1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette Review

The upscale Silhouette is Oldsmobile's answer to Chrysler's luxurious Town & Country minivan.

The $24,410-to-$31,000 Silhouette trumps the Town & Country for 1999 because the top-line Premier Edition model has an integrated video entertainment system for rear-seat passengers.

The system includes a small television monitor that folds down from the ceiling, a VCR in the floor console and separate controls that allow passengers to switch between CD, cassette tape, AM/FM stereo and videotape.

The $31,000 Premier thus is a rolling entertainment center. For instance, parents can listen to music up front and the kids in back can watch a movie.

Of course, the system has absolutely nothing to do with how the Silhouette performs. But items like it help sell lots of minivans--just as extra doors on pickup trucks draw customers who normally buy cars.

As for doors, the Silhouette offers plenty. It comes with standard dual sliding side doors, besides conventional front doors. A power sliding right-side door is available--and handy for drivers who don't want to walk around the vehicle to close that door.

The big rear hatch works smoothly and has a low, wide opening to enhance loading. A sturdy strap helps one slam it shut.

The Silhouette is a hit. Sales rose from 24,615 units in 1997 to 36,100 last year--and are projected to easily top the 1998 figure this year.

The Silhouette comes in base GL and higher-line GS, GLS and Premiere Edition trim. There are two body lengths, with the GS the only short, 112-inch-wheelbase model. The extended-length, 120-inch-wheelbase version offers above-average cargo space with the third seat in its normal position. Even the base model is well-equipped, and the top-line Premier Edition is loaded with comfort and convenience equipment. Its standard, sensitive traction control system allows better grip on slippery roads.

The Silhouette seats seven or eight people. Front seats in the Premier Edition that I tested are big and comfortable, with good side support. Other seats are set a bit low and aren't as comfortable.

There is plenty of aisle space to walk from the front to the back, although the manual controls for the rear windows work awkwardly. Also, the old-fashioned hood prop doesn't belong in such an upscale minivan; it should be replaced by hydraulic struts.

The quiet interior contains easily read instrumentation, smooth, nicely placed controls and plenty of fold-out cupholders. A low floor makes the Silhouette nearly as easy to enter and leave as a car.

New features for 1999 include an improved theft-deterrence system and heated outside mirrors.

The Silhouette is nicely painted and solidly built. Fit and finish are generally good, but my test vehicle had a loose-fitting interior trim piece near a rear window.

Powering this front-wheel-drive minivan is a smooth 3.4-liter V-6 that produces 185 horsepower--five more than in the 1998 model. Torque also has been increased.

The result is that the Silhouette has lively acceleration both in town and on highways, where the 65-to-75-m.p.h. passing time is brisk.

Fuel economy is good for a big minivan that weighs from 3,746 to 3,942 pounds: an estimated 18 m.p.g. in the city and 25 on the highway.

The V-6 is hooked to a four-speed automatic transmission that upshifts smoothly and downshifts quickly. Its overdrive gear allows the engine to loaf at 65 m.p.h.

The Silhouette handles much like a big, solid sedan. Its responsive steering has the right amount of power assist for good control at highway speeds. And the ride is smooth, comfortable and well-controlled, with no disconcerting ``float'' over bumps at higher speeds.

Brakes are easily modulated and have a standard anti-lock system.

All Silhouette models are among the top minivans. The Premiere Edition would be especially nice on long-distance family trips.