1987 Oldsmobile 88 Royale Brougham 3.8

Summary:

The best all round American car I've owned

Faults:

When I bought the car, the speedometer didn't work and it ran a bit rough. When I got it home (a 150 mile trip), it hardly ran at all. I replaced the plugs & plug wires, which completely cured the running problems. I also gave the car a complete service, & replaced the blown cruise control fuse, which fixed the speedometer!.

Since then the muffler blew on the way to a car show (embarrassing), but that is all that has failed since I bought the car.

There are some faults I still have to fix; the A/C doesn't work (not a big deal in the UK), the central locking and power windows are both slow, and the hood needs a new strut.

General Comments:

This car has both the best performance & gas mileage of any American car I have ever owned. The engine & transmission are wonderfully smooth, returning 30 mpg in normal use, and 22 mpg towing a caravan, which it does with no stability worries, & deals effortlessly with hills.

My girlfriend loves both driving & riding in it, loving the smooth ride & comfortable seats; the only car I've owned that beat it for ride & seat comfort was a 1982 Lincoln Mark 6.

The only gripe I have with the car, is that being a 2 door, parking it in typical tight English supermarket car parks, opening the doors wide enough to get in and out easily, can be a problem. But what the heck; I bought it to go to car shows (there is a thriving American car scene over here), and although it doesn't compare with the fins'n'chrome of the fifties or '60s muscle cars, I am very happy with it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th November, 2010