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Comments
sysop "Pontiac Grand Am" Jan 10, 2001 2:54pm
(Jan 09, 2001, 04:09 pm), denigrating the very same GA. Looks as the person just have fun insulting everybody around.
P.S. To host: please, do not delete the whacko messages. They can serve as a useful reminder.
I'm going Saturday so if anyone else is gonna be there just look for me hovering around the Alero's on display!
Bruce
Mileage on the first tank was 23 mpg with a range of 300 miles. The mixture was 70/30 highway/city. Filled up right when the alarm went off. The alarm is set for the 13 gal mark. This gives you 1.5 gal to find the next station and a total range of 320-330 miles per tank. This is typical of the 4 cylinder. I had an 88 Grand Am with a similar engine. I didn't see the highway mileage on it until I took it for a full trip about 2-3 months later. It got the EPA sticker of 32 mpg back then. Then as all things do, it settled to a 23 mpg city/ 30 mpg highway.
I like the idea of going with a manual tranny, but haven't been able to get any impressions of it from either print or in person. Also.....
....Has anyone received their $1,500 loyalty coupon yet? Am still waiting on mine. Am curious at to what add'l info we must add to the coupon, and if you have to have been the original owner.
Thanx in advance!
My parents went to Portugal today for three weeks and left their Alero parked in our driveway (better than $7/day at Park and Fly). I drove around with it this afternoon and really enjoyed it. It's a 1999 GL with the V6 and power everything inside. The V6 is very responsive and the car handles VERY well. I will be driving it off and on while it's here, so I will give y'all my impressions.
Also FYI.. the dealer mentioned that they were going to bring back the 0/0/0 for 1 year option soon, he thought later this month. Of course that would be instead of the $2000 cash back but you could still use the loyalty discount. By the way today was my first commute through Chicago traffic in the new Alero and I must say it is a very comfortable car, handles well and the V6 really has some giddyup to dart out of the toll booths... oh yeah, the premium sound system is more than adequate. 150 miles and counting.....
I, too, had poor gas mileage with my first tank, and it doesn't appear the the second tank is going to improve either. About 17 was all I could get. I'm told it just needs to get broken in and things will improve.
With the Oldsmobile product line being discontinued, is anybody worried about customer support down the road? Do you guys feel that the car will hold its value since they won't be making them any more?
The interesting thing is that in the Friday paper today, NO OLDSMOBILE DEALER has a display ad advertising either the low APR or the 5 yr/60K warranty, which I heard about on these boards.
My gut feeling is that for our family, it's better to buy a new car then take a chance on a rcent used car, even though the latter is a lot less money. The great financing deal Olds is offering now makes a huge difference. I'd be interested in any comments on the new vs. used issue.
It looks as the common perception that the one-three year old cars are less expensive is just a myth.
Yes, the trade-in price fells at least couple of thousand bucks as soon as you sign the dotted line at dealership. Would you buy the car in private sale, from a trusted friend, you could split the difference.
But not so with the prices you pay at dealer for a used car. Slightly used cars are priced pretty close to its prorated mileage, if we assume that American cars are losing almost all value at 100k miles.
E.g., a car with 15k miles on odometer would cost about 1/6 less, than the new one; the car with 20k miles - 1/5 less, with 30-35k miles - about 1/3 less, etc. This is when comparing the real-life prices, after rebate and discounts, not the MSRP. nor the sticker prices for used cars.
Thus, everything else equal, nothing is saved when buying a slightly used car. But everything else is not not equal and cannot be equal. When buying a slightly used car, the buyer:
1. Gives up the better part of the manufacturer warranty;
2. Pays about 1% higher rate on the auto loan;
3. Cannot know for sure, who used the car before, and how it was used. The car can turned to be rental, repossessed, or abused during lease. Or be repaired after an accident.
4. Have a higher chance to receive a lemon, or almost lemon, plagued by small problems.
5. The previous owner most probably did not like the car, if he sold it so soon. And this often results in so-so maintenance, etc.
I bought myself a slightly used 98 Malibu in September 1998. The car was build in July 1997, and had 15k on odometer. I did not research then the prices and other relevant info myself, and believed some magazine articles, suggesting to do this for financial considerations. Now I know better...
14yr old Taurus MT5(4cyl+ clutch)and was excited
when dealer said the doubleought(how did you say
the new millinieum)models would have one.I waited researched and asked questions and found out that
this baby was designed in Germany and assembled in
Italy and ,according to the GM website,would not
be released soon due to problems with other systems.
This broke our hearts 'cause the rust bucket was on
her last leg.We found a green 626 with everything
we wanted and could afford. Best 16K we ever spent
Thumbs Up Bry
Thanks...
Since it is a German design it will probably give
years of good service.
the DOHC motor gets 21-22 mpg in the city, 24mpg in rural driving and 29 mpg at 79 mph on the highway.
I would expect the alero to get about 32 mpg on the highway. Is anyone getting this kind of mileage?
I had a 1990 Toyota Camry 4-cylinder that used to get 28 mpg and 37 mpg for the same driving situations above. While I'm getting slightly lower gas mileage, it's a lot more fun driving with 65 more hp and ~80 more ft/lbs or torque!
To make sure you're car is broken in properly, be sure to follow the guidelines in the manual until you have about 1500 miles on the car. They are something like these:
No full throttle acceleration.
No constant cruising at any one speed (change speeds frequently - and no cruise control).
Avoid stop and go traffic and periods of idling (more than 3-5 minutes at a time - if you live in cold climates, just let your car warm up for about 2-4 minutes max, and then drive at low rpm's until it is warm).
These precautions should ensure that your car works properly after break-in and yeilds the proper gas milage as well. Good luck.
Sorry to hear about your mirror. I think I have a loose exhaust system on mine cause it vibrates when you first start her up. I'll have that checked soon. Here in Virginia we've had snow and ice, but I can't bring myself to drive it in it and get it dirty, sandy, and salty. I have washed twice though, and I haven't seen any leaks either which is good news, especially around the sun roof.
I didn't see anything in the manual about waiting to wax. It use to be, in the old days, that you were suppose to give paint time on a new car before you waxed. I'm assuming that it's OK to wax a new car? I'd like to get a silicone on it soon and I wasn't sure if I should or not.
One more thing: What can I expect V-6/auto. fuel ecomomy to be with a little heavy foot? Thanks for your help.
newalero76, check the build date on your car. I have heard that it is good to wait about 6 months after a car is first built before waxing it. I don't know if this is still true, but my father has always maintained this. You might even want to ask someone at the dealer or at a reputable auto painting/detail shop.
Davenport Iowa but when I called they knew nothing
about it and said it must have been a missprint.
Has anyone ever seen one?
My brand new Alero GLS (780 miles) is acting strange when it starts.
This only happens when the car is semi-warm. If it is cold or hot, it'll start right up. If it's only been driven for a few miles and I try to start it again, it'll try and try and try to turn over, and it'll eventually fire. Sometimes, I'll have to wait a minute or two because it just won't start. Once I get the car started, it runs just fine. No stalls... If the car is cold, it fires right up. If it's hot, is doesn't really seem to have a problem either.
The starter sounds strong, but it's just not getting the spark it needs to fire.
Is it time to take the car in? I'm wondering if they'll be able to duplicate the symptoms I'm describing???
Any ideas?
live gmc48? Nuttin' available in westcentral IL
or surrounding area.
They had an Alero OSV on display. You know, that new style spoiler it has? Well, it isn't a bolt-on unit. The trunk lid and quarter panels are actually different - they're molded into that curved shape so it would be impossible to copy that style by bolting it onto a normal Alero - you'd have to replace all the rear body sheetmetal!
On the streets of Detroit, I saw soooooo many Aleros it was incredible. They're all over the place. Even at the car rental place at the airport, they had rows of Aleros ready to go!! THat is not a good thing - dumping all those rental units into the market just lowers the value of the Alero. But I was surprised at how common they are. They are not as common down here in Alabama.
maybe GM would'nt be dumping the longest running
line of cars.Here in W central IL(town of 10,000) I too
am seeing more and more Aleros.I've spoke with
some of them(buyers not the car) and asked what
drove them to this purchase? They all say first
off Styling...then having a standard gaurntee till its
paid off.
Guess what, the next day I got in the car, fired it up and blam, same thing. The problem is under investigation. Let me know if you learn anything.
Red
So I got the GL4/leather in Bronzemist. Never even considered that color, but I wasn't going to let color make or break a deal.
But one more question: My sister doesn't remember getting the Olds owner coupon. But can I still use it even though I put the down payment on it yesterday? Any idea? And what do I need in order to redeem it?