Gone, And Sorely Missed: 1988 Oldsmobile Toronado vs 2001 Saturn SW2

Good morning! Today we’re looking at cars from two dead GM brands that will have you asking, “Why couldn’t they have killed off Buick instead?” They’re not very similar cars, but they both represent what each of their brands did best.

Yesterday, we looked at a couple of little stickshift stuff-haulers, one that’s a secret Toyota and one that’s a secret Mitsubishi. It’s hard to beat something with as much Corolla DNA in it as that Geo has, and I figured it would take the win. Early-mid 1990s Corollas and Prizms might just be the best cheap beaters out there, as long as you can avoid rust.

But I’ve already had that Prizm’s predecessor (a 1987 Nova hatch) and successor (a 1995 Corolla), so I would choose the Eagle Summit, just for a different experience. Besides, it’s purple, one of the few car colors I’ve never owned.

The full list of General Motors brand names is an eye-opener, even if you think you know them all. Some are barely remembered at all, while others are still mourned by fans to this day. Oldsmobile’s demise in 2004 was an especially hard pill to swallow, considering it began in 1897, and made a name for itself in performance car circles several times. And poor Saturn, begun as a completely independent arm of GM to build “A Different Kind Of Car,” eventually ended up as another exercise in badge-engineering before falling victim to the post-bankruptcy reorganization. Today, we’re going to look at one of each division’s greatest hits. Here they are.

1988 Oldsmobile Toronado – $3,650

Engine/drivetrain: 3.8-liter overhead valve V6, four-speed automatic, FWD

Location: Pahrump, NV

Odometer reading: 113,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

The Oldsmobile Toronado lasted twenty-six years, and never varied from its mission as a cool, stylish front-wheel-drive personal luxury coupe. It gave the middle finger to the malaise era, weathered the Brougham years with more dignity than a lot of other cars, and bowed out before Oldsmobile had a chance to ruin the formula. This final-generation Toronado is a sleek, trim, and highly underrated car.

The original Toronado broke the mold with its front-wheel-drive design, but by the time this one was built, most cars were FWD. It shares its platform with the full-size H-body sedans, including its Buick 3800 V6 and 4T60 automatic transmission. It’s a proven drivetrain with a reputation for durability and reliability. This one has had only one owner, who kept it in excellent condition until they passed away recently. It has only 113,000 miles on it, and it runs and drives great.

It looks practically new inside; someone really did take care of this car. 1988 was right in the middle of GM’s “Button Era” of interior design. Look at all those tiny square buttons on the stereo and HVAC system. The fancier Trofeo model of the Toronado used a CRT touchscreen like its Buick Riviera cousin, but personally I’d rather have the buttons. I also love that basket-handle shifter. If you must have an automatic, you should at least have a cool way to put it in gear.

I’ve always liked the style of this era Toronado; it’s well-proportioned and a good size. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen one with a landau top, like so many Rivieras and Cadillac Eldorados of this era had. The hidden headlights are also a nice touch. This one is as clean and shiny as you could hope for, but the aftermarket wire wheels don’t do it any favors, in my view. Your mileage may vary, of course.

2001 Saturn SW2 – $2,200

Engine/drivetrain: 1.9-liter dual overhead cam inline 4, four-speed automatic, FWD

Location: Riverside, CA

Odometer reading: 171,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

Fun fact: Saturn was founded on the day I turned twelve, January 7, 1985. It was created as a completely separate company from General Motors, with its own car designs, its own factory, its own dealers – everything. This bold idea built up a lot of expectations for the cars, which finally arrived for the 1991 model year, and as it turns out, they were pretty good. The basic design was refined over two generations and eleven years before being replaced with the Ion, which marked the end of Saturn’s independence from the GM mothership.

The second-generation S series came in three body styles and two trim levels. This is an SW2, meaning S series, Wagon, level 2. It has Saturn’s 1.9 liter twin-cam “Power Module” (why they couldn’t just call it an engine, I don’t know) and a four-speed automatic. Saturn engines and transmissions proved to be reliable, if a bit thrashy and prone to oil consumption. This one has 171,000 miles, and the seller says it’s a strong runner that just passed a smog test.

Saturn interiors are, let’s say, uninspiring but functional. This one looks pretty good inside, and since it’s an SW2, it has all the power goodies that were available. The cloth seats are in good shape, and everything is nice and clean. Having owned a Saturn SC1 from this era, though, I can practically feel that cheap Fisher-Price grade plastic through this photo.

The wagon is far and away the best of the three Saturn body styles. The coupe has terrible outward visibility, and the sedan is boring. The wagon looks a little funky, because it uses the same rear doors as the sedan, but it’s distinctive-looking, and practical. I find it amusing that the seller mentions that it has no dings or dents; of course it doesn’t. It’s a Saturn. All the vertical body surfaces are plastic, and bounce back if you hit them.

I suppose the behemoth that was General Motors in the mid 2000s was too big to sustain itself without shedding some brands, but Oldsmobile was always cooler than Buick, and Saturn was really on to something for a while. These were both good cars that deserved proper successors, but it wasn’t meant to be. But hey, we still have these two. So what do you think – personal luxury coupe, or efficient little wagon?