Replacing the 2.8 engine seemed to be regular maintenance. The original engine went at 196,000km,(weak crank shaft), and the second used engine went at 270,000km, (spark plug exploding out of its socket). The car was junked shortly after.
Weird noise started to come from the transmission at around 190,000km. The dealer couldn't find the problem.
The floor-board rusted out and the driver seat became unstable at 265,000km.
The interior trim was the worst I've seen. Bits and pieces that were glued to the car started to come off and rattle.
The HVAC never seemed to work properly. At full fan speed, there wasn't even enough air to defrost the front window properly.
The heat of the engine was unbearable in the summer. The stupid method of the piping the exhaust gas around the V6 instead of underneath, increased the temp. under the hood. Very hot air would waft into the interior even when the fan was off and the temp. setting was set to cool.
I loved the bottom-end torque of the OHV V6. Great handling and brakes to keep you out of trouble.
The Getrag 5 speed was great, but the clutch pedal seemed like an after thought as it was badly placed. I couldn't drive the car properly with my winter boots on.
Excellent fuel mileage for a V6, about 580km on 45 litres.
The digital dash with the on board computer was really cool.
I recently obtained an '89 Beretta (5 speed) after several years driving Audis and Volkswagens. The handling and cornering is surprisingly good for a GM product and the engine produces more than enough torque to drive up steep grades in higher gears. However, the fit and finish is typical GM: pure crap. The blue paint is cracking all over the car. The dash is completely warped to the point where the defrost vents and speaker grilles won't stay in place, and the doorskins are also warped. The headlight and wiper controls threaten to fall out of their misshapen holes. The signal lever is flimsy and the switch inside the steering column is erratic (and harder than hell to replace). Pulling the dimmer switch works normally, but is not designed to flash the brights - a ridiculous oversight (the lights themselves, though, are quite good for DOT spec). The digital dash (amazingly made by VDO of Germany) is cool to look at, but doesn't light up unless the parking lights are turned on. Also, why does the "unleaded fuel only" label light up as bright as the warning lights? The door-mounted seat belts are just plain stupid, and the plastic covers on the seat belt latch receivers fell off, so if I lean toward the center console, the release is pushed and the belt disengages. At least that little red light comes on at that point. For all my gripes, it's a fun car to drive if you want speed without the hassle of impressing your friends.
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