2003 Oldsmobile Aurora User Reviews

The Classic American Luxury Formula. —

Performance: The Aurora was formerly offered with a choice of a 3.5-liter V6 or a 4.0- liter V8, but the V8 was made standard for 2003, which is a good thing. In addition to that addictive V8 sound, there's copious power and torque available at any time, even with the ancient, 4-speed automatic delivering it to the front wheels. Braking performance is subpar, with a long stopping distance, and frequent wear. Olds should have fitted a set of brakes suitable for a 4,000-pound car. Handling is sloppy at best, but this is a luxury sedan, so that wasn't the top priority. Build Quality: This is a category that American vehicles frequently perform badly in, but I'd score the Aurora as "average." Wear and tear throughout the life of the vehicle hasn't been excessive, though a panel on the passenger door routinely comes loose. The car only has 52K miles on it, but it's approaching 9 years old, and a number of minor squeaks and rattles have developed, coming from various areas of the vehicle. Appearance: The Aurora is a very uniquely-styled sedan, with a front end that won't be mistaken for anything else. Some find it ugly, but personally, I quite enjoy it. The interior features a center stack that's sharply angled toward the driver, which is convenient, and the central computer that monitors the status of the car and conveys information to the driver is very nice. The front seats are some of the best I've ever experienced, but the rear seats leave a lot to be desired. There's a disappointing lack of space for rear seat passengers for a vehicle of this size and stature, and the trunk isn't exactly class-leading either. It sort of makes one wonder where all the space went. Cost of Ownership: The downside of having V8 power at one's disposal is paying for it at the pumps, and the Aurora returns a dismal average fuel economy of under 16 MPG. While this number rises to 24 MPG on the highway, that's still a subpar figure by any standard. The car seems to develop some sort of issue every three months or so, sometimes major, sometimes minor, and needs to be brought in to be looked at. This gets expensive. Fun Factor: This is not a fun vehicle to drive, but, again, it wasn't intended to be. It has a creamy-smooth ride and a powerful V8 engine, so it's a great highway cruiser, but a very wide turning circle makes it a huge chore to park.

Primary Use: Family transportation