Oldsmobile Alero comes in two-door coupe and four-door sedan body styles. Each is available in three trim levels, GX, GL, and GLS. Sedan prices: GX ($17,210); GL ($18,620); GLS ($21,965). Coupe prices are nearly identical.For 2002, a new four-cylinder engine comes standard on GX and GL models. Designed by GM and Lotus, the all-aluminum 2.2-liter dual overhead-cam engine delivers significantly improved fuel economy (3 mpg) over the previous four-cylinder engine. A 170-horsepower 3.4-liter V6 is optional on the GL ($655) and standard on the top-of-the-line GLS.
All Aleros come standard with a four-speed automatic transmission. However, a five-speed manual transmission is an option for GX and GL2 trim levels, giving the buyer a $785 credit by opting out of the automatic.
Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS comes standard along with traction control.
A Performance Suspension Package ($250) is available for GLS models that includes a sports suspension, high-performance tires. GLS models come standard with 16-inch alloy wheels.
The Alero sedan competes with the Mazda 626, Toyota Camry, Ford Taurus, Chrysler Sebring, Honda Accord, Volkswagen Jetta, and Nissan Altima.