Overview & Reviews
Following a string of truly forgettable small-car efforts in the 1980s and '90s, Oldsmobile celebrated its centennial anniversary by introducing the all-new Alero to compete with the popular and well-established import competition of the day. While it failed to truly capture the hearts and minds of consumers or chalk up many conquest sales, Olds' small car story ended on an upbeat note with a stylish and decently designed effort.
Available as a sedan or coupe, the Oldsmobile Alero was considered by most to be a sporty-looking car thanks to its bulging wheelwells, sleek greenhouse, fluted side panels and large jewellike taillights. The front-drive Alero was also relatively entertaining to drive. Buyers could choose four-cylinder or V6 power. Initially, the Alero came with an automatic transmission only, but a five-speed manual eventually made an appearance.
Handling was nicely balanced and braking was strong. Inside, an artfully designed two-tone dash faced comfortable front seats that were firm and supportive. All controls were easy to see and use, with large knobs and buttons. Unfortunately, all-around refinement didn't match that of the leading imports.
The phase-out of the Oldsmobile brand spelled the end for the Alero. For a shopper interested in an affordable used coupe or sedan from the early 2000s, the Oldsmobile Alero should do nicely as long as one is aware of the car's faults and lame-duck heritage. Service can be handled at select GM dealerships -- you might want to focus on Pontiac, as the Alero was mechanically similar to the Grand Am.
Most Recent Oldsmobile Alero
The Oldsmobile Alero debuted in 1999 as a replacement for the slow-selling Achieva. Coupe and sedan body styles were offered, as were three main trim levels: entry-level GX, midgrade GL and top-line GLS. GX and GL models came standard with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that made 150 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque. Optional on GL and standard on GLS was a 3.4-liter V6 that made 170 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque. The only transmission choice at the time was a four-speed automatic.
Incremental improvements saw it through the next several years. A year after the car's debut, Olds offered a sport-tuned suspension package for the GL. For 2001, an optional five-speed manual transmission became available on four-cylinder models, and the car's antilock braking system was updated. If you're looking at four-cylinder Aleros, take note that for 2002 Oldsmobile replaced the 2.4-liter engine with a quieter and more fuel-efficient 2.2-liter engine. It made 140 hp and 150 lb-ft of torque.
Inside, we found the Oldsmobile Alero offered a user-friendly control layout and seats that were generally comfortable -- though materials quality throughout was a step or two behind that of competing imports; even the leather in the GLS looked and felt too much like vinyl. For those with lots to carry, though, both the coupe and sedan offered a generous 14.6 cubic feet of trunk capacity.
Although neither engine was particularly quiet, the four-cylinder provided adequate power in most situations while the V6 delivered spirited performance. The Alero's suspension tuning was firm and allowed some fun around twists and turns, yet ride quality remained smooth enough to make the Olds suitable for weekday commuting. The steering offered little in the way of road feel, however, and the brakes were strong but could be difficult to modulate due to an overly stiff pedal.
User Reviews:
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Farewell Oldsmobile, sad to see you go.. - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
By jb - October 25 - 5:36 pmI was originally shopping for a more expensive car, however I purchased a new motorcycle the same summer and decided to be a bit frugal. Even after looking at more expensive cars, the Alero stacked up well. There were a few annoying items that were fixed under warranty (heater/ac fan control, driver window, some interior trim) but mechanically the car has been very reliable. It goes through brakes quickly, but other than that I have had almost 85,000 trouble free miles. The car exhibited very little body noise over rough pavement until the last ~10,000 miles. Nonetheless, it is better than many other comparably priced cars (Camry, Accord) in this respect.
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Fits Like a Glove - 2000 Oldsmobile Alero
By Alero Boy - October 9 - 10:00 amI bought my first Alero GLS Sedan in 2000. I loved this car since I first saw it in 98 at the Auto Show. Its a good mix sportiness and class. The brake rotors are worthless. I went through 4 sets, all during the warranty. The intake manifold gasket needed to be replaced at 50k, which was after warranty period. I sold 4 of my friends on Alero & they also had the same problems and nothing more. I traded in for an 03 GLS Coupe this passed February to take advantage of the $5000 in rebates I qualified for. Too bad GM is dropping Olds; its the only division that actually has what it takes to compete with the imports.
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Another Alero - 2003 Oldsmobile Alero
By Alero Boy - October 9 - 10:00 amI traded in my 00 Alero GLS sedan for this 03 GLS coupe in February because of the $5000 in rebates I qualified for. The new one seems less quality. My tailights are not sealed properly, so when rains, the water gets in & there has actually been sparks in there so the inside of the tail lights are burnt. The Tire Pressure monitor was eliminated for 03 and the hood in the 00 has struts, but they changed to prop rod in 2001. Nonetheless, its still the perfect car for me. I would like to get one of the Final 500 next year, but if not, Ill just hold on to this one.
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A definite NO! - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
By Julian Perez - September 6 - 4:21 pmI bought this car at 160K miles and right after I bought it and drove it home, problems started to arise. The check engine light went on right as I drove it home, I didnt think much of it because everything seemed fine. A week later, I went to Oreillys and got the codes pulled from the computer. Some sort of emissions trouble code and a piston spark plug fire miss code came up. Not a big deal at all, but just troubling since it started on my first drive in it. After that, the A/C compressor bearing went out and it made a loud pinging noise. Since the A/C compressor was such a pain in the butt to get to, I never bothered to get it fixed and just lived without A/C. Next, the stud on the trailing arm in the passengers rear cracked off which rendered it useless. It wasnt too much of a pain to replace that, but a new trailing arm is quite expensive. After that, the power steering lines rusted through and I had to replace those which was VERY difficult and pretty pricey. Next, the alternator went out and I had to replace that which wasnt too difficult but pricey. Finally, the head gasket blew and it was EXTREMELY difficult to tear apart the engine and replace all the gaskets. Altogether, I got a discount on the materials required which cost around $180 but it took about 3 days to get it all fixed. Took it for a test drive after that and learned that I needed new spark plugs and spark plug wires. I took it around the block twice just to be sure everything was working properly. The next day, the car caught on fire and was totaled. A tiny bit of gas turned out to be leaking out of the return rail and the rusted spark plug wires arced to the motor and sparked the fire which soon became very large and melted a good portion of the wire harness. Overall, I took great care of the car. I frequently checked my fluids and got my oil changed every 3K miles. I definitely got a nightmare car though, note that I only had the car between 160K miles and 168K miles which was only for about 10 months. This is my bad experience with this car, take it or leave it.
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OLDS TO THE MAX!!! - 2003 Oldsmobile Alero
By FiSh - September 2 - 10:00 amA great car. This is my second car.... after a 2000 Inifiniti G20. This V6 is so awesome! I hope this car will last the rest of my life! Very powerful, excellent steering radius, and a well rounded car! Always fun to drive. I love speeding past those fancy BMWs on the highway! A MUST BUY!
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My Olds - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
By Dan Bar - August 4 - 10:00 amGot this car to replace totlly worthless junker of an accord. Bought it used with 28k miles. The 3.4 v6 has good power especially low and middle ranged tourque and the 4 speed hyramatic gives crisp and responsive upshifts and downshifts. Handling is almost as good as a BMW 3 series with the sport suspension and the stereo is really nice as well. Good fuel milage when drivien conservativly but goes down fast when driven hard. Overall I really love this car and will keep even after I get a new caar some 5 years down the road as a collectors Item
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Good Thing Olds Went Out Of Business! - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
By Katie Milbradt - July 30 - 10:00 amNew cars dont break down - WHAT A JOKE! List of REPLACEMENTS: 19,824 Brake Calipers. 24,878 Intake Manifold Gaskets. 24,980 Power Steering Hose. 28,754 Wheel Speed Sensor, Control Arms, & HEAD GASKET. 33,451 Stabilizer Shaft, Insulator, & Bracket. 37,516 Oil Pan Gasket Leak. 40,903 Intake Gaskets & Brake Pads. 48,837 Strut Mounts. 54,998 Steering Gear and FRONT CRANK SEAL! With all the repairs Ive had, I will have a new car at 60,000!
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worse car ever - 2004 Oldsmobile Alero
By dale - July 27 - 8:03 pmthis car is the biggest pos ever...fuel pump went out...now the brakes suck big time...cant figure why the brakes freeze up....would never tell anyone to buy one.....DO NOT BUY
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You wonder why GM is in trouble! - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
By whitealleycat - July 21 - 3:56 pmThe 2001 Oldsmobile Alero is a piece of junk. I had more problems than you can imagine with it, far too many to list. The windows were scratched from the power windows, electrical problems, wheel bearing, brakes (x3), ABS sensors, you name it. This car was a money pit. When I tried to sell it, it was worth nothing. I basically gave it away and the poor kid who bought it, broke down after two hours of owning it. What a nightmare. Avoid this car or any GM product. They dont stand behind there name. When your warranty runs out, your screwed. Im looking at a Subaru now. I swear I got 300 kms out of a tank of gas.
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Road hugging - 1999 Oldsmobile Alero
By Jennie - July 14 - 9:16 amLove my car
