Oldsmobile Intrigue

oldsman01 · October 2002

Congratulations on the purchase, that looks like an excellent deal you got. I do sincerely hope you have good dealer service(if you ever need it) and that has been my biggest complaint so far. Performance wise, this sedan is hard to beat. Engineering wise it is also top notch. The weakest link seems to be assembly and dealer service as that seems to be hit and miss. You said you got yours at $500 below invoice and then got rebates, just curious as to what amount of rebates they are offering now?

beach15 · October 2002

Last I checked, there was the $3,000 consumer rebate on the Intrigue, but I'm not sure of the other possible bonus or dealer rebates.

Car still possessed? Our 300M was, and we named it "Christine II" (another guy on Edmunds had "I"), the lights would blink, there was sometimes an odd beep hidden somewhere, the windows would fog, and the seat once collapsed on me....noticing an eery trend?

javidogg · October 2002

During the time that I had my 1999 Intrigue, I went with Nokya's 9006 bluish lights.

I never experienced any problems with them and they lasted me well over a year and a half before my Intrigue was totalled.

Since I bought my Aurora, I replaced the stock lightsbulbs with some PIAA Platinums 9006 and so far they have also lasted me, also keep in mind that I have for my 1999 Aurora Daytime Running Lights, and I they have not gone south on me.

I hope these will shed some light on the Aftermarket Lightbulb Topic.

Also the price on the Nokya bulbs were like $30 U.S. dollars and the PIAA Platinum bulbs were $79.99 when I first got them but, you can find them at around $69.99. Now, just look around.

Hope this helps. Peace.

Javi

http://www.cardomain.com/id/javidogg

jg28 · October 2002

I, too, tried some of those PIAA light bulbs. They never looked quite right cause Intrigues have extenders on the OEM bulbs to extend the bulb further out into the headlight housing to get the right look. Mine lasted all of five days before one exploded and left bits of glass in the headlight for the duration of my ownership of Lila (may she rest in peace).

Is anyone here interested in oil filters for the 3.5L? I have just under a dozen oil filters. Can't think who would possibly want them other than Intrigue owners. Ten bucks? Anyone here want the K&N filter? Crap, I'm glad she's gone, if she knew I was pimpin out her aftermarket mods parts, she'd kill me.

Strut tower braces go up on eBay next week (since no one here will let me pass on the semi-boyracer mantle). LOL.

I've been driving around in my mom's Forester and at night, though it bugged me at first, I sure miss the cornering lamps. Sigh.

So do any of my Intrigue brothers wanna weigh in on what's next? I'm tempted to just get a 5,000-6,000 used Subaru (my bro is a Subaru tech) so I wouldn't have a carpayment. But Subarus tend to be rather cramped for me (6'4" 220). Otherwise, in the running are a slightly used 2002 Maxima SE for 19.5K or a brand new 2003 Accord LX V6 for 23K. Don't say it dindak... Honda rules! LOL. The pros of the Accord are it's decent engine, excellent gas mileage (up to 30mpg highway), 5 speed automatic, standard side airbags and way cool instrument panel. Pros for the Maxima are the xenon headlights, the outstanding engine, alloy wheels (the accord would have steel wheels with plastic covers) and far better looks (which isn't saying much). Cons for the accord are mostly all about looks. I think it looks like it has a big ol buick [non-permissible content removed] from the back and the front is just something you look at and say "what were they thinking?" The cons for the Maxima is that it's white (I hate white cars) and the ugly clear taillights (which I would replace with the old 2000-2001 red ones) and the biggest would be the lack of an independent rear suspension, which IS noticeable, contrary to what others might say. I wish I had enough patience to wait until december for a new vehicle so I could test a Mazda 6, which I must say is the most handsome sedan in my opinion next to the G35 and Volvo sedans.

mfletouva · October 2002

In my deal, my rebates were:

$3000 Cash Back (in lieu of 0%, I financed at 5.59%)
$1500 Oldsmobile Owner Loyalty
$400 College Grad
$553 GM Card Earnings

Not too shabby....

Btw, my first day of commuting was excellent! Nobody can believe that my car is an Oldmosible...they're all like wow, what kind of car is this again? Its really nice...how did you afford that? I just laugh...

dindak · October 2002

jg28 : Honda have decent cars, I just hate it when people come here and tell us how great they are all the time. For not much more than the Intrigue, one can get one of the new Saab 9-3's. I would have to put that near the top of my shop list. Mazda 6 won't be out for a while still though I think production started. Still a few Intrigues kicking around also, probably your best deal if you want another.

mfletouva : Last I checked, the cash back up here was C$4200 on Intrigue. I was tempted to buy another when we bought the Alero in the spring but it was still quite a bit more than we wanted to spend on a commuter 2nd car.

TSchramm · October 2002

As former Saab owner, and one who loved it despite it's lack of practicality, keep in mind two important factors. In most major markets, there may be one Saab dealer. And if they are good, fine. But if they are lousy, as many seem to be for some reason, then your stuck (they seem to take the attitude that they KNOW you have nowhere else to go for warranty work). With an Olds, Honda, most any other car, you often have a choice of several dealers in a given market to service your car. Not true with Saab. Dealers can be hundreds and hundreds of miles apart.

I also found it's best not to own one outside of warranty. Part for my Saab were more expensive than my subsequent BMW 5 series.

Food for thought.

dindak · October 2002

Dealers are numerous up here as all Saturn Dealers sell/service Saab and Isuzu. As for parts, I don't know, but I find it hard to believe they would be any worse than any other Euro brand out there.

vcjumper · October 2002

You could also try to sell the braces on www.gp-owners.com/forum , though they can be hard on newcomers.

jg28 · October 2002

and I gotta say, no thanks. Rattles from the start. It basically proved my point that the car is not well screwed together inside. I used to somewhat believe those of you who said those of us who complained of rattles had used cars that may have been abused before. I don't believe this at all anymore. Intrigue's interior isn't well assembled (the AC vents were very noticeably misaligned too). I've tested quite a few Maximas that were former rental cars and not one has had the annoying rattles that the brand new Intrigue did.

I'll put out feelers at the grand prix forum. I sold my next level front sway bar to someone on there.

I sold my next level sway on gp forum. Maybe I'll put out feelers there.

beach15 · October 2002

I guess I would have to agree with the interior being poory built. But, and this is a big but, my grandmother's 99' GX with 30k on the clock, has not a single rattle or creak. This is after 3.5 years on the road, often being run hard on bad Pennsylvania roads. I've dipped the car into a few potholes myself before and some tall railroad tracks, and still, not a single noise. It's actually one of the stiffest feeling cars I've been in.

Everything inside does seem a bit low class though, things for example like the typical jagged-edge, somewhat crooked passenger airbag. I also noticed how the front door panels would suck in ever so slightly when I would raise the windows, much like found by one of the magazines in a long-term 98'.

Kind of like so many other GP's that come out of the Fairfax plant, that I hear about.

b4z · October 2002

Mine certainly creaked from the beginning but it upsets some people on this thread when I talk about it.

It wasn't clear from your message, but did you sell your next level sway bars on the grand prix forum?
LOL.
Sorry, just giving you a hard time.

oldsman01 · October 2002

I'd get the Maxima. 255 hp and while not a beauty queen, the 17" wheels on the SE model make it look interting. I haven't driven one yet, but I'm really warming up to the new Saab 9-3. This may be my stop gap before I go all the way and get a Cadillac CTS. As for rattles, my interior does not really have any rattles, but there are areas that show some poor build quality.

beach15, car has been behaving lately. No headlamp flicker, no transmission problems, and climate control system has been operating properly. She must have heard that I was considering some new wheels. Opened her up on the freeway this afternoon and again realized why I like this car so much.

dindak · October 2002

Still none, zero, zippo. One of the most impressive things about the car. I will give you the somewhat sloppy assembly though, some parts don't fit together all that well. Our 98 Grand Prix interior was definitely better asembled as is our 02 Alero. I still like the Intrigue layout the best though.

Max is a nice ride. Premium fuel sucks though.

vcjumper · October 2002

You should probably put some feelers out on the gp-forum.com for your STB's.
:-)

vcjumper · October 2002

I have them in my A-pillars, maybe that front hard plastic unibrow that goes across the whole dash under the windshield.

mfletouva · October 2002

One of the reasons I was happy to trade my Alero was that it was squeaking and rattling like crazy, basically the entire back end of the car. I loved the way it handled and the powertrain, but it was not well assembled or a particularly high quality product. There were a number of misalignments, pieces that were a little loose, etc...

The dealer let me test drive the Intrigue I just bought by myself. I parked it in a vacant lot and went over it with a fine tooth comb for any sort of assembly problems--touched EVERYTHING, looked at how it all matched up, etc. One of the clinchers for me was that not a single thing is off on it. The seams are all very tight, the interior controls are nice and stiff, nothing moves at all, and (although this is expected since its new) there are no squeaks or rattles. I can't speak for the long term squeak and rattles (although it can't be worse than the Alero was), but I can see that at least my car has no manufacturer defects that I can see, and that's after going over it very critically to find some. Anectdotally, the Intrigue has a reputation for being screwed together well for a GM product. Car and Driver and Motor Trend both have commented that at the time it was the best assembled GM vehicle they have driven.

dindak · October 2002

I think the later the model in both cars, the better the assembly and quality. GM has really been pushing it's quality ranking up in the last 2 years. Alero tied for best initial quality for it's class in the last JD Power survey. I probably have a better Alero than you and you have a better Intrigue than I do. Mine was asembled in early 2000 I believe.

winter9 · October 2002

If you still have those shortstar oil filters for sale let me know at m.winter@hs.utc.com. I could use a few extra.

oldsman01 · October 2002

Was over in the Alero forum and noticed that folks are saying that 03 Aleros do not have ABS and 4 wheel discs standard across the board anymore. Wonder if the same would have happened to the Intrigue if it were continued on. IMO this is a dumb move. One of the Intrigue's(and Alero) biggest advantages was that no matter if you got the base model with no options, you still got 4 wheels discs, ABS, and decent size wheels among other things. Maybe it's a good thing the Intrigue is no more as we might have seen a base 03 model with a standard 4 cyliner engine, 15" wheels with plastic covers, rear drum brakes, and no ABS. I like the Intrigue because there are not any "base" models out there with the above mentioned features.

dindak · October 2002

Intrigue would have still had them.

Alero GX and GL lost them as they are in a more price sensitive entry level car bracket. The GLS still comes with the disc/disc ABS standard. I'm just glad I got in there and bought an 02. GM is really doing away with ABS only on more entry level cars. GP still has ABS standard this year.

I don't agree with this decontenting, but I understand why they are doing it. Price is very important and the competition do not have ABS standard either.

TSchramm · October 2002

Wouldn't be surprised to see DM add ABS to the Neon/Stratus and Ford to the Focus.

ABS was a big competitive differentiator for GM - probably helped people make up their minds between them and the competition and sell a lot more cars. Customers don't like it when you start delivering less for more, or even less for the same. This move could cost GM more than the cost of keeping ABS standard.

When you make something standard on every vehicle, units costs come down (that was Honda's secret to success when the Accord first came out and people were wowed by the standard content at a relatively low price - every car had virtually identical equipment, just pick your color - still is, basically). Now they'll go up. Yet another brilliant marketing move by GM.

oldsman01 · October 2002

Trouble is the price of the lower end Aleros isn't really any lower without the features. So to get them, your paying more and thus the cars aren't as competitve. For quite a while now, GM cars have typically offered alot of features standard where other automakers charge extra for them.

mfletouva · October 2002

I agree with the above statements critical of the decision to nix ABS from base models. A car like an Alero is not an entry-level model in the GM scheme, even if it is an entry level model for Oldsmobile. While I can understand a car like the Cavalier or Saturn Ion not having ABS standard, Oldsmobile is an upscale GM brand. Entry level or not, any car with a base price upwards of $17000 should have ABS standard. In fact, every car at any price should have it and I wouldn't buy a car without it. This is just stupid cost cutting, but then cutting the Oldsmobile line is a stupid move. As the sales manager from the dealership put it, a few years ago GM had a choice of cutting Oldsmobile or Buick--both were filled with tired designs and ancient demographics. In the mean time, one of those brands changed--Oldsmobile--which became the newest and best GM model line filled with potential. Buick stayed the same. Naturally, GM axed the product line with the new styles and technology. So, I guess I shouldn't be surprised by idiotic moves like this one. As a twentysomething male though, is GM trying to drive me away? They two cars that attract me most in the ENTIRE product line are Oldsmobiles--Alero and Intrigue, and they ax those and gear up for a new Buick Century. Please!

jg28 · October 2002

another reason I won't even consider an Altima is because it doesn't come standard with ABS. In fact, ABS is a $500+ OPTION on ANY model of the Altima. That's just crazy in this day and age. The Accord comes STANDARD with ABS and side airbags. (You have to pay extra for the side airbags in some Altima models too). I hate the packaging for the 2003 Maxima because in order to get airbags, you have to get a sunroof and bose or the titanium edition. I think it's absurd that they should hold us hostage like that. Just where do they come off doing that? I never thought too much about airbags until my accident. Now, I think about them a lot. Still, the Maxima has good side impact crash results, even without the side airbags. (Intrigue has very poor crash test results).

rjs200240 · October 2002

I'd have to disagree with you about brand cutting. Buick is successful and turns a profit. The LeSabre has been the best-selling full size car for over 8 years. And the Rendezvous and Century sell very well too. Even the Park Avenue sells reasonably well (about as well as the previous Aurora). Just because the customers are old is no reason to close the doors. Old people's money is just as green. And, having Buick means that the other divisions don't have to focus on older buyers. Buick makes excellent cars that are keenly focused to their demographic. They aren't old, stodgy designs, just old, stodgy styling and tuning.

If you ask me, there were two divisions that were supposed to be new and exciting and lure imports. And both were unprofitable. One was Oldsmobile and the other was Saturn. However, only Oldsmobile actually has great products that are better than the imports. All they need is some advertising to make people aware of their products (if you think no one knows what your Intrigue is, try driving an Aurora). Whereas Saturn has plenty of advertising, but poor products. The L-series is the only decent car, and that's not really a Saturn (and it's only decent). If you ask me, Saturn is the one that should be cut. But I guess GM couldn't cut it's baby. Saturn has never made money and never offered competitive products. The only people who buy them are "Saturn" people, which is the only reason the introduced a mid-size car and an SUV was so "Saturn people" could buy something besides a compact. Saturn is struggling to break into 300,000 sales a year, while even in its decline Oldsmobile was doing that (probably not for 2002, though).

I test-drove the Intrigue a few times before I bought my Aurora. It is an excellent car. And Old's styling is great. I test-drove a V6 Alero also, and they are nice cars. Considering the cost, they are excellent too. And they are very sharp looking. The Aurora is an excellent car, and a luxury bargain. Heck, even the Sillhouette (sp?) was great. It is the most luxurious of the GM minivans, although the looks (like all minivans) leaves a bit to be desired. Oldsmobile just needs (needed) to make people aware of how excellent their products are (and that they exist). Have you ever even seen an ad for the new Aurora? I saw one in Motor Trend. Only one. Heck, it was so rare that I remember where I saw it... But the Aurora dominated IRL winning 49 of 51 races and 5 Indy 500's in the 5 years they competed, was the first all-American entry to win the 24 hrs of Daytona for about 30 years back in 1996? Did you know they beat Ferrari out for the IMSA World SportsCar championship in 1996 (basically like the ALMS is now. In fact, Caddy used the IMSA Aurora V8 as their starting point). The Aurora also won in the GTS-1 class that year. Doesn't this sound like good advertising stuff? I mean, Porsche advertises its winning the ALMS GT class this year. For about half the season, only Porsche's ran in the GT class. Finally, one Ferrari 355 joined in, and a 550 ran in one or two races. Of course Porsche won. They were the only car in it. Yet that doesn't stop them from using it for advertising value. Plus, you'd expect a Porsche to win some races, so that even minimizes its value. Would you expect an Aurora to? Mighten that make you take notice and want to find out what that car is all about? After the 2001 IRL season when Olds retired from IRL racing, I expected to see at least one commercial or advertisment about their amazing record, but I never did. And don't you find it interesting since the 3.5 is derived from the Aurora V8? Certainly the Aurora's success could be used to increase awareness and interest in the Intrigue too. It's crazy... And I won't even get into how Olds created the Aurora/Northstar V8 in 1990 and Caddy takes the credit from them... What the heck is wrong with Olds' advertising department? They are sitting on gold and the best they come up with is "Olds is still making cars" or "People are still buying Oldsmobiles" as if they admit it was reasonable to expect that people weren't.

Kill Saturn, not Olds (and not Buick). Let Olds spend as much on advertising as Saturn does. Then see what happens...

one2one · October 2002

how much better and more inviting Olds adds became AFTER it got canned? My particular favorite is the cars zippng at light speed thru the streets but capturing an Olds in slow motion. Had they used that 3 years ago, we'd probably be talking about the '04 Intrigue and the improvements to quality.

one2one · October 2002

You make excellent points about Olds performance on the race track. In fact, that's one reason I reconsidered getting another Intrigue (and Aurora if I could have fit). It is downright stupid that GM shuts down a division with such great engines and saves a division that doesn't have the sales, never had the products (and still doesn't), horrible styling and lousey powertrains. And for 10 years GM pumped advertising for Saturn telling us about how much their workers love coming to work and improvements in manufacturing processes. While I think a positive work environment is important, I also think it's a waste of advertising money to highlight that over product. Truth is, in the end all people care about is where their car looks good and does what they purchased it for.

Now that Olds is gone, I'm really not hot on any particular product made by GM although I would probably get an Impala if I had to get something else (SUVs not included). I test drove a Bonniville SSEi and it was surprisingly very nice. Steering was a bit too heavy, especially compared to the 300M (comparison test sponsored by Chrysler) but ride quality was top notch. No where near as firm as I would have thought (or as harsh as the 300M Special Edition). And while I wasn't as comfortable in the Bonnie as I am in the Intrigue, I felt I could have found a position that would have been bearable for regular driving. That's good news for us tall folks and possibly an indication that GM is actually listening to their customers instead of focus groups.

With the Bonniville heading out to pasture, the Oldsmobile horse about to get shot and the Regal residing in limbo, GM is looking less and less interesting.

dindak · October 2002

one2one : New Regal should be coming shortly. Wouldn't be surprised if it had Intrigue like handling / style. Lutz send the designers back to the drawing board on that car thankfully.

jg28 : Accord does now come standard with ABS but, it's also a pricier car than it used to be. All the GM midsize sedans still have standard ABS except the base Impala. Alero is in a much more price sensitive category and hence ABS became an option. I understand it, but I don't like it either. I wish it was standard in all cars and in a perfect world maybe that would happen. Unfortunately price is the main selling point for many people and GM has to be competitive.

shadowmonkey · October 2002

I've got a request/question for anyone out there..... I have a '99 GX. As far as I know, ABS are standard on ALL Intrigues. My steering wheel has the little ABS sign....Now, I had my fuse box opened the other day, and noticed that there are no fuses in the "ABS" labeled fuse slots. (I bought this car used about 2 years ago--no major problems other than the steering column rattling, and hard starting occasionally). Now, for those of you out there with a 99 Intrigue (and, hopefully, anyone with a GX model), do you have fuses where they're supposed to be? Please forgive the naive question...but, I'm just trying to figure this out... I'm assuming there are supposed to be fuses there....any ideas why the fuses for the ABS might be missing? Thanks!

Also...I've been having 2 other problems recently....

1) There's a whining sound coming from under the car...I had it checked months ago, and they said it was the fuel pump, and allegedly replaced it...the sound went away.....now, it's back, and I plan on bringing it in again...with the enging running, and the driver's door open, I can really hear it. Anybody have anything similar?

2) My tires/wheels? have been whining/squealing when turning corners lately...it's gotten a bit worse in the past couple of weeks....the tire pressure is fine...so..? I read somewhere online tis could be caused by dry/worn wheel bearings....does that sound right? Would that be something an oil&lube place could take care of?

Thanks for any help!

oldsman01 · October 2002

I've owned several cars with ABS and have been sold on them since the first I had which had them. It is a true safety feature and no longer adds that much to the cost of a car. Chevy Cavaliers have had standard ABS since about 1994! Seems like the bean counters at GM have really taken over. Just hope Lutz keeps them away from Cadillac and Saab! I've been looking at info on the new Saab 9-3 and it is LOADED with lots of features. Not sure I'm ready to go from a Northstar based V6 to a turbo four, but I'm seriously tempted to give the 9-3 a look.

oldsman01 · October 2002

Friday night I realized why I like the Intrigue so much as it helped me nearly avoid an accident and probably save the life of the other guy. It was a dark and rainy night and I'm driving on a two lane road at about 40 MPH. Somebody in what looked like an early 90s Accord was approaching on a crossroad which comes down hill toward the main road. I'm not sure whether he(or she) was pulling out in front of me without looking or if they hit their brakes too hard and too late and started to skid. Luckily for the other driver(and me) there was no one in the oncoming lane so I pulled over very quickly all the while hitting the brakes very hard. I felt the ABS engage then the PCS system kicked in as I oversteered big time. Had not been able to pull into the other lane, I would have broadsided the other car at close to 40 MPH. Also, if I had not had ABS and PCS, I might have ended up in the ditch on the other side of the road. I feel that with the car's safety features and some help from above, I avoided what would have been a serious accident which would have likely killed the other driver and possibly seriously injured me and my girlfriend. It's hard to describe what it feels like when the PCS kicks in but it's as if a huge hand is steadily guiding your vehicle back on it's path.

oldsman01 · October 2002

I've owned several cars with ABS and have been sold on them since the first I had which had them. It is a true safety feature and no longer adds that much to the cost of a car. Chevy Cavaliers have had standard ABS since about 1994! Seems like the bean counters at GM have really taken over. Just hope Lutz keeps them away from Cadillac and Saab! I've been looking at info on the new Saab 9-3 and it is LOADED with lots of features. Not sure I'm ready to go from a Northstar based V6 to a turbo four, but I'm seriously tempted to give the 9-3 a look.

vcjumper · October 2002

If they compete at all with domestic counterpart Volvo at their game I'm sure they're relatively safe, as opposed to say the ancient Cav/Sunfire/No ABS cars. With a 4 banger Saab turbo I would probably opt for a manual tranny.

mfletouva · October 2002

I didn't mean to imply that I thought Buick should but cut, I was just trying to point out that GM invested money into Oldsmobile to get new styling and technology and then never gave it a chance. The points about Saturn are very accurate though, although we will see how the new Ion does. Personally, I would never buy a car with a center speedo/tach (ala Toyota Echo), when is GM going to learn that gimmicks like that don't sell cars?

Aurora is an outstanding vehicle, as technologically advanced as any other car out there and more so than its domestic competition, the 300M and Lincoln LS.

As for crash tests and safety, while the government crash tests haven't given Intrigue the best ratings, the IIHS ratings are better and the actual number of claims per vehicle submitted for the Intrigue is one of the best for a sedan in the entire market. Intrigue's accidence avoidance is better than Accord, Camry, Maxima, etc. even if it doesn't have side airbags. Plus, don't forget that these ratings are just comparison related, in other words Intrigue hasn't done as well within its class. Remember that Intrigue is classified as a Large Car, whereas Camry and Accord are midsize cars. Head to head it is tough to say what the ratings would be, but there can be no doubt Intrigue is a lot better in an accident than most cars smaller than it.

TSchramm · October 2002

Chevy's the entry-level and truck division, Pontiac the "performance" group, Cadillac the Luxury line, and Olds and Buick's focus was a little blurry in the 80's and early 90's. Buick made the right move targeting the "mature" market. After all, it's the fastest growing segment of the population.

A neighbor sells Buicks and he says virtually every LeSabre they sell is either a repeat buyer, or considering a Mercury Grand Marquis, the #2 full-size seller, as their only other option. They fly off the lot, and the Century does almost as well. Buick sells more LeSabres than Oldsmobile sells Oldsmobiles.

Olds got confused, trying to satisy a hodge-podge group of folks. Too bad, becasue I think they make some of the better all-around GM vehicles today.

b4z · October 2002

a topic I posted a lot about 2 years ago, but Olds could have been saved if they had done it right.
Why did the Intrigue and regal get a 1 inch shorter wheelbase and smaller backseat than the GP/Impala?
Why wasn't the Shortstar ready to go in 1998?
Why wasn't it called the Cutlass?
Why was the ride/handling balance weighed so heavily towards impact harshness?
Why did all the wbodies have so much road noise until 2001?
What was up with autobahn brakes, intermediate steering shafts, yadayadayada?
Olds just messed up and didn't get the car right out of the box.
And we as current and past owners are paying the price for it.

beach15 · October 2002

You see, noise-wise, that's one thing I've never noticed after putting a few hundred miles on a 99' Intrigue at different times in the year. Both of the cars wearing shotty GY Eagle LS's, the Intrigue was always quieter and more connected feeling than our 300M. In actuality, the Intrigue still seems like a quiet car to me, and fairly well insulated. Going over coarse pavement, the tires would rumble a bit, but there still wasn't much in the way of excess noise.

I've also been at highway speeds in the car, and still not an issue. Are the newer models (00'-02'), really quieter? Also, did they make the suspension softer in the newer ones? Geared toward impact harshness? Once again, not from my view, just a very firmly planted, connected feel without much in the way of any float.

On the 300M front, I will say that after riding in both the Intrigue and then the 300M back to back, the 300M felt like a much more refined car in shorter drives, riding smoother, a refined feel to the engine, and much more appealing interior materials and construction. Still, it wasn't a great car either, and I'd actually consider an Intrigue before an "M" probably.

On the other hand, you have an Impala now, right? Before buying the Intrigue, my grandparents actually were looking at new 00' Impalas, but didn't buy for a few reasons. One that I was told was "nice car, but a really poor ride." Basically, he said it rode rather bouncy, and just wasn't as nice as the Intrigue. Also, from just about every review I've seen, they also comment on a relatively "bouncy" ride and not very quiet or smooth either. That, and from personal experience, the interior is awful (same crappy materials as an Intrigue, but really badly styled) and in a lot of models, the exterior isn't the greatest either. But, on the other hand, it seems to be quite problem-free.

vcjumper · October 2002

I've only driven the base (non-LS) car and that was a soft cruiser that felt huge when cornering, not my cup of tea. I understand the LS has a much nicer setup.

vcjumper · October 2002

The Autobahn package and suspension/steering problems of the 98's and 99's really doomed any chance at success the Intrigue had. Burdened with the Oldsmobile name and the reputation of GM cars in general as bad as they were in 1998, they needed to have a launch much closer to perfect than they did. Instead the model was a complete failure for GM and Oldsmobile. If the Intrigue was not such a disaster, maybe Olds would still be around but we'll never know. It reminds me of the first comparison contest Edmunds had where the Intrigue would have beat the Accord, except some possible reliability issues showed up.

Hopefully GM comes back with stronger models such as the new Malibu, and a minivan better than the Odyssey/Sienna/Magicwagon (that can get an award for something other than fuel economy!).
Oh and maybe a replacement for the Cavalier? A friend who knows very little about cars but won't drive imports traded in his newlywed's 3 year old Civic for a Cavalier last year. The salesperson was shocked, asked him WHY???????!!!!

beach15 · October 2002

I never knew the Intrigue to be a "complete disaster", but I guess it must have done quite badly, especially being doomed with the Oldsmobile name.

Traded a Civic for a Cavalier? What, was that guy on drugs?! I'm not even a Civic fan, a Cavalier is just that bad....

mfletouva · October 2002

The Intrigue as a car was not a complete disaster. First year sales were strong and it was pulling in the highest number of important numbers in the entire GM lineup. Marketing from that point just stunk (X-files???) I realize a few people had some bad experiences, but Intrigue reliability was good enough for it to succeed and the automotive press loved the car (rare for a GM product).

As for the Impala, I drove a rented one for a week or so and came away feeling that it was a very 'comfortable' car, but not a very good driving machine. The 3.4L V6 is way underpowered, but I'm sure the 3.8 does the job nicely. The base suspension is very soft and the car feels very big, although steering was unexpectedly nice. It was very roomy and comfy inside, good for perhaps older folks but not quite my cup of tea.

I don't know what earlier Intrigues were like, but this car is VERY quiet. I can't get over how much quieter it is than the Alero and Malibu's I drove. I wasn't really expecting that aspect. I know I have the upgraded suspension, but it is just right--not too harsh but certainely well grounded. I'm still learning the car but I'm very impressed so far. One thing I will say is that the Intrigue seems to be less likely to roll than the other GM cars, I've driven (like pick up speed when going downhill), it seems to what to know what the driver wants to do. Its a little harder feeling gas pedal, but once you start it it feels tremendously powerful, but in a much different way than the 3.8.

b4z · October 2002

beach,
Next time you get in a 300M put it in drive and put your foot on the brake as if you were sitting at a stoplight.
The whole car will have a slight but noticeable vibration.
Try that in the intrigue with the 3.5L and you will feel nothing.

Base Impala has very smooth ride and somewhat floaty. 3.4L is a little underpowered but is actually slightly smoother than 3.8L because it is a 60 degree design which is inherently smoohter in V6 form.

I have the LS which has the Sport suspension. Not floaty at all, almost as good as the intrigue in the corners. Has a little impact harshness over the small bumps but not as much as the intrigue which could be harsh over certain types of raods.

Impala has been more reliable for me than my intrigue. I think overall the Impala is better put together and less troublesome. I have a much better dealer also. Impala has a stiffer body structure. Coupled with the slightly softer suspension tuning there are fewer body creaks.

All 2001 and later wbody cars got additional rear wheelwell liners. This greatly reduced road noise and the rumbling sound emanting from the rear of the car.

rjs200240 · October 2002

The Intrigue wasn't called "Cutlass" when it debuted in 1998 because there was a car already called "Cutlass". The Malibu twin. I guess they could have called the Malibu twin the Cutlass Ciera, and the Intrigue the Cutlass Supreme, but I imagine they were trying to move away from that (though I still think the Cutlass Supreme convertible with the 3.4 DOHC is a cool car).

I imagine the 3.5 wasn't ready because they didn't just want to make a 6-cylinder version of the current Northstar/Aurora. The 3.5 incorporated a lot of changes that eventually went into the Northstar/Aurora for 2000/2001. I would guess they could have debuted it earlier with it like the old Northstar but with less compression, but I think the engine probably turned out better because they waited (heck, the lack of spark plug wires is worth it). But that's just an opinion. I have no idea if that's why it took so long.

dindak · October 2002

People saying Intrigue was a failure are wrong. The car is still one of the best premium sedans on the road. Intrigues problems stem mostly from poor marketing. Lets face it, people still ask me every so often who makes the Intrigue. The car was simply not in peoples mind when they went car shopping. It was this forum and a Motor Trend review that got me interested, though I do vaguely remember the mysterious X-files campaign if I think about it.

No the car was not right when it came out and no it was not called Cutlass (thankfully), but over all the car was good. A better made car with the 3.5L would have got it off to a better start, but lets face it, it's marketing that sells cars initially and Olds didn't have it for Intrigue. Even the Alero ads were much better and the car still sells well considering the division is dead.

dindak · October 2002

Cavalier is fine. No it's nothing stellar, but it's cheap and reliable. We had a leased 99 that we gave up in the spring and it had zero issues through the lease, just gas and oil changes. This year the car has the Ecotec under the hood so at least it has a decent engine now. A replacement is long over due though.

vcjumper · October 2002

It was a failure in sales, I was not referring to the car itself. I wouldn't own one if I thought that! Ads aside, name aside. Lets face it they had to practically give Intrigues away with incentives and it still didn't sell well after 98. I think earlier Cutlass Supremes did a LOT better in sales, but ofcourse the last Cutlass Supreme was around WAY too long, by what 5 years? I guess you could say that about most GM cars in that era.

dindak · October 2002

True I suppose.

Noticed when I was at the dealer for an oil change that they had no new Intrigues left on the lot, just one used 99. Very sad.

vcjumper · October 2002

I guess the positive side of it is alot of us here got a lot of car for the money.

b4z · October 2002

I would hardly call the car a failure.
I drove everything before I bought the intrigue and it appealed to me the most. Especially the engine. I knew when I bought it there would be those 3-4 repairs that all of my previous GM cars also required.
I was unprepared for the litany of problems and "unable to duplicates" I got from my dealer.
Did I mention how much I like the engine?

rjs200240,

My questions were more like statements and addressed to Olds.

If the car had been called the Cutlass then they would have a larger customer base.

Also most of the dealers felt that the car should have offered a bench seat which Chevy has done well with in the curretn Impala.

Oldsmobile Intrigue

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