Oldsmobile Intrigue

vcjumper · May 2002

Check out the screen cap I took

Matrix Reloaded - CTS and Intrigue

intrigueguy · May 2002

Haven't been here in a while but wanted to give an update. I bought the car 3/12/00 used (rental) with 31,000 miles.

Still going strong at 72,300 miles. Only services; a front right strut replaced under warranty, A/C unit control @ $300, Brakes turned, new pads and trans fluid @ 55,000 miles and regular oil changes at 5,000 miles.

I put on Yokohama YK 420 235/55/16 at 60,000 miles and they have been great tires (it handles like a new car).

While I really like my Intrigue (it seems to get better with age). And even though I'll take my hit with resale, I have been considering my need/want for a SUV, I've been looking at the Rendezvous . Since this is one of the more auto educated boards.. What are the thoughts of the Rendezvous??

Every One Have A Happy Memorial Day.

jg28 · May 2002

I clicked on the link and saved it to my computer. I'm unable to view it. :-(

intrigueguy, it's amazing that your car has been so good to you. Some here discount the experiences of many of us who've bought used Intrigues and chalk it up to the fact that they're used. I wonder if they think yours is a fluke of nature. I think the Rendezvous is ugly and underpowered with an old school technology engine. If you wanna stick with GM how about a trailblazer envoy or heck a bravada (soon to be Ranier or is it Rainier).

It sure has been difficult to find a passenger compartment air filter. I've yet to find one around anywhere even though both fram and purolator make em in addition to acdelco. With the abundance of W bodies, you'd think they'd stock em everywhere.

beach15 · May 2002

The Rendezvous is a very nice SUV/crossover with excellent build quality, features, and price. But, it really doesn't have any power and is a bit "soft" on the road, much like any other Buick. Coming from an Intrigue, these two factors may or may not be of importance of you, but that's for you to decide. Other than that, they're really very nice and well built.

As far as the Trailblazer/Envoy/Bravada, they're quite loose and sloppy on the road, some with not so great quality. But then again, being first year models (even though the Rendezvous is too), that might be a reason for so many little quality issues. Noisy fans, rattles, hesitation, bad engines, pieces that are broken or falling off, etc. Not all are bad, but if going with one of the GM triplets, at least wait until 2003, or late in the 2002 build.

Good luck!

vcjumper · May 2002

It is a tiff file, windows imaging under accessories should open it. It wouldn't convert to a jpg for me.

dindak · May 2002

We tested a Rendezvous in the winter and loved it. It was a little over our budget so we decided against it, but it could replace our Intrigue down the road. I think it's a very well built rig and it's great on gas for an SUV type vehicle. Given the number of them I see every day now I'm guessing a lot of people agree it's a good choice.

Glad you are enjoying your Intrigue as much as I am. Just went over 50K kms this week.

oldsman01 · May 2002

The Rendezvous is nice, but I wish they had put the 3800 V6 or the 3.5 liter V6 in it as the 3400 is underpowered in that vehicle. It is supposed to get a new engine in 2004. Personally, I like the GMC Envoy and Oldsmobile Bravada better. They are more trucklike, but are more solidly built and have an excellent inline 6 engine. No complaints about power in those SUVs. I also like the looks of those better than the Rendezvous.

nferr · May 2002

We have a loaded up Rendezvous. Really nicely built and very luxurious for this type of vehicle. They definitely should have engineered a way to shoehorn the 3.8 in there. Its fine for highway and everday driving though. Its quite different than the GM suv's, much, much less trucklike.

jonbgood · May 2002

The Aurora board consists mostly of posters with the '99 and earlier s. Any feed back for me on this engine. What is the consensus from most of the posters on this board. I'm hearing I should be able to buy an '01 Aurora for around $20k with low miles.

one2one · May 2002

My first question is, How tall are you? If you're above what is generally considered tall, you're in for a very tight squeeze. I can't speak from experience on much more than that. But from a spec sheet I'd have to agree with nferr. I do feel it is underpowered particularly if you load it up and put the air on (again speaking only from a spec sheet). It is worthy of note that the torque curve is fairly flat although if falls sharply. Other than that I can't say I have much of a beef with them. I see many on the road in southeastern PA and especially southern NJ.

Concerning TrailBlazer and Envoy, I really liked the Envoy. When the old Intrigue was totalled, the insurance company let me cruise in an Envoy for a week. It's very smooth and power is great except at very low speeds. Not that it's bad; just not V-8 like. Think of the comparisons made btwn the 3.5 and 3.8 engines in the Intrigue and you have an idea. I would have to disagree with it being sloppy in handling. I thought it was very controlled for an SUV. More than anything else, it's extremely quiet. I liked it so much that when I had to give it back I seriously considered getting one. Convinced a co-worker to buy an Envoy (he was already leaning in that direction) and he's been in love ever since. Space is good even behind the driver. It was a little tight for me behind the wheel but I found a position that was "acceptable" and just remembered that most vehicles aren't going to fit like a glove the way the Intrigue does.

As to which of the 3 sisters is better, it all depends on your styling tastes. I drove all three. With the exception of the Bravada, they all felt the same. The Bravada is the only one that I drove with the air suspension. Personally, I like the ride without it.

TSchramm · May 2002

At 70K miles, I have just had the front rotors turned at the dealer. The service manager mentioned this would probably be the last time they could turn them as they were getting too thin and recommended replacing them next time they need turning. He did say that I should probably go some where else besides the dealer, as GM OEM rotors are about $200 each.

Although I seem to have one of the higher-mileage Intrigues on this board, any suggestions on finding suitable replacement rotors when the time comes? I also may need to look at struts, as these are the original and getting a little stiff at 70K. Thanks.

b4z · May 2002

How did you feel about the visibility in the envoy? I felt like the windshield was not tall enough, kind of like looking through a mailslot.
Things were tight for me also. But I could drive one if I had too.

one2one · May 2002

From what I remember the world did look a little blue-ish because of the tint at the top of the windshield. I suppose the best way to describe it is to say that it wasn't like the '01 Aurora. I can't honestly remember it being a problem. I did notice that the Envoy seemed to be easier on my right knee than the TrailBlazer because the button on the lower left side of the radio on the Blazer is in a different spot on the Envoy.

dindak · May 2002

If you get a recent build Envoy you are likely ok and many of the initial issues with the vehicle are probably dealt with. It's a great truck but it definitely had some problems out of the gate.

I think I would go Rendezvous simply because it less $$, more space and better mileage.

bigdaddycoats · May 2002

Can anyone tell me when the 3.8 was replaced with the 3.5. And what number in the VIN would let me know which engine is in a particular Intrigue. Thanks for your help.

one2one · May 2002

Can't be as specific as you need, but the 3.5 was introduced in 1999 in GLS models and later during the model year (more like closer to the end of the model year) in the remaining models. Some who ordered early still wound up with the 3.8 because GM said the noise levels in the 3.5 were higher than they wanted and subsituted it with the 3.8.

It's not much but I hope it helps. Perhaps others can shed more informed light on this for you.

white6 · May 2002

Who has replaced their struts? I think mine are due for replacement (64,000 miles) as the ride has deteriorated to the point that any sharp road irregularities seem to be magnified. ACDelco website lists two different struts for Intrigue: 503322 Road Response Silver and 506263 Reactek. Found the Silver's for $70.92 each and the Reactek's for $136.10 each (plus shipping). Anyone have experience with these?

white6 · May 2002

My 99 GL was built in Nov 98 and it has the 3.5 DOHC engine, although it was a $320 option. By the end of the 99 model year, 3.5 was only engine being installed in Intrigue, from what I gather.

lmacmil · May 2002

is the 8th place in the string. It's H for the 3.5 and (I'm pretty sure) K for the 3.8.

lmacmil · May 2002

A while back I called all the local parts stores for rotor prices for my wife's Explorer. As I recall, prices ranged from $40 to about $80 and the dealer was $105. NAPA and at least one other shop had an "economy" version and a "premium" version. When I do it, I'll definitely go with the premium version. My guess is the economy version doesn't have enough material on it to be turned even once, not to mention other cost reducing shortcuts.

BTW, GM Parts Directs says the Intrigue rotor list price is $122 and their direct price is $61.

http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/

pgl1 · May 2002

FYI - I've spent a lot of time looking into this, so has another person who frequents this site whose name I cannot recall at the moment (sorry).

GMPartsdirect says that there is no difference between the two part numbers.

ACDelco says that the Road Response Silver "is more responsive, and provides extra comfort and control throughout the strut's entire range of motion" and that it replaces the Reactek line." This doesn't make any sense to me because the Reactek strut only fits the Intrigue from '98 - '02 and the Road Response Silver fits many GM cars and vans from '97 - '00. When I pointed this out to the people at ACDelco, their answer was that the "Road Response line is still fairly new and has not completely replaced the older Reactek line".

A gentleman I spoke to at Delphi said that the part numbers they make are 22400000 & 22400001 (which are Reacteks). He also told me that the only change during Delphi's entire production run took place when they changed the exterior color from silver to black. So when I replace mine, I'm going with Reacteks, because 1) I loved the way the car handled when new and 2) IMO the best OEM handling possible cannot be derived by installing the Road Response Silver struts that are also installed in Silhouette's, Ventures and Century's. Hope this helps you decide.

pgl1 · May 2002

FYI - TSB # 00-07-30-002A (August 2000) was issued due to erratic, harsh shifts, shudders and flares in vehicles equipped with the Hydramatic 4T65E transmision. The problem was reportedly due to either: sediment inside the pressure control solenoid valve, causing the PC solenoid valve to bind; sediment in the valve body, causing the torque signal regulator valve to stick; or incorrect transaxle oil level. I've just started experiencing hard upshifts and shudders in my '99 w/ 56K mi. The fluid level is fine. I'll be in the shop this weekend. I've got my dealership checking to see if GM will foot the bill for fixing this widespread problem. If not, I'm going to the private mechanic I've used for 20 years and handing him a copy of the bulletin.

b4z · May 2002

If it were me I would go with the road response silvers. Remember the intrigue has the thickest sway bars (front) than ANY of the other w-bodies.
It is going to ride a little harder anyway.
I felt like my intrigue's initial jounce was way to firm. Just my opinion.

b4z · May 2002

I took delivery of my '99 GX March 22,1999. It was built 2/99. The 3.5L was a $500 and something dollar option.
I believe all the cars that were built after March came with the 3.5L.
If you are looking at the car, the 3.5L looks completely different fronm the 3.8L.

sda · May 2002

I have now owned my 2000 GL for one month. I have driven about 1000 miles. Total mileage on car, 20400 mi. Normally I drive about 1200-1400 miles per month, but we went on vacation the day after I bought the Intrigue, and we drove my wife's Passat. Bummer. I could hardly wait to get back to drive my new toy. But the Passat has a rear sunshade that protects our 6 month old who is in a rear facing baby seat. Anyhow, I am delighted with the Intrigue. Plenty of time for buyer's remorse, but I have none. What a nice engine the 3.5 V6 is. It is smooth, powerful and sounds great when driven energetically. I have been delighted with the gas mileage--23-25mpg so far, mainly city and suburban conditions. I have not taken any long interstate trips yet. Washed and waxed the exterior, and the midnight blue color really looks dynamic. I did discover that I have the air filtration system. It was dirty, but not overly so. I pulled the filter and vacuumed between the pleats on both sides and re-installed it. Also, replaced the air filter (about a 5 minute job) and lubed all the hinges and sunroof rails. When I take my car in for service I'll have them look at the dash curling up around the center A/C vent and have them check the performance of the transmission as it occasionally flares the 3-4 shift when the transmission is cold. I've mentioned this before. Has anyone replaced the rear speakers? How do you remove the speaker grilles? I have a nice pair of 6x9s with plug adapters that I had in my '99 Cutlass. They really enhanced the sound of the stock stereo. The Intrigue appears to use the same AM/FM Cassette/CD head unit. The main difference is the Intrigue has tweeters up front and the Cutlass only had full range speakers in the bottoms of the front doors. I would like to install these if it isn't a huge project. I like this car!!

oscarz2 · May 2002

Go with the Road Response Silvers. I got these a couple of weeks ago and they do a good job absorbing bumps. I don't have my sway bars on and the car still handles good.

I had Monroe Sensatracs for about a month (long story- you'll have to go back through the posts over the last few months). Sensatracs are stiffer.

one2one · May 2002

I haven't replaced the speakers. But in all honesty, the speakers are actually pretty darn good. I did change the receiver (head unit) and the sound is incredible! Cymbals, triangles, horns-- clear as windows shattering. Bass deep and throbbing. Listen to some comtemporary jazz like 4Play or David Sanborn and you'll never leave the car. I played a live funk CD and a friend in the back seat said he could swear he was at the show. It is such a dramatic difference that folks swear I changed the speakers. This is no exageration, the car (with the aftermarket head unit) sounds better than the system in my house.

white6 · May 2002

Thanks you guys! I think, since my wife drives the car daily and she likes a "softer" ride, I'll probably go with the Road Response Silver struts (plus they are half the price of the Reacteks!).
Okay, One2One, what aftermarket head unit (make and model number) did you install? You've got me thinking!

one2one · May 2002

The model I have is discontinued but I plan on getting one of the newer ones. Mine is a Pioneer and, without planning, I have a Pioneer system at home. So I guess I'm a Pioneer-man.

The units I'm looking at are also MP3 players. The one I've set my heart on is the Pioneer DEH-P7400MP. Check out some of the features:

- independent EQ for front AND rear speakers
- XM Satellite ready
- 50Watts/channel
- selectable bass & treble cutoff frequencies
- wireless remote
- MP3 playback w/folder scan (scan the mp3's in a selected folder), CD-R/CD-RW compatible and more

- celluar mute-- too much to write so I'll just cut-n-paste: "This feature mutes or attenuates the unit's audio output when a cellular call is received, then restores the level once the call is over. To use this feature, you must have a cellular phone with a muting output that can be connected to the muting input wire (yellow/black lead) of this unit."

Have I got your attention now? ;-)

Price
Crutchfield is selling it for $329.95 but you can get it for much, much less. Check out these sites:

Crutchfield $329.95

Buyloud.com $289

Nextag.com $258.95

Autovibes.com $274.99

Installation is very easy. If you go to a place like Circuit City, you can purchase the wiring harness and mount and do it yourself. It's easy. To get the dash off, FIRST lift up the plastic around the shifter, THEN with a screwdriver or something flat pull from the top center of the plastic surrounding the radio. After that it's a super-easy phillips screwdriver job. Make sure you lift the plastic around the shifter FIRST. I learned this the hard way when the insurance company told me to remove the radio after my first Intrigue got totalled.

dindak · May 2002

XM radio looks very cool. I like the idea a lot.

Do you think you will subscribe??

sda · May 2002

I find the Delco head unit acceptable, and I don't want to lose the steering wheel controls. The standard system seems satisfactory, but since I already have speakers with the plug in adapters from my previous car that will also fit the Intrigue, I thought I might find out how they sound. If they're not an improvement, I will re-install the factory speakers. My strategy maybe different than yours in that I've always upgraded speakers first with good results, and then the head unit and amp. But as time races by and many dollars spent, I'm finding myself doing less and less upgrading and staying with the factory set-up. Now if my Intrigue had the Bose...:)

one2one · May 2002

Since the steering wheel controls are important for you, I'd say continue with what you've planned as you will loose them. The upside of the Pioneer (and others makes) is that it comes with a thin remote. Since I already had the Pioneer in my old Intrigue w/o steering wheel controls I never got the chance to get used to them. 2 days after I purchased the new Intrigue I put the radio in it since the wiring was already done. Then I just used the remote from then on.

What speakers are you using? I want to upgrade my speakers too. Not that the sound is inadequate. I'm just being greedy :-) I figure if it can sound this good now, how much better can it get? :-)

dindak::: I don't think I'd subscribe to XM. One of the features I didn't mention is that it has 15 FM presets. I do drive to the Baltimore/DC area frequently to visit friends. So I set my local stations on the first 5 presets and the B-more/DC stations on the second 5. Once more TV stations join then I may consider it.

oldsman01 · May 2002

I have XM and I love it! Have the Sony "plug n play" unit which will work with both the car and the home system. It uses an RF modulator for the car and surprisingly it sounds very well. It easily undocks and with the home kit, I can enjoy XM at home. Not sure it if picks up well North of the border, but it is the best $9.95 a month I've spent.

pgl1, thanks for the info on the bulletin. Hopefully I will have the car back friday. They are rebuilding the transmission and said that the reverse reaction shell was cracked and this is what holds all the clutches in place. I may need you to look for a bulletin on the headlamp flicker if they do not correct that while it's in.

dindak · May 2002

Since I'm 45 minutes from the US border, my guess is I can likely receive XM fine. My DirecTV certainly works just fine. How much is a "plug and play" unit like that go for? Is there a minimum sign up time period?

winter9 · May 2002

Will the aftermarket receivers work with the steering wheel touch controls?

winter9 · May 2002

Last week I posted about somewhat disappointing gas mileage on my PCS-equipped 02 GL. I took a 264 mile trip which was nearly all highway and was pleasantly surprised to log 29.01 mpg. This is an awesome highway car! Fantastic passing power... hate to see it go. I'm glad I got one of the last ones.

one2one · May 2002

I lost my steering wheel controls. But like I said, it comes with a remote which is actually easy to use when driving. Since a lot of the new cars (even Honda) are now incorporating steering wheel controls the newer receivers may support it.

My gas mileage in the early stages (for me that's around 10,000 - 15,000 miles) I thought wasn't great. I did a long trip and got 31 mpg. After that I concluded there was nothing wrong with the engine just the foot that lays on the pedal :-) It's actually gotten better now that time has passed (I'm at 22,000 + miles on a 2001 that has 2 months to go before it's a year old).

b4z · May 2002

I know that the '01's have the extra liners, but the '02s look different. Are the '02's as quiet as the '01s?

b4z · May 2002

A few months ago i wrote about my Olds dealer not having any on the lot.
I went by today and he now has 13 new cars for sale. Good assortment, but just one intrigue GX.

sda · May 2002

I have a set of Jensen XS269 6x9 co-axials that I bought for my '99 Cutlass. Though they are modestly priced, they made a huge improvement in the sound of the factory stereo. The boomy and muddy bass of the stock speakers was replaced with tight bass and crisp highs. Since the factory set-up in the Cutlass did not include separate tweeters up front (only full range speakers at the bottom of the front doors and rear deck), having co-axials in the rear changed the sound stage of the stereo. I had to heavily bias the balance to front to even out the sound, yet, the overall sound was pleasing. The sound was fuller/richer and could be played much louder before it sounded harsh. On other installations where I invested much more effort and $$, I've been pleased with the sound from Polk and JBL speakers. Hope this helps!

swagled · May 2002

But will we make it to 8000??

beach15 · May 2002

I'm number 7,000! Don't have an Intrigue yet, but would love to by Christmas!

dindak · May 2002

Saw today that JD Power now puts GM in the #3 spot overall for initial quality. Keep on going GM!

Also saw that Nissan fell to #6, mainly because of the quality problems with the new Altima.

winter9 · May 2002

See http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2002/05/31/car-quality.htm

For some reason I do not see Intrigue on the list. Alero did very well.

jg28 · May 2002

This is only for the first 90 days of ownership. Most cars don't have problems for the first 90 days. The real test comes after the car is out of warranty. I don't put too much weight into the JDPower survey. The first 90 days? That's nothing.

I checked the 02 Intrigues on the lot and they looked like they had the same wheel linings that the 01s had. I could be wrong but I think they're the same.

lmacmil · May 2002

It's true that 90 days is not very long but it's probably a good indicator of the future. I'm sure that, on average, cars that have few problems in the 1st 90 days have fewer problems long term than those that have several problems in the 1st 90 days.

vcjumper · May 2002

Nice showing but I'd be more interested in a reliability study after 60,000 miles+, as well as some kind of squeak/rattle test at that mileage.

In GM's case, their premium winners are not exactly appealing vehicles. Both wannabe 1975-1980 style cars?! I guess the age of the platforms/drivetrains has helped get rid of initial problems. I would take a risk and buy something a bit lower on the JD powers survey, thats for sure.

swagled · May 2002

that buyers of those kinds of vehicles don't "push" them as much to wear out.

winter9 · May 2002

I went to http://www.jdpower.com/auto/pvs/auto.jsp#

and selected Intrigue and this is what they say:

mechanical quality - among the best

dealership experience & creature comforts - better than most

Body & interior quality & performance & style - does not really stand out

Features & accessory quality & Roadside assistance - the rest

Long term reliability - no data

My own opinion is I would rate performance and style higher and dealership experience lower due to terrible service (although new svc mgr is now a BIG improvement).

swagled · May 2002

For me, the jury is still out on GM service. I did finally get the new air dam under warranty, which is a nice improvement. I don't notice scraping on shallow dips anymore. When it does, there is a difference in the sound. Doesn't seem to penetrate the interior of the car as much.

But I still want that steering lube, and I'm gonna take it to another dealership. It still bugs me they would say "cannot repeat". I drive cars at my job which regularly have 150k miles on them, and NONE of them have the weird steering sensations my Intrigue has.

In my opinion, if you can't feel it, then you're not paying much attention to how a car performs when you drive. But then, maybe a lot of people really don't!!

Oldsmobile Intrigue

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