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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  A definite NO! - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Julian Perez - September 6 - 4:21 pm

  I 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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  Pleasantly Surprised - 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By Mr. Stambaugh-tubbs - September 2 - 10:00 am

  Got the Intrigue in Nov of 2001 with 32000 miles on it, its got 54000 now. Was looking for a used car, hadnt really considered and Olds. My wife and I were pleasantly surprised upon test driving this one. The 3800 series II cranks out plenty of oomph when you need it. Weve only had one problem with it so far, the idler/tensioner pulley failed - cost about 40$ to repair. Gas mileage always surprises me for the size of engine/car it is. Usually around 25-27 mpg on avg. Stereo sounds great, seats are comfy. I like the overrideable traction control feature.

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  Olds Sillouhette - 2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette
  By Buyn Brian - September 2 - 10:00 am

  Overall a solid van for the family

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  OLDS TO THE MAX!!! - 2003 Oldsmobile Alero
  By FiSh - September 2 - 10:00 am

  A 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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  Comfortable and Quiet - 1996 Oldsmobile Ciera
  By Matt - August 13 - 6:36 pm

  I bought this car brand new in 96 with the 4-cyl. engine. It has never stranded us though it has had some major problems. They include eating three head gaskets and bad rusting near the trunk/rear end. There are two baseball sized holes at each rear wheel well into the trunk. and while it has not been a real problem, the fuel pump whirrs loudly, enough for the passengers to always ask "whats that sound?". Otherwise it has a great ride and comfortable seats, which makes up for the lackluster acceleration and performance. This car has developed more and more rattles and squeaks from the dash. I guess its not TOO bad for an American car with high mileage and not garaged for its whole life.

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  Best Car Ever Owned - 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By jackrabbit-69 - August 10 - 10:00 am

  This has no problems what so ever!

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  Come Back Olds ! - 2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By Ann P. - August 9 - 9:28 am

  I purchased my 2000 intrigue in 2001, with 23 thousand miles on it. This car has been the best investment Ive ever made because I still use it nearly everyday with no problems. It still rides like a top and still peppy! After 17 yrs, the air conditioner has stopped working and needs to be checked out( it works but dont blow cold air). The fuses have had to be changed once over the years but thats about it. It is the best riding car in the snow and other bad weather. My Intrigue now has 167,000 miles and still rides smooth and quiet. I would definitely buy a new one if they still made them!

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  2002 Bravada Problems - 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By Bikehawk47 - August 8 - 10:00 am

  We have had numerous quality problems. The dealer has yet to fix one on the first trip. One problem was that the "brake" lite on the dash came on while driving. It would only go off if we turned the car off. After 3 trips a short was finally found We also have twice replaced the plastic molding around the drivers inside door handleand it still keeps popping out in the matter of 3 days, we had the drivers power seat track break and the fuel guage stop working The vehicle got so far out of alignment that the front tires were ruined. The access door to the oil filter has broken.

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  My Olds - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Dan Bar - August 4 - 10:00 am

  Got 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 am

  New 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!