1990 Oldsmobile Toronado Coupe review from North America

Hood shocks, leaked and wouldn't hold up the hood.

Gauge cluster, all gauges and AC died except the tachometer.

Fuel filter plugged.

Thermostat stuck open.

I have always loved the Toronado. The idea of a full size, luxury performance coupe has always appealed to me, and this final generation of the Toro carries on that tradition.

I bought my Toro this fall with 30,165 original miles on it. I am in love with this car. The 3800 V6 is smooth and torquey, and manages to move this heavy (3500 lb) car fairly quickly. By no means is it able to compete with a true performance car, but it manages to stay ahead of the rest of the slow movers who crowd the roads.

My car is not the high end Trofeo model. My car is a "basic" Toronado lacking leather, sunroof, upgraded wheels and the digital VIC in the dash. However, that is not to say the Toronado Coupe is a stripped down economy car. It still has power everything, 8 way adjustable bucket seats, 4 wheel independent suspension and 4 wheel disc brakes, and a host of comfort and convenience features like automatic climate control and a pretty sophisticated driver information center.

The light grey cloth upholstery is beautiful and has a luxurious high quality feel to it, and sports the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in.

My car also has an unusual paint scheme. It is the only Toronado I have ever seen with factory two tone paint; silver below with burgundy on top. It looks great and really complements the cars long, sleek lines.

As you would expect from a car with only 31,000 miles on it nearly everything is as new. The few defects it has are mostly due to age; slight warping of interior plastic, slight paint fading on the bumpers and other minor fixes.

Compared to the other GM E-bodies, the Cadillac Eldorado and the Buick Riviera, the Oldsmobile does a better job of combining luxury and performance of the three. The styling is more agressive, the body lines sleeker and the low horizontal grille and hidden headlights give it a agressive look.

Standard bolstered bucket seats and console shift add to the performance car element, as well as full analog gauge cluster and driver information center.

The overall interior layout is more performance oriented with dark greys and gloss black surfaces, instead of the Eldorado and Riviera's fake woodgrain trim and stuffy light beige and cream upholstry.

The fully independent suspension is comfortable and handles curves well, but it is softly sprung and the body leans a bit too much in sharp turns. Highway cruising is effortless and supremely comfortable.

For your money, the last generation Toronado is hard to beat for an American luxury coupe. It is an old-school car wrapped in new-school technology, which manages to look sharp and modern, but classic at the same time.