Oldsmobile Aurora

larryfl · June 2001

wingnut396-

I get about 22MPG at a steady 80MPH with cruise control engaged and full AC according to the Driver's Information Center (is that better, Pat?)and don't have the autobahn package. Isn't that typical for these cars? Actually, that's about what I had expected.

I should also say that I have a fairly heavy foot and don't drive to maximize gas mileage.

shucknet · June 2001

I have a 1998 Aurora with 61,000 miles. I have had it in the shop 3 times with pulley noises and excessive serpentine belt wear. Has anyone else had this problem? Any guesses as to what might cause this (flood, accident, manuf defect, etc)?

Thanks for the help!
Ryan

autobahn95 · June 2001

Shuck net,
I have a '95 Aurora with 83,000 on it. just two weeks ago I changed the serpentine belt myself. it was looking very dry and cracked. there was no significant wear on it though. I also had some pulley noise, so I bought the pensioner pull also. unfortunately, it's next to impossible to get that pull on, so all I replaced was the belt. however,I was able to get in there and spray some oil on the pully bearings, and that quieted things down significantly. i can't say for sure what caused the noise, but my guess would be just from the high miles. bearings only last so long.
i hope this helps.

gisom · June 2001

I am going to change my belt tomorrow myself because the belt is looking kinda shiny to me. I bought belt at autozone for 18 bucks. Brakes are really easy to do. My 95 has 85,000 on it. The weather finally broke in Chicago. High 80's for the rest of week. Felt like Seattle around here for the past two weeks, gloomy and rainy. My autobahn also does low 20's when I am traveling. Maybe that is the best these v8's will do.

zinc1 · June 2001

After the belt shredded once, I always carry a spare in the trunk. I have the Autobahn package and get about 23mpg hwy with A/C on, 28-30mpg with A/C off. City varies so much I don't know except that, with A/C on and a lot of city driving, it's dropped as far as 13mpg. But that's just what the DIC says and most of that time is spent idling at traffic lights.

autobahn95 · June 2001

has anyone had this problem with their Aurora...this morning i started my car up and let it sit to warm up for about 2 minutes as i always do. during that time, the traction control came on by itself, running at differnt intervals lasting from maybe half a second to a full second. this little episode only lasted about 15 seconds. right after that, the traction off light came on exactly the same time that the ABS light came on. i'm thinkig that maybe i have a bad wheel sensor?
has anyone had this problem corrected?
thank you

Henry · June 2001

I still don't understand how Zinc1, of all people in this forum, can say he gets over 30mpg on the highway. I too do not drive to maximize gas mileage. I think that 23.2 with air is about right but may be a little low. The last time I made the trip down to South Carolina I was closer to 25mpg. I think the fact that the check engine light was on for nearly all of the trip indicates that the engine is not performing at its best (bad ignition wires is the current assumption).

For everyone that is posting their MPG's, are you using premium or regular gas in the car?

I have not done the math yet, but I will. I set my gallons used and the trip indicator to zero and reset the aveage mileage indicator to zero before I started my trip. I am going to divide my gallons used by the total milage to see if it agrees with the DIC number.

I saw a gold 98 Classic with Autobahn, Bose, sunroof and NO HEATED SEATS! What's up with that? Must have been a California car. Hey Zinc1 ever get your heat fixed??????

zinc1 · June 2001

Mine doesn't have heated seats either - yeah it's a California car. I haven't gotten the heater fixed yet, since the weather's warm now I won't need it for a few months. I use the highest octane possible (which translates to about $2.17 per gallon here in L.A.) and even at that the check engine light might come on if I go to the wrong gas station. For sure the light comes on with anything but premium

wingnut396 · June 2001

I use premium, but I buy where ever I happen to pass by when I need gas. Unless I'm near Sam's, then I get their stuff for the discount.

Zinc. 2.17 a gallon....ouch. That will make think twice about moving to Pasadena with my company!

Brett

Henry · June 2001

Amonco Premium - New Jersey $1.79
South Carolina $1.61
New York $1.99

Amonco is usually 3 or 4 cents higher than say Exxon/Mobile

gisom · June 2001

In the Chicago area is running 1.98 for premium outside the city and about 2.08 in the city. I am a couple miles from the Indiana border where I get my gas and it is 1.75 for the premium. My manual says to use at least 92 octance which is the premium grade. It does not matter what brand around here, they are posting the same price.

autobahn 95 - My traction light lights up every now and then for no reason and then sometimes the abs lights up too and so both stay lit until you turn car off. When they both stay lit, then you don't have the use of those facilities. I even had where you are driving at about thirty mph and all of a sudden it seems the abs tries to stop the car and both lights, traction and abs lights up after that. I suspect a bad sensor. I did take it to the dealer but those guys were scratching their heads. I am going to take it to a cadillac dealer next.

gisom · June 2001

autobahn95 - I forgot to mention that my abs light problem started when I had to use the donut tire. I really think the different size tire messed up the sensors thinking.

matrixfrog · June 2001

On the hi-way I avg about 28mpg at around 75mph (according to the DIC)and I drive a 98 aurora. Shame on you guys if you dont put premium in your aurora. (Unless you dont drive a new model.)

I had 2 hot chicks in my car lastnight. One of them asked "Did your parents buy you this?" I said no Im paying for it myself and then I took them for a ride and showed them what an aroara can do. When they got out the both remarked how nice of a car it was. Just thought I would share. It's always nice to have bonified hot chicks telling me my car is sweet. God I love these cars.

larryfl · June 2001

Matrixfrog- - You may be setting the bar for these young ladies for a lifestyle to which they could quickly become accustom. Just make sure you get away before you wind up paying for it!!! Otherwise, the possibilities are certainly intriguing! Have a great summmer.

MPG - again, 22MPG at 80MPH in my '95. I run nothing but Premium, although I'm not particular about the brand...

Gas Prices have come down in Central Florida recently:
Premium at Aamaco is about 1.75
Premium at Mobile is about 1.70

S. Florida runs about .08-.10/ gallon more

autobahn95 · June 2001

gisom-
thanks for that information. i am curious to find out what causes this. however, i had a gut feeling that just maybe i had some dirt in the wheel sensors, so i thoroughly washed the front wheels from the outside and then i even got some mild degreaser and sprayed the wheels from behind. i let them soak for a good 10 minutes and then blasted them with water to rinse everything out. sure enough, the lights haven't come on since that, so hopefully i've figured it out.
thanks again.

Matrixfrog-
sure is great to have some fine figured ladies in an Aurora isn't it??
i've got one up on you though, my record is 3 beautiful women cruising in my car with me at once. :-) :-)
gotta love that car!

dishwish · June 2001

I burn ethanol blend (10%) in my Aurora. It has a rating of 90 octane. It is the same price as regular gas $1.75/gal. Ethanol blend has an added advantage when winter hits in ND. No gas line freeze. Maybe a lot of you people (down south) don't even know what that is. Believe me, we have to watch out for that up here.

I get about 26mpg driving 70mph.

matrixfrog · June 2001

I read in the owners manual Oldsmobile reccomends not using fuel products with MMT. I've notice a NOS fuel product contains MMT. What will it hurt if I put the NOS in? Im assuming prolly some type of sensor. The borla aurora is NOS'ed but there is prolly a difference between NOs and the bottled NOS you put in your gas tank. Im talking about the brand name NOS.

Well, as of today this is my last day of work. I prolly won't be on too much after today but I will stop by when Im at home when I get a free chance. (I'll prolly just be reading and little posting) I will be back regulary once school starts up again. BTW I got a summer job painting the schools.

Have a great summer everyone and sport those Auroras.

zinc1 · June 2001

I've been in twice for this, the second time just this morning. The first time it was thought that the water pump was freezing up, but that was replaced about eight months ago. Could be 2 in a row - wouldn't surprise me in the least - but I think it's the A/C this time. The irony is: I carry an extra serpentine in the trunk and when it shreded I expected to just pop on another one. Ha! You can't just thread another belt on. The shop (a few yards away luckily) took 2 hours to put this belt on, at sixty dollars labor. Said they had to remove a motor mount. I hope you all have car phones.

wingnut396 · June 2001

Down here in God's Oil Country, we are paying about 1.63 or so for premium, 93 octane.

Nice to hear that I'm not the only one getting 28MPG, thought my car was messed up.

NOS, you'll probably mess up your engine more trying to travel higher, faster and further at Zinc Factor 14 with the aid of NOS than anything that MMT might corrupt.

Cruising down the highmany in some cold blue steel.... I had 2 foxes in the front and 3 more in the back..... Sounds like Matrixfrog is either Bad or Nationwide....

Henry · June 2001

Gonna Tell A story
One and Only
All about the
Serpentine Wear

Henry · June 2001

nuff said

redskin024 · June 2001

Babes>>> ive had 3 in the car also. The first night i had my license i had 4 people in back and 1 in front + me = 6 people.

ABS>>>> my suggestion is an AB roller. It gets them nice and flat and it works. Get rid of the keg and get a six-pack.

Trac and Brakes>>>> sounds like the sensors. my father had this problem on his 95. water and other crappy crap crap gets in there. they replaced it and all was well with the world.

Gas prices, Buffalo/Niagara Falls, NY: $1.85 for 93 octane at KwikFill and Mobil.

autobahn95 · June 2001

Redskin024-
where are you from? i'm from Lockport. there are very few Aurora's around here, which makes the ride even more special.

bghtdh · June 2001

I'm wanting to purchase a 1997 Olds Aurora. Will this be a solid purchase as far as repairs, etc. What is your experience out there?

hammen2 · June 2001

Regarding reliability/repairs, etc.

I did a fair amount of research on this before buying a used '98 Aurora back in late March. The thing to remember is that the Aurora is a luxury car, with a lot of gadgets and features. Overall reliability seems to be pretty good (one chronic problem seems to be the AC compressor), but, then again, this car has a lot more features/gadgets/technology than other cars of its vintage. Simply put, there's more to go wrong than the average car.

Not that this should discourage you from picking one up if you like the car and you're paying a good price (the demise of Olds has reduced resale value; I got my loaded '98 w/27k miles for $17k, less than half sticker price, yet still under warranty). You may want to factor in the cost of a decent extended warranty ($1000-$1500), however, or set some $$$ aside for repairs.

Another thing you can do is take the VIN number of the car you're interested in into any Oldsmobile service dealership (possibly even any GM dealership, but I'm not sure). They can look up the warranty repair history, and see what warranty-related repairs were done (for example, my car had about 10-12 warranty claims, for things like wind noise, door realingment, loose trim, etc., but none of these concerned me greatly because there were no engine/drivetrain warranty claims).

I also used CarFax to check out where my car previously was titled, and any major milestones (i.e in-service dates, mileage at emissions tests, date of sale, date the dealer picked it up, etc.). I went for their "2 months of VIN lookups" package, and probably looked up 50-60 different cars during that time...

All in all, after 2 1/2 months, I love my Aurora, and don't regret my decision to purchase it. Each time I walk to my car, I feel like I need to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming...

--Robert

hammen2 · June 2001

FYI, with the Autobahn Package, I average about 26 mpg on straight highway driving (no A/C - that seems to take off about 2 mpg). "city" driving is much lower - most of my driving is my 6.4 mile commute to work, and then back home each day (mostly 2-lane streets/roads, max posted speed 45 mph the whole way, 3 stoplights = 10 minutes), with some weekend trips to visit family (50-75 miles each way). I seem to average about 20.5 mpg overall. I am NOT a lightfooted driver (haven't lost a stoplight race yet in the Aurora, and yes, I use the Power button :-)

BTW, gas prices for Premium Unleaded (Clark 93 octane) here in the Milwaukee 'burbs are down to 1.789, from a high of around $2.049 a month or so ago. I get gas mostly from Clark, since their premium unleaded "premium" isn't as high as the Amoco's and Mobil's of the world (typically it's 12-15c more per gallon than regular unleaded, unlike the 20c premium of the other guys).

Hope this helps,

--Robert

hammen2 · June 2001

OK, here's a hypothetical question: what if something happened to your Aurora (Classic): totaled, stolen, etc. What would you drive?

I was extremely lucky to find the exact car I would have ordered on the used lot, in perfect shape with low mileage, at a great price. If something happened to my car, I'm not sure I'd be as lucky (certainly hard to find loaded with low miles).

(Warning: my opinions follow):

I'm not an SUV guy - I want a car with handling and horsepower, thankyouverymuch. I'm also a sedan guy - I frequently take co-workers and customers out to lunch, etc., so 4 doors are essential to me.

I'm kind of a GM guy - my mother-in-law works at the Janesville Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban plant (before transferring to Wisconsin in 1998, she worked at the Lake Orion plant building Auroras, Bonnevilles, Park Avenues, etc.), so I also get that GM Family Discount (though I bought the Aurora used anyway :-). My GM cars (1984 and later) have always treated me well.

I can't say that I like anything Chevy has (the Impala is ugly - my old Lumina had better styling). Pontiac offers the Grand Prix and Bonneville - I loved the GP rental cars I've had, and test drove one before buying my Aurora, but feared for my license (found myself easily crusing 45 in a 25 zone, or 85 on the freeway :-). Olds? I drove a base Intrigue and hated it. The new Aurora's nice, but the styling is so bland...

Move up to Buick and maybe the Regal - just had a rental in California, and it wasn't bad - handled the curves along Hwy. 1 from Monterey to San Luis Obisbo pretty well - but the interior is still somewhat bland. I'm too young (35) for the LeSabre or Park Avenue.

Caddy? Only thing I can afford is the Catera, and I think it's a twin-sister, styling-wise, to my old Lumina. Maybe the new CTS when it comes out. Saturn? The LS isn't bad, but it's more like a Grand Am.

I understand GM is going to consolidate its car lines even more (bye-bye Bonneville, Park Avenue, etc.). This will work only if they improve their cars/make them appealing to more than just specific age groups, etc.

I really think there was a place for Oldmobile yet at GM, maybe co-joined with Saturn. There's a familial resemblance, and mid-size/large cars like the Intrigue and Aurora would complement the smaller SC/SL/LS etc. (ditto the Bravada and the new Saturn SUV). But, the patient's dead, just not yet buried...

I hope to keep my Aurora (Classic) for a long time. I really do think it's going to be a classic. I'll probably keep it as my "daily driver" for another 4-5 years, then, as long as it's in good mechanical and exterior/interior condition, think about garaging it and bringing it out a few times a year (my parents garaged their 30k miles '73 Javelin for 13 years, never starting or driving it, and it had to be hauled out on a flatbed when they sold their house a couple of years ago - got $2500 for it, sad).

Just rambling,

--Robert

redskin024 · June 2001

I live in Lancaster... when we had our first Aurora in 95, it was very rare and got curious looks wherever we went. ive noticed a lot showing up at the used car lots now. so i think they are becoming more popular in buffalo. wish my dad still had his though.

My aunt used to live on hillcrest in lockport...

pizza442 · June 2001

I know this has been mentioned, but I am still searching for a solution in my case. I am still going through all the past posts so forgive me if I missed the fix for my specific sit. My 95 I/autobahn (56,000) surges at all speeds and hemps below 55 mph and not when steady cruising above 55. The only effect I have found is if I pull the plug on the EAR, the feeling is not as bad, but still there. Have replaced: EAR, fuel filter, fuel pressure re., plugs and wires, ran CM fuel says. cleaner 2x (Techron), decarboned upper engine--didn't smoke much at all, cleaned throttle body by hand, no check engine light, previous history shows fuel prom replaced, tarns and input sensor, water pump. I couldn't get the Caddy/Old dealer to do more than look at his etch screen and say all says are within spews. Anybody have a fix for this other than the ones I have already done?

pat · June 2001

Welcome to Town Hall.

And welcome to Web Crossing's evil spellcheck - looks like it bit your post pretty good. Sorry about that, personally, I have never understood exactly how it works. All I know is that if you are not very careful, it will change how you've typed things when you did not mean for that to happen.

The best suggestion I've seen so far for dealing with it is to run your post through it, see what it wants to change, and then use your browser's Back button to go back to what you originally typed. If you want to accept anything the spellcheck suggested, simply make the changes by hand. Then post from the original post box.

Anyway, welcome - good luck with finding a solution to your problem, I'm sure the good folks here will be happy to help if they can.

Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards

pizza442 · June 2001

Wow! That spell check is evil. Makes for funny reading, though. Hemp? Haha.

zinc1 · June 2001

Welcome pizza442!

Im a chronic spell-checker but I avoid this one. It scrambles things so badly that you sometimes havent a clue what the poster meant. But, considering the etch screen and say all says are within spews I guess we know the spell checker is the one using hemp.

I just scanned a really nice pic from a brochure - here. This is for all you Aurorians.

joeolds · June 2001

I've been very busy lately with work....but I do check this board every 10 days or so.

Larryfl, and any one else whose interested.... I strictly use Meguiars products on interior, and exterior. Premium leather care for the leather, and #40 vinyl cleaner/conditioner for tires, dash, and other vinyl areas. As far as the exterior I prefer to use #7 show car glaze, followed with a coat of #26 high tech yellow wax. The yellow wax doesn't last as long but provides a brilliant shine. For finishes that are oxidized there are various cleaners, with different levels of abrasiveness. This information was gathered as a result of showing a 71 442 since 1989, and it still looks great.

As far as gas mileage goes our Aurora is getting between 19 and 22 mpg (depending on how much I drive the car. It is all in town with a little bit of highway time in morning and afternoon commute. We only run premium (91 0ctane in this part of country), mostly from phillips 66. At end of July we will be taking the Aurora, and my 73 Cutlass Supreme to the Olds Nationals in Denver. We'll see what kind of highway mileage we get then.

wingnut396 · June 2001

I would hate to think of my olds getting killed, but if it did...

I like the VW Passat wagons. May be a little bland, but they are very nice. Would have to be a 4 Motion with a VR6 engine of course. My last car was a VW, and I was VERY impressed with the quality of the car.

OR, a used Seville. Why not get the big brother to the car I already have. Actually I was looking at these and stumbled on the Aurora. How can you not love a car that is half the price with all the fun???

OR, I just go ahead spring for that new Ferrari I been toying around about :P

jsa_sfca · June 2001

Hi All,

While I certainly had no plan to do so, and was on my way to buy something else, I saw a Sterling 3.5 sitting up on a platform and, well, now it's mine!

My brother is an Olds collector -- his black, 1950 sedan is legendary now -- so, along with hearing how stupid GM is (and thinking we would have to commit him) following the announcement of Olds' demise, I have heard, heard, and re-heard all the Aurora's merits and why it is an excellent import alternative. After nay-saying and laughing outright at him, I must admit that I do not find crow to be such a bad meal.

Fickle as I am, I was on my way to buy a new Acura TL, but I am so, so, glad I stopped when I saw and, ultimately, chose the Aurora instead. I got an excellent deal -- I still cannot believe how great a deal it was -- and, when compared to the Acura, the Aurora just feels and fits better. We took off to Tahoe right away and... Man! What a drive! What fun!

Although I still feel that GM is run by a bunch of boneheads and that they need to take the meat cleaver to their product lines and upper management, every now and then something special manages to make it past their collective dim-witted scrutiny. Aurora is such a something special. I'm totally impressed with the car and impressed with myself for even stopping.

I'm looking forward to many miles to come.

John

Henry · June 2001

All will become one with the AURORA.

Resistence is futile

You will be . . . . . .

Hmm, is that a smile I see ???

Henry · June 2001

All will become one with the AURORA.

Resistence is futile

You will be . . . . . .

Hmm, is that a smile I see ???

tpken · June 2001

Congrats to you, John, on that "Sterling" choice!

Excellent post too, by the way.

Best wishes to you for many miles and years of driving enjoyment with one of the best GM products to ever be manufactured.

Every one of the Aurorophiles here (including those of us who must admire Auroras from a distance - like myself, a 2000 Bonneville man) will be anxious to hear of your experiences and Aurorian thoughts.

Again - congrats.

Ken

Henry · June 2001

Bonnie has the programable DIC and Magnasteer.

gisom · June 2001

I finally put the belt on for my 95. First belt in 6 years and the old belt was showing its age. It took 2 hours to do the job. The hard part was putting the new belt on because there was no diagram sticker inside hood. That was very wierd. Next time around, it should take less than an hour.

tipsicobob · June 2001

Have had my white diamond 2k1 Aurora for about 8 months with about 8k miles on it.I have the v8 with all options except engine block heater. It is the "mid year" version with onstar. Overall I am very happy with the car except for the typical GM minor quality problems. I had 4 problems:tire unbalance (a typical G body tire sensitivity problem); a very bad console rattle (corrected);a final drive whine (not corrected); and a mis-fitting console door.
My overall reactions include:
.love the interior layout and looks
.engine a bit lazy off the line but great over 2500rpm
.dis-appointing fuel economy 20mpg overall
.Bose stereo is wonderfull
.wind noise a bit higher than expected
.great body structure
.suspension a bit "clunky" on Michigan roads
.trunk hinges crush luggage (not nearly as good a design as the struts on the midsize "W"cars
.onstar hands free calling is great
.good quality leather (and smell)
.part throttle shift points could be sooner
.memory features are grt but should include isrv mirror

there are a few other strange design quirks concerning the interaction with rainsense wipers and the daytime running lights and so on but overall, it's a looker and very competitive with what else is out there!!

hardesty · June 2001

There are TSBs regarding whining in some 4T80E transaxles : 010101 & 130201. The first appears to be a report of GM investigating the problem, and the second may have some useful information.
My 2K1 (#14142959) does not have this problem.
If you want the fastest off the line performance, you need to turn off the traction control. The first stage of traction control is torque reduction (brake application comes later). If you floor the pedal, the traction control will engage and stay on for a few seconds. Turning TC off and using the throttle to prevent wheel spin will yield the best GO factor. I have not had any tire problems (other than the one that was ripped open by that pickup that hit me in February) or any build quality issues. At 6500 miles and 10 months (got one of the first OnStar equipped models) I still love this car.

zinc1 · June 2001

hardesty - the irony of your crash was the truck that broadsided you said Automotive Service on the side - what service!

Posted the earliest drawings of the Aurora I've seen yet: 1989 - here. This predates the Cadillac concept, which clarifies the issue of whether or not Cad 'gave' Olds the Aurora (at least the entire package), looks like the name and engine were Cadillac's but the body was always Oldsmobile's. Strange that the low-profile tires were drawn way back in '89.

Henry · June 2001

Its NOT your father's Oldsmobile!

hardesty · June 2001

zinc: The front view of the 1995 Auora show car shows where a lot of the look of the 2001 came from. The big lower air suckers (I like them), round fog lamps, the recessed (and maybe covered) license plate holder. Since the Aurora was introduced, there can be no doubt that Oldsmobile has had a "look". Whenever the new Aurora has been lined up with its peers, it stands out from the crowd, but for some reason most reviewers still call it bland.

henry: Actually, my father's Oldsmobile is the 1995 Cutlass Supreme twin-cam 3.4L V6 that my wife and I drove before we found out that our second child was really twins. We sold the Cutlass to my father (he always admired it and jumped at the chance to buy) and bought a 1999 Silhouette that is my wife's regular car. The AURORA is MINE! (OK, she gets to drive it when she wants to.)

zinc1 · June 2001

Hardesty - I agree with you on the front design with the two air intakes. A better look for the first generation Aurora was on the 1995 show car here. It had the more aggressive look of the later model Olds.

hammen2 · June 2001

Zinc - Olds field-tested GuideStar in San Francisco in late '96/early '97, using Olds 88's. How do I know? I made trips out there about once a month for business, and had several different rentals with it (I asked for it at each opportunity. It worked great, and it was especially good when my wife accompanied me - I would program in the places she want to go, as well as the hotel and the place I was at, and she would just drive around all day with no fear/worry about directions. The user interface was quite good - it would optionally speak the directions to you ("Exit right, followed by, slight left turn") - and the whole UI was better, IMHO, than the other nav systems I've used (on my boss' GS400 and my sister's TL).

Regarding the styling issue, it's kind of a personal thing. To me, the Classic is visually distinctive, whereas the 2k1 is more of a Japanese/Lexus clone (the rear is similar to the Taurus and the Neon, among other cars, and the front isn't as aggressive as the Classic Aurora/Intrigue/Alero). The new one is more of a replacement for the 88 and was not intended to be the Aurora, but budget and platform cuts turned it into it. I bet, had GM's plans gone the way they intended, whatever would be sold as an Aurora today would be more distinct than the 2k1. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the 2k1, it's just not as distinctive/sharp in my eyes. To each their own...

By the way, I still think the designers of the Classic should have made the gas door oval/oblong, rather than square. Bugs me every time I get in :-)

--Robert

dishwish · June 2001

Zinc: Is is amazing where you get all of this Aurora stuff and information. I enjoyed the 1989 early drawings of the Aurora. Where do you find all of this information?

Dish

fjk57702 · June 2001

I think its important to understand that GM developed a new front wheel drive design for their full size cars in the early 90's. The 95 Aurora and Buick Riviera were the first cars off the assembly line. The Aurora could have been called the Olds 98 - BUT GM management wanted Olds to turn itself around and the 95 Aurora was a new beginning. All new style (not a continuation of the old 98), V8 engine exclusive to Aurora.

Since 1995 all of GM's big cars are now built on this new design. Cadillac is now developing a new rear wheel drive design. The 03 CTS (Catera replacement) will be the first. The Seville will move to this design later (with all wheel drive optional).

Oldsmobile was given a lot of goodies. The V8 and the V6 northstars. Euro style (this was taken away from Buick) although Pontiac still does Euro (SSE). Even so, it took $3000 rebates to move the Aurora's every year. The first couple of years (before the big price tags) they did sell very well. But in 97 the Park Ave was on the new design and.........

tipsicobob · June 2001

did you guys know that the 95 Olds and Riv were ready to be introduced as 93's, but because we (GM) were short of capital, they actually vegetated for 2 years till we could afford to finish the tooling. Can you imagine what a hit they would have been in 93!!

Oldsmobile Aurora

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