Acceleration, and lots of it. Dependable proven power plant. Decent handling for a sedan.

Where do i begin?
Leather has a cheap feel to it. Brakes stink...
Too many service calls and trips to the dealer. lack of response from GM, even with under 1000 miles on it. this has to be the worst fit and finish of any vehicle i have ever owned. wish some would steal it...

got great price via GM employee purchase(18,500 fully loaded) not worth 15k!!! in the first week of ownership, the window seals melted to the windows(it gets hot in houston but lets get real),the front suspension has been almost completly replaced. the dealer tried to replace the ill fitting dash pad and created 10 times the problems in the process. all the armrests on the door either have been replaced or need to be. The car was purchased after looking for three months at cars. obviously, I wish I would have looked longer. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND AGAINST THIS CAR!!!

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Taurus-to family like
Camrey- kicked Intrigue's butt
Subaru Outback- twice the car, with a little less power.

Quiet, good pickup, tons of features, excellent styling, good size

Gas Mileage, sound system without Bose sucks.

One of the best GM cars out there for the price. Much better than the horrible Taurus, lame Grand Prix and dizmup Intrepid. Granted an Accord may have a nicer name but you will pay $3k more for that name. If you are looking for a nice four door quiet car test drive this car you will be pleastently surprised!

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Camry, Accord, Taurus

Comfort, engine, handling, looks, did I say pick-up??

Gas mileage

This is a great car. I am 6' 3" and fit very well in it. The 98 Accord was not as comfortable and cost $2K more. I agree get a loaded GL instead of a GLS, it is a better deal. I have over 31,000 miles (in 18 months) and have only had 3 minor problems, none engine or transmission related.

It is one of the best handling cars I have ever driven. I am an accident reconstructionist, so handling and braking are very important to me. I have avoided two accidents that I might not have avoided with another car. It could be that I was having too much fun with the engine.

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V6 Honda Accord & V6 Camray

Bought used with 13K miles (program car). Strong, responsive, quiet, smooth engine. Quiet ride. Excellent handling, room for real adults in back seat. Co-worker who has '93 Lexus LS400 says it's a better overall driver and was impress with build quality. Brother-in-law with '99 Lexus ES300 (who never admits to making a mistake) commentted on how US can build a car as good as a Lexus at half the price. The closest thing I've owned that is comparable was a '90 Acura Legend Coupe (a nice car itself) but the Intrigue is clearly smoother, more quiet, and rides better. Engine (3.5 DOHC) continue to impress me with power delivery and broad torque range. I've never been more impressed with a car.

Lack of "panache" or status. Dash layout is excellent but doesn't quite have that "luxury" look. However, I have yet to have anyone ride in it that hasn't offered compliments or remarks on how it's comparable or nicer that so-car Japanese luxury brands (no one's mentioned German brands yet).

A car that continues to impress me across the board. The car closest in comparison that I've owned in terms of overall satisfaction (out of 18 cars) was a '90 Acura Legend. The Intrigue, however, is a superior car in every way and cost $9000 less that the Acura did almost ten years ago. The only reasons I can possibly imagine that this car isn't outselling the top-end model Camry, Accord or Maxima is because; 1)people haven't driven it, 2)people are suspicious of it's reliability (excellent so far according to Consumer Reports), or 3) it doesn't have driver identification/recognition (again, panche). After driving several new and late model cars, I drove it on a whim and was astounded on how much better it was that cars costing up to $4000 to $6000 more. After reading innumerable reviews, there appears to be a consensus even among automotive writers that the Intrigue is the best kept secret coming out of Detroit (don't believe me? check it out for yourself).

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Test drove '97-'99 Toyota Camry V6, Honda Accord V6, Mercury Sable 3.0 DOHC, Acura TL 2.5, Nissan Maxima SE, Oldsmobile Intrige GL 3.8L; 2000 Ford Contour SE Sport, Mazda 626 V6, Mitsubishi Galant ES V6.

Strong engine, easy to steer, looks better than other American cars, and spacious.

Gas pedal is too sensitive, cheap leather, dashboard makes creaking sounds, awful stereo, cheap looking controls, cupholder in front of the shifter, doors stick, audio controls on steering wheel too small and too far back, loud engine, outside mirrors a little too small, uncomfortable seats, and cheap remote.

If you're looking for an American car under $30,000, this is the best one. It's better designed and better looking than any other American car. But compared to the Japanese and Germans, this car is out of its league. There are so many things that look cheap on this car like the dashboard and the leather. The gas pedal is too sensitive and gives you the feeling you're not really in control. The trunk failed to open a couple times and my two front doors stick. The dealer said they'd order some new parts to fix it and they never called back. And while I look loose steering in city traffic, it's not good on the freeway. I have to use two hands to keep the car steady when driving on the freeway. So don't get this car unless you have GM credit to use. For $26,000, I'd rather get an Acura TL or Toyota Camry.

Great ride, pickup, confort, handling, and style, especially for an American Car.

Lack of a good on-board computer and gas mileage.

I bought it because I had $$$ from a GM Master Card which I hoped to use for a new SAAB, but GM never admitted they owned SAAB in this program. While traveling, I was able to rent a number of GM cars and the Intrigue was clearly the best of the lot in terms of confort, power, and handling. It is NOT your father's Oldsmobile.

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Honda Accord, SAAB 900

Stylish, quiet, excellent ride, great audio system

Too many repairs, mileage well below rating

I have used a 98 Intrigue GL for a year and a half now, and it has been a great car when it is not in the shop. Mine has the older 3.8 litre engine, which is fine under most circumstances except it runs out of breath and sounds harsh if you rev it much. But for "real world" driving, the 3.8 is fine. The car has been in the shop for multiple wiper motor and CD changer repairs, as well as a poorly aligned door, defective brake rotors and hard starting (went away after a few thousand miles). Also, a couple of inexplicable air conditioning failures that resolved themselves in a half hour or so. So in a year and a half I have visited the dealer approximately 7 times, which is unacceptable in my opinion. The only other gripe I have is that I never even come close to the 19/30 mileage rating, averaging 4-5 mpg below that. The drivetrain seems optimized to do well on the EPA standardized tests but doesn't cut it in terms of generating stellar actual mileage results. When running fine, the car is wonderful, I really have no complaints about it. Steering, braking, ride and handling are all exemplary. The car is plenty quick for most people, and the transmission is quite smooth and has its shift points well calculated. I highly recommend the Bose audio system, it is worth the extra 500 or so bucks. Mine is a fully loaded GL, which I would recommend over the current GLS-you end up spending nearly a grand extra for a power passenger seat and tacky fake wood trim for a fully loaded GLS vs. a GL with comparable equipment.

Power is great, even the 3800 series 2 engine moves when you need it too. Pretty good exterior styling for an Olds. Mid range CD/Cassette pretty good too.

MPG varies. Noisy when turning left or right, getting the standard thump, Thump, THUMP that others are getting, but the dealers can't seem to hear it. Need to keep the PSI at 33 or it gets louder. Haven't needed to take it in but the one time. Interior isn't really plain when you first buy it, but gets boring after about a month, makes me wish I had driven an Acura TL before I signed. Cloth interior and carpet looking terrible after 9 months, even though I keep it really clean. Finish on front hood chips pretty easily, whether on highway or not, no way around it.

Overall, this has been a pretty good car. Wish that someone would figure out the thumping so I can get it looked at (send me email if you know the answer, please please please!). Coming from the Intrepid 3.2, this engine really rocks. Can't complain on the power. Same engine as the Monte. I keep hearing about the resale values for this car, and it's making me worry. My wife likes to drive it, but wants an SUV anyways. I think since Olds is going out of business, I might trade it for an Acura 3.2TL. I would definately suggest this car to someone who wants performance, but to be wary about the dealer showing you service papers stating something was done...mainly brake jobs!

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94 Intrepid, 94 Acheiva (wife's)

The 3800 gets up and goes. I really injoy driving it. I like the looks of the car and the ride. For me it was a good vaule.

Well some minor and major things have been done to it. First the minor- the molding around the windows has to be slid back into place every once in awhile and the warning lights go on and off for no reason. Now the major- first the AC compressor had to be replaced and now it needs new struts.

Over all I really like the car. If Oldsmobile would put a little more quality into their products this would of been a great car. Other than the few things that went wrong with it I am happy I got it. If you do decide to get one make sure you check it over well.

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Before I had a 1988 Eagle Premire talk about a POS. So this is a much better car.

Nice styling, probably nicest of all GM products under $30K, powerful smooth responsive 3.5 litre engine, often reviewed as the "mini" north star (the award wining v8 gm cadillac engine). Excellent gas mileage. A/C works great. Dealership where i purchased gives free car washes for life, or as long as i own the car. Radio controls on steering wheel. Engine is very "peppy", the car can move, and move smoothly, like riding on rails. Sound system mediocre.

Oldsmobile discontinued!!!? In the winter the climate control seemed to have a mind of its own. Remote entry key sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. Takes a lot of pressure to sound the horn. Trunk can be accessed by anyone who enters the car, either through fold down rear seats, or automatic trunk button (some cars the fold down back seats can be locked in the up position, and on some cars the trunk button is in the glove box so if your car was broken into, or if you leave it with a valet, the automatic button can be locked in the box, leaving valuables in the trunk safe).

I have rated this car 4 stars overall and for the value. You can not find a better car elsewhere. The 3.5 engine will be used on other GM products, so once Olds is discontinued you can still find the parts. The car rides smooth, I am in my 20's and i feel comfortable driving the oldsmobile brand, "this is not your fathers oldsmobile". I recommend this car for anyone looking to get there moneys worth for a mid to full size car, that is stylish and responsive.

This car is better than the maxima, and camry, engine wise and in styling (IMO), and in price. the 2001/2 GL models you can purchase the PCS, precision control system, a $700 option, which is standard on the corvette, and optional on some of the top of the line BMW's and Mercedes, it makes the car impossible to spin out or 360 due to poor road condtions or quick acting maneuvers (sp), get this option if you can.

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Various midsize imports and domestics. The Intrigue, despite the weaknesses listed, is the best bang for your buck in its class. KEEP AMERICANS EMPLOYED, BUY AMERICAN!!!