Overview & Reviews

At the dawn of the automobile, Oldsmobile was there. Owned by General Motors, Oldsmobile was the most senior domestic marque and one of the oldest automobile brands in the world, with a run that spanned some 107 years.

Ransom E. Olds was born in Ohio, but moved to Lansing, Michigan, to work in his father's machine shop. His experiences there helped whet his appetite for all things automotive, and he soon garnered enough expertise to develop a gasoline-powered vehicle. Joining forces with other partners, Olds cofounded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in 1897. By the early 1900s, the company had introduced the nation to upscale models like the Curved Dash and had risen to become the best-selling car company in the United States.

Ransom Olds eventually left the company and it was sold to General Motors in 1908, where it became known as the Oldsmobile Division. More than ever, Oldsmobile became the brand of choice for car buyers seeking vehicles steeped in luxury and sophistication. Early models like the 1915 Model 42 Touring Roadster offered sleek lines and style aplenty. The 1918 Model 37 was its first model to offer a closed top, ensuring that the brand's well-heeled buyers had protection from the elements.

Oldsmobile had another hit in the 1920s with the Model 46, a V8-powered touring car that seated seven. The manufacturer did its part to make sure that the decade's elegance wasn't lost on its automobiles. It introduced fancy chrome-plated trim that served to raise the glamour quotient of its already eye-catching vehicles.

The '30s was a decade of innovation for the brand. The company wooed customers with its "Knee-Action" independent front suspension, an affordably priced option that served to improve ride quality. The company also offered one of the earliest automatic transmissions, freeing drivers from the rigors of the clutch with its four-speed "Hydra-matic" system.

Postwar, Oldsmobile gave consumers the Rocket 88. The car offered new levels of performance, giving the North American market its first taste of the short-stroke, overhead-valve V8. The car was adored by enthusiasts, and was chosen to serve as the pace car for the 1949 Indy 500.

The 1950s saw Olds continuing to distinguish itself as a purveyor of fine performance machines. With a name inspired by the Lockheed Starfire fighter plane, its 1953 Starfire show car offered a fiberglass body, a stylishly low beltline and most importantly, a 200-horsepower engine. The car was one of the first to display a wraparound windshield, and in the years following, many other manufacturers adopted this styling cue.

Oldsmobile's innovations continued into the 1960s. The manufacturer was the first since the 1930s Cord to taste success with a front-wheel-drive vehicle, in the form of its sporty Toronado. The '70s saw Olds breaking new ground in the area of safety. In 1974, it introduced a Toronado equipped with a driver-side airbag; Olds was the first domestic automaker to offer this feature. Around this time, the company's Cutlass had also become one of America's favorite cars.

Less successful was the company's effort to get on board with diesel technology. In 1978, Oldsmobile introduced a 5.7-liter V8 diesel engine as a response to that decade's fuel crisis; the engine was meant to appeal to buyers desperate to save money at the pump. Rising diesel prices and the unreliability of the engines caused the program to suffer, and Oldsmobile was eventually forced to terminate its efforts on this front.

In the '80s, Oldsmobile left its competitors in the dust when its Aerotech — piloted by noted racecar driver A.J. Foyt — set a closed-course world speed record of 257 mph. The company continued to have a huge hit with its Cutlass; the model spent much of the decade atop the sales charts.

The '90s saw Oldsmobile's introduction of Guidestar, the first onboard navigation system combining mapping and satellite positioning. The company made history yet again when its race-modified Aurora V8 won the Indy 500, making Olds the first manufacturer to pace and win the race in the same year.

By the dawn of the new millennium, Oldsmobile's sales were in a rut. The brand's identity had suffered over the years due to parts-sharing and rebadging within the GM camp. GM ultimately decided to pull the plug, and the last Oldsmobile rolled off the assembly line in model-year 2004.

User Reviews:

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  Great Care - 1996 Oldsmobile Ciera
  By vsochaquiroz - July 2 - 10:00 am

  Great Car to get around in. Great on fuel consumption.

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  Pretty good car - 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By loriedave - June 29 - 2:00 am

  Very happy with it overall. Very smooth and reliable engine. Ride is firm but comfortable for us. We bought it with 31500 miles and put about 45000 on it in one year with no major hassles. We had to replace a power steering pump early on, and the cruise control module on the steering wheel. Our dealership was very good about the repairs.

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  Not a Reliable Car - 1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass
  By NW - June 24 - 5:23 pm

  My Cutlass was good for the first three years. Then each year I have had 1-2 expensive repairs, including the alternator, head gasket, water pump, struts & mounts, new computer, window switch, all in addition to the usual battery, brakes, belts, tire type maintenance. Now the brakes need turning/replacement AGAIN and the new computer still doesnt seem quite right. Most of the problems started at around 55,000 miles and this car currently only has 80,000! I dont like to go far from home at all. I am planning to unload this high maintenance car ASAP.

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  2000 Silhouette - 2000 Oldsmobile Silhouette
  By Swaayze - June 23 - 10:00 am

  We love this van! It rides and drives great and seems to have everything we could want (ours is pretty much loaded, as we wanted when we bought new). I think this is an under- appreciated option in the minivan market.

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  2002 Bravada - 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By Fritz - June 15 - 3:20 am

  Bought this vehicle with 35,000 miles on it, so called Certified used vehicle, have had it less than 2 months, back to the shop because windshield wipers quit working, week later power mirrors that automatically adjust quit working. Funny thing is these 2 problems were supposed to be recalls, why didnt the dealer fix this on there so called certified car. Now transmission is going out, going back to the shop again. Im fed up, how can you depend on a car like this, course it only cost $19,000! I have bought $500 cars that were more debendable than this.

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  2002 2WD Bravada - 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By calucyk - June 14 - 1:56 pm

  The overall vehicle is great! If your in the market for a mid size SUV, look no further, this one is for you. If you do like I did, shop around, but Im sure youll find yourself signing the papers on a new 2002 Bravada. The inline 6 is so smooth, its easy to mistake as a V8. For an 6 cylinder, it produces torque and horsepower so low in the RPM range. Very well engineered and manufactured. Smooth ride, thanks to the air ride suspension.

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  3 Year Update from 11/09/03 Post - 2000 Oldsmobile Alero
  By us_blueskirt - June 14 - 12:50 am

  The milage and performance has dramatically decreased over the last year! The only real issue outside of that was a problem with the flasher system, which was fixed by a factory recall on the assembly. I cant really complain about the performance...Its got just over 165,000 miles on it. The performance didnt waiver until it hit around 120,000 miles, but its been downhill since then. I keep up with all scheduled maintenance and it seems to work for this car. It is very reliable...I still take long trips on a regular basis!

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  Nice cheap car - 2003 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Justin - June 10 - 2:46 am

  This cars nice. 3.4L v6 it has plenty of power. Good gas mileage 22 city 30 highway. I wish it had ABS or ETS but oh well. Good trunk space. Smooth drive. Poor quality though considering almost every 60degree v6 has a failing lower intake manifold gasket. I replaced mine once I got it around 77000 miles.

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  Its a Great Old Man Car - 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By CanonGuy - June 8 - 6:00 pm

  I purchased this car with 155,000 miles on it. It is a rather large car, but it gets excellent gas mileage. I averaged low 20s in the city and high 20s on the highway. I mainly used it for winter, cause its fwd and with snow tires I managed to go everywhere. I replaced the rotors at 164,000 miles. It needed new belt a little while after that at 189,000 miles. The intake manifold went and it cost $1,500 for new engine, but considering the miles, I sold it to my mechanic. I see that hes been driving it around, so it must be doing good.

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  Great SUV - 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By ricktom - June 5 - 2:00 am

  Bought this Bravada used loaded with all the options except running boards, with 28K on the odometer. This is our 4th SUV and we couldnt be happier. I think the Bravadas have a very classy look that makes them feel at home with higher prices SUVs. The gas mileage is average for this sized SUV.