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Comments
Ken
I, too, have the same problem of accumulation of dirt on the rear bumper of my 2001 Monte SS. I have an SS without the rear spoiler and I was under the impression that because I had that deleted that maybe the wind forces allowed the dirt to accumulate on the rear bumper. As I understand it a lot of you Impala owners, both with and without the rear spoiler, have the same problem. If anyone can solve it I certainly would be open to any ideas or concepts. It seems that during rainy weather the water accumulates there and when it drains away, leaves the dirt behind. Thanks for listening.
St. Louis Missouri
Nascar, I appreciate your opinion but there is nothing more gut-wrenching than hauling your slush and salt-laden overboots onto the mats and carpet of your new car. I just went through this and fortunately the crusty winter mess came out with a little TLC and soap/water. That crud can get into the floor-pan and start the old FE/oxide (rust) process also. Some of us can tolerate a little compromise in looks during the long winter to preserve the carpetting and floor for the long term. The idea of throwing the mat into the washer for clean-up appeals to me. I will not consult my Wife or the Maytag repairman on that. Beside, they do not monitor the Impala Forum. As least I think not......
I don't expect the oil type to affect the time that the oil change light comes on. I believe the oil life calculator is based on miles and driving conditions which is probably calculated from throttle position or engine load calculations which are used internally through the PCM (Powertrain Control Module). I'm sure there is no sensor that knows whether the oil is synthetic or not, or that measures viscosity to determine breakdown.
The suspense is killing me!
Brad
My salesguy says they only do "group" tours. He's finding out what constitutes a "group" (i.e. 10 people, 50 people, etc.). I bet we could get enough interested people from this list to put together a group of the most enthusiastic Impalaphiles around.
The plant is located in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada - about 30 minutes East of Toronto.
I'm willing to handle the logistics of setting this up if there are enough interested people. Let me know!
Brad
I reduced the air pressure in the tires by a few psi last night. It's warming up here in AZ. I reset the tire presssure moniter. This AM I started the LS like I always do to warm up.
I noticed the interior light stayed on..... I then remembered I had left the interior light on last night after reseting the tire moniter. The Impala's system had turned off the power to the light just like it was suppose to.
We are so used to these new systems on this car that we ignore them now or forget them is a better phrase.
Hopefully my Optima battery would not have drained down from the interior lights but I am glad the power shut down system is there. ((-;
Tony
Very cool all the way around. The liners totally cover the front facing portion of the rear wheel housing and they're black and smooth and look VERY easy to clean. What more can you ask?
For those of you who have 2000 Impalas, without these add-on liners, take em' in. It's free and if nothing else will make that area a breeze to clean.
Cookie.
You mentioned that you were a GMS purchacer. You *do* know that when you order from the factory, you get a slightly better deal than when you take a car our of dealer inventory, right? The "S" in GMS stands for "Stock", what you've ordered is a GMO ("Ordered from Factory") car, and you'll get somewhere from 1 to 2.5% off of the Base Model MSRP for that.
Don't blame you for passing on the demo unit. If you're a GMS/GMO purchaser, why not get a brand spanking new car equipped exactly the way you want?
Since Oshawa is soon to be shutting down the 2K1 line, it is vitally important that you check back with your dealer next Monday or Tuesday and have them look at the factory's "Green Sheet". That's the weekly report the factory spits out to tell each dealer the status of the build orders they've received.
The factory projected that it's cutoff date for new build orders would be 4/19 (tomorrow), but that could change based on how many orders they receive in the last few weeks. If they get SWAMPED with a lot of orders, the cutoff date would be moved up. Since your order is very close to the date, there's a tiny chance that it might not get built, which is why you need to get confirmation from your dealer next week.
If it helps any, I placed my LS order last Wednesday, and it was confirmed Monday by the dealer. Your dealer will be able to pull that info for you next week.
(BTW, some dealers and salesmen might not be familiar with the term "Green Sheet", but they *should* know what you're talking about if you ask about the "factory order status" report.)
Hope that the Taurus proves to be a reliable car and the the Ford service guys don't dissapoint you down the road...
My experiences (And Family's) with Ford products and services were nothing to write home about.
Best of Luck.
PS: Picking up my new 2001 Sandrift Metallic Impala LS at the end of the week
kenbuzz Ya know, I did mention the GMS/GMO to the dealer at the time of the order... he kind of scratched his head. I planned on calling the Sales Mgr. today to get a solid answer. I should be able to get the GMO price since it is a factory order. I'll let you know how that goes.
Thanks for the heads up on the 'Green Sheet'. I will definitely follow up with the dealer to get a confirmation of the order. Hope they are able to build the thing!
I agree with the DEMO comment. I got a perfectly trimmed car with NO miles and never been driven. Nothing against demo'd cars, but this is my 1st new car and I want to do it "right."
Thanks!
RR
RR
Thanks
RR
I spared one hour to go down to the dealership and check out the car with a 'Fine Tooth Comb'. The car was built sometime last week (Build date 04/01) and it still has all factory plastic wrapping inside and out. The exterior antenna mast for the Onstar, the trunk cargo net and the center console coin box all were stuffed in a plastic bag in the trunk. Needless to say, that the car is absolutely prestine! Of Course the car hasn't been prepped yet and it is still dirty from transportation, but the Sandrift and the neutral sport cloth interior looks fantastic.
My Service guy will open a ticket to have the car prepped and cleanup this afternoon.
I am really happy that in the end GM came through with the trade-buyback, it sure has earned them my customer loyalty for many more years to come.
Another good thing is that I was able to check the car from top to bottom under direct sunlight to make sure that no blemishes or any other type of damage has come to affect the car's exterior and interior finish. (Never accept a car during the night time).
Well, I am very excited and all is left to do is the customary formalities in regards to the paperwork and then do the exchange of keys!
I'll try to get some pics of our new ride once I get a hold of a good digital camera.
Had my 2000 Impala LS for a total of 14 months and 15K miles. The 2001 is simply better all around and the Onstar is a big safety plus in my book.
Tpken::: Man, I wish I could join you guys at the Bonneville gathering on sunday...I am 1200 miles away but hey may be you can bring a 2001 Impala sales brochure, flip it to page 16 and I'll be there!
Why don't you and the missus take a ride up here sometime this summer for a vacation? We'll do another meet here in the Boston region while you're here - and you are welcome to stay with us - either at our house on the Maine coast or at our lakeside camp in NH.
No excuses now!!
Ken
:: drooling :: That's what I ordered. You ARE going to take a snapshot or three, yes?
My order went in last Wednesday, confirmed Monday this week. Build date will be week of May 14-18, with delivery to Southern Maryland 12-14 days after that. Expected in between 26 May and 1 June.
When I get the facts of my order, I'll post. In the meantime, we'll both be "::drooling::"
Take care.
RR
I want to see what it looks like, cause when i took delivery of my car, it never came with a coinholder. And I know it will be a long hard battle with the service manager before he agrees to even acknowledge the '00 Impala even has a coinholder.
My dealer seems to be one of those ones that sells you the car and then treats you like crap.
Thanks in advance!
Shamino
You sound as if All 2000's are inferior? The Apple does not fall too far from the Tree, so if 2000's are "so" bad, be prepared for some little nitpickky things in your 2001 that were in the 2000. I think there are alot of Satisfied 2000 Impala Owners, Some more "Satisfied" than others.
Looks like San drift is THE color for 2001 LS's.
My wife has driven the car a few times with ice, snow, and rain (Spring time in the Rockies)and she loves it when the "ICE" light comes on and the Traction Control light comes ON. She has a rather unique description of how the well the cars sticks to road.
Here in Southeastern Wyoming we have lots of wind and the car doesn't budge at all. Just love that solid feel. I'm 6'1' and have ridden in the back seat quite a few times and have no complaints on entry / exit or seating comfort.
It will be a lot more comfortable here this summer than where you are - and if the power outages occur during a heat wave - we can jump off the dock and cool off!
Ken
trial the hands free feature but I hear that's a hassle to set up- any responders?
Looks like bdime and I were typing at the same time. The thing that makes Onstar better than a cell phone is that it calls for help automatically when an airbag goes off. If you're unconscious you can't use your cell phone. Along interstate highways where we usually drive you can always get (at least analog) cell phone signal. Plus the remote door unlocks and remote diagnostics if a "Service engine soon" light comes on. I simply consider it cost of ownership.
Jury is still out on the durability of the intermediate steering shaft for the 2001 Impala.
I believe to an extent that my new replacement 2001 has a total of "14 months" of visible and invisible product improvements over my 1/00 built Impala LS...that's just my own perception.
In any case and to be totally fair, aside from the A/C and steering shaft my 2000 LS was a very good car overall. However, I am looking forward to some improvements on my 2001 but I know that this car probably will have some quirks of its own, but hopefully, nothing major.
So, I apologize to the 2000 owners....I did not intend to imply that your cars were 'inferior' because they aren't. Simply, with the 2001 I am getting the benefit of some added improvements as so will owners of future production 2002, 2003 and 2004 model year Impalas.
I am getting the 3 year/45,000 mile 'SmartCare' service contract thrown in as part of the transaction sales package! No a dime spent on oil changes or routine maintenance for the time I will be making monthly payments on the new car. By the way I am financing the new one for only 36 months and since our 'insane' fed decided to cut the interest rates again for half a point, his move couldn't come at a better time
Again, apologies to all 2000 owners and I certainly share your enthusiasm for this car and appreciate your interesting and informative comments.
Ken::: Thanks for the invite! Unfortunately, I don't think we would be able to drive up there this year as my wife and I are basically spending all of our vacation time for next week's trip to Europe....However, we'll keep your invite in mind for 2002. Have fun on Sunday's gathering!
Audi will start offering Onstar on their lineup for 2002. Lexus will also offer it on their luxury models. So Impala owners, be very happy to have a system that is offered as standard fare on much more pricier cars!
GM really hit the nail on the head with the OnStar. I wish they can do the same with some of their outdated automotive products...Cavalier, etc, etc.
Congratulations on your new car. I'm sure you're excited about it.
Also, I'd like to thank everyone on this forum for all their help.
Stacy
Keep us on the loop.
PS: After trying the Taurus, give the Impala a second look
Virtual advisor has been a nice feature to have, albeit it's a darn expensive way to listen to news, weather forecasts etc. The e-mail reader speech synthesizer sounds too unnatural to be useful IMO.
In general, I'd definately use the system more if it were priced more reasonably. Now it's a "nice to have" feature for me and the premium package might make sense if you're travelling a lot but for now I'm happy with the extra security the basic package brings and the other features I occassionally use.
Btw, I think there's still a 30-minute free trial for the personal calling and virtual advisor (they use the same 'minutes') features, so those who haven't tried it, it doesn't cost anything to do so.
I hear you about the vacation time issue - it's a shame that this country is so stingy on vacation compared to our European cousins. It take years and years at a company to build up more weeks and these days people move around so much that they hardly ever get to the point where they have 5 or 6 weeks annually (I have 5 now and love it!) unless they work for the government.
Enjoy yourselves and tell us all about it when you return.
Sidebar on the NJ event - so far no Impalas are coming that I know of - very disappointing.
Ken
The way I see it: Work is a blessing but Americans tend to "Live to work" instead of "Work to live" as our European counterparts most commonly do.
In terms of vacation time, the Europeans view our corporate culture much like if we were in a 'concentration camp'. I remember last year in France we met another newly wed Spanish couple and they were extremely surprised at how much little vacation time people are allowed in America. The Spaniards get at least 4 weeks vacation a year and if getting married they get additional time for the Honeymoon getaway, etc.
Different cultures, different views.
Our country is what it is thanks to our commitment to work and labor, but I think that in the midst of all that frenzi for progress we are losing the perspective of family time above career goals, more modest lifestyles in exchange for long working hours required to support those extra luxuries, etc.
Nothing wrong with wanting to work more or excel more but at times we need to stop and reflect as to what it is really more important in life...and work and life should somehow be balanced so one doesn't overlap the other.
Ok Back to the topic at hand..
Good choice by the way. When are you getting your new '01 LS?
Also, you may remember that GM cut production by 21% in the first quarter and plans to pare output by 17% from this month through June - but as said not the Impala/Monte Carlo line!
BTW in relation to that, I had a deja vu last night - I was following a light brown Impala and I pointed it out to my wife but we turned off for some of that great Tim Horton's coffee. When I turned back out onto the street I was following an Impala with the same colour - I felt the deja vu sink in. My wife laughed and on the highway it's amazing at the number of Impala drivers who wave and smile. We ALL know we have something special!
The Salesman activated the On Star account with us in the car. No problem.
My wife loves to call me whenever she discovers another neat feature of the LS.
Hey Teo,Stacy, I was in my tire dealer the other day getting the tires rotated and the oil changed (12k miles) and noticed a story they had on the bulletin board concerning cars that were "tire killers" Tops on the list at 49% were Ford Taurus'. This was a poll of independent tire dealers around the country. Apparently these Fords burn up tires quicker than any other car, just another thing to think about when considering a Taurus, there has to be some reason they are so tough on tires.
Vacation, Well Europe sounds nice but there are still far too many places I want to see here in the good ol' US of A. Since I recently went into semi-retirement (I'm 40 this year) I am looking for places to visit. Any you folks out there want to pimp your part of the world for visitation? My first trip this year will be a roady to Indy for the 500 in May, looking forward to that, will be my first time there. Would like to hear from you all about where you live.
I think the Impala is selling so well because the car offers safety, value, and reliability!!
One thing I really like is the dual zone temperature control!
I don't think the Taurus, Camry, Accord offers this feature?
One thing I have noticed is that my Impala is already starting to RUST!!
It is near the bottom on the rear door on the drivers side. I don't know if it is due to poor paint quality, or because of a ding from stones.
Has anyone else experienced poor paint quality on their '00 or '01 LS impala?
For the record, GM told me "go pick a brand new 2001 (build date AFTER 11-00) and call with VIN number; that simple...(of course it wasn't that simple from the very beginning, but its finally over). I hope I like the CARMINE RED. I did grow to love the NAVYBLUE, but what the heck, we still have the black that is very bad looking :-)