Are Oldsmobile Aurora's good cars?

[Tyshawn D]

Looking to purchase one, just wanted to make sure its a good car. It's an 2001 with 168,000 Miles on it. 4.0 V8 Engine

[noahsdad]

The Aurora is a great car, if you find a well maintained example. They are very tightly engineered and challenging to work on, and therefore expensive to fix.

The 4.0 is actually a revised Cadillac Northstar engine. Powerful and efficient, but they do have issues with head gaskets from time to time. If the one your looking at has already had them done, it's probably good for years to come. If not, it's about a $3500 repair.

[mikeaurora]

I will second that opinion, I have a 2001 Aurora with a 4.0 and 93,000 miles. It is immaculate, I change the oil with full synthetic, every 3000 miles with a good (read NOT Fram) filter, and pay attention to fluids and gauges. If it has a good electrical system with a strong battery, and has no leaks, and was taken care of by the previous owners, you could get many more miles out of it-don't beat on it (too much), NEVER overheat it, and if it is not right, drive a beater until you get it fixed. I will add to the previous poster that these are NOT easy to work on, and are complicated, but the engineering on these cars rivals anything any other high-quality manufacturer ever built, even today. The 4.0 is a beast when right, and is a great engine.

[felixtcat]

I currently drive a 1996 Oldsmobile Aurora.
It is in absolutely immaculate condition and runs amazingly!
This is the best car I have ever owned and I have owned MANY.
I could have purchased a new vehicle easily.
It would never have had the luxury and "feel" of this amazing vehicle.

[djwerner]

Well, my 96 has a host of issues, but the engine itself, the main reason you have the car, is steady as a rock and powerful. The electrical system on it was bad though.

[demofred]

1997 Olds Aurora with 150k miles. LOVE this car. Best I've ever owned. Still have original battery! I prefer the original design/look to the last one. I owned a 1995 which I sold to my son-in-law who drove it to 200k miles. He still misses the car.

[Gharper]

I had a '97 with the 4.0, it was a great car. It requried 93+ fuel. I'm now running a 2001 with the 3.5. With 87 fuel I,m getting right around 25 MPG!

[jarial]

The problem with the Aurora is that it's like having a high maintenance bitch for a girlfriend. She constantly demands that you spend more money on her and she is never satisfied. Take this for what it is worth.

[noahsdad]

Originally Posted by jarial

The problem with the Aurora is that it's like having a high maintenance bitch for a girlfriend. She constantly demands that you spend more money on her and she is never satisfied. Take this for what it is worth.

I'd amend this a tiny bit. She's a high maintenance super model who demands you spend money on her...but oh, there are rewards for treating her nice.

The classic trap many fall into is believing there is such a thing as cheap luxury. Ask anyone with a used Cadillac, Lincoln, Jaguar, Lexus, etc. Just because you can buy an Aurora for a song doesn't mean you can afford to drive one. As I said before: tightly engineered=expensive to fix.

[95oldsaurora]

true noahsdad but once you do spend the good money on her she is reliable and a beast with our 4.0L's