Minivans are not the sort of vehicle that conjure memories of misspent youth. Nor do they normally make your friends green with envy. Neighborhood children may smile and wave, but probably just because they want a ride to their soccer game. Indeed, if you are shopping for a minivan, odds are you need one. But that does not mean that a minivan cannot be cool, and Oldsmobile drives this point home with a variety of new features on its 2002 Silhouette. Three trim levels are offered: GL, GLS and Premiere. The standard engine for all models is a 3.4 liter V-6 that produces 185 bhp and 210 lb.-ft. of torque, routed through a 4T65-E 4-speed automatic transmission. Front wheel is the standard layout, but this year the Silhouette is offered with Versatrak awd on the GLS and Premiere models. Unlike 4wd systems, Versatrak functions like a normal front wheel drive vehicle until wheel slippage is detected, at which point twin gerotor pumps inside a compact rear drive module engage multiplate clutches to provide power to rear wheels.
In other words, no button to push or levers to pull, Versatrak does all the work for you. Disc brakes with ABS are standard equipment on all Silhouettes. Also noteworthy is the new Premiere On-Board Entertainment System that features a DVD player with wireless remote, a 6.8 in. video screen, on-screen programming, four screen settings (normal, wide, cinema and zoom), stereo RCA jacks with inputs for video games and camcorders and four sets of wireless headphones with separate volume controls.
