1990 Oldsmobile 88 Royale review from North America
"A decent family sedan"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Other than routine maintenance such as: brakes and rotors (2x), battery, wires (2x), tires (2x), belt (2x)
Brake lines
Alternator
Water pump
Radiator
Ball joints
Gas tank sending unit leaking 2x
2 cylinders have no pressure now
Fuel line replaced around the filter
Turn signal cancelling spring
Twilight sentinel not working anymore
Power antenna rotted in 2001.
Power windows slowed down to a crawl.
Paint job not holding very well, needed a new one in 1994, couple touch ups since.
General comments?
The car performs well and considering that I had it close to 6 years did over 120000km (75000 miles) on a $4000Can initial purchase and about $2000 in repairs, it did not treat me badly. It's no speed demon, but can hold it's own on a highway and I had it up to over 200 km/h (120 mph) on one occasion. It's comfortable and thanks to FE3 suspension it rides quietly and handles well. The leg room is adequate and the back seats comfortable enough for a long haul.
Overall it is a solid family vehicle with a surprisingly low fuel consumption for a full size vehicle.
I don't see a reason why not to buy it if it is in a decent shape.
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| Cheap to fix and annoyingly reliable |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1990 |
| First year of ownership | 1997 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 6 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 101000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 230000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Buick Regal |
| Date of Entry | 13th December, 2002 |