1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Sedan Quad4 Test Drive
Yes, 1990 was upon us, and for those wondering what American cars may be like in the last decade of the that millennium, I have for your approbation the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Sedan. It was a car that, at once, affirmed the truth of two aphorisms, namely “nothing is as constant as change,” and “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”
The addition of the 4-door model wasn’t the only change in the Cutlass Supreme line. Equally interesting was the three powertrain choices available. When introduced in 1988, the Cutlass Supreme was equipped with GM’s rather lackluster 2.8-liter V6. That choice had vanished. Instead, the base Cutlass Supreme and the top level International Series were equipped with the Olds Developed 2.3-liter Quad 4 H.O. engine with 5-speed manual transmission, while the mid level SL received a 3.1-liter V6 with 4-speed automatic as its one and only powertrain.
Admittedly the Quad 4 was a pretty decent engine. But that doesn’t mean it belonged din every 4-wheeled conveyance GM built. And it certainly didn’t fit this one. Perhaps someone at Oldsmobile had visions of building and Americanized 535i. That was a laudable endeavor, and nobody should take issue with the attempt. It’s the result you should be concerned about.
So what we had in the Cutlass Supreme 4-door was a car with a high tech engine, attractively contemporary styling, and a large dose of traditional comfort. Despite the H.O. engine and FE3 suspension though, this was no sport sedan. It was, lie Cutlass Supreme’s of old, a superior value in a traditional American family car.
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