Used 1996 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Consumer Reviews
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218,000 miles and still fantastic!
This car has been unbelievably reliable from day one. It had about 22,000 miles on it when we bought it. We had AC/heater problems for a few years only to find out that the hose was clamped too tight which made the hose collapse. Easy fix and has worked great since. The driver's seat now has a tear, but all the other seats are like new! I drive over 100 miles per day, and don't hesitate to use this as my daily driver and on long trips. The car cleans up very nicely and gets hand waxed twice a year. 30 mpg is typical, new cars just can't touch the gas mileage and the comfort of this car. The ride is equal to a Lincoln. All the extra comfort items are wonderful too.
Luxury sedan but GM did make mistakes!
For a 1996 model, this vehicle is luxurious. Very quiet, huge interior space, comfortable seats, automatic radio antenna, dimming rearview mirror, easy-to-read electronic cluster, a joy to take on roadtrips, decent in the snow, and overall a very sexy design. However, having had done some minor repairs on it, I want to let the shadetree mechanic know about a couple design flaws this car has. The GM 3.8L V6 motor was very strong, sturdy, well-designed, relatively easy to work on, and reliable. They made some mistakes with the Series II version of that engine, which is what this car has. First, the serpentine belt wraps around an engine mount. Yes you read that right. A serpentine belt should take 5 minutes to replace and very little mechanical knowledge -- but there is a trick to this. Google it for details, but there is a spacer between the mount and the engine block that you can undo (requires an E10 socket) to wiggle the belt around. Secondly, know that this car was originally outfitted with DexCool coolant. DO NOT MIX DEXCOOL WITH GREEN COOLANT. It will turn into a disgusting poop sludge that, needless to say, is not good for your cooling system. I'm sure there are more but these are the 2 flaws I have discovered so far with this car. Overall though, I love it and wouldn't trade it for any other daily driver. 23 years old and going strong!
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the Oldsie
I picked up my 1995 Olds Ninety Eight from an old lady a couple of years ago for $750. It was your typical grocery-getter with just a little over 100k miles on it and had spent its winters garaged. This car has been an incredible ride and for the price it can't be beat! I drive it daily now and average about 700 miles a month and the old thing still cruises down the road like a yacht. A brilliant car!
Pinch me...am I dreaming?
The guy needed money bad...the ad said,"excellent, $800"(no picture). Took a chance and a year later I'm stupified. How can a 173,000 mile car be the finest I've EVER driven(used to sell used cars, both import and domestic), let alone now owned! The thing still looks brand new. Bigger, better than a Lexus. 30 MPG hwy! NOT a rattle. Trans "like new"! Everything works! $30,000.00 new! Even had 4 Michelins on it! I've even grown to love the quirky boxey styling! One guy told me they are THE "hot", under the radar, bargain find in used cars. I've already said too much to drive up the prices on these beauties. I've owned Saabs, BMW's(630's), Caddies, and Peugeots. This beats them ALL. Pinch me!!!
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Love it to death
I just bought this car used with 75000 miles on it for a bargain $5500. It drives a bit soft but the interior is comfortable and easy to use. Int/ ext. styling are classic olds. Great car for transporting your family through CT winters. Love the digital dash and all the functions it provides, even tells me if a light burns out! Series 2 3800 is a simple design but smooth and powerful as is transmission. 8-speaker cd sound system is great. My second 98 and sixth olds.