This car was so ahead of its time. i remember my best friends mom having a black on black fully loaded model with digital dash. Sexy car that i would still drive today in 2016
I had a friend who's mother had one too when I was like 12. The car had quite a few problems. The 1990 Lexus LS400 was ahead of it's time. This is a joke compare to it.
I genuinely miss Oldsmobile, and Pontiac to an extent. I look at them, Saturn, Mercury and Plymouth as missed opportunities. if they had not been so watered down with rebadged products, they could have been great again.
Saturn never should have been introduced. Everything it tried to do could have been done by Chevrolet and instead it sucked a lot of resources out of Cadillac and Oldsmobile. GM never made a profit with the Saturn division despite all the money they sunk into it.
Damn.. this 26 year old car had a touch screen display and NAV? Impressive. I liked the part where the reviewer spent all of 20 seconds on it and said he hated it. lol.
It wasn't really navigation. It was more like a digital compass. GPS navigation wasn't really adopted in cars in the US still around something like 1998. I believe the first car that had it was 1993 but it was extremely rare and I think it was CD ROM based.
@@CeeStyleDj I went over this was another person three days ago. There was also a gyroscopic nav system in a 1981 Honda... Also a cd rom based nav in 1987...
Years back I worked in a body shop that specialised in American cars,We had a prototype trofeo arrive in a container for a colour change before it went to the Paris motor show,it was pearl white and our task was to strip it and re-paint it Peugeot metallic black,I remember it was very advanced electronically for it's time. It arrived obviously not a complete car and with solid tubing in place of the front springs,but with a guy called Simon from Peugeot UK who literally lived with it,even sleeping at our unit. He mentioned that the reason for the colour change and his chaperone duties was that the big knobs decided that they didn't want to sell pearl white in Europe but the black car, the only other working car which was destined for Paris had been lost, they were determined to have a car there and that this was the only other 'working' one. The car we had wasn't even finished,there were a couple of guys who turned up over a few days tinkering,fitting and adjusting various things in order to make it a sort of fully working car, while there they even had to make from scratch some sort of rudimentary body control module from parts available from places like Maplins etc. just to make the dashboard,light,wipers etc.function,along with bringing trim parts for us to fit during the rebuild,these two guys were from the team that were developing it and had been flown here to the UK specifically for this task. (I've never seen a trofeo in Europe anyway),it was obvious that someone was pulling some serious strings to make it all happen in time and was taking no chances with what was now apparently the only working car.But, how the f**k do you lose a car,especially a prototype, and one of only two? I expect there was some serious ass kicking dished out as a result.
I was thinking the same thing. This car was way before its time. I was truly surprised when they got to a touchscreen and nav system. It may look preliminary but the fact it existed back then at all is truly remarkable. That same style steering wheel was also used in the Cutlass Ciera and the driver side airbag didn't become standard until 1994.
The only thing that let it down was the powertrain... Look, the 3800 is the best V6 that GM ever made perhaps one of the greatest engines of all time... This thing needed the supercharged version so badly. In order to compete with things like the Lexus SC300 or (god forbid) 400, or the Acura Legend coupe, over 200 hp on tap was a must-have. Otherwise the car was badass and so futuristic. I would still rock one today if I could find it in good condition.
Dani D. Funny how you never forget things like that and for the rest of your Like if you ever see that car you’ll always remember that story, I have a similar story with the four-door cutlass supreme
Navigation?! I knew GM was tinkering with a touchscreen CRT back in those days, I remember seeing it in a Buick but i had NO IDEA they had Nav as an option!!! This is why GM will always have a place in my heart, for doing things differently (when allowed by the bean counters).
It wasn't a GPS nav. It just was a compass and distance/speed calculator. But, still quite leading edge for its time. I'd love to pick one of these up in mint condition.
Not bad at all, based off of the suspension off of the c4 corvette, they called it the FE3 package, I've had 7 of them now and they are the best driving cars, so comfortable.
touch screens are horrible in cars. even if they weren't mature then, they aren't now. having literally half a second or more of input latency is unacceptable, but everyone nowadays wants to glue ipads to their dashboards.
I went to buy a new Cadillac in 2014, was looking at the ATS to replace my CTS, and the CUE infotainment system in the ATS was so bad, so laggy and unresponsive I drove down to the BMW dealership and ended up buying a 428i. I LOVE technology, but hate when it's done poorly, and that awful laggy touchscreen in the '14 ATS made switch to the Germans. If you're going to implement tech like this - do it correctly or wait until it can be done correctly. Also, watching this video, that touch screen is more responsive than the one in the Caddy that was 25 years newer.
@@MastersOfMask I had zero issues with my BMW, just like I had zero issues with both of my Caddy's. Anwho how is your 2001 Camry holding up? Still saving up to buy that used 2004 CTS for $3500?
The VIC touchscreen in the Toronado/Trofeo works and responds better than the MyLink touchscreen in my 2016 Chevrolet Impala.....I use to love the Toronado/Trofeo when I was a teenager in the early 90's....The VIC was ahead of its time back then....
I lusted after this car in the ‘90s. I must have read the Toronado brochure 100 times. But I was in my teens at the time. Seeing this retro review now, I find the 1990 Trofeo still absolutely beautiful inside and out. The concealed headlights and those wheels really set it apart .
Oldsmobile had quite a few forward thinking ideas despite its "name", to bad GM cut its wings short in the 90s and killed it off in '04. Pontiac is one I can never forgive GM for killing off.
+TheZProtocol Cadillac is and will always be my number one from GM but Pontiac is my second favorite and especially for the Muscle car era. Such names like the GTO, LeMans, Grand Prix and Bonneville are all done with now sadly. Pontiac was GM's Driving excitement division for many years and it just very sad as the excitement has went away from all the divisions, except for maybe a few models.
Clarence Freeman Don't worry because Ford needs to retain a luxury division. Just like GM needs to retain Cadillac. But there latest cars stink as they are having such a tough time trying to match the productions numbers from the 90s and even the early 2000's of when both Lincoln's and Cadillac's were really selling good. I remember those days and being around lots of them. Now its not the same anymore with either brand.....its a shame.
I looked into it, it was closed under the order of the US government during the bailout process since it was deemed to not be profitable enough to keep around, supposedly at least. As for me, I personally wish they did more back when they had a partnership with Fiat, around 2005, Fiat was using some GM engines, transmissions, and even platforms as a result of this. I mean, GM could have gotten an Alfa Romeo engine exclusive to them before Chrysler lost it and created FCA. It was a missed opportunity if you ask me
This car, in dark blue, I felt was one of the best looking cars they ever made! If I won the lotto I'd get one, swap in an Aurora DOHC 32V and have a set of those wheels made in 18" and upgrade the brakes!
My best friend in highschool drove a Toronado Trofeo that looked exactly like this one. That car was a beast. He put it through hell and it never broke down. Super comfortable on long road trips. He even drove through two foot snow drifts during a blizzard to come pick me up one time. Couldn't stop the Toronado.
had the exact same one back in 91...absolutely loved it, too bad all they make now is family boxes for all those mom's who need to get the brats to soccer practice....miss this and the Riviera
I'd like to see a review for a Buick Riviera T-type. My grandfather had one and it was a very cool car for my then 16 year old self to drive on the weekends. All digital touchscreen audio and climate controls and a badass lime green CRT screen in the middle of the dash!
Was a tech at an Olds dealer when the Trofeo came out. It thrilled all of us. Typical cost new was in low $30's with demographics for buyers whose income was in the $70's. It was a beautiful car and I really wanted one but could not afford it. Finally got a deal on a 1990 model in 1994. It was white with grey interior. It was a trade-in, and sales stole it from the owner due to some mechanical issues. (One of the perks of being a dealer employee was availability to get these deals). Those mechanical issues I was able to get the service manager to work with the factory rep to approve all repairs under warranty (perk of being a tech with good relationship with the rep) I paid $7k for it and basically had it mechanically reconditioned for free, while getting paid to fix it. I bought it with 50,000 miles. When I let it move on to the next owner, the car had logged almost 300k miles on the original engine and transmission. It was a head turner and a lot of fun. Could get 30mpg on the highway if you drove it easy.
I absolutely LOVE these old 80's 90's American cars. What a gorgeous car, even if in the long run is crap. Beautiful. Also, I would love to go to the past and tell MW "yeah... about that. He's our president now..."
+Stephen Bianchi I have respect for MW, they tell it how it is, probably one of the few automotive magazines I still follow. and something better, they listen to the community. These retro reviews are awesome.
GM had a lot of trouble with those CRT touch screens. The bad thing was that if the CRT screen went bad, all your controls such as your heat and air conditioning went with it.
@@Snake-ms7sj some were better than others. I had an '89 Riv that I bought in '07, and it worked great. CRT went out in '12, but touch pad still worked. I relied on printed screen grabs and memory to know where to press to use other functions.
I had a white trofeo with a red leather interior. I loved it. I all ways thought it handled well. And felt quicker than those numbers. Styling was great. I all ways said. If it would have been rear wheel drive. I would still have it. The biggest downside the car had was the master cylinder was combined with the abs. So if you had a bad master cylinder you were advised to replace the whole unit. Which was typically quoted between 17000 and 2200 dollars. In the mid 1990s that was a incredible cost. Nice car other than that. Great styling great ride.
Kevin Olesik I seen some child's guide's to computers from back in the 80's (in fact, one of the Pc's was an IBM-PC, so mid 80's possibly) and they talked about touch screens, so they are pretty old it'd seem
Also in Die Hard there was a part where Bruce Willis dials his name in a touchscreen monitor at the reception of the building where the movie is set, and it was the 1990.
In 02 when I graduated highschool I had one of these, same color, minus the touch screen. Had 83k miles on it and full service history. Parents got it for me...with my money lol
My father had a 91' Trofeo back in the day. I still think it is a great car and ahead of its time with the color VIC touchscreen. At the same time, MW was right on the performance issues. It definitely could've used a supercharger.
+MrHaun For the 91 and 92 models, you can add a supercharger from its Buick counterpart fairly easily, that's what I have planned for my 91 Toronado Trofeo in the future.
Yeah I have it in a portfolio somewhere I think. Just a pen and ink sketch but it was pretty cool. I'll upload it if I can find it. I must have been a senior as I graduated in '90.Redline
My Dad bought a 1991 Toranado. He loved it. I liked the excellent torque the 3.8 had in that car. It handled competently and the stereo (for a factory unit) was very good.
Olds had a phone, touchscreen and navigation in the early 90s... this car was truly ahead of it's time. The legend, es Lexus and maxima had none of those features and offered a smaller engine. Oldsmobile really was the car of the future.
GM should bring back Oldsmobile and the luxury coupe, Oldsmobile Toronado Trofeo. My mom had one in 1992. The information center was made by SONY and called the Visual Information Center (VIC) for short. It was a great car!
If you sat in a comparably priced Acura Legend you would swear the Legend cost three times more. This Trofeo is so cheaply built it's shocking, although the nav, touchscreen and phone were state-of-the-art for the time.
You got to give GM some credit. ABS braking. IRS with better than average handling. A responsive touchscreen with built in cell phone. A bulletproof 3800 and all day long comfortable seats. Meanwhile Chrysler was well still making many variations of the boxy K-car
Incredibly handsome car that's aged really well. Massive vaporwave vibes, while still retaining characteristics of old-school personal luxury yachts. And with the 3.8 L V6, it's powered by a great engine. Automotive design in hindsight is a fascinating phenomenon, this Trofeo still looks crisp and futuristic today, while the similarly ambitious 1995 Aurora feels incredibly dated and late-90s design dark age with its Taurus-esque jellybean design.
+travisp11 It was a 1987 Oldsmobile Toronado, that was the generation before the 90-92 models, but some still consider them in the same generation because of the short lived redesign.
I did not see many of these on the road. Personally love the looks. The tech/touch screen was way ahead of the game. I still prefer non touch screen controls.
that refresh makes it looker closer to the 85 toranado. im surprised it has navi. thought they only started experimenting with navi at GM in 1992. sure would like to know more about it. seems rather cuttting edge tech for 1990
Recently found out Lexus/Toyota had map based navigation only in Japan on the SC 400/ Soarer. It was a crt touch screen; plus it had a built in TV as well. Then it also had the usual stuff CD changer, cassette deck, radio etc... Knew Magellan had hand held GPS units in 1989, but never knew they had the tech to make map based GPS in the same period. Wonder why GM didn't attempt to use map based instead of just a glorified compass?!?
@@raymondturner6784 I would love to get a Grand Prix coupe with the supercharged 3800 Series II (I'm not a GM engine expert, but which ever was the most recent iteration of the supercharged 3800).
I know a lady that drove a 1990 Buick RWD Wagon, she ended up buying a gold Olds Trofeo and loved the car, no complaints. I find Motor Week sometimes like Consumer Reports biased, foreign car oriented. I will always buy an American car regardless !
I had one exactly like this, except I had an optional sunroof. It handled great, but the engine did feel anemic. It did get up to 120 mph and felt smooth and confident. Mine also had C/D player. I loved the space it had. I loved how comfortable it was. I didn't really care for the barrel trunk. I can't remember if it had an electronic antenna, but my 1981 Seville Elegance did, and it was annoying. My only real complaint is that the transmission went out at around 120-125 thousand miles. I did Marvel at how great the dash was. I loved that the auto headlight sensitivity adjuster was called Sentinel. I'd own another one, but make it quicker...
I can't find one single unit of this car for sale in the US at the moment... I've never even heard of the Trofeo trim of the Toranado, which is how GM lists it now.... not sure that's what's being insinuated here, as it seems its own breed. That CRT in the dash, holy cow.... so far ahead of its time... I mean, GM was doing auto dimming mirrors, auto leveling suspension, multi driver memory, steering wheel and pedal adjust, heated and cooled seats, auto headlights, and more since literally at least 96... but this dates further back than I ever knew of... man were they always ahead of the curve.
Really was a beautiful car!! I had two of them (90 and a 92) and they were kept in great shape but they did end up a money pit during the years of my ownership, a typical GM car you could say. But no regrets in the end! Heck I kinda want another one! LOL
![CAMPปลิ้น | EP.77[2/2] "รับทราบ" แก๊งเพื่อนรัก 10 ปี ที่ไปไหนก็มีตำนาน!](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ifc0ofD51B0/mqdefault.jpg)
When a 1990 touchscreen is way more responsive than a 2016...
What's crazy is Buick had touch screens in the 80s!
@@CeeStyleDj Which Buick had a touchscreen in the 80's ?
@@dinopappous6639 The Riviera, the Reatta..maybe more.
At that time GM was ahead of their competitors.
Back when companies cared about Quality over quantity.
One of the prettiest designs GM has ever penned. Very lovely car, even in 2021.
This car was so ahead of its time. i remember my best friends mom having a black on black fully loaded model with digital dash. Sexy car that i would still drive today in 2016
I had a friend who's mother had one too when I was like 12. The car had quite a few problems. The 1990 Lexus LS400 was ahead of it's time. This is a joke compare to it.
My mom has an 88' black one with digital dash. Insurance company told my parents I couldn't drive it.
A friend of mine's mom had one also and I remember liking the way the exhaust sounded.
FTN PPG Far from a joke. Lexus sucks.
@@JSmith-zr2ve Yet magically a lot more are still running
I genuinely miss Oldsmobile, and Pontiac to an extent. I look at them, Saturn, Mercury and Plymouth as missed opportunities. if they had not been so watered down with rebadged products, they could have been great again.
John Roberts it’s a shame they were killed off...
Saturn never should have been introduced. Everything it tried to do could have been done by Chevrolet and instead it sucked a lot of resources out of Cadillac and Oldsmobile. GM never made a profit with the Saturn division despite all the money they sunk into it.
I really like the Aurora’s and the LSS
OK Boomer
@@0utc4st1985 Exactly!! Although one has to admit the Saturn Sky Redline is still cool everytime I see one of those rollin around.
Man. It's hard to believe they already had touch screen radio/climate control and even hands free cellphone dialing in 1990!
+Trance88 it was earlier than that, too! 1989 Buick Reatta had it! those darn computers are so fancy
It started in 1983
@@peter455sd I thought an '82 model year GM car had it, but I forgot which one.
@@twiff3rino28 It was an expensive option in the 1982 Riviera
Nobody talked on the phone while driving. It was awesome.
At that time the 3800 motor got 30+ MPG many times from most all my customer's testimonials. Without a doubt one of the best motors GM ever made.
Don't know about the other years but the 1992 3.8 was so good it didn't even need EGR.
3800, 3.8, Turbo 6, whatever you call it, it's an awesome motor. I love it.
That's Why The 3800 & 3800 Supercharged Versions Are Gone, Over 30MPG & Hard To Break
That 3.8L V6 was a fantastic engine. Powerful, yet efficient. I had an ‘86 Oldsmobile Delta 88 with that engine, and it was excellent.
I wonder how it would be Turbo charged 🤔
@@Cmobley_ they made then with blowers
@@Cmobley_ Grand National (GNX) was the first 3800 to have a turbo charger.
unkillable.
Damn.. this 26 year old car had a touch screen display and NAV? Impressive. I liked the part where the reviewer spent all of 20 seconds on it and said he hated it. lol.
diablomix yeah he just skipped over it like it was nothing
NAV in the Trofeo was just a compass I think. Still, impressive.
It wasn't really navigation. It was more like a digital compass. GPS navigation wasn't really adopted in cars in the US still around something like 1998. I believe the first car that had it was 1993 but it was extremely rare and I think it was CD ROM based.
What's crazy is Buick had touchscreens in the 1980s before this car!
@@CeeStyleDj I went over this was another person three days ago. There was also a gyroscopic nav system in a 1981 Honda...
Also a cd rom based nav in 1987...
Years back I worked in a body shop that specialised in American cars,We had a prototype trofeo arrive in a container for a colour change before it went to the Paris motor show,it was pearl white and our task was to strip it and re-paint it Peugeot metallic black,I remember it was very advanced electronically for it's time. It arrived obviously not a complete car and with solid tubing in place of the front springs,but with a guy called Simon from Peugeot UK who literally lived with it,even sleeping at our unit. He mentioned that the reason for the colour change and his chaperone duties was that the big knobs decided that they didn't want to sell pearl white in Europe but the black car, the only other working car which was destined for Paris had been lost, they were determined to have a car there and that this was the only other 'working' one. The car we had wasn't even finished,there were a couple of guys who turned up over a few days tinkering,fitting and adjusting various things in order to make it a sort of fully working car, while there they even had to make from scratch some sort of rudimentary body control module from parts available from places like Maplins etc. just to make the dashboard,light,wipers etc.function,along with bringing trim parts for us to fit during the rebuild,these two guys were from the team that were developing it and had been flown here to the UK specifically for this task. (I've never seen a trofeo in Europe anyway),it was obvious that someone was pulling some serious strings to make it all happen in time and was taking no chances with what was now apparently the only working car.But, how the f**k do you lose a car,especially a prototype, and one of only two? I expect there was some serious ass kicking dished out as a result.
God damn. Touch screen, SatNav, and car phone. This car was decades ahead of its time.
I was thinking the same thing. This car was way before its time. I was truly surprised when they got to a touchscreen and nav system. It may look preliminary but the fact it existed back then at all is truly remarkable. That same style steering wheel was also used in the Cutlass Ciera and the driver side airbag didn't become standard until 1994.
The only thing that let it down was the powertrain... Look, the 3800 is the best V6 that GM ever made perhaps one of the greatest engines of all time... This thing needed the supercharged version so badly. In order to compete with things like the Lexus SC300 or (god forbid) 400, or the Acura Legend coupe, over 200 hp on tap was a must-have. Otherwise the car was badass and so futuristic. I would still rock one today if I could find it in good condition.
And so is the. BUICK. REVERIA. * HAVE BUICK *. WILL. TRAVEL THE. POPE-MOBILE-. $. BUICKS. $
Interestingly, Oldsmobile served as GM's test division for new technologies.
@@DCLT05 Just found a grey '90 Trofeo last week on Marketplace for $500 and looking for a Supercharged L67 3800 right now to swap in lol.
This car was ahead of it's time. My brand new car doesn't have a lot of these options. American cars had a lot of cool features back in the day !
An old lady across the street when I was a kid had one and my friends accidently broke her drivers side window playing baseball.
Dani D. Funny how you never forget things like that and for the rest of your Like if you ever see that car you’ll always remember that story, I have a similar story with the four-door cutlass supreme
Navigation?! I knew GM was tinkering with a touchscreen CRT back in those days, I remember seeing it in a Buick but i had NO IDEA they had Nav as an option!!! This is why GM will always have a place in my heart, for doing things differently (when allowed by the bean counters).
It wasn't a GPS nav. It just was a compass and distance/speed calculator. But, still quite leading edge for its time. I'd love to pick one of these up in mint condition.
What a beautiful car inside and out. Love the taillights and that front end, not to mention that Cadillac Cue v1.0.
damn! I want that CRT double din radio! with the optional telephone! so 80's
such a gorgeous car!!!! have always loved the 90s trofeos and buick rivs
I agree. The front kind of reminds me of the upper trim level Soliad Wendovers.
Easily one of the most beautiful cars I have ever seen, ever. Absolutely stunning design! They truly don't make em' like this anymore....
Donald Trump jokes before they were overplayed and mainstream. Ahead of the curve again, MW.
Spot on. Lol
+cptnoremac Nobody watched Moronweek in the 90s, and nobody does today either! I'm headin over to Motor Trend !
+President DonaldJTrump Can't tell if troll or actual Trump supporter...which makes sense, they're pretty hard to tell apart.
+President DonaldJTrump Made my fucking day. Vote earned.
lol
"creditable"?? I thought he was trying to say "credible" , I looked it up and he is correct! Its a word haha.
love that console cell phone way ahead of its time. Plus touch screen amazing. Hell even remote entry and trunk.
4:20 that’s a badass sounding stock exhaust
GM has that in a lot of cars. Had an ‘86 Pontiac 6000 STE with the 2.8l six. It had a great sound like that too.
I said same thing🦻🦻
I like how the operator stopped changing radio stations when he got to Queen at 2:52.
Independent suspension in the early 90's?
not bad GM
Not bad at all, based off of the suspension off of the c4 corvette, they called it the FE3 package, I've had 7 of them now and they are the best driving cars, so comfortable.
Lol.. looks at 1970s Nissans and Mercs with IRS
I’m guessing you mean “for an American car” 🤔
GM had it WAY before that, on the Corvette is 1963 and on the Pontiac Tempest (along with a rear transaxle) in 1961.
Ford's FWD cars Escort and larger were all IRS.
Should ask your staff members if they are still bothered by touch screens in their car.
Immature technology. Go use a touch screen made before 2010 (other than Apple) and try not to rage quit.
touch screens are horrible in cars. even if they weren't mature then, they aren't now. having literally half a second or more of input latency is unacceptable, but everyone nowadays wants to glue ipads to their dashboards.
I went to buy a new Cadillac in 2014, was looking at the ATS to replace my CTS, and the CUE infotainment system in the ATS was so bad, so laggy and unresponsive I drove down to the BMW dealership and ended up buying a 428i. I LOVE technology, but hate when it's done poorly, and that awful laggy touchscreen in the '14 ATS made switch to the Germans. If you're going to implement tech like this - do it correctly or wait until it can be done correctly. Also, watching this video, that touch screen is more responsive than the one in the Caddy that was 25 years newer.
@@rodmunch69 and where is your bimmer now? Atleast the ATS is more reliable than your BMW. Lol, from bad to worst.
@@MastersOfMask I had zero issues with my BMW, just like I had zero issues with both of my Caddy's. Anwho how is your 2001 Camry holding up? Still saving up to buy that used 2004 CTS for $3500?
Bought one in 1996, fully loaded with the screen. Bright red on black leather. People just looked at it awe. Fun car
The VIC touchscreen in the Toronado/Trofeo works and responds better than the MyLink touchscreen in my 2016 Chevrolet Impala.....I use to love the Toronado/Trofeo when I was a teenager in the early 90's....The VIC was ahead of its time back then....
This car was sporting touch screen before the cars today where even a thought
I lusted after this car in the ‘90s. I must have read the Toronado brochure 100 times. But I was in my teens at the time. Seeing this retro review now, I find the 1990 Trofeo still absolutely beautiful inside and out. The concealed headlights and those wheels really set it apart .
Touchscreen, Trump jokes... What is this, 2016?!
TheLaXandro only 26 years before. Motorweek, been in 2016 long before the rest of the world lol
They even knew back then tht frump is nothing but a pun.
Got one thing right guy is all about one person himself
@@EndeavorsDnB BLM is domestic terrorism.
@@EndeavorsDnB "F" the democrats!
I love this car, I have 2 1991 with less than 110k on one and 150k on another..still awesome car
Orlando Hillard does it have the touchscreen?
Probably the best looking American luxury coupe from the 90's.
I also like the last Lincoln Mark series. I think it was 8.
Oldsmobile had quite a few forward thinking ideas despite its "name", to bad GM cut its wings short in the 90s and killed it off in '04. Pontiac is one I can never forgive GM for killing off.
and I think the same about Ford canning Mercury
+TheZProtocol Cadillac is and will always be my number one from GM but Pontiac is my second favorite and especially for the Muscle car era. Such names like the GTO, LeMans, Grand Prix and Bonneville are all done with now sadly. Pontiac was GM's Driving excitement division for many years and it just very sad as the excitement has went away from all the divisions, except for maybe a few models.
And if Ford cans Lincoln, I have lost every ounce of respect for Ford
Clarence Freeman Don't worry because Ford needs to retain a luxury division. Just like GM needs to retain Cadillac. But there latest cars stink as they are having such a tough time trying to match the productions numbers from the 90s and even the early 2000's of when both Lincoln's and Cadillac's were really selling good. I remember those days and being around lots of them. Now its not the same anymore with either brand.....its a shame.
I looked into it, it was closed under the order of the US government during the bailout process since it was deemed to not be profitable enough to keep around, supposedly at least. As for me, I personally wish they did more back when they had a partnership with Fiat, around 2005, Fiat was using some GM engines, transmissions, and even platforms as a result of this. I mean, GM could have gotten an Alfa Romeo engine exclusive to them before Chrysler lost it and created FCA. It was a missed opportunity if you ask me
GM had some danged nice cars from the late 80's through he early 90's. This is one of my faves. The Reatta and the Allante also come to mind
This car, in dark blue, I felt was one of the best looking cars they ever made! If I won the lotto I'd get one, swap in an Aurora DOHC 32V and have a set of those wheels made in 18" and upgrade the brakes!
The dark blue was the paint option dubbed "very dark sapphire" that's what color my car is painted.
My best friend in highschool drove a Toronado Trofeo that looked exactly like this one. That car was a beast. He put it through hell and it never broke down. Super comfortable on long road trips. He even drove through two foot snow drifts during a blizzard to come pick me up one time. Couldn't stop the Toronado.
had the exact same one back in 91...absolutely loved it, too bad all they make now is family boxes for all those mom's who need to get the brats to soccer practice....miss this and the Riviera
Wow!! This Oldsmobile was way ahead of its time with the tech they use now 2020!!
The 3800 was a very dependable engine
I'd like to see a review for a Buick Riviera T-type. My grandfather had one and it was a very cool car for my then 16 year old self to drive on the weekends. All digital touchscreen audio and climate controls and a badass lime green CRT screen in the middle of the dash!
travisp11 I second that request!!!!!!
Was a tech at an Olds dealer when the Trofeo came out. It thrilled all of us. Typical cost new was in low $30's with demographics for buyers whose income was in the $70's. It was a beautiful car and I really wanted one but could not afford it. Finally got a deal on a 1990 model in 1994. It was white with grey interior. It was a trade-in, and sales stole it from the owner due to some mechanical issues. (One of the perks of being a dealer employee was availability to get these deals). Those mechanical issues I was able to get the service manager to work with the factory rep to approve all repairs under warranty (perk of being a tech with good relationship with the rep) I paid $7k for it and basically had it mechanically reconditioned for free, while getting paid to fix it. I bought it with 50,000 miles. When I let it move on to the next owner, the car had logged almost 300k miles on the original engine and transmission. It was a head turner and a lot of fun. Could get 30mpg on the highway if you drove it easy.
I absolutely LOVE these old 80's 90's American cars. What a gorgeous car, even if in the long run is crap. Beautiful. Also, I would love to go to the past and tell MW "yeah... about that. He's our president now..."
Touch screen in 1990 car omg!
The first was the Riviera in 1983
Thank you for uploading this, I'm glad my request was filled, best company ever!
I see someone thanking MW for taking their request on EVERY video. Props to them. Interesting car...
+Stephen Bianchi I have respect for MW, they tell it how it is, probably one of the few automotive magazines I still follow. and something better, they listen to the community. These retro reviews are awesome.
@@jalopyjustinnot always
A CRT touchscreen? In 1990? The more you know...
GM had a lot of trouble with those CRT touch screens. The bad thing was that if the CRT screen went bad, all your controls such as your heat and air conditioning went with it.
And knowing is half the battle......G.I.JOOOOEEEEE
Buick had the CRT touch screen first with the 1988 Reatta... but it was a classic CRT with the green on black colour scheme.
@@Snake-ms7sj some were better than others. I had an '89 Riv that I bought in '07, and it worked great. CRT went out in '12, but touch pad still worked. I relied on printed screen grabs and memory to know where to press to use other functions.
I had a white trofeo with a red leather interior. I loved it. I all ways thought it handled well. And felt quicker than those numbers. Styling was great. I all ways said. If it would have been rear wheel drive. I would still have it.
The biggest downside the car had was the master cylinder was combined with the abs. So if you had a bad master cylinder you were advised to replace the whole unit. Which was typically quoted between 17000 and 2200 dollars. In the mid 1990s that was a incredible cost. Nice car other than that. Great styling great ride.
Beamng soliad wendover became so popular they made it into a real thing
i cant beleive they had touch screen back then !
Kevin Olesik I seen some child's guide's to computers from back in the 80's (in fact, one of the Pc's was an IBM-PC, so mid 80's possibly) and they talked about touch screens, so they are pretty old it'd seem
Also in Die Hard there was a part where Bruce Willis dials his name in a touchscreen monitor at the reception of the building where the movie is set, and it was the 1990.
Even Apple IIs could be made touch screen with a light pen.
In 02 when I graduated highschool I had one of these, same color, minus the touch screen. Had 83k miles on it and full service history. Parents got it for me...with my money lol
Awesome coin/cup holder.
My father had a 91' Trofeo back in the day. I still think it is a great car and ahead of its time with the color VIC touchscreen. At the same time, MW was right on the performance issues. It definitely could've used a supercharger.
+MrHaun For the 91 and 92 models, you can add a supercharger from its Buick counterpart fairly easily, that's what I have planned for my 91 Toronado Trofeo in the future.
Always loved that car immensely.
I'm one of the rare folks that loved loved loved the smaller '86-'99 models. Fit me like a glove
I had the privilege of riding in one, the car had a smooth ride and felt it had good engine power. I was impressed with the touch screen too.
Had a 1968 Toronado 455 and that thing was crazy. When they changed that body style in 1971 they made a big mistake!
That touch screen is awesome
I drew a picture of this car in high school art class.
+BWX Still have it today?
Yeah I have it in a portfolio somewhere I think. Just a pen and ink sketch but it was pretty cool. I'll upload it if I can find it. I must have been a senior as I graduated in '90.Redline
+BWX awesome, hope you find ot, I would love to see it
This came up as a recommended video. The song from the commercial for this car instantly popped in my head.
I'm not gonna lie for 1990 this is pretty damn cool!
I owned this exact same car! Was an awesome ride and very dependable. Although in time there were electrical issues with the dash gauges.
Hands free mobile phone almost 20 years before Ford offered SYNC. This car was ahead of its time on so many levels.
Damn that car's trunk lid is bigger than most car hoods now
that nav is the coolest thing i've ever seen
Damn, mentioning 45 almost ruined the car for me.
But that visual information center got me back on ebay shopping for one.
Surprised to see touch screens like that, that only became popular this decade! I wonder if it broke down a lot
Yes it was infamously failure prone.
Not really trouble prone. It's Just back then the old farts who bought cars like this didn't care for it.
Very trouble prone, I have probably spent more money fixing the one on my Reatta than oil changes.
Not failure prone at all, I have two Trofeos with the VIC system and both are working perfectly, even after 20+ years.
i owned one and never had an issue.
My Dad bought a 1991 Toranado. He loved it. I liked the excellent torque the 3.8 had in that car. It handled competently and the stereo (for a factory unit) was very good.
torch screen. Mobile phones. Donald Trump. In 1990.
Think about that hear.
Donald Trump was well on his way to bring the poorest man in America by net worth at the time this was filmed.
Bartonovich52, MRT
Back to the safe space now liberals.
Aman All three of you give it a rest.
@@Tyrone181 Thats what i was asking for.
I'm slayed
Olds had a phone, touchscreen and navigation in the early 90s... this car was truly ahead of it's time. The legend, es Lexus and maxima had none of those features and offered a smaller engine. Oldsmobile really was the car of the future.
huh, the car the Soliad Wendover was based on looks great!
That's for this great classic upload motorweek!
GM should bring back Oldsmobile and the luxury coupe, Oldsmobile Toronado Trofeo. My mom had one in 1992. The information center was made by SONY and called the Visual Information Center (VIC) for short. It was a great car!
awesome sat-nav! that interior and the seats looked knackered already though..
My grandpa loved the toronado, it was his dream car. Unfortunately, he passed away in 97. I’ve been thinking of buying one in honor of him.
If you sat in a comparably priced Acura Legend you would swear the Legend cost three times more. This Trofeo is so cheaply built it's shocking, although the nav, touchscreen and phone were state-of-the-art for the time.
You got to give GM some credit. ABS braking. IRS with better than average handling. A responsive touchscreen with built in cell phone. A bulletproof 3800 and all day long comfortable seats. Meanwhile Chrysler was well still making many variations of the boxy K-car
Incredibly handsome car that's aged really well. Massive vaporwave vibes, while still retaining characteristics of old-school personal luxury yachts. And with the 3.8 L V6, it's powered by a great engine.
Automotive design in hindsight is a fascinating phenomenon, this Trofeo still looks crisp and futuristic today, while the similarly ambitious 1995 Aurora feels incredibly dated and late-90s design dark age with its Taurus-esque jellybean design.
A touch screen, hideaway lights, Nav, and a 3800. That’s cool!
This car was ahead of its time.
That engine is legendary in Australia!!!
Man this reminds me of my buick reatta, love it
In the epic skater flick "Gleaming the Cube", I think the main cop flogged one of these. I think it was the first time I saw one.
+travisp11 It was a 1987 Oldsmobile Toronado, that was the generation before the 90-92 models, but some still consider them in the same generation because of the short lived redesign.
travisp11 OMG! Thank you lol. I think about that movie every time I see one of these and C4 Corvettes lol
Never ever knew the name of the movie, even while watching it lmao
I still would love to have one. Gorgeous!
I did not see many of these on the road. Personally love the looks. The tech/touch screen was way ahead of the game. I still prefer non touch screen controls.
that refresh makes it looker closer to the 85 toranado. im surprised it has navi. thought they only started experimenting with navi at GM in 1992. sure would like to know more about it. seems rather cuttting edge tech for 1990
Yeah what is this gimmick?
The keyless entry caught me off guard.
@Terrence Gold the navi was only a glorified compass, cool nevertheless.
The navigation was simply a digital compass
Recently found out Lexus/Toyota had map based navigation only in Japan on the SC 400/ Soarer. It was a crt touch screen; plus it had a built in TV as well. Then it also had the usual stuff CD changer, cassette deck, radio etc... Knew Magellan had hand held GPS units in 1989, but never knew they had the tech to make map based GPS in the same period. Wonder why GM didn't attempt to use map based instead of just a glorified compass?!?
That touchscreen is AWESOME!
Love the jacket John!!! Rock'n it!
That exhaust was actually nice and raspy. I don't know if that was from using a quality mic or what, but it was nice.
GM v6s tend to sound raspy. I had a Gran Prix 3800 that growled.
They sounded like the video. I had one this same year and color, just my had a sunroof
@@raymondturner6784 I would love to get a Grand Prix coupe with the supercharged 3800 Series II (I'm not a GM engine expert, but which ever was the most recent iteration of the supercharged 3800).
Great Car. Would have been nice to have one back in the day.
I know a lady that drove a 1990 Buick RWD Wagon, she ended up buying a gold Olds Trofeo and loved the car, no complaints. I find Motor Week sometimes like Consumer Reports biased, foreign car oriented. I will always buy an American car regardless !
I had one exactly like this, except I had an optional sunroof. It handled great, but the engine did feel anemic. It did get up to 120 mph and felt smooth and confident. Mine also had C/D player. I loved the space it had. I loved how comfortable it was. I didn't really care for the barrel trunk. I can't remember if it had an electronic antenna, but my 1981 Seville Elegance did, and it was annoying. My only real complaint is that the transmission went out at around 120-125 thousand miles. I did Marvel at how great the dash was. I loved that the auto headlight sensitivity adjuster was called Sentinel. I'd own another one, but make it quicker...
I had one of these for my first car in 2006 and I miss it so damn much!!
I can't find one single unit of this car for sale in the US at the moment... I've never even heard of the Trofeo trim of the Toranado, which is how GM lists it now.... not sure that's what's being insinuated here, as it seems its own breed. That CRT in the dash, holy cow.... so far ahead of its time... I mean, GM was doing auto dimming mirrors, auto leveling suspension, multi driver memory, steering wheel and pedal adjust, heated and cooled seats, auto headlights, and more since literally at least 96... but this dates further back than I ever knew of... man were they always ahead of the curve.
2:52 - Somebody to Love - Queen!!!!!
Damn, this is the ford connect system in the 80's
So sharp...I even loved the previous year model which they dissed
Really a good looking car.. Specially the big, twice the average, long trunk. "Concludes rather than just end", a nice description.
Really was a beautiful car!! I had two of them (90 and a 92) and they were kept in great shape but they did end up a money pit during the years of my ownership, a typical GM car you could say. But no regrets in the end! Heck I kinda want another one! LOL
Love the proportions, but a touch screen crt with the early graphics is amazing!!!
If it lasted a few more years we would have seen it get a L67 in it. Would have been a nice sounding car in the 1/4 mile test.
really sexy looking car back in the 1990s, and even more so today! would love to find a pristine, low-mileage G-body trofeo or buick riv
No such thing as a G body Toronado or Riviera... They were E bodies and FWD.
One of my friends had one of these.
It was a very unique car.
That CRT touchscreen is as responsive as the UConnect screen in my 17 Ram. That’s very impressive!
Awesome, thanks for uploading this! Now I want one. Please upload the Aurora next!
+Schaefft I second this
Third
Why do I always encounter you on old Motorweek videos, Rico?