Last year, Edmund’s staff sat down to determine who would be the primary liaison with the different manufacturers that we deal with. I felt relieved and somewhat smug when Christian Wardlaw, our managing editor, said that he wanted to handle General Motors. "General Motors", I thought to myself, "what a dinosaur." Chevrolet and Pontiac may build some cool cars, but they surely don’t make up for the dogs being peddled at the other divisions. Wardlaw expressed confidence in GM and seemed convinced that things there were about to change dramatically. I chuckled to myself, and was happy to not have to report on the Buick Le Sabre, Cadillac DeVille and Oldsmobile Regency, choosing instead to be responsible for our contact with Ford Motor Company. After a few months of driving impressive Buick Park Avenues, Cadillac Cateras, and Oldsmobile Silhouettes, however, I am beginning to question what it was that I thought was so great about the Mercury Sable and Lincoln Mark VIII.
Early this spring, Oldsmobile invited Edmund’s to Dallas to drive their new Intrigue. Wardlaw couldn’t attend because the event fell in the middle of the edit for our used car book, which he is also responsible for. We couldn’t send our newest editor, because he was already committed to attending a Subaru event in Washington. Thus, it was up to me to make the trek to the Lone Star State to investigate this latest offering from Olds. I didn’t put up much of an argument, because I actually like Texas and was really feeling the need to get out of the office. I was also looking forward to driving the Intrigue, because of its close relation to the Pontiac Grand Prix, which had impressed me so much earlier this year.
Oldsmobile has been positioned to be the main import fighter for GM. Thus, the Intrigue is designed to go head to head with other sporty yet practical sedans such as the Toyota Camry V6, Honda Accord V6, and Nissan Maxima. In order to satisfy the demands of import buyers looking for power and refined handling, the Intrigue has some, well, intriguing components. First is the engine, which comes straight from the GM parts bin. Nothing too tricky about the 3800-Series V6, which has been a mainstay of GM’s large cars for years. Mated to this powerplant is Oldsmobile’s new Hydromatic 4T65E transmission, which first made an appearance on the 1997 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight. During our quick run through the flatlands surrounding Dallas, this powertrain provided brisk acceleration and comfortable freeway cruising, the engine never sounding raspy or out of breath and the transmission making quick, smooth selections of the gears.
To give the Intrigue that sporty feel that import drivers love so much, Oldsmobile worked hard to build a car with exceptional rigidity, a tight suspension, and good steering feel. The Intrigue’s stiff body structure is achieved by using unit-body construction and an isolated front subframe. A full-length structural tunnel that runs along the Intrigue’s longitudinal axis and cross-car beams that run under the instrument panel and rear seat work to give this car a body that is as stiff as the benchmark Nissan Maxima. Making the most of the Intrigue’s stiff body is a suspension that is well damped but highly communicative. This European-inspired setup is designed around a front and rear strut-type suspension. Up front, the Intrigue has an L-shaped control arm that pivots on two rubber isolator bushings. These bushings are tuned with three different recoil rates to minimize the Intrigue’s harshness on a variety of surfaces. The Intrigue also receives the latest version of Oldsmobile’s magnetic, speed-variable steering, which uses Teflon coated rack support bushings to improve on-center feel.
While all of this may sound like jargon to those of you looking to buy a new car, let us assure you that the Intrigue is a nice package. The suspension and stiff body structure work in harmony to create a ride that is unique among look-alike American family sedans. The engine and transmission are satisfying for those wanting great low-end torque and impressive horsepower. The steering is still a little numb to our taste, but is nothing that would keep us from recommending the car. Even the brakes seem to have lost some of the mushiness that is common to many of GM’s products.
Although a car’s engine, suspension, and transmission typically grab our attention first, we are not blind to the practicalities that most people are concerned with when buying a new car. Fortunately, Oldsmobile is not blind to those considerations either, providing a comfortable interior with supportive seats, easy-to-read gauges, elevated rear passenger seats, and a roomy trunk with a low liftover. Since there is not a front bench seat option on the Intrigue, this car is limited to hauling 5 people to and from dinner and a movie. Limiting the seating arrangement, however, is conducive to constructing a comfortable driving position. The cowl on the Intrigue is quite low, providing excellent forward visibility for drivers and passengers. The elevated rear seats give rear seat passengers better forward views, better to keep kids and adults from complaining about the lack of a view. Interior materials look and feel rich, and the control stalks flanking the steering wheel are clearly marked and fluid in operation. Small but thoughtful touches include cupholders for each seating position and standard features such as air conditioning, traction control, fog lamps, and anti-lock brakes.
The Oldsmobile Intrigue is a car that should give import buyers something to think about before plunking down $2000-$3000 more for a similarly equipped Maxima or Camry. Heck, Oldsmobile even kept the chrome off the car, limiting bright accents to the hood ornament and the name on the trunk. We are looking forward to a more in depth evaluation of this car, but in the meantime think that it should be on the list of anyone considering a sporty midsize vehicle.
Early this spring, Oldsmobile invited Edmund’s to Dallas to drive their new Intrigue. Wardlaw couldn’t attend because the event fell in the middle of the edit for our used car book, which he is also responsible for. We couldn’t send our newest editor, because he was already committed to attending a Subaru event in Washington. Thus, it was up to me to make the trek to the Lone Star State to investigate this latest offering from Olds. I didn’t put up much of an argument, because I actually like Texas and was really feeling the need to get out of the office. I was also looking forward to driving the Intrigue, because of its close relation to the Pontiac Grand Prix, which had impressed me so much earlier this year.
Oldsmobile has been positioned to be the main import fighter for GM. Thus, the Intrigue is designed to go head to head with other sporty yet practical sedans such as the Toyota Camry V6, Honda Accord V6, and Nissan Maxima. In order to satisfy the demands of import buyers looking for power and refined handling, the Intrigue has some, well, intriguing components. First is the engine, which comes straight from the GM parts bin. Nothing too tricky about the 3800-Series V6, which has been a mainstay of GM’s large cars for years. Mated to this powerplant is Oldsmobile’s new Hydromatic 4T65E transmission, which first made an appearance on the 1997 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight. During our quick run through the flatlands surrounding Dallas, this powertrain provided brisk acceleration and comfortable freeway cruising, the engine never sounding raspy or out of breath and the transmission making quick, smooth selections of the gears.
To give the Intrigue that sporty feel that import drivers love so much, Oldsmobile worked hard to build a car with exceptional rigidity, a tight suspension, and good steering feel. The Intrigue’s stiff body structure is achieved by using unit-body construction and an isolated front subframe. A full-length structural tunnel that runs along the Intrigue’s longitudinal axis and cross-car beams that run under the instrument panel and rear seat work to give this car a body that is as stiff as the benchmark Nissan Maxima. Making the most of the Intrigue’s stiff body is a suspension that is well damped but highly communicative. This European-inspired setup is designed around a front and rear strut-type suspension. Up front, the Intrigue has an L-shaped control arm that pivots on two rubber isolator bushings. These bushings are tuned with three different recoil rates to minimize the Intrigue’s harshness on a variety of surfaces. The Intrigue also receives the latest version of Oldsmobile’s magnetic, speed-variable steering, which uses Teflon coated rack support bushings to improve on-center feel.
While all of this may sound like jargon to those of you looking to buy a new car, let us assure you that the Intrigue is a nice package. The suspension and stiff body structure work in harmony to create a ride that is unique among look-alike American family sedans. The engine and transmission are satisfying for those wanting great low-end torque and impressive horsepower. The steering is still a little numb to our taste, but is nothing that would keep us from recommending the car. Even the brakes seem to have lost some of the mushiness that is common to many of GM’s products.
Although a car’s engine, suspension, and transmission typically grab our attention first, we are not blind to the practicalities that most people are concerned with when buying a new car. Fortunately, Oldsmobile is not blind to those considerations either, providing a comfortable interior with supportive seats, easy-to-read gauges, elevated rear passenger seats, and a roomy trunk with a low liftover. Since there is not a front bench seat option on the Intrigue, this car is limited to hauling 5 people to and from dinner and a movie. Limiting the seating arrangement, however, is conducive to constructing a comfortable driving position. The cowl on the Intrigue is quite low, providing excellent forward visibility for drivers and passengers. The elevated rear seats give rear seat passengers better forward views, better to keep kids and adults from complaining about the lack of a view. Interior materials look and feel rich, and the control stalks flanking the steering wheel are clearly marked and fluid in operation. Small but thoughtful touches include cupholders for each seating position and standard features such as air conditioning, traction control, fog lamps, and anti-lock brakes.
The Oldsmobile Intrigue is a car that should give import buyers something to think about before plunking down $2000-$3000 more for a similarly equipped Maxima or Camry. Heck, Oldsmobile even kept the chrome off the car, limiting bright accents to the hood ornament and the name on the trunk. We are looking forward to a more in depth evaluation of this car, but in the meantime think that it should be on the list of anyone considering a sporty midsize vehicle.
Add A Comment »