Difference between Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser and Cutlass Ciera from late 80s?

I have seen two recently... one is the dark grey or blue one I posted a photo of. You can't see it in that photo, but I have driven right past it and seen that it says "Ciera" right in the spot that the others say "Cutlass Cruiser." That one is a pizza delivery car at my local Papa John's, so I see it most times I drive by there! The other I saw last week; I just happened to pass it on the road and it got me to wondering about the difference. In NW Georgia, if that matters, ha ha.

I have also noticed that on the rear lights of the pizza delivery Ciera wagon, it appears to have the rectangular Olds emblem in the center of each light. I am not sure if the white Cutlass Cruiser I am remembering had that or not. The only photo I have of it from the back is too far away to tell. i also can't remember if it was 4 or 2 wheel drive...

It's fun to try to figure it out... although if I start losing sleep over it, then I will go see a doctor, ha!

 

And I just did an image search too, for "Ciera station wagon," and of the ones that i could see the words, they all said Cutlass Cruiser. Yes, even Google thinks the two cars are the same thing!

If you hear about somebody being arrested for lurking around taking photos of the cars in a Papa John's parking lot, that'd be me.

 

Eribeck, I think it's just a 'nameplate thing'. Although it appears that Oldsmobile never themselves put a 'Ciera' nameplate on the front-drive 'Cutlass Cruiser', that wouldn't prevent an owner (or a body shop) from putting one on. I can understand a body shop not 'sweating the details' and applying a 'Ciera' nameplate where there was none before. Heck, it could even have happened at the factory. I once saw a new Chevy S-10 P/U, right off the truck. Had a 'S-10' emblem on the left fender, and a 'S-15' (GMC version of same vehicle) emblem on the right fender.

It looks like you've got things figured out on the older, rear-wheel-drive Cutlass Cruisers that you linked to in post #10. Just remember those 2 different 'Cutlass Cruisers' have almost no parts in common - 2 totally different vehicles.

If you are thinking about buying one of the 'newer' front-drive Cutlass Cruisers, I think you would be making a good choice. Do yourself a favor though, and look around for the best one you can find, and pay accordingly. There are quite a few of these out there that have been abused. You're better off finding one that's been cared for.

I will also add that other GM divisions sold this same type of wagon:
- Chevy Celebrity
- Pontiac 6000
- Buick Century

The Chevys and Pontiacs came with (usually) a 2.8 (or later) a 3.1 V6. The Olds and Buicks came with either 3.0, 3.3, or 3.8 liter V6's. Each division's vehicle had unique front sheet metal and side trim, and it's own instrument panel and interior trim.

Here's some pics of the other ones:

Chevy Celebrity (this one appears to be a 'Eurosport' model)


Pontiac 6000 (SE model pictured)


Buick Century ('Estate'):

 

The more likely answer is that a front fender from a Ciera sedan was used for collision repair on the wagon.

 

Ooh, I didn't think of that... since they are basically the same on the front, a Ciera sedan panel could have been put on a Cruiser wagon, or even a factory mistake... hmm. So are you all saying that there is no such thing as a Ciera wagon, at least not one that is specifically named a Ciera? They are actually Cieras in style but not given that name officially and called Cutlass Cruisers instead? Do we know what year Cutlass Cruisers of this specific style started to be manufactured?

 

As I and others have pointed out several times in prior posts in this thread, the RWD Cutlass Cruiser, which shared platform and front sheetmetal with the 4DR Cutlass Supreme, was built through the 1983 model year. This model was discontinued after the 1983 model year and the Cutlass Cruiser nameplate was instead used on the FWD version based on (and sharing front sheetmetal with) the Ciera platform starting with the 1984 model year. Oldsmobile did not offer a wagon version of the A-body Ciera prior to the 1984 model year, so the RWD and FWD versions never overlapped. Oldsmobile never used the Ciera name on the A-body FWD wagon. This is completely documented in factory sales literature - links to those brochures were provided early in this thread. I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that.

 

Yes, eribeck - that's it.

The GM A-body platform (Chevy Celebrity, Pontiac 6000, Olds Cutlass Ciera, Buick Century) came out in model year 1982, but the wagons didn't come out until the 1984 model year. They were sold through the 1996 model year.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldsmobile_Cutlass_Ciera#1982.E2.80.931988


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldsmobile_Cutlass_Ciera#1989.E2.80.931996


Well, I've learned a few things about my wagon.

Thanks everyone.

 

In Canada, anyway, the base engine in these wagons, like the 2 and 4 door sedans, was a 4 cylinder. Which 4 cylinder depended upon the year and whether is was the Chev, Pontiac, Oldsmoble or Buick version. All were identical from the A pillar back, with model and year specific front clips and division specific brake lights. As in the big B-body wagons, the lights could be interchanged, as they were all the same shape, but the light pattern and lens design was different.

 

Aha, that Wikipedia article contains a clear answer for me - thank you, Fannie! That white wagon is an 88 for sure because it had a hood ornament, and it says they no longer used hood ornaments starting in 89... and also, that the "International Series" with the flags under the nameplate was only from 1988-1990. So... it had to be a 1988 model if that was the only year to have both a hood ornament and be the International Series. My reminiscing was accurate.

Very sorry for misunderstanding about there not being wagons called Cieras... just my poor luck to have seen two Cruisers recently with Ciera nameplates on them for whatever reason. I truly didn't mean to waste people's time with trying to explain, but seeing those misnamed wagons had me at a disconnect there...

 

And how do you know it's been a waste of time?

 

Your welcome eribeck. I don't believe any of this has been a waste of time. This is exactly what these forums are for, a bit of banter to solve a problem. And along the way a few others(like me) may have learned something new.

 

Then I am glad that it wasn't seen as a waste of time! I just got the feeling that I was being exasperating to some in my failure to understand... being new here and not really knowing tons about cars in general, I thought maybe my misunderstanding was frustrating people! Thank you for your willingness in helping me to figure it out... I think it is fun, like solving a puzzle!

 

Yes it was fun. I look at it this way--------------------- at anytime there is a topic or posts that someone does not like all they have to do is stop checking the thread.

 

And would you believe that the pizza delivery Cutlass Cruiser wagon that I keep seeing has a Ciera nameplate on both sides - on both front panels?? I saw it again today - so weird! But thanks to this thread, I can see that it has no hood ornament and that the tail lights have the Olds emblem in the center of each, meaning it is from 1989 or newer. Now I am a Cutlass Cruiser geek, ha ha.