First Gen Q, Last Gen Oldsmobile?

[Jesda]

Been driving around, and from far away I confused a last-gen 1999 Olds Eighty Eight with a first-gen 1990 Q45.

Front of the 1999 Eighty Eight:

Front of the 90 Q45:

Rear of the 1999 Eighty Eight:

Rear of the 90 Q45:

Oldsmobile Logo:

Infiniti Logo:

The similarities are even more striking (frightening?) in person. Anyone notice this or am I just nuts?

-Jesda

[j30t]

usually i confuse the older maximas with the Q when i see the rear of the car.

[911/Q45]

Notify "The X Files" immediately!

[Rex]

A large NICO banner on the Q and AARP on the Olds would clear that up

[Jesda]

LOL!

Actually I almost bought a 94 Olds 88 "LSS" edition because it was so cheap. Nice steering wheel radio/AC controls, but the climate controls on the dash were a nightmare to figure out. Average looking car overall, but drove beautifully for a FWD V6. Handled, rode, and braked quite well. A 7.3/10 overall. GM's 3800 series engine is s freaking smooth and quiet.

-Jesda

[Stoneage_Turbo]

i confuse a 90s 240 and a 1 gen q from back quite often at night the tailights are almost identical , as for the nose crown vics and qs are pretty close at night

[BadQ45t]

I rent Buick Century's all the time from Avis when I travel. Avis only has GM cars for the most part, so I get Buick Century, Olds Alerio, Chevy Malibu, and Saturn L200.

The Buick is such a boat it isn't even funny. When people acuse the 2nd gen Q of being a Buick, they clearly have not driven one lately. I cannot tell you how many times getting onto the freeway or on a freeway transistion I nearly run these things off the road, they handle like crap. The Olds is actually the best of the bunch, I assume it will become a Chevy at the end of the Olds name (which is slated to die this year). Finally, I saved the worst for last, the Chevy Malibu, the "car we knew America could build" was their slogan. My god, the designers and engineers that worked on this car should hang their heads in shame. Have they not driven a Nissan Maxima/Altima, Honda Accord, or Toyota Camry????? This is by far the worst piece of workmanship I've experienced since my mom wanted an AMC Pacer in 1977.

All in all, if I was sentenced by a court of law to drive a GM car (and not a vet) the Olds is the only possible player, but man it ain't no Q.

[g35driver]

The car I drove before bought my G was the 1998 Oldsmobile Aurora V8. To me it seems to have something in common with Infiniti. It looked very different and was a smooth driving car as long at you weren't on a twisty road. What I think killed the car was the 250 hp front wheel drive platform. If olds would have bump the hp to over 300, put a manual 6 speed trans, turned all the wheels or just the back, and fixed the seats so you wouldn't slide to the left or right in turns it would have been the car of choice. Opps, I think I just describe some of the Q45 characteristics. Well, the car did get me to point a to b. I loved the lighted buttons on the steering wheel.Kev...

[EWT]

The car I drove before bought my G was the 1998 Oldsmobile Aurora V8. To me it seems to have something in common with Infiniti. It looked very different and was a smooth driving car as long at you weren't on a twisty road. What I think killed the car was the 250 hp front wheel drive platform. If olds would have bump the hp to over 300, put a manual 6 speed trans, turned all the wheels or just the back, and fixed the seats so you wouldn't slide to the left or right in turns it would have been the car of choice. Opps, I think I just describe some of the Q45 characteristics. Well, the car did get me to point a to b. I loved the lighted buttons on the steering wheel.Kev...

I made the mistake of buying a 96 Aurora in between Q #1 and Q #2 because my dad offered it to me for such a cheap price. It is a decent highway cruiser, and the motor is actually nicer than the Q motor in some respects (much better low end grunt), but it felt like the Queen Mary on a twisty road. It felt like it weighed 800 lbs. more than the Q even though they are very similar in weight. A handling oriented car it isn't. Add to that a major mechanical problem a month, and buying Q #2 after 18 months of ownership wasn't a difficult decision.

The car I sometimes confuse with 90-93 Q45s are Crown Victorias of mid 90s vintage. The headlights look very similar from a distance.

[greg_atlanta]

I rent Buick Century's all the time from Avis when I travel...... The Buick is such a boat it isn't even funny. When people acuse the 2nd gen Q of being a Buick, they clearly have not driven one lately. I cannot tell you how many times getting onto the freeway or on a freeway transistion I nearly run these things off the road, they handle like crap.

I had a LeSabre as last rental car and noticed same thing.... just kinda wanders around the highway. The steering is more a suggestion than a command.

Before that I had Pontiac Bonneville -- a lot better.

The one nice thing I can say about both of them is that they do coast nicely. Just let off the throttle and it keeps on rolling forever. Takes some getting used to.......