Well, I guess it's time.

I've done damn near everything you can do to keep my 98 going as good as new, but it's an old car and starting to show its age - especially with electrical gremlins. And you know how gremlins procreate when they get wet (it's been raining a LOT up here this year). I just got to the point where I'm not willing to spend any more money -except gas & oil- on this black hole. It's disappointing as hell....but I'll get over it. Still got the 72 that uses such wonderfully simple technology by comparison. Not getting rid of it though.

So I'm saying goodbye to my Ninety Eight. It will just sit until my son decides if he wants it for a driver. I asked a number of months ago what would make a good replacement and most of you said either Ford or Buick. The latter is out because I'm not going to pay the price they want. Ford has some really lucrative offers with their family pricing, but I want a fully loaded mid size and they can't give me the price I want and the car I want. Everything has a comparative value and the decision has been tough.

Well I've been looking around for the best value for the $$$ and it's come down to a newer model Huyundai Sonata GLS with everything. Up here in the Great White North, car prices tend to be a little overinflated compared to our Southern neighbors, so I'm prepared to **** off a few dealers until I get what I want.

Tommorrow the shopping begins in earnest. I found several that are exactly what I want, but they're more than what I'm willing to pay. Gotta strap on 442muchs negotiating helmet and go see these guys. I'll know soon enough whether I'm an official ricer or not. So far I've narrowed the field to a 2006 with 18000 miles, a 2007 with 54000 miles, and a 2008 with 32500 miles. The 06 is the most expensive + it's black. I don't want black. Then it's a choice of Gold 2007 or Black again 2008. Good news is that I'm still in control of the decision making and I don't care how long it takes to get what I want. So far just over the phone the 2007 guy has been willing to lower his price by 3200.00. I call that a good start.

 

Good luck Allan. I do understand picking a newer car is full of hard decisions. I think your on the right track, when you don't have to rush into anything. Just take your time, you will find the right car for the right price.

 

That's too bad about the Ninety-Eight Allan. Check out kijiji.ca There are some good deals there if you find something you want. Drove the Aurora to work today. She sure is a smooth drive. I also hear there will be the Aurora or Northern Lights in the sky tonight.

 

i just can't bring myself to buy a newer car. have you thought about trying to find a low mile car like you had. it is hard to find low mile cars that you want but my dad is looking for another car and don't want to buy new. he has looked for 6 months and found several early 90s oldsmobiles with low miles at estate auctions. the real low mile cars go for higher than the book value said they are worth but still much cheeper than a newer car. he also found a 91 Toronado Trofeo that had 40,000 miles but it went close to $9,000.

 

Allan, I feel you are being pulled to the dark side my friend - the devil made you do it, right?
Hard to believe in this ratty economy that the Buicks and Fords are that high. Of course I never looked at new cars.
Too bad on your 'new' Olds... I guess my predictions are right about newer cars - that electrical crap dies way before the mechanical stuff. My Caddy's days are numbered i'm sure.
Good luck with your search and do research online about current issues people have with what you are considering. A guy on the train yesterday was telling me how if 06 sonnota had a water pump lock up, burn the belt off and overheat on the side of the road. He said the engine was gone but that warranty ~should~ cover it. Hope that was an isolated case...

 

My wife has a 2006 sonata with a 5-speed 4cyl. She loves it 93000 miles and counting. Highly recomend.
Larry

 

When I was looking for a daily driver to replace my triple black 80 Cutlass Supreme (died of terminal cancer) I searched for a year before finding a triple black 89 Caprice Classic in the paper shop! I wouldn't settle for anything newer than a 1990 so it really was a struggle. It had but 30k miles on it and minus a few door dings the paint was perfect. The interior was brand new also. I've had it six years now , had it repainted and the dings taken out. It rides like a dream and oh those admiring glances. Especially from the younger set. Who would have thought a 4 door would have that appeal? And Black? I wouldn't have any other! (Except for my orange Cutlass)

 

sorta supprised at the support of a hyandi on this site. would have expected fans of this site to be a little more faithful to the big three. I personaly have never owned anything other than american made cars by choice even if their are more "economical" choices out there.

 

It is a different world now than the day of Jap crap. Some of the Hondas, Toyotas and Hyundias are more American than some of the cars the big three are putting out. I was amazed at the Honda dealer to see that a great deal of the assembly (80%) was done in the US on an Accord model. I was blown away by that.

The big three are still my favs but some of the pricing on the models is a little out of control - a mid size should never go for more than 30k max but there are some models going way above that.

 

My wife wanted a 5-speed in a mid-size. I went looking, honda never wanted to find one. Mazda was good, Hyundai sold us with warrenty. Big 3 had none. What wife wants wife gets. Got some strange looks from sales people when I told the my wife wanted a 5-speed.

Larry

 

The Sonata & santa Fe are made in Alabama by US workers.

 

I bought my wife a 2009 Sonata because of the warranty. Had 6,000 miles on it at time of purchase from a rental car agency. V6 fully loaded out the door 12K. Had a fuel sensor go out right away Hyundai. The local dealer honored the warranty, washed the car and vacuumed out the interior when my wife picked up the car. I looked at every American car made and could not even come close to this deal. I would have spent up to 2k more for a American car could not get there from here. Wife loves the car.

 

it is true that alot of the "imports" are being assembled in the US. Nissan is assembled in the south aswell. Profits still go back across the pond. I hope i dont get bombed some day by somthing we helped fund. I am just a boy raised in detroit that lived a good life that was supported buy the big three.

 

I some how just can't agree with that. Raised and still living near Flint, I have always loved the big 3 but can't see how buying a foreign car, lines the pockets of foreign governments. It would be different if, it was a government ran company like the one Russian company. If anything most of the profit from the American market goes back into R&D and facilities. Toyota has a very impressive R & D outfit in White Lake that cost a small fortune and are testing the hell out of their Med. Duty line here in Flint.

But if that is how you feel, then think about this, imagine where that money is going from the purchase of electronics, toys, appliances and just about anything from Wal Mart is going to - those profits from us buying those products sre going back across the pond and probably makes the money made off the cars look like a spec of dust when they are compared.

 

I am about 1 year from having to do what you are doing. I would love to find a nice Aurora but good ones are getting harder to find. Kijiji is a great tool and it is amazing what you can find in a couple of hours.

Good Luck!

Wayne

 

I don't see why GM deserves my loyalty. My 01 Montana had an intake gasket problem and they fought with me to fix it. The dealer finally did because I had proof that they knew about the problem when they sold it to me in 02. My 98 Intrigue, I bought cheap...because the intake manifold gasket went and my mother in law blew the engine. So I bought it and put an engine in. the replacement engine has had the gasket changed. Before I bought the 01 Aurora I checked to see if that gasket was changed. It was, when the car had 30,000 kms (20,000 miles) on it. GM knew about the problem but it was too expensive to fix because almost every car and truck had the problem. But they left it up to the customers to pay the $1700 to fix it. Great service.

I am loyal to Oldsmobile but they killed it off. So why did they think I'd buy a Buick or Chev? I'll buy older Oldsmobiles.

If I was to buy a new car, I'd look at the companies that offer 10 years or 160,000 kms (100,000 miles) for warranty. Those companies are not any of the "big three". When are they going to get the message.

It's my money, if they want some of it, they'll have to work for it. Back up what you build and make something fun to drive without having to mortgage the house and I'll buy. Until then any new car I buy will be the Canadian and/or American made Japanese, Korean, & German cars.

 

$800 on kijiji.....and 6 days of negotiations

 

Looks nice and clean Ken. What was the mileage?

 

If you think it's unpatriotic to buy imports, check out where the so-called American manufacturers
are building new plants and where the foreign manufacturers are building theirs.
When was the last time you heard of an American manufacturer building a new plant in the U.S.?

Also, compare the quality of the imports with the American cars.

Let the flaming begin!

 

166,000 miles, and this figured prominently in the negotiations. I researched the same engine locally and found one with 12,000 miles for $2000 guaranteed for as long as you own the car and one with 40,000 miles for $975. So if something were to happen I can have the Aurora with 40,000 miles for under $2000. Under $3,000 with 12,000 miles.

It needed an out of province. I bought new tires (which I was going to do anyway) and replaced two ball joints and then it passed. So now she's my daily driver. My son get's his license in September and the Intrigue will probably go to him as his first car because my wife wants to keep her 01 Montana. It just clicked over 100,000 miles. What's with me and orphaned marques?

 

Well guys!
Whoaaaa a bit. This thread wasn't intended to turn into a competition of brand or national loyalty. Admittedly there's bound to be some brand and national loyalty no matter where you go and what product you look at. If I could have found a 95 or 96 Olds Ninety Eight with "low" mileage, I'd certainly have considered it as a replacement.

As many of you are aware, the market nowadays has changed. With manufacturing standards becoming more precise (computerized) and tolerances for quality control being more demanding, it's a no brainer that a newer car will probably be quite competitive depending on your tastes or needs. I don't need a big car anymore. I need a reliable newer car that will stand the test of time.

Some of you have argued that Hyundai is questionable. I did the research. I looked at their products and noted the quantum leap they have taken since 2002. Their motivation is to build a quality car that is affordable. They have delivered many aspects of design aesthetics and performance that match high end Euro production, as standard features and considerable cost savings. Their reliability and warranties speak volumes for the confidence they place in their cars.

I am not motivated by brand loyalty anymore. I am motivated by my customer satisfaction index - no matter who the manufacturer is. Today I took a leap of faith and test drove the 2007 Sonata GLX. It literally was a new vehicle inside, full leather options, performance, suspension that rides like a dream, quiet, and creature comforts that match anything on the road. Great visibility, excellent handling, plenty of punch on the go pedal, smooooth and efficient braking and only one minor door ding in an otherwise immaculate sparkling gold crystal finish.

The car had never been smoked in and presented itself with an understated elegance. My wife and I were very impressed with it. So much in fact that we offered the guy 3600 less than what he wanted. After some finagling (that I learned from 442much) I was able to help him realize that we were doing him a favor taking it for the lower price. Reluctantly he agreed. There's a few things I asked him to do, like balance the front tires - but all minor. I could have bought newer, but there was no offsetting advantages in all the criteria I compiled. And I had a max price already set. So I stuck to my guns. If he wouldn't budge on price I was fully prepared to walk away too. There would have been other opportunities. I was just lucky that this one smiled favorably on me.

So my wife and I are the pround owners of a "newer" 2007 Hyundai Sonata GLX. It's what I wanted. BTW, try finding a nicely appointed sedan that your 6'3" son can sit comfortably in the back seat with plenty of leg and head room. I searched the web for quite awhile now, Kijiji and the auto trader on line and this is the only one that matched ALL the criteria I was looking for. And to boot? The darn thing is still under warranty for the next 2 years from Hyundai!!! I remember the Cold war, and I'll tell you this. I never would have believed that I would by one of their cars, BUT I DID and I don't need to apologize to anyone for being able to make that choice freely.

I have shifts that work 14 hours tomorrow, Friday and Sunday. The earliest we can go get the car is Saturday, but we'll see if I can keep my eyes open for that. In the meantime, my Mrs. is getting the insurance and licensing looked after. God bless her-she's an angel. I know it's kind of a ? to post other than Olds on the forum, but when I get the car, I'll post a few pics of it to show you what I bought. Hope that doesn't offend anyone.

Now, back to the original post. Y'all play nice now and no name callin or you're not gettin invited to the Hawaiian national peeing for distance contest next January in Maui.

 

My new Mustang was built in America and it'll tear up just about anything on the road. My '01 Focus, American, has 208,000+ miles. At last oil change, the guys came back shaking their heads because "We just can't find anything wrong with it." I'd recommend the Focus to anybody although I love my old softer interior better than the new ones. Nothing a few quick mods couldn't fix, though, and if it weren't for my wanting to see how many miles I can get on this one i'd have already pulled the trigger.

My point is that I'm a 1900's GM guy, but Ford is tearing it UP right now with their Focus, Mustang, Taurus, Edge, F-150. I'd have one of those 5 before any other brand in anything right now. Blowin it out of the park with styling, performance, and most importantly Customer Service to me.

 

Buy a pontiac Allan...they're a good Aussie car

 

Well my brother just bought a new car very recently and he traded in his 89 pontiac firebird. he just figured it was time for a new car so he went out and looked at a lot of cars including a Mustang and Camaro but in the end he bought a new hyundai genesis coupe because of superior ride , fit and finish plus warrenty. Now this was his opinion after test driving many cars and haggling with all dealers for a good deal.He told me that he liked the genesis the best and he got the best deal from the dealer as well as the best warrenty.

 

I'm glad you found something you like, and for a good price.

 

Congrats Allan R!! Enjoy your new ride. We have to start looking for a car for my daughter, too. Oh joy!!

 

your resale value is terrible,though.

3 years ago,my g/f was torn between

a new 6 speed Mustang GT for 21K and a 6 speed Acura RSX Type S for 17K.

bought the Acura because it cost less than the Mustang,was cheaper to insure, better resale value,better gas mileage,and it handles like a slot car.

the Mustang was nice,but when we saw what they were asking for them used,we passed.

right now,the RSX is worth 5k more than she owes on it,they are selling in the 10k-12k range.

if she bought the Mustang,she'd be upside down all to hell and back,they are selling in the 10-12k range.

 

to each thier own. Thats why they are all available for sale.

Couple of responces to some:

1) Do those companys not get taxed across the pond? if they do thier goverment is recieving a good sum of money.

2) I have thought about the electronics and such that we HAVE no choice to buy and cant believe it cant be made here and how much money is gone from our economy?

3) I guess to make cars as "affordable" as the public thinks they should cost, the big three is forced to seek slave type wage/labor in other counrtys.

4)Imports im sorry, are not as built proof as one may think. Look at studys and consumer reports. They are as hit and miss as any other auto maker. And they have engineering flaws (gas peadals, brakes ect) as do the domestics.


For the record, i agree the kias and hyundia's have come along way since there intro to the market place. I Guess i am old fashion and will contiue to go to the hardware store instead of home depot,my local auto parts store instead of autozone, and the country market instead of costco.


I honestly hope your new/used car purchase treats you well for years to come as your olds did!


P.S Im only 33 years old..........I shouldnt have ever typed a word on this thread. This aubject is about as bad as abortion,healthcare,ect.......

 

Hyundai is making huge inroads into the new car market down here. the i30 has been car of the year in it's class the last couple of years and now the i45 is challenging the mid range class.
My daily driver is a VW Golf 2.0 TDi which I bought new in 2007. Great car but I do a lot of travelling so the miles are mounting up. My next car will probably be a Hyundai i30. I could get a new near one with the proceeds of sale for the VW with 150,000kms on the clock.
Hope the car looks after you Allan.

 

Thanks to all for the positive thoughts. I also hope this is a good purchase. Rob, no the dark side didn't sway me, it was my ownself looking for the best deal. Sandy, good luck with your hunt for Red October ( I think you will buy your girl a big red Oldsmobile, right?) Wayne, it can be a fun experience if you don't put yourself under pressure. Pat - glad to hear you and the Mrs. are getting along - I mean with the Sonata!

To all the rest who are staunchly in support of the big 3, my hat's off to you. I wish I could be that loyal. For me though I think its best to go where my $ gets what I percieve to be the best value. I sincerely hope that you can appreciate my point of view as much as I do yours. IMO everyone wins as long as they like what they have and what they can afford. Living within your means doesn't mean you have to spend all your money to keep up with the Jones's to be happy.

 

The new Camaro's and Challenger's are built in Canada but that doesn't mean I'll buy one just for that reason. Honda's, Toyota's, Hyundai's are also built here. There has to be more value that just where it's built. That's the whole idea behind the capitalist system. Someone comes along with a better mouse trap and now there's competition. Competition makes for progress. Right now the Asian cars are offering more and standing behind the product and so, are leading the competition, IMO.

GM used to be number one in the world because no one could come close to styling and the neat gadgets they had and the cars didn't have any serious competition. They're not number one anymore. I guess my next car will be an 03 Aurora in a few years. How that for loyality! When Oldsmobiles get to old for me to buy, perhaps the "big three" will have a clue and be customer friendly. Hey, Al, congrats on the new wheels. BTW, I found the owners manual on the engine stand. I'll save it for you.

 

right back at you allan! I do understand. Way to put a possitive note on what turned into a bit of a ugly thread. Hope you will still wave when we pass bye in our mutual interest, OLDSMOBILES!

 

Thanks Ken, I'll give you a call after I pick up the new car and swing by if you're at home.

Thankyou for the nice words. As far as still wave when we pass by? Are you kidding? Everyone here is fantastic! It would be rude NOT to wave or stop and shoot the breeze no matter what kind of car I'm driving. FYI, the Ninety Eight isn't gone to Oldsmobile heaven yet. I'm saving it for my boy (this fall he turns 16 and will be looking at driving lessons) My Mrs and I think that I'll use it during the winter this year since I have 4 winter ice radials for the car. And, the best for last. My 72 Cutlass S will have to be pried from my cold dead hands before I give up Oldsmobile as a hobby.

I recently bought a 455 core from 442much which I plan to rebuild next year after I retire in March. I'm already giddy with excitement-it's the first engine I've ever built. LOTS of research to do and I'll be asking plenty of questions during that time.

One more thing I can't help myself on. Got home today and phoned the dealer who I stole the Hyundai from.

I'll let the cat out of the bag....He took the car in on a trade for a new loaded to the 9's Jeep Commander and allowed the previous owner 13, 250.00 trade in because she baby sat his kids. Of course he made up for any losses right out of the shute there because he priced out the Commander at full retail. He listed the car for 15,995.00 I talked him down to 12,400.00. Then I also got some other goodies thrown in for no charge-4wheel balancings, machine front rotors, new set of Michelin P215/55R17 93Vs -that would be around 200/wheel. So all things being equal, the dealer did another almost 1000.00 worth for the car AFTER the deal was inked. Best of all the sales guy said he enjoyed the bartering a lot and was a little shocked the service dept did all that work because they ended up eating it. I'm picking the car up tommorrow morning - who knows, maybe I have a career in sales!!

 

Good luck with your new puchase, my wife picked out a new buick Lacrosse CSX and so far loves it. We test drove a lot of the other brands and she liked the Buicks best and the Hyundai second. We noticed with a some of the new cars you can't get in without sliding over the seat controls( like on the v-w CC). We did find new car shopping a royal PIA in general.

 

Good horse tradin' Allan. I was going to give the 1994 Ford Aspire (119,000 kms / 74,000 miles) to by middle son who just turned 17 but Karen didn't want him driving such a small car (1.3 ltr engine) in case there was an accident. She feels that he wouldn't be as safe as he would be in a bigger car. She's right, soooo since I bought the Aurora and Karen wants to keep her Montana, it looks like my son's first car will be an Oldsmobile. He should get his license in September after the driving course.

1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue GL (135,000 kms - 84,000 miles) Every available option including 12 disc player, sunroof, leather and Autobahn pkg.

 

If any of the Canadian boys want a KIA let me know I work for Kia Canada and can get a killer deal.

 

That's great news Ken!
Sorry I didn't get a chance to swing by or phone. When I got home I had to take a few bugs off my "new" car. I was really impressed with the drive in from Leduc. Even at 110 the car was incredibly smooth, quiet and efficient. I had to see what it had for guts so I gave it a quick jolt of go juice. Went like a scared bunny up to 140 in about 6 seconds. Good thing the RC's or Sherriffs were still at Timmys scarfin donuts and coffe.

Somehow I beat Joanne home in spite of giving her a 20 minute headstart. Had to get the tank topped up. She went shoppin... duh....Like i shouldn't have seen that coming. Anyway I helped her unload and started looking at her Saturn. I was a little appalled by what I saw. The years of no interior cleans was starting to show. Actually the car has NEVER had a carpet clean until today because it never needed it in the past. Anyway, I spent the best part of 6 hours detailing her car. She came out and looked at it. Then she smiled and said she loved it. I love it when she smiles....Something else about showing her appreciation later tonight.....
Anyway, great to hear that the Intrigue is going to your son. Whatcha gonna do with the Ford?

I have to work tommorrow starting at 0537 hours so I don't know whats going to happen. You going to church or just hangin in the cave? Might be able to drop out during a break.

 

Make sure you get all that detailing silicone off or when you jump in bed you'll slide right off and end up on the floor...that's something that would never happen to James Bond.

Thanks Craig, that's pretty decent of you.

 

I have it on good authority that when James is not making movies, he does usually sleep on the floor, and it's not from detailing products. He lives a terribly lonely and boring life; M is a very strict taskmaster. You know how it is; if it's not perfect it's not acceptable. I on the other hand embrace detailing products! The slipperier the better! And some of them smell nice too - no cologne needed You just have to find good anchor points

Man, I needed silicone to slide out of bed this morning! 0430 the alarm went off. ??? you know why they say "oh four thirty"? It's a shortened up version of OMG it's 4:30 in the friggen morning, go back to sleep! Can't say I disagreed today. Dragged my butt into the shower. When I had finished with the SSS (sh**, shine and shavola) put on my uniform and was ready to leave, I noticed the light was still on in my sons room. He stayed up all night playing World of Warcraft on the web. He just lost his internet access until he learns to manage his time better or he helps pay the electrical bill. I'm feeling pretty bagged right now.

Did you go to that show in Bentley?

 

No shows this weekend. There was Hot August Nights in St. Albert but 700 cars is too much for me, besides Karen's side of the family (actually 1/3 of the family) had a shin dig at our place, probably because we have a pretty big backyard. Luckily only about 25 people showed up. When I needed to get away from time to time, my garage was there. I was an only child so big events like this are OK for a while, then I need time on my own to recharge and get back in there.