"Amoore100" (amoore100)
09/11/2015 at 20:57 • Filed to: Used Car Face-Off, Buick LeSabre, Oldsmobile Aurora, Cadillac DeVille
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"Amoore100" (amoore100)
09/11/2015 at 20:57 • Filed to: Used Car Face-Off, Buick LeSabre, Oldsmobile Aurora, Cadillac DeVille | 1
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Last week’s Used Car Face-Off kind of disappeared in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the three-day weekend...however, even though the last one we had was on American luxury, we revisit the subject again today. In particular, here we have three semi-luxury sedans from 2001, in regards to that fateful day fourteen years ago. Which one do you choose to represent the most powerful automaker of the American nation, GM itself? Here are the options:
The first contestant: 2001 Buick LeSabre - $4950
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The ultimate beige-mobile and old people’s car, yes (it’s owned by the seller’s grandmother ), but as fellow !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! has shown, it is possible to turn it into the ultimate rallycross machine...and this example, with only 36K miles and the bulletproof 3800 that the hood likely houses seems prime for anything you might throw at it...
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For whatever reason, the Aurora seems to be one of those somewhat crappy early GM cars that every one wants to own...this one is so clean that even I can’t deny that I might drive it without shame...with under 100K miles, it seems like it has also been owned by a more elderly driver...but will the not-so-desirable 3.5L V6 sink its score?
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Finally we have a V8! Again, an old people’s mobile, but carrying a bit more prestige with that hood ornament standing proudly at the end of the bonnet...however, does that make this 121K mile elegant cruiser worth $5K?
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jkm7680
> Amoore100
09/11/2015 at 21:01 |
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The Town Car.
Oh wait.
Alex B
> Amoore100
09/11/2015 at 21:01 |
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Ew. Honesty I couldn't be seen in any of them. Although I would probably pick the Olds as it's the best of the bunch.
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Amoore100
> jkm7680
09/11/2015 at 21:03 |
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Do you f*cking see any town cars here!? Get out and take your Panther loving friends with you! (I kid, I kid...)
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Amoore100
> Alex B
09/11/2015 at 21:04 |
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They are all awful, but for some reason the Olds exudes this kind of charm that comes from the flagship car of an orphaned brand, like that of the Pontiac G8 or Saab 9-5 NG...
JR1
> Amoore100
09/11/2015 at 21:05 |
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I actually love the olds
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Amoore100
> JR1
09/11/2015 at 21:06 |
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I like the facelift version better than the suppository shape of the original...
itschrome
> Amoore100
09/11/2015 at 21:08 |
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You done gone and fucked up. Should gone with the Seville. Lesaber, aurora and Seville makes sense. Deville dont. In this case I’d go:
1:Old’s because short star and sexiness
2:Buick because relible, cheap to own and comfy as hell
3: Deville because, uh.. it’s my only other option.
Shocking I know!! But remeber the aurora has the DNA of a cadillac!! the short star is fun as hell v6! Plus I just love the looks
And what the hell do you mean not desirable v6?? The short star is dope! And pretty reliable, not to mention revy and peppy!
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itschrome
> Amoore100
09/11/2015 at 21:10 |
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But.. but.. short star!! Ever drive one??
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Amoore100
> itschrome
09/11/2015 at 21:10 |
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Eh, I felt that since the Buick represents cushy luxury and plushness, the DeVille would be better than the pseudo-sporty Seville...and shortstar? That’s a new one. Haven’t heard that one before...
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jkm7680
> Amoore100
09/11/2015 at 21:10 |
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no go away
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Amoore100
> itschrome
09/11/2015 at 21:10 |
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Nope. Still think it’s best of the bunch though.
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Amoore100
> jkm7680
09/11/2015 at 21:12 |
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Same to you.
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itschrome
> Amoore100
09/11/2015 at 21:15 |
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Yeah dude, the LX5 3.5LT v6. Voted top 10 best engine in 1999 and 2000
The LX5 V6 is a DOHC engine from Oldsmobile , introduced in 1999 with the Oldsmobile Intrigue . It was produced by the Premium engine group at GM and was thus called the Premium V6, or PV6 , while it was being developed. It is based on the L47 Aurora V8 , which is itself based on the Northstar engine, so engineers called it the Short North , though Oldsmobile fans have taken to calling it the Shortstar .
It is not a simple cut-down V8. Although it has a 90° vee-angle like the Northstar and Aurora, the engine block was engineered from scratch, so bore centers are different. It has chain-driven dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, but is an even-firing design with a split-pin crankshaft similar to the Buick 3800 engine . The LX5 displaced 3,473 cc (3.473 L; 211.9 cu in) and produced 215 hp (160 kW) @ 5,600 rpm and 234 lb·ft (312 N·m) @ 4,400 rpm. Bore is 89.5 mm (3.52 in) and stroke is 92 mm (3.6 in). It was also one of GM’s first engines to use coil-on-plug ignition. Compression ratio is 9.3:1.
The cost of building this engine was high, and it was not used in many vehicles. It was said at the time that a family of premium V6s would follow, with displacements ranging from 3.3 L to 3.7 L, but only the LX5 was ever produced before GM axed the Shortstar in favor of their current flagship V6, the High Feature , in 2004.
The LX5 was entirely different from any other V6 in the GM inventory - the only other DOHC V6 engines ever offered by GM include the troublesome-to-maintain Chevrolet Twin Dual Cam produced from 1991-1997 (which was made by heavily modifying the traditional Chevy 60-degree OHV block for the dual overhead cams rather than building a DOHC engine from the ground up), and the Cadillac/Holden HFV6 available from 2004 to the present day. These three designs are completely unrelated and oddly enough leave two gaps in 1998 and 2003 where no DOHC V6 was available from GM. (Except for the 54 degree Opel V6 used most notably in the first generation Cadillac CTS at launch as well as the Saturn L Series.) This contrasts starkly with competitors practices of evolving engineering over multiple, continuously improving designs.
As with the Aurora V8, production stopped with the demise of Oldsmobile .
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The 3.5L LX5 was on the Ward’s 10 Best Engines list for 1999 and 2000.
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itschrome
> itschrome
09/11/2015 at 21:17 |
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Ok well technically the v8 is the short star.. so the v6 is the mini star. Haha I’m a little buzzed. But still the lx5 was a great little engine.
Birddog
> Amoore100
09/11/2015 at 21:18 |
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Gotta go Caddy here. It was the beginning of their turnaround and has progressed well.
The Buick is. Well. It’s a Buick. Too conservative for too long.
The Olds was some nice work but way too late.
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jkm7680
> Amoore100
09/11/2015 at 21:22 |
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die
blacktruck18
> Amoore100
09/11/2015 at 21:28 |
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Olds, in spite of this,
Goddamit GM! Where is the deign here? WHERE!? ANSWER ME!!
If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
> Amoore100
09/11/2015 at 21:32 |
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The original was much better built though.
That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
> Amoore100
09/11/2015 at 21:47 |
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My heart says Caddy, my head says Buick.
09GT - now boosted
> Amoore100
09/11/2015 at 21:58 |
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I had a V6 2001 Aurora and it was a great car. It had a nice interior for 2001 (no, not a nice-for-GM interior, a nice for 2001 interior) and the 3.5 would do 30 mpg highway with only a 4spd auto. Handled pretty well to for a big car (only weighed 3500 lbs). Subtle luxury at its finest.
dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
> Amoore100
09/11/2015 at 22:44 |
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Caddy because pimp mobile
shop-teacher
> Amoore100
09/12/2015 at 00:02 |
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Caddy all the way. I owned one and loved it. Lots of low end torque and a fantastic rude. It was a fantastic cruiser!
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Amoore100
> Birddog
09/12/2015 at 00:44 |
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Very much agree. That’s a good way of putting it; the Caddy was a harbinger of times to come, the Buick was a representation of times past, and the Aurora was too little, too late...
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Amoore100
> 09GT - now boosted
09/12/2015 at 00:52 |
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It all sounds wonderful, aside from the 4-spd auto part...isn’t that the same transmission that they put in the twin-turbo I6 Volvo S80s that keep grenading themselves?
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Amoore100
> If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
09/12/2015 at 00:53 |
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That’s something I did not expect to hear about a late 90’s GM product...
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Amoore100
> That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
09/12/2015 at 00:54 |
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And my nether regions say Oldsmobile...just kidding, in this comparison they say nothing...
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If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
> Amoore100
09/12/2015 at 01:04 |
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It’s true though. The second gen looked nicer but was made cheaper, it’s quite evident if you ever get in there and feel the interior materials.
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Amoore100
> blacktruck18
09/12/2015 at 01:04 |
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It’s like someone actually made a YS3E 9-5 interior worse...
Makes sense though, because GM...
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Amoore100
> itschrome
09/12/2015 at 01:08 |
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Man, the history behind these engines is fascinating...almost reminds me of the PRV V6, another 90 degree V6 albeit used much more widely than the Shortstar...
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JR1
> Amoore100
09/12/2015 at 09:20 |
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I agree
Your boy, BJR
> Amoore100
09/15/2015 at 22:24 |
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I had a 2001 Aurora V8. Totally garbage car. Most unreliable one I’ve ever owned. I also had a ‘95 Aurora Autobahn. One of my favorite cars I ever owned. Much slimmer/cleaner design, and the build quality was WORLDS apart. Needless to say, I have an ‘04 DeVille now, and I genuinely am hard pressed to find a car I'd trade it for.
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Amoore100
> Your boy, BJR
09/15/2015 at 22:46 |
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Funny how the Aurora’s deimproved but the DeVilles of the same era are much better. Many here have said that the first Aurora was much better than the second, and I’m becoming more and more inclined to believe it. I was going to blame it on the Northstar, but the Caddy has that as well, and you don’t seem to have many issues with that...
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Your boy, BJR
> Amoore100
09/15/2015 at 23:39 |
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Nah the Olds problems I had were electrical. Relays and computers and such. I’ve owned 11 cars, 3 with Northstars, and no joke, the Northstars been the most reliable engines I’ve ever had, save for my old 305ci Chevy.