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:

• 

  Pretty Good - 2003 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Schmutz - December 27 - 2:00 am

  No problems to speak of, except when I ditched it. Cant expect a car to go 80 on snow and ice.

• 

  Great and then Dead - 2002 Oldsmobile Alero
  By imok02 - December 24 - 5:42 pm

  I hadnt heard anything bad about an Alero when my mechanic tried to sell one to me. It was an 02 and I didnt have a single problem with it for 3 years. I lived on a steep, unpaved road and the car got me up even in snow. Then the check engine light was on and it started choking on its own oxygen intact and emissions problems and now it sits not able to pass inspection. So, you be the judge: is a 2002 supposed to live past 11 years and 155000 miles? It was fine and now dead.

• 

  2001 Aurora - 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora
  By Gary Findon - December 22 - 10:00 am

  While the Aurora exudes understated class and has a very attractive exterior and interior, the 3.5 liter 6 cylinder does not provide adequate acceleration. Performance of climate control is disappointing, as increments between interior temperature settings are too far apart below 65 degrees.

• 

  Nice Car - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Pete - December 15 - 6:43 pm

  I have owned my Alero since 2001 and it had 37 miles on it. It has been a great car overall with very few issues other than the standard that any 7 year old car needs. It has been a good family car, commuting car and its fun to use the V6 to get up and go when needed. Gas mileage has averaged in the high twenties and even by todays V6 standards that still seems good to me.

• 

  2003 Bravada - 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By rrpr - December 15 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle steers and handles well, is quiet with a car-like ride, and fun to drive. There are lots of standard and optional features. Our choice was between a Bravada and a Rainier. The Buick dealership told us the only differences between the Bravada and the Rainier were the extra material to deaden noise, wood-trimmed metal door handles, Buick grill and optional V8 engine. The inside of the two vehicles looks the same. The Buick dealership told us the ride and driving abilities are the same, the parts are the same, and you can have the Bravada serviced at a Buick dealership. With all this in mind, we bought the better-priced Bravada.

• 

  Great One - 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By cobrak - December 9 - 2:00 am

  Excellent vehicle, exceptionally comfortable on long trips. Not off roader but great on snow or ice.

• 

  Not the greatest - 2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By BK - December 7 - 12:04 am

  This was my first car I had at 16 and owned it for 7 years. Bought it used with around 70,000 miles and worked good for the first year or 2. Performance was pretty good for a "grandma" car, putting the pedal down going about 30 would still break the tires loose. Understeer was as expected in a front wheel drive but it did well in the winter as long as there wasnt a huge snow storm. There were several things that went bad in the years I had it though. Wheel bearings were terrible. After about 2 years I had to replace the front bearings. Not long after that the rear ones went out. And about 3 years after replacing the rear bearings they went out again. 6 bearings for a car with 4 wheels over about a 5 or 6 year period is ridiculous, I initially blamed my driving thinking I took corners maybe faster than the car was meant for but I have since learned this was a common problem with the vehicle. About 3 years into owning it the electronic control module crapped out and wasnt worth the estimated $1000 for the dealership to fix it so I lived with it. This going out caused the dashboard to look like a christmas tree, no ABS, no traction control, the power steering just felt different but I cant describe the feeling even though it wasnt bad it was just different, the precision control didnt work even though I wasnt sure what that even did so that may be where the power steering felt different, electronics in the cab would do weird things like turn off the cruise control if you roll a window down and things of that nature. The cool thing about the ECM going out was the governor also went with it so one time while passing 4 cars I was able to take it to 126 before I decided it was smart to let off the gas. Passenger rear window went out and the replacement motor only worked for a few months so I believe the ECM going out had something to do with this. One spring the car was idling real low and would die at stop lights and that turned out to be a sensor in the engine. Another time the car idled way too high and I had to shift it into neutral at stop lights while onlookers probably thought I was showing off by revving the engine and then slamming it into gear, that was another sensor issue in the engine. And towards the end of my time with the vehicle it just shifted like crap, hard shifts and had problems finding the right gear to be in. This vehicle was probably my last experience I will ever have with a GM, there was always something wrong with it.

• 

  could-a-been-better - 2002 Oldsmobile Alero
  By TJ - December 6 - 2:00 am

  over all its a good car just poor build quality like the dash is rippled/ buckled, the fan blower only works on high, the blinkers work only when they want to. (have to fiddle with the emergency light button to make the blinkers work)

• 

  Very unhappy - 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By Very unhappy - December 3 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car not knowing what I was doing...the transmission went out on us 1 year after purchace. The heating system went out along with several other machanical problems. I will never by another GM again!

• 

  Endless problems - 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora
  By jerry - December 2 - 6:16 am

  Here it goes, front wheel bearings - $350 each, steering colum - $200, overdirive lock up - $1,300, power window module - $150, ignition coil pack - $400, cup holder wont stay closed, ash tray door wont stay closed, half of rear window defogger doesnt work, AC freon hose broke - $800, lights on steering wheel controls burned out - $52 each... This has been a truly problemmatic car. I gave up a sold, reliable Taurus to get this headache on wheels.