1992 Oldsmobile Eighty Eight Royale | Retro Review

motorweek is made possible by lucas oil tireright.com and rockauto.com in the early 1980s oldsmobile was the rising star at general motors but along the way olds became confused as to its mission and the star faded for the past three years oles has attempted to find itself and rebuild its unique identity by branching out with uncharacteristic offerings such as the silhouette van and bravada sport utility then last year olds began to revamp their passenger cars with a redesigned 98. continuing their rebuilding from top to bottom for 92 olds management has turned to their bread and butter sedan the 88 it's all new but is it going to be enough to put the twinkle back into the oldsmobile star with its fresh new styling the oldsmobile 88 royale distinguishes itself from its gmh body counterparts the buick lesabre and pontiac bonneville while its 110.8 inch wheelbase and four-wheel independent suspension have been carried over from last year body panels have been stretched and smoothed for a more flowing line two-door models will no longer be available twin ultra slim grills are mounted between flush headlights and the smooth roof line and rear deck while still in the olds family have a hint of infiniti q45 this big front-wheel drive car boasts 4.1 more inches of body while still being able to slice through the wind with less aerodynamic drag than before the olds gets its power from the latest version of gm's tried and true 3800 series engine improvements to the 3.8 liter v6 raise horsepower to 170 and torque to 220 pound-feet a column mounted shifter controls the smooth four-speed overdrive automatic transmission which is linked to the engine through a single electronic control this combo provides the 88 with epa mileage ratings of 18 city and 28 highway we got a combined average of 24 miles per gallon the quick shifting transmission also enables the power plant to launch the 3 500 pound sedan to 60 miles per hour in 9.5 seconds and end a quarter mile in 16.9 seconds at 82 miles per hour thanks to the optional fe3 suspension system the 88 defies traditional american big car floatiness there's a modicum of front end push into corners and the tail always follows the correct line body roll is moderate the 88 handles very nicely for a full-size sedan even at higher speeds the tail slides only a bit and the body doesn't over tip there was never a time when our test drivers fell out of control combined with good feedback from the power steering system the suspension offers taut handling without sacrificing the comfort associated with a big family car standard on the ls are anti-lock brakes with disc in front and drums at the rear stopping distances from 60 miles per hour averaged a short 120 feet a substantial amount of pedal pulse is felt when the abs is activated after repeated hard stops there was little fade and no pull with all its fine exterior and mechanical attributes we had high hopes for the 88's interior as well the instrument panel a carryover design from the posh 98 is at first glance an efficient driver-oriented design even the plastic wood is better than most a driver's side airbag an option for the last three years is now standard on all 88s the instrument cluster however is barely sufficient but the sparx analog gauges are easy to read the optional digital package is not recommended wide doors make front entry easy and the split bench seat can accommodate three in a pinch seat adjustments are both manual and power with the switches inconveniently located on the front of the seat all 88s have a standard tilt wheel bottom seat cushions are very flat but lower back support is good our biggest problems with this dash layout is the confusing array of buttons that operate the climate controls and stereo there are too many they look alike and they require a stretch to use however other interior amenities like this overhead console and armrest cup holders are excellent designs the glove box is also quite large and hides a lockout switch for the optional remote trunk release the broad rear seat is also quite flat but there is lots of head and leg room the ls includes rear ducts for heat and air conditioning a nice touch the trunk features a lift over that's not quite as low as we'd like while the flat cargo space is slightly larger than before overall the new design of the 1992 olds 88 royal hit us just right we really like the styling comfortable interior good ride and handling combination and the smooth powertrain misses include the confused ventilation and stereo controls just too many buttons the sparse gauge package and the poor placement of the power seat controls the 88 royale's base price is 18 495 dollars with the ls starting at twenty one thousand three hundred ninety five dollars our loaded test car came to twenty three thousand six hundred ninety five dollars not bad for a family sedan with such fine handling and most of the appointments of the flagship 98. apparently buyers agree since early sales of the 88 have taken off oldsmobile's stated aim is to offer family sedan customers the most complete and advanced design at a reasonable price we think the 88 royale is close on target and will go a long way towards restoring oldsmobile's broad popularity foreign [Music] you

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Length: 6min 12sec (372 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 05 2022