I think that's what I like best about buying into Oldsmobile right now. With GM kyboshing the brand, most Oldsmobile owners think
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| Oldsmobile's entry car wasn't without its faults, but reliability and pricing were never issues. (Photo: General Motors) |
the value of their investment has tumbled, which if for that reason alone is the self-fulfilled truth. The benefit to the used car shopper is a very low buy-in price, and the knowledge that the car, which uses more or less the same components as the old Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac Grand Am, will have replacement parts made to suit for years to come.
Some Alero attributes worth boasting about are better than average brakes, decent maneuverability and handling, higher than GM's regular grade materials, a massive trunk and a well thought out overall design.
On the less boastful side was the car's original base engine, a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder that produced a reasonable 150
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| A 2.2-liter Ecotec four replaced the larger displacement 2.4-liter engine in 2002, making 10 horsepower less but providing much smoother operation and greater efficiency. (Photo: General Motors) |
horsepower but was short on refinement. The current 2.2-liter Ecotec four replaced the larger displacement version in 2002, making only 140 horsepower but providing much smoother operation and greater efficiency. Another knock against the 4-cylinder engine equipped Alero was its lack of a manual transmission until 2000. Pretty well all competitors offered a base stick-shift, which meant early Alero's didn't attract those looking for a sporty car. Instead, those wanting a do-it-yourself transmission were sent packing, to Honda, Toyota, or just about any rival import manufacturer. A 4-speed automatic was the alternative transmission, much the same as the one being used on the current Malibu and G6.
