They were sharp, very competitive cars. In typical GM fashion, though, once Oldsmobile had started coming through with good vehicles (Aurora, Intrigue, Alero), they kill the entire brand.
@@Alexander-jr8nw im not from usa, but from what bob lutz said, they had to kill some brands to get a baillout at that time, if you have to choose some brands to kill, would you kill cadillac instead of oldsmobile?
I still have a 2002 I ordered new w/the 5-speed. 2.2 Ecotec, GL2 coupe, jet black. It has over 171,000 and still running strong. Fuel pump and front hubs are only repairs so far. And two rust spots by rear wheels on both sides. Average between 29-30 mpg's . Great car.
I had a 2002 GLX w/ 5-speed. 2.2 ecotec as well. Pretty base car, didn’t have any options but I loved it! Fun to drive and a great smooth clutch and shift. I miss that car
I love the Alero. My Dad bought a V6 sedan in 2000 when I was still a kid and that got me into American cars (im from Europe). Still drive American cars today.
I had a V6 “shortstar” Dohc V6 rental Oldsmobile that I had to drive over a 100 miles through a steep twisty mountain pass. I ended up closing in on a Honda CBR 600 crotch rocket that was out for a fast morning ride in the crisp cool sunshine. The funny thing is I had to BRAKE multiple times to avoid rear ending the CBR in the sharper corners. Yeah he could somewhat run away from me on the rare straights but in the tight twisty stuff my Generic Motors rental was right on his rear wheel while he was all but scraping the foot pegs. Besides lots of tire howling and some brake fade the Olds happily put up with all the abuse. I literally drove it at 10/10ths for over an hour at least when the CBR wasn’t forcing me to slow down. The bike never did lose me until I finally had to turn off on a different road. I think it got about 14 MPG being driven that hard. Never buy a used rental car.
Apparently Motor Week had no idea that Oldsmobile would announce later (to be precise, December 12, 2000) that the make would be discontinued. The end of the road came on April 29, 2004.
That whole 150hp is leaps and bounds better than the 135hp, or less, cars nowadays put out. Besides, this is the very same motor that set multiple world records in 1987, that have never been broken. Cant get that in a toyota.
150 hp is quite a lot! There were lots of cars back in the day that didn't have so much power. Even today, many don't have 150 hp and today's cars and much heavier and fatter, so they need more power.
hmm, why do the Alero's in the USA have 150 bhp and mine in the Netherlands only 141? strange, but I love my Alero. better looking than all those VW Golfs and Opel Astra's
Cars today in that class puts out much more than 135 HP. My new Mazda 3 has 155 HP base in a tiny 2.0L motor and 184HP on the optional 2.5L. Also gets better gas mileage than the Alero while doing it.
I loved my 2000 Oldsmobile Alero V6. I haven’t had it in 20 years but the car was well built and the only issue I had were the lower intake gaskets that everyone has problems with. For the price, it was a very solid car. And I drive an $80,000 car right now. But I still have fond memories of that car.
Just had to send my 2003 V6 Alero to the scrapyard be cause of frame rot, best car I ever had. That thing was a beast an I feel like I'll never be as comfortable in a car. Had bought it 4 years ago with only 90,000 km's on it for a second car for the family to go to work in. Best 1700$ I ever spent. Even tho I got a much newer car now with all the gadgets, I really miss my Alero.
I had this exact car, except it was a 2001. After my base 1999 Alero lease was up, I bought a red GL coupe with 5-speed. Still one of my favorite cars I’ve ever had, and it still looks nice today!
I bought new a 2002 GLS Sedan (burnt red, neutral leather interior). It was my first 4-door sedan after 3 different coupes. Drove it for over 5 years and loved it. It has passed from one family member, then to another - and guess what? Still running today, 21 years later.
I love my 2003 Olds Alero gls! 218,221 miles and still running strong to this day! Very Well taken of and I keep everything up to date.I Also love the intrigue and Aurora as well!
I love this car.I bought mine from the Netherlands.Fell in love with it from the first time i saw it.Since then i took it home to Hungary and apart from a couple of small problems it has been fantastic.Tho it's tough to source parts.Have to order everything from the USA.Not even the Netherlands have parts apart from car breakers.Even though it was sold there as a chevrolet...go figure.
I drove an 02 auto for a year it wasn't very reliable but was treated like crap and didn't have proper maintenance. My friend still has her 02 4door auto and it works perfectly and I still see several of these on the road today. They're fun, comfy little cars! When mine wasn't broken down I loved driving it haha. Hated having a coupe though. The sedan is a lot more practical!
I'm a Ford guy, but I love Oldsmobile. always was my favorite GM division. I'd love to have an Alero 2.4/5spd/coupe. and a similar Achieva. I had a 1995 Achieva V-6 and I didn't like that particular car. I did at first but it became a letdown. I think being a coupe, a manual, and having Olds-designed Quad 4 would have made it special to me, more than the 4 door S (base) model ever could be.
My mom's been driving her '99 Alero 3.4 auto for years now. It doesn't look the greatest anymore, but it still runs and drives great. I remember the first time I drove it out a winding country road. I was completely shocked how well it handled. And I don't normally like the way front wheel drive cars handle
I bought (new) a 1999 Alero GLS in this exact color scheme, with every option. - V6/auto, though. Very torquey, handled very well, beautiful car, but typical GM - huge misses in quality control, particularly in materials. Almost lemon lawed it. When it worked, it was very nice. But it was not going to last, and I wasn't sorry to sell it in 2003 while it still had value. It was the last Olds for our family - but not the most fondly remembered (our 1972 Cutlass wagon would be the favorite).
Geoffrey Braun. not trolling, just saying the Alero is far from the best handling car even in its class. if you have not driven better you really aught to drive more cars. there are some pretty spectacular machines out there.
My Granddad had one for his last car. It was the first automatic he ever bought in his life! Maybe he bought it before the manual was introduced? When he passed away, it was gifted to me. I loved that car, but the fuel pump went out TWICE on it. I gave up on it after the second time it went out and sold it to a GM technician who could fix it up and drive it himself for his daily. I'm happy for you that you get to enjoy the 5-speed manual I never got in mine but always wished it had!
yeah I like it also and wouldn't mind owning one brand new even today, ( with some modern upgrades ofcourse) but I never really liked front wheel drive cars though. way too much weight up front.
I had the sedan with the 3400 V6 DOHC. Mine went to the auto graveyard at about 212,000 miles when the oil pump went out, but great car and me and my wife received excellent service out of it. Only real flaw was trunk had poor bracket design and head gaskets had to be replaced, about every 75,000 miles. Replacing them with metal Felpros cures the design flaw.
@@HWolfeIII It was a 3.4L V6 but it was an OHV pushrod design, not an OHC design. One of my friends had one some years back and it did pull harder than the hp and torque numbers would suggest.
I would have never guessed a manual option. But manufacturers were all smarter back then. Basic Fundamentals: Giving The Customer Options. Now its One engine & transmission. Options have been reduced to interior gadgets.
My mom had one on this same color but as a sedan nice solid car we got into an accident and the car was very intact considering what we hit my aunt had a grey coupe my whole family had Oldsmobile alero
wats up with all this hate comments i had a 2001 alero coup with the 3.4 v6 as my first car and it was awsome and quick compared to my friends cars i would get alot of complents on it the only thing i didnt like was that it had so many warning sencers in the dash i alwase had like 2 or 3 lights on but it didnt effect at all the reliability of the car
I don't understand why people hate this car. It's A Great Car. Two of My Friends had driven A Beige Alero recently (which is actually A Student Driver Car), and they said it's horrible, and had told me it makes A Knocking Noise when it idles and it's falling apart. I Love GM. They should be respected more.
Never seen one with a stick shift, I've seen dozens with quad tech 4s and 3400 V6s but they have all been automatics. I didnt even know a stick shift was available
I hate my 04. Ever since I bought it, something breaks every month. I didn't even have the car a year and the engine blew. I always do routine checks on it. I can't restore my 70s Mustang because I'm always fixing my Alero.
Grew up with GM in the family, and we had two Alero sedans in the family - both were phenomenal. They’re fairly forgettable, most are beat beyond belief, and they’re getting up there in age, but I always liked them. Wouldn’t mind getting one of these to do a budget restoration on, and just messing around with it.
My 2004 Alero looks as good today, 15 years later, as it did brand new. The 3.4 L six is quick and with a top speed of 125 mph it loves to eat up the asphalt.
Авто/Мото
oldsmobile may be dead but those headlights live on (UPS van)
Omg lol, that's where those horrible lights cane from.
I see those headlights on some RV's.
+Samwise Drogod Yesss lol. GM must have had a lot of leftover Alero headlights stashed somewhere.
chicorompecabesa My boss has his park at the shop, I swear those are the same headlights LOL!
Why?
They were sharp, very competitive cars. In typical GM fashion, though, once Oldsmobile had started coming through with good vehicles (Aurora, Intrigue, Alero), they kill the entire brand.
Frank Burns just did the same with Cadillac unfortunately :(
They had to kill all of the good cars... why? Why do they always milk quantity over quality?
@@coydog7902 It's those very misdeeds that led to the bailout only a few years after Oldsmobile's cancellation.
True, almost same story was repeated a few years later with Pontiac.
@@Alexander-jr8nw im not from usa, but from what bob lutz said, they had to kill some brands to get a baillout at that time, if you have to choose some brands to kill, would you kill cadillac instead of oldsmobile?
I still have a 2002 I ordered new w/the 5-speed. 2.2 Ecotec, GL2 coupe, jet black. It has over 171,000 and still running strong. Fuel pump and front hubs are only repairs so far. And two rust spots by rear wheels on both sides. Average between 29-30 mpg's . Great car.
Omg I bet it gets some good stares!
I had a 2002 GLX w/ 5-speed. 2.2 ecotec as well. Pretty base car, didn’t have any options but I loved it! Fun to drive and a great smooth clutch and shift. I miss that car
These models looks like an SN95 stang in the rear from far away...
Oldsmobile sold an epic butt ton of these aleros. It's a shame they were killed 4 years later.
The basic design was released in 85 though, changing names in every generation.
It was basically a grand am.
Yeah, great car
I love the Alero. My Dad bought a V6 sedan in 2000 when I was still a kid and that got me into American cars (im from Europe). Still drive American cars today.
Thank you for the Oldsmobile footage. I hope to see more especially on Ninety Eight, Eighty Eight, and Toronado. This has been enjoyable.
It goes into a 3 wheeler at 2:12. Like an Old GTI.
Cool car, and a fairly good one for the time.
3 wheel on a 99+ grand am or Alero is sketchy
I know peoples opinions on the internet like mine are weird because we all follow the hivemind
@@RocketFast321 na, I had a 2002 alero 5-speed coupe. As long as you had decent tires it handled great. Like a bigger GTi basically
Such a great looking car!
Loved my 2004 Alero. It’s still on the road today and still looks great.
I had a V6 “shortstar” Dohc V6 rental Oldsmobile that I had to drive over a 100 miles through a steep twisty mountain pass. I ended up closing in on a Honda CBR 600 crotch rocket that was out for a fast morning ride in the crisp cool sunshine. The funny thing is I had to BRAKE multiple times to avoid rear ending the CBR in the sharper corners. Yeah he could somewhat run away from me on the rare straights but in the tight twisty stuff my Generic Motors rental was right on his rear wheel while he was all but scraping the foot pegs. Besides lots of tire howling and some brake fade the Olds happily put up with all the abuse. I literally drove it at 10/10ths for over an hour at least when the CBR wasn’t forcing me to slow down. The bike never did lose me until I finally had to turn off on a different road. I think it got about 14 MPG being driven that hard. Never buy a used rental car.
I miss Oldsmobile!
Did anyone else notice how much air the rear wheels were getting during the manoeuvre demonstration?
Yeah! Like an older VW Golf GTi
20 years old and it still looks pretty good.
Apparently Motor Week had no idea that Oldsmobile would announce later (to be precise, December 12, 2000) that the make would be discontinued. The end of the road came on April 29, 2004.
I love my 2001 Alero 2.4L twin cam, its 15 years old but Man does it still got some power in it !!!!!!!! ;)
A whole 150 hp..
That whole 150hp is leaps and bounds better than the 135hp, or less, cars nowadays put out. Besides, this is the very same motor that set multiple world records in 1987, that have never been broken. Cant get that in a toyota.
150 hp is quite a lot! There were lots of cars back in the day that didn't have so much power. Even today, many don't have 150 hp and today's cars and much heavier and fatter, so they need more power.
hmm, why do the Alero's in the USA have 150 bhp and mine in the Netherlands only 141? strange, but I love my Alero. better looking than all those VW Golfs and Opel Astra's
Cars today in that class puts out much more than 135 HP. My new Mazda 3 has 155 HP base in a tiny 2.0L motor and 184HP on the optional 2.5L. Also gets better gas mileage than the Alero while doing it.
I loved my 2000 Oldsmobile Alero V6. I haven’t had it in 20 years but the car was well built and the only issue I had were the lower intake gaskets that everyone has problems with. For the price, it was a very solid car. And I drive an $80,000 car right now. But I still have fond memories of that car.
Cool , reliable good looking car, even today
I always thought is was an attractive car.
Me too.
Just had to send my 2003 V6 Alero to the scrapyard be cause of frame rot, best car I ever had. That thing was a beast an I feel like I'll never be as comfortable in a car. Had bought it 4 years ago with only 90,000 km's on it for a second car for the family to go to work in. Best 1700$ I ever spent. Even tho I got a much newer car now with all the gadgets, I really miss my Alero.
It was. And still is. Very forward styling that fits in with today's styles very well.
It is basically a rebadged Pontiac Grand Am. Lol
Gary James this is the car you always see in the hood lol
Loved both the Alero and the Aurora! I thought those two could've helped Olds stay alive, but GM had already made it's decision by then.
justinbig10 the Aurora v8 engine is a legend
Very nice car and beautiful
have one of these and still great fun to toss around
Used to get these quite often as rentals when I traveled for work in the early oughts. Always loved driving them.
I had this exact car, except it was a 2001. After my base 1999 Alero lease was up, I bought a red GL coupe with 5-speed. Still one of my favorite cars I’ve ever had, and it still looks nice today!
Thank God they made so many of these cars
I bought new a 2002 GLS Sedan (burnt red, neutral leather interior). It was my first 4-door sedan after 3 different coupes. Drove it for over 5 years and loved it. It has passed from one family member, then to another - and guess what? Still running today, 21 years later.
auto reverse tape deck,...............I'll buy it
I love my 2003 Olds Alero gls! 218,221 miles and still running strong to this day! Very Well taken of and I keep everything up to date.I Also love the intrigue and Aurora as well!
I had an 03 Grand Am -- basically the same car, for 250,000 miles. It was an amazing little car. Mine had the v6, but I always wished for a manual
I have an 04 with the V6 and had it since 05....great car no problems in 16 years.
I bought one of these when I finally left the Army in 1999, with an automatic
it lasted me 11 hard years of life pretty reliably!!!
I always thought these were boring cars...never knew they came with a 5 speed! Awesome.
I love this car.I bought mine from the Netherlands.Fell in love with it from the first time i saw it.Since then i took it home to Hungary and apart from a couple of small problems it has been fantastic.Tho it's tough to source parts.Have to order everything from the USA.Not even the Netherlands have parts apart from car breakers.Even though it was sold there as a chevrolet...go figure.
I drove an 02 auto for a year it wasn't very reliable but was treated like crap and didn't have proper maintenance. My friend still has her 02 4door auto and it works perfectly and I still see several of these on the road today. They're fun, comfy little cars! When mine wasn't broken down I loved driving it haha. Hated having a coupe though. The sedan is a lot more practical!
Had a 2000 Alero. Best car I ever had. Base GL model 4dr. miss that car.
I miss my Alero
Why'd you sell it?
I got a buddy that had one of these blew up at 70,000.. Such a cheep made car
I'm a Ford guy, but I love Oldsmobile. always was my favorite GM division. I'd love to have an Alero 2.4/5spd/coupe. and a similar Achieva. I had a 1995 Achieva V-6 and I didn't like that particular car. I did at first but it became a letdown. I think being a coupe, a manual, and having Olds-designed Quad 4 would have made it special to me, more than the 4 door S (base) model ever could be.
My mom's been driving her '99 Alero 3.4 auto for years now. It doesn't look the greatest anymore, but it still runs and drives great. I remember the first time I drove it out a winding country road. I was completely shocked how well it handled. And I don't normally like the way front wheel drive cars handle
The first rental car my parents got that actually broke down on a trip from Jacksonville to Atlanta.
My 04 Grand Am is still going....great car that paid for itself years ago.
this is a very good car and if gone bad very easy to fix! (proud owner of a 97 trans am!!)
Also that manual should have come with the V6. That V6 only had 180 hp but she growled pretty well and was quick enough.
Ahhhhh the Olds Alero, the staple of the buy here pay here used car lots.
I bought (new) a 1999 Alero GLS in this exact color scheme, with every option. - V6/auto, though. Very torquey, handled very well, beautiful car, but typical GM - huge misses in quality control, particularly in materials. Almost lemon lawed it. When it worked, it was very nice. But it was not going to last, and I wasn't sorry to sell it in 2003 while it still had value. It was the last Olds for our family - but not the most fondly remembered (our 1972 Cutlass wagon would be the favorite).
I love the 90s music.
I had a 1999 alero and it was the best handling car I've ever driven
Geoffrey Braun. its nice enough but you need to get out more.
DrewLSsix says the troll commenting on an 8 month old post that was a joke
Geoffrey Braun. not trolling, just saying the Alero is far from the best handling car even in its class. if you have not driven better you really aught to drive more cars. there are some pretty spectacular machines out there.
DrewLSsix I know my comment was a joke, it's actually a horrible car
DrewLSsix The Alero I'd still better than a Camry.
The finest car ever made.
The Alero was the last Oldsmobile made from 1999 to 2004
I use to want a coupe in black my high school years
My grandpa had one with the quad 4 and the 5 speed. Its mine now :)
My Granddad had one for his last car. It was the first automatic he ever bought in his life! Maybe he bought it before the manual was introduced? When he passed away, it was gifted to me. I loved that car, but the fuel pump went out TWICE on it. I gave up on it after the second time it went out and sold it to a GM technician who could fix it up and drive it himself for his daily. I'm happy for you that you get to enjoy the 5-speed manual I never got in mine but always wished it had!
These seemed to hold up pretty well. I still see them in Ontario sometimes, when many other cars from 2000 have been scrapped.
A lot of them in Vancouver as well)
Still see these a lot, they held up well.
Where does this amazingly funky music come from!?
Sounds like generic porno music.
You say that like it's a bad thing.....
Loved my grandmas Alero V6. Handled well, and the V6 was super punch. Quieter and smoother than my 95 accord.
Do you guys have one on the Nissan Altima SE-R? I swear I remember seeing that video years ago.
This is my first car, a lot of fun to drive.
I own a 2001 5-speed!
I had a 2001 5-speed exactly like the one in this video. Loved that car!
I remember this older fella in MW videos back in the day....I bet he still not with us
Needs more Quad4!!
2:12 So
Do they have a 5 spd sedan version? I got a auto but am looking for a manual
I love the '99-'04 Alero so's alots nows.
Este carro es muy bueno con un diseño espectaular. :)
This car is very nice with a spectacular design. :)
Fun fact. The motor in this car cannot be pulled out from under the hood. It must come out from underneath
That was a lot of air under the rear tires in the back and forth thru the cones...like it was a solid rear axle...!
My thing is, everyone is coming on here waxing poetic how much they love these cars - how come more people didn't buy them?
I kinda like the look to be honest. what was the v6 option a 3.4 sohc?
yes, the 3400 v6. 170hp 195 lb ft
yeah I like it also and wouldn't mind owning one brand new even today, ( with some modern upgrades ofcourse) but I never really liked front wheel drive cars though. way too much weight up front.
I had the sedan with the 3400 V6 DOHC. Mine went to the auto graveyard at about 212,000 miles when the oil pump went out, but great car and me and my wife received excellent service out of it. Only real flaw was trunk had poor bracket design and head gaskets had to be replaced, about every 75,000 miles. Replacing them with metal Felpros cures the design flaw.
@@HWolfeIII It was a 3.4L V6 but it was an OHV pushrod design, not an OHC design. One of my friends had one some years back and it did pull harder than the hp and torque numbers would suggest.
Never saw a 5 speed version.....
Adam Trombino when they came out I think you had to pay more for the manual. I've only seen one and it's my car
I would have never guessed a manual option. But manufacturers were all smarter back then. Basic Fundamentals:
Giving The Customer Options.
Now its One engine & transmission. Options have been reduced to interior gadgets.
It seems like the perfect first car tbh
these were fun cars.
My mom had one on this same color but as a sedan nice solid car we got into an accident and the car was very intact considering what we hit my aunt had a grey coupe my whole family had Oldsmobile alero
That looks just like my car. I got the 3.4
Does the full headlights work or just the center
wats up with all this hate comments i had a 2001 alero coup with the 3.4 v6 as my first car and it was awsome and quick compared to my friends cars i would get alot of complents on it the only thing i didnt like was that it had so many warning sencers in the dash i alwase had like 2 or 3 lights on but it didnt effect at all the reliability of the car
I wonder how many of these they actually built with the 5-speed? 5,000 maybe? The Alero was a good looking car.
I wish they did a test for the V6 engine too
I miss my Alero 😭
I don't understand why people hate this car. It's A Great Car. Two of My Friends had driven A Beige Alero recently (which is actually A Student Driver Car), and they said it's horrible, and had told me it makes A Knocking Noise when it idles and it's falling apart. I Love GM. They should be respected more.
Never seen one with a stick shift, I've seen dozens with quad tech 4s and 3400 V6s but they have all been automatics. I didnt even know a stick shift was available
Very hard to find the sedan with the manual.
I hate my 04. Ever since I bought it, something breaks every month. I didn't even have the car a year and the engine blew. I always do routine checks on it. I can't restore my 70s Mustang because I'm always fixing my Alero.
Grew up with GM in the family, and we had two Alero sedans in the family - both were phenomenal. They’re fairly forgettable, most are beat beyond belief, and they’re getting up there in age, but I always liked them.
Wouldn’t mind getting one of these to do a budget restoration on, and just messing around with it.
I have an 03 V6 191,000 miles on it, bought it with 90,000 miles on it . I just need to put a little minor attention in to it now...... Great car !
I was hot when GM decided that Oldsmobile had to go...then again, that's the American automaker business for ya
Thats porntastic music!
My sister had a 5 speed Alero... Good car
Zac Efron had one of these in his early days
motorweek pls post the mk1 aurora video
I had no idea this came in manual transmission
Brian "What's the retail on one of those?"
Shoddy build quality is what I noticed on my ex-gfs 04 Alero. 80000 miles and it was ready to cough up a lung
+ScaryGhost1 my Alero is at 18500 right now and no real problems 2 owners, it all comes down to how well you take care of it
Hey Alero!!!
Had no idea these were made with manual option
I think the take rate of a 5spd were 1 in a 100,000
The coupe isn’t as bad looking as the sedan. It was just a fancier Grand Am, but I thought the Alero looked more generic compared to the Grand Am.
W-Body cars please!!!!
Its a fancy cav
Chris Tasker wrong. Grand Am.
Anyone else notice Collective Soul, Run playing on the radio when they were poking at it lol!
lol
Strange that Olds only offered the manual with the 4cyl and not with the v6.
I had the V6 auto. Good car, the front seats were horrible, sitting on plywood.
Not a bad looking car
mine will be sold. rip
My 2004 Alero looks as good today, 15 years later, as it did brand new. The 3.4 L six is quick and with a top speed of 125 mph it loves to eat up the asphalt.
This car is a rebadged Pontiac Grand Am . lol!
My mom had that in 14. Was ok untill the a/c broke, and braking randomly.