The biggest mistake that Ford made with the Taurus was to discontinue the SHO model. The SHO was the only worthwhile reason to buy the Taurus. Once they axed for the 2000 model year, the Taurus became yet another Honda Accord/Toyota Camry copycat. The base 'Vulcan' 3.0L V6 sucks (Yes it does big time)and the Duratec is only OK but lacks the low end torque and fuel economy of the 3800 Series II V6.
The 1996 redesign didn't help it much either. The 2000 re-style is much better but I you can still see some design clues of the insect looking 1996-99 Taurus. Clearly Ford couldn't bring to market an all new Taurus so it recycled the old model. For looks I think the 86-95 Taurus/Sable were superior in design and room, but reliability was ABYSMAL.
Please point out an outstanding feature in the current Taurus/Sable line-up. As it is, I haven't seen anything impressive on these cars that make me go AHHHHH!!!!....
If Ford gets serious a brings back the SHO or revives the Falcon and Marauder it might get interesting again back at Dearborn.
But now I don't salivate over any current Ford sedan...well maybe the Lincoln LS V8, but that's a different class of car all together.
I just got an E-mail from Kim at Chuck Hutton GM Parts and OUCH!!!!!!!!!
2000 Impala Grey Leather Seat "Bottom"
List price: $327.95 Hutton price: $277.95 w/free Shipping
I think I will have to live with it, it could have been much worse, Also, I do not currently have the "Pluckering" By the side airbag, However the seat has ALWAYS seems to shift a little bit when slowing and accelerating, like the Track is bad, it always seems to be moving ever so slightly on those a occations. I will get a shot of the scratch and put it on my webpage and let you 'all be the judge. Thanks Don
I think the "Like a Rock" theme is a very good slogan, Between me and my parents we have had many chevy trucks as far back as 1985 , and none of them has pooped out under 200,000 miles, My daily driver is a 91 c1500 extendedcab 350,auto , it has 217,300 miles on it , original engine , and transmission, none of it has ever been touched and it uses a quart of oil every 3300 miles , and still looks new . One of My dads work truck is a 92 Suburban 2500, 4x4 , with 275,000 miles on an untouched 350 , it uses a quart every 3000 miles and I am sure it will go way past 300 K , I belive ( from my experiances ) that chevrolet builds the best Pickups , My 91 ,1500 was built in the same Oshawa Plant as our Impalas .thanks---------------mattmcdill
I have been quietly reading along for some time. I am shopping around for a car.. choices are between Pontiac Grand Prix GTP ("uh oh, a sports car guy here!" you say? Well, sort of, but a sensible one ;)and the Impala - both 2K1 models...
My name is Steve and I am fishing for info. I have gotten the general concensus that you all seem to enjoy the Imapala greatly. I have yet to test drive one but will ASAP.
So, HI everybody. Hope to milk as much info from you all as I can....
00Impala sorry 'bout the seat... by the way, could you shoot your site link to me?
teo - Believe it or not, the Chevy places that I've been to don't have any Impala brochures. The only Impalas on the lot where I went today were LS's. That may be why he said that about lumbars being standard on all Impalas. The place (that had Sandrift and Bronzemist) has base Impalas but they were closed that day. The best thing to do is go back there and try looking at those cars. I'm relieved that about lumbars not being standard!
mediumfry - someone mentioned Bronzemist earlier today and colors have been "topic of the day"
iusecad - Eventually I will have to start talking to salesmen about prices and that will be a big factor which way I go. Since I have another month or so before I'm ready to buy, I'm not getting into prices with salesman just yet.
teo:Please point out an outstanding feature in the current Taurus/Sable line-up. As it is, I haven't seen anything impressive on these cars that make me go AHHHHH!!!!.... I can't. But, I can make the same statement about the current Impala. (I loved the Impala when it had RWD and a big honkin' V8)
And the Maurader will be out next year as a 2003.
The Taurus doesn't excite me like a RWD Impala would, or a new Crown Vic does. What does is the price difference between the new Taurus and the new Impala. With Ford's X-Plan program, the savings are signifigant.
Matt: you live down south! 90% of body-on-frame vehicles should go that long with routine maint. BUT, my truck won't. I've got almost 63k on her, and she's being goofy. I don't think I could afford to keep her up to 100k.
I like the Impala. But not enough to pay the difference between it and a Taurus.
And I support what ever make is being dissed. If I think the dissin' is unfair. ;>
Congratulations on your success in getting a replacement on your Impala. It's truely encouraging to know that GM will stand by their products and services.
I noticed that you live in Lancaster. In case you're shopping for a 2001 Impala LS, drive down to Wesolah and Sons Chevrolet in San Juan Capistrano. I believe it's only 2 hour driving from Lancaster. They are marking off $2K off, plus $1K for Ontario Auto Show rebate. A combine total of $3K for the LS. This dealership only sells fully loaded LS.
If you're looking for 2000 LS, they are marking off $6K! They have 4 cars left in stock for the 2000 Impala.
Also, When I use my web-tv to post on here I get that darn spell checker that usually messes up every single word, However when I use my Computer It Posts exactly how I typed it? Example if I type LS with this it shows up as AS unless I change it, My computer must bypass the checker because It is 10 times easier! Check my site above for a Pic of my Door Handle Screw Covers and my Scratch. Don
Have you considered painting the mud flaps silver to match the car color? That way, the bottom moldings would be silver all around!
I"m a recent owner of an LS. I don't have too much $$ to customize my Impala at this time. My first project is to tint the windows. Then, I want to customize my front grill with Billet grill. Does anyone know where I can get one? I'm also looking to add amber side marker lights (near the front wheels) to my Impala. It would add additional safety feature to it, and look European! Since my LS does not come with a spoiler, I'll add a spoiler. I thought about customizing my wheels with 17" sets. However, I think the LS 5 spoke wheels look very nice!
I"m not sure if the catback exhaust would add significant horsepower. If it does, I'll definitely add the new exhaust to my car (along with K&N filter). I want to make sure that my car is faster then the guy next to me with his Mustang or a souped up Integra. LOL
There's really not much to customize the Impala. The car comes pretty much loaded with goodies.
Tonite I was using some of the drawing software on my computer when I decided to import a Pic of the back of my LS and design some new Taillights, Using some basic circles and putting one inside of the other and using the shading feature I came up with "my" version of a 2002 Impala LSS!! It is pretty Crude as I am learning how to use it, But you will get the idea of what 6 tailights would look like. Take a look on my webpage.....OK I will stop mentioning my site (it is nothing special) but Please Check it out and let me know what you think. Thanks in advance Don
Speaking of Chevy trucks, I'd posted a message earlier that one thing that swayed me to my Impala was that I was currently driving a Chevy K1500, with the V6, going on 11 years, and just clicked 218k miles. All I ever did was the trannie at 135k miles. And this in and around Boston.
As for the electronics blinking on and off, so far that's been a one time event, here's hoping it remains that way. This weekend I'll track down as many power leads as I can and tighten them.
iusecad - I haven't seriously priced cars and I'm looking for base models. You may prefer the upgraded trims. But one place I went to offered $16,800 for the Taurus LX. Then I've seen ads in New Orleans paper for $17,225 for the Impala (base). I haven't started dickering with salepeople yet to get the real price. If you like a more upgraded trim, the Impala may be a lot more than Taurus. I've always bought base.
00impala - Looked at the site you mentioned in post 2264. You have a nice looking car.
roderacer - Welcome to the site. I'm shopping too so can't really give advice but good luck on your shopping.
Welcome to the forum. Although I don't post as much as others, I like to feel that I share everyones enthusiasm for the Impala. I too was comparing the Grand Prix to the Impala.(I limited my choices to GM because I get an employee discount through my father-GM employee) I compared apples to apples as far as the options in the comparisons, and I bought the '01 LS, Galaxy Silver, 1SB, sunroof, CD/Cass, and leather. Here's why I chose the Impala.
1) Safety. The Impala is rated higher/better in the Govt. crash tests and independent insurance tests, in all areas, i.e. front, side, rear, and offset crashes. I have a four month old, and that was one of the most paramount priorities.
2) Room. The Impala has a bigger trunk, and also more cabin space.
3) Back Seat. The Impala has a 60/40 split bench in the back. The GP has a center opening that you can only get about 2 hockey sticks through.
The 3.8L motors are the same in both cars, however yes, the GTP does have the supercharger. My thought on that was 'Belly up to the bar keeping super/premium gas in it'. IMO the price at the pumps isn't going to go down. Further, is the coin you'll lay out for that SC really worth 40 extra HP? Drop a $40 K&N air filter in there and you get 10hp right there. I sacrificed the peppier engine in the Pont. for the above reasons. Besides, that 3.8L flies as it is. I haven't found that I needed more power.
Problems? Both cars have a 'cheap' plastic feel to them as far as the interior goes. I think this feeling is shared by some in here; that if this is Chevrolet's flagship, they could have done a little better. The engine cradle and intermidiate steering shaft problems seem to be limited to the '00 models, and there are Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) on both for the '00, so the problems are moot. No word on if the problems exist for the '01s, and mine only has 1200 miles on it, but I'll keep you all posted if anything comes up.
All in all both cars are very good, however I think that the Impala is just a little bit better, for the reasons above. I feel I got a great car with lots of goodies on it, and am very happy with the purchase.
I've had my new Impala for 5 weeks (made my first payment) and I really am a happy camper. I also looked at the Taurus and the Grand Prix. The cabin room is better and layed out well in the Impala as well as larger trunk. I also was not impressed with all the controls on the "unistick" (the grand Prix forum talks about it that way too) in the GP. It's really all a matter of personal preference until you own one and can compare it long term. It remains to be seen how Chevy will keep us all happy and what else will be a glitch if anything (read the 00 owners comments on cradle/shims and steering wheels) The taurus did not inspire me and I felt it was not as reliable in the safety readings(new reports give the Impala 5 stars) Color doesn't matter that much when I shop but it seems folks either stay toward what they always drive (as in always buy white) or tend to go complete opposite. IMO. Best of luck in your searches. Don't let them off when it's time to talk price!
For the record, I have a 2001 Impala with a build date of 10-00 and it has the cradle issue.
GM just offered me a brand new car on my 2000. Now I have to work on the 2001. I have one of each and now am in the market for another with a build date AFTER 10-00.
I'm making my way through all the Ford and Chevy dealerships. I'll be going to another Chevy dealership today or tomorrow. Only one dealership even had base Impalas in stock so I probably can't be too picky on colors. I like the blue though. My strategy is to have a price in mind and if they don't meet it to walk away. Walking away is easier said than done but once they start playing games I usually get annoyed enough to do it.
Thank you all for the warm welcomes and info. I find it ALL pertinent! Your responses have been more than helpful, and I enjoy the comparisons to the GP's.
Seems that the Impalas have more of a dedicated following than the GP board does... hmmmmm.
I am going to be looking into the cradle issues as I am not really a "motorhead" per se, so Im not completely sure what that means.
ENG62INE 10 extra horses?! Really? I thought more like 4-6... interesting. I, too am impressed with the safety features of the Impalas.
00ImpalaSpectacular!! Love the site and love your pics. Beautiful car!!
Do the '01 Impalas come with heated outside mirrors?
Wow - I haven't visited your site in a while - it looks great!! And yes - I like the 6 lights. My preference would be to make them somewhat smaller diameter than presently and change the lens to resemble a '63. BTW - on your pic of the 2000 Impala surrounded by it's ancestors - that 65 was just like my first car - oh what memories!
So sorry to hear see those scratch pics - what a bummer!
Platour - I bet you're glad that wasn't a Suburban that rear ended you! I have to confess that a couple weeks ago I inadvertently backed ours into a parked Subaru at a nearby mall. I'm usually so very careful about things like this and yet - I did it. Couldn't see the car because of a toboggan in the back cargo area - should have removed it. Oh well, at least the other people were courteous and not upset at all. Sure glad it wasn't an Impala I hit. We all would have cried!
I walked away from one dealership on a Sat. AM- on Monday they called me and said the owner told them to meet my price- to late- I bought somewhere else! I hate the fact they play games like that but just reinforces my decision I didn't want to buy there after that crap! My Imapala is Navy Blue and really sharp. The Bronze mist would have been a great color too but I like the gray interior and most of the light colors on lots had the tan interiors. The Taurus is less money but it's true that you get what you pay for. The Grand Prix is also a nice sedan but is way over due for an update!
Picked up my car yesterday (after two days at dealer). I was told they did a lot of work on my car; cause/solutions are as follows:
Low coolant light: cause: upper intake manifold gasket leaking coolant solution: repaired Rear window defroster: not working, cause: left side uplugged, also poor connection at the plug on rear glass solution: reconnect and secured connection
Hesitation, stutter: cause: PCM Calibration update needed solution: Road test and scan the PCM, perform the update R ecalibration, road test (word for word on invoice) Re TSB bulletin for rear wheel liners, manager looked up code and ordered them, and they should be back by next Tues. (they'll notify me when they come in)
The car is running fine. I tried the rear window defroster last night and it is working.
Special note: Immediately after picking my car up from the dealer, I took it for a car wash, however, I told the carwash people wiping the car that I did not want them to clean the inside rear window because of the plugs back there, which are connected to the defroster system. So, if your rear window stops defrosting, check the plugs. Guess I'll have to start washing my inside rear window myself.
No they are not standard. I have never seen an option for them. Some of the guys on this board had them installed afterwards. RE:Do the '01 Impalas come with heated outside mirrors? Only with certain packages.
Checked out your pics. The pipes look great. What do you think about pulling the big red plastic piece completly off the car and painting it body color except for the tail and back-up lights. Maybe find some chrome plastic rings to glue around the tail and back lights?
You probably would be better off checking the archieved discussions that were written before this current discussion. The issue we refer to is a problem with popping and moaning noises related to the engine mount/cradle and the steering column on 00 and maybe 01 Impalas built before a certain date. There is a TSB for a fix that uses some shim material on the cradles that appears to have some limited success. Have I got it right? The newer 2001 have a better weld on the cradles and shouldn't have the problem but it remains to be seen. It also appears that the problem wasn't evident for the first few months or few thousand miles. If you check other boards it seems most new models have at least one or two glitches that get ironed out by the trusty new car buyers (don't even talk about the Ford Escape!)
I will try to answer your questions. Changing the ignition switch twice and then replacing the oxygen sensor on the 2000 Impala did not work to correct the hesitation problem.
I have not yet received any money from GM. This should occur within the next 7-10 days. The car had 6200 miles on it at purchase (program car). I took it in for the hesitation the first time at 8200 miles; it now has just less than 12,000 miles. The mileage use fee was just 2000 miles for a total of $398.00. This is about 20 cents per mile.
I planned to purchase a 2001 LS, silver in color, with gray leather seats. The local dealer does not have the car that I want. They have offered to find one and transport it to their lot. I was told that this transfer costs them $150.00 that they plan on passing to me. I have no desire for them to send a driver to pick up the car and drive it back. If I decide on this, the car will have to be trucked to the local dealer.
The 2000 Impala that I now own is a white LS model with cloth seats. The seats are the only things that I plan on changing other than the color.
Hvan3- The discount that you spoke of sounds good, but I will probably not drive that distance. It has been my experience, that when I do something like this, the dealer never has what I want. Thanks for the suggestion.
Can any one tell me what month of manufacture of the 2001 Impala would be a safe bet to purchase? I saw a recent post that spoke of his Impala having the same cradle problems as the 2000. His was built in Oct 2000.
Congratulations in your resolution. $398.00 out of pocket expense for mileage offset use seems very reasonable.
2001 Build dates? The newer the better. Make sure the new replacement car was built after 10/00. Your best bets will be a car built between 11/00 and 03/01. Remember that if build date is a priority this my limit your selections in colors and equipment, but at least is *cheap* insurance in order to get a car with the appropiate updates.
Same as you, I have made the switch from cloth to leather seats. Still waiting for the paperwork from GM in Detroit to sign, turn over the '00 Impala LS and drive away in the new one. The GM Business Resource center has been dragging their feet on this one a bit, but soon I'll have my new '01 ride.
I am off on a weekend trip to a wedding in Mississippi , my cousin, We will be in the Impala , we had the tires rotated today, and all seems fine , total milage bakc and forth should be about 450 -500 miles, and we will break 22,000 miles , see ya'll later. thanks---------------mattmcdill
Here's what I suggest - draw up a template similar to what you have posted and post it in the "Meet the Members" discussion of the Owners Club. And/or ask Karen for her advice or assistance. The Owners Clubs are designed to be - as much as possible - what the members want it to be. So ask, and you very well might receive! :-)
Meanwhile, I am sorry, but I'm going to ask you to delete your post since you are quoting copyrighted material - that's a no-can-do per the Terms of Use.
I do think with your assistance the Meet the Members discussion could turn into exactly what you are looking for.
(By the way, I'm really sorry to hear about your incident with the shopping cart - I certainly know the feeling!)
Pat Host Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
Not much going on or are we all speechless? The Coke truck holding up traffic for hours in Chicago was interesting. How about a 20 cent jump in gas prices overnight? Isn't that just peachy? Chicago is running $1.89 for premium
Well folks, I may have changed my mind about purchasing a 2001 Impala LS.
This afternoon, I spent about 2 hours at the local Buick dealer. I looked at and drove a 2001 Buick California Regal LS. This is a nice car but not as large as the Impala. I was impressed with it. The sales person was trying to get me to make a quick decision because of the last two days of the month. I know that the last few days of the month are usually the best time to purchase a new car.
Anyway they gave me some figures that include $3000.00 in rebates. The total out the door price if I act before closing tomorrow is $23,645.42. To me this seems like a really good price.
My next concern was the possibility that GM would back out of the repurchase of my 2000 Impala and I would then be stuck with two cars. The general manager was asked to comment. He said that if we drew up a contract on the 2001 Regal, he would agree in writing that if for some reason GM failed to follow through, he would take the Regal back and would void the contract.
The Chevrolet dealer has never suggested anything like this. They wanted me to sign the contract and would not agree to anything else. The Chevrolet dealer on all of their new cars puts some type of a paint sealant on each car that they receive. They then add $697.00 to the vehicles price. Buick does not do this and does this only if you ask for it.
I have not followed the message board on the Regal so I do not know if this vehicle has any problems or not. The Impala is a nice car but with the treatment and price that I just received on the Regal, I must give it serious thought.
I guess that's proof of my early point about the way you get treated at a dealership. It sounds like you might need to try another Chevy dealer in your area. I still recall the test drive at one that the salesman rode with on- we ran out of gas! That told me alot about the dealership! Yeah it helps with the security issue but don't tell me that they can't be sure there's a couple of quarts of gas in there for a 20 minute test drive before you go out. The Buick is nice but not sporty enough for my tastes. Check out the saftey stats too. Whatever yu decide LOL!
You wrote: The Buick is nice but not sporty enough ...
Drove the both, and bought Buick. Regal with touring suspension is at least as sporty as Impala LS. Probably a bit more. The suspension is optional for the LS trim of Regal, and standard with GS.
Well, comparison with GS is not so direct. Powertrain is a bit different. But, any case, definitely more sporty.
I have a Chevy Malibu and Buick Regal. The Chevrolet dealership is outstanding, very nice, and friendly, and very competent. Like to visit them. even while it is 30 minutes drive from my home (the closest Chevy dealer is probably in 3 minutes).
The Buick service advisers also are outstanding - but in the opposite sense. Arrogant, and are acting as of they know better what I need. Bad place.
It would be ridiculous to compare the Buick service with the Chevrolet one, dealer to dealer, even while Buick is generally considered to be "higher".
Unfortunately, we like the Regal much more, and could not buy a new Buick from a Chevrolet dealer. :-(
Was some of what I thought we would be adding to the dealer experiences list. I can't see spending over $20-25,000 at an establishment that can't give you the time of day or the courtesy to spend 5 minutes asking what you are looking for and if they can help you answer anything. I just had a saleswomen return a call last week asking if I was still interested in a Monte or Impala. I asked her a question 6 weeks ago- and it was not a stumper- what the difference between the door width on the Monte and the Impala? If that took 6 weeks imagine if I had anything difficult to figure out?
Post #2300. Cool. I'm gonna go have another bowl of ice cream.
By the way, the "go to msg #" feature doesn't seem to work. Plunks me in about 50 posts before I expect it to. Anyone else see that? Pat?
I got my AutoTap today. www.autotap.com It's a poor man's scan tool but it does a couple neat things. It reads and clears DTC's (Diagnostic Trouble Codes) and logs powertrain sensor values for future analysis. A great tool. If any of you were close enough I'd hook it up and find out what's really causing the engine hesitation and other stuff. I'm going to record benchmark runs on my Impala during the next week and save them for future reference. I hope I never have a problem but if I do, by golly, I can log it again and compare the values. If anyone's interested I'll post typical values for anything you want...coolant temperature, idle RPM, air mass flow values, injector pulse widths, misfire data, etc. I'm so excited!
You have really suffered with your car and deserve a buyback because your stalling problems were NEVER RESOLVED after thousands of miles and many futile trys.
Don't be pressured into making a quick decision. They took forever to try - without success - to resolve your problems. It would seem you're entitled to at least a couple weeks to decide exactly what you want to do.
The Regal is nice and quite comparable. The one thing that really bothered me on it was the reflection of the dashboard onto the inside of the windshield. A nasty horizontal line ran from post to post right through the center of my field of view. For me, that was the single deciding factor in the Impala over the Regal. Both good cars.
What was the sticker price on the Regal you were considering?
This AM I am getting ready to spend the rest of the day driving on a test track as many GM and other cars as I want..can't wait!
Scotsman:: Regal is also a very nice car, but personally I would stick to the Impala. The main reason is that the Impala has much better safety scores than the Regal. Regal is an 'older' sedan that was last redesigned for the 1997 model year and it is due for a needed update in 2003. Conversely, the Impala is a newer spin-off of the W-body platform with much improved safety features and it will not be updated until 2005. While the Regal only meets 1997 government safety standards, the Impala already meets 2003 goverment standards...some food for taught.
On the Buick Regal board I haven't seen that many complaints on the car, except a rattle that develops on the driver's side dasboard. The Regal is nice but in many respects of safety and durability I personally prefer the Impala. If you settle on the Regal, get the Supercharged 3800 V6 to justify the jump from the Impala, I think.
Word of advice: Don't commit to buy any new replacement car until GM buys back your current vehicle and you get that check on your hands. If you rush to buy a new car, you run the risk of getting stuck with two cars.
Comments
Man! I wish I would make $$$ for every Impala sale..as it stands, GM owns me big $$$ in back comissions ;-)
Don't you get some kickbacks from FoMoCo for every defense you make in behalf of their products?
The 1996 redesign didn't help it much either. The 2000 re-style is much better but I you can still see some design clues of the insect looking 1996-99 Taurus. Clearly Ford couldn't bring to market an all new Taurus so it recycled the old model. For looks I think the 86-95 Taurus/Sable were superior in design and room, but reliability was ABYSMAL.
Please point out an outstanding feature in the current Taurus/Sable line-up. As it is, I haven't seen anything impressive on these cars that make me go AHHHHH!!!!....
If Ford gets serious a brings back the SHO or revives the Falcon and Marauder it might get interesting again back at Dearborn.
But now I don't salivate over any current Ford sedan...well maybe the Lincoln LS V8, but that's a different class of car all together.
2000 Impala Grey Leather Seat "Bottom"
List price: $327.95
Hutton price: $277.95 w/free Shipping
I think I will have to live with it, it could have been much worse, Also, I do not currently have the "Pluckering" By the side airbag, However the seat has ALWAYS seems to shift a little bit when slowing and accelerating, like the Track is bad, it always seems to be moving ever so slightly on those a occations. I will get a shot of the scratch and put it on my webpage and let you 'all be the judge. Thanks Don
Well, start saving up for the replacement seat cover....:)
My name is Steve and I am fishing for info. I have gotten the general concensus that you all seem to enjoy the Imapala greatly. I have yet to test drive one but will ASAP.
So, HI everybody. Hope to milk as much info from you all as I can....
00Impala sorry 'bout the seat... by the way, could you shoot your site link to me?
Thanks all.
RR
mediumfry - someone mentioned Bronzemist earlier today and colors have been "topic of the day"
iusecad - Eventually I will have to start talking to salesmen about prices and that will be a big factor which way I go. Since I have another month or so before I'm ready to buy, I'm not getting into prices with salesman just yet.
I can't. But, I can make the same statement about the current Impala. (I loved the Impala when it had RWD and a big honkin' V8)
And the Maurader will be out next year as a 2003.
The Taurus doesn't excite me like a RWD Impala would, or a new Crown Vic does. What does is the price difference between the new Taurus and the new Impala. With Ford's X-Plan program, the savings are signifigant.
Matt: you live down south! 90% of body-on-frame vehicles should go that long with routine maint. BUT, my truck won't. I've got almost 63k on her, and she's being goofy.
I like the Impala. But not enough to pay the difference between it and a Taurus.
And I support what ever make is being dissed. If I think the dissin' is unfair. ;>
Wade
I noticed that you live in Lancaster. In case you're shopping for a 2001 Impala LS, drive down to Wesolah and Sons Chevrolet in San Juan Capistrano. I believe it's only 2 hour driving from Lancaster. They are marking off $2K off, plus $1K for Ontario Auto Show rebate. A combine total of $3K for the LS. This dealership only sells fully loaded LS.
If you're looking for 2000 LS, they are marking off $6K! They have 4 cars left in stock for the 2000 Impala.
Check it out! Good luck!
I"m a recent owner of an LS. I don't have too much $$ to customize my Impala at this time. My first project is to tint the windows. Then, I want to customize my front grill with Billet grill. Does anyone know where I can get one? I'm also looking to add amber side marker lights (near the front wheels) to my Impala. It would add additional safety feature to it, and look European! Since my LS does not come with a spoiler, I'll add a spoiler. I thought about customizing my wheels with 17" sets. However, I think the LS 5 spoke wheels look very nice!
I"m not sure if the catback exhaust would add significant horsepower. If it does, I'll definitely add the new exhaust to my car (along with K&N filter). I want to make sure that my car is faster then the guy next to me with his Mustang or a souped up Integra. LOL
There's really not much to customize the Impala. The car comes pretty much loaded with goodies.
http://community.webtv.net/dman4ford/00IMPALALS
As for the electronics blinking on and off, so far that's been a one time event, here's hoping it remains that way. This weekend I'll track down as many power leads as I can and tighten them.
00impala - Looked at the site you mentioned in post 2264. You have a nice looking car.
roderacer - Welcome to the site. I'm shopping too so can't really give advice but good luck on your shopping.
Welcome to the forum. Although I don't post as much as others, I like to feel that I share everyones enthusiasm for the Impala. I too was comparing the Grand Prix to the Impala.(I limited my choices to GM because I get an employee discount through my father-GM employee) I compared apples to apples as far as the options in the comparisons, and I bought the '01 LS, Galaxy Silver, 1SB, sunroof, CD/Cass, and leather. Here's why I chose the Impala.
1) Safety. The Impala is rated higher/better in the Govt. crash tests and independent insurance tests, in all areas, i.e. front, side, rear, and offset crashes. I have a four month old, and that was one of the most paramount priorities.
2) Room. The Impala has a bigger trunk, and also more cabin space.
3) Back Seat. The Impala has a 60/40 split bench in the back. The GP has a center opening that you can only get about 2 hockey sticks through.
The 3.8L motors are the same in both cars, however yes, the GTP does have the supercharger. My thought on that was 'Belly up to the bar keeping super/premium gas in it'. IMO the price at the pumps isn't going to go down. Further, is the coin you'll lay out for that SC really worth 40 extra HP? Drop a $40 K&N air filter in there and you get 10hp right there. I sacrificed the peppier engine in the Pont. for the above reasons. Besides, that 3.8L flies as it is. I haven't found that I needed more power.
Problems? Both cars have a 'cheap' plastic feel to them as far as the interior goes. I think this feeling is shared by some in here; that if this is Chevrolet's flagship, they could have done a little better. The engine cradle and intermidiate steering shaft problems seem to be limited to the '00 models, and there are Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) on both for the '00, so the problems are moot. No word on if the problems exist for the '01s, and mine only has 1200 miles on it, but I'll keep you all posted if anything comes up.
All in all both cars are very good, however I think that the Impala is just a little bit better, for the reasons above. I feel I got a great car with lots of goodies on it, and am very happy with the purchase.
happy camper. I also looked at the Taurus and the Grand Prix. The cabin room
is better and layed out well in the Impala as well as larger trunk. I also was
not impressed with all the controls on the "unistick" (the grand Prix forum talks
about it that way too) in the GP. It's really all a matter of personal preference
until you own one and can compare it long term. It remains to be seen how
Chevy will keep us all happy and what else will be a glitch if anything (read the
00 owners comments on cradle/shims and steering wheels) The taurus did not
inspire me and I felt it was not as reliable in the safety readings(new reports give
the Impala 5 stars) Color doesn't matter that much when I shop but it seems
folks either stay toward what they always drive (as in always buy white) or tend
to go complete opposite. IMO. Best of luck in your searches. Don't let them
off when it's time to talk price!
dew
GM just offered me a brand new car on my 2000. Now I have to work on the 2001. I have one of each and now am in the market for another with a build date AFTER 10-00.
Seems that the Impalas have more of a dedicated following than the GP board does... hmmmmm.
I am going to be looking into the cradle issues as I am not really a "motorhead" per se, so Im not completely sure what that means.
ENG62INE 10 extra horses?! Really? I thought more like 4-6... interesting. I, too am impressed with the safety features of the Impalas.
00Impala Spectacular!! Love the site and love your pics. Beautiful car!!
Do the '01 Impalas come with heated outside mirrors?
Thanks!
RR
So sorry to hear see those scratch pics - what a bummer!
Platour - I bet you're glad that wasn't a Suburban that rear ended you! I have to confess that a couple weeks ago I inadvertently backed ours into a parked Subaru at a nearby mall. I'm usually so very careful about things like this and yet - I did it. Couldn't see the car because of a toboggan in the back cargo area - should have removed it. Oh well, at least the other people were courteous and not upset at all. Sure glad it wasn't an Impala I hit. We all would have cried!
Ken
Is a dual exhaust standard on the LS?? From the pics I see on Chevy's site, I really cannot tell.
Thanks
RR
said the owner told them to meet my price- to late- I bought somewhere else! I
hate the fact they play games like that but just reinforces my decision I didn't want
to buy there after that crap! My Imapala is Navy Blue and really sharp. The Bronze
mist would have been a great color too but I like the gray interior and most of the
light colors on lots had the tan interiors. The Taurus is less money but it's true
that you get what you pay for. The Grand Prix is also a nice sedan but is way over
due for an update!
Picked up my car yesterday (after two days at dealer). I was told they did a lot of work on my car; cause/solutions are as follows:
Low coolant light: cause: upper intake manifold gasket leaking coolant
solution: repaired
Rear window defroster: not working, cause: left side uplugged, also poor connection at the plug on rear glass
solution: reconnect and secured connection
Hesitation, stutter: cause: PCM Calibration update needed
solution: Road test and scan the PCM, perform the update R ecalibration,
road test (word for word on invoice)
Re TSB bulletin for rear wheel liners, manager looked up code and ordered them, and they should be back by next Tues. (they'll notify me when they come in)
The car is running fine. I tried the rear window defroster last night and it is working.
Special note: Immediately after picking my car up from the dealer, I took it for a car wash, however, I told the carwash people wiping the car that I did not want them to clean the inside rear window because of the plugs back there, which are connected to the defroster system. So, if your rear window stops defrosting, check the plugs. Guess I'll have to start washing my inside rear window myself.
If any of you could point me in the right direction, I'd be grateful.
Thanks!
RR
were written before this current discussion. The issue we refer to is a
problem with popping and moaning noises related to the engine mount/cradle
and the steering column on 00 and maybe 01 Impalas built before a certain
date. There is a TSB for a fix that uses some shim material on the cradles
that appears to have some limited success. Have I got it right? The newer
2001 have a better weld on the cradles and shouldn't have the problem but
it remains to be seen. It also appears that the problem wasn't evident for the
first few months or few thousand miles. If you check other boards it seems
most new models have at least one or two glitches that get ironed out by the
trusty new car buyers (don't even talk about the Ford Escape!)
Just teasing!
Duraflex
Hvan3
I will try to answer your questions. Changing the ignition switch twice and then replacing the oxygen sensor on the 2000 Impala did not work to correct the hesitation problem.
I have not yet received any money from GM. This should occur within the next 7-10 days. The car had 6200 miles on it at purchase (program car). I took it in for the hesitation the first time at 8200 miles; it now has just less than 12,000 miles. The mileage use fee was just 2000 miles for a total of $398.00. This is about 20 cents per mile.
I planned to purchase a 2001 LS, silver in color, with gray leather seats. The local dealer does not have the car that I want. They have offered to find one and transport it to their lot. I was told that this transfer costs them $150.00 that they plan on passing to me. I have no desire for them to send a driver to pick up the car and drive it back. If I decide on this, the car will have to be trucked to the local dealer.
The 2000 Impala that I now own is a white LS model with cloth seats. The seats are the only things that I plan on changing other than the color.
Hvan3- The discount that you spoke of sounds good, but I will probably not drive that distance. It has been my experience, that when I do something like this, the dealer never has what I want. Thanks for the suggestion.
Can any one tell me what month of manufacture of the 2001 Impala would be a safe bet to purchase? I saw a recent post that spoke of his Impala having the same cradle problems as the 2000. His was built in Oct 2000.
2001 Build dates? The newer the better. Make sure the new replacement car was built after 10/00. Your best bets will be a car built between 11/00 and 03/01. Remember that if build date is a priority this my limit your selections in colors and equipment, but at least is *cheap* insurance in order to get a car with the appropiate updates.
Same as you, I have made the switch from cloth to leather seats. Still waiting for the paperwork from GM in Detroit to sign, turn over the '00 Impala LS and drive away in the new one. The GM Business Resource center has been dragging their feet on this one a bit, but soon I'll have my new '01 ride.
Meanwhile, I am sorry, but I'm going to ask you to delete your post since you are quoting copyrighted material - that's a no-can-do per the Terms of Use.
I do think with your assistance the Meet the Members discussion could turn into exactly what you are looking for.
(By the way, I'm really sorry to hear about your incident with the shopping cart - I certainly know the feeling!)
Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
Chicago was interesting. How about a 20 cent jump in gas prices overnight? Isn't that just
peachy? Chicago is running $1.89 for premium
This afternoon, I spent about 2 hours at the local Buick dealer. I looked at and drove a 2001 Buick California Regal LS. This is a nice car but not as large as the Impala. I was impressed with it. The sales person was trying to get me to make a quick decision because of the last two days of the month. I know that the last few days of the month are usually the best time to purchase a new car.
Anyway they gave me some figures that include $3000.00 in rebates. The total out the door price if I act before closing tomorrow is $23,645.42. To me this seems like a really good price.
My next concern was the possibility that GM would back out of the repurchase of my 2000 Impala and I would then be stuck with two cars. The general manager was asked to comment. He said that if we drew up a contract on the 2001 Regal, he would agree in writing that if for some reason GM failed to follow through, he would take the Regal back and would void the contract.
The Chevrolet dealer has never suggested anything like this. They wanted me to sign the contract and would not agree to anything else. The Chevrolet dealer on all of their new cars puts some type of a paint sealant on each car that they receive. They then add $697.00 to the vehicles price. Buick does not do this and does this only if you ask for it.
I have not followed the message board on the Regal so I do not know if this vehicle has any problems or not. The Impala is a nice car but with the treatment and price that I just received on the Regal, I must give it serious thought.
dealership. It sounds like you might need to try another Chevy dealer in your
area. I still recall the test drive at one that the salesman rode with on- we ran
out of gas! That told me alot about the dealership! Yeah it helps with the
security issue but don't tell me that they can't be sure there's a couple of
quarts of gas in there for a 20 minute test drive before you go out. The Buick is
nice but not sporty enough for my tastes. Check out the saftey stats too.
Whatever yu decide LOL!
Drove the both, and bought Buick. Regal with touring suspension is at least as sporty as Impala LS. Probably a bit more. The suspension is optional for the LS trim of Regal, and standard with GS.
Well, comparison with GS is not so direct. Powertrain is a bit different. But, any case, definitely more sporty.
passed me off to the Mazda salesman and never looked back!
http://www.buick.com/promotions/spring-incentives/regal.html
I have a Chevy Malibu and Buick Regal. The Chevrolet dealership is outstanding, very nice, and friendly, and very competent. Like to visit them. even while it is 30 minutes drive from my home (the closest Chevy dealer is probably in 3 minutes).
The Buick service advisers also are outstanding - but in the opposite sense. Arrogant, and are acting as of they know better what I need. Bad place.
It would be ridiculous to compare the Buick service with the Chevrolet one, dealer to dealer, even while Buick is generally considered to be "higher".
Unfortunately, we like the Regal much more, and could not buy a new Buick from a Chevrolet dealer. :-(
I can't see spending over $20-25,000 at an establishment that can't give you
the time of day or the courtesy to spend 5 minutes asking what you are looking
for and if they can help you answer anything. I just had a saleswomen return
a call last week asking if I was still interested in a Monte or Impala. I asked her
a question 6 weeks ago- and it was not a stumper- what the difference between
the door width on the Monte and the Impala? If that took 6 weeks imagine if
I had anything difficult to figure out?
By the way, the "go to msg #" feature doesn't seem to work. Plunks me in about 50 posts before I expect it to. Anyone else see that? Pat?
I got my AutoTap today. www.autotap.com It's a poor man's scan tool but it does a couple neat things. It reads and clears DTC's (Diagnostic Trouble Codes) and logs powertrain sensor values for future analysis. A great tool. If any of you were close enough I'd hook it up and find out what's really causing the engine hesitation and other stuff. I'm going to record benchmark runs on my Impala during the next week and save them for future reference. I hope I never have a problem but if I do, by golly, I can log it again and compare the values. If anyone's interested I'll post typical values for anything you want...coolant temperature, idle RPM, air mass flow values, injector pulse widths, misfire data, etc. I'm so excited!
Don't be pressured into making a quick decision. They took forever to try - without success - to resolve your problems. It would seem you're entitled to at least a couple weeks to decide exactly what you want to do.
The Regal is nice and quite comparable. The one thing that really bothered me on it was the reflection of the dashboard onto the inside of the windshield. A nasty horizontal line ran from post to post right through the center of my field of view. For me, that was the single deciding factor in the Impala over the Regal. Both good cars.
What was the sticker price on the Regal you were considering?
Scotsman:: Regal is also a very nice car, but personally I would stick to the Impala. The main reason is that the Impala has much better safety scores than the Regal. Regal is an 'older' sedan that was last redesigned for the 1997 model year and it is due for a needed update in 2003. Conversely, the Impala is a newer spin-off of the W-body platform with much improved safety features and it will not be updated until 2005. While the Regal only meets 1997 government safety standards, the Impala already meets 2003 goverment standards...some food for taught.
On the Buick Regal board I haven't seen that many complaints on the car, except a rattle that develops on the driver's side dasboard. The Regal is nice but in many respects of safety and durability I personally prefer the Impala. If you settle on the Regal, get the Supercharged 3800 V6 to justify the jump from the Impala, I think.
Word of advice: Don't commit to buy any new replacement car until GM buys back your current vehicle and you get that check on your hands. If you rush to buy a new car, you run the risk of getting stuck with two cars.