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Comments
It definitely had more torque than the 2.7L at a lower RPM which would explain the faster acceleration times. I am more interested in performance at the lower end of the spectrum since I dont drive over 65 mph. I guess I miss the larger displacement engines of my other cars. It took me awhile to get used to the 3.8L TBird engine after driving the 4.9L Pontiac Firebird. So I guess it will take awhile to get used to the 2.7L. But my next car in, maybe another 6-7 years, will have a larger displacement V-6.
I've never driven a Concorde however they seem to be a bit more rounded than the Intrepid, I have to add that my Buick Century was simular to the Buick Regal in which the Regal was a step higher than the Century, Buick quality just isn't there any more, I had squeaks and squeals and brake issues.
It was also a bit bigger inside, despite having the same wheelbase. The way they did it, I think, was to put the back seat a few inches further back than in the Intrepid. This actually seemed to cut into hip room just a bit, as the rear wheel wells now cut into the seat area a bit. And the seat was also tucked back futher between the C-pillars, so it gave you more of a hemmed-in feeling back there than with the Intrepid. The car was a bit longer overall though, with most, if not all, of that extra length going into the trunk. IIRC, the Concorde's trunk is a bit larger than the Intrepid's. The Concorde's rump, while longer than the Intrepid's, does seem to taper off more, so it's narrower. Might actually make it a bit easier to parallel park even thought it's a bit longer, since you don't have a wide rear-end to back in!
Yesterday I saw something that made me want to go back on my decision to try hanging onto my Intrepid for a few more years. At the Carlisle PA swap meet, a dealer had a '96 Buick Roadmaster, in a dark greenish color reminiscent of the "Magnesium" that Mopar now offers on the Magnum/300, nicely loaded up with leather and other goodies, with 89,000 miles, for $4995. I've always liked big, cushy cars, and while the Roadmaster isn't the most graceful looking beast in the world, the LT-1 350 engine and price were hard to resist! Plus, I figure that soon I'm going to need front pads and rotors, and rear pads, and maybe struts, so maybe it would be a good time to swap, before I start having to sink money into the 'Trep. But then the reality hit me, that I'd be going from a car whose history I know to one I don't, and while that 350 did sound nice, at that age anything could go wrong.
So, I'll probably still be holding onto my Trep for a little while longer!
I do agree the Buick Roadmasters rode very nice very big cushy cars, probably not the best on gas mileage these days.
I bought a 2004 Intrepid SE, Butane Blue, 2.7 l V-6, CD, AC, power seats, big honking trunk, in January.
A few weeks after we got it, we noticed a rattle coming from the front dash area. DC warranty added a foam insert to damp the rattle. What's up with that? Anyway, it doesn't rattle now.
In August we drove it to vacation in the Ozarks of Arkansas. Coming from the plains of North Texas to the Ozarks the first time is to invite death on every hairpin turn. How was I to know that "Slow 25 mph" in a "Speed Limit 55" zone really means "SLOW DOWN IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DIE KNUCKLEHEAD"? I was impressed with my reaction time, and with the car's handling all up in the mountains.
It gets 29 mpg on the 70 mph highways, and 13 mpg on the mostly city driving my wife does.
So much for the Intrepid.
I recently test-drove a Magnum R/T. "Wow" indeed.
We'll see how long the Intrepid lasts. It's a cheap big car for my wife to drive around. I'll be happy as a clam if it gets 120,000 miles without substantial repair and replacement work.
This compares to her previous vehicle, a 1993 4-cyl. Voyager, which utterly failed to inspire confidence.
Still, kind of a sad moment. Maybe we should all bow our head for a moment, and say a few words, for the Intrepid's passing?
As an Arkansan I am glad you vacationed in the Ozarks and had a good time. I also have a 300 M with a 3.5 engine. I can tell a significant difference between the 3.5 in the 300 M and 2.7 in the Intrepid when I travel in the Ozarks.
And I have the stone chips to prove it, although for having 97,000 miles, I don't think it looks too bad.
Thanks in advance.
In response to #2555....check all the door switches.
As for interior lights flickering, my '00 will occasionally do a flicker of both the interior and outside lights. It happens when the electric cooling fan kicks on. As for the lights staying on after you turn off the car and lock the doors, I dunno. Now before I had the Viper put in my Intrepid, it used to have a delay feature. If you turned off the car before you turned off the headlights, the lights would stay on for a few seconds, before finally going off. If you turned off the headlights before killing the ignition, everything just stayed off. Regardless of that though, the Viper turns everything off immediately when I arm it.
So far no problems at all with car except for coolant seep at bleeder on thermostat housing. Just barely noticeable and have not fixed it yet.
Oil change every 3000 with Castrol Syntec.
I recall some time back that there were troubles with 2.7 engines although that may have been a 4 cylander engine in older models. I would welcome advice. The SE models with 3.5s seem to be scarce. robertm2!
I have yet to see a consistent problem with the engine...there are quite a few out there. I have some reason to think that part of the problem rests with owners. Smaller engines work harder...if performance is the major issue opt for a bigger engine.
The engine rebuilders I have asked all carry 3.2 and 3.5 as well...but see fewer because there are fewer out there. Typically the aftermarket rebuilders make changes if there are obvious design defects. I have not seen anything to suggest they are doing so to the 2.7. They warranty their products too and do not like to eat replacement costs.
Just a thought....but Intrepids are a bargain to buy. Used ones and leftovers{if available} should be quite cheap. Put some of the savings towards an extended service contract if you have doubts. You will still have a bargain.
The main area where I noticed a difference was at lower speeds. The bigger engines simply take off faster, and aren't as affected by heavier loads. But at higher speeds, I think the 2.7 mostly redeems itself.
If I were buying a 2.7 though, I'd try to get one that's a leftover new 2004, or a used one that's still low mileage. Once you get up into higher mileage, there's more opportunity for the car to have been abused, and for that abuse to have done some permanent damage. And I don't think the 2.7 can take as much neglect/abuse as a 3.2 or 3.5.
In my case, I dont drive my Trep much because I have the Celica and just the other day I noticed that the transmission didnt seem to be shifting properly but I didnt think much of it at the time. Till I pulled it out of the garage and noticed trans fluid on the driveway. Now who would think you have to so closely monitor fluid levels with a car with barely 14,000 miles on it. Most of the rental Treps I looked at had the same trans fluid leaks from the cooler lines, and to be perfectly honest with you, it made me think twice about getting any Intrepid at all. So its not just my car. And these rental Treps are not maintained as meticulously as I maintain cars. So, in my opinion, the rental Treps (which 99% of the ones on dealers lots are) are too much risk.
I've been lucky that I haven't had any tranny fluid leaks...yet! Are those cooling lines expensive to replace?
I did finally break down and replace my front rotors yesterday. I learned, the hard way, that the inside pads don't have wear indicators on them like the outer ones do. So, while my outer pads had plenty of meat left on 'em, the inner pad on the driver's side wore down to the rivets, and cut some nice, deep gouges into the rotor.
It wasn't an expensive repair, though. The rotors were only $29.95 apiece, and the pads were something like $20. So, for around $80-90, I'm back on the road, and almost as good as new! Now I know it's going to need new rear brakes soon, too. I've heard that the pads in back are harder to change than the ones up front...anybody know if there's any truth to that?
Sorry.
the engine in the 96 trep is a 3.3L. I wish I could find out how many 2004s were made with 3.5 engines. I have driven that car a lot in the mountains and felt that it had enough power.
Thanks for your comment about the 2.7. Nearly every 04 Intredid I see advertised is a 2.7. I may end up trying for another 40k with this.
The early 3.5's were known for having problems with the timing belt and water pump, among other issues, but I don't think the 3.3 really had any trouble spots.
I posted a note on the main board that my 96 trep has a 6 cylander 3.5L engine; In fact it is a 3.3L.but I forgot to mention the water pump went out 18 months ago so a new timing chain went in. I think I'll stay away from the 2.7 engine as you were suggesting.
The cooler lines are a pain in the butt, they are not metal as in all my other cars, they are rubber, very similar to fuel line tubing. And the connections to the radiator are not screw type either, theres just hose clamp. Pretty cheap design, in my opinion, at least. I probably looked at more used(rental) Treps than anyone else, partially because I had alot of time on my hands, and I couldnt believe how many had problems with the leaking cooler lines. And every one of them with the exception of one which was not at a Dodge or Chrysler dealer, were former rent a cars. It was easy to check if the dealer attempted to give you the line that it was 'executive driven', just call up Dodge 800 wwarranty number and ask about the prior registration. They would tell you the status but would not say which rental company it was. And if you were really interested, you could call the Chrysler Auction in Hatfield PA and they would give you exact prior registration info.
The part that contains the wheel bearings and actually houses the wheel studs is a separate assembly. Now back in the day, and I think on most trucks nowadays, it was all one piece, where the rotor also housed the wheel bearings and the wheel studs. I know when my uncle needed new front rotors for his '97 Silverado, they were something ridiculous like $125-150 apiece!
Intrepid with rotor pulled off.
Intrepid with new rotor installed.
I change my front brakes at about 50000 on a schedule-pads and rotors. Rear parts at 75000 too. Cheap insurance to keep my brakes 100%. Also calipers that do not run extended stay cooler and last longer. This is especially true with ABS and Traction control which make the calipers work more.
I have always had good luck with Brembo or other premium brands. The extra cost spread out over 50000+ miles is nothing per mile. Ceramic pads are worthwhile as well.
Just my 2 cents but when I push my pedal I KNOW what I will get.
For instance, for years after they quit making them, GM's intermediate and full-sized RWD cars were hot among car thieves. In fact, in some of the poorer regions, if you look through their top stolen lists, you're still likely to find cars such as a 1985 Olds Delta 88 or a 1987 Chevy Monte Carlo on it! Those cars were incredibly easy to break into, and from what I've heard, also very easy to hotwire.
I've had a few problems with the Viper. First, on the day they put it in, I picked up the car, and drove about a mile or two, and parked in a residential area to go for a hike on a trail. I put the parking brake on. When I came back to the car, all hot, sweaty and tired, I went to release the brake, and the handle came off in my hand! I called Circuit City, and they sent someone out to fix it, on the spot.
Now in the past couple months, I've had a few problems with it. I think there's a loose wire in it somewhere, because sometimes it'll arm, and sometimes it won't. It always locks/unlocks the doors and trunk okay, though.
I really should take it in and have it looked at, but I guess now that the car's just about paid off (just one more payment...whoo-hoo!!), and now that I live in a more secluded, lower-crime area (and also the car isn't new anymore) I've just gotten a bit lazy.
The only other expense was a bearing replacement up front when they replaced my brake pads and recut the rotors--with an oil change--for about $240. Next month, I'll have the coolant system flushed and changed, the transmission likewise and a four wheel alignment.
I have an intermittent flicker--once a month or so--in my interior lights (they go from bright to dimmer, bright to dimmer then stop). It's curious but hardly significant. I've not heard of these "transmission line" leaks in Intrepids--nor have I experienced them. Only oddity I'm experiencing right now is a tendency for my heater/defroster to blow cold at idle when coming off load. Probably the thermostat or low coolant.
Hope all is well with you.... Still amazed that my struts haven't needed replacing in 100+ K miles..
I'm guessing I'll hit 100,000 miles sometime in December. If I remember, I'm going to try to have a digital camera with me to take a pic. I did take a pic of it when it hit 60,000 (don't ask me why, but it seemed like a good milestone at the time!) but I think that pic got erased.