It could be any number of things from ISS to steering rack to strut tower insulators. My dealer was not interested in fixing mine. I spent the last 6 months of ownership with the stereo cranked up. Every time i get a longing for an intrigue again i read one of you guy's posts about suspension noises and I pop back into the reality of my intrigue ownership.Maybe in a couple of years i will buy a used one and figure that Moog will have come up with replacement parts that fix GM's OEM problems.
Every time I see one of those base Impalas with those ugly rims and tail lights I'm glad I drive an Intrigue where even the base model has the real engine and aluminum wheels.
Do you feel more of a difference in initial acceleration or at highway speeds? When I put it into my 3800 Intrigue I felt it more noticeably on takeoff.
Dindak, you are funny man. You have this constant need to boost your ego by trashing the Impala...Impala this, Impala that. Tell you what, the Impala has it all over the Intrigue...It is a better built car, with better reliability, better resale value with far more appeal and history behind it than any Intrigue will ever dream of.
The Intrigue is dead, it was a flop from any point of view, has terrible resale and to top it all off it is an orphan brandwise and mechanically wise and consumers don't even want one at free financing with the 5/60 warranty. 3000 intrigues sold last month vs 17000 Impalas that tells you something. Get over it, the Intrigue is history after 2002.
If you and b4z didn't trash the Intrigue, I wouldn't feel the need to trash the Impala. I certainly don't go over to the Impala forum and trash it over there do I??
Fact is, I like the Impala LS aside from the rear lights. I just don't appreciate Impala owners trashing the Intrigue, so I snip back.
It's all in good fun. Unfortunately your last post is bit mean spirited. Get up on the wrong side of be this morning?
I don't think B4z is trashing the Intrigue for the heck of it. He owned one and he put up with all the joys of Oldsmobile ownership day in and day out. I think he has also pointed out several times the positives of the Intrigue vs. the Impala, but he has also come to experience first hand that his Impala LS has been far more troublefree than his late Intrigue ever was.
If your Intrigue started to develop unfixable noises and problems, would you put up with it? Would you buy another one? Don't think so. The Intrigue has a very good engine/tranny combo, but the story ends there...the rest of the car is pretty much average from top to bottom. I dislike the Saturn inspired front end in the Intrigue, in an era where front end grills are the fashion thing.
I had a great night sleep and woke up on the usual side of the bed, how about yourself?
I am not trashing the intrigue. I like the intrigue. The experience that i had with mine was not the best. It was not the worst either but it was no a great dealer/manufacturer realtionship. I still think the intrigue does some things better than the impala. You have to admit though that there are certain suspension issues that may not be resolved with the car. Teo was probably a little hard on you, but i don't think the impala comment was called for. If you reread my post you will see that i might have a used intigue in my future. Just not now.
Compared to my 3800 Impala there was only a slight difference in take off speed. I had the 3.29 gear. I think you have the 3.05. The midrange is where the DOHC comes alive.
teo : what b4z said, he has said before and I have snipped back before in the same manor. What you are doing is truly trashing the Intrigue which is TOTALLY uncalled for. The intrigue has had some problems but so has the Impala. I heard all about the early cars creaking away. No Intrigue is not a perfect car, but it looks better inside and out, handles better and is faster than the Impala.
b4z : I know you like the Intrigue. I think teo did overreact, not sure why. I just snipped back like I have done before. Sorry if you took it the wrong way. As I've said before I think the LS is a very decent sedan.
contacted the only prudential (assurance) in the phone book which is actually own by clarica; prudential insurance is now london life here, auto is handled by liberty mutual with a call centre in newbrunswick - $1700. Bel air direct want to do a credit check before giving me a quote. Direct protect web site is in errors when i tried to do online quotes, call their toll free # a few times, after pressing 1 for this , 5 for that..., heard a recording saying that they are too busy and suggested a visit to their site, then hung up. These corporations are driving their customer and themselves nuts....
Sounds like insanity to me. Why would they want to do a credit check?? Are you married? I know that helps with the insurance. I did Direct Protect through my old employer and have been very happy with them, especially when it was time for a claim (I totalled our 98 Grand Prix - not my fault).
Credit report checks are required to obtain any kind of insurance coverage in the U.S. The lower your score, the worse the rates get or even coverage is denied. The higher, the better the rates and the likehood of obtaining coverage. Not sure in Canada, but since it is the "51st State" things could be handled in a similar fashion.
Last year checked auto insurance rates with a couple of insurance companies. Both asked my Social Security Number, and the inquires later appeared in my credit report. Just today called my bank for homeowner insurance quote (the bank sells insurance). They also asked my SSN and birthdate, as well as my wife's ones, explaining they need it to pull our credit reports.
The underlying idea: a strong correlation may exist between credit and accident rate. The person who have sloppy finances also drives less responsibly. On the other hand, a "perfectionist" makes less troubles in the both departments.
The idea had been proved about 5 years ago on a lot of real life statistical data by Fair-Isaac Company, developing and marketing credit score software and databases.
The opposite also must be true: car accidents can point to the risk of foreclosure and/or bancrupcy. However, the accidents and/or moving violations do not appear on the credit report. Yet.
The credit report agencies, as well as the Fair-Isaac, have a good additional income stream, caming from insurance industry. And a third income stream, from consumers, who are paying for the privilege to see their own credit reports and to fix errors.
By the way, did you check your credit report? There was 16 errors in mine, including 3 errors in my name, errors in my address and place of work. The credit report agency put me in other city, and reported that I still work in Russia - this is 5 years after emigrating.
I think both are great cars and it all goes back to your personal opinions. I like the Intrigue's styling better and I also like the Intrigue's 3.5 liter V6 and additional features which the Impala does not offer. But again, I am a 26 year old single male and if I were married and had a couple of rugrats, the Impala's extra interior and trunk space might sway me that way. Also, if Chevy offered a supercharged 3800 in the Impala, I might consider it more. I was behind a black Impala LS today and it was a rather sharp looking automobile with those alloy wheels. However, when I see those dull white ones with the plastic wheel covers and Enterprise "e" on the rear, I think back to the reason why I like the Intrigue over most cars in it's class. That reason being that no matter how basic an Intrigue you buy, you still get alloy wheels, a DOHC V6, and lots of other features. The perfect Impala line would be base model with normally aspirated 3800, LS with 3.5 DOHC V6, and an SS model with the supercharged 3800. With PCS available on upline models.
I'm interested in the K&N filter as well. I'll take the extra 4-8 hp anyday. At higher engine speeds(which I do regularly) an extra flow of air helps. This is why fart pipes are popular on four bangers. At higher engine speeds, they do tend to give a little extra power. Down the road, I would be tempted to install a low restriction exhaust system like a Borla or something on the Intrigue. What gets me is all the potential Olds and GM had with the 3.5 liter engine and they are just going to discontinue it next year.
In case any of you guys are thinking of buying something with credit check your score in advance. You might be paying more than you should do to an error. 6 of my dad's credit cards were on my report. They go by SSN first then address. A guideline for scoring if you are buying a house is: Below 620-630 you will probably have to go FHA. And or pay a higher interest rate. Once you get to 700 you are good to go. Once you get to 720 the chances of you defaulting are almost 0. They will let a self employed person who just opened his own business buy a house with a 720 score. These scores will play a bigger and bigger part of our life over the next couple of years.
Its a shame it will be going... All signs point to the 2003 Accord getting the current TL powertrain. That will be a lot of power on the roads with the number of units those cars sell. A fwd 5-speed auto tranny and new DOHC motor are needed by the general, and fast.
So far (7000 miles) I'm not having any problems with my Intrigue. None what-so-ever. Then again, besides the steering and rotor problem on early Intrigues, mine went 80,000 miles with NO problems at all. I'm of the belief that '01s on should be fine.
There shouldn't be any problems at 7000 miles but I'm confident that my previous experience will be repeated again.
For better or worse, it's nice to see things lively in here. I notice the K&N difference in the initial startup. I know this is gonna sound unbelievable but it also seems like the transmission shifts smoother too.
I don't plan on giving up with the noise. It wasn't there before and it's easily heard. I'm going to run it by my brother (a mechanic) to see what he thinks it might be before I even ask the dealership to look at it.
I've been back SEVEN times for the whistling noise and have finally gotten someone interested in fixing that. I don't really care if the dealer service people roll their eyes when they see me anymore. I do not give up easily.
I see both points very easily when it comes to the Intrigue/Impala debate. I, for one, am glad to be driving Intrigue over Impala. For styling alone I would be. But with the 3.5 engine which was called "gloriously expensive" it's even more so. But I can't say that Intrigue was a success. It could've been. Calling it a flop is a bit extreme though.
Gees, i deal a lot with credit bureau in my work but didn't expect to talk about it here. Belair was the only one to ask for a credit report which i refused. For every credit check, you lose 15 points on your beacon score, as well you lose privacy as your whole financial life is exposed. I wouldn't do one unless it is absolutely necessary; but check your own as they do make mistakes. One to one - if all you blow is one paycheck for all the stuffs, and most peopel get paid every two weeks, man, you must have a very good job!
Credit inquires from insurance companies are reported as a separate category, separate from inquires related to loans.
I believe, they do not influence the scores. Looking for better insurance is not the same as looking for more loans. Probably, bargain shopping even reflect better financial responsibility. Just a common sense.
However, the FICo scoring algorithms being proprietary and confidential, I cannot know.
vcjumper - thanks for the link, heard of the site before, just log on, very easy to use and fast. According to the info, it uses 30 companies for quote comparison; in my case, only six companies were shown. Price range from $1650 to $2500, relatively competitive but GM insurance is still the least expensive. Their phone quote and fax confirmation was responsive as well. Good price and good service = sales.
Have you considered raising your deductible? I haven't had a claim(except for glass) in 12 years. It has saved me a lot of money. I usually do a $1000 deductible.
I got $1690 for my 99 through Kanetix/Canada Life. I'm 29/single/6 star and never made a claim since I started driving. The GM site quoted me $1600. Most other companies quoted between $1900 and $2500. Just for fun I tried getting a quote for a LS1 powered car and it was between $3000 and $4000. Maybe I'll switch again next year.
On a side note, I hope to have MP3's/WMA's playing in the Intrigue by the end of the day. I have a Rio Volt and I'm installing an Aux-In adapter.
Looks like the hiring of Lutz may start paying dividends pretty soon.. Pictures I had seen of the future GP indeed had a pretty hideous front end (picture Aztec front end squished). GM lawyers had the pics pulled of the GP owners site shortly after I had seen them. How many Chrysler guys will it take to fix GM :-)?
OK, I replaced the cam (maybe it was crank) sensor in January, and that fixed my starting problems for a while. Now, I have to turn the car over for about 5-10 seconds before it will actually fire up. Could it be the sensor again?
The Olds dealer that did the repair switched to Honda since then, so I am wondering if the would honor a warranty on the previous fix.
It's really embarassing to have such a fine looking car sound so horrible upon startup (refering to thetime it takes to start).
All things said, I love the car, and have been a loyal follower of the Olds line since my first car @ 15. Unfortunately, I'm tired of poor build quality and terrible resale value (I was offered $8500 for my 99, at an Olds dealer, trading in for an Olds van none the less, NADA online even says $10500)
I got a letter saying my leased '99 Intrigue was sold at auction for $8300. Your dealer could probably give you more than $8500. They would probably put your car on the lot at $11,900. Sell it yourself. i wouldn't buy the olds van. You will take another huge hit on appreciation. They are offering you 1/3 of the car's original MSRP after three years of ownership. That is just plain scary. As much as i loved my intrigue that is why i decided to take a step backwards in engine with the impala, but a couple of steps forward in interior room and resale.
You nailed a very important aspect of Lutz's tenure at DCX: boy, are Chryslers a spartan package! Everything is an option and even a fully loaded car lacks accessories we take for granted.
I don't know about how much Lutz was responsible for that, but I just hope that the generous package that has characterized GM cars in the last 5 years isn't sacrificed.
I have a 99 GLS with 20000 miles on it and it has always needed oil between changes (every 3000 miles). This has always been a concern with me since my Toyota never needed a drop until I got rid of it at 139000 miles. My Intrigue seems to need even more lately - 2 quarts between changes. This seems like a lot. Also, sometimes, when I start it, it idles rough and I notice the exhaust is a little smokey. This goes away after driving slowly a block. Is this oil usage normal? Anyone having rough idle? Should I get this checked out? Thanks.
My 2000 GX used no oil during my first oil change interval of 4000 miles (23K to 27K). I'm 2200 miles into the next oil change interval and the dipstick is still at the full mark. However, I think 1500/quart is still considered reasonable.
Just did my pre-winter wax yesterday. Wow, that is hard work. Car looks great though!! Anyone know how to get the was off the bottom black plastic strip under the doors? A little got wax on there by mistake and now there are a couple of white marks I can't remove.
RE : Insurance - My deductible is now C$500. Used to be $200, but it's cheaper to have it a little higher. Well worth the savings I think.
dindak - I use the Meguiar's vinyl cleaner for the plastic strip that runs under the doors. It does a pretty good job of removing any wax.
darryl80 - Do you have the 3.8 or 3.5 engine? My '99 GL with the 3.5 uses about 1/2 quart every 3000 miles. 2 quarts seems pretty excessive. Also, from what I've read here the 3.8 should be consuming little to no oil.
My 99 3.5 GL uses no oil (at 53,000 miles); I think 2 quarts in 3,000 miles is borderline excessive even by manufacturer standards. I would have it checked out. b4z: As far as resale goes, I wouldn't be so quick to brag about Impala. Let's see what a 3-year-old Impala is worth in a year or two. Sure, it won't be as bad as Intrigue, just don't expect better than 50% of MSRP. It is still a Chevy and they still dump lots of them from rental places. I would guess a 2000 Impala with a $24,000 sticker price will be worth (after 3-years and 36,000 miles) about $12,000 at trade-in. $24,000 1999 Intrigue with 36,000 miles is at about $10,000 trade-in. That is not the car's fault; that's GM's fault for giving up on a 100-year-old company. We tried to trade in my wife's 2-year old 1997 Saturn (that stickered at $16,000) on the Intrigue in December 1998. Best offer was $8500. That's almost 50% depreciation in only a TWO YEAR OLD CAR with 24,000 miles! And Saturn is still in business. BTW, remember also that GM has given all of us unfortunate Olds owners an extra $1,000 off of our next GM purchase. I used mine on a 2001 Firebird Formula, so I have already effectively recouped $1,000 of the accelerated depreciation of the Intrigue.
The Impala has the highest resale value of all W body GM sedans. In my neck of the woods you can get a 2000 Impala LS fully loaded with around 15K miles for $18K. A 2001 LS with 10K miles command a $21K price tag with the GM used car certification. The Regal and Grand Prix also have higher resale values than the Intrigue. The Intrigue, of course is the lowest. $10K for an intrigue after 36 months? That's way too optimistic. Watch those values drop like a brick when the Olds operation finally shuts down next year. Many banks have stopped leasing new Oldsmobile vehicles since the announcement of the closure of the division was made last December, amid concerns of the terrible residual values projected for these cars over 36+ months.
The worst midsize American sedan for resale value has to be the Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable. The DCX LH cars fall somewhere in between but they are still lower than the GM counterparts.
GM is at fault for the astronomical depreciation of the Oldsmobile lineup, but also they failed in their attempts to make these cars more visible, better packaged, better priced and with bank vault reliability.
A year old used 2001 or 2002 Aurora 3.5L should be a palatable idea....big bucks depreciation.
The Impala is still a Chevy and there are plenty base sedans in rental and commercial fleets such as police and Taxi cabs. But the LS model has carved a niche for itself among retail buyers and the car is in serious demand, something that can't be said of the Intrigue or any Olds model in despite of the cheap financing and the 5/60 warranty.
Could they be overfilling on the oil? I know this is probably an odd comparison but I know when I overfill my lawn mower with oil it smokes for awhile. Just a thought. Maybe you could take it to a different place for the oil change. Do you make sure they put 10W or 5W in it? maybe that would help.
Dindak: I like to use a soft toothbrush to remove any excess wax from places where I don't want it (the emblem, the Intrigue lettering and the Oldsmobile lettering and the cracks between the sheet metal and doors/trunk/hood. I don't believe it'd work with the black plastic on the bottom though. What I like to do is take a good wheel brush and scrub it clean with car wash soap. I do it once a month and it keeps it looking better. One thing I'd change about the exterior is that black plastic on the bottom. I wish it was body colored.
Has everyone seen how big Nissan's emblem is on their cars now? I'd like to follow and get me a big new bravada emblem and put it on the front of my car. It'd look very sharp.
Meguiar's advise is to put armour all or similar products on the vinyl parts first, that way any excess wax won't stick. my 2000 ford focus wagon lost 45% in just over one year; fortunately for me, most of that was points i earned from ford credit card usage.
My favorite (recent) quote from Lutz, after viewing the new cars/concepts at a show...
"they all look like angry kitchen appliances!"
Heard that he and Wayne Cherry, head of GM design, are NOT getting long. An insider apparently told the press "they have thier good days and bad days, mostly bad".
...hey Wayne shut up and listen, you might learn something!
jg / redline : Thanx for the tips guys. I will try the toothbrush first (as I already have them around the house). If not, I'll get the cleaner. I like the black, but a colored strip would be easier to take care of.
focus : Are you married? I know that drops the cost down. Something must be pushing your insurance up.
yurakm : I tested a 3.5L Aurora and thought it was just fine. Intrigue is probably a touch faster with the lower weight, but the Aurora is no slouch. I too would love to pick up a used one some day.
Comments
Every time i get a longing for an intrigue again i read one of you guy's posts about suspension noises and I pop back into the reality of my intrigue ownership.Maybe in a couple of years i will buy a used one and figure that Moog will have come up with replacement parts that fix GM's OEM problems.
The Intrigue is dead, it was a flop from any point of view, has terrible resale and to top it all off it is an orphan brandwise and mechanically wise and consumers don't even want one at free financing with the 5/60 warranty. 3000 intrigues sold last month vs 17000 Impalas that tells you something. Get over it, the Intrigue is history after 2002.
Fact is, I like the Impala LS aside from the rear lights. I just don't appreciate Impala owners trashing the Intrigue, so I snip back.
It's all in good fun. Unfortunately your last post is bit mean spirited. Get up on the wrong side of be this morning?
If your Intrigue started to develop unfixable noises and problems, would you put up with it? Would you buy another one? Don't think so. The Intrigue has a very good engine/tranny combo, but the story ends there...the rest of the car is pretty much average from top to bottom. I dislike the Saturn inspired front end in the Intrigue, in an era where front end grills are the fashion thing.
I had a great night sleep and woke up on the usual side of the bed, how about yourself?
I still think the intrigue does some things better than the impala.
You have to admit though that there are certain suspension issues that may not be resolved with the car.
Teo was probably a little hard on you, but i don't think the impala comment was called for.
If you reread my post you will see that i might have a used intigue in my future. Just not now.
The midrange is where the DOHC comes alive.
b4z : I know you like the Intrigue. I think teo did overreact, not sure why. I just snipped back like I have done before. Sorry if you took it the wrong way. As I've said before I think the LS is a very decent sedan.
Let's Jive!
Bel air direct want to do a credit check before giving me a quote.
Direct protect web site is in errors when i tried to do online quotes, call their toll free # a few times, after pressing 1 for this , 5 for that..., heard a recording saying that they are too busy and suggested a visit to their site, then hung up.
These corporations are driving their customer and themselves nuts....
I can't believe how much trouble you are having.
PS: that was a sarcastic comment, cheer up!
I've been with the same company for about 5 years now so perhaps it came about after I started with them.
teo : Sometimes I wish they would just get rid of the boarder. It's more of a hassle than it's worth IMO. Someday it will happen I'm sure.
Last year checked auto insurance rates with a couple of insurance companies. Both asked my Social Security Number, and the inquires later appeared in my credit report. Just today called my bank for homeowner insurance quote (the bank sells insurance). They also asked my SSN and birthdate, as well as my wife's ones, explaining they need it to pull our credit reports.
The underlying idea: a strong correlation may exist between credit and accident rate. The person who have sloppy finances also drives less responsibly. On the other hand, a "perfectionist" makes less troubles in the both departments.
The idea had been proved about 5 years ago on a lot of real life statistical data by Fair-Isaac Company, developing and marketing credit score software and databases.
The opposite also must be true: car accidents can point to the risk of foreclosure and/or bancrupcy. However, the accidents and/or moving violations do not appear on the credit report. Yet.
The credit report agencies, as well as the Fair-Isaac, have a good additional income stream, caming from insurance industry. And a third income stream, from consumers, who are paying for the privilege to see their own credit reports and to fix errors.
By the way, did you check your credit report? There was 16 errors in mine, including 3 errors in my name, errors in my address and place of work. The credit report agency put me in other city, and reported that I still work in Russia - this is 5 years after emigrating.
Not sure, though, they are fixed even a half.
You might be paying more than you should do to an error. 6 of my dad's credit cards were on my report. They go by SSN first then address.
A guideline for scoring if you are buying a house is: Below 620-630 you will probably have to go FHA. And or pay a higher interest rate. Once you get to 700 you are good to go. Once you get to 720 the chances of you defaulting are almost 0.
They will let a self employed person who just opened his own business buy a house with a 720 score.
These scores will play a bigger and bigger part of our life over the next couple of years.
Let's Jive!"
You shouldn't be talking like that, man. You're gonna make me blow my whole paycheck next month! :-)
There shouldn't be any problems at 7000 miles but I'm confident that my previous experience will be repeated again.
No flames now. Just an observation.
I don't plan on giving up with the noise. It wasn't there before and it's easily heard. I'm going to run it by my brother (a mechanic) to see what he thinks it might be before I even ask the dealership to look at it.
I've been back SEVEN times for the whistling noise and have finally gotten someone interested in fixing that. I don't really care if the dealer service people roll their eyes when they see me anymore. I do not give up easily.
I see both points very easily when it comes to the Intrigue/Impala debate. I, for one, am glad to be driving Intrigue over Impala. For styling alone I would be. But with the 3.5 engine which was called "gloriously expensive" it's even more so. But I can't say that Intrigue was a success. It could've been. Calling it a flop is a bit extreme though.
I wouldn't do one unless it is absolutely necessary; but check your own as they do make mistakes.
One to one - if all you blow is one paycheck for all the stuffs, and most peopel get paid every two weeks, man, you must have a very good job!
I believe, they do not influence the scores. Looking for better insurance is not the same as looking for more loans. Probably, bargain shopping even reflect better financial responsibility. Just a common sense.
However, the FICo scoring algorithms being proprietary and confidential, I cannot know.
According to the info, it uses 30 companies for quote comparison; in my case, only six companies were shown. Price range from $1650 to $2500, relatively competitive but GM insurance is still the least expensive. Their phone quote and fax confirmation was responsive as well. Good price and good service = sales.
It has saved me a lot of money. I usually do a $1000 deductible.
On a side note, I hope to have MP3's/WMA's playing in the Intrigue by the end of the day. I have a Rio Volt and I'm installing an Aux-In adapter.
Lutz takes GM by storm
I'm all for it as long as cab forward doesn't come to GM. Maybe I actually will buy another GM in the future.
Lutz should be able to get GM back to its design excellence. I hope he doesn't cheapen them.
I expect only positives things from his tenure though.
The Olds dealer that did the repair switched to Honda since then, so I am wondering if the would honor a warranty on the previous fix.
It's really embarassing to have such a fine looking car sound so horrible upon startup (refering to thetime it takes to start).
All things said, I love the car, and have been a loyal follower of the Olds line since my first car @ 15. Unfortunately, I'm tired of poor build quality and terrible resale value (I was offered $8500 for my 99, at an Olds dealer, trading in for an Olds van none the less, NADA online even says $10500)
Sell it yourself.
i wouldn't buy the olds van. You will take another huge hit on appreciation.
They are offering you 1/3 of the car's original MSRP after three years of ownership. That is just plain scary.
As much as i loved my intrigue that is why i decided to take a step backwards in engine with the impala, but a couple of steps forward in interior room and resale.
I don't know about how much Lutz was responsible for that, but I just hope that the generous package that has characterized GM cars in the last 5 years isn't sacrificed.
RE : Insurance - My deductible is now C$500. Used to be $200, but it's cheaper to have it a little higher. Well worth the savings I think.
1way : Sounds like Mission Impossible. ;-)
darryl80 - Do you have the 3.8 or 3.5 engine? My '99 GL with the 3.5 uses about 1/2 quart every 3000 miles. 2 quarts seems pretty excessive. Also, from what I've read here the 3.8 should be consuming little to no oil.
b4z: As far as resale goes, I wouldn't be so quick to brag about Impala. Let's see what a 3-year-old Impala is worth in a year or two. Sure, it won't be as bad as Intrigue, just don't expect better than 50% of MSRP. It is still a Chevy and they still dump lots of them from rental places. I would guess a 2000 Impala with a $24,000 sticker price will be worth (after 3-years and 36,000 miles) about $12,000 at trade-in. $24,000 1999 Intrigue with 36,000 miles is at about $10,000 trade-in. That is not the car's fault; that's GM's fault for giving up on a 100-year-old company. We tried to trade in my wife's 2-year old 1997 Saturn (that stickered at $16,000) on the Intrigue in December 1998. Best offer was $8500. That's almost 50% depreciation in only a TWO YEAR OLD CAR with 24,000 miles! And Saturn is still in business. BTW, remember also that GM has given all of us unfortunate Olds owners an extra $1,000 off of our next GM purchase. I used mine on a 2001 Firebird Formula, so I have already effectively recouped $1,000 of the accelerated depreciation of the Intrigue.
The worst midsize American sedan for resale value has to be the Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable. The DCX LH cars fall somewhere in between but they are still lower than the GM counterparts.
GM is at fault for the astronomical depreciation of the Oldsmobile lineup, but also they failed in their attempts to make these cars more visible, better packaged, better priced and with bank vault reliability.
A year old used 2001 or 2002 Aurora 3.5L should be a palatable idea....big bucks depreciation.
The Impala is still a Chevy and there are plenty base sedans in rental and commercial fleets such as police and Taxi cabs. But the LS model has carved a niche for itself among retail buyers and the car is in serious demand, something that can't be said of the Intrigue or any Olds model in despite of the cheap financing and the 5/60 warranty.
Aurora is a slow car with the 3.5l. It does not accelerate as fast as my 98 Malibu (with 150hp 3.1l engine), and lags when cornering.
Both are beautiful cars IMO, and a bargain used.
Dindak: I like to use a soft toothbrush to remove any excess wax from places where I don't want it (the emblem, the Intrigue lettering and the Oldsmobile lettering and the cracks between the sheet metal and doors/trunk/hood. I don't believe it'd work with the black plastic on the bottom though. What I like to do is take a good wheel brush and scrub it clean with car wash soap. I do it once a month and it keeps it looking better. One thing I'd change about the exterior is that black plastic on the bottom. I wish it was body colored.
Has everyone seen how big Nissan's emblem is on their cars now? I'd like to follow and get me a big new bravada emblem and put it on the front of my car. It'd look very sharp.
my 2000 ford focus wagon lost 45% in just over one year; fortunately for me, most of that was points i earned from ford credit card usage.
"they all look like angry kitchen appliances!"
Heard that he and Wayne Cherry, head of GM design, are NOT getting long. An insider apparently told the press "they have thier good days and bad days, mostly bad".
...hey Wayne shut up and listen, you might learn something!
focus : Are you married? I know that drops the cost down. Something must be pushing your insurance up.
yurakm : I tested a 3.5L Aurora and thought it was just fine. Intrigue is probably a touch faster with the lower weight, but the Aurora is no slouch. I too would love to pick up a used one some day.