Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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If I had to buy right now I would probably splurge, break the maximum 25% of my annual income rule and pick up a Lincoln LS or a v6 Passat.
You can buy a new one, and get over $5000 in discounts including your olds loyalty discount.
Even if you don't put anything down your payments will be about $400 over 5 years.
The warranty will cover you during that time.
I wonder why Ford would put her on a such an important project (Internet B-2-B strategy) after the dismal failure of Oldsmobile and her quick bailout.
WHOA, MAMMA!!!
Sometimes we get so used to driving our Intrigues that we sometimes overlook why we purchased them in the first place. I was noticing things that weren't so much problems as much as they were observations due to spending so much time in the car. For example, I contemplated getting the dealer to "tighten" the steering because I thought it was getting too loose. Well, after jumping into the Intrigue after being in the Bonniville all day, I realized that it is perfectly fine. I had just gotten used to it.
What really impresses me about this car is how much I still love it. With all vehicles I've owned in the past, the emotional attachment wears off after the first year or 30,000 miles (I do a lot of driving :-) I'm almost at 80k and I still feel the same way I did when I bought it. Yes, I've had my share of problems (steering shaft, rusted rotors, A/C controls, noticing a buzz from the center of the dash), but none of them are serious. And all but one (A/C controls) happened while still under warranty. I had more problems when the car was covered than after it expired! It has been flawless since then. Factor in the absolute "fun-ness" of driving this machine and it explains why I'm still in love with it.
Any newbies considering this vehicle, if you do eventually give it up, it won't be because it started driving like crap as the miles increase. The suspension has just started to "loosen" up, making washboard roads a little more comfortable than when new. But the handling is still tops.
I've heard of a few Intrigue owners having "rough-start" problems when their cars are hot. Well, my problem goes one step further. It won't start AT ALL when the engine is hot. This is particularly true when the outside temperature is about 70 F or higher. The engine will crank, so it's not a battery problem. It just does not want to start up. At times, the engine will rev up like it should when starting, but then just dies out. I suspect this is an electronic problem. I suspect further that it has to do with ignition timing. It seems that something goes haywire when it gets too hot. Also, an indicator that this could occur is my temp gauge. My engine seems to run hotter than it normally should. I have all my fluids (oil, coolant) topped off. So something is messing up somewhere else.
Has anyone else had this problem? Could they figure it out at the dealer?
I've had my Intrigue towed 4 times for this problem (it has happened a total of 7 times), the first time leaving me 400 miles from home! I get the same answer from the dealer. "Cannot reproduce the problem". I'm frankly sick of it and have decided long ago to get rid of it (just saving up some money to buy the next one and pay this one off some more).
I'm literally scared to drive my car unless I know it will sit for a few hours to cool before I start it back up (this limits me to work and straight back home).
Help!!!!
Concerned about long term reliability - if I buy, I'd like to drive it for another 60-80K. Also, will it have any trade-in value?
Buy this one, a new Intrigue w/ all the incentives, or move on??
I'd recommend if you have a day off that the dealer is open, start driving around to heat the car up and don't stop until you reach the dealer. If the car doesn't start when it's right in front of them, they can't use the old "could not duplicate the problem" line.
My Intrigue is a 98 and, like you, have been enjoying it very much. If you haven't had any real problems with the car, you probably won't have any from this point forward. At last check I have 77,760 miles. It's so quiet and smooth that very often when waiting for the light to change I think that the engine will/has cut off (flashbacks to my '89 New Yorker that would do that).
As far as getting a newer one, I think that's subjective. As 1415/cd96 has pointed out many times, your body will fall apart before that 3800 engine and transmission give you problems. You know the history of it so it's not like you'd be buying someone else's used car.
Now, if I were you :-) I'd get a new one. That's only because I have a base 98--- no leather, no auto climate control. Plus, I WANT the 3.5 engine (despite reports of its death) and PCS. If my car had everything that yours has, I'd keep it. However, if I get another Intrigue, that's exactly what I'd be doing anyway.
My two cents. Hope it helps.
If you want to get an Olds fan riled up real quick, just say the words "Karen Francis".
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
After a really bad day at work, I still needed to go to the bank. I entered the left turn lane (the operative word is entered, as in already in the left turn lane, as in actually entered the turn lane where the lines indicated to enter--not before and not after...) when a van at the last second, crossed the the solid white line and entered the turn lane (as in he decided to turn left in the turn lane at least 50 feet after it began). Of course he scrapped the entire side of my Intrigue. It looks awful and my passenger door will not open.
To make matters worse, the guy who hits me jumped out of the truck yelling it is my fault ( I guess the fact of the solid white line and the fact he turned into the lane 50 feet late be damned). The cop shows up, and of course he can't determine who is at fault (no witnesses of course). So neither of us was cited.
Anyway, common sense should have prevailed but it didn't so now it is up the insurance companies. The cop actually said, well I don't see any skid marks. First, how many cars lay skid marks at 15 mph and I did ask him how did one lay skid marks with ABS? And another thing, if I could have actually stopped instead of rolling, I would have been okay (couldn't veer into the other lane as traffic was oncoming). You should be able to turn off ABS.
So, am I going to get the shaft here? I tried to impress upon my insurance agent the facts and that I was not at fault, but who knows.
And the thing that burns me up is the fact that if I was at fault, I would have admitted it, but this guy jumps out blaming me. I think he must have practice at denying fault? Does no one take responsibility for their actions?
Bryan
While I was away, I rented an Intrigue with the newer engine. I must admit it was pretty nice and would be great to have - except for the problem of this engine being an orphan.
etharmon : Can your local dealer not find a car for you? Mine bent over backwards to get me exactly what I wanted.
I'll ask about the fuel pump possibility, but my problem occurs in either hot weather, or after sitting in heavy traffic (which can create some crazy heat).
One2one,
I have tried driving my car around and stopping at the dealer to see if it would mess up, but with my luck, both tries saw my car starting without a problem. This gremlin will not leave me alone!
One of my friends have a Mitsubishi Gallant, and another have the sporty 3000GT. Both are rather happy with their cars. The 3000GT is approaching 200k miles, without any serious problem.
I didn't buy an Intrigue,even I do think it is about the most entertaining drive in the GM stable.The tinted top of the windshield comes down too low-it was too distracting.Mazda,for example,doesn't use them,and I think it makes for an airer cabin-very pleasant.Also,every Intrigue I've driven has been too creaky.That is not a deal breaker,but is it that hard to fix?The 2001s are still too creaky.I did want a manual trans,but I don't hold that against GM-I know in a sedan there is not that much call for them.
But i do think the car is different and special,yet I still didn't buy one.
How are you liking the new Catera?
Merckx: You're right about the "sun shade band" on the top of the windshield. The Intrigue is okay, but it would feel more open without it. (Although, here in sunny CA, I've noticed that it's helpful to block out the sky on dry summer and autumn days.) I guess the best asnwer would have been to make it an option... but Olds won't be doing much with the Intrigue equip list now!
My 99 Intrigue creaks have grown from nonexistant to plentiful since I passed 50,000KM. The biggest offenders are the windows when partially down. It can be pretty embarassing when you've got passengers who open their windows partially on a nice sunny day only to hear creak rattle creak over any tiny road imperfection.
The 626 and Protege are joys to drive with stick shifts. Millenia is a looker. Tribute is a bargain if it overcomes the early recalls.
And the Intrigue has that same tauntness that makes it such an appealing drive.I wonder if a quality we call fun the unknowing just call harsh.
I am glad that you and some others have had NO real problems to speak of, but there are more than a handful of people who have had a very poor Olds Intrigue experience. Just read into the number of frustrated Intrigue owners on this site alone, and those have flat given up or close to it. It is a busy world, and people simply do not have the time and/or the patience to get on a first name basis with Mr. Goodwrench.
I would take a Lexus over a Caddy, Toyota over Buick/Olds, Honda over Ponti, etc. any day of the week. And it sounds like there are a few others, that may be wishing they had not chosen the unreliable GM/Olds route.
Jgriff:: Your point is taken Ad Naseum..can you add anything new an interesting to this conversation?
With the exception of those who have had their cars cut off completely, there have been no "reliability" issues. Annoyances, irritations but very, very few (dare I say NO) "reliability" problems. GM makes among the best powertrains in the biz... to the point where the status-mobile BMW and Rolls Royce companies buy from them--NOT Toyota or Honda. If the car doesn't stop moving and starts every time, how can it be called unreliable? How many on this forum have stated over a 4 year model run that their cars haven't started? Less than a handful.
That being said, jgriff, you do have a very valid point. Why go with something that has a high incident of failure? Thus the "preceived" quality of the brands in question. But take a look at this then ask yourself about the wisdom of buying a "brand" instead of a "specific" vehicle. According to the rating system of J.D. Power that you understandably use as a measure, it shows that the Intrigue, Regal and Impala have FEWER problems than a Honda Civic, Acura Integra, MB-C Class, Audi A6, BMW Z-3, Infiniti G20 and MB-M Class-- just to name a few. And while it is true that the Toyota and Honda products rank higher than the GM vehicles in question, it should also be noted that those same GM vehicles are BETTER than the industry average. Couple that fact with the indisputeable fact that Toyota and Honda make cars that don't appeal to folks who like to drive, and it shows that the Regal, Impala and Intrigue specifically are OVERALL good cars.
While I'm on the subject, you said: " I am glad that you and some others have had NO real problems to speak of, but there are more than a handful of people who have had a very poor Olds Intrigue experience." That is only those that post. I can rattle off the number of people with Japanese cars that have had even worse problems than these on this forum. One specifically had 2 bad experiences with Nissan. He went to Buick and has never looked back. Does it mean that Buick is better than Nissan? If we use your reasoning, yes. Is the Intrigue better than a Max? Using your reasoning my 77,790 Intrigue is a a world better than my sis-in-law's 50,000 Max that crapped out on her.
The point I'm making is, don't make blanket statements such as: "I would take a Lexus over a Caddy, Toyota over Buick/Olds, Honda over Ponti, etc. any day of the week. And it sounds like there are a few others, that may be wishing they had not chosen the unreliable GM/Olds route." If you're refering to "specific" vehicles made by a certain manufacturer as being unreliable, then perhaps you're right. But using your argument and J.D. Powers rating, you should be tripping over yourself to buy another Oldsmobile before getting a Mercedes Benz!
Your problem is you think your experience is that same as "many others". FACT is, Intrigue reliability is AVERAGE, a word you still don't understand and probably never will. Most people like their Intrigues.
dindak::: Minor correction. J.D. Powers shows "BETTER" than average
Why does Camry & Accord continues to out sale GM/Ford/DC, and holds the both #1 & #2 spot on the annual sedan sales count? That was not the case back in the eightys.
L8_Apex
Host
Sedans Message Board
Back to the Intrigue.
As for the Asian vs. American debate. American car makers fell behind over a dozen years ago in fit and finish and until they overtake (not match or get almost as good) foreign makers in quality for a number of years running as was done to them, they will have trouble gaining back lost market share. It is sad how many 98 and 99 Intrigue owners have "unsolvable" front end noise and rough starting problems. Three years to get it right in the days of 5 year product life cycles???
Even if the car had a firm ride it would be okay if the body felt like it was milled out of a piece of billet steel.
What concerns me about my intrigue ownership is the creaks and buzzes. Obviously these will not get better with time. I do believe that the intrigue has the stiffest body of any midsize car that GM has produced.
But i still feel cowl shake and the occasional movement under the floorpan.
I can't see how if i park a car for a couple of days then start driving it again, how it can develop buzzes in the days that it was not driven.
These kind of things are so annoying to me that i can not put it into words. Do hondas do this?
I feel that i should not have to turn up my stereo to drown these noises out.
I am planning onturning the intrigue in Monday. I will rethink anotherpurchase in a few months.Perhaps the altima will be a winner, or maybe some other worthy competitor will come along.
I still like my intrigue, but there are some things that i just shouldn't have to put with in a car with 30,000 miles. This is why i got a new car so i wouldn't have to put up with noises my camaro made. If you told me two years ago that the camaro would be my daily driver i would laughed in your face. Who says you can't go home again.
Even with the issues that i have had i think that jgriff is off base. It is really foolish to make blanket statements about a cars origin. There are a lot of things that the intrigue does better than the accord. The accord will definitely not be my next purchase.
vcjumper : Nice car, but big bucks! Should try out a Subaru Outback or Saturn LW wagon. I don't think the small Volvo wagon would be much more either.
one2one : Intrigue has been my most reliable car to date, foreign or domestic. I wouldn't be surprised if the 2000+ models are now better than average.
I heard these voices, and got up to check it out and I hear this guy say "No, but there are three cars back here." So I yell out the open window, "Thats way you need to turn around a walk out of here."
I grab some clothes and my cell and run outside to the street. I look up and down the street and walk up to the corner, nobody anywhere.
After a couple of minutes i call 911 and tell them to send a car. About 20 minutes later i see the guy coming out of a driveway down the street with a bag in his hand. I half run half walk behind him and follow him for several blocks. He turns into a court and i call the police again. They tell me to go back to the house.
The police officer shows up and tells me that it is probably a vagrant looking for cans in trash cans. He will find him and put him on criminal trespass notice.
They could have cared less. If he had gotten into my intrigue or camaro, It would not have been good. Lots of excitement. I don't think i will be going back to sleep.
Would we all be talking a different story today? They [Olds] could have easily competed with the likes of the competition, but they had to come to the game with their best stuff. Otherwise they are simply NOT going to make it to the final rounds, destine to play the minor leagues.
I asked you was that Olds BEST stuff, or was GM corporate office too much involved, holding back Olds potential ?
And why is it that the American buying public seem to have to wait a couple of years for GM/Ford/DC to work out all of their GLITCHES on new models.