2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

zx3for_me

Any compelling upgrades in the 05's over the 04's?

I'm currently in an 04 Saturn Vue. I was toying with the idea of a Impala as I really have enjoyed the ones I have rented (base 3.4's) Great ride and comfort. I drive 100 miles a day and the Vue's poor seats are playing havoc with my back.

I know I'm going to get raped on the trade if I do decide to do it. Right now the incentives are what on O4's? 3500? Any chance of doing better than that you think?

nosirrahg

From what I understand, but big change on the Impala comes in 2006 - probably little (if any) difference between an '04 vs. an 05.

bh628

I agree. I have been looking at Impalas, and haven't seen much difference between '04 and '05.

Different colors-- You can't get berry red, but you can get sport red metallic.

Onstar is standard on all models as of '05. I think you get the first year free. I started seeing some ugly Onstar antennas on the roof (looks like a man's whisker from a beard) on some of the later '05s. Also a window applique, which they said is part of the antenna.

On the '05s, maybe you have seen financial person Suze Orman advertising--GM will let you lock in the interest rate of your next GM car if you finance with GMAC now--Lock n Roll program. You have to choose the rebate or the special financing. And you must buy your next GM car within the period of the 1st loan (I think). If that interests you, you may want to check the GM site. I think it's 0% financing, and they will let you lock that in for your next car, even if interest rates rise.

There are some pictures of the new Impala on the Impala 2006 board, but most of the car is covered up. I am not sure if it was debuted in the October Orange County (S Calif) auto show, but there are a few auto shows coming up. I think there are some earlier messages, you can probably search "auto show" and you will find those messages. But the '04s will probably be gone by then.

Good luck! I am pretty close to buying one, this month or next.

pluto5

The Imp is long overdue for side curtain airbags IMO. I'm waiting for the 06. There is no discernable difference in the 03 that I have and the 04 and 05.

hvan

No, there was no 2006 Impala at the Orange County Auto Show. Hopefully, we will see it at the LA Auto Show.

bh628

You can get side curtain airbags right now. They are an option.

johnclineii

Sadly, no. You CANNOT get side air curtains at all, at any price. You CANNOT even get side air bagS. You can get A side airbag. For the driver ONLY. As my 2000 LS had.

I should know. No side air curtains on the Impala was one of three major reasons I now own a Ford Five Hundred SEL AWD and not an 05 Impala. Even though my Impala gave me 173,000 miles of faithful service with nothing more than a headlight switch, airbag sensor and scheduled maintanance.

The other two reasons? Lutz's constant decontenting (many features I know of in my 2000 are no longer available at any price--not to mention what they did to cheapen the car that I cannot see). And AWD.

I should probably add the Ford is also much quieter and more refined, and the interior is miles better.

The Impala was a great car in 2000. I would think twice before I bought an 05. But, you can get an incredible deal on one. And I will be watching the 06 with interest.

And to be fair, I should add that for most, the Five Hundred is fine, but some will find it underengined for their tastes. For now.

bh628

I stand corrected, John. Sorry. You can get a driver's side airbag, not a curtain airbag. I didn't read the original post carefully.

I did a lot of checking on safety features. I wasn't that impressed with the added benefit of side curtain airbags. Check out the Sonata, for instance. All the side curtain airbags in the world won't help a poorly made car.

Nice to see you on the list again, John. I looked at the Ford 500 last week, thinking of you. I would be nervous about buying a car the first year out, and I still have seating issues that the new car didn't solve.

Thanks for your comments.

jarndt1

Hello fellow Impala owners! I am new to the forum. My car is a silver '04 LS. Traded an '01 Dodge Ram about six months ago due to gas prices. I've logged over 18K miles so far and liked every one of them. On to a few questions...

Can I get a cargo net for the trunk from my dealer? What is a reasonable price to expect?

Is a K&N filter element of any benefit in this car?

What is a good replacement spark plug for better power, fuel economy, engine smoothness, etc? Any to stay away from?

Thanks for any input!

neals1820

I have been following this site off and on for 4 years and have found it to be very helpful. Finally had to replace the original GA Eagles on my 2000 LS after 48,000 mile and after reading all the reviews in Tire Rack I went with the Bridgestone Turanza LS-T and couldn't be happier. Very quiet and comfortable ride and my wife is happy with the ride. She hated the noise from the Goodyears.

nosirrahg

You should be able to get a cargo net; my only advice is to not leave it connected on both sides unless you're using it (otherwise it will end up like mine, stretched out and useless). I have no idea on prices, though.

I did put a K&N filter on mine, and noticed a difference. I'm about at the point of needing to "recharge" mine, and will try to post something here as to it's condition when I get around to it.

Haven't changed spark plugs (74,000 miles), and haven't seen too many posts here about plugs, other than how to get to the ones on the backside of the engine. I've used Bosch platinum plugs before in other cars with good results, but don't know specifically about the Impala.

hvan

A friend of mine who knows a lot about cars, he recommends Bosch Platinum plugs.

I also have KN air filter in my Impala. I haven't notice any difference in performance. IT's nice to know that I don't have to ever replace the air filter.

zx3for_me

I sort of like the look of the 2000-2005 Impalas, It's at least nice to se a maker keep a same style for more than 2 years. When I had my 2000 Maxima it seemed like every year the style was changing so every year was first year guinea pig working out little quirks etc.

The Onstar antenna looks ok to me...so many cars with the shark fin now I hardly notice. I'll keep checking incentives but I really enjoy the ride and the room that the Impala gives you although it does take me a bit to get used to what I feel is pretty heavy steering. but it is all good

jarndt1

I bought one off Ebay this weekend. Less than half the price of the dealer. They wanted my first born. From what I gather, plugs in this engine are a pain. Not looking forward to changing them so I want to make sure I pick the right ones, even if that means sticking with stockers. I've heard good and bad things about the Bosch Platinum's. It seems as though they are great in some engines, but not so good in others. I tried them in my Dodge Ram and they ran too hot, causing pinging. However, the idle was smoother. I know there are a million opinions out there so I'm hoping to see some sort of consensus. Anyway, this is the first vehicle I've owned with a transverse mounted engine. I must say, I like the access that old-school V-8's and straight sixes offer.

nosirrahg

Although I haven't done it yet myself, there's supposed to be a way to release an upper engine mount (or two), allowing you to tilt the engine forwards to get to the plugs on the backside. I don't think it's quite that simple, but I've read through the steps in my Chilton's-type manual, and it doesn't sound difficult to do at all.

02impalals

the was a previous posting that you could remove the fuel injector cover to get to the firewall sparkplugs and wires.

if its correct, its easier then tilting the engine.

2k_impala_ls

My wifes 2k Impala LS with 14k miles had a dead battery one day. I went to try and charge it and decided to check the terminals. The positive fell right off. Turns out it had a leak behind the terminal from being over tightened at the factory and eat the terminal right off. They only cover a battery for the length of the original warranty.
I pulled the battery from my 1985 monte SS and it fired right up. The SS is down for the winter anyway.

yurakm

What else the leak eat?

hvan

Lots of 2004 Base Impalas in Orange County, CA going for under $16K with MSRP of $22Kish.

2k_impala_ls

ACID had dripped on the battery pan so I removed it and cleaned it with baking soda. Luckily the Positive battery cable had no damage and had not leaked into the wires.

yurakm

Hopefully the acid was contained. I would watch out for corrosion, however, and/or start saving for replacement. Even if few drops of acid spread beyond the battery pan, it can damage your car.

bh628

Hi fellow Impala owners!

Well, I picked up my new 2004 Impala base Sedan today, and I am so happy. I wanted the 2004 because it has the upgraded 1SC package, with a lot of neat features. I was looking for a 2005, and about to order one, when this car came into the picture. Has the Sedan sport appearance package.

I did the deal by faxing, and all these nice fleet managers were calling, asking me to buy their cars at $100 invoice or less. I HIGHLY recommend www.fightingchance.com! Paid $200 UNDER invoice, plus the $3500 rebate on the '04s. Fighting Chance gave excellent advice, and I wouldn't have been able to get this car or deal without them. Best $35 I ever spent--buying their package! I was talking the dealer lingo quickly, and the fleet mgrs knew they couldn't take advantage of me. I had 22 deals offered to me, and offers of new car orders at invoice or less.

I had seen this car in the '05s, and I just couldn't see spending the money. I drive my cars until very old (I am the one with the '86 Celebrity--haven't driven that much the last 10 years). So I don't think depreciation is the factor.

No trade in, so loss of money on the deal there. But I did pay $1895 on the MajorGuard 72month/90,000 miles extended warranty. My highest quotes were $2400, so I am guessing that their cost was $1200, with a profit of $700 for the fleet mgr. I did get her down an additional $150 from her first quote. I am thinking of getting a refund on it--I read you can get a refund within 30 days, and checking around. But I thought I'd ask you guys how I did on the warranty. Any comments?

Thanks to all of you who helped me with great Impala information. Oh, I got bucket seats--I am the one who was looking for bench seats. But we found that the buckets aren't that different from the actual bench seat itself. And so much more FUN!

Thanks again,

batista

How much did you pay for your car and what colour? Why didn't you get the base with 3.8L like me? It comes with the bench seats, abs, traction control, tire pressure monitor and aluminum wheels for only an extra $2k.

bh628

Hi batista,

The car's MSRP was $26,065.80. I paid $200 under invoice, which was $23,982.53. With all the fees, it came back up near invoice price. There was a larger $3500 (vs $2,000 on '05) rebate on the '04s. So the out the door was under $23K. What I planned to spend.

The car is white, but I am not fussy about color. It was VERY important for me to get the base sedan, which had the much easier steering. We rented an Impala, with the tighter steering, and I got muscle stiffness and pain in my underarms very quickly. I have a health condition where this is a really bad thing.

The 3.8L engine isn't a really big factor for me. We had an '86 Chevy with 2.8L engine, and have a small 4 cylinder car. So this 3.4L engine is really wowing us with the pickup!

I really love the interior. Many of these features aren't available on '05s any more--the 1SC package has a lot of nice things. Like the auto-dimming rear view mirror, leather wrapped steering wheel, upgraded radio w/both CD and cassette, radio controls on the steering wheel, custom wheels.... I also had the ABS nd driver-side Impact airbag and sedan sport appearance pkg.

Here's the thing. I was talking to 9 dealers by fax and phone for my car requirements--a base Impala with ABS (I had a nasty skid awhile back, and so I really wouldn't give up on having this). I wasn't getting what I wanted, and there is a time deadline to make a good deal in the dealership world--the end of the month. Deals at the beginning of the month are not that good. I called Fighting Chance for advice (which is part of their $35 info package--what a bargain! no, I am not affiliated). They suggested I call back the 9 dealers who gave me the offers on the 21 cars, and ask them for their bids on new car orders. 8 were at invoice, and one had already given me a quote for $100 under invoice. When I called back to see if she would honor that quote, she said that she would--but that she had an '04 for me to consider. Without the advice of Fighting Chance, I would have lost the deals, and wouldn't have my car. And those 9 dealers (the others ignored my fax) wouldn't be enthusiastic about talking to me next time because I wouldn't be considered a serious buyer.

I remembered seeing an '04 on this dealer's lot in Berry Red about 6 months ago. I loved the nice touches of the upgraded 1SC package. I remember glancing at the sticker of the car next to it, but didn't look much when I saw the 1SC package and the price (that was probably this car!). We had gotten up early to look at cars on lots on a Sunday before they opened, and that's when the guard found us and politely told us the dealership would open in a few hours.

So I knew I'd like the car, even if I hadn't seen it. We inspected it the next day, test drove it, and signed the papers.

White is ok. My choice was to get the white '04 w/spoiler (which I didn't plan on), or order an '05 in sandstone metallic and wait 8-10 weeks (plus more when they close the factory for 2 weeks). My choice was an acceptable car, now. Those of you who know my postings know I've been driving a car that could fall apart any day, and I have been looking for a long time.

If I had wanted just any base Impala, the best deal was an '04 on a dealer's lot, out the door at $18K (they threw in an i"nternet coupon" of $500). But it didn't have the antilock brakes I wanted.
The fax method works great when your car is easy to find, a commodity. It was harder for me because I had requirements.

Wow, a whole book written by me to answer 3 lines of question!

hvan

Let me get this straight. You paid $23K out the door inclduding tax, extended warranty, and license? IF so, I think you got a 'decent' deal. I've seen Impalas in that price range of $26K for $19K.

Enjoy your ride! It's a great car....

jug

Yea !!

I like mine too. I did not have to negotiate. I just waited until the timing was right. Mine is a Silver 2004 LS with everything except onstar and I got it for $19.2. It took me about 1.5 years to decide to part with my 95 Lumina LS with 188 K mi. I liked it so much. The Impala has so much more than the Lumina. Have not had any problems with it other that some power steering noise.

duraflex

re: TSB 01-06-03-005
The flickering light symptom is apparently a problem that has occured on many different GM vehicles. For those that have had the problem and applied the TSB cited above (which simply involves replacing an alternator/regulator grounding bolt- a $5.00 part)

QUESTION 1- Has anyone with an IMPALA been told that the flickering lights were caused by a defective alternator that was overcharging the battery?

QUESTION 2- Does anyone know what is the maximum voltage that should be coming off the alternator to charge the battery?

QUESTION 3- Could a bad grounding bolt account for higher than normal voltages from the alternator?

Thanks.
dura

bh628

Thanks, hvan,

It was that 1SC package that brought up the price. It's about $1500 more than the more popular 1SB package. Probably why the 1SC package was discontinued, but I really like the extra touches.

Still, I did pay $200 under invoice. I am thinking of returning the $1900 extended invoice, which really added to the cost. From what you are all telling me, this is quite a dependable car. I'd rather put the money aside rather than deal with insurance companies that are in business to keep from paying you what you are due.

Oh, slightly off topic, but important-- I know of two people who became unconscious with this stomach flu going around! I didn't believe it until my spouse had vomiting and diahrrea on Thursday evening, and I found them unconscious on the floor 12:30a.m. on Friday. We rushed to the emergency room, and they had 3liters of fluid IV'd into them. We couldn't believe it! It seemed so unbelievable that this happened, and so quickly. My spouse fell directly on their chin and ribs, another person fell through a shower door and now had his jaw wired shut. Now I am sick, and forcing fluids. Couldn't move the last few days. If this starts with you, call your doctor!

nosirrahg

Just throwing this out there for comparison purposes as folks are shopping around - I found myself this past Saturday at Smart Chevrolet in Pine Bluff, AR; they had the new "red tag" campaign going on that GM is pushing, and since I was killing time, I walked over and took a look around. While I'm not currently in the market for an Impala, they had a 2004 SS "Indy 500" edition Impala there, which listed for over $32k, on sale for $23,600 - considering I paid $21,500 for my non-leather, non-supercharged, non-SS 2000 model back in the day (before GM Card rebates), this seemed like a heck of a deal to me. I know this price includes rebates and such, but even with that, I thought the price was appealing. Thought I'd throw it out to the group so see if anyone else thought this was a good deal or not.

hvan

Yeah, but the SS is NEVER worth $32K in the first place! For that price, I rather get the 300C Hemi. What was GM thinking?

jarndt1

I agree. There are other better values out there, the 300 Hemi being one of them (at least by comparison). I think the SS is mostly aimed at buyers who are strictly loyal to the brand. Ford had the same problem with the Mercury Marauder. Effectively an overpriced appearance package.

frankf3

Is there any way to determine if TSB 01-06-03-005 has been applied to the car? I swear I brought our Impala in to have that TSB performed, but within a month or so I noticed the same effect happening. Is there a part number I can look at or a dimension I can look for on the grounding bolt to see if they actually used the right part?

 

Thanks

sean3

man i drove my friends new impala yesterday and i thought i was driving a 95 cavalier, the interior is so old and dated, the eterior design is ho-hum the rear quarter panel looks awfull around the gas door, they really messed the lines in the sheetmetal up, the rear quarter window is mis-shapen, the door framing is cheap looking, the door handles are the old lift up type, the rear window molding isnt flush with the frame/window. dis-proportional looking side view, the car is to busy lookin with no classy lines of framing, i understand this came out in 2000? seems more like a mid 90's design. the interior is gawd-awfull, the one thing that seemed decent was the motor but even that was Gm's old tech pushrod 3800L which is a decent motor. But what did g do to the rest of it? any ideas?

sean3

in tune in the stylin department, the 03 and new malibu is just as nasty and dated looking.

bh628

Sorry to hear that you feel this way. Possibly you might like the new 2006 Impala, which is being totally redesigned. There are pictures of it on an Edmunds message board. You should be able to see it at auto shows very soon. It will be at the L.A. Auto Show at the beginning of Jan.

 

Those of us who purhased an Impala probably bought it because we like it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess. I physically (at dealerships. more online) checked out 18 cars befoe buying an Impala. What did your friend say when you gave him your very strong opinion of his car????

02impalals

theres an old saying. you cant please everyone and it appears youre one of them.

 

im sure you will find some other dealer to take your money and hopefully you will be happier.

sean3

I guess seeing cars in the same price range and one looks off and the other looks good. I didnt tell him exactly what i thought, heck its his new car and hes proud of it and it does what it is supposed to, the one thing that really bugs me is the interior of impala, its plainly outdated, gm has so much potential and market firepower, seems they are always a little behind in design and enginering, though the new G6 pontiac looks promising for '05 way to go GM, just dont wait so long to update,,imho Sean

sean3

i drove my friends new impala tonight and that thing is one sweet drive, very good power ,smooth acceleration, smooth tranny, responsive steering, Fow what he got it for i think he did well, seeing so many in ad condition that our local government uses for there state cars makes them look bad but all in all a nice car, I just cant get past the funky interior! sean

bh628

Anybody try Scotchguard on their seats? I have never used Scotchguard, but would like to protect the seats on my new Impala. I have the sport trim fabric.

 

Thanks

02impalals

I applied scotchgard to my seats and floor mats.

 

i havent had the opportunity to try how well it work (no spills, yet) But i also sprayed some anti static stuff since i was getting zapped alot during the summer. it has seemed to settle down.

 

if youre going to spray the scotchgard on it, do it when you are not going to use the car for several hours since it can smell somewhat.

sean3

Impala uses 3800V6? for the SS? and 3100L for base? not sure what engine my friends has but I think its base, but good smooth power and great tranny,IMHo Sean

infinia1

base impala uses 3400 v6, 3800 v6 optional. ls gets 3800 v6 standard, ss uses supercharged series II 3800.

 

i believe gm used to apply scotchguard at the factory, but it became a victim of cost cutting. i applied scotchguard to my equinox. it helps a lot.

sean3

it may cost them .25 cents!, seems all companys do this, I remember when even GM used to equip all there vehicles with ABS regardless of model or options,I guess you have to spend 50K plus to get the small things that they used to include.

bh628

Thanks, infinia1!

 

I'll get that Scotchguard on as soon as I can get to Target or Home Depot (when the crowds die down a bit!).

 

I've been avoiding bringing drinking/food into the car, and would love to try out my new cupholders!

 

bh628

thanks for the tips! I didn't consider the floor mats. Sounds like I should do the Scotchguard outside, also, and not in the garage area.

 

I was sad to see that I am already getting a depression in the driver's floor mat, where my foot presses the gas pedal. :{

jarndt1

I must agree the Impala's interior has dated styling. Exterior is not so bad IMHO. At least it has more character the vanilla look of the new Ford 500. Elegant, but very bland. However, I think the Chrysler 300 takes the cake in the looks department. The reasons I bought an '04 LS over an '05 300 was better fuel econamy, lower price, and established reliablity (I wouldn't trust any new model from any maufacturer farther than I could throw it.) GM needs to take lessons on interior design from some of their non-domestic competition. I sat in a friend's brand new Subaru Legacy GT last week (I normally can't stand Subaru's styling) I must say I was impressed. The exterior of the car was pleasing and the interior, particularly the dash and console were gorgeous. Same story with another friend's VW Passat W8. Wish my Impala's interior looked that tight. But, I also paid a lot less and got a larger car with better gas mileage for the money.

yurakm

Of course, you know that GM is a big shareholder of Subaru, and that the new Subaru is built on the same GM platform as new Saab, Malibu, Pontiac P4, and, I believe, an Opel.

bh628

I wish you all a wonderful holiday! Thanks to everyone who answered my questions on the Impala over the last months!

 

I did a count, and either I sat in, or test drove, 18 competitive cars before buying my Impala. Comfort was a huge issue. I really love this car, and thank everyone for your help.

Glad that process is over!

 

Have a great holiday time!!!

johnclineii

And to you, as well. I hope you get at least as many carefree, happy miles out of your Impala as I did my 2000 Impala LS--173,000!!!

 

(just don't go and tell him I now drive an AWD SEL Ford Five Hundred!)

road46

Congratulations #12839. I have had my 04 Impala since Jan 04, a nice driving car. I would however recommend upgrading the headlights to Slyvania Silverlites to get a better night vision. These are about $35 a pair retail and easy to pop in yourself by reading your owners manual. The orginal headlights in the car didn't seem to throw the light very far. You will get a nice white light out of the replacements. My base 3400 6 has delivered up to 33 mpg on theopen highway-Maine to upstate NY. I think you will be happy w your choice. This car is well constructed and can hold up in a crash better than a 04 Camry.