- sedan 150,891
- 2,995 fair
- Washington Court House, OH
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- autoshopper.com
- sedan 150,891 gasoline white automatic
2001 oldsmobile aurora review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. All-new flagship is trimmer, smoother and more nimble. introductionoldsmobile has successfully shed its early '90's image of stodginess with its recent intrigue and alero sedans, which are capable and handsome. Now the company aims to do the same with its luxury car flagship, the aurora. Since its introduction in 1994, aurora has not kept up with the profit trend set by hot-selling luxury sedans from lincoln, bmw and audi. So oldsmobile skipped the 2000 model year for the aurora, and introduced a newer, smaller model as a 2001. It went on sale february 2000. lately, each time general motors has redesigned one of its half-dozen big luxury sedans, the cars have made leaps in the quality of their driveability. The new monster cadillac deville, the flaunty pontiac bonneville, and the demure buick lesabre all run swiftly and competently. Yet none of these cars looks the same, and none drives the same. Aurora boasts its own smooth, high revving v8 and v6 engines. the new aurora is notably more nimble than buick's lesabre and cadillac's deville, and it feels smaller and lighter on its feet than the pontiac bonneville. lineuptwo models are available: 3. 5l 30,130), 4. 0l 34,305). offering two models is a departure from the original aurora, which was conceived as a fully equipped showcase of high-tech gadgets to go along with its complex and standard-setting rigid body construction. This time around, aurora is available as a lower-priced 3. 5l, which comes with a smaller engine and smaller tires. All of this can shoot the price of an aurora up to nearly $38,000. walkaroundthough it maintains the muscular form of the original aurora, this new second-generation model boasts all-new sheet metal. Less is more was the aurora designer's mantra, so this new car is bereft of cladding, tacked on moldings or other frivolous decoration. the 2001 aurora is 6 inches shorter than the original. The smaller, tighter shape gives it a cleaner, more nimble look. Its profile is smooth and fluid with a raked rear window. Rear fog lamps give balance and symmetry to the rear of the car, while enhancing safety. A steep back light and large, wrap-over tail lamps minimize the horizontal length of the deck lid. The feel of the smooth, soft leather surfaces reinforces this. The leather is light-colored, in the latest euro fashion, and the real burled walnut wood surfaces are not overwhelming. Tall drivers, like me, may sense a bit less legroom than the previous aurora; and my left leg covered the driver's door stereo speaker. The trunk is 1 cubic foot smaller, but a wider opening and a low lift-over make it more useable and easier to unload a set of golf clubs. the instrument panel is angled sharply toward the driver. The driver's adjustable lumbar support should allow back-pain sufferers to drive long distances in comfort. The high-tech 'rain-sensing' automatic interval wipers could not sense frozen wiper fluid or slush, we found out one cold morning, and it shifts the blades into overdrive when they aren't required. one departure from standard gm practice is a cruise control lever on a stalk on the right side of the steering wheel. Perpetual phone users won't like this placement, but hopefully it will force squawking drivers to use hands-free phone setups. driving impressionwe drove a pre-production 4. 0l test car, which could explain why the drivetrain clunked loudly when we shifted into gear with the euro-style console-mounted lever. Beyond that wake-up call to refinement, the aurora exudes very high quality. moving from a stop, the steering feels super-light. Parking is a one-finger operation here. We think that's good, because it means all the extraneous noises from the suspension and drivetrain - everything from the tires to the gears - do not creep into the passenger compartment. Hot rodders will like the grumbly v8 exhaust, but some passengers we had in the car complained it was too loud. Emissions are improved, fuel efficiency is improved, and it makes the same 250 horsepower on regular gas that the previous engine made on premium fuel. The indy racing league uses a modified version of this same engine to run the indy 500. the v6 engine found in the aurora 3. 5l comes from the mid-size intrigue, and it's a twin overhead-cam design derived from the v8. Aurora's v6 makes 215 horsepower, the same as it does in the intrigue. Standard on the v8 car and optional on the v6 is a stability system that can apply braking force to an individual front wheel to prevent the car from too much plowing or drifting in a corner. The traction control system uses wheel braking and engine power reduction (the most desirable combination) to limit wheel spin. though silent on the highway, the bigger tires on the aurora 4. 0l tend to squeal early in sharp corners. Credit heavier springs for that, although careful tuning of the suspension struts (bushings, rebound springs, and damping) and smaller anti-roll bars mean the car doesn't feel stiffer on the road. The new aurora is more balanced, too. Where torque-steer occurs most noticeably in the new aurora is on bumpy roads. Bmw and mercedes lick this problem by using rear-drive. summarythe new aurora is on target with the top-sellers in the growing $35,000 luxury class. Its lightness and agility is unlike the general's boats of yore. Overall, however, this new aurora is terrific. model lineup3. 5l 30,130); 4. 0l 34,305). assembled inmichigan. options as testeddiamond white metallic paint 395); chrome-plated wheels 800); heated front seats 345); bose stereo system, 500); trunk-mounted 12-disc player 460); power moonroof 1,095). model testedaurora 4. 0l 34,305). Cruise Control✔ Air Conditioning✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ Chrome Wheels
2,995 Washington Court House, OHWashington Court House, OH at autoshopper.com