Hot scoop! Exclusive! Edmunds.com, and only Edmunds.com, brings you an inside and in-depth look at the 2001 Oldsmobile Alero Coupe!
Stunning, isn't it? Now, you might be thinking, "Hey, this looks just like a 2000 Oldsmobile Alero Coupe!" You also might be thinking, "Matthew Perry has absolutely no acting talent at all!" And do you know what? You're right on both accounts.
OK, here's the deal (forget Perry for the moment). We were driving an Alero Coupe. It had a five-speed manual transmission, something that didn't exist in the '99 cars but was promised by Oldsmobile PR people for the 2000 model year. But while in our possession, one of the Edmunds.com data managers pointed out that there was no MSRP pricing available for manual transmission Aleros. Translation: such a car shouldn't exist. But there, in real, non-digitized form, was an Alero Coupe with a stick.
So we called the nice Oldsmobile people. We asked them if there was a manual transmission Alero available for 2000. They said no. "So why are we driving one from your press fleet?" we asked. To this, the Olds people replied something along the lines of, "Oops! How'd that get in there?"
As it turns out, a manual transmission Alero was supposed to be available for 2000. But due to quality issues with the transmission, Oldsmobile has delayed the introduction until 2001. The car we were driving was a pre-production model.
Now, this whole quality control issue for a manual transmission seems a bit strange. You'd think the auto industry would have a pretty firm grasp on how manual transmissions work by now.
Besides this transmission snafu, not much has changed from the '99 Alero. The 2000 is still available in either sedan or coupe form, with either a four-cylinder or V6 engine. The three trim levels are GX, GL and GLS. For optional equipment, our Alero GL was equipped with a power driver's seat, a feature package (alloy wheels, fog lights, remote keyless entry, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob), a rear spoiler, and an upgraded audio system.
Last time we drove an Alero, it was a '99 GLS Sedan. Overall, we pronounced it a success, claiming it was "an entertaining drive, smartly styled, and respectably priced." We felt that the Alero was better than any of the domestic competition, such as cars like the Dodge Stratus, Chevrolet Malibu, and Ford Contour. We even liked it better than its mechanical twin, the Pontiac Grand Am.
But Oldsmobile wants to take on more than just the domestic competition. It also wants to steal sales from Japanese vehicles like the Honda Accord and the Nissan Altima. This goal is a lot tougher to achieve.
Where the Alero can't match up is in refinement. Drive an Alero Coupe and an Accord Coupe back to back, and you'll notice a large disparity in overall feel, especially through the controls.
Need some examples? The Alero's variable-effort steering is hopelessly bad, being way too light at low speeds and having a level of communication equal to a dead trout. The brake pedal is another offender, as it is overly stiff. For our magical manual transmission car that shouldn't exist yet, the clutch is feather-light and the shifter is chunky with long throws.
Need some more? Interior trim pieces can be wiggled and flexed. There are a wide variety of glosses and grains to interior materials. Storage cubbies, except the handy one at the bottom of the center stack, aren't padded to resist rattles when items are stashed. Design shortcuts and compromises are more blatantly evident.
Now that we've torn into the Alero, allow us to build it back up. Even we, jaded auto scribes that we are, find ourselves acclimating quickly to the Alero's lack of refinement, adapting to the negatives that seem so obvious the first time behind the wheel. What does this mean for you? These issues are all relatively minor.
The 150-horsepower 2.4-liter engine provides good acceleration when mated to the manual transmission. The engine also seems quieter for 2000, perhaps due to the new composite intake manifold. While cruising at 75 mph on the highway (around 2,750 rpm), we couldn't hear the engine at all.
Styling is another big bonus. All of our staff offered positive comments on the Alero Coupe. The exterior dimensions are exactly the same for the coupe or sedan, so it's pretty much a matter of having two less doors.
Of course, the tradeoff for the coupe's styling is the loss of easy access to the rear seats. Getting in is pretty standard; find the lever on the back of the front seat, release the front seat forward, and clamber in. Once there, you'll find comfortable high-back seats with two three-point belts. Whoever sits in the center gets only a lap belt. Seating dimensions are virtually the same as the sedan. Look around a little, and you'll see the new child seat-anchor brackets that Oldsmobile installed for the 2000-year cars.
All of the controls are well situated, with good nighttime illumination. The upgraded stereo system (with CD player and 100-watt amplifier) in our Alero provided improved audio quality over the base-level stereo. So would a purchase of an Alero Coupe be well placed? Over any of the domestic competition, the answer is yes. Comfy, stylish, well equipped and a decent performer. That's Alero.
There is a bigger question, though. Will it be reliable? Furthermore, will it remain tight and solid for years to come? Those are things that the Accord is known for, and that's what Oldsmobile still must prove.
Stunning, isn't it? Now, you might be thinking, "Hey, this looks just like a 2000 Oldsmobile Alero Coupe!" You also might be thinking, "Matthew Perry has absolutely no acting talent at all!" And do you know what? You're right on both accounts.
OK, here's the deal (forget Perry for the moment). We were driving an Alero Coupe. It had a five-speed manual transmission, something that didn't exist in the '99 cars but was promised by Oldsmobile PR people for the 2000 model year. But while in our possession, one of the Edmunds.com data managers pointed out that there was no MSRP pricing available for manual transmission Aleros. Translation: such a car shouldn't exist. But there, in real, non-digitized form, was an Alero Coupe with a stick.
So we called the nice Oldsmobile people. We asked them if there was a manual transmission Alero available for 2000. They said no. "So why are we driving one from your press fleet?" we asked. To this, the Olds people replied something along the lines of, "Oops! How'd that get in there?"
As it turns out, a manual transmission Alero was supposed to be available for 2000. But due to quality issues with the transmission, Oldsmobile has delayed the introduction until 2001. The car we were driving was a pre-production model.
Now, this whole quality control issue for a manual transmission seems a bit strange. You'd think the auto industry would have a pretty firm grasp on how manual transmissions work by now.
Besides this transmission snafu, not much has changed from the '99 Alero. The 2000 is still available in either sedan or coupe form, with either a four-cylinder or V6 engine. The three trim levels are GX, GL and GLS. For optional equipment, our Alero GL was equipped with a power driver's seat, a feature package (alloy wheels, fog lights, remote keyless entry, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob), a rear spoiler, and an upgraded audio system.
Last time we drove an Alero, it was a '99 GLS Sedan. Overall, we pronounced it a success, claiming it was "an entertaining drive, smartly styled, and respectably priced." We felt that the Alero was better than any of the domestic competition, such as cars like the Dodge Stratus, Chevrolet Malibu, and Ford Contour. We even liked it better than its mechanical twin, the Pontiac Grand Am.
But Oldsmobile wants to take on more than just the domestic competition. It also wants to steal sales from Japanese vehicles like the Honda Accord and the Nissan Altima. This goal is a lot tougher to achieve.
Where the Alero can't match up is in refinement. Drive an Alero Coupe and an Accord Coupe back to back, and you'll notice a large disparity in overall feel, especially through the controls.
Need some examples? The Alero's variable-effort steering is hopelessly bad, being way too light at low speeds and having a level of communication equal to a dead trout. The brake pedal is another offender, as it is overly stiff. For our magical manual transmission car that shouldn't exist yet, the clutch is feather-light and the shifter is chunky with long throws.
Need some more? Interior trim pieces can be wiggled and flexed. There are a wide variety of glosses and grains to interior materials. Storage cubbies, except the handy one at the bottom of the center stack, aren't padded to resist rattles when items are stashed. Design shortcuts and compromises are more blatantly evident.
Now that we've torn into the Alero, allow us to build it back up. Even we, jaded auto scribes that we are, find ourselves acclimating quickly to the Alero's lack of refinement, adapting to the negatives that seem so obvious the first time behind the wheel. What does this mean for you? These issues are all relatively minor.
The 150-horsepower 2.4-liter engine provides good acceleration when mated to the manual transmission. The engine also seems quieter for 2000, perhaps due to the new composite intake manifold. While cruising at 75 mph on the highway (around 2,750 rpm), we couldn't hear the engine at all.
Styling is another big bonus. All of our staff offered positive comments on the Alero Coupe. The exterior dimensions are exactly the same for the coupe or sedan, so it's pretty much a matter of having two less doors.
Of course, the tradeoff for the coupe's styling is the loss of easy access to the rear seats. Getting in is pretty standard; find the lever on the back of the front seat, release the front seat forward, and clamber in. Once there, you'll find comfortable high-back seats with two three-point belts. Whoever sits in the center gets only a lap belt. Seating dimensions are virtually the same as the sedan. Look around a little, and you'll see the new child seat-anchor brackets that Oldsmobile installed for the 2000-year cars.
All of the controls are well situated, with good nighttime illumination. The upgraded stereo system (with CD player and 100-watt amplifier) in our Alero provided improved audio quality over the base-level stereo. So would a purchase of an Alero Coupe be well placed? Over any of the domestic competition, the answer is yes. Comfy, stylish, well equipped and a decent performer. That's Alero.
There is a bigger question, though. Will it be reliable? Furthermore, will it remain tight and solid for years to come? Those are things that the Accord is known for, and that's what Oldsmobile still must prove.
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