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Oldsmobile Intrigue

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Comments

  • one2oneone2one Member Posts: 626
    If relating to the Intrigue, it stands for Precision Control System and is the same as StabiliTrak in the rest of GM. Other manufacturers call their systems VSC (Vehicle Skid Control) and ESP (Electronic Stability Program or something like that) to name a few.
  • one2oneone2one Member Posts: 626
    b4z::: How has it been getting used to the 'ol 3800? If memory servers me well, the Impala holds its gears longer than the Intrigue. I would think that initial acceleration should be impressive. But how would you rate it on the highway? Close enough to the 3.5 not to matter?
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    I haven't even given it half throttle yet, so i don't know. I am getting used to the 1-2 shift, which is not as smooth as the intrigue's. Must be holding first longer like you said. It only does it under very slow acceleration though. Give it a little gas and it is as smooth as the intrigue's.

    This is an excellent tall persons car. I actually have the seat pulled up some, but the seat bottom rocked up for additional thigh support.

    The 3800 seems fine so far. I have to cross the 500 mile threshold before i give it a go.

    The impala has noticeably more backseat legroom than the intrigue. Just in the last four days i have carried lots of people in it, and both i and they are more comfortable.

    I must be getting old if comfort takes a backseat to performance. LOL.

    The Driver Information Center is the coolest thing on the car. Temp gauge, instant mileage, galons used, etc.etc.
  • white6white6 Member Posts: 588
    but I read the other day that the new Impala is built on the same chassis as the Bonneville. That would explain the roomier back seat. I thought it was built on the same mid-size platform as the Regal/Intrigue/Grand Prix, but it is actually one size bigger.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    Incorrect. The current Impala is also based on the W-Body platform which is shared with the Regal, Grand Prix, Century, MonteCarlo and Intrigue models. The Bonneville, LeSabre, Olds Aurora and Cadillac Seville are built off the bigger full size car platform known as the H-Body.

    The Impala is the biggest cousing of the W-Body platform. The Impala is also a few inches longer inside/outside than the rest of its W-body cousins. The Bonneville is about 2 inches longer than the Impala and not any bigger inside the cabin.

    Another way of knowing whether your car is a W or H body sedan: Pop open the hood and check and see if your engine (Typically 3800 V6) has holding brackets facing front and a bar running the length of the engine bay, from strut to strut tower. If the car does have these brackets, it is a W-body. If the car doesn't, then it is a H-body sedan. Notice that the Bonneville, LeSabre and Aurora don't have any of these visible holding brackets.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    The impala has a 1 inch longer wheelbase, but 1.5 more rear legroom. It makes a difference.
  • vcjumpervcjumper Member Posts: 1,110
    Intrigues and GP's don't have these stock.. Impalas and Regals do.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    Last fall or maybe winter somebody posted a link to the Wbodies' specs, such as spring rates, swaybars etc. Does anybody remember what it was?
  • vcjumpervcjumper Member Posts: 1,110
    That was me..


    W-Body specs

  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    Cool. Thanks, that is a big help.
    The intrigue has a noticeably larger sway bar than the others.
    The impala rear bars are unknown.
    I can use this info as a jumping off place for modifications.
  • vcjumpervcjumper Member Posts: 1,110
    Have fun with it. It would appear a nice cheap mod for the Impala would be to get the Police package sway bar installed with poly bushings. Does the LS come with Eagle LS tires? Did your Intrigue?
  • laptop44laptop44 Member Posts: 3
    Can anyone give an opinion? Looking to turn in my 99 Silver GL lease early. Looked at a 2000 GL
    with Bose, and chrome wheels, has steering radio control and standard GL features. 44 miles on odometer, build date of 6/00. Nice car with cloth interior. Dealer played the game and offered $20,995. Manager offered $19,861 if I signed today. Does anyone know what it should retail for? Whats fair? Retail in Edmunds is $18,000, -18,600 at Kelly. Have about $4,500 in
    rebates/GM card and 9 months to go with lease at $355 per month.
    month.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    impala has GA's. Intrigue had LS's.
    From the link you sent it confirms why the intrigue has brake drive and some roll. The springs are the same as the other cars and the front sway bar is HUGE!

    Impala rides so much better than the intrigue that is hard to believe the springs are the same. It is the struts that are causing the impact harshness. Bumps and dips that are major events in the intrigue are felt in the impala hardly at all.

    I think the tires on the impala are not good. They groan under hard cornering.

    I am thinking some H rated Michelins will do the trick.
    The spoiler is REALLY bugging me. It is all i think about now.

    I am enjoying the heck out of the impala though, put over 100 miles on it today.

    It has retained power where the radio and power stuff works after you turn it off. Until you open the door.

    I am getting lots of stares and compliments. I think the dark blue color is fairly rare, so people haven't seen it much.

    Accelerated up to about 3500 rpm's today and the car felt really strong. It does have more low end torque than the intrigue.
    The interior is starting to grow on me. The people in the office seem to like it. Especially the neutral leather.
    I am going to check into those swaybars. The problem is if i go to a bigger bar there will still be roll and dive. Just like in the intrigue.
    Heavier springs and struts will make it ride harder. I think the intrigue's struts are the main culprit in its firmness on small bumps.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    You may be eligible to have your lease forgiven by GM. Between june 1 and July 15th they will forgive your lease payments if you buy a new car.

    The way i see it is that there are about $6000 in discounts on the average intrigue. $2000 in profit off of MSRP if you pay at or near invoice.
    $2000 rebate on the intrigue. $1500 Olds loyalty certificate, which you are eligible for. If you early terminate your lease and finance the new car through GMAC they will give you an additional $500 on any new GM car.

    I know, i just did it friday. That adds up to $6000. If your car is due to be have it's lease end by March 31, 2002 you are eligible for this program.

    You didn't say what the MSRP was on the car. Let us know.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    If it were me i would try a 2001 unless you get a sweetheart of a deal. The 2001's have the wheel liners which will make it quieter. Also PCS is a must have due to its better gearing.
  • vcjumpervcjumper Member Posts: 1,110
    I really like my H-rated Pilots.
    Dark blue w/neutral leather is the best combination I can think of.. Just be sure you maintain that leather! Get the Zaino leather treatment if you like leather smell. Perhaps get some good metallic tint for further protection. Glad to hear you are enjoying the car.

    I'm not a huge fan of the spoiler on the Impala. It does make an already tall rear end taller. I have a spoiler on my Intrigue but I would trade it for the more integrated one shown on the OSV concepts.

    Perhaps get the $15 strut tower bar from GM and install it yourself (make sure you ream out the holes first). Was a 20 minute job for me. No biggie if you don't like it or don't notice a difference.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    Strut tower brace came with the car. Does not have one in the trunk though.

    Not a huge fan of spoilers either, but i do like the ducktail style that came on the '94-96 impala ss, my '87 camaro and the OSV one that you mentioned.

    Used lexol leather cleaner then conditioner on the intrigue's steering wheel, console and gear shift handle. Worked great.

    Going to ask the dealer about trading a flat rear deck lid off of one of his new cars for mine with the spoiler. He has two blue cars in inventory.

    I like how the c-pillar sweeps down into the trunk. Unfotunately the spoiler ruins the effect.

    Think the body structure feels stiffer because the impala was designed for police/taxi duty from the start. Also suspension is a little softer and transmits less road shock.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Odd.. I have Eagle GAs on my Intrigue. Great tires!
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Just read in the paper today that the Chevrolet name will replace Oldsmobile for IRL engines beginning in 2002. Just another reminder that this great brand is coming to a close soon and GM will not promote it aside from using incentive advertising.

    I'm seriously thinking about getting a classic Oldsmobile summer car in the near future to keep after my Intrigue is gone. I want my kids to know what an Oldsmobile was and what a great brand it is.
  • white6white6 Member Posts: 588
    is affected by tires and sway bars. Bigger sway bars will affect ride and tires make a difference. The difference in ride in our 99 GL after replacing the LS's with Aquatread III's was noticeable. I don't understand the reasoning behind bigger sway bar and more roll... that's what they (sway bars) limit. Dive is, I believe, related to strut rebound rates.
  • one2oneone2one Member Posts: 626
    Well, it's not a photo. But it does show us what the new CTS (a.k.a. Catera) will look like. They say the drawing is an exact representation of the real thing. Check it out in the new "Matrix 2" movie. Hopefully it will have better success than the Intrigue did in The X-Files.


    But if this and the Chevy Borego are the future of GM, the future is looking a lot brighter.

  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    My sentence kind of ran together. I had a couple of different thoughts going on there.

    Impact harshness is mostly a function of spring rates and struts or shocks, with a speed type rated tire throwing a little extra harshness in there too.

    The struts in the intrigue are completely different than the other wbody cars. This is why small bumps come through big time but big ones are not that big of a deal. If the intrigue had a high spring rate then big bumps would be really harsh.

    The soft springs cause brake dive and the acceleration lift .
  • swagledswagled Member Posts: 195
    I never gave the Imapala much of a look when I was shopping. Early Impalas had teething problems much like the early Intrigues; it kinda scared me off.

    I'll agree with the other posters about waiting for a 2001 Intrigue. If you don't need a car immediately, you can wait just 4 more months and the 2001's will be going cheap in the end-of-year clearance. And it will give you more time to hunt for a PCS equipped car.
  • laptop44laptop44 Member Posts: 3
  • laptop44laptop44 Member Posts: 3
    the retail was $25,785 plus some dealer add ons
    paint sealant, pin stripe, undersealant. ( what a rip off) car has 44 miles. Build date of 6/00. s $18,500 a good offer? have $1,250 on GM card plus
    add on rebates ($2000 + $1500 loyalty)

    Pcs is nice but my main goal is to save the 9 payments left($3,195) and buy a car and keep it
    till it drops.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    You are doing the free early termination then, good. If you can get it for $18,500 go for it.

    I would still try the 2001 if possible. If not, you are getting a good car for the money.
  • redline65redline65 Member Posts: 693
    Anyone know if/when the 2002 models will be out?
  • ketchketch Member Posts: 217
    Just checked in here after awhile away, and thought I had stumbled into the Impala forum
    ("the Aztec in car form"). Too bad too. Feel like I need a shower now.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    ("the Aztec in car form").

    You need glasses my friend! ;-)

    Nothing comes close to the AZtek in terms of ugliness!
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I don't know... the Tiberon and the Echo come pretty close.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    There will be. 2002's will also have two tone leather.
  • dgbdgbdgbdgb Member Posts: 1
    Just found this forum and glad to see other Intrigue owners as happy as I have been. Best car I have ever owned. Owned a 98 Intrigue which I just traded in for a 2001 GLS fully loaded. Dealer made me an offer I couldn't refuse with all the cash backs, loyalty certificates etc. I am wondering about the difference in downshifting with the 3.5 vs. the 3800 I had in the 98 model. It seems reluctant to shift down a gear in city driving unless I give the gas a shot. This can be a little unnerving in bumper to bumper city driving however the engine seems to labor to maintain speed on any slight incline. As soon as I apply gas it downshifts and picks up fine. Is this normal in the 3.5 engine or do I possibly have a problem with the transaxle or shifter. Glad to find a forum with other Intrigue owners and concur that GM is crazy to get rid of the best cars in their entire lineup.
  • swagledswagled Member Posts: 195
    I've got a Y2000 with the 3.5L and 3.05 tranny.

    I find that the motor has plenty of power at cruising speed. I'm so used to manual trannys and underpowered automatics, that I found it a bit unnerving on inclines to NOT feel it downshift with the cruise control on. But it does keep pace, and will downshift if it really needs to in order to maintain speed.

    You do need to be "purposeful" with the accelerator to make a downshift yourself. A little tap isn't enough of a hint. Get the revs above 3000 RPM. The tach in combination with your foot is a helpful way to control the shift points.

    I don't think it's a big deal. Like I said, I'm used to manuals. But if I had my way, I'd shorten the 1,2 and 3 gears on the Intrigue. (Although I think the 1 and 3 need shortening more than the 2 does.) Someday I'd like to drive the 3.29 tranny with the 3.5L to compare the difference.

    If the car feels underpowered to you, you could try leaving it in "3" instead of "D" for around-town driving. That should get you a little farther up the torque band, and a little more rev to "sense" the motor working.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    The 3.5L takes some getting used to but it's a great engine. I had a 3.8L in my 98 Grand Prix and initially found the power band on the 3.5 to be strange. After over a year with my 2000 Intrigue I can honestly say I prefer the 3.5L. While you don't have the same off the line performance, the passing power on the highway rocks.
  • swagledswagled Member Posts: 195
    For all the little things we gripe about on our cars, that's the one area the Intrigue just slam dunks most things on the road. 80MPH and the Intrigue is just stretching its legs.

    I've also noticed that I can do a lot of "stealth passing" in the Intrigue. The sway bars make for level cornering. I can just maintain my speed, while drivers in the other lanes (both left and right of me) instinctively ease off the gas a tad. I try to make it a game to pass *somebody* on every curve! :-)
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    The 3.29 axle does make a difference. This is why i feel that PCS is a must have.
    I think that second gear needs to be shorter. My car always dropped out of its powerband on the 1-2 shift.
  • ketchketch Member Posts: 217
    Car and Driver in fact complained about the 3.5 when it replaced the 3800, indicating it was less willing to downshift. They also indicated lots of torque steer esp. changing lanes and on power.
    Apparently the 3800 was near zero on that. I too noticed lots of torque steer at times, but with 200+ horse through front drive, its hard not to have that. Nothing was more scarey than my '83 GTI though.

    14300 miles on my 20000 GL "typeR" and only problem now is rattle in driver side rear door, sim. to one correctled last year in the other rear door (plastic rivet popped out, they used a screw instead.)

    Chck out the 2002 Altima, the specs are very close to the Intrigues (3.5, IRS et al).
  • redline65redline65 Member Posts: 693
    Too bad the 2002 Altima won't have auto climate control. I've been too spoiled with the Intrigue's system. I don't think I could buy another car without it now! Maybe the next-gen Maxima will be better than the current one. I don't like the rear-end.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I would go for a Maxima before and Altima. Dual Zone air is a must for and married guys out there also. It will likely come down to Grand Prix vs Maxima for the next sedan. It's 6 years away so I won't worry about that now. Just enjoying the Intrigue.

    Saw the LT wrap up for the Intrigue in Motor Trend today. Zero warranty work and zero problems with their tester 2000 model. Rated it very well over all and I am in full agreement.
  • redline65redline65 Member Posts: 693
    It's only about 12 - 20 months away for the wife's next sedan. The 2003 Grand Prix will definitely be a consideration, however I don't think you can get them with auto climate control anymore. The next Maxima is a candidate, and possibly a redesigned Camry or Accord, but they will require a lot of redesigning for me to seriously look at. If the Passat styling changes I may look at it too. It's just too bubbly, and it looks like a chick car.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    There are spy photos of the 2003 GP in the new Popular Mechanics issue (Jul). Hard to see much though. I hope its as nice outside as the current model. I am looking for internal upgrades and a twin cam engine. If not, I will likely go Maxima.

    You can still get another Intrigue for your wife if it's next year. ;-)
  • focus18focus18 Member Posts: 28
    Please elaborate on the "deal" that you couldn't refuse, or email me focus18@home.com
  • focus18focus18 Member Posts: 28
    Whiz kid who designed the popular Pt cruiser is switching to Chevrolet.
  • yurakmyurakm Member Posts: 1,345
    It looks as the fad is over. Recently walk by the Chrysler dealership, and saw 9 (nine) PT Cruisers on the lot, all of them at the first and second row. I also have impression that some of them were here already before Christmas..
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Wow... just hit 3000 posts in this forum. Who says Oldsmobile is dead!?!?

    yurakm: I agree, local lot has at least 6-8 PT Cruisers on the lot and they are advertised regularly in the paper these days. I think I might consider on if they had a V6 in them.

    focus : I read that a couple of weeks ago somewhere also. Hopefully he will design some nice stuff for Chevy. The Malibu and Impala really need to be a little more exciting. Can't wait to see what he comes up with.
  • swagledswagled Member Posts: 195
    We'd probably be over 4000 if 1415 was still kicking up the dust! ;-)
  • redline65redline65 Member Posts: 693
    I'd stay away from the P.T. dindak. I've seen a lot of Neons on the road lately with paint peeling off. They all exhibit the primer gray spotting. I remember when Ford repainted my mother-in-law's Taurus for the same problem several years ago.
  • swagledswagled Member Posts: 195
    Mmmmmm! There's nothing quite like the look of a mid 80s Ford that hasn't been repainted. It's something like the floor of an abandoned summer camp cabin. Big rings and spotches of something that might have been alive during another season of the year....

    And yes, I've also seen relatively new Neons with the paint coming off in big automobile dandruff flakes. Maybe DC's upline models are better... But Ford proved with the Escort/Tempo/Taurus that a manufacturer is quite capable of putting the same paint on all their cars.

    The paint on my Mazda had faded from 9 years in the CA sun, but it's still on there at least.
  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 20,284
    Funny this should come up... just last week I saw 2 Neons on the same day with big paint peel problems. Both were that awful Easter-egg mauve they used for a while.

    2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6

  • tpkentpken Member Posts: 1,108
    Those Fords were real rust buckets in the 80's and early 90's too. Our 89 Taurus wagon, my 88 and 90 Grand Marquis all wore their rust badges unashamedly!

    Ken
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