The reason I introduced myself is because I'm personally disturbed not only by the poor reliability of our long-term Intrigue, but also by the feedback many readers have offered during the past several months. As editor-in-chief for Edmunds.com, it is my job to make sure we evaluate test vehicles thoroughly and report in a fair and unbiased manner. Many of you have accused us of exhibiting a lack of professionalism when it comes to this particular long-term vehicle. Because it has been several months since the Intrigue was in my care in Denver, I recently requested the car for use during a business trip to San Diego so that I could verify the less-than-flattering reports coming from my colleagues in our Los Angeles office. Here is what I found during several hundred miles of interstate driving over the course of four days:

1.) The traction-control system is not working, which I discovered in a rainstorm as I pulled away from a traffic light.

2.) In sweeping high-speed turns, such as an off ramp, the steering exhibits an odd tug that feels like inconsistent power assist. Also, the power assist fades as the steering locks are approached, such as when making a U-turn or parking in tight quarters.

3.) On bumps, what feels like loose front-end components can be detected in both the steering column and the suspension.

4.) The brakes are severely shuddering, most likely due to warped front rotors.

5.) Radio reception fades when the defroster is activated.

6.) Interior door trim pops off in your bare hands, as though the clips holding it in have broken.

7.) Noise insulation, despite several attempts to remedy the problem, still sags into the front right foot well.

8.) The hood sits lower than the front fenders.

9.) The door panels "breathe" when raising or lowering the front windows.

10.) Steering wheel-mounted tuning button for stereo doesn't work.

Overall, our Intrigue drives like it has 120,000 miles on the odometer, rather than 20,000. Certainly, our accident in L.A. traffic has exacerbated or even caused some of the car's problems, like the misalignment of the hood with the front fenders, so we won't discount the car for this fault. Rather, this is testament to the ability of the body shop technicians at La Brea Motors in Los Angeles. Also, the traction control may have been disengaged in the wreck or during subsequent repair work at La Brea Motors. Warped brake rotors aren't the car's fault; we drive it hard in stop-and-go traffic. The "breathing" door panels are normal and part of the design of the car, according to the service advisor in San Jose. But the rest of this stuff has nothing to do with the accident; they are either new problems unrelated to the impact or they existed before we trashed the front end.

Some readers have tried to explain the odd "Yahtzee Shaker" rattle we've experienced in our test car. Common theory has it that the antilock brake system is conducting a self-test, and that this is a normal sound during everyday operation of the Intrigue. We disagree. First, if this were the case, the noise would occur on a consistent basis. It doesn't. Second, we know the sound of GM's ABS self-test - we've heard it in almost all General Motors test vehicles we've driven lately. That sound is much less intrusive and generally occurs immediately after cranking the ignition. Our "Yahtzee Shaker" gurgle cannot be predicted. It is very loud. And it occurs only after starting the car, backing up, stopping, shifting into "drive," and then pulling away with the steering wheel turned. It doesn't seem to matter, by the way, whether or not the brakes are engaged upon start-up or not, as one reader surmised.

We've also heard from folks who are pursuing Lemon Law suits against Oldsmobile, from people who've had their cars repurchased by Oldsmobile, and by owners of the new 1999 Intrigue GLS model, who claim to be unable to find any fault with their cars. I would like to remind those of you who bought the version with the new 3.5-liter dual-overhead-cam V6 that our car's pushrod 3800 V6 has been one of the few flawless items on our test vehicle. We love this engine, with its excellent low-end grunt, promising reliability and better-than-average fuel economy. In our opinion, Olds should have spent the development money blown on the DOHC motor in areas where the Intrigue is failing.

Interestingly, a young man named Andrew, whose parents are suffering the decision to buy an early-build 1998 Intrigue, has created a Web site titled "The Intrigue Chronicles," where Intrigue owners can share both the good and the bad about this supposedly revolutionary Oldsmobile. You can contact Andrew and his Web site at http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Lane/7859.

Contrary to what is evidently a popular belief, our staff does not have some kind of vendetta against Oldsmobile, General Motors, or American carmakers in general. Also, we do not despise the Intrigue, though we certainly wish we'd chosen a different paint color. Look at what we wrote when the car was introduced by going to our New Car Road Tests and checking the two reviews conducted in 1998. Read our family sedan comparison test and you'll find that the Intrigue nearly beat the Honda Accord to win the test. An odd dashboard rattle, quite similar to our "Yahtzee Shaker" noise, developed on the last day of the test, however, reminding us that buyers in this segment of the marketplace highly value reliability.

We genuinely like the Intrigue's blend of modern design, spirited performance, value and interior comfort. But for a vehicle that represents (as Oldsmobile claimed during the press introduction in Dallas, Texas, nearly two years ago) the best that GM can build, the car utterly fails.

We bought one from a dealership, just like you. We take the car in for service, just like you. We don't announce that our car is an Edmund's long-term vehicle when it is serviced. We did not approach Oldsmobile to get a "special deal" or a donor vehicle from their fleet of tweaked Intrigues dedicated to press usage. Any one of you could be stuck with the car we bought, and you'd be very unhappy with it.

A wide variety of people drive our car in an effort to replicate the diversity of the Intrigue's owner base. We report their findings, both likes and dislikes. The car is in our possession for seven more months. We sincerely hope that after St. Claire Cadillac-Oldsmobile is finished examining our Intrigue's problems, we have more positive than negative commentary to report. But based on our experience to date, don't count on it.

Total Odometer Reading: 21,759
Best Fuel Economy: 28 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 16.7 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Odd steering-wheel tug in turns, power steering assist fade as locks are approached, steering wheel stereo controls broken, bumps cause vibration in steering column and front suspension, shuddering brakes, broken traction-control system, radio reception fades when defroster is activated, driver's side door-panel trim popping off, trunk and fuel door-release buttons pop off.