2001 Oldsmobile Alero GL review from North America
"Best domestic small car out there!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I had to replace the right front hub assembly at about 54,000 miles, it is very well engineered, it only took about 2 hours for me to replace it.
Now, at 63,000 miles, the left front hub needs to be replaced. I think the quality of the bearings is questionable.
Other than normal maintenance items (brake pads, tires, spark plugs, fluids and filters), the front wheel bearings are the only problem I've had with the car.
General comments?
I do all of my own repairs and maintenance, and the Alero is one of the easiest and best engineered cars to work on out there. Parts costs are cheap to reasonable, and parts are easy to find.
My Alero is used for pizza delivery (wide open throttle most of the time), and it runs better than most v6's I've driven (forget ricers, I dust them off on a regular basis), is stone reliable, and handles incredibly well.
It has a very ergonomic cockpit layout, and inspires confidence when traveling rapidly down twisty roads.
This is coming from someone with 27 years automotive tech experience (mostly import), and previous owner of over 60 cars, and current owner of two high end German marques. My Alero is more fun to drive than the Beemer OR the Benz!
Recommended reviews
| Never own one again |
|
| Very good |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 2001 |
| Year of manufacture | 2001 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.4L Twin cam Automatic |
| Performance marks | 10 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 43880 miles |
| Most recent distance | 63300 miles |
| Previous car | Mercedes-Benz S-Class |
| Date of Entry | 8th April, 2005 |