| Year of manufacture | 1985 |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.0 fuel injected Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) |
8.3 / 10
|
| Distance when acquired | 94000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 145000 kilometres |
Summary:
A first car dream
Faults:
My starter went at about 110000 km.
The body has started to rust badly.
The exhaust pipe is to large for the original catalytic pipe, making the pipes fall apart occasionally.
The motor mounts have just started to come loose in the last few months.
General Comments:
Great first car.
Extremely reliable.
Fast accelleration and good handling.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 8th August, 2002
| Year of manufacture | 1985 |
| First year of ownership | 1986 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) |
9.0 / 10
|
| Distance when acquired | 5 miles |
| Most recent distance | 156350 miles |
| Previous car | Oldsmobile Cutlass |
Summary:
An excellent little Oldsmobile with a big punch
Faults:
In 1987 the radiator decided to give out, which was repaired under warranty.
Because of the light color of my interior, dirt and wear showed up easily after a few years of use.
General Comments:
This car was bought new from a dealer in Connecticut and was driven cross country to where it now resides in New Mexico. This Calais is truly proud to be an Oldsmobile and hopefully will continue to be a proud "rocket car" well into 200,000 miles.
I only wish I could find more online sites that offered Calais parts for further restoration.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 11th August, 2001
My 1985 Calais Supreme has returned!. I bought the car with 50,000km in 1991 and sold it to my sister in 1996. Well, she just bought another Olds (1987 Firenza, in mint cond) and I bought the Calais back.
It now has 244,000km and doesn't burn a drop of oil!. The 3.0 litre Multiport engine still has awesome power and I have no dought it has many kilometers of life left in it.
Other than needing a crank sensor every couple of years, it's been a trouble free car. If your looking for a good used car don't over look the Calais!!.
Yes, I have a solution. Change the power steering hose, or pump. If something is leaking, the less likely problem is that it is leaking out of the pump itself if the seal around the pulley shaft is bad. More likely, it is the high-pressure power steering line to deteriorate and leak. A power steering pump has two hoses going to it: one is just regular hose, the other is high-pressure hose with the ends sealed into metal fittings. When the fitting between the hose and metal gets old, it gets loose and fluid leaks out. As luck would have it, I just changed both hoses on my power steering pump for my 1985 Dodge last weekend. The low pressure hose is easy--just two hose clamps to loosen and the hose pulls right off the metal or plastic tubing. The high pressure one is only a little harder because the two metal fittings screw into the back of the power steering pump and the steering gear box, respectively. All you need to have is a crescent wrench to change this, it's just a matter of loosening the two nuts, and putting on the new hose. The high pressure hose I bought at Advance Auto Parts was $14. You are right, it would really be a waste to take on a new car payment for want of a $14 part. I'm not sure why your mechanic said he couldn't get either a hose or a pump. You're probably right, he was just telling you big stories.