Base price: $34,775
Vehicle type: front-engine, front-drive; 4-door 5-passenger sedan
Interior volume, F/R/cargo (cu ft) 56/48/15
Wheelbase 112.2 in
Length/width/height 199.3/72.9/56.7 in
Turning circle 40.0 ft
Curb weight 3800 lb
EPA city/hwy mpg 18/28
Fuel-tank capacity/range 17.0 gal/306 mi
Passive restraints driver and passenger front and side airbags
POWERTRAIN
4.0-liter DOHC 32-valve V-8, 250 hp; 4-sp auto
SUSPENSION
F ind, struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar
R ind, multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar
BRAKES
F/R vented disc/disc
ABS standard
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OLDSMOBILE AURORA
The 2003 model year will be the last one for Oldsmobile’s premier sedan. Launched in 1994, the Aurora generated a fair amount of critical acclaim for its smooth good looks, but its 2001 makeover wasn’t so successful, paralleling the fortunes of the soon-to-be extinct Olds division. Consistent with its lame-duck status, the Aurora will offer only one engine-transmission package for 2003: the same 250-hp, 4.0-liter DOHC 32-valve all-aluminum V-8 and four-speed automatic that’s been this car’s mainstay since the beginning. The 3.5-liter V-6 offered as the base engine since ’01 has been dropped. Olds has portrayed this car as a competitor for European sports sedans, but excessive curb weight and numb steering diminish that positioning. But it’s a dynamically competent car, with a feeling of solidity and substance, delivering a smooth ride and a quality ambiance.
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