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Oldsmobile Intrigue emerges as a lively import-quality sedan
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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ACTON, Calif. -- Twisting down the narrow Aliso Canyon Road to Acton, tucked into northern ripples of the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County, the prototype of a new mid-size sedan cut crisply through each apex at a fast clip yet without tire squeal.
In the benders, my car maintained a stable position with minimal lateral roll, the result of a stiffly braced unibody design with sophisticated independent suspension elements at all corners. Steering, firm and precise due to a rack and pinion arrangement with speed-sensing variable assistance, seemed as compliant as a European touring car.
Surging horsepower, lurking below the right foot pedal, proved too much for the curve sets and occasionally required a check through the left pedal, which linked to four big disc brakes and an on-board computer with anti-lock control.
Now running out to the flat Mojave floor by Antelope Acres, speed builds substantially on straight chutes with the structure hugging pavement as we roll over dips of desert washes. This car easily proves it's aggressive in attitude, but still poised and precise no matter what the speed or condition of the road.
A driver's mental check-list of highlights and high scores becomes clear as we zip down convoluted nuances of Lake Hughes Road to Castaic at the I-5 freeway, which returns us to civilization at the end of this test.
One particular impression rises to the top of my images to describe the thrill of driving the new car: Import Car of the Year. This thought I share with my seat mate, who happens to be this vehicle's brand manager, the person who helped to shape its character and bears the responsibility of taking it to market.
"That's the best compliment you could give us," said Ken Stewart, who works for Oldsmobile at General Motors. For the past 20 months, Stewart's goal has been to make the new domestically-produced Oldsmobile measure up to the best imports coming ashore from Europe and Asia.
As my tests revealed, it does -- and I'm stunned.
Oldsmobile labels the new mid-size sedan as the Intrigue. It replaces aged Cutlass Supreme but seems like a polar opposite of that package.
Intrigue come from a mid-size chassis which spawns other new GM models like Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick Regal, although the Intrigue brand team made a number of strategic changes along the developmental path to ensure that this new car separates itself in feel, function and performance from anything else in GM's stable.
It arrives as a 1998 model during the centennial anniversary of Oldsmobile's creation by Ransom E. Olds and a group of automobile pioneers. To mark the centennial, Intrigue signals a contemporary revolution of the line with new models geared for appeal to consumers already enamored with cars built in Germany and Japan.
A centennial plan initiated in 1992 calls for all Oldsmobiles to conform to the look, feel, performance and quality characteristics of Aurora, the full-size Olds sedan which during its introductory year of 1995 outsold Japan's foremost ultra luxury label.
Exterior lines of Intrigue bear a slight resemblance to Aurora. Its sheet metalskin stretches tautly across the framework like a lean and muscular athlete. Superfluous decorations have been deleted, such as traditional chrome grille, in favor of more subtle monochromatic effects in the manner of pricy Euros.
Inside, a single layout works for Intrigue, with 5-person seating featuring twin front buckets and space for three on a rear bench.
Two trim levels -- a base Intrigue and the up-level Intrigue GL -- are offered with only one powertrain, which the Intrigue brand team had to fight to get.
Originally, the car was scheduled to receive GM's off-the-shelf 3.4-liter V6, but surveys of import owners driving prototype Intrigues outfitted with this engine revealed universal dissatisfactions due to a lack of power compared against the imports, plus noise and vibration.
So, late in the developmental process, Intrigue's team changed directions and specified a more powerful V6 beefed up with improvements to smooth and soothe the action.
The resultant 3.8-liter V6 produces 195 horsepower.
It connects to GM's best electronically-controlled 4-speed automatic transmission, and the package brings highly controllable energy with nice torque response in all ranges, whether at lower speed in urban traffic or flying in the fast lane -- and more than enough strength to peg legal speed limits.
Equally important to the muscle, Intrigue seems quite able to dance on pavement when prompted.
Components which make it behave so lively begin with a safety cage reinforced with extra longitudinal and cross-car bracing which develop extra rigidity and torsional stiffness when the vehicle moves down the road.
The unibody structure encases a passenger compartment with steel beams designed to absorb and deflect forces of impact, should Intrigue connect with another car in a crash.
Special engineering measures merge to isolate the cabin with road and engine noises locked out, road bumps and resultant vehicle vibrations dampened.
A compliant 4-wheel independent suspension enables Intrigue to respond with solid sensations when lipping over pavement irregularities, and it reacts quickly and with an athletic flair when asked to steer clear of lane obstacles like slower traffic blocking the I-5 flow.
To prevent a mushy steering reaction, designers added variable-effort power assistance through Magnasteer, which uses magnetic torsion to raise or lower the degree of effort required to turn the steering wheel. At lower speed, as when parking, Magnasteer slackens pressure so the wheel turns easily, while at higher speed on a highway, pressure increases so only a slight movement of hands on steering wheel turns the car quickly.
The interior orients toward an aggressive driver. Firm and sporty front bucket seats and a cockpit outfitted with large analog instruments reflect European styling.
The base unit provides many standard features, including air conditioning and anti-lock brakes, but the GL edition comes with extras like leather upholstery and dual climate zones. Also, an optional autobahn package installs speed-rated radial tires and heavy-duty front brake rotors with premium composite brake pads.
Prices begin around $20,000 and rise to $25,000.
1998 OLDSMOBILE INTRUGUE
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1998 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size sedan |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
109.0 inches |
| Overall Length: |
196.6 inches
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| Engine Size: |
OHV 3.8-L V6
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
19/29 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 20,000 to $ 25,000 |
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