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Oldsmobile Aurora sedan shines as flagship symbol of O-line
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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Running on rural 2-lane back routes through Virginia, a driver tried to trick the test car into behaving around tight curves or over rolly humps at high speed like some big and mushy American sedan stretchers from the past.
Yet this tester, a silver bullet of a sedan which looks as slick and smooth and sensuous as anything on the road today, would not play my game.
Instead, it cut a tight and exacting line through every maneuver commanded.
Around a sharply constructed curve, it locked into a sure-footed stance without trace of tire squeal.
Over lumpy swells in the road surface, it corralled suspension components and smothered the bumps, virtually becoming one with pavement.
In a simulated emergency stop with driver's full weight applied to brake pedal, it maintained no deviation from right or left for rapid deceleration in a precise path.
And when tapping the accelerator, this machine amassed its cavalry of horsepower and translated it through tight suspension settings and speed-rated tires in smooth and controlled manner without tail-dipping concessions typical of previous big cruisers.
Clearly, this one confronts conventions -- it's an American luxury sedan which rides and drives and performs agile tricks of a sports car.
It's also absolutely gorgeous.
Call it Aurora, flagship sedan of Oldsmobile's fleet.
Riding on a mid-size platform shared with Buick's Riviera coupe, Aurora features fluid lines which will set the tone for other Oldsmobile models to follow.
Aurora's fluid look seems like water in motion.
In profile, it resembles an airplane's aerodynamic wing, with all points flowing in rounded and sensuous patterns, save for a distinctive crisp crease at the center of the prow which extends rearward across a sloping hood.
Aurora's chief designer, Dennis Burke, explained that this sharp crinkle -- adding a straight line in the face of all of those curves -- provides dynamic tension to the overall design.
"Otherwise, Aurora would look like a nebulous jelly bean, as there would be no point of focus," he told me while riding shotgun during a test drive.
Although Aurora's lines remain unique to itself, they vaguely resemble the flowing shape of Buick Riviera due to the roundness of form. Because of this, one might assume that the two vehicles would behave in similar manner but that's not the case.
The Buick gears its performance toward traits that the over-50 set prefer, with the edge taken off precision of cornering and a certain damping of horsepower due to Riviera's task of pushing its tonnage down the road with a 6-cylinder engine aboard.
Aurora does it differently, and where Aurora surprises me most comes from the way its driving and performance characteristics vary from those of Riviera.
The Oldsmobile, you see, slants strictly toward the sporty end of automotive acrobatics, which is the way I like a car to perform -- and Oldsmobile is betting that's also the way those now grown and often affluent Baby Boomers want their luxury cars to drive.
For power, Aurora packs a sophisticated V8 rigged with technical marvels and ample horsepower.
For comfort, Aurora fits and feels like some luxo-liner shipped straight from Japan or Germany.
But Aurora is not an excessively priced import.
It's an Oldsmobile built in the United States and it lists for thousands less than the imported luxury sport sedans at which Aurora is targeted.
Regarding Aurora's tilt toward luxury, understand that the contents aboard this autoship include every possible creature comfort to transport as many as five people in classy style.
The interior layout plies two comfortable bucket seats in front and a rear bench sculpted for up to three.
Front seats fit in sport-action manner, then move with up to six power positions.
Everything inside Aurora hinges on power operation -- from windows and door locks to mirrors with their built-in defogging mechanism, and more. Buttons mounted on the sport steering wheel allow fingertip control for audio and climate control systems.
Dual climate zones with rear seat air conditioning vents illustrate the depth of comfort factors addressed by Oldsmobile's designers.
Yet, to me at least, the most significant aspect of this car's character concerns its aggressive powertrain components and the mechanical gear which make it so lively.
Aurora's engine, a dual-cam V8 with aluminum upper block and four valves for each cylinder, produces a lusty 250 horsepower rating. This plant, exclusive to Aurora, is a modification from Cadillac's remarkable Northstar unit that sets a high mark for American motor design.
Aurora's V8 couples to the latest electronically-controlled GM automatic 4-speed transmission. It's one of the smoothest to shift and still most controllable of any on the market today.
The independent 4-wheel suspension creates another hallmark: Precise feel of the road yet still a smooth ride quality easily add up on my scorecard to the best sport-tuned ride sensation ever by a domestic-built automobile.
Steering, via rack and pinion system which uses magnetic connections to provide tension control that varies with vehicle speed, feels crisp and to the point. Brakes, with a disc at each wheel and anti-lock action governed by computer, becomes one of many safety assets that include dual airbags up front as well as traction control.
Only one trim level for Aurora signifies that this is a car complete in its long list of mechanical and comfort features. Options are limited to aggressive performance tires, Bose audio system and power sunroof.
Aurora feels and drives wonderfully, and it's priced to compete with fancy imports.
1997 OLDSMOBILE AURORA
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1997 OLDSMOBILE AURORA Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size sedan |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
113.8 inches |
| Overall Length: |
205.4 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 4.0-L V8
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
16/26 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 35,000 to $ 39,000 |
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