Oldsmobile Intrigue

dindak · October 2002

Bench seats??????? You have got to be joking.

This car was to compete with the Maximas and V6 Accord's of this world. If the car had a bench, the sales would have been worse than they were.

As for problems, I have had very few compared with previous cars. One replaced temp gauge and a blown light in the dash is all that's been fixed so far. I do need to have the "flicker" looked at this winter though and I may have the intermediate shaft issue though it seems to have disappeared now.

oldsman01 · October 2002

I wouldn't say the Intrigue was a failure, but the marketing of it sure was. Even today when someone asks what kind of car I have, I'll say "an Intrigue" just as someone would say they drove an Accord or a Taurus. And so many times they will ask "who makes that?" And I've had people see my car and ask "when did you get an Infiniti?" I remember the X-files movie ads and thought they were unique and would attract some new traffic for Olds, but they should not have stopped there. Also, first year Intrigues had no "Oldsmobile" badge on them. Combine that with the division had just started using their new emblem and no one knew who made this great looking sedan. Quality control could certainly be improved, but I've seen worse cars sell better(i.e. Taurus, first generation Chrysler LH cars, Mitsubishis, etc). As for the Buick v Olds debate, from a driving enthusiast's standpoint, Buick should have been the one to go. But, having some economics under my collegiate belt, I know that Buicks outsold Oldsmobiles and were more profitable. Oldsmobile's best selling model was the Alero with an average transaction price of around $20K or even less whereas Buick sells nearly as many Centurys at around that price and their best selling model is the LeSabre with an average transaction price of $25K and even more. Despite it's age, the Park Avenue still sells about as well as the Aurora and the Regal sells nearly equal to the Intrigue. So from a financial perspective, GM had more to lose if they dropped Buick. But that doesn't help us who prefer a more styling and driver oriented car. Hopefully future Buicks and Pontiacs will pick up where Olds left off.

b4z, I've never driven a 300M but I've read many reviews that remarked it's vibration at idle. Same goes for the new Sebring sedan. Thats a shame because both are very good looking cars and could have been seen as possible Intrigue replacements. Other than an occasion shudder at idle, the Intrigue's 3.5 is as smooth as a Northstar V8.

sales, maybe someone has some figures to back me up, but I believe that for the 98 and 99 model year the Intrigue sold close to 90K units annually. 00s were slightly off that number then 01s took a big downward turn.

oldsman01 · October 2002

I know you've mentioned that you've been looking at possible replacements for your Intrigue, have you checked out the 03 Saab 9-3? I haven't driven one, but I've been all over the net looking at info on them and am seriously considering one as an Intrigue replacement. The Cadillac CTS is my first choice, but it is a bit out of my price range right now and I'd like to wait until the new engine come out(and the V series). For the price, the 9-3 offers ALOT of goodies(a la Intrigue) and I optioned one up on Edmunds's site and minus sunroof and upgraded wheels, the MSRP was what my fully loaded Intrigue stickered for. Of coarse I didn't pay anywhere near that, but I thought the Saab seemed like a great value for those who are wanting to move up from the Intrigue a bit, but keep the price near or even a bit below 30K. I hope to test drive one soon and I'll decide then if I want one or not. I'm still not keen on going from a Northstar based DOHC V6 to a turbo four, although Saab does make some of the best fours and hooked to a manual, it might be alot of fun. Also, with Saab under GM now they qualify for GMS pricing(which I am eligible for) so if the car drives well and the dealer will do GMS pricing, I may do a 36 month/15K annually lease. Then I might just get the as it will have more than likely gotten some upgrades and more power by then. Who knows, maybe in 3 years I'll be able to get the V series:)

pgl1 · October 2002

The Intrigue had great styling and performance and received terrific reviews from the automotive press, but it never got on anyone's radar screen. I had the same experience as many of you; auto parts store clerks and mechanics always ask me, "Intrigue? Who makes that?" And, others who see my car for the first time mistake it for an Acura or an Infiniti. When the car was first launched, I remember a very well polished tv commercial that mimicked a scene from a mystery movie where the Intrigue was driving along side a train. The commercial which immediately caught my attention did not identify Olds as the manufacturer, and I concluded that I would not be able to afford the car as it must be in the Acura-Infinity price range. The ad was wonderfully stylish unlike the low brow "Start Something" ads which wasted footage and brief viewer attention spans with awkward camera angles that mostly depicted the road rather than the car the ad was trying to sell. Compare GM's lack of effort in marketing the Intrigue with Nissan's well produced and highly visible tv ads for the Maxima, and it's easy to see why Nissan's long in the tooth mark is still in production.

dindak · October 2002

pgl1 : I totally agree.

oldsman : Stopped in the local Saab shop on Sunday and looked over the new Saab. Beautiful car. I want to test one at some point, but the reviews I have read on the car are for the most part, absolutely glowing.

vcjumper · October 2002

Nissan ads rock, seem to cater to the enthusiast. GM ones seem to highlight financing.

b4z · October 2002

Remember the all black Olsmobiles in the cornfield. Couldn't even tell what kind of cars they were?

b4z · October 2002

Thats not coming from me, thats what at least 3 different dealers said to me. Maybe they were joking.

dindak · October 2002

I certainly hope so.. bench seats would scare me away forever.

You might know the answer to this b4z, does the new 03 Impala LS have a different tail this year? I saw one in the lot when I got my oil changed Friday.

b4z · October 2002

2002 Impala Sport came out with body color insert
on the tailights.
2003 Impala Sport is identical.

TSchramm · October 2002

Does anyone remember when Olds was selling upwards of a MILLION Cutlass Supremes a year in the mid-to-late 70's? My first car was a '72 Cutlass S Coupe with the Rocket 350. My mom owned a '77 Supreme. They sure looked good for the times.

As for a replacement, I'm still leaning towards the Acura 3.2 TL Sport. I'm a former Saab owner. Good cars, but its a "been there, done that" for me. Only one Saab dealer in the town I lived in and they treated you like they knew you had no where else to go.

Make sure if you get a Saab, you've got more than one dealership to choose from for service. If you get one with an "attitude" like I did, then it can definatley negatively impact the total ownership experience The next nearest dealer service department to me was 250 miles away!

vcjumper · October 2002

We had a Blue 77 Supreme coupe (as here 77 Cutlass Coupe club)with a white vinyl interior.. Transplanted out the 260 and put in an old Rocket 350 motor into it with my brother, drove it from age 17-19 when it was > 10 years old, changed both 350 pound rusted out doors with identical Buick Century doors from the wreckers.

oldsman01 · October 2002

Nearest Saab dealer is at least an 1 1/2 hour away in Chattanooga. That concerns me a bit, but the local Saab dealer was recently aquired by the Cadillac dealer and they have been here for decades and have a pretty good reputation for good service. The same thing is true of Acura as there is not another Acura dealer in the immediate area. Ditto on MB, BMW, Audi, VW, Lexus, etc.

pgl1, I remember those ads. They ran before the X-files ads did and also for a while afterwards until about mid 99 or so then Intrigue advertising pretty much disappeared.

dindak · October 2002

My biggest gripe with the 3.2TL is it's looks. Performance and value are great (probably near the top for the class), but I look at the car I just can't imagine buying because it's as boring to look at as a Malibu.

For the same bucks I'd rather hop in to a loaded Maxima, a 9-3 or for a few bucks more a CTS.

navigator3740 · October 2002

could generate a top 10 topic! Have any of ya considered that the name was a failure, not so much the car? GM marketed the car as a mystery when it came out...and they never solved it. I agree with whoever said it would have probably sold as a Cutlass. I never understood why Olds threw away its brand equity by dumping the Olds name and rocket trademark. Marketing must have come from the same firm that did "New Coke".

b4z · October 2002

I would think long and hard before i put money into a SAAB. Granted you are leasing and can walk away from it.
All of my experiences with that car company have been negative.
It is still a 4 cylinder car.

TSchramm · October 2002

It's all about personal taste.

Ths CTS looks to me like it had a head-on collision with a brick wall. Car and Driver summed it up for me when it said "The CTS makes a bold statement - problem is, we can't figure out what language it's speaking." Compared to the Acura, it's engine is coarser at high revs, ride is harsher over rough pavement, and steering is heavier. The dealer told me people's reaction has been either they love it or hate it - no middle ground. I'm in the latter group.

I've driven several Maxima's as rental cars - they're nice, but nowhere as refined as the Acura. Nissan's sports/luxury car is the Infiniti, not the Maxima. The new G35 is a more appropriate comparison to the Acura 3.2 TL than the Maxima.

As for Saab, as I said, I've been there.

The Acura doesn't say WOW, but it has a nice conservative, seamless appeal to me. That rear-end of the Maxima looks like the designers got in a hurry by the time the got to the back of the car - it looks bolted on, and not in synch with the rest of the car's styling.

You're right about performance - to me, when you're sitting behind the wheel, "looks" takes a back seat to perfomance.

dindak · October 2002

b4z : I have read almost nothing but good things about Saab in recent years. Reliability is as good as any of the other Euro-cars and the 9-3 is getting rave reviews. If there is a good dealer in the area, I suspect oldsman will do real well with a Saab.

navigator3740 : Killing the Olds name is a BIG mistake for sure. 100+ years of history down the tubes, stupid move by GM. What they should have done is cut the models in both Buick and Olds (say 3 vehicles each) and given them each a niche.

dindak · October 2002

"when you're sitting behind the wheel, "looks" takes a back seat to performance"

True, but when I look in the driveway or show a friend, I want to say wow. I just couldn't live with the dull looks but that's me. Good luck with the purchase.

Have you tested a CTS? I found it handled better than the TL and I certainly didn't find the engine courser (though it did lack the power of the TL).

b4z · October 2002

I have yet to figure out the purpose of Saturn.
It would have been better if they had just the name of Oldsmobile to Aurora. At least the heritage of Olds would have carried on.

dindak · October 2002

Saturn is VERY important also as a solid percentage of people buying would never consider GM otherwise. There is a 24 year old lady in our office that only looked at imports but ended up with a Saturn on a recommendation. She would never consider a Chevy or a Ford.

Saturn ION looks real good and the L-series is much improved so I think sales will pick up considerably. All that said, they still should never have killed Olds.

b4z · October 2002

that should have said, "if they just changed the name..."

vcjumper · October 2002

One drove by me the opposite way last night while I was sitting at a light, he was hammering it pretty good, sounded sweet.

I drove a TL-S and other than second gear which was SWEET it underwhelmed me, especially handling wise. Now the 03 Accord probably outdoes it in alot of aspects. Lots of people have put the TL/CL sway bars on their Accords. Haven't tried a G35 yet but I'd hope its better being RWD and having a broader torque curve. Coupe is quite the looker.

buzzard4 · October 2002

I'm curious what any of you might think about the new oils designed for high mileage cars. I just rolled my '99 GLS 3.5 over 77K, and I've resigned myself to keep it till it drops. Given that these engines are known to burn oil anyway (mine burns about a quart every 5K), I'm wondering if the high mileage stuff might help. I also have a '97 Blazer with 100K that I'm hoping to squeeze a few more years out of. Thanks in advance for any input.

one2one · October 2002

or does the new L-Series look like a complete knockoff of the mid- 90's Toyota Camry???

dindak::: I have disagree with you, old friend. The decision to can Olds and save Saturn doesn't appear to have been a financial decision. Saturn was, is and probably will continue to loose money. What you say about the mindset of Saturn buyers is true. But, if I was a betting man (I'm not :-) I'd say that most Saturn buyers are uninformed about car manufacturers in general, aren't "car people" and probably think Saturn isn't domestic. So any car that "looks" like it came from Japan and didn't have a domestic manufacturer's logo is OK to them. Just to prove my point, look how many people refused to buy a Chevy Prizm but thought a Toyota Corolla was a better "quality" car, not realizing that with the exception of the bowtie they were the EXACT same vehicle assembled at the same plant? Listen for comments like this about the Pontiac Vibe and the Toyota twin.

If GM pumped the money in Oldmobile (along with the "Intrigue" nameplate) as it did/does into Saturn - along with catchy commercials - Olds probably would have made money. If GM did what they should have, import buyers would have (and some did) bought Oldsmobiles.

Saturn is GM's baby. And for whatever reason they're going to make it work even if they only sell 2 cars a year. Their numbers look as bad as Olds; so from a fiscal standpoint, Saturn should be history too.

jg28 · October 2002

I am glad the Intrigue is/was named Intrigue and not Cutlass or Cutlass Supreme. There was a time when everything was Cutlass at Oldsmobile and you could never keep it straight... previous to my Intrigue, I had a Cutlass Ciera but no one ever called it Cutlass Ciera, just Ciera. Naming vehicles really is a funny thing if you think about it. Volkswagen Jettas are called Boras in Europe. Opel calls the Cadillac Catera an Omega. I guess Cadillac Omega doesn't sound as good? LOL. I much prefer the numeric or alpha nomenclature... G35, 3 Series, A6, CTS, STS, ETC (hey how come some cute little buzzy car hasn't been named ETC yet?). But I have always loved the name Intrigue. Not quite sure what was wrong with Antares though. That wouldda been a neat marketing ploy. Aurora, Antares, Alero... then you'd just need an A name for the Bravada and Silhouette... maybe Adrenaline and Arial? LOL

ab348 · October 2002

GMs fascination with Roger Smith's Saturn is what ended up killing Olds. A perennial money-loser, if GM had put a fraction of their investment in Saturn into development and marketing of Olds they would be thriving. Instead we have a Saturn division that produces mean little cheap cars that are absolute bottom feeders in the subcompact model, a non-contender with their rebadged Opel L-series, and an Ion that has the same ugly center-mount instruments as the awful Toyota Echo.

Meanwhile Olds had an Intrigue that just needed a bit more refinement, an Aurora that needed some marketing push, and an Alero that was popular right out of the box. All of them could run rings around anything Saturn makes. And yet Saturn lives and Olds is gone.

It's a tragic case of corporate incompetence.

mfletouva · October 2002

Starting to get used to my Intrigue, and loving it (its much more refined than the Alero). One question though, the automatic climate control displays the exterior temperature when you aren't adjusting it. Have people find the temperature displayed to be accurate? Mine is ballpark, but it seems to run a couple degrees higher than it actually is outside. Have others noticed this?

Getting rid of the Cutlass name was not the problem. People my age just will not drive anything named Cutlass, I don't care if they took a BMW 5 Series and rebadged it with "Cutlass" (I'm not really talking about myself, but my friends) All of them love the Intrigue and the Alero. When my girlfriend was looking at buying a used Malibu (before she got her Alero), I showed her a used '98 Cutlass than had fewer miles and more options next door to the '98 Malibu we were looking at, and she said flat out "no way I am ever driving a Cutlass." Olds knew that too many people younger than 50 felt that way so they axed it in favor of nicer sounding names. (And if you ask me, Intrigue is perhaps one of the best car names EVER...I mean, think about it, its a little exciting, classy, sophisticated...intriguing! Brilliant!) Alero...well, that's another story. But anyway, the problem was just not enough promotion of a good product, and trying to have two companies (Saturn and Olds) vying for the 'import' customers. Interestingly, btw, Alero sales were quite strong last year and remain strong this year, currently Alero is ranked around #26 among sales in the US.

oldsman01 · October 2002

I haven't driven the 9-3 yet, but from what I've read, the car is impressive. The features for the price are also very good. I do believe the chassis will be used in other US GM mainstays such as the next gen Malibu and Grand Am. A lease is the only way I'll do one.

TSchramm, the TL offers alot of features and decent performance, but my problem with it is the car is nothing more than a fancy Accord. I've said this before, but imageine that flack that GM would have gotten if they simply dressed up an Intrigue and passed it off as a new entry level Cadillac.

Names, had the Intrigue been called the Cutlass Supreme I still would have bought it had everything else been the same. I guess I'm just not a "badge snob" like much of the today's automobile shoppers are. Intrigue, Cutlass Supreme, INT3.5, or whatever it's the car that counts not the name.

dindak · October 2002

oldsman : No kidding. How much grief did GM get for dressing up a common Opel as a Cadillac?? Mean time Honda gets away with crap like the new Civic and the ugly Element. Honda can do no wrong.

one2one : I totally realize Saturn makes no money, but it does attract young import oriented people to GM which is something no other domestic name is able to do. That is the attraction and I understand it. I didn't say I agreed with it. GM is finally putting money into Saturn and the Sky and new Ion look very promising. I hope it pays off for them, but killing Olds was a mistake regardless.

ab348 : Center IP is no big deal. Ever driven a car with one?? It really is easier to see and it takes very little time to adjust to. My monitor at work is off to the right of my desk, same thing.. big deal. The car itself is getting very good reviews. Killing Olds was a bad idea, but it's too late to go back so they may as well go full steam with Saturn and make Buick everything Olds should have been. I even hear an entry level Buick may be in the works which I look forward to seeing.

vcjumper · October 2002

Saab 9-3 is to Chevy Malibu what TL is to the Honda Accord! This isn't 1995 people, platform sharing is a good idea now that even GM has figured out in the last 5 years that a rigid chasis matters! When GM was doing it with disposable noodle structure Chevy cars and trucks that didn't know refinement was a word up to 1997 and called them Cadillac, that was BAD.

vcjumper · October 2002

Honda gets away with the Civic because there is competition like the Cavalier and because it has resale value, stellar crash test results, and reliability.

navigator3740 · October 2002

"Saturn makes no money, but it does attract young import oriented people to GM" I disagree. GM has spared no expense to call Saturn "a different kind of car, a different kind of company" in an effort to build an Un-GM car and sell it. So, it may attract young import oriented people, but not to GM. Talk to them. They won't move up to a Pontiac. They move up to a Jetta!

Now, you and I know it's all GM under the plastic - coarse, unrefined, noisy and brittle. But the schoolteachers who drive them, and they're not all young, BTW, think they have anything BUT a GM car. If they tried a Honda, they'd understand what they really have.

b4z · October 2002

recent reviews of the Civic have not been great.
One magazine (C&D?) said that it might be Honda's first misstep.

rjs200240 · October 2002

Navigator is right (IMO). Un-GM people might buy a Saturn, but then all they'll consider from GM is Saturn. They still won't warm to other brands. So then Saturn has these "Saturn" people who want a bigger car than the S, or an SUV. So Saturn wants to keep them in the GM fold, so they build a mid-size car and an SUV. Now they have even more products to lose money on, and more advertising dollars to spend just to keep a small number of "Saturn" people driving their cars. It's idiocy... But, I wouldn't say it's all GM under the plastic. The S didn't share a platform or engine with any other GM product. It was coarse and slow and had tons of road noise and doors that felt like they were completely plastic, but I haven't found the Cav or Alero or other GM small cars to be that way. Just Saturn. Now, maybe the Ion is better, but it's been 13 years so it sure as heck ought to be.

One2one: Great point about the Corolla/Prism. But it isn't just uninformed buyers. I'm convinced that if you sent a new Camry (or ES 300) to Car & Driver with a Chevy (or heaven forbid, Buick) badge on it, they would deride it as an ugly, boring car with lack-luster acceleration and questionable reliability. They are worse than the uninformed public because they are supposed to be well-informed media. They probably have worse biases than most import buyers.

dindak · October 2002

FYI the ION is literally light years ahead of the SL and magazines I have read are saying this Saturn is competitive with anything out there in the small car category.

I agree, Saturn needs more cars so people can stay with them longer but, progress is being made. The VUE is out now and the reskinned LS has chalked up some decent reviews. More needs to be done but I don't think there are the numbers of people you claim who don't know Saturn is domestic or GM (or both).

Here in Canada all Saturn dealers are also Saab and Isuzu dealer so people can stay with the same dealership and move up the GM import lines with their incomes. I think GM should do the same in the US, it make sense. I have seen a number of homes with an Isuzu or Saab in the driveway with a Saturn beside it.

Saturn is not perfect and it needs a lot of money and product, but after Chevy and Cadillac, it's GM's most important division in my opinion. Even people that hate GM admit, Saturn has a good reputation and that says a lot about it's potential if they can get the product out.

ab348 · October 2002

Center IP was the subject of a long thread recently on another board. Concensus was it is not easier to read and is strictly a cost-cutting and me-too trend. Both of which are right up Saturn's alley.

My experience is that Saturn has a very mixed reputation. Nobody thinks their vehicles are anything special and the original ones developed a terrible reputation for oil consumption and engine failure. Plus there are a number of people who believe they are unsafe cars due to the fire hazard of their body material.

You ought to know that magazines almost always say nice things about cars when they are just introduced. A year later they sing a different tune. Let's wait on the Ion.

dindak · October 2002

Fair enough though the ION's Ecotec is proven technology and the "fire hazard" is not widely believed, in fact I have only heard of it once. The panels benefits far outweigh any cons.

As for the reputation, Saturns year after year top ranking in customer satisfaction and service speaks for it self. Facts are facts, I'm not making this up. The Saturn name is gold, GM just has to give them more good product.

redline65 · October 2002

I saw the ION at the auto show a few weeks back, and I was very impressed. My wife has a '96 SL, so I know how crappy those cars are in terms of interior style and quality. The ION is a huge improvement over the S-series. I am still in disbelief about the Vue and it's crummy interior. It looks like the same interior from our '96 SL.

sda · October 2002

I might be too sensitive, but I think the auto climate control on my '00 GL is not functioning as it should. Since the weather has turned cooler, I set the temperature to 'auto' 74 and use the economy mode. All seems fine, and the temperature in the car is comfortable for about 15 minutes. Then, the defroster kicks in and starts blowing COLD air thru defroster (windshield) vent. This causes a cold draft that I find uncomfortable. Most recently when I had the car serviced, I mentioned this to the service advisor. He said the system is computer controlled, and the system is not adjustable. As such, he felt the system is operating properly. I've owned several cars with auto climate control, and they all functioned fine. So I'm not convinced. Help anyone?

one2one · October 2002

Mine is fine at 31k. The outside temp is almost on point with what the radio stations say, give or take a few degrees which is to be expected.

I also set the temp at 74 but don't use the economy mode. The defroster does come on and I can feel cool air but it isn't uncomfortable. The only time I can say it is cold is when I first start the car. That, too, is to be expected since the car hasn't warmed up yet.

I've never really liked the Economy mode.... In the summer it's not cold enough or feels the same as when the window is down. In the winter, Economy makes my windows fog so I don't use it then either. Try turning it off and see how you like it.

gchauncey · October 2002

I have a '98 Intrigue with 29k miles on it. The Check Engine, Anti-Lock, and Traction Control lights all came on at the same time. Has anyone had this happen, and what was the diagnosis (I'm a little fearful this will be big repair bill)

TSchramm · October 2002

Just noticed 3 '00 Intrigues, one a GLS, in the local paper for sale at the Olds/Pontiac dealer priced from $6,995 to 8,995. A '01 GLS with 34K, leather and sunroof, for 10,995! Less than half of what it sold for 2 years ago. And those were ASKING prices!

Out of curiosity, I called and the used car manager answered and I jokingly asked if these were "damaged goods" He said no, but ever since production discontinued, the value of used Intrigues has dropped like a rock - within weeks they've come down $2-3K. He said even current his current KBB is not keeping up with the devaluation. Said same thing happened with the 88 and 98 - prices fell through the floor right after they were discontinued.

But he invited me to come drive one - said "these are great cars and they won't be here long at these prices". I'll bet.

Shameful!

TSchramm · October 2002

The worst example is when Cadillac glued a bunch of chrome on a Cavalier, put leather on the seat covers, renamed it "Cimarron", and tried pawn it off as a luxury car, figuring Barnum was right when he sadi "There's a sucker born every minute". GM is definately the car-making king of marketing blunders.

And isn't the Intrigue really just a gussied-up base Grand Prix? Same factory, same parts bin, same dealerships? Reshape the sheet metal and drop in a different engine, and you've got an Intrigue.

garfeinchar · October 2002

Actually, I wonder if GM still can't figure out marketing. They killed Olds and then are making some "interesting " moves at Cadillac.

I really wonder how well the CTS is selling. I drive by a Cadillac dealer on the way to work every day and the same 4 CTS' have been sitting there for weeks. They move them around, but they're still there. I have seen only one on the street in the months it has been out, and it probably belongs to one of the salesmen.

Do they really think they're going to attract someone seriously considering Audi, BMW, a Lexus GS or other more established, proven luxo/sport cars? Or are they just going for the guy who wants to trade up from his Aurora?

oldsman01 · October 2002

Not sure where you are, but here(and the automotive scene here is more conservative than Strom Thurmond) I've never seen the same CTS on the dealers lot for no more than 3 weeks. And that was the outrageous Copper Sunburst model. I don't think many Aurora buyers are really going to go for the CTS. A Bonneville SSEi or an STS is more in their direction. But if they were to drive a CTS, they just may go for it as the car is an absolute joy to drive. BTW, have you driven one yet? If not, I would suggest doing so.

oldsman01 · October 2002

I've had the same complaint with the climate control on mine. The way it is designed is that defog(wishield and floor) is part of the automatic mode. The system starts out blowing through the floor outlets then once the cabin warms, it goes to defog. Even if you keep the econ button presses(as I do) when the system goes to defog, it activates the A/C compressor. I don't like this as I only want defog if it is really needed. I've even had the system automatically come on in defog when I first start the car on a cool morning and blowing cold air on the windshield just fogs it up. What I do when I want the system to stay on floor mode is press auto then change the mode to floor and press econ. This way the system still automatically maintains temperature and fan speed. I like the automatic climate control feature(and the dual zone is great for the misses) but it sometimes has a mind of it's own when it comes to air flow pattern. My old 89 Touring Sedan had climate control as well and other than occasionally having to use defog, it never left the full automatic position. I simply raised or lowered the temperature as needed and it always seemed to know the right air flow and fan speed. That one also would not automatically go into the defog mode.

dindak · October 2002

CTS sales are ahead of projection and production was increased a few months ago.

Lots of them around and the local dealer never has more than 1 or 2 on the lot.

Don't worry, they are selling well.

mfletouva · October 2002

TS...
I don't doubt now is a good time to buy a used Intrigue, but I have to wonder where on earth you live. In these parts Intrigue prices are nowhere near that! I shopped extensively for a used Intrigue before deciding that my new one was a better buy. Over and over I ran into '00s with around 30k and couldn't find them for less than $14, more for an '01 with the same mileage. The absolute best I could find where a few '99s with mid-30s for $12.5 (one and the condition was not very good)-$13.5k. Anything under 20k miles was over $15k. I do live in an expensive area, but still...Do a search on autotrader if you don't believe me, you won't find anything even close to what you are describing. I must wonder about exactly how these particular Intrigues were acquired and exactly what their background was.

redly_one · October 2002

mfletouva...same story here on the retail side, not sure what they are REALLY selling for though...having a hard time selling my 99 here in Indy

Anyone have any used car sales advice??

Ive got the car on autotrader.com now (46038 zip), I've tried the local newspaper, sitting the car at busy intersections, ect. It's got a fresh wax job, newer tires, clean body, so I don't think it's giving off a bad impression

Oldsmobile Intrigue

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