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The Jetta owner liked my car too, especially the motor, but he prefers 5 speeds and the interior finish doesn't compare. For about the same price though, the Intrigue is a much larger car.
b4z,
ian18, and
racer_I_9
for your input related to my upcoming trip through the Windy City.
My side mirrors also have got that film on them and I remember someone else had that problem. Any fix?
Lastly, is anyone having problems with the foglights. This is the second time I'm going to replace the driver's side light.
Thanks and any comments would be greatly appreciated.
vcjumper : It's frightening that a car as small as the Jetta costs as much as it does. It's a nice car, but it's not cheap.
Dindak: I live right downtown - Toronto.
Thinking of debadging the intrigue, any comment.
Sorry to be contrarian,
--Robert
I'm not sure what I would debadge on the Intrigue, maybe the oldsmobile name on the back. I like the logo, and the large INTRIGUE lettering would leave a big empty spot.
The reason i didn't buy it was a lack of rear headroom and the 2 year 24,000 mile warranty.
VW will be curing that problem with 4 year 50,000 mile warranty next year.
Sunday i was over at the VW dealership looking at Passats and noticed that the dealer had a protection package on every one of his cars.
It consisted of a hand wax job, touch up paint, fabric protector, yadda yadda yadda for $695.00!!
Personally i am offended by that. This VW dealer has such a cavalier attitude towards his customers at purchase. I can only imagine how he would treat me at service time.
It is hard for me to justify a smaller $29,000 Passat when i could be a intrigue or impala for 21-22K.
Nice car though, too bad you have to put up with so much attitude to buy one.
teo: Good link! Everyone read this and especially the part about proper lug tightening procedure. If you read between the lines, you can tell pretty plainly that there is a wide-spread problem with using improper procedure; i.e. impact wrench cranked up to 150 psi and spinning as fast as possible. I traded out wheels and tires on my 01 Formula last weekend (went back to 16-inchers) with a kid and his 98 TA and when I was removing his wheels I had to use a break-over bar on four or five of his lug nuts! Threads were galled, too. He said he had to have his rotors turned earlier this year. Hmmm, wonder why? I showed him the proper procedure, told him to go to Sears and buy a torque wrench. I have never (knock on wood) had to have the rotors turned on any vehicle and told him that if he does it right, he won't either. 'Nuff said.
On top of that I ran across a 99 Caddy Concurs with 11k miles that can be picked off for about the same money; but my wife will not part with her Caddy..She is in Fla for a couple weeks, and i am babysitting the house and having repairs done to bring into code in case it is sold within the next 30 days, a decreasing sales business to run for another year or end of this year, and trying to buy something reasonable in Fla so as to get the 5 containers of furniture out of storage.. To top off this day I missed my tee time this AM so I am stuck in the house wanting on an electrician to give an estimate..Needs a permit..No home repair allowed..
The Intrigue is amazing; like a Timex watch, "takes the licking and keeps on ticking". Every thing has its day and timing is very important in life, so the Intrigue is literally a time bomb..
My black mirrors housing are also dull; no big deal for as you stated they were never painted so it's a no shiner.. The best thing about the black cars is the amount of road junk you do not see..I have had about 10 white cars and if they are on the open road for 3/4k miles a month the front ends are a mess.. The black car hides the bugs well and the plastic nose facia resists everything..I had to replace the windshield in the 98 Int before it was returned to maker; so far the 99 has avoided any contact..
I stopped at the local Pontiac dealer for the first time in a year, lots of Firebirds, all stickering around 31k--probably had 10 of them; mostly black and red exteriors..Too much dough for the 21k Z looks better; money wise for approx similiar performance..
Have a profitable day...
BTW, does anyone have any experience with the AMSOIL foam air filters? Are they as good as claimed?
The seats are firm, modeled after the Europeans. The Caddy seats are soft..If your Intrigue is a long term deal then get the leather for it enhances the long term value and ages gracefully; whereas most of the cloth interiors are butt ugly!!
Trade in on a 01 Z-28 which is discounted to 21,364 plus 6% sales tax was a whooping 10,000..
Due to the high mileage 47K, the Chevy dealer will take it to the auction block.. They can spin it for 12 tops; 11 easy..Car dealers are do not fit into a good day scene..
My solution is 12 trade-in and I cash in the Master guard policy for a pro-rated refund..There isn't much for movement on the Camaro for it is discounted 4,000 from MSRP..The GLS stickered for 27.2; so after 26k miles on the 98 GLS and 47k miles on the 99 GLS; my total investment in the two Intrigues is 24700..
The tires are thin and is a $425 no big deal for Pilots or SH 30s..Order a 02 Z-28 equipped as desired, sell the Intrigue myself and save a couple grand..
Trust you are giving the 01 Intrigue a roaring break-in; and not parking on the street until it gets around 80k miles!!!!!
The Z is all mechanical!!!
Went through the Pontiac dealers website on Firebirds and the cheapest list price was 28+ with most over 30+..Went thru the six largest dealers in the Detroit area..
I had the Intrigue priced for trade-in and that phase was a joke..Will step back and ponder the 02 order..
I have own several light colored leathers in the past, my current ride is black [1st time for black] which I find does not look dirty like my lighter colors did. Plus black is very easy to touch-up or hide scuff marks that you might acquire. Also try getting a pen marks out of light leathers [it is a real PITA]. My 98 Intrigue neutral leather had a wear marks at the belt-line of the driver seat-back [dealer had to have a 3rd party patch done on it]. Another thing to consider is if you have or will have kids, you will have a lot more dirty/sticky fingers about etc. etc.
I like the looks of the lighter [interior] colors in the show room, but prefer the darker colors for my daily use. Just as I prefer a white [exterior] over black, again black looks good on the floor. White is Soooo much easier to care for, even over say silver. My next car may be white-exterior with ebony-interior.
I am also a big believer in that tinted window helps keep the entire interior from deteriorating too rapidly.
Insurance company gave me $11,500 less my $250 deductable for the 98. Remember, it had 80,000+ miles. If I had less, they would have given me a couple of thousand more.
That got me thinking. You've got to do some really, really, really sloppy driving for PCS to kick in in normal driving. I've read the auto mag comments saying things like the Intrigue took corners like a BMW. And while that is true, I really didn't believe it until I drove it. Not exactly a BMW, but real darn close considering the Intrigue is front wheel drive.
That being said, I still would like to have gotten PCS. Particularly for the bad weather in which the Intrigue shines, again with impecable control even in deep snow. But in such weather, even the best driver can roll over the unexpected which is the primary reason I wanted it. Of couse, the off-the-line acceleration from the 3.29 would have been welcome, too.
But all things considered, anyone who gets an Intrigue w/o PCS would probably never notice it. And if you do and the weather's not bad, you might want to check into some driving lessons :-)
If they come out to see it, bingo, they will buy it; maybe got to drop the price few hundred $$$; but not a hard deal..
The worst cars to sell are the 4/5yr old Cadillacs for top dollar..I talking pristine condition with 60k miles or so, and all buyers want to do is talk and dicker..Lots of hot air..
New tires next week will tide me over until I get some motivation for spending money on cars again..I may be backsliding into one of my cheap moments....Being married, I have found that the best way to avoid spending money is to stay away from the temptation..
Tomorrow morning I am going to visit my Olds/Caddy dealer before golf for oil change while I talk with the GenMgr about everything but cars..they are 60 miles away and about 17 miles from the golf club..
Got to get to work and sell something.
DINDAK::::::Great news about Toyota Cambridge plant getting the CAW..I want the UAW to move on all the stateside foreign owned plants and start to level the playing field..By golly it makes my day for the pure nonsense of the union game will drive one up the wall..
Ken
I am avoiding temptation; cars are easy to buy; too easy..I only dicker when I am ready to become an owner..I make one offer when I am ready, if it doesn't fly--bye-bye. Always another deal waiting..
I get the opposite impression of the antilock brakes, however. I feel like there's more grab left in the brakes, and the antilock kicks in a little early. Those of you that upgraded tires, did it have any effect on the sensitivity of the antilock ?
One2one : I agree, PCS is really only good for winter or extremely wet conditions. Intrigue w/o PCS are otherwise fine. Having had extensive winter driving experience I can do with out.
People here follow too closely. You have "stacks" of cars in front of you that all hit their brakes at once. But the people behind me don't usually come to a screetching halt, (because I've left enough room before me to decelerate sanely, and therefore have more time to telegraph what I'm doing with the brake lights.) That's why sensing the antilock surprises me. I've driven other vehicles in these conditions, without it activating.
I also asked them to examine the intermediate shaft since I'm noticing some faint clunking (at times) in the steering column when turning. Harlan said my VIN was immune from this problem but we shall see. The suspension racket still exists when turning and braking and I mentioned that as well. I also said the power steering struggles at low speeds. I fully expect a "cannot duplicate" response this afternoon so I expect nothing.
Short of a total failure or obvious malfunction, it's very difficult to get things fixed. They just tell you "everything is within specs". They just won't dig. Too many cars to work on.
At any rate, I've been thinking about buying another car. I have a love/hate relationship with my Intrigue, so one day I want to get rid of it, and the next I want to keep it for the long haul. I know I would take a big hit but sometimes it gets to the point where the financial loss would be less irritating.
I've been eyeing the new Le Sabre. Haven't driven one yet. I'm 33 and don't care if I'm too young for it. I like the way it looks and would like a softer ride. The wheels look silly though. If I could get Chrome, Park Avenue wheels on a 2001 dark red Le Sabre with taupe leather and dark tint, I'd drool.
oscarz2::: LeSabre was on my list as well. With the Grand Touring Suspension it's not the floatmobile of yore. Like the Intrigue, deep solid colors with tan interiors look really good. The interior looks modern too... in fact, the dash layout around the gauges is exactly the same as the Regal. The LeSabre was pretty low on my already short list primarily because of the column shifter. I've gotten so used to it being in the console that I don't like it any other way.
In the end, I think you'll be pleased with a LeSabre from a driving standpoint. That dark red is an excellent choice. I'm 32 and I think it looks pretty modern. But that Park Ave...
teo::::::a non-PCS Intrigue is dangerous????The only reason I would get PCS is to have the 130 top end with the speed rated tires..You make it sound like a PCS equipped car is idiot proof!!
What sort of a PCS option does Impala offer???? A stronger cage or a 50mph bumper..
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/comparison/articles/43901/page003.html
And don't get me started on Edmunds' reviews made by their Mickey Mouse editors....
The Impala feels extremely secure even at speeds above 100MPH but the addition of PCS or a similar feature will be a welcome addition indeed....but GM might think that PCS is too rich for the blood of Chevy owners....:)
Keep the manatees,gators,and turtles happy; watch the cameras in the Tampa area if you are on anybodys hot list..Soon while driving through our nations capitol; you will be on camera at 35 different stoplights just in case you misread the signal..big brother is into mileage, tires now, and auto design soon..Remember-buy a golf cart while they are still cheap for it will be in vogue before long....Wonder if a V-8 would fit in one..
teo:::::before I forget, somebody said Reno was going to Cuba??? Is it just a rumor???
So what they'll do is take off things like heated mirrors, remote fuel door and such to justify the cost. Oh, wait... they did that already to the Intrigue!
According to the article, the move to RWD is not the reason why Chevy is holding upcoming platforms...is because, as they claim, the costs involved in adding gizmos such as StabilityTrak, PCS and the like that will indeed drove up the price.
But to me the line about 'Too expensive for Chevy buyers' is pure BS. If Chevy sells a RWD Impala with PCS I am sure a lot of people would not mind paying the extra premium for the goodies.
they limit themselves in their thinking bigtime, IMO.
That review warrants a full revision followed by a retraction for the garbage they posted on the Impala and Intrigue.
The 'Editor's' have gotten themselves in hot water recently with the bad review they gave the Chrysler Town and Country minivan.
In the May or June 2001 Letters to the Editors, you'll see an E-mail from one of the DCX executives...
I like Edmunds a lot but I do have an issue with Wardlaw's testing/writting style and his personal clowns.