Oldsmobile Alero

regfootball · August 2001

the new 2.2 in the saturn with a 5 sp is a very nice ride! the engine is smooth and it shifts well. it will dramatically improve gm's other smaller cars. it makes the quad4 and ohv 2.2 look like JUNK. Its that much better.

buoyant · August 2001

Do you guys think GM will continue offering the $2000 rebate for the 2001?

It stands to reason (in my mind) that they will. This segment is very competitive and I think most consumers will countinue to need the extra incentive to purchase a vehicle from a brand on its way out.

I would ask my local dealer what they think, but I know what they will tell me: whatever it takes to get me to take one of the remaining 2001's of their hands. Well, no way Jose. I want a 2002.

Oh, and what kind of gas mileage does the 2.2 get?

dindak · August 2001

24/33 with a 4-speed auto is the rating on the L-series. Very decent for 135-140 hp.

9899olds · August 2001

What is the problem with your Alero????

I don't understand how you expect to force GM into responding as long as you are keeping your fans informed of the situation..

They monitor these websites; so why should they give you the satisfaction of buckling under to your demands????

I assume you have been through the BBB procedure and were offered arbitration process??

Better hurry cause these cars are soon to be history..

Sell it or trade it in on something else, for after awhile it starts to consume too much energy and it's non-productive!!!!

rdeschene · August 2001

I've spent a lot of time researching cars, using reviews, pricing crash and reliability statistics to help my choices, and consequently participated in the Saturn and Malibu forums a lot. I figured my next purchase would probably be a Saturn, maybe (better price) a Malibu.

Then I rented a 2000 Grand Am, 4dr for the weekend: holy cow, this is nice. Handles really well, good interior noise, no rattles at 52,000km and I'm getting 35mpg at 65-70mph with the A/C on. Bloody right !

I was sure I wanted a Grand Am, then I figured out that the Alero is built on the Grand Am platform at the same factory in Lansing, Michigan. So I test drove a 2000 Alero. Well, if the Grand Am had good seats, those in the Alero were simply superb for long distances - very firm and supportive. That's just based on our test drive, though. And the Alero doesn't have the round vents (I find these a bit of a hassle to direct - maybe my thinking is too Euclidian?), has bigger map pockets, and rear seats that can be dropped from inside the car instead of from the trunk. I just generally prefer the console layout and I can see the Cruise Control ON lamp even in direct sunlight.

We take delivery Wednesday evening.

evandro · August 2001

I too jumped on the Alero as soon as I tried it! I actually went to the dealer looking at a Grand Am and got out of it with an Alero for the same price I had got on the Grand Am, plus 4 wheel disk brakes, better fit and finish, higher quality and nicer interior, remote entry, CD player, etc. A no-brainer!

rdeschene · August 2001

The high depreciation on the Alero is definitely working in my favour as a used car buyer. A 2001 would sell for CDN$26000, while I got this 2000 for CDN$16739. That's a 35% depreciation on a very nice car, with a drive train, etc. shared with many other GM cars. I should think a new car purchaser could use this to get a better deal out of the dealers too.

It'll be interesting to see if I can get the same gas mileage with this car as I got with the 3.4L Grand Am rental. Keeping my fingers crossed.

evandro · August 2001

35% or so of depreciation after the 1st year is the market average. After 3 years, my Alero got to about 60% of its out of the door value: $19000 new, $10500 now.

With the 3.4l V6, I get between 23 to 24MPG in my daily commute and about 29MPG on the highway.

dindak · August 2001

No way you would have paid $26K for it though. Probably closer to $23-24K.

Congrats on the new car.

rdeschene · August 2001

$26,000 is the approximate MSRP with delivery charge and Federal A/C tax which, you are quite right, would be negotiated down. Still, quite a good car at a respectable price. The figure I tend to see quoted is more around a 30% depreciation on the first year, but that might be a true average rather than an and include Accords and Camrys which people seem to be willing to pay a premium for used.

To each his own I guess.

ribew · August 2001

Hello all -

I few months ago I was posting here expressing my dissatisfaction with the gas mileage I was getting out of my GLS Alero.

Well, I've now got about 6000 miles on it, and I can't get any better than 15 to 17 mpg in the city! I've had the car inspected at two different dealers, and both gave told me everything was ok. I emailed Oldsmobile and they told me to take it to the dealer. The basic runaround.

Well, do I have a legitimate complaint? To me, 17 mpg, at best, is NOT acceptable. Who should I think of contacting if things do not begin to improve by 10,000 miles? I would have bought an SUV if I knew things were going to be this bad.

Thanks for all the replies.

Eric

evandro · August 2001

I have a 3.4l Alero GL and I get between 23 and 24MPG (average speed of 45MPH) commuting and about 29MPG on the highway. Unless you have lead shoes, I see no reason to get such low mileage.

9899olds · August 2001

99 Intrigue GLS w/3.5 V-6 averages btw 24/27 with 70% interstate at speeds 75/85...

buoyant · August 2001

I think you're a little antsy. A car with only 6000 miles on it is still pretty "green". Sometimes mileage doesn't start improving dramatically until you get above 10k miles. I hope you don't burst into a shower of confetti by then...

If your city driving is truly large city downtown stop-and-go, you're never going to get fabulous mileage though.

AVOIDING ethanol blended fuel (which reduces fuel economy) as well as premium blends (which also will burn less efficiently in this car) will help improve economy too if you're using one of them now. Also, accelerating lightly and coasting from light to light rather than beating people through intersections and then braking heavily can make an amazing difference.

By the way, are you keeping it in 4th gear? Using third in city traffic can help response times, but these newer GM transmissions don't hunt like the old ones did (and thus you probably won't notice much of a difference by keeping it in fourth ALL the time).

Lastly, if you've got the V6, it's only city rated at 20mpg. That's only 3mpg higher than you're getting now (at 6K). Give it a little time yet.

dindak · August 2001

What kind of mileage are you getting on the highway? Like buoyant said, you aren't that far off the mark at 17 so a little lead foot would make the difference. If you are driving normal, perhaps there is a problem.

evandro · August 2001

I've heard about mileage improving after breaking in, but my Alero has been doing the same since it had 5mls on the odometer... Is it still true or should it go to the "urban legend" bin?

ilovests · August 2001

My Alero V6 has 5900miles on it now and it gets around 22-26.5 depending on conditions. My average commute is 15 minutes on the highway, and 15 minutes of stoplights. The rest of my driving is stoplights. Although if I push the car I get around 20mpg. With gas still in the 1.60 range, I do not push it too much.

ribew · August 2001

Highway driving is around 29-30 mpg, which is fine.

The V6 is supposed to get 21 mpg, and with me at best getting 17 mpg, is 21% off. Not good...

BUT... I'll take the advice from you all and give it some more time. I bought it for my wife, and she likes it. She's not to interested in gas mileage. As long as I keep it cleen and filled with gas, she's happy.

heng · August 2001

with what most of us get with the V6 after the engine has broken in. So I conclude your city mileage is due to traffic and driving style.

Besides the wife is happy.

rdeschene · August 2001

I'm picking up our 2000 Alero shortly, and want to put new tires on it. For the winter set, I'm definitely getting Michelin Arctic Alpins on steel wheels - no question there.

I would be interested in what other people have selected for replacement all-season tires. I'm only going to drive them in the late spring/summer/early fall, but I do want tires with at least some all-season capability as it's always hard to say when those first/last snowfalls/freezing rain will occur.

The things which are most important to me are: noise, ride quality, no tread squirm, good wet and dry handling/braking. I'm considering are: Pirelli P6000 SportVeloce, Michelin Pilot XGTH4, Yokohama Avid H4. I haven't figured out the alphabet soup of BF Goodrich's tire designations yet, so they'll probably have one or two models on my short list.

I'd be interested in Michelin X-One/Pirelli P400 Touring but I think I'll have to play with aspect ratios to see if any fit the 15" rims.

evandro · August 2001

I just loved the stock BF Goodrich Touring T/A that equipped the Alero. The tire is awesome! I liked it so much in fact, that it was my choice to replace the stock Michelin my other car wore.

Unlike the original Michelin, the new BF Goodrich doesn't aquaplane, doesn't squeal, has a firmer grip and is much quieter. All that at 30% less than an equivalent Michelin is a no-brainer!

smileypsi · August 2001

I have a 2000 GL3 with ~20000 miles(18 mos. old) and the radio face has started getting hot to the touch at night when the interior lights are on. Has anybody else had this happen? It had been a little warm but it seems to be getting hotter the older the car gets. Any thoughts?

Also, does anybody know what the maintance cycle is for the suspension parts? The car doesn't seem to be riding as well over the rough roads very well. Could it be time to have it checked? BTW, the roads where I live are terrible...

Thanks

fclspat · August 2001

I own a '01 GX and would like to replace the CD only rado w/ a CD / cassette combo radio (that is in the optioned Alero's). Does any one know if it's a simple plug and play swap (or is there a differerent wiring harness or theft lock issue here)?

Sil

mirth · August 2001

I've had a few cars where the radio face gets hot after playing for a while (1 hour+). Should be no big deal.

dindak · August 2001

What did the Bonnie loose?

Most of the bigger vehicles seem to still have ABS ect. standard. I think the base Impala lost ABS though.

rdeschene · August 2001

Well, we finally picked up our (used) Alero today. It's a 2000, 4 door, in "Colorado Green" or, as I like to put it, dark green. ;-)

There's actually more tread on the rear tires than I remembered from the test drive, which is good as BF Goodrich T/A Touring SR4's in 215/60R15 run CDN$112 each at Canadian Tire. Man! I haven't driven them in the rain yet so I don't know how they'll perform there - unless in "hydroplaning" conditions, they should be OK. Boy, we haven't had any significant rain in months. Our areas at about 1/4 the average rainfall for August. At any rate, the tires on it have sufficient traction and minimal road noise up to 110 km/h, so they're sufficient for now. These tires are noticeably noisier on worn pavement, however.

As for winters, I'm getting 205/70R15 Michelin Arctric Alpins. My experience is to get a somewhat narrower winter tire if you can - they dig into deeper snow better and you get less spinning. And my experience with Arctic Alpins is just excellent, really a very good tire and cheap compared to insurance rates.

We went for a "round trip to nowhere" this evening, and I really am impressed with this car. Very smart design inside and out, and clever little features all over the place. Doesn't have the "boy racer" flashiness ahead of intelligent, tasteful design that I think the Grand Am has. Directional stability and handling are very solid, and at 41,700 km this car is really still very "tight". By far and away the nicest car my wife or I have ever owned. We're still trying to convince ourselves that it's ours.

Buying used through this GM dealer (Vic Bennet Chev-Olds, Carleton Place) had a lot of fring benefits. There were a couple of little things - trunk release not working, rattle in the back seat latch, broken clip - that they fixed when they did their inspection without any mention by me, as well as apparently doing an oil and filter (oil, air) change. And this thing is spotless down to the engine bay. A definite plus over buying privately or used car dealers, as I have in the past.

evandro · August 2001

Congratulations on your new (used) car!

About its tires, they fare very, very well in hydroplaning conditions (by not planing at all!). I've liked them so much AAMOF that I've replaced the "floating" Michelin on my other car with BF Goodrich when its time came!

Good luck.

philipjoel · August 2001

I am thinking of buying an Alero and would like to
hear from any owners out there. Is is worth buying? What should I look for? Has anyone being able to negotiate a "cash price" along with reduced finance rates? It sounds like some of these posted messages are from dealer reps. I am not interested in the Company line but welcome all other input.

Thanks.

evandro · August 2001

A well equipped Alero is going to have a quite attractive price. With Olds demise, there are some very good deals out there. But this brings some risk to the equation...

The V6 is a must have. I would try to avoid the L4, for it doesn't bring anything special to the table. IOW, it's a mediocre engine.

FWIW, the Alero is among the top 3 cars in its category per JD Power's initial quality survey.

rdeschene · August 2001

Ask your dealer (or e-mail GM Canada - www.gmcanada.com) about the warranty on 2001/2002 Aleros. I believe the 2002 has a 5year/80,000 km powertrain warranty so that's a definite plus. I'm not so sure about the 2001's and the website isn't up to date on this offer the last time I checked.

As for "risk", if you're buying with the intention of selling the car rather than driving it into the ground, there's a definite higher depreciation risk. But, if you can get data from (e.g.) Edmund's that supports that, you're in a good bargaining position to get them to absorb that for you. If you're planning on keeping the car forever, I don't see how there is any risk really. GM has to guarantee parts availability for ten years, and many mechanical components are shared with the Grand Am.

Just my 2 Canadian cents worth.

rdeschene · August 2001

Just to clarify, my concern with "hydro-planing" was just with regards to the rear tires because their tread depth is a bit low. It's good to hear that this is a good design in that regard, though, as that means it wont be as sensitive to losing this performance as it wears. We're going right by the TireRack's facility in South Bend, IN in 6 weeks, so I might replace those tires yet.

Their prices are about 50% cheaper than what I've seen here, including allowing for currency exchange.

dindak · August 2001

A four banger is fine, but if you want a better one, wait for the 2002 models. You will get the Saturn Ecotech 2.2L. Super mileage and smooth running.

dbains2k · August 2001

Does the Alero have a built-in alarm system such as an immobolizer or anything?

evandro · August 2001

Yes. I myself was one of its victims, I'm not sure how. But I had to do was to remove the key, wait a few seconds and put it back in and turn it. I could read in the manual, but was too lazy... :^)

dindak · August 2001

Anyone seen any 2002 Aleros on the lots yet?

rdeschene · August 2001

Dindak. Yep, I sure have. There was a "Polo Green", 2002 four-door on the lot at Gananoque Chev-Olds.

dindak · August 2001

Do you live in Gananoque? I'm originally from Kingston so I know the area well. My parents actually bought a car at Gan Chev Olds a few years ago. They seem to like Boyer in Napanee better these day though.

ronsmith38 · August 2001

Anyone in the USA see a 2002 Alero on a dealer lot?

dindak · August 2001

According to Edmund's, the 15" wheels and dashboard are new for 2002 in addition to the 2.2L Ecotec. I'd really like to see one. Nothing at the local lot here.

rat284 · August 2001

I was just looking through the photo gallery for the 2002 Alero on Edmunds. Eww, what's up with that terrible, cheesy-looking fake wood? I think it totally ruins the look of the interior. Please don't tell me this is included on all the 2002s.

Yucky fake wood

dindak · August 2001

Ya.. that does look bad. I suspect it will be an option or available on GLS models. Can't imagine a base GX would have that.

vcjumper · August 2001

Are those scratch and sniff wood stickers? Looks like a really bad afterthought addition.

evandro · August 2001

Boy, is that UGLY! :^P

burdawg · August 2001

Since it's shown with the leather interior, I'm hoping it's an option. Also, what's with those "pods" on the doors? They look huge and seem to take up a lot of leg room in a car that is already not to generous with it.

evandro · August 2001

Pods??? The doors look exactly like my '99 GL2's...

buoyant · August 2001

I just checked out those pics from the Edmunds gallery as well.

I think the new alloys look very nice.

The wood...I don't mind it on the door panels and on the console (actually I kind of think it looks nice THERE), but putting little wood "halos" around the vent outlets not only strikes me as ridiculous - it looks it too.

Now we know where GM put all those Aztek stylists after shooing them out of Pontiac. Ugh. On the plus side, maybe they'll offer a tenting package that attaches to the trunk or something neat like that.

rdeschene · August 2001

Dindak. Actually I live in Brockville, about 45 mins east of Kingston and work at the Abbott Laboratories plant here.

Burdawq. Those "pods" are the map pockets with the speaker at the very front of them. Actually, the camera angle makes the footwells look far more narrow than they are. Compared to our old Corsica, there's a lot of leg room up front.

dindak · August 2001

Ah yes.. home to Black and Decker as I recall. Been to Brockville many times, especially as a kid. A colleague of my dad is from there also.

evandro · August 2001

This past weekend the power steering pump broke down on me. I got a little nervous, because there's no Olds dealer in town anymore. Fortunately, a Buick dealer close to home serviced it. It was a broken pump shaft. They replaced the pump on the same day!

However, when the engine idles, I hear a squealing noise, apparently coming from the serpentine belt... What could this be?

TIA

burdawg · August 2001

I shopped for an Alero in 99 before buying the Grand Am, I don't remember the map pockets and speakers being so large. Perhaps I've just forgotten though. I like the new interior, even with the fake wood, even though I think it's somewhat overdone in places. I like the fact that a GX Sport edition is being offered with the 5sp, but will need to check out the 2.2L. I've tried Saturns with the 2.2, and it is smoother than the Quad 4, but it seemed to me to lack the punch the Quad 4 had at midrange rpm's, and it develops max hp at very high rpm's.

Oldsmobile Alero

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