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Comments
Sigh.
hehe. Quite honestly, my 2000 Impala LS cost me ONLY $15,400 out the door (including tax)! MSRP was around $24,000. Dealer marked off $4000. GM marked off $2000 for Auto Show Rebate. My GM card rebate knocked off another $3,700. Total price of my LS was around $14,300!!!
I can use my Impala for two years and still break even!! Life is great.....
My current GM Gold Card still has about $1600 rebate points. The clock is ticking because I've had this card for over 7 years. I'll save this for either a new Impala SS or the SSR.
http://www.jchoefer.com/sema/pict0170a.jpg
I would also like to see an Impala station wagon.
I am sure they would call it something else. Who cares?
GM: Build it and I will buy....
I'm currently waiting for Mazda to intro the 6 wagon, and I may very well buy one. But an Impala wagon?
Until your post I didn't dare even think of the possiblity!
Please, please, please build it, GM!
I have an offer on the table from 3 dealers for a 2002 Black LS w/Sport package (MSRP $28,240). The deal would be as follows:
Sell price: $25,000
GM rebate: $3500
My GM card money: $4100
Cash from trade: $10,500
Net to finance: $6900
The BIG question - do I wait. The con is waiting for a car that will be short in supply and in high demand.
If the SS were available in early 2003 as an 2004 model I would wait. But if it is late 2003 then I don't think that I could pass this deal up.
Comments/thoughts?
The 03's are out in abundance but the deals are not as good.
On the GM card...I am on the original card and we are grandfathered in from when the limit was $750/year. I had $4700 but they have been taking the money away slowly. So I want to spend it now.
One thing for sure. It will be a limited production car and you won't be able to talk much off the sticker other then GM card rebates. When the 1994 IMAPALA SS came out buyers were bidding the price higher then the sticker just to own one. They only made 56,000 over a three year run.
I see the general filter set...but...is where is the cone filter option that I see everyone talking about.
Has anyone done this and can you point me to a site that is selling it. Thanx.
-16-inch diamond-cut High Sport aluminum wheels
-Corvette-inspired body-color rear taillamp panel
-Chromed stainless-steel exhaust tip
-Racetrack-inspired strut tower brace
-Four-wheel antilock disc brakes with brake cooling ducts
-Tire inflation monitor
-Graphite instrument panel and side-door trim appointments
-Custom embroidered Impala logo on floor mats and front door trim panels
Definitely not "performance" mods.
They have the K&N 9" cone filter for $41.99 and the installation kit for $25.99. They also have the 7" cone filter for $39.99.
Anyway, I wouldn't expect any major performance upgrades from the factory. Almost always you'll have to go to aftermarket for performance type additions.
Anyone know exactly what "Racetrack-inspired strut tower brace" means? Or what the non-sport model has instead of "Four-wheel antilock disc brakes with brake cooling ducts"?
DRIVING AT ITS BEST.
Bring on the winding curves and scenic straight-aways. The agile Impala — with its responsive Total Performance System, fully independent suspension and precisely balanced chassis — rewards your passion for driving.
If it walks like a duck, it must be a duck.
This is the kind of stuff that makes it hard for customers to take the Impala seriously as a sport sedan.
If customers are purchasing the Impala because they think they're getting a sports sedan, then shame on them for not researching the product. The Impala is a great family car, with a sportier look than many others. The die-hards that continue to compare the '00 and above Impala to the Impala's of '96 just don't get it. It was never meant to compare to those older cars.
BTW: Are Impalas considered reliable (honda/toyota) and how do they hold resale value?
The dealers are discounting them near me. Do they not hold up over time?
Just alone in the past 2 and a half weeks I have managed to rack well over 2K miles on Business related roadtrips. The car has been excellent and the Impala is a great and very comfortable highway cruiser. The tighter steering and firmer suspension in the LS models make up for very good handling and firm but smooth ride quality.
The A/C in this cars is great. Cools down my cabin in no time. The transmission is buttery smooth with hardly noticeable upshifts and downshifts. The 3800 V6 is one of GM's best passenger car powerplants. It returns excellent gas mileage. In my last 500 mile trip it returned 32 MPG. Right now in city driving alone I am getting between 19 and 22 MPG using 89 Octane gasoline. The car really moves from the get go and passing power is very satisfying for a pushrod engine (Feels like a V8).
The Cruise control is my one of my favorite perks about this car. If the car is either travelling up or down on an incline, no matter the speed, the cruise control and transmission work in concert to maintain the selected speed without much deviation...too cool.
I highly recommend the car. Dollar per dollar, the Impala still beats the Japanese competition and based on my own experience reliability is about in par if not better than the well established Honda and Toyota midsize products (Read their forums, lotsa complaints here and there, however).
On passenger/trunk room alone the Impala still comes ahead of the latest Accord/Camry redesigns (I have spent time in both new models recently). The Impala still has more shoulder room and bigger roomier trunk space.
Having said all this, perhaps the "Camcord" models will give you expected better resale value, more refined OHC engines, better interior materials (My Impala after almost 2 years since purchase does not have a single rattle or squeak in the cabin) more agreeable designs, etc, but having myself owned a string of Japanese cars in the past I have no regrets to this day about picking the Impala over the other competitors in the class.
Another point to consider: Maintenance in the Impala tends to be cheaper than in the Japanese models.
Take an Impala for a test drive and then do a back to back comparison with the Accord, Camry Altima, etc and see which one you like better and better fits your budget and immediate needs.
- personally, just tired of accords and camrys...every other car is the same around here. It's nice to be different.
- I am 6'2", the accord and new cary are simply not as comfortable and leave no rear seat room with me in the front. The Impala is spacious.
- the seats are flat as a pancake in the camry
- the 3800 engine requires only oil changes to 100K miles
- resale value still favors the foreign makers, but you will get more features in the Impala (dollar for dollar). And the heavy discounts, minimally, make it equal at the end game.
At the end of the day it personal preference. I own a Land Rover and a Volvo yet I love the Impala. Go figure...
IT REALLY WORKS! Not a trace of wax was left. I finished off with a coat of Armour All and it looks great.
Also, the car ('01 LS sandrift)has been trouble free and is giving terrific gas mileage. I would not hesitate to buy another Impala.
Thanks to whoever suggested the peanut butter. If anyone knows how it works (chemically), I would like to know.
The only thing I don't like about the cruise control is that it doesn't allow you to "de-accelerate" without having to step on the brakes.
The peanut oil dissolves the wax and the "butter" itself is abrasive enough to remove it and sticky enough to lift it. It'll also remove gum from hair, tar from the paint on the car, etc. For best results on your car, microwave it first and put it on/off with a soft toothbrush.
Just don't use Jif, Skippy, Peter Pan, any of those. They have canola oil added and the peanut oil removed, and canola oil can leave a wax like residue behind after a while. Use a natural peanut butter, something that has contents of "peanuts, salt" and nothing (or very little) else.
hvan3: You can easily decellerate by using the cruise control. All you have to do is hold down "Set/Coast" and you will decellerate at the same rate you accelerate with "Resume/Accel" even without using the break.
Good thing, the Cruise Control module stores the last set speed in memory. Just push the "Acel/Resume" button and the car quickly goes back up to speed.
The Cruise control system in my Japanese cars were not nearly as accurate or responsive as the one in this car.
If you're just wanting to adjust your cruise speed, you can tap the buttons; it pretty much add/removes 1MPH of speed for each tap. If I'm cruising at 60, and the speed limit increases to 65, I just tap the "accelerate" button 5 times, and it takes me right up to 65 and stays there.
The LS has OnStar, but the Accord has a better stereo with in-dash 6 disc changer. The LS has more interior room, but the Accord has a much higher quality of interior materials. The engine power is similar, but the Accord's is more modern, while the Impala's is a proven workhorse.
The big difference is in the resale value. Just look at any automotive classified, or even Edmunds TMV or Kelly Blue Book, and compare what 2000 Accords, Camry's, or even Altimas sell for compared to 2000 Impalas.
Speaking of Altima's..they're not my cup of tea, but some people really like 'em. They can be had for under $23K. The Ford Taurus also sells in the low $20's for a well-equipped model.
Lots of choices in this price range.
Anyone know who makes that bra? I'm interested in getting one like that for my dark blue '02 base.
Impala Perfect Fit OEM bra...
http://www.carbras.com/bigcars/chevy_impala.htm
$89 + handling and shipping (another $10) delivered to your door.
More consumers realize that buying a new 2003 Accord or 2003 Impala is actually cheaper than settling for a comparably used 2000-2002 model year used sibling. When you can get that new car smell and full factory warranty for not a very substantial monetary difference over an used vehicle, is not a brainer.
Has anyone tried to advertised a 1 to 3 year old used car in the paper or most online used car listings? How many calls have you gotten for you car? How many actual serious "leads" have come out to look and test drive your used car? How many have actually made an offer and bought your car? I am sure not that many people have.
Cash rebates and 0% financing deals are great for new car buyers but later on down the road all these "incentives" translate into eroded resale values and lack of interest in your pristinly kept used car.
Actually the "higher" resale values of the Japanese brands are working against its owners...Who's going to pay $17K for an used 2001 Honda Accord LX sedan when I can go and get a brand new 2003 Accord LX sedan for about $18K-$19K give and take and with lower financing rates and a full factory warranty to boot???
http://www.autonews.com/news.cms?newsId=3920
Could this car mean serious trouble to the Impala?
Me likely.....at least looks like a full 360 degree revamp from the old AVIS rent-a-car 1997-2003 Malibu....
BTW, it is based on the current European Opel Vectra sedan.
The market has set the price for the Impala and it is $4-5000 less than MSRP.
Clearly nobody in America believes the LS is a 24-28K car. I wonder what the true transaction price of the upcoming SS will be?
Think they will probably eat that 2002.
http://www.autonews.com/news.cms?newsId=3595
Yup. Lots of choices for new, mid-size sedans in the low $20's. Now, if a late model USED car is what one is looking for, and I do think they are a much better value, the Impala wins hands down. It's WAYYYYYYYYYYY cheaper than the "foreign" competition". ("Foreign" being a misnomer, as the "6" is made in MI, Accord in OH, Altima in TN, Camry in KY, and even Mitsubishi makes their Galants in IN., all presumably by American workers, which is more important to me than where the "suits" have their HQ.)