On Wheels by Brooks Peterson

Saturday, October 14, 2000

Aurora: Look past exterior

Having been detained by pressing business, I was a bit behind the curve in getting together with my 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora tester. Happily, the nice people who see to it that new wheels roll into my life every week were accommodating enough to leave the car waiting for me in the visitors' parking lot at Caller-Times Central.
   And sure enough, as I wheeled up, there was a snazzy new sedan awaiting me, with glistening chrome wheels and - hey: Wait up a minute. Is that a Ford Taurus?
   Well, no, actually - but approaching the new-for-2001 Aurora from the rear, I was startled by the similarity of the vehicle's derriere to that of the new Taurus, which itself came in for some fairly major cosmetic surgery in the model year just past.
   Purely unintentional, of course, but it did drive home a point: One mildly unfortunate byproduct of the Aurora's re-do is the loss of some of the visual distinction that made the original Aurora such a stunner.
   It wouldn't be right to make too big a deal of this: As it turns out, the rear is the only angle from which the Aurora bears any similarity to the Taurus. And once you get inside, the richness and variety of the accoutrements ensure there will be no identity crisis. (Nor should there be, since you can get a Taurus for about half what you'd pay for a loaded Aurora.)
   In fact, apart from a certain loss of visual distinction, almost everything that's happened to the Aurora is on the positive side of the ledger.
   Such as? Such as: choice! Now you can get your Aurora in two flavors - with the Cadillac-Northstar-derived V-8, as before, or in a more modest but still toothsome V-6 version that stickers in with a base price around 30 grand - about 4 thou lighter than big brother.
   (You think it's a coincidence that this new Aurora sibling arrives almost at the same moment as Lincoln's new LS sport sedan, with its V-6 and V-8 version? Ha. I laugh on you.)
   Of course, the Olds people, knowing who they were dealing with, sent me the top-o'-line V-8 sedan. Truth to tell, I wouldn't have been offended by the 3.5-liter V-6 version, which generates a definitely respectable 215 horses (compared with 250 hp from the V-8).
   The motoring scribes
   Let's deal with one issue here: Every time, and I mean every time, Detroit rolls out a vehicle with sport-sedan pretensions, all the motoring scribes nod their heads wisely and declare in unison: Impressive, very impressive, but it's not quite in the same league as the Bimmer (or the Mercedes . . . or the Lexus: pick one).
   Well, OK: you're not going to mistake the Aurora for a Teutonic road rocket - but, doggone it, all but about 2 percent of the motoring public on this side of the Atlantic would be happy as a clam with an Aurora.

2001 Oldsmobile Aurora V-8 Five-passenger front-wheel-drive sedan Base price: $34,305 Price as tested: $36,670 Drivetrain: Dual-overhead-cam 32-valve fuel-injected V-8, 250 hp; 4-speed automatic-overdrive transmission Brakes: Front and rear discs with standard antilock (ABS) EPA mileage: 17 city/25 highway Web site: www.toyota.com

   In fact, if you're the sort who roots for the home team and is casting about for a good reason to Buy Amurrican, the Aurora may be the ticket for you.
   The weight-loss regime the Aurora underwent to get into its new set of clothes made an already engaging vehicle more so. Crispness in turns and rapid maneuvers may not be class-leading, but as an interstate cruiser - or even a back-road rover - the Aurora displays both composure and a surprising degree of responsiveness.
   The growl of the V-8 is muted, as you'd expect, but it projects authority. When the occasion demands it, you can make the scenery literally fly past: There's not the kind of primal boot-in-the-back you used to get in, say, the Olds 4-4-2 and other Jurassic iron, but it's confidence-inspiring to know you can summon up that power on demand.
   Softer suspension
   Handling? Well, yes, the cushy suspension is significantly softer than the imported competition - just as millions of good Americans want it. And the front-wheel-drive layout (weight distribution's 63/37 for the V-8) is conducive to understeer even as it enhances grip in the sloppy going.
   The bottom line is that the Aurora - and some of its American counterparts - are closing the gap between themselves and the imports, and perhaps at a more rapid clip than we're prepared to admit.
   When you factor in all the other nice touches - particularly the intelligible controls for the sound system and climate control, a sore spot with some of the foreigners, and the capacious passenger and cargo compartments - the case for giving the Aurora a look becomes downright compelling.
   If nothing else, let us not forget, we owe this particular car a debt of gratitude for helping haul one of the most revered nameplates in American autodom back from the brink when it debuted in the mid-'90s.
   The once-proud Olds division had plummeted in the sales charts, was experiencing a profound identity crisis, and was turning out some utterly forgettable, if competent, products. Seemingly disoriented by a longing for the days of landau bars, vinyl tops and simulated-wire-wheel hubcaps, the namesake of Ransom Olds was in a bad way. The Aurora arrived not a moment too soon: This one really wasn't your father's Oldsmobile - and it still isn't.
  
  

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