The engine and drive train excellent. Overall performance and accleration great.

Worst car I have ever owned. Have serious noises in front end that even factory rep cannot find. Makes noise when braking, turning, and even setting still when turning the steering wheel right or left. Have had it in the shop 5 times, still no fix. Taking it back to the shop on December 11th with hopes that they can finally do something about the situation. Boy that would be a great Christmas present. The car is also much noiser than either my honda accord or toyota but has so much more power that I can put up with both air and road noises.

I love the car but can't stand the noise and GM's inability to fix it. It is my third olds in a row (my wife and kids drive the honda and toyota) and I expected better. I will not buy another olds product.

Similar Products Used:

Honda accord/Toyota camry

This car has been ratlle free and The 3.8 and its transmission work beautifully together. The car has plenty of power and its hadling is great. The breaks are also great. The engine bay also has a lot of room so I think I could work on the car if any problems arise or if I decide to modify it.

Very few that I know of, its kinda hard to get a jack under it to change the oil thanks to the air dam.

I plan on keeping this car forever, if you like to drive this is the car for you.

Similar Products Used:

87 Olds Cutlass Ceria: sloooowwww, poor handling.
96 Ford Contour: no low end torque (2.5 V6), ergonomics not nearly as good

Handling, Power, Comfort & Styling

Nothing yet

First it is a great car to drive. The handling is smooth, agile and secure. There is no play in the steering and it takes corners nimbley and without sway. The car is quiet and smooth up to speeds to high to admit to in writing. The styling is sleek and attractive and the interior is comfortable. The GLS has all the creature comforts you could expect.

Overall, it is a great car, especially for the money and its nice you don't see to many of them on the road.

Similar Products Used:

Saab 900

I have a black Intrigue with rear spoiler, chrome wheels, grey leather interior, and sunroof. It looks fantastic and mean, especially with those amber DRL's. Plus it is a 1998, meaning it has no badging except the "INTRIGUE" on the back, which is quite cool. I have the 3.8 litre v6 with the Autobahn package and let me tell you it has power to spare and handles like a dream. I have the Bose CD/tape player package with the rear shelf amplifier and it sounds amazing. The design of the trunk hinges is absolute genius. I cannot imagine paying more for less. Why talk up these European or Japanese cars that just can't offer as much for the money?

I too have a squeak somewhere in the rear suspension. Plus, when the sunroof is open in the "tilt up" mode, it creates an annoying whistling noise. Finally, the wide speed-rated tires from the factory don't like standing water on the road one bit...I plan to replace them with some Aquatreads when they wear out.

I would definitely recommend this car to anyone who wants power and class without getting soaked on the sticker price. I would recommend getting all the options, though. Otherwise, why bother with a more upscale sedan? If you are looking for smaller and cheaper, there's always the Alero.

Similar Products Used:

My last car was a 1991 Daytona 3.0 v6. The Intrigue is enough of a sports car that I don't miss the Daytona one bit.

Excellent handling and acceleration
Best styling in its class
No problems

Reliability over the long haul is still an open question

Despite the professional car reviewer hype regarding the accord and the maxima my personal assessment is that the Intrigue is a better car for much less money with way better styling. Seems to me these reviewers have a lot of baggage with GM and won't give them credit where credit is due. So far I have not had any problems and have owned the car for six months, however, I have to admit the jury is still out on long term reliability. I am taking the position of innocent until proven guilty. I will just have to wait and see. Although sponsored by GM an independant test of handling, braking and acceleration rated the Intrigue number one ahead of the maxima, the accord , the camry and the taurus, not many people know this. On styling its no contest the maxima is just plain ugly especially from the rear and the interior is just as annoying with that huge rounded center pillar. The accord looks like a school marm. The Intrigue is a classy car in a European sports sedan tradition.I have driven both the maxima and the taurus , and the Intrigue drives as well or better than the maxima and definitely better than the taurus. This car goes like stink. This car is a hoot to drive and definitely gets the adrenaline going. It is highly overlooked and under-rated. Do yourself a favor and drive one you won't regret it. Make your own assessment its your money.

Similar Products Used:

None

Styling, 3.5 V6, Handling, Interior, features

Heater and AC controls are awkward

I leased a 98 GL and Loved the car. May be the best car under $35,000 available. I had no problems whatsoever with the '98. I don't understand the critical remarks about the interior. It is the most attractive cabin in its price range and the materials look and wear well.

I was thinking I would lease a Maxima this year. The top of the line Camry is way too cheap in appearance and the Accord also seems like a cheaper car. I rented a Maxima for a week last Summer and was very disappointed. No real tilt wheel, a clunky dash and plain console turned me off. Poor rear suspension, too. The engine was nice, but it did not mate nearly as well with the transmission as a GM - Honda has the same problem - why don't people mention this more? Also the Maxima had the ugliest case of torque steer I've experienced in a while. When the plastic trunk lip molding came off when I put my bags in, I knew this was not for me.

I came back and ordered a new Intrigue GLS. I love the new engine and this car has the stability control and Onstar. I firmly believe this is the best buy in a deluxe mid-size. You have to go to a 5 series BMW or Audi A6 to get a car with better capabilities and then not by much and those cars will kill you in insurance and maintenance even if you can afford the lease.

Similar Products Used:

98 Intrigue

Rides well and the stability on the road is fine. GM transmissions are to me always very good.

temperature controls are in the worst position. AC is always coming on even when you select the manual mode of operation.
Engine was replaced at 5K miles due to some internal problem. All under warranty. Quite a few times over the last 15 months the service engine light came on for no reason and back to dealer. I don't know what the dealer service did but the light went out so that was fine. Annoying squeak in the rear suspension that the service department never heard since almost day one.

Leased the vehicle.
I don't think I would try another Intrique. Just a number of annoying things that added up to turn me off.

Similar Products Used:

Three Mercury Sables 93,95,97 all about the same. I thought they were at least a good and less expensive.

Intrigue is rare, better cars like the Accord sell better

Olds may not be around too much longer

See the review, Intrique brings up the rear, appropriately enough:
http://www.edmunds.com/roadtests/comparison/2000/familysedan/place8.html

Similar Products Used:

Accord is superior in virtually all aspects

Excellent power (3.8), tranny. Substantial size for price group.

Brake rotors warp! warp! warp! My third set is warped, and this is after conciously trying to take it easy. We drive mostly non-stop highway and the rotors feel terrible after about each 12,000 miles. Dealer tells me they all do it because the entire auto industry went to some kind of composite rotors in '96. I don't believe it.
Overall build quality makes me skittish about keeping it long term. This car stickered for $25k (paid much less) and after 2 1/2 years and 48,000 miles I couldn't find a dealer that would give us more than $11,000 on a trade even though we keep our vehicles detailed, etc.
Next car will be an Acura TL or Nissan Maxima.

Nice car to drive new but long term, I dunno. Next car will not be GM.

Similar Products Used:

Accords (super car but quite a bit smaller)

Great engine, stereo, styling, handling, brakes, and overall paint finish (mine is maroon.)

Some of the plastic trim looks to cheap. I had to have some of the trim panels replaced because they were loose. Luckilly, the dealer replaced them free of charge when I had a routine check up done so I guess it really doesn't matter.

I bought my car from a dealership in Maryland. It was previously a rental out of Austin Texas which explains why a 1999 model had 31,000 miles on it (I know that because I went on Carfax.com and put in the vin # and did a title search.) I only paid $15,000 for a GL model which has a decent options package. The car needed a new rear right strut and I think some front suspension work still needs to be done although the warranty covers all of that. The car overall is great. It's roomy, fast, looks sleeker than most cars on the road today and has features that aren't even offered on the Maxima, Camry or the Accord. As far as American cars go, this is a better choice than the Buick Regal, Taurus-Sable line up and most other American cars in it's class. It still has some catching up to do in the way the Japanese overall fit and finish, but if your looking for the most features for your dollar, I don't think you can do much better than this automobile.

Similar Products Used:

Friends of mine have Maxima's and Accord's. The Intrigue is bigger, looks nicer on the outside, rides better and is faster than the Accord (not the Maxima.)