Oldsmobile Aurora

tipsicobob

another piece of trivia--the 2k1 Aurora concept really started as a replacement for the olds 88, but for numerous reasons, it was asked to do double duty and replace both the 88 and the aurora--hence the decontented 3.5

tipsicobob

i'm on a roll now. Typically the 88/lesabre/bonneville replacement programs were combined and managed by the same team in the last few iterations.Pontiac was very focussed and wanted to continue the "clay rake" theme of all pontiacs, and buick owned the full size affordable market and only wanted to update a good seller. Olds was totally lost in the mud and wanted to go after the Japanese offerings such as the Maxima. Well, the G body platform-as good as it is, is one hell of a hulk and was a designer's nightmare when it came to producing a competitor to the Maxima, etc. A lot of design tricks went into the vehicle to make it look smaller and more lighter on it's feet than it really is--overall, i think they got about half way to the goal.
The car really wanted to be off the midsize platform, but at that time CLCD (Cadillac Luxury Car Division) was responsible for the project and the G body was all it had. I know very little of this makes sense, but there's a lot of inertia in a lumbering jiant!!

drew_

zinc1

hammen2 - I didn't know they actually used Guidestar. I'll have to update the page.


dishwish - eBay and Olds Heritage homepage mostly. The GTS1 model sells for $24 at Heritage, just picked one up off of eBay for $7 (woohoo!) Im working on getting a few picks scanned from the Aurora racing videos now - already uploaded tons on the site from various brochures.


fjk57702 - I thought Aurora was the direct descendent of the Toronado(?)


tipsicobob - Yes, that does make sense, although I've never heard anyone else mention it, I've always thought the Aurora looked smaller than it was from a distance. It seems to grow as you get close to it - an amazing artistic effect, even if was done for practical purposes. It's good to hear that they designed the body that way on purpose, and I'm not losing my mind

Henry

Yeah but the car shrinks more when you get inside of her.

My taller friends always look uncomfortable in the front passenger seat.

The best comment about the Classic: "The worlds largest mid-sized car."
- I dont remember who said it, but it was a comment posted on this board.

hardesty

Or: Upgrading the new kid.

Just thought I would mention it. http://www.aaarims.com has "take-off" wheels for sale for both classic and new Auroras. I have not bought from them, but you can search by make model and year, so if there are some wheels from another car that you like, you could find them. They have 2001 chrome 17" wheels for ~$400 ($100 less than GM charges for new). http://www.tirerack.com has the Mich 235/55-17 2001 tires for ~$140 each (~$190 each retail) and I can speak for thier service. I ordered a tire to mount on the wheel that was damaged in my accident. It arrived in two days (UPS ground) and I had it mounted by a local shop for $17. So, now I have a full size spare. The repair bill showed $495 for the wheel, $35 for the hub cover (both chrome), and $200 for the tire, mount and balance.

fjk57702

Zinc1, Oldsmobile had the 98, the Toronado and an Oldsmobile Touring Sedan in the early 90's. The Toronado was not selling (I think) so it was discontinued. The touring sedan was replaced by the Aurora and then the 98 was dropped. The Aurora body design was intended to be the basis for all the big front wheel drive cars. The Park Ave was next off in 97, then the Seville in 98 followed by the DeVille, Bonneville and LeSaber in 2000 and the Olds 88 in 2001 (rebadged Aurora 3.5) and a new Aurora rebadged Aurora 4.0.

It is worthwhile pointing out that GM made the frontwheel drive Olds 98, Buick Electra/Park Ave and Deville/Fleetwood a bit too small in 85. So the deville was remodeled in 89 and then the Park Ave and Olds 98 in 91. The Seville was really down sized in 86 and they decided that waiting for the Aurora body and the Northstar was not a good plan, hence the Seville was new in 92 on an improved body (which the Deville was upgraded to in 94). This is why GM ran out of money to get the Aurora body into production until 95. Still, it took 5 more years to fully convert all of the full size cars to this design. The interesting question is, will the new sigma design take over. Actually the sigma design probably has a lot of the Aurora (or G?) body design in it. Even the trucks seem to have incorporated some the technology I think.

tpken

The heritage of Aurora and the other full sized GM cars has been quite interesting to read here. Thanks for the great info.

Ken

Henry

GOOD GOOD GOOD

I hope this board is slow because
EVERYBODY IS OUT DRIVING THAT AURORA!!!

hammen2

...but Henry, I'm sad to say I've not been driving my Aurora. I had it in the shop this week to work on some warranty issues, and I must say, the dealership service experience is frustrating, at best.

First of all, I have to schedule appointments for 2-3 weeks out. I even brought my car in the night before, so it would hopefully get attention the day of the appointment, and it still took them 2 1/2 days for an oil change and a half-dozen minor repairs (replace turning lamp, repair window alignment, diagnose non-illuminated center console, etc.). Half of the things they fixed this time, were things they didn't fix the last time they had the car for 3 days (in mid-May).

To top it all off, I get home from the dealership and notice that the driver door panel is loose/there's a huge gap between the panel and the door. They didn't put it back on correctly.

So, next time I think I'll try the dealer who is 1 mile from my house, not the one where I bought the car.

I'm sure that one of Olds' problems was that, even though they totally revised the auto lineup, I think the dealer channel failed them... maybe that's why GM is being somewhat forceful with the dealers re: the buyout terms/Olds' closure...

*sigh*

--Robert the frustrated

Henry

I guess I am totally spoiled by the dealership I go to. Great Service is the Norm there!
I guess only the folks in northern New Jersey are fortunate enough to be within driving distance of great dealer service.

When I went on my trip and stopped by another Olds dealership in S.C. I realized how good I had it back in N.J. Remember, I do NOT work for them, nor do I have stock in the company.

Henri

P.S. Going on another trip to Va. Me and Route 95 are getting entirely too close. Unfortunately my Aurora will not be going woth me. The car is still in the shop waiting formy warranty company to okay the repairs. I can not recommend Warranty Gold to anyone. There corporate logo should be a skull and cross bones. I think Edmunds made a mistake partnering up with them.

P.P.S. What happend to our Host PAT? Another host posted to this board.

PAT if you are out there, dial in and let us know what is up. We spent too much time "breaking you in" to start on another Host. ((SMILE))

pat

I'm here Henri - as always! Drew was just wanting to let folks know about the chat.

On that note, remember you've had L8_Apex as a host for the last four years - and he is now retiring. Stop by the discussion he created last night and wish him well. He's been a tremendous asset to Town Hall for a very long time. Sedans and L8_Apex have been synonymous from almost the beginning of Town Hall. He's left some very large and impressive footsteps for me to follow.

Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards

pizza442

Been getting ready to get the warranty deal going. Warranty Gold? Is that the one from Warrantybynet? The service guys at the local Buick /Pont dealer said that one of the best after market probs that they deal with (quick resp. and no problems) is American Guardian and maybe a few others. The most important thing they say to look for is who underwrites the policy. Now who out there has what and what can you all say about there service? My latest problem (other than the surge) is cold air out the pass but not the driver (air cond on). Sounds like one of the many door actuators under the dash, is this going to be covered under these policies? 95 Aurora w/57,000 miles bought last Oct.. Jay

hammen2

I, too, was going to bring up the warranty issue. I've looked at Warranty Gold, 1 Source Auto Warranty (whom Edmunds' new partner was), and WarrantyByNet (whom Edmunds now seems to be pushing). I think WarrantyByNet is the one backed by American Guardian.

I haven't actually talked to any of the companies, just been checking their web sites. Warranty Gold seems to disclose the least/I've heard they're more pushy-sales. 1 Source seems the least pushy, and they claim to do their own warranty administration. WarrantyByNet offers the lowest prices, but I haven't compared their exclusions lists. I suspect they are comparable, meaning that the real difference (other than price) is customer service (which is why Henry's experience speaks volumes). Anyone here dealt with 1Source or WarrantyByNet?

--Robert

pat

You folks should drop our Finance, Warranty & Insurance Board - you'll find lots of information there. There are active discussions on 1Source, Warranty Gold and WarrantyByNet. You should be able to find out the scoop on each one and ask any questions you have.

Let us know what you find out over there.

Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards

zinc1

I use American Guardian through Warrantybynet. Paid $1100 for the policy and had to use it twice. The first time there were a couple of delays of a day or two for approvals because of the time difference between us - I'm in L.A., CA, American Guardian is in Brick, NJ. The second time was delayed a day for an inspector to take pictures of wornout tranny parts to send to NJ for approval. The delays weren't excessive, considering, and AG paid for almost everything needed - about $4,000 total - including a new transmission. From these experiences I'd recommend them, but I add the disclaimer: your experience(s) may vary

9899olds

Who on this forum has a 01 4.0 Aurora??? After the Olds shutdown the Aurora goes to the Buick camp.. True or False???

The current Aurora seems to be a misfit or a somewhat nonevent due to its styling, size, and price..Resale value is suspect..I think the 3.5 offering in the Aurora was a big mistake..It's a neat engine, but it isn't Aurora class??

The upper crust image of the Aurora was tarnished somewhat with a low-priced offering of V-6. i ordered a 4.0; it came in and I let it go..It would have been a $10,000 hit out the door..

The old classic has retained it's value; in fact adding value after the new replacement arrived and people couldn't decide if it was an Intrigue or an Aurora..

I am finding that the single franchise Olds dealer is getting a little sloppy in appearance and people are baling out early.. Service is a big factor and the sweet pricing plus warranty glosses over the real world of liveability after death..

I am a two time Intrigue owner with the third one coming into the fold in the 02 model yr. My quick visit to a Eastside single franchise Detroit Olds dealer sent me a visual message that these people are going out of business probably a lot sooner than they planned on.. The Intrigue is unique in many respects and is fairly disimiliar from the other W cars..

I am on my last Intrigue and curious what owners think of the restyled 4.0 Aurora..

hardesty

The division most likely (IMO) to get anything like the 3rd generation Aurora is Chevrolet (no current GHK body car). Styling ... very personal ... the 2001 Aurora is more like the 1995 prototype (the Intrigue is more like the Aurora classic). It retains much of the classic (there are a couple of older Auroras in my neighborhood) look, and is totally Oldsmobile. It stands out as different in every line-up of in-class cars (Oldsmobiles ARE different). I don't think the offering of the 3.5L V6 detracts from the mystique of the Aurora, it is , afterall, an Oldsmobile only engine. I drove both the V6 and V8 and chose to order the Full Monte because it is clearly what the platform was designed to carry. A look under the hood of a LeSabre (and the clear view of the ground) shows that this is a V8 platform. There are pipes under the hood labled "DeVille/Aurora". The 2001 "curved dash" Olds is one fine car. I suspect that there will not be any Aurora after Oldsmobile, and that each remaining GM nameplate will retain a brand look.

fjk57702

The question is what happens to the V8. I think the 3800 is not expected to meet future air pollution standards. I think the 3.5 V6 is to replace the 3800 eventually. For the time being the Aurora production continues. At some point, when demand drops below some level it will terminate. The current Northstar's (including the Aurora) will be updated with variable valve timing. I expect the 3.5 V6 to show up in the CTS due next year - perhaps with VVT.

As far as the body goes, the Bonneville and LeSabre are the same. The suspension tuning is Aurora's and the Northstar V6 and V8 are presently exclusive. If the CTS is priced like the current Catera and has the 3.5 V6 I will be very interested. This car would be a great Aurora replacement. With a well designed rear wheel drive body and a decent V6, this could be the BMW killer that the Aurora was supposed to be. And if there is a 4.2 L VVT Northstar V8 option, well...

zinc1

I would be very happy to see an American car compete well with the German and Japanese luxury models (actually any model). But there are many aspects to master before U.S. automakers can move out of #3.

First, the American quality issue hasn't been solved, maybe ignored, but not solved. This includes production and service quality. I'm sure the culture here has a lot to do with it, as well as the UAW and Management. It's up to our industry to eventually make a real effort at quality. How? I wish I knew.

Secondly, Olds/GM blew a bundle on the new Olds line in the 90s and relied - I guess - on the Aurora V8 Indy performance to sell the cars (I sure didn't see any other promotion for them). Europeans pay some attention to racing, and the automakers involved, but Americans don't seem to be interested in performance-proven cars. So, if I'm right about that, it wasn't the way to promote cars in the U.S. They gambled, and this may hurt American racing in the future, but TV advertising will probably increase - too late for Olds.

Third, - and this is related to the first point - Consumer Advocates and auto mag writers have to be won over to help persuade Americans to buy U.S. made cars. Although I've read a lot of premature glowing reviews of new U.S. offerings, the general consensus is that the U.S. has always been in third place since the 1970s. The perceived shakeups in the industry in the mid-eighties and all through the nineties haven't changed that. But you can tell that the auto-mag writers are really pulling for their home team and only need a real contender to come along before they can really start cheering (ie: the way MT glows about the Corvette's price when comparing performance cars).

But, I propose these as - rather obvious - symptoms, the causes are the issue.

redskin024

I dont see the Catera CTS being an Aurora replacement unless they make it bigger. The current Catera isnt much bigger than a Malibu.

Henry

Glad to know you are still with us.

As far as following in L8_Apex foot steps.

I bet he can't wear those HIGH HEELS like you can.

fjk57702

There is quality of reliability and there is quality of luxury. Honda and Toyota are very reliable. Luxury has to have a certain feel. Plastic wood doesn't quite do it.

The Aurora had a lot of preproduction press and the preproduction car made available for the car mag editors was very promising (so they said in a number of articles). The Aurora was going to be an American alternative to the Audi-BMW-Mercedes imports that the yuppies were going for. The 95 production model didn't quite live up to expectations.

Zinc, the money spent on Olds also went into Buick and Pontiac, as well as Cadillac.

The CTS may not be the car most of you want. The Bonneville SSEi probably is also a good choice. If money is not a problem, The DTS or STS is a good choice. Note that the STS is going to the sigma body after the CTS is out. But for now the Aurora is still in production and I would guess it will last through 03 if people will buy enough of them. GM has written Olds off, so every Olds that sells is pure profit (after you pay for the parts and labor). They will keep building Oldsmobiles until they need the space for something better.

infinia1

per my just received motor trend..."want to buy one of the last oldsmobiles to come off the assembly line? here are the end dates for its models: the intrigue's last year is 02, which will also be the signoff for the short-lived aurora v6. the alero and silhouette dissapear after 04, and the aurora v8 is gone after 05. the just launched bravada is scheduled for as far out as 07, but will serve post-05 wearing another badge-probably buick." so sad...

jcy2k1

jcy2k1

I've posted here a couple times in the past. I'm the current owner of a silvermist 2001 Aurora V8 with all options except the sunroof as was my prefernce. I've had a long drawn out ordeal with GM that has spanned more than 8 months now after initially taking delivery of my special order car in October '00. My first car ended up as a GM buyback because of a hesitation/surging in the car which could not be fixed at the time. Low and behold, after waiting 2 months for a new one which was ordered from the factory and another 3 weeks to complete the paperwork, I took delivery of the new vehicle. This car also had the same problem. My frustration/anger barometer was peaking and at this point I just wanted my money back. GM strung me along for another week and at the last minute came up with some kind of PCM download which fixed the problem. Within the first couple weeks, I also had the power steering pump replaced because it was just plain noisy and created a high pitched whine commensurate with engine speed.
Anyway, the saga continues: At about 4500 miles, I noticed drops of something on my garage floor. It turned out to be engine oil. The long and short of this is that one of the cylinder heads had a crack in it. GM calls this a 'porous' condition. Ever go to a service dpartment and see your car up on a lift with the engine, transmission and whole front suspension on a stand below the car? I have. After repeated pleas to buy this car back, the GM regional rep would only say that they could and would fix the car and that he could not justify a buyback. What GM did do was give me a 60/100,000 bumper to bumper after the car was delivered with the same hesitation problem and then pay for 1 month's car payment after the oil leak problem.
What can I say- this dream car has turned into a nighmare. The insane part is that I have the car back now and really enjoy driving it. Most folks will buy this car and never have a problem. Such was not my luck. On paper, this car is a stunner. In reality, it has the potential to be a heartache as I don't think GM is capable of consistently high build quality/control. If anyone has any questions, I'll respond as quiclky as I can. When it comes to problematic Auroras, I have experience to draw from. This is a real love/ hate relationship. I'm one of those types (as most on this board are) who drive a car for the way it makes them feel.

matrixfrog

Hey guys, long time no see. With my new job I've been pretty busy. Nothing new to say about the Aurora except that it is looking nice and clean.

I recently found a 97 Black Lincoln Mark VII LSC at a local dealership. I test drove it for fun and feel in love it. 4.6 DOHC V8 280hp RWD. Nice and fast. I was considering trading in the Aurora for it but I dont want to see my baby go.

Thats all for now. I'll beback when I have some more free time.

zinc1

Hey Matrix! You're being good to her I hope Trade for a Lincoln? Naw - maybe better QC but not the same luxury.

Speaking of luxury, fjk57702, I compared the Aurora to Jaguar here once. There's no doubt that it's quiet and comfortable and that a lot of R&D went into the car. But R&D, in itself, isn't quality. Luxury is a class of car and isn't synonymous with quality either, but maybe I should have specified reliability instead But that doesn't really speak to 'fit and finish' problems that plague GM particularly. As to the money spent on Olds as opposed to the other GM makes; I was referring more to Aurora's V8 used in Indianapolis and the IMSA GTS-1 and World SportsCar(s). There was a lot of fanfare from '93 to '95, but it's all but vanished in the last six years. The 2K1 Aurora didn't get all that much promotion either - although they seemed to have high expectations for its sales.

Part of what's attractive about the Aurora is what one reviewer said - referring to the cockpit control layout - "it makes the driver feel engaged" which is what has kept my interest every time I hopped in for a long drive - DIC on: check; Set MPG: check; Switch to Date: check; Change CD: check; Engage throttle...

Henry

Warp Drive on line: check, radar detector on line: check, engage: warp factor 9!

(Zinc1 thinking to himself: @##%^$ I really wish that Concorde would stop hogging the left lane and let me pass. Faster than the speed of sound is soooo nineteen eighties.)

Henry

Trading in the CLASSIC for a F O R D??
Man you need to lay-off that stuff and check yourself into the Betty Ford Clinic.

Get Well Soon.

fjk57702

The first generation Aurora was equivalent to the Riviera/Park Avenue class I think. I owned a 95 Riviera for 4 years and I can say that the feel of luxury was better than my 98 Aurora. The one thing that bothers me about the Aurora is the glare/reflection of the dash in the windshield. This didn't happen with the Riviera. The basic finish of my Aurora (and the top of the dash design is what I am speaking of) reminds me more of what I would expect from the Bonneville than from the Park Avenue. Yet the base price on this car was 37000+!

Still I like the V8 and the trip computer. The Buick has a 60's V6 design and my Riv didn't have even an oil monitor. That was a major disappointment because Cadillac has had DIC's since before 1980. In fact the Aurora's trip computer was an option on the 78-79 Seville.

The official olds web site (see news) says the current product line will run their normal lifetime (about 5 years) unless sales drop below expectations. Note that the second generation Aurora is an olds 88/bonneville/lesabre class. A high end class but the SSEi is real competition. The first generation sold at 25000 per year I think.

fjk57702

The J.D. Power report for 01 put GM just above average. This is not bad. Buick was above average except Park Ave. The DeVille did very good. Pontiac and Olds were below average. If GM can bring the below average vehicles up and keep the rest where they are, they will score better. The problem is that everyone else will try to do the same.

Henry

I really don't see the glare problem you are talking about.

I guess it falls into the same category as the rear window distortion. By that I mean that you have to be sensitive to it.

fjk57702

The problem is worst in late afternoon/early morning when traveling into the sun. Because of the sun angle, there are shadows in front of you (particularly in mountains with lots of trees) and with a light interior the sun shining on the dash produces a reflection of the dash in the windshield and because there are dark shadows in front of you, the only thing you see in the windshield is the reflection of the dash. A black towel thrown over the dash eliminates the problem.

I would guess that a black dash would eliminate the problem too. I have used armor all low gloss on the dash hoping to reduce the reflective properties of the dash. It didn't make things worse.

This problem was first noticed on my way into Salt Lake City (from the east) and fortunately I didn't hit anything. Since then, I have figured out how to manage the problem. When I get a new car, this is one problem that I will check out before buying.

The rear window distortion was fixed on the 96 model.

Henry

I have a 95 and did not notice the distortion until someone sat with me and pointed it out. I just paid it no mind before (or since). My chief complaint about the car is the gas mileage on priemium fuel, the rear window and glare I can live with. Also at 250hp the Aurora is really NOT a contender. the new 6 cyn. Acura will dust us in a heartbeat.

However, I think the rear window was fixed in 97 because that is when the slant on the roof was changed.

zinc1

It took over a year before I first noticed the dash reflection problem, even after looking for it - which makes me think it was corrected with some liquid - I vaguely remember someone saying there was a spray that you could use on the inside of the window for this, and that it worked well. Haven't seen the rear window distortion on my '96.

The classic sold 25000 per year?! You sure couldn't tell. Where would you find sales/production info for former years on this?

Haven't read the J.D. Power report for '01, but I wonder if any manufacturer was rated below average - it would give an indication of any bias.

Yeah, those pesky Concords are always in the way - but at least the Aurora's cockpit kills the noise Have a good 4th, everyone.

pizza442

Had warm air out the driver side and slightly cool out the passenger. Thought I had a problem with the actuator doors but was only in need of a freon charge. BUT, if I crack the sunroof or a window with the fan and everything turned off, the vacuum draws warm engine air in through the floor (flow through) vent, even though the temperature is set at 60 and selector on "off".Now if I could only get rid of the surge...O2 sensor is next, after that I am waiting until I get a warranty.

zinc1

Jay, get a warranty, definitely. You could wind up spending a fortune in nickels before realizing you need it, too late.

pizza442

I am ready to do it and I won't do the O2 yet, but I am not sure if they will replace the O2 under warranty even if it is causing my problem. Will yours from Warrantybynet? If I can do it myself, I might just do it as tune-up - maintenance as I get a good discount from my wholesale parts buddy at Connell Chevy. I read all the warranty talk at the insurance forum here at Edmunds and am looking at Warrantybynet, but I want to investigate GE Capital if I remember correct. The guys at the dealerships deal with this one alot.Jay

9899olds

You are a real Aurora fan which is a car where production quantities are so small nothing ever gets fixed..

I am also a two Intrigue owner where the first one was repurchased at 26k miles and I bought another one which isn't perfect but offers high end cruising with decent handling..

I ordered a 01 4.0 Aurora and when it came in my wife said she would rather keep her 96 Norhtstar.. During my Fla stay in Dec00, dealers were selling new 4.0s for 28,500 loaded..

You have had problems and I hope you have a leased one because then you could get out of it.

Who is going to work on yours after Olds dies..This is my last Intrigue and will go the Z-28 route--it's a great AARP car..

You seem to be holding up well!!!

stevesch

I have a 97 Aurora with 62,000 miles. The car is a great car when everything is running right, but it just seems that something will always go wrong with this car.
The car just recently has had problems with the CV joint drive axle that had to be replaced. New rear shocks had to be put on. Transmission failed at 20,000 miles and had to be rebuilt. Water pump broke at 50000 miles. Oil leaked at 50000, but it still leaks now. Rear window defroster broke twice. Cruise control broke twice. Plus a lot of little tacky things with interior have fallen apart.

If it wasn't for the warranty of this car, the repair costs would have been high. I think the engine may be the only thing reliable on this car.

fjk57702

The JD Power report for 01 put ford and chysler below the industry average of 147 and GM was at 146. Info is on carconnection in old news.

In reviewing the 98 Aurora, Automobile magazine said they were selling about 25000 per year and recommended the car. This is why (along with a 3000 incentive) that I looked at the 98 Aurora.

My Aurora was a program car. The dealer covered the interior with new car goo. This may have put a shiny coating on the dash, which may explain why the reflections are bad under certain conditions. I would like to put a no gloss coat on the dash, but I have not found anything yet.

My city gas mileage is around 20. A bit more in summer and less in winter. I do minimize the use of the A/C. On a trip to California (about 5000 miles total) the car averaged 29. This was fall, so the A/C didn't work too hard. I also cruised 70 on the interstates. Don't have the autobahn package. So the engine is doing just over 2000 RPM's. The Aurora is a heavy car. Expecting much more than the EPA rating (17/26) is not realistic.

Since the V8's are basically northstars, cadillac will be able to maintain them for as long they remain in business. I think the rest of the Olds line will be maintainable by any GM dealer for as long as GM is in business.

hardesty

Kelly has information on 2002 Oldsmobiles. ( http://www.kbb.com ) They show one new Aurora option, UM8 Navigation Radio (which requires the 12 disc CD changer) for $935 MSRP. Maybe GuideStar returns! No pictures of the interior, but might have to trade the 2001 for a 2002 just for fun. The 2002 GM minivans are available with AWD, so we will probably get the Olds with the new for 2002 DVD player. $1500 coupons and 5 year warranties are hard to pass up.

arcoates

I don't think GM would introduce something entirely new on a defunct model. They save the best stuff for Cadillac. It's probably something to do with OnStar.~ A.R.

scottc8

I'm a Lincoln LS owner just snooping around. We had a different problem with dashboards on some of our cars. The finish on the upper surface was very dull and uneven. Lincoln's suggested "fix" was to spray some Black Magic (I think) onto an extra-fine ScotchBrite pad and lightly buff the dashboard. I used Meguiar's version of Armorall on a pad of white ScotchBrite and it worked very well. My other car has a black dash and had a major glare problem so I tried the same treatment and it did the trick. It took the edge off the glare without making it dull. And it beats driving around with a towel on the dash, which is what I was doing before.

pat

on the Comparison board: Lincoln LS vs Chrysler 300M vs Olds Aurora - American Shootout.

If you are interested, follow that link and - as the creator says - come discuss "the trade offs between the best of what the USA has to offer."

Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board

sdcelli

I've had the V8 Aurora since March. It's a great running car so far except for a few minor problems.

My air bag problem light keeps coming on. The dealer says they need a special kit from GM to fix this which is on backorder. I've been waiting 2 months for this. Also get some water in the rear passenger side floor. They thought they had this fixed but now I'm bringing it in for the 2nd attempt at repair.

ANyone with similar problems?

mosaix

What kind of prices are you guys getting 2001 Auroras at now that GM has announced Olds is dead in the water? Are they selling close to invoice or below? Also, is the $400 spiff that the sales person gets still on? I noticed Edmunds' TMV price was nearly identical to invoice.

hardesty

You should be able to get a 2001 Aurora at or very near invoice, and then apply any available discounts. The 2002 Oldsmobiles are now being built (or at least will be after next weeks vacation) and the only thing new for 2002 is the Navigation Radio (tied into the GPS and CD changer). While overall, the new Aurora has been selling well, in some areas, it has not, so it might be worth it to shop around for a deal. The $400 sales incentive has ended (I think when sales picked up after the extended warranty was offered). I plan on ordering a 2002 w/nav soon as I can now get the employee price and still use my $1500 loyalty coupon (~$3000 below invoice total). I'll take the hit on the 2001, but the five year warranty and better interest rates will really soften the blow. Oldsmobile is not quite dead yet, it's just pinin' for the fijords!

redskin024

fjk577>>>>>>>> There is a product called Armor-All low gloss... im not sure if the still make it.