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Memories Of The Old GM And Its Cars

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  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    My wife had a 1984 Skylark T Type when we got married(her dad was a Buick man and I had suggested the car since she didn't have much choice at the time). It really was a decent car. It wasn't all that quick but it handled OK and it was fairly well assembled. I changed the plugs once but it wasn't too bad a job. You simply had to remove and install the plugs in the rear cylinder bank by feel. The only major problem was the power steering rack, which developed the chronic GM "morning sickness"- no assist for the first minute or so when started from cold. Even though the car was out of warranty Buick picked up 50% of the repair costs. We actually planned to look at the next generation Skylark but by then Buick had canned the T Type performance models- and the new Skylark was proof that GM didn't drug test its stylists.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    I'm not sure whether the Corsica/Beretta used the "N" platform, or a modified N. I've read conflicting things on these Chevy models. Maybe they had their own unique platform, and just shared some platform components with the other Ns. I don't really know.

    Yeah, the Corsica/Beretta were also on the N-body, same 103.4" wheelbase and all. The N-body itself was derived from the J-body (Cavalier, et al). It's interesting that they still tried to keep the Chevy and B-O-P differentiation with these cars, with the Chevy using Chevy engines, and the rest using the Pontiac 2.5 or the Buick 3.0 initially. I know in later years they started mixing things up more. The Buick 3.0 got upsized to a 3.3 around 1989 or so, and also around then I think Pontiac began playing with turbos in the Grand Am. And I'm sure the Quad 4 factored in somewhere.

    I imagine one of these cars with the 3.3 V-6 would've been pretty gutsy for the time. I was always under the impression that with the 1992 models, they ditched the 3.3 and went with the Chevy 3.1, but it looks like they waited until 1994 to make that change.
  • tomcatt630tomcatt630 Member Posts: 124
    The Bar-sica was the L body, but shared many parts with J and N. The Corsica was dull as dishwater and slow and noisy.

    Compared to an Accord or Camry, it was ancient. But, was 'good enough' for GM [and Avis] and it was nearly unchanged for nearly a decade. Then the P90 Malibu was 'car you knew America could build'. Well that is true, it was not much of a step forward.

    To me, the lack of interest in making Chevy's compact/mid size cars competitive is one of the top reasons for GM's decline. Chevy is supposed to compete with all mainstream brands, and to offer mediocre cars is bad business.
  • au1994au1994 Member Posts: 3,356
    My mom had one of those P90 Malibu's. She's not a car person at all, but she didn't like it. The first and only car I've heard her say was boring. They didn't have any problems with it but when they traded it in on an Outback they took a bath. My dad still cusses that.

    "the car you new America could build" after riding in it, my answer was "yep, thats what I was afraid America could build"

    2021 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4xe Granite Crystal over Saddle
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  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    It's funny now, hearing these reminisces about how humdrum the 1997-era Malibu was. I remember it getting a lot of good press at the time, though. I also remember that when the 2000 Impala came out, in the Edmund's Review they commented that the Malibu was the car you knew America could build. But unfortunately, the Impala was the car you knew America WOULD build. :sick:

    I had a 2001 Malibu rental, and boring pretty much sums it up. The car didn't do anything particularly bad, but it didn't do anything all that well, either. I think the one bonus the Malibu had, by 2001 at least, was a standard V-6. Okay, so it was just the 3.1 V-6, but it was still a step up in power from your typical 4-cyl midsize of the time. Of course, if you wanted more power in your Asian car, you could always get a V-6 in the Accord, Camry, and starting in 2002, the Altima.

    One of my coworkers at the time had a 2001 Mitsubishi Galant for a rental, and I'd say the Malibu was at least better than that car. The interior wasn't as nice but it was roomier and more comfortable, and felt more powerful. The Malibu was okay from, say, 0-60, but at higher speeds did start feeling a little winded.
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    The Corsica was dull as dishwater and slow and noisy.

    That's for sure. I rented one once and that was an awful car and one of many awful small to midsize cars GM has built over the past 30 years.

    I remember driving an 86 Celebrity with the "Iron Duke" (I believe it was as it had the 2.5 4cyl) during drivers training. I think that maybe the slowest car I've ever driven, well next to a Pontiac T1000 a buddy of mine had the displeasure of owning. And people wonder how Toyota and Honda won over many GM customers?
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    I had a 2001 Malibu rental, and boring pretty much sums it up. The car didn't do anything particularly bad, but it didn't do anything all that well, either.

    Yeah, my sister-in-law had a '99 or so Malibu. It had a 4cyl, so it sounded like it might blow up at any time when pushed but it was reliable. Yeah, she took a bath on it when she got rid of it, but it was reliable at least.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    I remember having a Malibu rental in maybe 2001 or 2002...the CD player didn't work, and the high temperature light was on constantly, no matter if the car had been running for 10 seconds after being idle for hours. Didn't make a good impression. The dashboard texture also reminded me of wet paint, but someone could have messed with it. But it didn't break down or anything.

    Speaking of the Beretta and Corsica...a good friend of my mother bought one of the last Berettas, I think in 1996, in that teal color that was so popular then. The car was falling apart within a few years, and the 60 year old woman driver wasn't exactly hot-rodding around in it either. Left a real bad impression. I want to say she has a Camcord or smaller relation now.
  • au1994au1994 Member Posts: 3,356
    T1000 was what my high school used as drivers ed cars. Hadn't driven much else (obviously!) at that time, but even then I remember saying to myself how awful it was.

    Funny how many of us on here have mentioned having a Corsucka as a rental. I did as well, in Atlanta. That was dangerous trying to drive that thing and keep up with traffic.

    2021 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4xe Granite Crystal over Saddle
    2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
    2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha

  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    Speaking of the Beretta and Corsica...a good friend of my mother bought one of the last Berettas, I think in 1996, in that teal color that was so popular then. The car was falling apart within a few years

    Man that brings back memories. A buddy of mine in college had a 90 or so Beretta GT. Decent looking car for the time, but I don't think I've ever ridden in a bigger rattle trap in my life. It had a decent amount of miles on it, but it was definitely falling apart. The interiors of those cars made Little Tykes grade plastic look premium. These are the real legacy costs that have put GM in the hole they're in. I think everyone I know that had a small to midsize GM car in the late 80's through early '00 drives a Honda/Acura/Toyota/Lexus now.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    My girlfriend had a 1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass sedan which was the Chevrolet Malibu's uglier sister. It was because of that car I understood why so many here have a thing against GM.

    The car was mediocrity personified. Putting the once-revered Oldsmobile nameplate on this rental car fodder was an insult to great cars like the 1949 Olds 88, the my Dad's 1955 Ninety-Eight convertible, 1966 Toronado, the 442, or even the 1979 Ninety-Eight Regency I once owned. It had a cheap austere plasticky interior that would've made a 1964 Chevy Biscayne seem like a Maybach. The car's cruddy 3.1 V-6 always had some cooling system issues, and the theft-deterrent system was even wonky. Why would this pile even need a theft-deterrent system. I could've left it down in North Philly's "Badlands" at 2:30 in the morning with all four doors open and the engine running and it would still be there at noon.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    The Beretta was an insult to the famed Italian gun manufacturer. I think they tried to sue GM when they used their name on that car.
  • au1994au1994 Member Posts: 3,356
    They did sue, but I think the case was thrown out.

    2021 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4xe Granite Crystal over Saddle
    2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
    2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha

  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    I thought it was named after that tv detective who killed his wife! :surprise:
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    I remember in maybe 1994 or 95 we had a Corsica rental, when the old Tempo my mom had was used by my sister and my cousin use as a school car, and got rear ended. I drove it once...it was a V6 model and didn't seem too slow, although the material quality was typical. It was not rented out by an agency though, but by a small town GM dealer, who contracted with the insurance company, so maybe their fleet cars were better.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    My mother, who had 3 Taurii, loves her Camry...so I am sure many GM customers of that period are no different. A few million legacy costs out there no doubt.

    Another GM memory...several years ago my brother bought a 93 Lumina "Euro" 3.1, pretty loaded, in decent shape. It didn't give him many problems... until the tranny died - he swapped another in and drove it til it got hit. I always thought that was a particularly ugly design, and that 2.8-3.1 family were not nice sounding engines.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    that actually impressed me, was a 1999 Olds Alero coupe I had while in California. It had the 150 hp 4-cyl, which was a toned down, more reliable version of what had been the Quad 4. Nice shade of green, too. I thought it was a good looking car, and was even impressed with the interior materials. It was hard to believe that this was the same car as the Pontiac Grand Am and Chevy Malibu! I also thought it handled nicely, and the engine seemed pretty peppy.

    I'll have to look through some of my old pictures I took on that trip. I know I took a picture of the car outside of the tunnel that they used in "Duel", "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World", and probably countless other movies and tv shows.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    I always thought the sedan version of the first-gen Lumina was an awkward looking car, but I liked the coupe.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    Yeah, his was the sedan, and it was white, which doesn't help with what I remember as black and red trim. It was actually pretty loaded, but there was just something about how it looked...an joke I remember is all the neighborhood dogs would bark when the thing drove up the street :shades:
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    My mother, who had 3 Taurii, loves her Camry...so I am sure many GM customers of that period are no different. A few million legacy costs out there no doubt.

    My dad was a loyal Ford owner for the past 30 years. He recently bought a 2009 Accord EX-L v6. So far he loves it. Who knows if he'll ever go back to a domestic. Most people I know who buy a Toyota or Honda have stayed with them. My inlaws always bought domestics until '05 when my MIL bought a Camry XLS v6. It has 110k miles on it with only routine maintenance. They love it and will probably buy another.
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    IMO those Lumina's were very ugly. Rarely see those anymore. Probably most have met the crusher by know.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    who recently picked up a used Lucerne, came in my office today and told me that the car is a chick magnet. Well, actually he used a slightly different animal to describe it (meow), but I'm gonna keep it clean. :P

    It turns out one of our coworkers saw him get out of his car for the first time, and she commented that she really liked his car. However, before anybody gets too excited about this being a sign of GM's return to excitement, I guess I should mention that this lady is in her 60's. :shades:

    Still, I'll admit it's a nice looking car.
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    It turns out one of our coworkers saw him get out of his car for the first time, and she commented that she really liked his car. However, before anybody gets too excited about this being a sign of GM's return to excitement, I guess I should mention that this lady is in her 60's. :shades:

    I bet it would be a real hit around the retirement and assisted living communities. My neighbor recently bought a used Lucerne. It's a decent enough looking car. But I can't get excited about anything with the 3800 in it particularly a car that is supposedly a bit upscale. Definitely would be a nice car with a Northstar under the hood.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    It turns out one of our coworkers saw him get out of his car for the first time, and she commented that she really liked his car. However, before anybody gets too excited about this being a sign of GM's return to excitement, I guess I should mention that this lady is in her 60's.

    A gray tabby magnet?

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    There ya go! Here, kitty, kitty, kitty....

    I had a Corsica as a rental. I can tell you it goes fast enough to get a speeding ticket in Florida. I was on Route 98 and mistook it for a speed limit sign.

    Also had a first generation Lumina as a rental when a geezer totaled my 85 Accord. It was better than I expected which isn't saying much. It was about on par with a Taurus at the time which was the idea.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    About a year ago when I suspected my mother was going to want a new car soon, I suggested the Lucerne to her, and pointed out one that was parked on the street. Unfortunately, it had a 'red hat society' sticker on the back window, and that pretty much killed the Buick idea.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    In that is born the reason why GM is something more to reminisce about than embrace today...people were given a reason to change, but aren't given much reason to change back.
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    In that is born the reason why GM is something more to reminisce about than embrace today...people were given a reason to change, but aren't given much reason to change back.

    Couldn't say it better myself and I couldn't agree more.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    Unfortunately, it had a 'red hat society' sticker on the back window, and that pretty much killed the Buick idea.

    Oh, that's too funny!! My grandmother's cousin, who lives next door to me, started a chapter. Bunch of old ladies dressed in purple, with red hats on...pretty hysterical. Well, there's a tv show called "Still Standing", where Sally Struthers has a minor role, as a grandmother. Yes, Archie Bunker's little goil has all grown up! Well, in one episode, she was in the Red Hat society, and the episode was poking fun at it. One of my roommates had seen that episode, and didn't realize it was something real...until one day he looked out the window, and saw all these little old ladies dressed in purple, with red hats on, in the neighbor's driveway piling into their Buicks and Grand Marquises! :P

    I actually don't care if a particular car I happen to like is considered by many to be an old people's car. However, I'm also only 39...I wonder if, as I get older, it'll start to concern me more?
  • dave8697dave8697 Member Posts: 1,498
    Put 23k on '65 F-85. Timing gear failed in my driveway. Never had to walk.
    Put 103k on '70 Delta 88 that I got in '78. Timing gear failed in work parking lot. had to catch ride home with a friend and tow it to my uncle's house sat. morning.
    Put 178k on '79 Monte Carlo. Lower ball joint broke leaving work, still in parking lot. Had hit a cinder block on interstate about 2 weeks prior with same wheel at 65 mph. Had already got 2 new rims. Needed a ride home and a tow.
    Put 167k on '84 Camaro. Lost alternator belts and red light was on. Checked under hood and didn't see missing belts (2). Drove car 50 miles to college and when I got back from class, battery was dead. I had a friend with me who lived about 3/4 way back to my house. I ran his battery down on 40 mile trip back to his house using 10' jumper cables and his battery on my pass floor. Then we put his battery back in his RX-7, it started, and we put new belts on mine after going to get them. Then we jumped mine and I got 83k out of that orig battery before it stranded me about 7 miles from home a few years later. I was at a shopping center.
    Put 150k on a '87 Astro. The fuel pump died at work. The just filled 27 gallon tank would need to be dropped so I had it towed home. After about 600k miles on my GM's, I finally learned that tow truck drivers will not let you ride with them. My wife had to drive 5 miles to my job and get me in her near new '98 Astro.
    About 300k more miles on GM's without walking since that fuel pump episode. The 5 GM and Ford cars I have now have never failed to go for me in 548k miles between them. I recently figured out that my Rivy has cost me 1.1 cents a mile for tires, brakes, and all repairs over an 84000 mile run that started with 88000 miles on it. There are things wrong with it but it still gets me there in comfort.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    After about 600k miles on my GM's, I finally learned that tow truck drivers will not let you ride with them.

    Once upon a time, they did. Back in 1992, I bought a 1969 Bonneville from my cousin. Tried to drive it to work one day. About 5 miles from home, all of a sudden every idiot light known to man came on, and it died at a traffic light. I was still moving, so I was at least able to get it more or less off the road. I called a tow truck, and the one that came and got me was, for lack of a better word, light-duty. It was basically a '73-87 Chevy with a dually rear axle and a tow bed put in. The guy hooked up my car, and I rode in the cab with him. I remember asking him, on the way back, if his truck was 4wd, and he said no. I asked him why it sat up so high, then, and he responded that it was because that big $@Hed whale I had him towing was weighting him down and making his nose point up! :P

    That car was a piece of crap, but in retrospect, it was more because of my cousin than because of Pontiac. Let's just say there's a reason I only paid $400 for it! And I hate to say it, but I still miss that car! It was comfortable. And in the rare moment that you caught it running, which would be right after it fired up without eating a starter, but before it overheated or stalled out and wouldn't re-start, it was fast. And it handled a lot better than you'd think 225 inches would be able to!
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    I've been asked by more than one person if I got my fintail from my grandfather, and I received similar questions about my W126. Some old man's cars I wouldn't kick out of my parking spot.

    My mother, for someone over 60, is very conscious of an "old persons" car...but she doesn't quite yet grasp that the Camry is the lower line Buick of the 21st century.
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    The 5 GM and Ford cars I have now have never failed to go for me in 548k miles between them.

    I guess I don't understand your point. I've had lots of GM and Ford vehicles that never left me stranded, yet were still junk IMO.

    My Suburban never left me stranded, but it still cost me $6k in repairs between 47k - 100k miles. Not to mention all of the squeaks, rattles, and electrical problems I elected to live with. Even when the trans died I could still drive it and it didn't leave me stranded (definitely not a pleasant drive though). Still doesn't change the fact the vehicle was junk. Same with my wife's 07 GP. Perfectly reliable at 50k, but the car is about as undesirable as a car can possibly be, it feels like it has 100k on it.

    I've only had 4 cars leave me stranded since getting my license in '87. My '86 Escort had a water pump seize at 100k taking out the timing belt leaving me stranded on the highway. I had an '85 Tempo break a CV joint while driving down the road with over 100k (awful car). My grandpa's '92 Roadmaster left us stranded at a rest area when the starter failed around 75k. Then my '98 Ford SVT Contour died on me out in the middle of now where with only 5k miles on it. Turned out it had a short in the wiring to the fuel pump. Roadside assistance sent a tow truck and yes they let me ride with them or I would have had a 30 mile walk home. I rode with him to the Ford dealer where they gave me a loaner.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    My 115,000 mile 1995 3 Series track rat has cost @4.6 cents/mile to run since I bought it new in November 1995. That number includes 3 sets of Z-rated track rubber so I'm not unhappy. It also averages @26 mpg all the time. In 25 years of owning BMWs my only two breakdowns have been my own fault; my 1973 Bavaria popped a coolant hose in a mall parking lot(I had used the incorrect hose and tried to make it fit), while my wife's 528i threw a serpentine belt at 130K(the belt's tensioner pulley had been noisy for a couple of months but I had put off ordering a new one and fitting it).

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    My 115,000 mile 1995 3 Series track rat has cost @4.6 cents/mile to run

    And you got to drive a car worth driving...priceless. The majority of GM vehicles I've experienced could pay me to drive them and I'd still pass.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    I guess I should mention that this lady is in her 60s

    It's Cougar! ROAAAAAARRR!!!
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    My 115,000 mile 1995 3 Series track rat has cost 4.6 cents/mile to run since I bought it new in November 1995.

    I'm presuming that 4.6 cents per mile is just maintenance/repairs, and the original purchase price, interest, taxes, insurance, gasoline, etc! FWIW, my Intrepid has averaged about 34 cents per mile for everything. Subtract out gasoline and insurance, and it comes out to around 22 cents per mile. Take out the down payment and all the monthly payments I made, plus registration fees, and I'm down to about 6 cents per mile for repairs/maintenance. I'd be at about 5 cents, if my a/c compressor hadn't blown back in February! :cry:

    So I'd say 4.6 cents per mile for something that gets ridden hard is pretty danged cheap!
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    It's Cougar! ROAAAAAARRR!!!

    LOL, unless your in your 80's....
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    LOL, unless your in your 80's....

    Well, I'm not sure how old this dude is who bought the Lucerne. He's pretty old though. Must be mid 40's! :P
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Funny. My girlfriend's aunt is in the Red Hat Society as well. There was a "Simpsons" episode where Marge joined a similar organization and they turned out to be an "Ocean's Eleven" type of group trying to pull a heist on Mr. Burns.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
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  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Beautiful. Exciting. In excellent shape, obviously well cared for...,

    The Buick. :)

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    What don't you like about the 3800 engine?

    This is one of if not the best engine GM has ever produced. Tons of power, smooth and bulletproof. Decent gas mileage too!
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    Tons of power, smooth

    Compared to what? A GM 4cyl or a Ford 3.8 v6? My wife's 07 GP has the 3800, it get's marginally worse fuel economy than my dad's Accord v6, and is short 70hp/10-20ft-lbs of torque and it's not close to being in the same league in terms of smoothness/refinement. The only reason it has been kept around is because GM can build it cheap.

    Well, I try to avoid driving the Grand Prix at all costs, but when I do, I'm reminded why I don't care for the 3800. It's crude when pushed, IMO, it sounds like garbage disposal when compared to any competing v6 including GM's own 3.6.

    The debate about the 3.8/3.9 has been beaten to death, but based on my experience and opinion, it's not in the same league as competing v6 engines. Yes it maybe reliable, but God, it should be as it's been around for 30+ years and it hasn't always been that way.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    The debate about the 3.8/3.9 has been beaten to death, but based on my experience and opinion, it's not in the same league as competing v6 engines. Yes it maybe reliable, but God, it should be as it's been around for 30+ years and it hasn't always been that way.

    Actually the 3.9 might not be a bad engine. It's 60-degree, and based on the 3.5. I think it has around 240 hp, and it has a bit more torque than the 3.8 as well. So while it's still not in the same hp range as the Japanese competitors, it might be a pretty big step above the 3.8. Buick recently started using the 3.9 in the Lucerne, in place of the 3.8. It gets slightly better fuel economy, but I haven't heard anything on how well it performs. The Lucerne's weight really was starting to push the limits of the 3.8, I think.

    I've driven my Dad's '03 Regal a few times. I like the acceleration from a standstill, and it's fine for highway cruising. I've never really pushed it to its limit though, or done any high-speed passing. The main thing I don't like about it is the sound. It sounds horrible, especially when warming up. However, the car also has pretty good sound insulation, so inside, you barely hear it!

    I guess it's okay as a workhorse, in a car that doesn't cost a lot of money. However, it's definitely NOT a luxury car engine! And it's not something you want to fight BMWs with.
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    I've driven my Dad's '03 Regal a few times. I like the acceleration from a standstill, and it's fine for highway cruising. I've never really pushed it to its limit though, or done any high-speed passing. The main thing I don't like about it is the sound. It sounds horrible, especially when warming up. However, the car also has pretty good sound insulation, so inside, you barely hear it!


    Nothing has changed with the 07 version. My wife's sounds the same way, horrible IMO. Sure it launches pretty hard, but it really flattens out at high rpm, above 40mph it's average at best, but that sound, it's horrible as the GP has minimal isolation from the grainy racket coming from the engine bay. I'd say it's a good base engine for a run of the mill car, but it shouldn't be in a Buick at all.

    I didn't realize the 3.9 was a 60 degree V, for some reason I thought it was based off the 90 degree 3800. It should be better than the 3800, but I've never read anything good about it in terms of refinement, performance, or fuel economy. In the Impala the 3.9 still doesn't match Honda's 3.5 in power or fuel economy, let alone refinement. GM's 3.5 can match the Accord v6's fuel economy but it's short 60hp & 40 ft-lbs of torque.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    So I'd say 4.6 cents per mile for something that gets ridden hard is pretty danged cheap!

    In all fairness I perform a of of the minor maintenance and repairs myself. Still, not a lot has gone wrong with it; I've replaced the brakes, the belts, the idler pulleys, the brake light switch, the battery and the thermostat. I let my indie garage handle the brakes because I was too busy to do it at the time, while the dealer installed the thermostat(it was the dead of winter and I simply didn't feel like fooling with it).
    I've been pleasantly surprised by the reliability of my 1999 Wrangler; nothing much has gone wrong and it still looks brand new. I'm keeping it forever.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • tomcatt630tomcatt630 Member Posts: 124
    The 3800 is another 'good enough' GM product. Sure it lasts long, but it doesnt sway buyers to trade in imports.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    The 3800 is another 'good enough' GM product. Sure it lasts long, but it doesnt sway buyers to trade in imports.

    If I got myself in a situation where I needed to get another car fast, I'd consider a used GM product with the 3.8, as long as it looked like it had been taken care of and the price was reasonable.

    Of course, that's not going to help GM any, who wants us to buy NEW cars!
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    >Honda's 3.5 in power or fuel economy, let alone refinement.

    Is this the Honda V6 you're referring to as refined? It has to use noise cancellation to mask the VCM engine?

    Test drove another V6 Accord today. Noisy noisy. This time my ear drum felt uncomfortable I don't know its the tire noise or Honda's active noise cancellation at work. I suspect the later.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

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