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bz4:::::sounds like your new wheels is keeping you content and free of worry. Your oil change schedule is great, mine is everytime it is down a qt., so it's around 2500 max..Using the dealer choice, low bidder type goo and it is Valvoline..Nothing high-tech..
Somebody mentioned air filters--Intrigue 3.5 installed $12.45 and Cadillac Northstar $8.45.. for those prices I sure wouldn't get my hands dirty screwing around with it..
I stopped at a new Chevrolet dealer today right after I had the car washed.. In New Baltimore right off the freeway. Super-looking operation and they are closed on Saturdays; but I am looking for Zs and SSs. They had 2 SSs and the coupe had $3200 worth of extras with a center mounted performance exhaust recessed into the rear bumper for 1100 of the total.. The balance was in different wheels and ultra performance tires..I pass this outfit on the 43 mile drive to the golf course and this facility is only about 8 mos old on 15 acres..
See where one of the owners on your Impala forum is experiencing cupped tires..FWD cars with soft rear suspensions struts--long travel stroke to deliver the limo ride will flat spot tires.. RWD cars will flat spot/cup front tires due worn components; rear tires of RWD cars do not flat spot..I assume the std Impala has the rear suspension promoting the soft ride..
We know the Intrigue does not flat spot tires on the front or rear; at least I know from my two time experience..I am through rotating the current tires for they will stay in place until replacement. They were rotated every 6k and they have been in place for 12k now w/o any signs of cupping. Continual high speed kills the ordinary FWD tire wear.. Detroit's std suspension setups are totally worthless so no car is equipped with speed rated tires unless it comes with upgraded suspension components..
The Intrigue and the GTP are the only two W body cars where the speed rated tires are offered from the factory as a option or std equip.. The Buick GS has no PCS type option or speed-rated tires available..The SC Ultra Buick and the SC Riv were never equipped with any decent suspension systems allowing speed rated tires..The SC Riv chews up rear tires when sujected to steady 75+ cruising..
Some of the best suspensions were on the Pontiac X bodies equipped the heavy duty setup and the old beam rear axle. The STEs and the SEs would do the 100k easy on original shocks/struts..
Personally, I'm erring on the side of caution with my Intrigue. Maybe I can get 7-8000 miles by the computer, and GM has done all the research needed to prove this is a safe interval.
Maybe GM just wants the car to have no problems during the warranty period, but doesn't give a hang what condition it is in after 100,000 miles.
At any rate, I figure a change every 6000 (all-highway) or 5000 (mixed driving) should be good enough. Oil is better than it was in the days of 3000 mile changes, and the Intrigue does have a 6 quart oil pan, so there is lots of it to go through.
I think this is a calculation which is more important to owners than leasers. If you plan to drive your car for a decade, you will care what condition the engine is in at 100K miles and probably should change the oil a bit more often, just to be safe. As another poster said, oil is cheap insurance compared to the cost of replacing your car.
I've owned my Mazda for 9 years. The manual recommended every 5 thousand, and I changed it every 4. The oil didn't look too bad at 4-- but that engine has made it to 257,000 miles, and it still runs on 87 octane.
Heck, my 1974 Plymouth at 153,000 miles ran OK with 89 octane, and I changed that evey 3 thousand miles... 1970's Chryslers didn't have much of a quality reputation, but frequent oil changes still seemed to help!
bz4:::::No more Intrigues, service is the factor for I am afraid that the Intrigue is the oddball and I sure don't need to end up at a Buick dealer because the three near my home are worthless; having been down the road with three Buicks..Service is something one should not be concerned about when buying a new car and the present Olds demise isn't addressing the situation except that they will have plenty of parts on hand to run for many years..
This situation arose last week when I took the car to a Olds dealer for an oil change..In the last thirty days this place is ratty-looking, dirty, and one service writer left.. Employees are leaving; I don't blame them for their jobs are going down the tube..
Since most dealers haven't been through this kind of phase-out to the final bloody end; owners will find out that employees aren't going to help them reach their final hour by holding hands and weeping. The dealerships run by the smart ones are gone and the ones left are truly losers. The stand alone dealer is a dead duck and the multi line ones may not be able to support the frills of the past in the style of yore..
The Chevy dealer is a truck stop with a limited line of wheels for the car crowd.. The Camaro is also about to be chopped in another 12 months; so its grunt time..
No non-domestic for this person..If it ain't Big 3; then I can't discuss it, for somebody will not be happy.. Ain't misbehaving!!!!
htwired:::::thanks for the shaft news..Our member/member tournment wasn't exciting this year. Didn't place well; however it is always fun to be able to be survive to relive the good shots and deny the others..
Did you not have steering issues in the past? What were the symptoms? Mine is groaning now at very slow speeds. Not audible but I can feel it. GM said "no fix".
At 14k yours is new!!!!My plan is to hang on to the Intrigue until I decide what to buy next..considering a wild ride.
I was replacing mine every 20K or so on my Mazda. All it takes is one really filthy "independent" station to gum it up! (I learned a long time ago to stick with reputable, brand name gas stations.) It's easy to access it on the Mazda, so replacing it regularly was no big deal.
I'm assuming the Intrigue is not one of those cars with two filters? On Subarus, for example, there is a fuel filter in the back, AND one in the engine bay.
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RE: Oil changes. I am doing them with in a week of the oil light coming on. Seem to get about 8-10k kms between lights. I trust the sensor.
People should be lined up to buy..
I love the fit and finish spiel by our testers..
They must QS-9000 certified!!!!
sorry for the outburst, but the holiness of some mags is puzzling..Sounds like a signal to the other guys that they are still #1..
The Aurora has dismal sales and they are going to hold it to the end..
Enjoying life as only a happy owner can....
Check out the rear view...look familiar. Hell, look at the front view too. Oldsmocedes Wait, side view. Mitsuoldsmocedes
I think a longer warranty period would have given people the feeling that at least Olds felt more confidence with their own products. I know a lot of people were very dismayed and puzzled when the Aurora dropped to 36/36.
Then once Olds established themselves as a leader and a contender, then the could have rise the MSRP a little. Seems now, the whole thing is backasswards.
Just my 02 cents.
Greens and fairways for all you ball chasers.
dwg
Interclub tournment starting Friday thru Sunday where the first day is in the Port Huron area. Since I haven't seen my selling Olds,GMC, and Caddy dealer since Feb, I shall stop by for a chit-chat letting them know of my decision to not buy an 02 Intrigue..
They are super people and have treated my concerns well; but the lack of any good service closeby is gone.. This dealership is 60 miles from the house..
I did order a 4.0, all the goodies and when it came in, I was called; wife said no way because she didn't think it was a nice-looking car so she got to keep her Caddy..I wasn't enthused for the damn thing depreciates quicker than a Cadillac which has a sick resale value..
The car was sold in 5 days; Diamond White with a light interior, chromes, sunroof, and Bose..
I have been down the Intrigue highway, and at my age the Z-28 suddenly appeals for it will be a dead puppy after next year. Big V-8s in our political climate will be a thing of the past so I plan to hop on the band wagon. My serious days of working will come to an end by 6/30/02; maybe sooner, who knows. I am a manufacturers rep; self employed so if the principals get fed-up with paying me, then I could be history..I am under contract so who cares what I drive; in fact the Automotive end goes for the sporty deals.. The other phase of business doesn't care as long as their prices are low, quality high and delivered on time!!!
You realize if somebody gave me sweetheart deal on a 02 Intrigue; maybe I could be swayed. I have had the SSs and the Z-Camaros before; so I realize what they will do and the current is a red-hot cruiser.
I work with a guy who just purchased a '00 Camaro SS with the SLP package, inc. 6-speed tranny. Wow, what a blazing ride. If you are getting the itch to go down the Camaro route, I say DO IT!! If I didn't have a 15 mo old and another on the way, I'd be right beside you at the dealership.
Another co-worker managed to get GMS pricing on a sweet '01 hardtop Vette. What a beauty! He is trying to claim he got 31MPG on the way back from New York! Musta been [non-permissible content removed]-footing it! Gotta love the american V-8. Shame it's only going to be available in only 1 car and to truck drivers after next year!
"Thank you for your interest in our new 2002 GMC Envoy, here at Fred Beans
Cadillac Buick Pontiac GMC. My name is Robert Gilson and I am the E-Commerce
Coordinator. We are committed to providing our Internet consumers with a
simple, efficient and enjoyable purchase. Moreover, here at Fred Beans
Cadillac Buick Pontiac GMC you can be assured of receiving the premier service
in the Doylestown area.
Unfortunately, that particular vehicle is not currently available. Your
internet price is $800.00 over dealer invoice."
$800 over invoice? I don't think so. However, if he did have the car I wanted, I would have taken him up on his offer. But he would definitely have to give up some freebies. But since he doesn't, it's a mute point. Still waiting to see what the others say.
There is a dealer I will probably get the car from but he isn't a participating dealer with Cars.com. I was in the showroom and he had a GLS w/PCS package, Bose and pinstripe. Had a sign on the car offering $25,000+ change. Ran the numbers and they seem right on the money. Good chance I won't have to haggle over price with them.
My strategy going into dealerships in person is to have the invoice price (including holdback) down in writing and haggle only over the profit. That way there are no games, they'll know I'm not the average buyer and I save myself time. Also going in with my own financing.
Let you know how things go. Will probably wind up with another Intrigue.
I wish I had a better sales man at my local lot. I ended up buying my Intrigue at a dealer in my home town because the lady there is one of those strait forward kind of sales people. I paid about $900 over Canadian invoice back in March 2000. The deals were not very sweet then. Got 4.9% financing over 5 years. Only 3 1/2 to go!
The GLS you are looking at sounds sweet. Do you get the 5 year warranty with that? What color is it?
According to the Intrigue web site the 5/60 is good on all Oldsmobiles as long as delivery is taken by 10/1/02. So there's plenty of time. I really would like to wait for an '02. But doesn't appear that I will last that long. Plus, it doesn't (as yet) come in Midnight Blue or another color similar.
redline65:: I did drive the Catera at the MotorTrend/Cadillac Drive & Decide. The only problem is that at 6'8" the comfort level goes way down.
If you read the threads carefully where the automotive salespeople write, you'll see that the Internet sales do not squeeze comissions to the bare minimum. After all is said and done, and the numbers are totaled, you will pay a small premium for the convenience of avoiding the "lot guys".
A car is too major a purchase to leave anything to chance that you could have controlled or avoided. Do it the old fashioned way, as far as test driving and negotiating. (But certainly use the internet to do research... to find the car that's equipped as you want, and to get the skinny on the latest rebates and salesman spiffs.)
Found out yesterday that all of my tires were underinflated. handling is now closer to the intrigue without the impact harsheness. It still doesn't have the quick reflexes that the intrigue has.
The Detroit dealers have a decent selection..
Fire Sale at my place!!!!
Ken
b4z::: I actually like the exterior styling of the Impala. The single biggest thing holding me back from looking at it is automatic climate control. I had it in my '89 New Yorker and got spoiled and haven't had it since. I took the Grand Prix off my shopping list for the same reason. Plus, I've been itching to have the 3.5 engine since before it came out.
9899olds::: Thanks for the offer ;-) But I had a grey interior in the old Intrigue. I'm looking to brighten things up this time around. A friend of mine liked the Silver Mist... said it gave the car a futuristic look. I thought so too (in a good way).
tpken::: I am familiar with them and am about 10-15 minutes away from 309 (depending on traffic). But there are a few dealers closer that I will hit.