Strengths: Gas mileage, utilizes regular fuel, sleek styling, responsive gas pedal, great road feel, beautiful and comfortable interior, comes standard with all neede options.
Weaknesses: Occasional gas pedal hesitation, occasional hesitation going into gear, current low resale value.
Summary: The second Aurora I have ownwed, This vehicle is both luxuriuous and sporty. It is just plain fun to drive. It is a good size and very stylish. It is frugal way to own a sporty, well made vehicle. The small 8 cylinder is both responsive and good on gas (18 to 26 mpg). It can be purchaed relatively inexpensively.
Similar Products Used: Lincoln Continental, Mercury Grand Marquis l
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Rating Reviewed by: dismay(Unregistered User)
Review Date June 26, 2008
Overall Rating 2 of 5
Value Rating 2 of 5
Used product for 1 to 3 months
Review 2 of 103
Price Paid:
$11900.00
from Masters Pontiac GMC
Year / Model Reviewed: 2003 Oldsmobile Aurora
Summary: I have had nothing but problems since I purchased a 2003 Oldsmobile Aurora in April of 2008. I test drove it before I bought it. I got home with it and before I pulled into the driveway I could hear a clicking noise when I turned the steering wheel. I took it back to the dealership and they said it was something in the steering and replaced a part that was made out of plastic, that should have been recalled but was because it wasn't considered a safety concern, with something metal. Oh did I mention when I took it back to be fixed at this time as soon as Pulled into the service area of the dealership the check engine light came on. At this time the car had around 58,000 miles on it. Found out the car needed two crank sensors and a catalytic converter. Picked the car up and still heard the clicking noise. My dad discovered it was coming from the struts. I took it back to the dealership found out it needed strut mounts. Why they didn't catch it before I will never understand. After getting the converter on the car I heard it making a revving noise and kept feeling like it was going to cut off which it eventually did a few weeks later. Took it back to the dealership it needed a intake boot. Why they didn't catch it when I complained about the problem the first time I don't know. They checked it and said they couldn't find anything at the time. And did I mention, it shakes around 60-65 miles per hour. The service department told me it was because it had flat spots in the tires from sitting. And that I may need to also rotate the tires. At first the dealership did fix the initial problems then I was stuck after that. I had to pay a deductible to get the boot on. I got the boot fixed on the car last tuesday now this friday a week later my back window on the car will not go up or stay up. I can pull it up by hand and when I push the switch it makes a popping/cracking noise. I called the dealership service department and they said it sounds like the window regulator and now I going to have to pay another deductible and it's only a week later. I'm very dissatified with my purchase. I thought I was going to a reputable car dealership. I could have went to one these side street dealerships for this and probably would have gotten a better car. The car looks very nice on the outside but it's sick on the inside. Nice smooth ride up to 59 mph. It's hard to believe that a car that could have cost as much as it did when it came out in 2003 can have this many problems in 2008. The car that I traded in, a 93 honda civic Ex, was better than this car. This car has discouraged me from ever wanting another American made car and I want to support me country but how can I when my country is not supporting me and giving me bad products. The dealership I bought the car from said they give their cars 150 point inspection. I don't see how my car could have even earned a point. I spoke with the salesman and he said he would talk to the general manager to see if they can trade the car out. I'm not holding out much hope but this is my second and my last American made car neither have been worth the money or the time. I hope this helps someone before they become a victim like me. But if you buy this car just know this "You must be rich". And you've been warned.
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Summary: The worst car I have ever driven. Not enough power. Poor handling. Car periodically stops while driving. Paper from glove compartment goes into the duct work. Uncomfortable backseats that don't fit with the contour of the back. DON'T BUY THIS!!!
Similar Products Used: acura 3.2tl, olds cutlass supreme, chevy nova
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Weaknesses: Hard Edge to front bucket seats
Universal Steering Joint Mechanism
Summary: Finally, GM gets it right. I have driven my Aurora for over 2 years now and I have absolutely NO complaints. This is a well made car with an excellent engine, (I have the V-6 3.5 liter). The interior is well laid out and the car rides extremely smooth going down the interstate. The only complaint would be concerning the bucket seats, they have a hard edge to them and getting in and out of the car you feel the hard edge on the back side of your legs, but the seat itself is very comfortable. I did have one slight problem with the steering mechanism. The universal steering joint went bad and as you would turn corners or apply the brakes you could feel a knocking in the steering wheel. My previous car was and Oldsmobile Intrigue, and it too had the same steering problem. Other than that I have had absolutely NO PROBLEMS! The car now has over 22000 miles on it and I bought it used with 11,000 miles on it. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Oldsmobile like the Intrigue and the Aurora. My father is now driving the Intrigue that I use to own and he says that it is the best driving car that he has ever owned. He compares it to his 1990 Nissan Maxima that also gave absolutely NO problems. If the foreign auto makers wanted excellent competition, then GM got it right with the Oldsmobile Aurora. By the way I would like to say that both the Aurora and the Intrigue have the 3.5 liter engine in both of them. This is an excellent engine and was probably the deciding factor as to why I chose to by the Aurora. Since I had NO problems with the Intrigue's 3.5 liter engine, then I felt that purchasing the Aurora with the same engine would give me the same excellent results. I was not dissappointed. Just regular maintenance of oil changes, oil filter changes, air filter changes and that's all this car needs. I purchased the car for $18,000.00 at a Chevrolet dealership in Kenly North Carolina as a used automobile, and it only had 11,000 miles on the car. I read all the reviews at CarReview.com before finding the vehicle on the internet. All other dealerships wanted the same car with 3 times the mileage for prices ranging from $26,000 to $30,000. Overall I am very pleased. Thanks to CarReview.com for allowing car buyers like me to put my info on the web so that other vehicle buyers don't get stuck with lemons. We use to own a 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan that was nothing but a lemon. I will never go back to Dodge again, and I have found that by using CarReview.com I can read the reviews of other satisfied car owners and look for any trends in the dissatisfied owners who write reviews. Once I sold my Dodge Grand Caravan I looked up on the web all of the reviews about Dodge Grand Caravans, and all of the other owners were having the exact same problems with their Dodge minivan that I was having. Had I known then what I know now about reading these reviews from satisfied and dissatisfied owners, I could have avoided purchasing the Dodge Grand Caravan, and I bought that minivan brand new. Good Luck Mercedes in converting Chrysler into a better product because once stung, you never go back, or at least I don't. Their is no excuse for putting a product on the market that is junk especially when you consider how much money a vehicle costs today! Believe me when I say that their will be NO more car purchases without first reading CarReview.com. Hearing complaints from previous car owners is the best way to purchase a good reliable vehicle and avoid the lemons.
Similar Products Used: 1990 Nissan Maxima
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Strengths: I selected the 4.0 Engine after test driving the 6 cylinder 3.5. I have found it to be well worth the price for the smoother acceleration. Very low maintenance. Luxury abounds. Only 2300 rpm at 65 mph - not bad... Makes me proud to say it was made in the USA!!! Radio/CD/cassette players sound excellent via the premium Bose speakers. Many included options as compared with the much pricier imports. Like the heated seats, all leather interior, stability system, automatic moisture detection wiper system, embedded compass in the rear view mirror, dual climate controls, 17 inch alloy rims, 8 cylinder 250 hp engine (note this was one of the highest HP's in the 2001 model year for comparable sedans), in dash diagnostic computer (info such as low tire pressure, low coolant, change oil, ect... You know, things you don't typically think about that may need attention), battery under the back seat to prolong its life, and on and on.
Weaknesses: Do not overstuff those unused napkins in the glove compartment. They'll certainly get sucked into the air vent and cause it to make a humming noise. At 72-75, the resonance of the air outside the vehicle is just right to hear a high pitched sound from the moon roof. Above 75mph, it stops.
Summary: This is by far the best car I have ever owned. It is fun to drive, low maintenance, powerful, and impressive to all that ride inside. I have owned my vehicle for 5 years, driven it 94K miles and have had few problems. I'm still on my original set of tires and brakes. I have religiously changed the oil every 3-4K miles. I see a lot of new cars that look great and appealing, but when I compare them to my 5 year old Aurora, they don't compete. GM has made a mistake in getting rid of this model with the retirement of the Oldsmobile line. I hope they reincarnate the model in a familiar form in another one of their car lines. Cadillac Aurora? Hmmmm.
Similar Products Used: Audi A6, Nissan Maxima, Chrysler 300M, BMW M5, Ford Taurus, Chevy Caprice.
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