17th Feb 2006, 11:00

I purchased a used 2000 Alero 3 years ago with about 60K on it for just under $6k. In my opinion, I got a great deal and this is an excellent car. Drives well, always starts – even if not plugged in and is great in snow. I live in Ottawa Canada, so this is an important fact for me. The car handles great and has lots of power (3.4L V6). It is comfortable, spacious enough for my family of 3 and everything works. I have not experienced the problems noted here. I put brakes on once, but I figure that I only do city driving, so not too bad. Tire pressure sensors have saved us twice, once with a nail in the left rear, and once with a drywall screw in the right front. I do regular maintenance, oil and fluid changes, and pay attention to things that may go wrong to fix them before they break.

I did have to repair the rear defogger once, but I did not purchase any parts. I bypassed the antenna / power splitter box with a separate power line. This was just after I purchased the car and the radio and defogger still work fine. Took me about 20 minutes to do the job myself.

A friend of mine has a 2003 Alero and he has complained about the brakes wearing too fast. In defence of the model, I have followed him a few times and can say that he rides the brake pedal. He also complains about the fuel economy, but again, he has two teenage boys. Need I say more?

I am pushing 200K at this time and in my opinion, this is an excellent car and I would certainly purchase another one.