Strange, Cool & Quirky Features of the 1995-99 Oldsmobile Aurora: Not Your Father's Oldsmobile!
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
- Learn all about the 1995-99 Oldsmobile Aurora, powered by a 4.0L Northstar V8. See the interview with Dennis Burke here:
• The 1995-99 Oldsmobile...
The primary ground being in the fender well exposed to the elements just perfectly captures 90s GM.
Gave me an awful misfire I could not figure out for the life of me...then the headgaskets went so I gave up
I drove one of these for work , great car. Funny tho, all those genius engineers don't know how to place a ground, or get adequate heat to the driver.
These cars are highly underappreciated!!!! These cars were ahead of their time and in fact, Oldsmobile designed a Quad-V8 engine that was basically 2 Quad-4 engines put together in a V configuration and it was putting out over 300hp and was more reliable than the early Cadillac Northstar engines.
The Aurora was indeed a stand alone engine and not a NorthStar. It was used in a high percentage of the Indy cars in the late '90s (at about 600-650 hp) and Carroll Shelby used it in the Series One car that he developed and had it putting out about 320 horse in that 2 seat convertible.
In case you didn't see my other reply above:
Just an FYI, I drove 2 to over 200 km and one to about 165 and always heard of head gaskets being an issue. Sold my first one to a car guy and he called one day to say it was losing water/coolant. we talked and he said in about 30 km it lost all water. I asked if he saw white smoke or water in oil but he said "No". Still, even he thought it must be head gasket. I think he bought another one to use the engine. Much later, I sold my second one with similar mileage and that owner eventually had a similar issue and after some recon we realized that there were coolant hoses that went behind the engine that went into a manifold/ mounting bracket. this part would corrode and fail allowing water to escape. At the time, this was a $130 CAD part. I don't know how hard it would be to replace but I think if you took coil packs off etc, you could do it. I never had to replace an exhaust component, only a couple $19 bushings in suspension and did plugs and wires (myself) at 160K on each. Those were amazing cars that treated me very well. I bought a green '97 in 2000 with 80,000 km on it which was like new. About 2004 I bought a midnight blue '99 with 100,000 km on it and in 2011 I found and bought a gold '98 with only 52,000 km on it and the car had never been out in the rain!! virtually brand new! One of my clients named it the Goldsmobile.
I would still like to see one of these swapped out with the Cadillac N* 4.6 v8
@@w41duvernay me too.
It should have came with a olds 350
The Aurora was ahead of it's time. Seeing one on the road today at quick glance it could be mistaken for a modern day EV.
I drove that model for 18 years (had 3 of them) and just noticed this month the Lucid Air EV and my immediate thought was "a modern Aurora!". It looks like the exterior and the dash and interior has a lot of cues from the '95 - '99 Aurora. I loved these cars and had very positive experience with them.
That is definitely NOT a good thing.
The 1997 GM EV1 Headlights looked a bit like an aurora
First Job.. Browning Oldsmobile in Cerritos Auto Square.. 1993...
As a Premier GM dealership..GM master techs.. etc . We Stocked everything... Even GM restoration parts...
As I remember.. we had The Aurora Model...
Plus Many Visits from Executives etc...
Browning Oldsmobile being one of few on the west coast who had them...
Aurora Customer...
Stated.. he believes his Car ... Leaked while parked....
His guess was "coolant"...
Customer was given a Floor Model as a Loaner...
His Aurora?!....
Once it arrived....
Entire Drivetrain was Pulled and inspected...
During this... Drivetrain autopsy...
Leak wasn't found....
Forgive me for not remembering, what took place afterwards...
Drivetrain reinstalled?..
New Aurora swap with Customer?...
Just wanted to share a interesting story about this unique Era of Oldsmobile...
Also.. former Member of the Corvette Team.. took over .. to "save" Oldsmobile....
Cheers from Orange County California 🇺🇸..
The 4.0L in the Aurora was far less prone to head gasket issues than the 4.6L Northstar. This is due to the fact that the cylinder bore was smaller which allowed for thicker cylinder walls compared to the 4.6L. This gave a lot more material for the head gasket fire ring to maintain contact with the top of the cylinder and the cylinder head. We did do a few head gaskets on the Auroras when I was at the Olds dealer, but we did FAR more on 4.6L Northstars when I was at the Cadillac dealer. In both cases, this is generally preventable with appropriate cooling system maintenance.
In early Northstar marketing is when the head gasket issue was born, in my opinion. The Northstar engine was available as part of the "Northstar System". This was launched on Cadillac vehicles in late 1992. The Northstar system was a package of the engine and suspension/safety offerings. For the suspension, there was Continuously Variable Road Sensing Suspension (better known as Magneride, where the shocks and struts can have their viscosity changed on the fly in milliseconds by pulsing electricity through reactive fluid), Automatic Rear Level Ride (rear air shocks with an on-board compressor and level sensors), Stabilitrak stability system, OnStar (when equipped with a factory car phone), and the engine itself, which was quite powerful for its time, AND... the ability of the engine to travel 50 miles at up to 55 mph, with no coolant. Yes, that's right, it was actually marketed and advertised this way, and in my opinion, gave customers license to drive their cars while overheating. The engine management, when the coolant gets up to 268 degrees F, would shut off four cylinders at a time to help air cool the engine from the inside-out. And in theory, it worked. I experienced those temps a couple times working at the Cadillac dealer and they would definitely shut off four cylinders at a time so you could safely, if slowly, get somewhere. However, at those temperatures, the cylinder head bolt threads in the all-aluminum block would give out, allowing the head gasket to go out to lunch. So, in summary, if you own a Northstar, just maintain the cooling system and you will likely be fine for many, many miles.
If you do encounter a head gasket failure or oil leaks, as Adam mentioned, you will be money ahead to remove the engine and do a complete engine reseal of the lower crankcase, the oil manifold, the oil pan, front and rear crank seals, timing cover gasket, head gaskets, and have Time Serts installed in the cylinder head bolt holes. Time Serts perform a similar function to a Heli-Coil, but are solid (not wire) and they mechanically lock to the block so they will not back out. I can't tell you how many thousands of Time Serts I installed when I was a Cadillac Dealer tech, but I can tell you we never head a head gasket failure return a second time after installing them. When resealing the lower crank case, oil manifold, and oil pan, DO NOT replace the gaskets. Remove them altogether, clean the channels in which the gaskets fit, and use grey GM Engine Sealant in the gaskets' place. This is a solution that works permanently, and I believe there was a GM Service Bulletin directing this. In most cases, no other internal engine components will require replacement. I have torn into hundreds of them, and the main/rod bearings still look nearly new. Northstars have extremely robust oiling systems and hold 8 quarts of oil. If you own a 2000-2003 Northstar and it is consuming oil, replace the pistons and rings as well.
Back to Auroras specifically, if I recall correctly, there was an Autobahn package available on Auroras that slightly increased horsepower, came with a higher transmission final drive ratio for better acceleration, and had a top speed of 135 mph. Of course, it also came with tires that were rated for that speed.
Also noteworthy, as with the Toronado that the Aurora replaced, the Aurora was related to the Buick Riviera and Cadillac Eldorado/Seville, although the VIN platform designation started to get confusing during this time. The Eldorado remained an E body, the Aurora and Riviera were G bodies, starting in 1998 the Seville was actually based on the G body but retained the K body designation, and the Bonneville moved to the G platform as well. In truth, the C, E, G, H and K bodies are all pretty much variants of the same platform between 1994 and 2004. These included the Deville, Seville, Eldorado, Aurora, Riviera, Park Avenue, Lesabre, Delta 88, Regency 98 and Bonneville. Some of these vehicles were more closely related to each other based on each designation, but in general they were all very similar. The Bonneville's move to the G platform is what prompted the Northstar-powered Bonneville GXP, because it shared underpinnings with other vehicles that offered that powertrain.
Sorry for the lengthy post, but this car reminded me of a lot of information, Lol! Thanks Adam!
Thx!
These are neat cars...too bad they weren't enough to save Oldsmobile. I think a big mistake was not including the Rocket logo or Oldsmobile script anywhere on the car, it made people question what brand the car was and made prospective buyers feel that GM was ashamed of or trying to hide the fact that it was an Olds. The lack of Olds badging did nothing to help the Olds brand out of the huge slump it was in at the time.
Right, had GM done a better job with Aurora as well made they're engines just as reliable or robust as any Toyota or Honda engine, not only it would've saved Oldsmobile but we would've had a modern day 442 to compete with the Challenger and a modern day Cutlass to compete with the Charger as well.
I've been saying the same thing since those idiots changed it, where is the rocket logo?!?
These actually would've been decent cars if they used the 3800 instead of the boat anchor Northstar crap.
I have a low mileage 1995 Aurora. I drive it sparingly in the summer months and love it! The 4.0 “Baby Northstar” offers plenty of performance and pushes 30 mph highway with ease. They get a bad rap with the Northstar engine, but mine hasn’t missed a beat. As always Adam, good job.
It's all about maintenance and how you drive. People expect an engine to last. But they don't change fluids and drive with a heavy foot
@@The_R-n-I_GuyA heavy foot isn’t necessarily a harmful thing, so long as it isn’t taken to extremes. It’s really the lack of maintenance that kills a car. I’m an “assertive” driver and I’ve gotten several hundred thousand miles out of each of my vehicles, but I also service them more often than the manufacturer recommends.
30 MPG?
I assume that’s what you mean, instead of 30 MPH on the highway.
It's not a matter of if but WHEN those headgaskets give out I was good to my 1995 and they gave out at 110000 miles...beware
@@patrickflohe7427 Yes, freeway driving @ 70 mph. City/highway results in about 21.
I still have my Mom's '97 in garnet red metallic. I love it, but if you're looking to own one, know a couple of things:
As Adam said, the stalks on the steering column were exclusive to the Aurora. That means there weren't many made in the first place, and they are now unavailable to buy anywhere. Yes, you can pull a used one from a salvage yard, but there's no guarantee it works any better than the one you're replacing.
Since the battery is under the rear seat, it has special venting requirements, and is another part unique to the Aurora and its platform mate, the Riviera. These batteries are becoming difficult to replace, as well.
There were countless parts that were unique to the Aurora, and engine maintenance was difficult to do because of the cramped transverse engine.
Costco carries the precisely correct Interstate battery for $99.99. I bought one last week for my 2003 Aurora.
Thank you! I've waited anxiously for the Aurora to be featured in the channel! Still remains as one of my all-time Oldsmobile models, ever!
Check out the interview with Dennis Burke in the description
The Aurora was my dream car, and I bought one new in 1997. Fabulous car! I could talk all day about its idiosyncrasies (tended to pull to the right, very sensitive to tire imbalance, starter location, running hot, etc.), but I still loved it. I sold it to my parents, and they still have it!
A brilliant car that is perhaps my favorite of the 1990s. Fuselage styling with clean yet muscular lines, generous tumblehome, and a gorgeous driver-centric interior.
Engineer: “We benchmarked the LS400.”
GM: “Yeah, about that…”
Thank you Adam. The engine is the reason why I did not buy this Oldsmobile and I bought the 98 and Toronado. I will also say this car shared parts with other Oldsmobiles. The seat controls were on the Ninety Eight, Eighty Eight, LSS and Regency. The steering wheel , stereo were on the models I just named. The exterior mirrors were shared with this generation Buick Riviera. The Oldsmobile LSS got the same seats as the Aurora without the power lumbar. It got the Aurora wheel design as well. You discussed how the engine was based off the Northstar V8. GM did a good job on this one as the next generation lost something. It was supposed to be an Eighty Eight replacement called Anthem or Antares. It is instead became the second generation Aurora. That car too after it was discontinued willed its seats to the Pontiac Bonneville. You are correct about how the interior felt in terms of room. That was a turn off to me. Over the years I have heard this car replaced Ninety Eight or Ninety Eight and Toronado. I do not know which is true, but to me Aurora became its own thing and I do not feel like it replaced the Ninety Eight or Toronado. I also heard the rear design was influenced by the 1966 Toronado. It has indeed aged well. The Intrigue and Alero followed up and followed through. Some say this car should have been called something else other than Aurora. The same was said about the Intrigue. The concept with the rocket logo was better. This car scared the rest of GM at the time too because of how it was built, the looks and more. I do not think they were fully behind this car. This was Oldsmobile's Seville.
I had some car trouble in 1999 and had to rent a vehicle for a week. The rental car was a ‘98 Aurora, and it was pure joy. Didn’t want to return it. 😊
This car and it’s platform twin, the Riviera were meant to “Finally” match the Germans in rigidity, which to me as a GM fan back in those days, was always a complaint being heard from the automotive media. Shakes, rattles and rolls… Reviera always looked odd from some angles, but the Aurora was a design that is still fresh today.
I frequently drove a customers, and it was a rattle trap. The steering wheel banged and clicked as you turned it, and the power steering pump wheezed under load. It was pretty rough for a low mileage luxury car.
I owned a 1995 Aurora which was a solid car and drove like no other GM vehicle. The 4.0 V8 was smooth but acceleration was not impressive. I also owned a Grand Prix and Regal with the supercharged 3800 V6 and those were so much quicker. The Aurora felt very heavy and underpowered in comparison.
I have a 2001 4.0. Olds did an excellent job of souping up the 4.0 for the 2001- 03. Except for the bore & stroke, all engine specs were upgraded. More like 350 HP than 250 HP when using 93 octane!
The president of the company i worked for throughout the 'Nineties traded his BMW for a 1995 Aurora. He loved it! In 1999, a friend of mine turned in his 1996 Aurora at the end of the lease. It was dark green with a biscuit leather interior. I saw it sitting on the dealer lot, and went back the next day to buy it...and it was gone! Not one of the major regrets in my life...but a regret nonetheless. Don't hesitate, folks.
GM benchmarked the Mercedes and achieved very high chassis rigidity with the design. It also had an aerodynamic drag coefficient comparable to the Corvette. My experience from the car business is the 4.0L Northstar is very reliable and I've seen many high mileage examples. I bought one at auction and liked it so much I ended up driving it for a year before retailing it. It was a break out car for Olds and well built.
I had a chance to see the styling prototypes of this vehicle at the GM Tech Center in the early 90's and was blown away! Still love this car.
Just bought a 95 last month. Very well kept with less than 140000 miles. I was instantly sold on the look!! Love the smooth ride. That's for the review.
In 1997 I was working my first real job as an advertisement saleman for a local newspaper. Our sales manager bought one, she was so proud of that car. I've wanted one ever since. Thank you for the memories.
I have a 1995 Aurora Lt. Antelope color - 60,000-mile Sunday Car. Still drives beautifully. It draws attention when I take it on the road. If I take it easy, I can get 26 to 28 MPG on a road trip. Make sure you have good coolant and don't overheat the engine. It has Oldsmobile on the radio.
Totally agree that the first generation Aurora is a benchmark vehicle. Downside is the Northstar engine.
I have a 2001, bought new in 2000. Engine problems in all that time? Spark plugs, starter motor & fuel pump!!!!!
I really liked these, it's a very good looking car, what surprised me was this was so good looking and the Riviera from the same time was not
After those terrible HT4100 and 4500 engines the Northstar seemed to be sent from Heaven!
@@edwardpate6128 the 4500&4.9 was one of Cadillacs best engines, actually the lest warranty issue engine ever for them
I had a 97. I really loved it. It looked great, drove really well and had a great interior.
We had a family friend who had an Aurora and I’ve never seen anyone so proud of their car. And he loved all he comments. “Ooh, you have one of those…they’re really nice.” He lived for that.
The Aurora you used in the video looks exactly like the one I bought on New Year's Eve on 1999. It was stunning in light blue. The V-8 made all the right sounds (and sounds GREAT without mufflers). The dash was impressive fore the time, with all the gauges and computer display. Bought mine with 60,000 miles for about 10,000USD. It was wonderful when it was running. It was a nightmare when it broke. I think I spent more in repairs than I did paying for it. The surround on the rear window was pulling out of the window. I had the radiator and hoses replaced, that cost 900 dollars. The front seats were exceptionally comfortable. I didn't mind driving it 400 miles or more in a day. And I could get 28-30 mpg out of it on the freeway. The shift point button didn't do much. Finally, I found myself unemployed. A client came over, saw the Aurora neglected in front of my house. Asked about it, told him if someone brought a trailer, I'd just give it to them. He came back two days later, I told him -everything- that was wrong with it, and signed over the title. He drive it for six months before 3rd gear went out. It would cost bout 2000USD to fix it. He took it to a local dealer, and made them give him $500 for trade in on his sister's truck.
My head turns -every- time I see one, they look amazing in black and dark green.
The Aurora is my second favorite car on Earth.
I miss mine.
I do not miss fixing it.
Always loved the way they looked. Old boss had one. Bought it new and he was very proud of it. Unfortunately it was not particularly reliable. He had lots of problems with it to the point he traded it in for a Bravada. GM could see that they needed to update their brand's image, but they couldn't see that reliability was vitally important in image. Such a shame. My boss eventually traded in the Bravada for a Japanese car and he never went back to GM.
These actually would've been decent cars if they would've made the 3800 an option, which could've easily been done and there was no reason not to. I've driven this car before and it was actually slower than the grand Prix gtp I've driven, which had the 3800 supercharged.
I audibly gasped when your guest mentioned Lexus. To think that GM leaders actually thought that this car might be able to compete with the LS400 is almost beyond belief.
Also, the instrument panel is almost exactly like the 95-97 Thunderbird
Lexus was an upstart and Oldsmobile was a legacy player at the time so, no, it's not hard to believe. The LS400 was a brilliant car but it wasn't the 2nd coming. Content wise the Aurora WAS competitive (styling, powertrain, interior, handling) it was abysmal in terms of quality and reliability tho. The 2 things Lexus famously did best.
I agree w this comment entirely.
Couldn't agree more. A front wheel dirve tranverse engine car with massive overhangs and a GM parts bin interior (that passenger side air vent is comical)...yep, that'll show them posers at Lexus. They must have been on some pretty good hallucinogens.
@@RareClassicCars which comment do you agree with?
I was an Oldsmobile salesman from ‘89 to the late 90’s and I have to say it was a really cool manufacturer. The Aurora was a complete game changer when it came out. One thing that always struck out to me was the structural integrity they built in to it. Growing up, I was dismayed to learn how weak most cars were…how could a simple roll over be catastrophic? How could a massive and powerful car, not even support its own weight on its roof? Well, the Aurora changed that. It could absorb a rear impact over 50 mph in to a concrete wall, and still be able to open and close the doors. That alone gained my respect and confidence. Then on top of it, it drove extremely well. The slightly de tuned Northstar was quiet and powerful…just a beautiful car.
I'm fairly sure that I own the only 2 Auroras existing in the UK, naturally they were never really making it beyond the pond unless someone brought one over. Unfortunately one of them does indeed have a headgasket issue (exhaust gases in the coolant), and that's an 80k mile car. The 2nd is leaking oil quite badly so neither have been on the road for a while. I own another one with the Autobahn package (surprised it wasn't mentioned in the video) and that hasn't ran in a few years either. Shame as they are such good looking cars.
Just an FYI, I drove 2 to over 200 km and one to about 165 and always heard of head gaskets being an issue. Sold my first one to a car guy and he called one day to say it was losing water/coolant. we talked and he said in about 30 km it lost all water. I asked if he saw white smoke or water in oil but he said "No". Still, even he thought it must be head gasket. I think he bought another one to use the engine. Much later, I sold my second one with similar mileage and that owner eventually had a similar issue and after some recon we realized that there were coolant hoses that went behind the engine that went into a manifold/ mounting bracket. this part would corrode and fail allowing water to escape. At the time, this was a $130 CAD part. I don't know how hard it would be to replace but I think if you took coil packs off etc, you could do it. I never had to replace an exhaust component, only a couple $19 bushings in suspension and did plugs and wires (myself) at 160K on each. Those were amazing cars that treated me very well. I bought a green '97 in 2000 with 80,000 km on it which was like new. About 2004 I bought a midnight blue '99 with 100,000 km on it and in 2011 I found and bought a gold '98 with only 52,000 km on it and the car had never been out in the rain!! virtually brand new! One of my clients named it the Goldsmobile.
Do right-hand drive Auroras exist?
@@A0111. No, all of them are lhd.
My ex-girlfriend was involved in an accident and the insurance company gave her a rental to use while she was in the process of finding another vehicle. I can't remember what year it was right offhand, but it was an Aurora. It didn't have a V8 in it but an oddly designed (for a GM vehicle) 3.5 liter V6. That car was really impressive for what it was. If we would have been able to afford it at the time that would've been a really nice car to have.
Always had a real soft spot for these Auroras. Nice to give this gem some deserved credits
These cars were very unique and real outliers at the time. If any GM sedan from this era could be considered collectible, this would be it. Great interview with Dennis Burke. The auto design community thanks you!
I really miss the days of cheap, low mileage 90s cars. While nothing was perfect, the designers and engineers were doing some great work during this period - both GM and the Domestics, along with some great designs coming out of Japan and Europe too. Another 90s car with a cool cockpit styled interior is the Lincoln Mark VIII. I'd love to see a video on those! The first couple years, before the refresh, remain one of the coolest looking cars ever made imo. Plus, 280hp and rwd was pretty cool for the time!
Had a 1994 Lincoln Mark VIII, jet black. Loved that car. But as typical of Lincolns, the air ride system failed, around 90,000 miles; I should have done the conversion to regular shocks but kept the original setup. Regretted it 20,000 miles later. Ball joints a problem too with this heavy car. Sometimes beauty just breaks your heart.
My maternal grandparents own four Opel dealerships in Bavaria.
For their 50th anniversary, they wanted to tour the United States by car.
During the first week in the US, my parents drove them around to almost every dealership in town where they test-drove numerous cars.
They wanted to stay with GM and narrow their choices down to a Cadillac Seville an Aurora or a Buick LeSabre.
They chose the Aurora because they said It felt the most European and they liked the understated looks.
For the next 12 weeks, they toured the United States, and the vehicle accumulated thousands of trouble-free comfortable miles.
When they returned to Germany they gifted the vehicle to my mother used it as her daily driver for years and she gifted it to my brother who used it through his final two years of high school and through college.
It finally met its end when it was T-boned by a drunk driver who ran a red light.
By that time it had 257000 Mi and overall it was very reliable and durable and those problems that did occur were mostly minor.
It never failed to start or left anybody stranded and if memory serves the biggest repair it ever had was shift solenoids at around 200,000 miles.
Unfortunately the Northstar engine was simply a nightmare! From the bizarre starter location under the intake manifold to the notorious oil leaks.
Lexus' starter is there too. Gross lol 😝
I liked the 1990 to 1992 toronado trofeo. Amazing looking outside and inside
i remember these cars, very futuristic at the time. looked nothing like an Oldsmobile.
I liked the Aurora but preferred a Lincoln Continental Mark VI.
@@tedlym.3390 haha! Panther platform for life 😊
PS. looks like we share something in common.
@@xrmerkurYes, my 1983 Mark VI is in winter storage so I can't look at it fondly at this time. I hope you are still enjoying your 1980. Thank you,
@@tedlym.3390 currently i have an ignition repair to do before spring. the crank sensor might be faulty.
Thank you for this awesome Aurora presentation. Thank you,
When I was 16 my girlfriend’s mom let my gf drive her 1998 Aurora. It was amazing. Lots of power, comfortable, and a large backseat. 😉
She never let me drive even though I let her drive my new car frequently and I taught her how to drive manual transmission with it.
I LOVED my 1999 Aurora! Most comfortable car I’ve ever owned, and I own a Lexus today. That says a lot!
One fun feature is the owners manual came in a little zipper pouch with the Aurora “A” embossed on it. I check each one in the junkyard and snag the pouch to use with our Oldsmobile Silhouette vans. If you leave the manual behind, the pouch is $1 or less. I’ve found original window stickers in them too. Also, some of these came with a “Shortstar” LX5 3500. Very cool!
My uncle bought one new in 98. He loved that car, I was very impressed with how well built it seemed to be. His had the V6 (shortstar) and it performed quite well.
The V6 was not offered until 2001 Aurora.
The '95 thru '99 only had the V8. The V6 was offered in 2001 or newer. The early ones were very well built!
Was lucky enough to be a porter at Bill Lee Oldsmobile in Michigan for the 1st generation Aurora and off to Wallace Oldsmobile in New Mexico for the 2nd. Good times.
Great video. I remember when these came out in 1995. At the time I had a 1994 Infiniti Q45t, and I was surprised at how closely the Aurora copied the Infiniti as well as the Lexus LS400.
Great video! I would love to see one addressing Aurora's sister car the 95-99 Riviera. I think you will find they share the same exterior mirrors. I had a 95 Riviera while my sister had an Aurora. I think the design of both cars is stunning. The supercharged V6 had similar performance to the V8. Both cars were very quick, especially for the time, the V8 did have a better sound than the 6 and both were pretty good on fuel, in fact the Riviera got better mileage around town than my 2018 LaCrosse (or the 2010 I used to own). Sadly I totaled the 95, but replaced it with one of the few 99s a few years later!
My grandparents use to own a 1996 model with Dark Cherry Red Metallic exterior, Tan Leather interior, Heated Front Seats, Gold Graphics Package, Power Moonroof, Homelink Lighting Package, and Bose Acoustic-mass Sound Package.
Definitely a head turner any time you see one nowadays. Saw one recently for the first time in years and years
Our automotive shop at Dawson County high school had a brand new aurora donated to us,and we got to take feild trips a few times to the Doraville assembly plant
Love love love - when u do 90s car reviews in-depth…
I really love any Oldsmobile? Thanks for the video.
From the moment these cars arrived on the scene, I've thought they were one of the best-designed GM cars, ever. Certainly it ties for my favorite '90s GM car with the '92-'97 Seville. And...that Teal interior you featured during some of your interior feature discussion. Love it! I would also love to see the red interior. I only recall ever seeing the Graphite or Medium Beige versions. And with respect to the "cockpit" interior design: I think the '69 Pontiac Grand Prix and the '71 AMC Javelin had very similar interior designs. I'm surprised you haven't got one of these in your fleet. Great video, Adam.
great video
but
you missed the coolest interior feature: climate comtrol buttons in the front armrest
I have a black one (check it out) and love it. Such a good looking car. No head gasket issues so far 👍
The concurrent Riviera also benefitted from this design, but with a far more reliable engine.
I remember these roaming the streets frequently new -and up till recent few years still being used as daily drivers even. The interior pics remind me this is a 30+ year old car, yet still futuristic looking today. Way ahead of what GM was otherwise putting out in those years....
Nobody wanted to pay the premium price for an Oldsmobile.
This car is also my favorite car of the same years up till now. It's even got a great name "Aurora", sounds honestly space age!
I remember going to our local Chevy-Olds dealer in 1995 to test drive the new Aurora and the Caprice. We liked the Caprice better.
Adam, It defies belief that a car named after the setting of "Wayne's World" was not a runaway success. 🤔
🛑🛑 I remember our local Oldsmobile had a promotion, that they wanted women to take an Aurora for a test drive.
Once the test drive was completed, the women driver received special stamped, one dozen of Aurora Golf Balls.
My wife took one for a ride, I still have those original Aurora Golf Ball Set(unopened). 👍💯
I was impressed with the Oldsmobile Aurora. They were so advanced and were nothing like a typical GM offering. I remember thinking that these cars would turn Oldsmobile around. Of course, I also thought Seinfeld would get cancelled before they aired the 3rd episode.
First time I saw the amc javelin interior, I was impressed by how driver centric it was.
A Very Aerodynamically Designed Vehicle from Oldsmobile, Adam😊👏
I remember these at the NY Auto Show. They looked like a spaceship.
From what I recall, the headlights are used on some UPS delivery box trucks. They are the only ones with composite headlights, everything else uses standard round.
In the 2000s, we test drove a used Aurora (don’t remember the exact model year) being sold by a private seller. Having a growing family, we ended up opting for a more boring but useful minivan. I do recall that mechanical & electrical issues with the Aurora were already appearing in the press at the time, which was another reason we passed it by, but it was a looker.
My friends parents had a new ‘97 Aurora in high school and we jumped the tracks with it. With two people in the trunk.
I wonder how GM decides which parts are specific to one car but other pieces not. Like the windshield wiper stalk being specific yet the door handles/locks are on ever other GM vehicle
Sad that rear light bar wasn't illuminated
I had a '95 Thunderbird that had ambient lighting of the inner red lights on the trunk lid and it looked cool, I was reading it was the first production car to utilize LEDs for this purpose, so it was surprising that those were still working on both of my birds after a couple decades, with different intensity though 😂
It reminds me of the EV1 or Saturn. The Concorde from Chrysler came out in the '90s and I loved those too.
The Aurora was a beautiful car.I like the design more than the last gen Riviera. It even has a nicer, smoother, more sleeker design than the third gen Taurus and more contemporary than the ninth gen Continental.
The Aurora even looks more modern and futurustic than the vast majority of (stupid) boxy trucks and SUVs on the roads of today.
Dennis Burke has managed a really remarkle job back then...
I’ve always liked your attitude…despite all the problems encountered owning these and other classics, you fix ‘em or move on and still love them…you’ll live long.
I’ve always loved this car!
That pre production model looks like they used the 88 LSS trim wheels with updated caps...
This car was ahead of its time, of they brung this car back out, with a better motor, updated cockpit, touchscreen, etc, this car would sell like crazy
I always liked these Olds Auroras. They were such great looking cars!
I always like the Aurora, especial second gen. Not so sure that I would personally go so far as to say it's on my favorites from that 70s to current time period. To each their own. Thanks for another great and informative video!
My parents bought a brand new '95 Aurora with the only two options a car phone and a CD changer in the trunk. They ordered it form the factory and the car showed up with the car phone but the CD changer was some aftermarket thing and not factory. Apparently, they early runs of the Aurora that was not available but the dealer tried to pawn an after market fix to ours. Dad had none of it, and he was on the phone with GM/Oldsmobile and the car was run down the line two weeks later and we received it two weeks after that. It was blue over blue. I was around 23 when they got it. I was lucky to drive it more than a few times. At the time the thing felt like a spaceship. They received questions all the time on who made the car the first year or so they had it. Oldsmobile really should have had at least one Oldsmobile signage on the exterior. They missed a marketing opportunity. They had it for nearly five years. Never had any trouble with it after about 60,000 miles. Traded it for an Audi A6. The A6 was very nice. The interior fit and finish were amazing, the Aurora had real character. It was beloved.
One thing about it was the drive by wire set up. If you had not driven it for a bit the driving 'feel' felt disconnected and it took a bit for brain to get used to it. GM had not quite dialed that in yet. That was a quibble. It was sporty, yet smooth. It was great sounding engine. As I recall the seats were still not European firm, which I recall the auto magazines of the era thought was a negative, but I think they were crazy. The back seat was quite usable but especially spacious.
I had one of these these and it was fantastic on the highway. You could drive at highway speed in the rain without the windshield wipers on, the rain would just blow off the windshield. I loved it and loved the styling; I bought mine used, and the depreciation for the original owner was horrendous. Despite having a pronounced center tunnel, it was a front wheel drive car. It came standard with air self leveling, and I still recall the smell of that leather, which for some reason was a very soothing thing. I think I still have the custom tool that was needed to change the main accessory belt.
I agree, I've always enjoyed the way the Aurora looks. I've never been in one, so I can't speak to that part of it, but it still looks great.
I have a 1995 Aurora, black with mushroom leather, and I can tell you that getting in any of the seats feels like you are putting on a finely crafted pair of leather gloves. I only drive it once or twice a month since I work from home, but I really feel special when I go somewhere in it.
Imagine if the Aurora saved Oldsmobile and sold like hotcakes? We would definitely have the modern 442 for sure.
@RareClassicCars The 1994 to 1997 Ford Thunderbird had a similar cockpit wrap-around style driver's side dash like the Aurora.
Great video, Adam. I have a 95 Buick Riviera and see lots of parts on the Olds are the same as the Riv. They must be sister cars. Keep up the great work.
They are; they were designed & engineered together.
You got the Northstar engine with all of its disadvantages; but with less power.
Adam, excellent review of the first gen Aurora. 👏 I have always thought that the Aurora was a stunningly beautiful car. I tried to talk my Dad into buying one in 1997, but he wasn't really a fan of the styling. He bought a loaded 97 Thunderbird V8 instead.... which he drove for 10 years.
The way the center controls is tilted towards the driver is reminiscent of older BMWs. BMW still tilts the center controls towards the driver but it less pronounced.
Awesome video Adam, as usual!
I remember when they tried to compare the Alero to this, that was funny lol
Best mod you can do to an Aurora is swap in the Cadillac 4.6. Once you do that you'll be wondering why everyone else isn't doing it.
I had one of these for a work car for a couple years. Once it crossed 100,000 miles, I traded it for a supercharged Regal and never looked back, but it was a quick, fun, good-driving car that was super comfortable and just a nice place to be a couple hours a day.
Saw Greg allman driving an Aurora in Daytona Beach so i bought a 97 in 07 still doing it summers only....rip greg
My dad bought one new back in 1998. It was a great car in almost every way. It did have some issues with water leaking in around the windows. His was very nicely equipped. Heated seats, Autobahn package, gold emblems (may have been a dealer add on). The starter failed under warranty so I didn't have to worry about getting into the valley for replacement.
Drove my Aurora until about 165,000. Really thwamped on the throttle all the time. It never gave me cooling system trouble with normal upkeep. Ooh but those apex seals are introducing everyone to their best friend oil now.
Nice car. It kind of reminds me in a strange way of Saturn products. I think the Riviera of that same time period was a much sharper looking car.
The air vents; the dash moldings; the passenger airbag cover; the panel gaps… there’s just no comparing this to any Lexus or Infiniti of the era. And we’re not even touching the ponderous understeer.
They’d have been far better off keeping the ninety-eight unchanged for another five years.
I really loved the styling of this car and I remember when they were introduced. It created quite an impression and reading about them also impressed me. A really informative video, Adam. Thanks!
Customer of mine had one, it was in the shop often. It had a weird thermostat!
As time passes the Aurora will eventually be held in the same regard as the Avanti. Too little too late but a masterpiece nonetheless,