn signal bulbs in front are constantly going out.i swear my car is possessed!!
Problem 1: This is the torque converter sensor going in the transmission. Get it fixed now and it will cost about $700-$800. Wait and your transmission will die and cost $3k. The other option is change the transmission fluid and add a bottle of Lucas transmssion additive. Some people swear by it.
Problem 2: Go to www.gmpartsdirect.com or www.rockauto.com and order a turn signal bulb socket. For some reason, the passenger side turn signal spcket hot and burns bulbs. If you take a look at your socket, you'll probably see burn marks on the contacts. The part costs $35 at dealership; $20 at either one of the websites I listed above. If you can replace the turn signal bulb, you cna replace the socket. It will take a whopping 5 minutes to do.
Both of these problems are very common on the Intrigue.
I had the transmission fluid changed about 8,000 miles ago. Soon after that i felt "jerking" while moderatly accelerating. it has not done it in a while but as a full time student, i'm trying to do any preventative maintenance myself. Is it too late to add the Lucas transmission additive?
I would keep it even though I dumped my 01 Impala :lemon: with the same transmission. Resale value on GM cars are horrible. I had the pressure control solenoid replaced which is fairly common ($700 fix) and 4 months later the planetary gear was destroyed. Was recommended to replace the transmission at a cost of $3700 plus taxes. GM wouldn't help with the cost even though it only had 35K miles (had exceeded the 36 months). If you read the Lemon Aid book the 4T65E isn't reliable and is known to self-destruct at around the 5 year mark. Of course not all 4T65E's will develop trans. problems, there are always exceptions.
For the last while my '02 Intrigue has developed a rattle when encountering bumps. It sounds like it is in the rear suspension (thought it was in the trunk or spare tire well but not so). I took it to the dealer for service and mentioned it -- I thought it might be a sway bar bushing or whatever. They indicated it might be rear strut mounts, whatever they are, but I got the impression they didn't look too hard.
Two other data points: when there is a decent-sized load in the trunk or people in the back seats, there is no rattle. And when I go slowly over speed bumps in parking lots, there is a definite "graunch" coming from the rear.
Rear strut mounts help hold the struts to the frame. One could have come loose. The extra load in the rear causes the car to not bounce as much which is why you probably don't hear it then. Their analysis sounds correct. but you should get a second opinion if you are not convinced.
Dang! You still have yours. That's amazing. I leased mine 3/99 and it was gone 6/01...... For an Impala, then I got a SRX and a GTO, turned both in this year and got another SRX and GTO. I still look at every Intrigue I see on the road. My wife thinks I'm crazy. Next time you see a GTO look at how similiar they are. Both were designed in the late '90s.
Synopsis: Oil (5w30) changed every 1500 miles. Filter changed every 3000 miles. Redesigned alternator replaced at 23,036 miles. New air pump at 24,386 miles. New fuel injector at 60,299 miles.
I have two noise coming from the engine compartment.
The first is a no-brainer crankling sound that is eliminated by turning the AC on. It's a ac clutch problem, no biggy.
The second noise is this irritating and constant high pitched whine that increases with the rpm of the engine. I have no shifting or steering issues. Just this whine that I would like to diagnose BEFORE I develope a shifting or steering issue.
On my 01 the clunk ended up being my rear motor mount. (allowing the exhaust to hit the floor board) Though it also made a clunk or rattle at a stop or hard exhilaration.
Ever since I started to change my oil myself, (two oil changed ago) I’ve had the low oil light come on about a week after I changed it. I’ve always put 6 quarts in, and checked my levels after I was finished. When the low oil light comes on ill check the dipstick and it will be bone dry. I don’t have any oil spots in the driveway, and I’m pretty sure the drain plug is tight, and the filter is on pretty tight. When I add a quart to make the low oil light go off, the same thing will happen about two weeks later. There is also no smoke, or burning smells. Any help from my fellow intrigue lovers will help! Thanks in advance,
Wow, you're still around? I was reading through this forum to reserach the Intrigue as a possible purchase, and I seem to recall you were among the first posters back in 2000.
I picked up a ruby red 2001 with 84k a couple months back. It's only a GX, but fairly well equipped - gold package, spoiler, driver control package, decent aftermarket stereo - and I only paid $4770. And that's from a dealer, not a private party. Body and paint and interior all in excellent shape for the age and mileage. They noted the rear brakes could use new pads but it passed inspection, so they gave me the option of having them do it or leave it so we could take it to our regular mechanic. Obvious choice - stick with a mechanic we already trust and will charge less to boot.
So far I'm loving the ride. I don't have much to compare against since this is my first car after getting my license (at thirty-one), but it's a lot more fun to drive (and far less cramped) than the 2004 Ford Focus the driving school used. My wife's 2006 Mazda5 isn't bad around the city - responsive handling, good solid braking - but it definitely feels sluggish compared to the 'trig out on the highway and the comfort is definitely not in the same class. Could also do without all the car seats obstructing visibility
(Drove a few other cars over the years, but not enough to get a real feel for them. And the only one recently was the 2003 Chevy Malibu LS we traded in for the Mazda. Miss that car. Fairly boring styling, but it was comfortable and never gave us a lick of trouble.)
I still stop in from time to time. edmunds.com was the first forum I ever joined back in Feb 2000. Things were a little more freewheeling back then. I have a mjor soft spot for the Intrigue because it was the first car(new or used) that I had bought in 12 years. My finances had improved in '98 and I took the major step of leasing a new '99 Intrigue which i had been putting off until the Shortstar motor was released. I loved the car........and hated it too. Gm just couldn't get the execution right or fix the probs. I spent the last 6 months of ownership with the stereo cranked because the front end made so much noise. (turns out is was the brake calipers) But as far as styling goes it was easily the best looking mid size available. And that shortstar would run. At 3500 rrpms it was like a turbo kicked in. I've always contemplated finding a cherry Intrigue and converting it to RWD with a complete GTO drivetrain. 400+hp in a 3500lb sedan would be a blast.
Yeah, build quality seemed really inconsistent, even in the later model years. Saw a few of you on the forums plagued with issues, then others with little more than regular wear and tear (including a co-worker who only just retired his '98 last year after 178k miles and his third accident in it).
I took the plunge since the J.D. Powers actually rates it above average for long term reliability (I suspect drivetrain reliability ends up overshadowing fit and finish in those ratings), repairs costs for the most common problems aren't outrageous and this particular vehicle felt solid (if it's not squeaking or rattling at 83k, can't be too bad). And really, for the price I paid the alternatives were mostly small, cheap four bangers. I'm much happier passing those than driving them.
The power of a GTO and the styling of the Intrigue would be quite the combination. Never warmed to Pontiac personally, though the newer models are at least less over styled than they used to be.
GM cars have always been pretty durable. The powertain and driveline seem to be built to last. I think that Gm made some quiet changes to the Intrigue either for 2000 or 2001. I emailed a GM factory rep + there was a Olds rep that participated in this thread for awhile. Basically told them that they had the ride handling compromise all wrong. Springs too soft, sway bars too big and shocks with too much jounce. I f you ever drove a Dodge Intrepid then got into an Intrigue you would see how hard the Intrigue hit over small bumps. Anyway Olds changed the shocks out which was confirmed by different part numbers. So they 2000-2002 Intrigues rode better and had fewer squeaks. For 2001 all wbodies got the rear wheel inner liners for less road noise. Huge change in noise. My '01 IMpala had these. You know, I almost wish that when I took early termination on the Intrigue I had gotten another one. There were so many things wrong with my '99 that I felt that I shouldn't buy one because of the depreciation and the headaches. And if you remember this was during the time when GM was SERIOUSLY jacking up new car prices while raising incentives. Plus there were no PCS w/ the 3.29 gear available in my area.
I certainly can't fault you for shying away from the model after a bad experience. Buying was a much easier decision used, with the depreciation working in my favor.
I'm thinking my next car will be another used GM, though probably through the GM Certified program, with some residual warranty. Much as I would love something brand new, especially since the Mazda will be paid off by then, but we just had our third child (on Saturday) so I can't ignore the value of a low mileage used vehicle.
I figure if I can get four years out of the Intrigue the market should be really interesting. The new six speed trannies will have had a chance to prove themselves by them, as well as the "high performance" V6. And a lot of the new and upcoming redesigns (Aura, Malibu, Impala, LaCrosse, Lucerne, etc) will have had at least a couple model years to work out the initial kinks.
Not sure yet what badging will end up fitting the bill for me. The new Malibu gives me hope that Chevy will offer more upscale appointments. On the other hand, the Velite and Riviera concept vehicles from Buick look really slick. I'm hoping they've realized that there simply isn't much of a market for stodgy designs and mushy handling as the "you're only as old as you feel" generation grows up. Wouldn't even mind the current Lucerne CXS with the 4.6L Northstar. Would want to see how it rides first, though.
The Lucerne is a pretty neat looking car, but I've kind of moved away from the old school GM FWD stuff. In the last year I've had both a Lucerne 4.6L and the regular Caddy DTS 4.6L rental. I actually liked the Lucerne more. It had the 18" wheels and handled and turned in better. But both cars were weak in structural rigidity and there was some cowl shake, etc. The engines were out of character with the luxury car image. If you got on 'em they would go, but sounded like a late 70s Camaro. lots of induction roar, etc. I don't find them competitive. But super comfy inside. If you like the sportier Intrigue you might like a used CTS Sport w/ 3.6L motor. it is a much more immediate feeling vehicle that handles really well. You could also drive a 3-5 year old Lexus LS400 then one of these and you'll see what I mean in regards to the outdated feeling of the Lucerne. You may also like a used Lexus ES350. There are not a lof of GM cars out there that float my boat. if GM could have held out for one more generation of oldsmobiles we might see some great ones coming up.
Rumor has it the Lucerne is going to the zeta platform next generation. One way or another, definitely agree the current Buicks seem a bit dated despite being introduced only a few years back - still using the old H and W platforms instead of the new globals, still using the 3800 in most trim levels, still using the old four-speed transmissions. Not that there's anything fundamentally wrong with any of it but sometimes tried and true comes off as tired and true instead.
I think I'd like driving a CTS, but the front end is a bit too imposing for me to consider it as a daily driver. Prefer classy and maybe a bit understated. Lexus could be attractive, but I think I'd opt for a newer ES or GS over an LS. The Infiniti G35x could be interesting too; a luxury sport sedan with AWD is intriguing when you live in Buffalo.
And of course I have an awful lot of driving to catch up on. I've never even been behind the wheel of an RWD vehicle. For as long as I can remember, I always assumed I would be the boring practical type of person who would end up with a boring practical car on the basis of great mileage and low cost of ownership. It came as a bit of a shock that I actually like driving.
In any case, I'm hardly chomping at the bit to trade up from the Intrigue. The upcoming years will doubtless yield some surprises. In the meantime I'll have fun window shopping and maybe renting a car here and there for a weekend so I have a good solid feeling for what I like by the time I'm ready to sign on the line that is dotted again.
2000 Intrigue GL. I am trying to replace one of the instrument bulbs and am having trouble removing the black trim piece that surrounds the instrument cluster. I have removed the two screws at the top and am able to release the retainer on the right side but there appears to be a hang up on the left side where the trip reset buttons are. One guide says to remove the steering column panel filler (the large piece under the steering column that has the small storage unit on the left side) and I can see why as it appears to hold the trim piece tight however no instructions on how it comes out and I can't seem to locate any screws etc. Has anyone had this piece off and how did you do it? Thanks :confuse:
Comments
PARTS CAME REALLY FAST AND REASONABLE COMPARED TO DEALER. oTHER PLACES DID NOT HAVE ALL THE PARTS NEEDED. CHECK IT OUT!!! HIGHLY RECCOMEND IT!!!!
WWW.ROCKAUTO.COM (COPY AND PASTE IT IN YOUR WEB BROWSER)
It could be a number of things like the fuel pressure regulator, EGR valve, crankshaft position sensor, bad fuel, bad fuel pump, etc.
Ijust hate knowing that my car is 45 mins away at an unknown sunoco service station and the mechanic wont be there until tomorrow
My guess is that I changed the first front 3 spark plugs but not that back onces
this is important info.
how long before the problem started. I would look closely at the plugs for cracks or plug wires that were not put back on correctly on perhaps a plug wire that got pulled on to hard is is broken internally. Did the plugs that you replaced have the screw on tops? If so, did you verify that they were tight/snug but not too tight that you risk breaking the plug top. Any of the above would cause misfires and would identify most of what you have described above in your initial post.
edit message board timed out and cut up my post :confuse:
The service engine light kept flickering once the shaking/ sputtering started to happen
This is also likely to explain the misfires as if you have a serious condition like misfires then the light will flicker to get your attention and you mustn't drive far with this condition as the cat. converter can be toasted or other damage can occur.
Try resetting the plug wires or replace the old plugs and give her another go.
Were the plugs that you replaced the same as the original?
i replaced the alternator after getting stuck with car.3 months later my battery lite comes on while im driving,and i go back to shop.they say alternator is bad & replace it again.3 days later my battery is completely dead when i try to leave for work in the morning.shop replaces battery (for $100.00) later that same day someone tets battery with tester & sees a big drain of power with battery disconnected.shop cant seem to find where the short or the source of drain that is killing battery.so i have new battery that is being drained very fast but shop cant figure it out.any ideas
Wanted to do an update to everyone on my 99 Intrigue. Late last year the water pump went out on the car 40 miles from home. I got it fixed and things were fine for about a week till the temperature guage started to indicate it was running warm (3rd line). After posting on here suggestions I bled the radiator, and took the car back to the shop and it bled too. After a week it started running warm again. I took it to another shop and they thought that the thermostat was going bad because of the coolant lost from the waterpump and got it replaced. About 2 weeks later the problem stared back up again. They checked the guage and it was working fine, and they hooked up the computer to the car and it indicated it was running normal and could not duplicate the problem. I got the car back, drove it a few miles, and i got it to duplicate. took the car back and they were dumbfounded as to what the problem was. They finally did a thermoscan of the radiator and finally realized that it was partially clogged. After getting the radiator replaced, and allowing a few weeks of driving for the computer to re-learn the new radiator, the car is finally running normal. All said and done it cost me about $1,000 to get the waterpump, thermostat, and radiator replaced. On top of it when I drove the car over to get the radiator replaced...the alternator went out! They got a new one, replaced it, put the car back together and then realized that it was broken, so they had to tear the car back apart and replaced it again. Again thanks for everyone who suggested things to do to fix this.
http://autorepair.about.com/library/pictures/illustrations/bl002lib.htm
Problem 1: This is the torque converter sensor going in the transmission. Get it fixed now and it will cost about $700-$800. Wait and your transmission will die and cost $3k. The other option is change the transmission fluid and add a bottle of Lucas transmssion additive. Some people swear by it.
Problem 2: Go to www.gmpartsdirect.com or www.rockauto.com and order a turn signal bulb socket. For some reason, the passenger side turn signal spcket hot and burns bulbs. If you take a look at your socket, you'll probably see burn marks on the contacts. The part costs $35 at dealership; $20 at either one of the websites I listed above. If you can replace the turn signal bulb, you cna replace the socket. It will take a whopping 5 minutes to do.
Both of these problems are very common on the Intrigue.
GM wouldn't help with the cost even though it only had 35K miles (had exceeded the 36 months). If you read the Lemon Aid book the 4T65E isn't reliable and is known to self-destruct at around the 5 year mark. Of course not all 4T65E's will develop trans. problems, there are always exceptions.
Two other data points: when there is a decent-sized load in the trunk or people in the back seats, there is no rattle. And when I go slowly over speed bumps in parking lots, there is a definite "graunch" coming from the rear.
Any idea what this might be?
Their analysis sounds correct. but you should get a second opinion if you are not convinced.
Few problems other than the dreaded ISS mostly. The Caddy dealer (once also Olds) in Vegas takes good care of it and me.
Recently saw that John Rock died. Too bad, great guy and had it not been for Zarella, he would have completed saving Olds. RIP John.
Thanks,
Joe
Dang! You still have yours. That's amazing. I leased mine 3/99 and it was gone 6/01......
For an Impala, then I got a SRX and a GTO, turned both in this year and got another SRX and GTO.
I still look at every Intrigue I see on the road. My wife thinks I'm crazy.
Next time you see a GTO look at how similiar they are. Both were designed in the late '90s.
Oil (5w30) changed every 1500 miles.
Filter changed every 3000 miles.
Redesigned alternator replaced at 23,036 miles.
New air pump at 24,386 miles.
New fuel injector at 60,299 miles.
I have two noise coming from the engine compartment.
The first is a no-brainer crankling sound that is eliminated by turning the AC on. It's a ac clutch problem, no biggy.
The second noise is this irritating and constant high pitched whine that increases with the rpm of the engine.
I have no shifting or steering issues. Just this whine that I would like to diagnose BEFORE I develope a shifting or steering issue.
Possible problems?
So far I'm loving the ride. I don't have much to compare against since this is my first car after getting my license (at thirty-one), but it's a lot more fun to drive (and far less cramped) than the 2004 Ford Focus the driving school used. My wife's 2006 Mazda5 isn't bad around the city - responsive handling, good solid braking - but it definitely feels sluggish compared to the 'trig out on the highway and the comfort is definitely not in the same class. Could also do without all the car seats obstructing visibility
(Drove a few other cars over the years, but not enough to get a real feel for them. And the only one recently was the 2003 Chevy Malibu LS we traded in for the Mazda. Miss that car. Fairly boring styling, but it was comfortable and never gave us a lick of trouble.)
edmunds.com was the first forum I ever joined back in Feb 2000.
Things were a little more freewheeling back then.
I have a mjor soft spot for the Intrigue because it was the first car(new or used) that I had bought in 12 years.
My finances had improved in '98 and I took the major step of leasing a new '99 Intrigue which i had been putting off until the Shortstar motor was released.
I loved the car........and hated it too.
Gm just couldn't get the execution right or fix the probs.
I spent the last 6 months of ownership with the stereo cranked because the front end made so much noise.
(turns out is was the brake calipers)
But as far as styling goes it was easily the best looking mid size available.
And that shortstar would run. At 3500 rrpms it was like a turbo kicked in.
I've always contemplated finding a cherry Intrigue and converting it to RWD with a complete GTO drivetrain.
400+hp in a 3500lb sedan would be a blast.
I took the plunge since the J.D. Powers actually rates it above average for long term reliability (I suspect drivetrain reliability ends up overshadowing fit and finish in those ratings), repairs costs for the most common problems aren't outrageous and this particular vehicle felt solid (if it's not squeaking or rattling at 83k, can't be too bad). And really, for the price I paid the alternatives were mostly small, cheap four bangers. I'm much happier passing those than driving them.
The power of a GTO and the styling of the Intrigue would be quite the combination. Never warmed to Pontiac personally, though the newer models are at least less over styled than they used to be.
GM cars have always been pretty durable. The powertain and driveline seem to be built to last.
I think that Gm made some quiet changes to the Intrigue either for 2000 or 2001.
I emailed a GM factory rep + there was a Olds rep that participated in this thread for awhile. Basically told them that they had the ride handling compromise all wrong.
Springs too soft, sway bars too big and shocks with too much jounce.
I f you ever drove a Dodge Intrepid then got into an Intrigue you would see how hard the Intrigue hit over small bumps.
Anyway Olds changed the shocks out which was confirmed by different part numbers.
So they 2000-2002 Intrigues rode better and had fewer squeaks.
For 2001 all wbodies got the rear wheel inner liners for less road noise. Huge change in noise. My '01 IMpala had these.
You know, I almost wish that when I took early termination on the Intrigue I had gotten another one. There were so many things wrong with my '99 that I felt that I shouldn't buy one because of the depreciation and the headaches.
And if you remember this was during the time when GM was SERIOUSLY jacking up new car prices while raising incentives.
Plus there were no PCS w/ the 3.29 gear available in my area.
I'm thinking my next car will be another used GM, though probably through the GM Certified program, with some residual warranty. Much as I would love something brand new, especially since the Mazda will be paid off by then, but we just had our third child (on Saturday) so I can't ignore the value of a low mileage used vehicle.
I figure if I can get four years out of the Intrigue the market should be really interesting. The new six speed trannies will have had a chance to prove themselves by them, as well as the "high performance" V6. And a lot of the new and upcoming redesigns (Aura, Malibu, Impala, LaCrosse, Lucerne, etc) will have had at least a couple model years to work out the initial kinks.
Not sure yet what badging will end up fitting the bill for me. The new Malibu gives me hope that Chevy will offer more upscale appointments. On the other hand, the Velite and Riviera concept vehicles from Buick look really slick. I'm hoping they've realized that there simply isn't much of a market for stodgy designs and mushy handling as the "you're only as old as you feel" generation grows up. Wouldn't even mind the current Lucerne CXS with the 4.6L Northstar. Would want to see how it rides first, though.
In the last year I've had both a Lucerne 4.6L and the regular Caddy DTS 4.6L rental.
I actually liked the Lucerne more. It had the 18" wheels and handled and turned in better.
But both cars were weak in structural rigidity and there was some cowl shake, etc.
The engines were out of character with the luxury car image.
If you got on 'em they would go, but sounded like a late 70s Camaro.
lots of induction roar, etc.
I don't find them competitive.
But super comfy inside.
If you like the sportier Intrigue you might like a used CTS Sport w/ 3.6L motor.
it is a much more immediate feeling vehicle that handles really well.
You could also drive a 3-5 year old Lexus LS400 then one of these and you'll see what I mean in regards to the outdated feeling of the Lucerne.
You may also like a used Lexus ES350.
There are not a lof of GM cars out there that float my boat.
if GM could have held out for one more generation of oldsmobiles we might see some great ones coming up.
I think I'd like driving a CTS, but the front end is a bit too imposing for me to consider it as a daily driver. Prefer classy and maybe a bit understated. Lexus could be attractive, but I think I'd opt for a newer ES or GS over an LS. The Infiniti G35x could be interesting too; a luxury sport sedan with AWD is intriguing when you live in Buffalo.
And of course I have an awful lot of driving to catch up on. I've never even been behind the wheel of an RWD vehicle. For as long as I can remember, I always assumed I would be the boring practical type of person who would end up with a boring practical car on the basis of great mileage and low cost of ownership. It came as a bit of a shock that I actually like driving.
In any case, I'm hardly chomping at the bit to trade up from the Intrigue. The upcoming years will doubtless yield some surprises. In the meantime I'll have fun window shopping and maybe renting a car here and there for a weekend so I have a good solid feeling for what I like by the time I'm ready to sign on the line that is dotted again.