Oldsmobile Intrigue

dindak

With the sale of DirecTV only days away, GM is sure to pocket at least another $5 billion in cash reserves. GM is ok. Chrysler is in BIG trouble, mostly caused by their German owners.

dindak

I keep reading about big Oldsmobile incentives but in Canada there are none to be had. No warranty extensions and 5.9% financing on Intrigue. Big deal! I got 4.9% least year and they had 1.9% financing before Christmas. What gives Oldsmobile??

tpken

Watch out for that black ice - it's as slick as a Clinton ( Oh I'm BAD!!!)

Ken

white6

My service manager called me on Monday (Feb. 5)to tell me that the "re-designed" alternators had just been released. Contact your dealer and tell them that there is a TSB on the faulty alternators, and that there is a fix (supposedly) just now available. I'll post here when (and if) the new alternator actually comes in and is installed (and if it actually fixes the problem).

oldtimer4

Well guys & gals, the dealer began installing the replacement engine yesterday & wants to test drive it before hopefully giving the car back to me today. My impressions will be posted shortly after.

teo

For your reading enjoyment:

"Workin' Hard? An internal ivestigation by General Motors of a components plant in St Catharines, Ontario, has reportedly fingered an unknown number of worker as using company time and equipment to "surf porn sites on the Internet" (All that's missing is an executive claiming to be suprised) Instead, we have GM spokesman Stew Low: "A number of people were in the possession of pornography, and some of the people were involved in distribution of it." Some employees were suspended. GM won't say what other forms of disciplinary action were taken, although requests for spankings have been rejected outright. Car & Driver 04/01

Where do they make the Cradles or Steering Shafts ? Someone before thought the employees might be "High" or on Drugs, nahh just away from their work surfing the internet.......Don"

By the way, are you coming back down here to FL to pay the bail bond for our City Major, Joe Carollo??? Never a dull moment in the "Banana Republic of the dimpled chads"!!!!!!!

According to my nearby Olds/Chevy dealer, Florida residents can't get the 5/60 Olds warranty extension becuase it is illegal according to lemon Law statues. So if you want a new Olds in FLA, you can get all the current GMAC finance deals minus the 5/60 warranty...we are stuck with the lousy 3/36 bumper to bumper contract.

Did you cancel the order for the new Aurora??

one2one

came sooner than I expected. Right now I have 70,022 miles on the odometer of my '98 Intriuge. Here's my report for that time period:

Warranty Repairs
-Steering shaft
-Passenger power window motor (didn't die but sounded funny. Got it replaced in case it was defective)
-Rusted rear brakes (Olds would have replaced but I decided on aftermarket instead)

Out of Warranty Repairs
-Replacement latch for fuel door ($24 bill for a $0.48 part)

General Maintenance
-Replaced brakes front and rear once. Still on same pads and rotors.
-New tires. Dumped the Goodyears for Michilen Pilot XGT H4s. Old tires would have passed inspection but I don't drive my car to please the government. Handling started getting sloppy (for an Intrigue at least--a Camry would have been right at home) so I changed them.

I haven't touched the transmission fluid (I suppose I should at least check the level), had to fill the coolant up with a couple of ounces of DexCool. Haven't flushed the radiator yet and don't plan to unless the water pump goes or I hit the 100K mark. Oil changes have been determined by the oil life monitor. Engine & tranny still smooth as "butta'".

So far I'm having none of the interior creaks and groans that Edmunds claims they hear in every new Intrigue they've tested from '98 till now. I do have the strut jounce noise but only hear it when turning the wheel while the car is stopped, like cutting the wheel to pull out from a parking space. I'm usually moving so I don't hear it often enough to bother me. Interior cloth still holding up; no strings pulling away. Roof liner tight as day one. Nothing has fallen off inside or out.

Basically this car has cost me nothing except the price of oil changes and air filters. It still is as fun to drive as when I bought it. In fact, if I leave the trip computer on, passengers don't realize how many miles it has. I love showing this to my Japanese owner friends who blast anything domestic. According to them the car should be heading to the heap by now.

The reason I wanted to post this is to use my experience to show that new owners of Intrigues should have as good an experience over time as their Japanese counterparts. Sure something may go wrong; after all, it is a machine. But it isn't like the vehicles from the 80's nor anywhere near as bad as Honda, Toyota and Nissan owners want you to believe. I think my experience is relevant because I have a first year Intrigue that generally had more problems than the years that follow.

If I stay at the project I'm on through the summer, I'll have a 100,000 mile report to pass on.

ketch

Thanks for the update. I agree with your conclusion that overall the car is reliable, as your facts prove, much to the chagrin of some of those Acura, Honda and Toyota owners, among others.
More important, its good to see the good news as opposed to the horor stories that seem to overwhelm this forum. IMO that occurs as fewer owners will report good news as opposed to those unfortunate enough to run into problems. The net result is one where reality isn't really shown, and instead a slanted view of nearly all bad is represented. So thanks for tempering that view by your facts on your own "long term test". Look forward to the 100k report. My 2000 GL has 11K+ miles with nothing major wrong, and I expect another 7-9 years of ownership, so your report(s) are very worthwhile-thanks again, ketch.

dindak

Great update. Makes me feel good to see a 98 running well after 70K. I figure if the first year car does well, a third year car should do even better. I will do my one year update next month on my 2000 GL.

1415

teo:::::::Palm Beach County and the rest of those mini Banana Republics are living in another world--they are still counting chads daily--major article in the Post daily..They totally believe the election was rigged; it was, but they got their signals mixed up and handed it to Bush..

Loved the GM story and it is 100% reality within the vast structure of the auto world. Some people clock in and out daily without probably ever nearing their work area..beats sticking around the house and it certainly pays well..This would never happen in an Asian US plant for they operate lean and mean; usually understaffed to keep everybody hopping..

The lack of the additional warranty probably accounts for the lower pricing in Fla.. The retail auto store in Fla is open Sat.and every weekday night; however in Mich we get only five days and two nites until 9:00pm to buy a car. Fla is car haven; great year around weather and smooth roads.

My condo deal finally closed this Tuesday after two false starts; such a screwed-up deal I have never witnessed nor could I have dreamed this actual scenerio of events would happen on this earth. The buyers agent was an idiot, and my agent was trusting to the point where I got caught in the middle and the buyer breached the sales agreement twice. The downpayment was mine on two occasions and I could have resold without any liability. The check along with the closing papers was Fed-Exed to me and quess what???The title company made a typo error on the check and it was dated 2/26/01. They are issuing a new check and Fed-Exing it today and I am returning the first one to them.. Good-bye to the real estate clowns who handled my deal--may they terrorize some other unsuspecting soul with their brillance..

one2one::::::Nice update on your 98, and I am informing you that your explanation of the jounce bump is wrong!!! As a past owner of a 98 GLS and a present 99 holder, your clicking or clunking in rotation of the steering wheel is the steering gear or rack which has developed too much clearance..I had the rack replaced twice in 26K miles on the 98. This is different from the intermediate shaft.

The jounce bump is emitting from the front struts and is heard when the suspension flexes with the car in motion..

ickes

I like this guy's articals in that he doesn't hold back punches, although what's with the blazer and scarf look (definately Forbes!). Check his past columns, which I found to be excellent. I really found the fact that Toyota will sell more cars than Chevy this year to be a scary idea.

jgriff

Tensor ::: good luck w/ the new S60, it has got to be better than a GM product.

Teo ::: What do you know, the old intermediate shaft problem re-occurs two years later in a different GM division, dang who would have guessed that coming on. It most likely started in the Caddy division and GM has simply past the problem down the line, it should show end up in the Saturn line at some point maybe in their new SUV line-up.

Since you seem to like to trash Honda's, at least they [Honda] learn from their mistake.

Dindak ::: how is fatherhood treating you??

1415 ::: May the best produce product win. People just don't have time to waste at local service dept., and that my friend is just one reason why the domestics are losing the battle/war.

Who cares if the Olds lineup gets moved to other divisions, it is not going to change one thing on the quality factor. >> Let it go <<.

1415

griff::::::The chopstick and riceball kid reappears wearing the Honda banner. You must miss your friends; those other guys are kinda funny aren't they...all work and no play..You might take this Oriental fanfare too far and have to relocate..

I talk with my dealer so I don't have to waste time visiting for favors. Since I don't read the Acura forum; my knowledge of their product is somewhat vague and it really doesn't fit the hertiage values. Must be a generation gap or a large hole!!!

I love cars and the Asian pickings don't fit the picture--history is very important..

teo:::::::The Aurora order was personalized; but not a must take deal when it arrives. Diamond white, moonroof,and chrome wheels---4.0 model. One of the problems is the size of the trunk and the interior; much smaller than the Caddy. On the Fla runs the car is stuffed to the ceiling and it is up to the wife.. Personally I will pass on it due to the phase out mode.

grbeck

dindak: The Providence Journal story is almost bittersweet. Just think if they had tried this four or five years ago. Yes, GM would have lost some money in the short run. But at least it would have gotten people into Olds showrooms where they could actually see how much the division had changed. In the long run, it would have saved the division. By the way, at the Philadelphia Auto Show the Olds display featured the OSV Intrigue. (Not the one with the V-8, but the first one.) What a nice car! Oh well, another good idea bites the dust.

ickes: "I really found the fact that Toyota will sell more cars than Chevy this year to be a scary idea." What's even more scary is that GM doesn't seem to care. When I was growing up, everyone knew that Chevy was USA-1. Now it's USA-3 in cars and in danger of sliding further. (I wouldn't be surprised if Honda passes Chevy in car sales within the next two years.)

Ed Cole, who designed the legendary small-block Chevy V-8, must be rolling over in his grave. Of course, he's probably not the only deceased GM leader who would be appalled at how low this corporation has sunk. Bill Mitchell, Harley Earl, Bunkie Knudsen, Alfred P. Sloan...they must be shaking their heads as they look down on GM.

Jerry Flint's Forbes.com column is a good read - it's published online every Monday.

dindak

jgriff (aka Honda salesman) : You have quite the nerve. You try and be a pal and ask about fatherhood and then trash GM, Oldsmobile and Intrigue all in the same post. HONDA RULES MAN!

grbeck : It's all to late. It all dies in 2 years. Luckily my Intrigue will be around for 8 years +.

etharmon

From what I've read, I think a new style Deville would suit you best. The trunk on the new Aurora is smaller than that of the Deville. You like a quiet and smooth ride and the new Deville certainly delivers that. Or you could always buy an Acura. According to some, they are the best thing since sushi.

one2one, glad to hear a truthful and unbiased report. My 98 only has 31K, but I'm still very pleased with it. Lease is up in August so I will never see 100K with that car.

Dindak, Ketch, dwg, and others as I've said before Jgriff has won me over! Honda for me baby!! Make mine a nice 4 banger Accord with those fat tires and a fart pipe on the exhaust. Who wants to drive a stylish car like the Intrigue? I want to conform man! Drive what everyone else does. Forget that 3.5 liter V6, thats a dinosaur. Honda power rules baby!

mcap42

white6: Do the 2001 Intrigues have the "re-designed" alternator already? And since I'm new here, what are the early symptoms of the alternator problem?

dindak: Who's buying out DirecTV?

jg28

Thanks white6. Mcap42... the lights will dim at night... dim and come back... dim and come back and the blower motor will cut very low. I've already had the alternator replaced once on my 2000 Intrigue. It seemed to fix it until I drove home last night (it was pretty cold here... probably in the teens). The lights cut out and the blower motor went low. I've noticed that it happens most during acceleration. Anyway, it's a frustrating problem and it's a safety issue. Boy, if something were to happen and the lights were dim! Oldsmobile has a serious problem with this one. I sure hope the redesigned alternator fixes this problem. You know, as much as I love my Intrigue, I am VERY dissatisfied with the amount of time it's spent for repairs at the dealer.

1415

Front page on the Business Section of the Det Free Press(big time LIBERAL rag)was a picture of the 03 4dr Mercury Marauder, 300hp, 18"wheels, and the only color is Black!!!A mean machine unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show..The last Impala SSs were built in 96 and Ford finally gets the picture..It's a long way from a green machine which pleases me; great to see the spirit is still alive. With the first year production of 10,000 units; the second year should be the time to buy..

There is a reason to keep on taking my "Centrum Silver".

etharmon::::::The 01 Deville is not an option for the prices are stupid. The choices are limited:
1. Current 96 Deville-covered by the GM Major Guard warranty 6yrs/75k miles(54k presently) 2. 01 Aurora 4.0 out the door pricing of $31k..

She will keep her Caddy for it is pristine and smooth..Any major problem is covered and little problems are easy. Look forward to abusing it for another 20k miles. Its free---no overhead...

dindak::::::$5 billion won't last long in this ecomony--GM was given a credit downgrade this week.

dindak

mcap42 : Likely that Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. (owner of Fox) will be taking control in the coming weeks. Nothing final though.

1415 : The Marauder looks like a nice car. It's funny that Ford is building this car here in Ontario but it likely won't be sold in Canada due to the phase out of the Mercury brand here. I thought Mercury would be a goner in the U.S. soon, but I guess not.

jgriff

=>=> Toyota/Lexus is #1,
Honda/Acura is #2.

GM & Ford can try and beat their brains out for the #3 spot in sales qty. And if they are not careful somebody else will take-over the #3 slot.

tpken

Have you noticed or would you consider a preowned Aurora? There was a gorgeous '98 with 35K miles that just sold on E-Bay for $15.5K. It was a Las Vegas car that a TX guy bought - he has posted on the Aurora forum - you may have seen this.

Looks like there may be some very very good buys on preowned Auroras that still have the 50K wty in effect.

Sure is tempting to pay 15K for a nice car like that - beats 40K for a new DeVille and shows the hit that a new Aurora will take.

Ken

jgriff

Etharmon ::: Try running your Intrigue against an Acura CL-S 3.2 225hp, 0-60 in under 6.5. and it can be had for under 30k. Heck the CL-S runs w/ BMW 328. Yes I know, we're talking a whole different class of car here, but that is what 30 large ones can buy you.

And it does not surprise me, that a 4-banger Accord will beat the Intrigue. Trust me I know, I was once beaten/killed in my '98 Intrigue by the lowly uninspired Accord [4-banger to boot].

b4z

My sister's honda car wouldn't start after work yesterday. Got up at the crack of dawn to pick up a new battery. got to her car, and lifted up the hood and the negative battery cable was noticeably loose. Tightened it up and the car started immediately. I just had to laugh, this happens to her at least three times a year. She owes me big time.

Condo is supposed to be rented on the 21st. I have to replace the carpeting in the bedrooms, because the former owner's cat had bad aim and often could not find the litter box. I guess the base boards and carpeting were close enough.

After taking my sister to work this morning, I drove into a new housing development that was formerly a tomato field. No houses have been built yet, it was 7 AM and nobody was around, and
the half mile long newly paved entrance was calling my name. At 103 mph it was still pulling like a freight train. I quit at 104 mph due to my unfamiliarity with the road. I was hoping to hit the speed limiter, but it didn't happen.

I am due for my 30,000 mile service but have not had a chance to take it in. Suspension has really gotten noisy. My only recourse is the volume control, as the dealer is unable to find a lasting remedy. Clunk, bang, pop!!
Talk at you later.

b4z

If i had a dollar for every rice burner that i have embarrased i would be a rich man.
You are telling us that a car with 150 hp can take a vehicle with 215 hp that weighs just a little more? Yeah right.

dindak

You are wrong... HONDA RULES ! !

white6

The service manager called yesterday morning to inform me that the new alternator had arrived... scheduled appointment for next Tuesday for replacement. New alternator, new battery and new tires; should do it for a while (fingers crossed).
jgriff... correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the CL-S rated at 260 hp? I drove a TL (4-door), which is comparible to the Intrigue; performance seemed (seat of the pants) to be about the same as our 99 GL 3.5. I will say, though, the five-speed auto was VERY smooth. That is this car's biggest advantage, IMHO. If you want to compare apples to oranges, however, try '01 Formula (0-60 in 5.5 seconds, quarter in mid 13's) for an out the door price of $23,000 (before rebates). No, it is not nearly as sophisticated nor refined; but boot that throttle and "Who Cares?"

b4z

If the intrigue was running with as much gear as the acura, it would probably do 0-60 in 6.5 seconds also. Maybe i should take out the 3.29 gears and put in a set of 4.56s and see what happens.

Griff,
Does your acura get 29 mpg at 80 mph?

jgriff

Yes sir, you are correct on the 260hp, my bad. I was thinking of my base CL-P which is 225. BTW one can get it at $27k and it's 0-60 is in the low 7, almost a full second faster than the Intrigue.

I'm not just talking fast, but also quality to boot, that is something that most all GM cars seem to lack.

yurakm

According to Edmunds:

Acura's target market for the 3.2CL is aging baby boomers that are experiencing life without children for the first time in decades. ... these empty nesters are supposed to rediscover the joys of coupe life

http://www.edmunds.com/vehicles/2001/acura/cl/types2drcoupe32l6cyl5a.html#reviews

On the other hand, Intrigue is a sedan, a family car. The coupe is irrelevant at the board. You are arguing here with people who drive kids to kindergarden, or school or after-school activities, and who are driving the whole family at weekends.

No sedan affordable by the middle class is capable to the same acceleration as the better sporty coupes in the same price range. At least at higher speed/rpm.

The just comparison would be orange to orange. What about affordable sporty coupes by GM? Camaro Z28, or Firebird Formula, or TransAm? All of them cost less than your Acura (except when overloaded with the most expensive options) and are very competitive concerning acceleration.

Though, Intrigue with 3.5l engine accelerates rather comparable to sporty coupe at higher speed. The sister cars, GP GTP and Regal GS, have the best acceleration at lower speed, I believe even better than your Acura, and are not bad at all at highway.

And, of course, it is not right to ignore prices in such comparisions. There is a lot of cars, both coupe and sedans, with much better specs than your CL. But most of them are really expensive, not just somewhat pricy.

vcjumper

Had a run in with a BMW X5 this morning in the Intrigue.. did a 120KM/hr->170km/hr side by side, he got a bit of a jump on me with the roads being a little wet but from their neither one of us was pulling. That was fun.

JGRIFF: If you lost to a stock 4-banger Accord in your Intrigue, your car was more of a lemon than you thought! Yes the 3.2 Type-S motors are nice but the vast majority of Intrigue owners don't pay near the cost of those cars for their Intrigues.

ickes

As Mr. Flint points out, Toyota and Honda both likely outsell Chevy and Ford if you were able to account for fleet sales. I hate to suggest that Mr. Jriff is on to something (Honda rules!?), but its simple capitalism at work. Most new car buyers find Toyotas or Hondas more desirable than their domestic competition and are willing to pay for it. If it weren't for SUVs and trucks, the big two would be in big trouble. Granted, cars like Camry and Accord are just plain dull in order to appeal to the broadest potential market, they are more expensive to own and actually do break more often than people percieve.

j_coleman

For some of us there are more important things than quality. If that was a big concern to me I would have bought a Lexus...

racer_x_9

Yesterday there was an Acura CL behind me for a couple of miles. The whole time I thougt is was an accord, even when it got along side me. How can you tell the difference?

jgriff

Yurakm ::: My argument there would be to, go with the upcoming TL-S that covers your 4-doors and still gives you the sporty side. The current Median or Average price of today’s sedan is 25k, some people pay more, some less.

My point has always been (1) bang for the buck & (2) overall quality both short & long term.

Vcjumper ::: yes I know, beat by an Accord VTEC 4-banger [manual no doubt], I was embarrassed.

J_coleman ::: I DO NOT understand your point, how can quality be of NO concern to you? Then you might as well move from the Olds line down to Chevy & Saturn line or maybe you would prefer the Yugo of yesterdays.

racer-x_9 ::: I will ask you, how did you know it was a CL and not a Accord Coupe? The Regal/Century/Intrigue all look very similar give or take a grill/headlight/curve here and there. What is your point?

yurakm

You are comparing oranges with apples again. Cars at the streets and dealer lots, with the T-LS that is only upcoming, and is not available yet.

When our old car did broke again last year, my wife and I just drove to the local dealer and, in a week, we had a new Regal. Two weeks later we had a long, 1k miles trip.

We hardly could wait another six month, or year, or two for the new T-LS. Any case, did not want to continue wasting our time on repairs.

jgriff

I agree that a lot of times when the avgerage buyer decides to buy a car it is done and over with within a week, sometimes the same day.

But the more savy car buyers tend to take their time, reading reivews and analizing every detail [cost, specs.]. Given the time, they will wait to get what they really want, unless the deal is just too good to past up.

Otherwise people need time to test drive and compare all the features available. Even if it is apples-to-apples, oranges have their appeal.

teo

Jgriff has really changed my mind.....tomorrow I will be buying a sexy brand spanking new 2001 Honda Accord LX with the beautiful plastic wheel covers, an earth shattering AM/FM radio with tape only and 4-speakers,the best seats this side of Recaro covered in expensive and smooth cloth fabric, the Corvette eater 4-banger with VTEC (Ohhhhhmmmmmm ohmmmmmmmm VTEC Temple, Ohhhhmmm)and the incredible fast and smooth 4-speed Jerk-o-matic transmission....wow! Can't wait man! True, who needs a 3800 V6 engine or a 3.5L DOHC V6 with the extra power and fuel economy when you can have a sewing machine VTEC engine????

Oh, and wait a minute! I love the thin paint and very thin sheetmetal...I am telling you the Accord feels like a Sherman Tank! It is so comforting to know that the paint chips just by looking at it!.

I have ordered a "Folger's Coffee Can" exhaust, and after market spoiler, some "Powered by:______" stickers, some Turbo and Vtec decals, some Cockpit Neon Lights and a 1 year free subscription to "Rice Boys: The new Society order"...

Can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HONDA RULES MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!

ketch

jgriff, get kicked off the acura forum? really whats your purpose here? You do not
own the car anymore. You only want to belittle folks who do own the car, and may
even like it. Please act responsibly and go back to the pacific rim forums. From what I
have read you have nothing to add but to degrade folks becuase they don't own what
you do. You assume your one experience speaks for all and it doesn't. Adios

one2one

Most refer to comments made by jgriff.

Regal/Century/Intrigue look alike? I'll give you Regal and Century but Intrigue? Get real! Perhaps Grand Prix. But at least when they're side by side you can tell the difference. TLs and Accord 4-doors look EXACTLY alike from the sides and front.

Can't keep up with an Accord 4 banger? I have the 3800 and raced a TL. She (was kinda fine slowly started pulling away once we reached 70 mph. Up to that point we were neck and neck. If a 4 cyl Accord beat you that bad, you had more problems with your Intrigue than you thought!

However I am feeling you about apples-to-oranges comparisons when the dollar amount is the same. Which then prompts the question: Why buy a "high quality" Lexus, Infiniti or Acura when you can get the same thing in a Toyota, Nissan or Honda for less cash (or for the same money in the case of Camry/ES300, Maxima/I30)? If you were talking a G20 compared to a fully equipped Sunfire, then you've got something.

jg28

I dunno why anyone would think an accord is sexy. Practical maybe but certainly not sexy.

dindak

HONDA RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jg28

I dunno why anyone would think an accord is sexy. Practical maybe but certainly not sexy.

racer_x_9

I could tell it was not an Accord when it past me and I say the badge and tail lights. Until then, I would have bet money it was an Accord.

I will be at the Chicago Auto show next week and check out how alike or not alike the 2 are. They will be near each other on the floor.

jgriff

Who said anything about an Accord being sexy. Being sexy usually comes at higher price tag.

Just very dependable. Not a head-turner or even an eye-catcher. Just like a Camry very boring, but hey, they work, they run, require very little TLC; take a beating and keep on ticking.

teo ::: what is the matter, have you been taking too much of a beating over at the "Is Honda the best car company on the Planet?" forum. Hehehe, I see that they really love you over there.

People don't just spend more money on cars just because they want to [and we are not talking BMW, MB, Lexus etc.] they do in order to have reliable/dependable tools to get from point-A to point-B. If some people have the choice of spending a little more, they will in order to avoid getting to know the service mgr. on a first name basis.

j_coleman

Quality is a concern to me, but there are other things that are more important. Let me name a few. 1) I would prefer my dollars to stay here in the USA, when possible 2) I prefer more features (options) for the money 3) I prefer to have a vehicle with a little more style than the mainstream (Accord, Camry, etc..) and less common.

Therefore, I'm willing to sacrifice a little quality and resale value.

jgriff

here is a good article...

http://biz.yahoo.com/fo/010209/0209flint.html

They are growing, and GM/Ford/DC are cutting back. Gee I wonder why?? Could it be that consumers are tired of the poorly produced domestic stuff??

pat

Could we get back on topic here please? Judging by the name of this discussion, I'm thinking the Intrigue is what we're s'posed to be talking about in this particular place??

:-)

Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards

jgriff

about how great Toyotas & Hondas are.

Back to the good & bad of the Intrigues.

1415

You good forum folks have certainly kept "griff" busy with facts and comments. The Asians are great at copying what we do and how we live. They adore life in the USA and I would be very pleased if they would quietly leave. They have a method of doing business that is illegal in this country and occasionally they get caught..They love payoffs and under the table gifts..Having spent 2 yrs as a VP of Marketing & Sales with a Japanese manufacturer in the early 80s at a Mich plant site located in a duty-free zone in an industrial park created solely for the invasion of foreign
companies I have been there, watched, and done that..

I traveled the route; and believe me, there are not too many American owned companies selling the Asian car companies.. The 85% local content comes from Japanese or Asian owned companies operating in the USA--transplanted from the oversea parent company. They like to keep the circle of money within their group of buddies, mixing only with us folks if they need something..

Remember the little fellows who were very polite, bowed often, and carried the cameras. The quality aspect has always been their niche along with low wages and employees who feared failure because they had ways in the old country to penalize mistakes.

Too old to change!!!!