1980 Oldsmobile 98 Regency Sedan review from North America

A/C, water pump, passenger power window motor, not much besides normal maintenance.

BY FAR, the most reliable car I've ever owned!!! I originally bought it as a "beater" to drive to work so my '93 Cadillac wouldn't get sloppy from winter roads. I ended up falling so much in Love with the car, I spent $600 repainting it, almost as much as I paid for it.

The 350 V8 performs well for such a beast, and gas mileage is excellent for a big monster (22 MPG sometimes on the highway at 70 MPH). Handling is also fairly nimble, considering the car is about 19 feet long and weighs about 2 tons. The engine has no problems starting whether it's -40 in January or 110 in July. My wife has spent more on repairs on her '99 Camry than I have in 6 years on this car.

One night, as I was driving home from a wedding reception, a drunk driver in a Mazda Miata ran a red light and I ended up broadsiding him. The Miata was reduced to nearly 2/3 of its original size, and for some reason, rolled on its roof. The driver was hospitalized for 2 weeks with neck and back injuries, but I only suffered a bump to the head. The Olds suffered only a bent bumper, broken grille and headlights, and a dented fender. And the Olds is fine today, beautiful as ever, and still on the road.

NOTE-----IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A CHEAP, RELIABLE CAR, GET A "77-'84 FULL-SIZE OLDS OR BUICK!!!!!