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My hubby had a Voyager when we met and that thing lugged tons of kids, dogs, food and an occasional washer/dryer all over the place. I hated it. Bad, slow engine, no power anything etc.
but I know now that they make VERY nice mini vans with great "easy out" seats and air and cruise and power everything and such. A friend with new twins recently bought an Odyssey and they love it. It drives very nice and the V6 is very powerful.
Just an idea. Lucky for me I only have one kid left at home so the Impala is plenty big and our other vehicle is a Ranger.
;>
Exactly.
I like to see the diversity of vehicles in general, and of the GM products particularly. Almost everybody can select something that fit his tastes (and checkbook) - even if locked in by his GM card points.
This is why I am bolting every time somebody suggests to drop a car he does not like personally. I do not mean a dangerous product, but a car with a different kind of body style.
"Only 80-year old are buying Buicks, why GM did not kill the division instead of Oldsmobile?". "GM have to kill the plastic cladded Pontiac, they are for boy-racers only". "Nixing the Malibu is not a bad idea since it is just about the most bland looking car on the road". Etc., etc.
Impala is a wonderful car, and I enjoy to see them on the roads. But how boring would it be, if every fourth car you see will be Impala. How much better to see also a lot of Malibu, GP and Taurus, with Intrigues and an odd MC now and then. Even Chrysler / Dodge / Plymouth looks nice (are they safe is another question).
Let us better not to impose our personal tastes on other peoples.
My son is sledging almost every day. Still, want to drive farther North some weekend, to NH or VT. Probably, in two weeks or so.
BTW, it turned to be, that the cross-country skiing is a major undertaking in USA. When living in Russia, we used to buy the ski gear cheap, and they were available everywhere. It was as easy affordable, as a beach volleyball. The bad ski, of a sort nicknamed "firewood" in Russia, cost about what the joke suggested. Decent ones about three times more. The same with cross-country ski boots, etc. As to the ski clothes, everybody had them any case.
The mountain skiing, though, was expensive. Both gear them self and because there were no mountains in the Central Russia, you had to pay for airplane tickets and bed.
Car choices= My old Pontiac Grand Am needed replacing. I called my Impala salesman to see if they had any 2000 Impala's left. We can't swing two new car payments. He did not have any left.
We ended up leasing a program car Toyota Camry 4 cyl. to do in town and errands. Keep the Impala for the open road.
Any Camry experiences out there?
with the 4 cylinder engine. Great car. Plenty of pep. NIce ride and handling.
The 6 cylinder was actually overkill.
She's coming up on 50,000 miles with few real problems.
-Hood had to be repainted early on because it chipped very easily.
Factory paint on hood was not up to spec. Rest of car was perfect.
-Brakes wear faster than they used to but they all do now.
-Rear stuts wore out after warranty but dealer replaced them
without charge anyway because we always take car to them
for routine maintenance and he had the authority to do so.
-Original quiet Michelin tires still have plenty of tread left on them.
Nothing else at all. Still tight and quiet.
The car has been excellent. The dealer has been excellent.
We researched everything at the time narrowing the choices to Accord and Toyota.
No comparison on many levels. At that time. the 4 cylinder Hondas were sluggish.
Her 90 Accord was quicker !
My wife loves the Camry and does a 60 mile round trip commute mostly on
the PA Turnpike. She's also warmed to the Impala but only on road trips,
not around town. She hates the visibility out the rear on the Impala - especially
parallel parking or at the mall. On the highway, she's perfectly comfortable with
it and enjoys the heated seats when we first start out in the morning.
I liked better the old 1992-96 Camry sedan as they had more 'Lexus' cues to them and were very smooth vehicles.
For a second 'urban' car the Camry should be a great choice. I even suggested one to my wife sometime ago, but she said 'forget it!' She hates most Toyotas (She is not too fond on Japanese cars either)but probably she'll end up driving one in the form of the '02 Pontiac Vibe ;-)
I knew better the next time and had it changed at 120K miles. One month later it was back for repeat - the 'idler pulley' had broken - and again the belt had to be replaced along with water pump. These were $300+ charges each time. And of course there was "no possible way we at the dealership could have foreseen such a thing".
The horn had to be replaced, along with numerous other electrical type problems - can't remember them all now but it was EXTREMELY frustrating at the time. I had thought that it would surely turn out to be a very reliable long lasting vehicle. Turned out I dumped it at 140K rather than do bearings and clutch.
It did give great gas mileage and rode well - but ended up costing far more than I ever would have dreamed. My experience soured me on Toyota and particuarly Toyota dealers who I found to be liars and crooks.
Perhaps this is an unusual story - lots of Toyota owners seem to be happy. My impression of the new ones is they are very overpriced and way too bland looking.
Ken
We are considering a new Impalla to replace the 92 Camry which is pushing 180K miles so far without incident. Would like something a tad larger and have narrowed to Impalla or Avalon. Wife is sold on Avalon, but I want the Impalla cause it's $5,000 cheaper:) Been lurcking here watching for problems/issues and so far I'm impressed. I don't have too many complaints on the Impalla (don't equal $5000 anyway), but the side window is very small, and the top of the door cuts into my vision. The rentals I've had were base/bench seats and I had trouble getting comfortable. Anyone notice this, able to fix it with the buckets? We would be buying an LS so we'll have buckets.
quite a few years now.
For year 2000:
#01 - 423,961 Camry
#10 - 174,358 Impala
http://www.autosite.com/editoria/asmr/svolfc.asp
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/y2kmontecarloclub
Any case, your problem with visibility is a very personal thing. No other way to know exactly, but test drive an Impala LS.
How's things in Lansdale? I'll be heading down that way in Feb on business again.
Ken
Teo, it's a white one so we can just call it plain vanilla!
oh lansdale is just fine...a nice and 'balmy' 44 degrees today....much better then the mid 20s that have persisted for the past few weeks...
A guy at work here is selling an '86 GMC pickup that has only 80,000 miles on it; I'm going to look at it on Monday. He's not asking too terribly much for it, and at least it's new enough that it wouldn't lower property values to park it out on the street. That plus a program car Camry might be my answer.
mcdill - What subject does your "teacher" teach? I'm hoping it isn't auto shop!
I got a promotion!!! I guess the cat slipped out of the bag that I was considering a new job with another company (nothing specific) and it scared them a bit.
It's nice to be wanted...heheheheheheheeh
The comments of the teacher do not surprise me, given his age. I am from the same era. We must remember that in the 1960s and 1970s there was competition not only amongst the big three but within the big three. A Chev SS 396/454 did compete with the likes of the Olds 4-4-2 and the Pontiac GTO. And they were very different cars with their own engine lines before GM went generic. I knew Pontiac people who would not think about buying a Chevrolet.
Interesting tid-bit along these lines in the corvetteforum this week. Why did GM stop painting Chevrolet engines in the Chevrolet Orange colour? For example, my Corvette 350 is blue. Answer according to some was the lawsuit about 1976 when some Buick or Olds buyer found a Chev Orange 350 in his new car. Claimed he wanted an Olds or Buick 350 and not a Chevrolet engine. Very soon all GM engines became blue.....Interesting bit of trivia.
I am thinking of buying a new 2001 Impala with the 3.4 engine. I have driven one as a rental car,and was impressed with the comfort,and the fuel mileage. I got a little over 30 mpg on
a run from Ft.Laurderdale to Key West on regular fuel.
I would like to know if their are any problems that anyone is having? I have been burned
badly by Chevrolet in the past.But I understand that things also change sometimes.
Hope to hear from you all soon.
geo25
"All 1973-1977 engine blocks are cast iron. In 1973-1976 the blocks are painted Chevrolet Engine Orange. In 1977 they are painted blue....All 1978-1981 and most 1982 engines are painted GM 'Corporate Blue'. Beginning in August 1982, color was changed to black."
Getting back my earlier post, the key word here is "Corporate." GM finally in the late 1970s phased out engines distinct to the various Divisions. Sameness set in....
The interior is spacious and although some have criticized exposed screws in the trim, I do not notice these. I have found the interior trim to be of a very good quality and all seems to fit together very nicely. Magazine writers do tend to get hung up in trivia at times. The trunk is enormous, especially with the fold-down rear seats. That is available with the bucket seat and floor-shift console option which I have posted on. See my Photopoint album below.
I do not push cars but the 3.4L has excellent low-end torque (it is a push-rod engine) compared to autos with DOHC where the torque band peaks at much higher rpm. I believe that this will contribute to long-term reliability if you are enclined to keep your auto for a number of years. The styling has been criticized as old-fashioned compared to Chrysler products, for example. The Impala seems to be a love-or-hate-it car but the styling sits just fine with me. The smily front and those round tail-lights are a little off the beaten track but certainly appeal to many. I DO wish there were three lamps in the back to get back to Impala roots: two tail plus one back-up!! To be maudlin, the styling is timeless, as many Impalas have been.
The large four-disk brakes are beyond criticism; very strong and predictable. Police forces are testing the Impala but I do not know how they have found the brakes in severe duty. I do not have ABS but have never had that safety feature in my autos and thus do not miss it. Many others have very positive comments on ABS and traction-assist so you may wish to consider it. It is optional on the 3.4L but standard on the LS.
The paint on my Galaxy Silver car is free of flaws but I do wish GM would have put the clearcoat on the inner surfaces such as inside the trunk and the hood. Why do they cut corners like that? (Rhetorical question.) There is some road noise in the cabin but nothing compared to the Saturn; my basis for comparison. Apparently, a change of tires will make a difference but that is not in the books for me. Overall body fit and finish is very good but not up to Honda standards and that does not phase me. Both cars are produced in North America and one plant has better robots than another. Besides, we are talking about mm differences. On safety, Impala is at the head of the class in terms of crash safety: there is nothing like bulk and good engineering on crumple zones. And that is important in my view.
So far (very few miles), it has met or exceeded my expectations. No complaints. I researched the 3.4L and its history in such vehicles such as the Venture van and the base engine in the Camaro for some time. It seems to have a very good reliability rating (as does the 3.8L also). The Malibu (one of my other possible choices) with the 3.1L does not do as well with the likes of Consumer Reports. I do not know why that 3.1L unit is having problems. But that is another story. Apparently, there have been some problems with the Al engine cradle welds/cushions in the Impala but that may have been an ealry 2000 production glitch. And some rotor warp but what manufacturer has not seen that one. Other owners with higher mileage may wish to advise you but all-in-all, I would recommend the Impala 3.4L.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=223638&a=10790790
I check the WeatherTech site, but they don't have them for the 2000 Impala yet.
LRCobra
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=223638&a=1656230&p=37958059&Sequence=0&res=high
cookie01, Congrats on the promotion!
I checked the 2001 CR handbook, it contains the reliability tables for cars produced up to and including 1999. No data on engines, only on the car make and model.
The Malibu engines were reported as very reliable (very few problems). Though, for years 97-99 the data also include the base Malibu with 2.4l 4-cylinder.
All trims of Buick Century have the same 3.1l engine as Malibu. The car also was reported as very reliable in CR concerning engines.
The last car with the same engine is Pontiac Grand Prix - only the SE trim without the optional 3.8l engine. The data for GP (all engines together) are a bit less flattering. The car had few problems in the department, but not very few.
The Grand Prix data are consolidated on all trims and options, and concern not only the 3.1l, but also the 3.8l GM pushrod, generally considered to be bulletproof. Likely, some Pontiac owners tend to push the envelope too far.
Thanks ------- Mike Bock
We ordered ours as it isn't one found on dealer lots. It's a base with the 3.8, standard seats and the 1SC package. Really wanted an LS but more important was having our 3 kids ride comfortably in the back seat and with the armrest the center position is basically useless for anything but short trips. I didn't see that mentioned here so I guess it's not an issue with others.
The car has been perfect so far and a pleasure to drive.
My only complaints about the Impala are minor:
the sun visor is too short and doesn't cover the windshield corner, no elbow cushion on the door and the base front seats could be more comfortable.
Two features I really like are the steering
wheel radio controls and the electrochromic mirror.
I'm in northern NJ and don't see many Impalas even though I drive 85 miles round-trip to work. I do see some Impala police cars and my town has at least one.
People in other forums who knock the 3800 are either crazy or biased. Reviewers also. I can't find anything unrefined about the 3800. I've also not seen any quality problems with the fit and finish. No rattles, squeaks, etc.
Looks great, runs great. Even Onstar is an interesting toy.
I'm thinking about getting a 2nd one - an LS this time. I don't think this car would bore me with one of each.
The one weak link in the Impala seems to be the engine cradle. Hope GM really addresses that problem.
http://www.luckyjdr.homestead.com/impala.html
ALSO VISIT THE SITE FOR MY EMAIL ADDRESS AND SEND A PICTURE OF YOUR CAR AND I WILL PUT IT UP FOR VIEWING. thanx, joe
You mentioned not seeing many Impalas around northern NJ. I am just now starting to see a few in the Boston area as well. On my daily commute on I-95 I see 4 on a regular basis - interestingly there are a pair of LS models - one silver, one carmine and a pair of base models - also silver and carmine! Occasionally another is spotted - but not often. You would think that in a major NE metropolitan area there would be more in evidence.
Are there more frequent sightings of Impalas in other parts of the country? Impala still seems pretty scarce around here.
$100,000 dollar cars? Everybody is got'em! (Like the 'Miami' Wil Smith song lyrics would suggest).
I see at least 10 Brand new Mercedes Benz, 20 BMW's and one exotic car everyday, whether is a Ferrari, Lamborghini Diablo (A convertible was right next to me on US1), Bentley, Rolls Royce, even DeLoreans (Back to the Future, remember?).
If you are a car lover, in Miami you'll see cars like no other place.
Stay away from 'Maroone Chevrolet' located in 'Calle Ocho' (Eighth Street)and LeJeune Road (NW 25th Avenue) as they must be one of the oldest but worst operated Chevy dealers in the Metro Miami area (I work right around the corner from them in the Coral Gables business district).
Good luck and enjoy shopping!
I have mixed feelings about that rubber molding in the rear bumper license plate housing...what is it for? Really? Cost cutting to avoid the extra paint?
They should have out that black rubber trim on top of the bumper where it should be to help avoid scrathes when loading unloading bulky and heavy objects in the trunk.
http://www.griotsgarage.com
The NAISSO site is selling window visors that fit in the channel vice using tape. They don't have a photo of it online.
http://www.impalasuperstore.com/catalog/page17.htm
More links to sites that carry accessories can be found here
http://home.hawaii.rr.com/impala/
In the winter it's very hard to keep a navy blue car clean. But that baby looks brand new today. Washed it all over, did the wheels, did the interior and took out all the junk. Looks great.
I love this car today as much as I did one year ago today. Probably more!
Happy driving friends.
P.s., yes, I do get loads of guff from my neighbors. One guys goes "I guess the only thing that might keep you from washing that thing is a good heavy snowfall"
If he only knew....