Oldsmobile Alero coupe and sedan score the new EcoTec engine
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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TALIHINA, Okla. -- A squiggly ribbon of asphalt stretches for miles along ridges of the rugged Ouachita Mountains that run like plowed furrows across the border between Arkansas and Oklahoma.
This scenic highway -- known locally as the Wilhelmina Trail after a queen of The Netherlands who visited the area a century ago -- follows contours of the hills over undulating pavement with dips and rises and strings of esses and sweepers.
That's just the ticket we seek to sample the enthused spirit of Alero, smallest car from the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors.
Conformed as either a two-door coupe or four-door sedan, Alero sorts to the compact class in four trim grades supporting either a four-cylinder or V6 engine.
In the 2002 line, a new EcoTec four-pack engine drops into Alero's base GX and GL1 models.
This modern plant -- a dual-cam design displacing 2.2 liters and mustering a hardy 140 hp at 5600 rpm for Alero plus 150 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm -- was developed as a universal engine for service in various brands of General Motors. It also shows up in 2002 issues of the Chevrolet Cavalier, Pontiac's Grand Am and L-Series sedans and station wagons by Saturn, along with Saturn's new Vue sport-utility.
We're steering an Alero GL1 sedan over the Wilhelmina Trail to measure zippy thrust generated by the EcoTec engine.
An optional manual five-speed for this plant is also aboard our tester Alero, and we play its nimble stick to push the car briskly through so many chutes and curves.
Throttle action, lurking behind the pedal on the right, proves too much in some tight turns on the mountain and demands a bridle now and then through the pedal in the middle, which links to four disc brakes and an on-board computer with wheel-spin sensors to regulate wheel lock from an anti-lock device.
In a small car like this with a relatively light load, the new engine feels feisty and fun.
It's noticeably quieter than the 2.4-liter engine it replaces -- thanks in part to twin balance shafts in the cylinder block that cancel so much shaking inherent in a four-in-line plant.
Although total horsepower pares by ten points from the previous engine, this new plant acts more lively because of the redistribution of torque -- it comes on stronger at lesser engine speeds in the bottom gears.
Also, physical dimensions of the engine actually decrease, but that ends up boosting fuel economy figures.
Alero now scores up to 33 miles per gallon with the manual shifter, and it only dips one point for the automatic four-speed that's standard.
Alero's six-cylinder engine -- The General's workhorse 3.4-liter V6 -- produces up to 170 hp at 4800 rpm, and 200 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm.
This juicer becomes a low-cost option for Alero GL1 but works as the standard plant on Alero GL2 and deluxe GLS with the four-speed automatic.
All four of the Alero models for 2002 show redesigned wheels, and cockpits in each reveal a revamped front console that increases the size of a storage compartment and has larger cupholders to fit various sizes of bottles and cups.
Alero first appeared in 1999, replacing the Achieva as a high-volume compact in Oldsmobile's fleet. It debuted on a long and broad new chassis rigged with independent suspension system in front and back plus disc brakes with anti-lock controller.
Frankly, it was developed by GM to fight the erosion of small-car sales from customers enamored by Asian imports.
From the outset, Alero's designers studied Japanese cars to benchmark performance, ride quality and handling characteristics. Ultimately, the vehicle they developed matched or exceeded performances of the earmarked imports.
In the mountains through wiggly esses and kinks, our tester Alero maintains a flat and stable stance with little concession to lateral forces of motion and virtually no body roll because of the car's stiffly braced unibody structure and the independent suspension.
The steering, firm but responsive as derived from a rack and pinion arrangement with power assistance, feels tight and precise like the imports.
Exterior styling also resembles the imports.
Actually, Alero looks rakishly sporty with a wedge-shaped profile and low-slanted prow marked by twin aero-style headlamps and a smooth wrap of the color-keyed bumper.
The windshield tilts back dramatically as a flat roof crowns at the sharp angle of strong rear roof pillars before descending to the curt tail.
Bodyside bulges with shoulder flares ringing large wheels contribute to the sporty posture.
Alero's 107-inch wheelbase length implies a compact-size platform, although the interior feels and functions more like a mid-size model.
It also packs aboard a long list of features including the automatic transaxle, yet Alero's price points rank as extremely competitive.
Current issues of 2002 mark final iterations for the Alero series, as GM charts the demise of the Oldsmobile brand by 2004. As a result, significant incentives and discounts work in Alero's favor to undercut MSRP figures.
Alero's published price points fall in a line from $17,345 to $ 22,730, inclusive of a $585 delivery fee.
price leader Alero GX in coupe or sedan style with the EcoTec four-cylinder engine contains conveniences that in some cars show up on the list of options, such as air conditioning, front bucket seats divided by a center console, an instrument cluster with analog gauges including tachometer, tilting steering column and stereo sound.
Alero GX supports a new sport package for 2002 that has the five-speed manual transmission and leather-wrapped steering wheel, plus a spoiler on the tail deck and 15-inch alloy wheels.
Alero GL1 adds content, like variable assistance for steering, power controls for windows and mirrors and the driver's seat, remote keyless entry and foglamps up front.
Alero GL2 offers either engine and a performance suspension with larger 16-inch wheels and tires, while Alero GLS caps the series with V6 power, leather upholstery, a sound kit with cassette and CD players, and special wheels.
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| 2002 OLDSMOBILE ALERO VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Compact 2-door coupe, Compact 4-door sedan
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| Model Options: |
Compact 2-door coupe, Compact 4-door sedan
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| Wheelbase: |
107.0 inches
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| Overall Length: |
186.7 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.2-L I4
OHV 3.4-L V6
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| Transmission: |
I4: Manual/5
Auto/4
V6: Auto/4
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| Drive: |
Front
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| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS
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| Airbags: |
2 (front)
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| Gas Mileage: |
I4 M/5: 25/33 mpg
I4 A/4: 24/32 mpg
V6 A/4: 20/29 mpg
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| MSRP Price: |
$ 17,345 to $ 24,000 |
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