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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  Mostly great, with a couple issues - 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By El Manuel - September 10 - 6:06 am

  I love this car, Ive had it for 8 years and have only had minimum repairs required. One problem is that they seemed to make the power window assemblies poorly. The metal chord attached to a pulley and motor snaps in cold weather. Ive replaced 5 in my car. another problem is the vinyl where the passenger airbag is seems to be coming apart. Other than that its a great car. Comfortable, pretty decent gas milage for a 6 cyl, handles very well. If they still made these Id buy a brand new one.

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  costs way to much for what you get - 2002 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Lisa S - September 3 - 10:00 am

  This car gets horrible gas milage for a 4cylinder car, both city and highways miles. It has lots of rode noise and is very rickety sounding, meaning the inside like the doors are making noises like creeking noises as you are driving down the rode. Considering this car will cost you 18K to 20K brand new there is no reason for it to be this horrilble of a car!! I would expect this from like a cheap car like around 10K to 15K

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  Pretty good at first..... - 2003 Oldsmobile Alero
  By mjr - September 3 - 3:00 am

  I bought my Alero with about 24,000 miles on it. In about a month I had to return to the dealership for four new window assemblies and window. This was an obvious design flaw, but they claimed it was a fluke (4 all at once...). Also, the front wheel bearing went, blower motor, and a few other things. I bought a 75,000 mile warranty for it, and of course, with 75,252 miles the other front bearing goes bad. I take it back to the dealership for the noise. They come out and tell me that its the bearing, alternater, lower intake manifold gasket, both lower control arms, both upper strut mounts. I was given a rediculous quote to fix it all. Im not sure what to do, but I would recommend avoiding picking one of these up.

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  Fun and reliable - 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora
  By srcorvettez06 - September 1 - 5:10 am

  The harder I beat on this car the more it asks for. I have a cool air intake and I painted the brakes and mufflers with rustoleum. Im 17 and really beat on my car. Its faster than it looks. After port and polishing the intake, I was able to keep up with a Camaro RS with a 305ci. The 3.5 has a lot of potential. Removing the Cat and Res boosted 12 Horses at the front wheels. Intake was about another 5 with port and polish adding 8. My only recommendation to everyday drivers is getting a set of Goodyear Assurance Luxurys. I ride on Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3. They can take the Aurora around corners at about 3X the speed limit. Really expensive but they last forever.

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  257,000 miles and going - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
  By 257,843 miles going - September 1 - 12:10 am

  I bought this car at 19,543 miles. True, all cars will have problems. In the last 7 years I have had to replace head gaskets, Fuel Pump, Tie Rod Ends. Only major issues. Overall, its an ok car. As of today it has over 250,000 miles. Its hard to believe from an Alero but YES.

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  I love it! - 1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass
  By shellbells - August 31 - 2:00 am

  Just traded it in and I miss it already.

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  Good Lookin Out - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Big Red Alero - August 31 - 2:00 am

  Nice car for the money. Bought mine used about a month ago and have had no problems since(knock on wood). Was not the first car that caught my eye but once i took the price and standard features into consideration, looked like i was lured, and the bright red really stands out when clean.Looks really sharp from the front but the back could use a little work. Overall i am pleased to be an owner of one of the last oldsmobiles.

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  hood issues - 2004 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By Kelly Orlaska - August 29 - 3:33 pm

  We recently bought a used 2004 AWD Bravada and loved it the moment we saw it. After we had it for about 2 weeks it started making squeaking sounds from under the hood. After taking it back to the dealership, they told us they couldnt find anything wrong with it. After we took them for a ride so they could hear the sounds they looked the problem up on the internet, to find it had something to do with a loose hood latch. They supposedly "fixed it" but the problem persists. We dont know how to go about fixing it even if we could. The AWD light also comes on often but goes away.

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  Olds Has A Winner - 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora
  By Leo Nolet - August 25 - 10:00 am

  Now that Olds has finally "got it right" they will be dropping the brand from the GM line up? Go figure!!!!!

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  Great Car, so far. - 2003 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Chris - August 24 - 9:20 am

  I purchased my car from a private dealer that buys wrecked vehicles at auctions and repairs them. The fact that it had a salvage title made me a little weary but I couldnt complain for $4500 and only 32k miles. The only problem Ive had so far is the wheel bearings at around 45k miles, could be from wreck. Although the motor is strong for a 4 banger it could use a little more power from the get go. A little tip for the gas mileage, buy a k&n air filter and use Lucas fuel injector cleaner every oil change, I was getting about 28 mpg average and now 33 mpg average. I have had a problem with hydroplaning in heavy rain even with brand new tires maybe because the car sits so low to the ground