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Comments
I would not buy an Impala if you don't trust Chevy to do a good job with the car. Some people really feel American cars are just not made as well as foreign. That might be a reason not to buy one.
Also, some don't like the look of the car. I would hate to drive a car I think is ugly (although I've done it before)
And please test drive your choice carefully and for plenty of miles. Some here have had engine cradle weld problems. My Impala does not. If it did that would bother me to no end.
Also, some say this body style is too outdated. They don't like the squared off look or the more "sedan" look. (here comes the gushing...) I LOVE the look of this car. Yesterday I got off the train at my stop and it had rained a little. My very clean car was sitting in a row with about 30 other vehicles of all makes and sizes. The beaded up rain drops made the car look amazing.
Seriously... at this price, I can't think of another car to tell you to buy. Sorry. I guess you were right... No unbiased opinions here...
I think the impression left from the North American manufacturers in the 1980's of producing low quality cars have given the general public a sense that North American cars suck!
GM doesn't help improve their own image though. For example, no clearcoat paints throughout the whole car, trim pieces that fall apart, the cheesy base warranty! If GM thinks their products are as good as the imports, they should offer longer warranties comparable to the imports!
If I was to replace the car every few years, then I would defintely not buy a GM car! They depreciate so rapidly compared to the imports! I plan to keep my 2000 impala ls for a very long time!!!
I bought my car as a demo, does anyone know how to obtain warranty/service records for my car?? I want to know whether the dealer did all the maintenance before they sold it to me!
Another thing I'd like to obtain are GM service bulletins for the car, where can I get that? I'm in Toronto, Canada!
Searching current ads (50 to 150 mile radius) reveals that most dealers/private sellers expect to get an average price of $19K to $20K for a 'stripped' Impala Base sedan with 20K to 30K on the odo! LS models are much more scarce in the used car market as I suspect most of the Base sedans influx come off from rental car fleet companies.
On a quick TMV comparison, a similary equipped Honda Accord sedan LX V-6 and an Impala LS with cloth and no sunroof reveal that the Accord only re-sells for a few hundred dollars more than the Impala. Resale is worse on the 4-cyl Accords. The Ford Taurus has terrible resale value. Those cars almost depreciate 45% the first year alone! They perhaps make an excellent used car buy as you can get them dirt cheap (However I don't wish on Fords to my worst enemies).
Whether these values are market realistic or not, they are very interesting nonetheless. Anyway, the 'best resale value' is when you drive the car into the ground. Cars are not short or long term investments they are highly depreciating assets yet people are willing to pay top $$$ for them.
Also, I currently suscribe to Consumer Reports on line and the 2000 Impala and 2001 Impala are in the "Recommended" lists of used and new sedans to buy. Lots of solid red dots and a few half red dots but not solid black dots anywhere on their reliability stats. This is very good as this shows that GM (In despite of a few annoyances)built this car right from the start.
The Monte Carlo is not in the "recommended" list and neither the Intrigue for 2001....go figure.
By contrast, the reliability stats for the Chevy Malibu are quite concerning...the '97 and '98 get the "Used cars to avoid" label and the '99 and '00 seem to be a bit better but still have some half black dots in some of their stats.
One sign of brake trouble (Warped rotors) is when applying pedal brake pressure (Coming to a full stop)the steering wheel and the pedal starts to vibrate or shake abnormally. Brake pull is another symptom of problems.
The most common brake problems in other GM cars are premature pad wear and warped rotors. This came about to insufficiently sized rotor assemblies that were taking a beat with the heat during normal breaking, thus increasing pad friction and essentially 'melting' the rotors. The OEM GM solution was to increase the size of the pads and rotors to ensure better heat distribution and extend break wear life. The Impala, Aurora and most big GM sedans now have brakes matched to the power and weight of these vehicles. Problematic GM sedans with brake issues have been the Malibu and the Olds Intrigue.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/
Thanks for sharing them.
Ken
In another Impala topic, I have seen tons of used Impala Base models and just a handful of LS variants. It appears that most of these Base 'High milers' with 25K to 30K miles are being sent to the used car market with prices in the 13K to 19K range. LS models average from 19K to 22K and interestingly most of the ones I have seen have cloth interiors. I'd say that if you can get your hands on a used '00 Impala LS for under $19K should be a pretty good deal.
Those base models going to the used car market are what are called 'commercial" vehicles: from rental car agencies. Chevrolet and Ford mass produce Impala's and Taurus's for that segment of the buying population. I fact, you can do a search on automotive fleet sales and vehicle descriptions, volumes and delivery dates can be see. This is not to say that these cars are not good bargains. Au contraire, they are normally well maintained and reasonably priced. But, they do have the shifter on the column, no back seat 60/40 etc. The LS is generally not available in that market, is produced in fewer numbers and thus commands higher prices. My Impala is the base compromise with buckets, floor shift, 60/40 back seat split and upgraded stereo. I did not want the column shift: grew up with the floor shift and that is where it should be. I stuck with the 3.4L as it is adequate for me. I did not need a spoiler, On-Star, alloy wheels that take a beating in this salt zone, compasses and the other toys that GM has marketed ad naseum but lose their novelty in a week or so. The ABS/traction I considered and apparently it works well. But I have driven without it in snow and ice for a "few" years and I will not miss it. I shudder to think of the repair costs when the salt does its trick on those sensing devices. Just a few opinions.....Enjoy your posts, BTW.
On the driver side I placed 3/4 inch sheet metal screws 1 and 3/4 inches to the left of each snap clip. I suppose you could place them in the same approximate location on the passenger side except to the right of the clips. I placed mine slightly above the clips on the left clip at about the 11 o'clock position and on the right clip about the 2 o'clock position. I did the passenger side first because it was the biggest problem. Each panel is different (right and left) so you need to be careful where you put them (the screws) Mine are perfect where I put them so you could put them there and have no problems. My panels now stay nice and tight with no movement at all and can be easily removed if you need to get into the area. Again sorry for the delay.
> the maintenance before they sold it to me!
Problem with that is that the owner might have done all the required maintenance. I have to say that I wouldn't trust my dealer with my car for maintenance. 8>(
What is the engine rpm suppose to be when the car is in idle? On our car it is about 600-700rpm. Is that too low?
I also hear considerable road noise when the car goes over rough roads, is that normal?? I think someone mentioned in a previous post that road noise intruding into the interior is one of the impala's downfalls?
Overall, I'm quite happy with the car, and perhaps I am expecting too much from the impala..expecting super quiet engines, minimal road noise etc..
After asking the service rep point blank: "Is there a correct repair for this noise or the bandaid repair of greasing the mounts?"
The service rep was honest, he said that GM is aware of the problem (duh!), but no correction has been developed yet. So on monday the mounts will be lubed again. I will handle the recall on our Silverado truck when we pick up the Impala.
The Silverado needs two little tags installed on the front brake hoses near the calipers. The tags tell the repair tech not to allow the calipers to hang on the hoses while they are removed from the mounts on the spindles.
http://home.hawaii.rr.com/impala/
Go to the Splash Guard How-To page and you can see the differences between the two model years.
Nosirr, I am sorry you are having miserable weather in Arkansas. I am praying for all those in Arkansas that are without power. I have relatives that live in Russellville and Roger. Did the ice storm come through Russellville? The reason I ask is that I have not talked with my relatives who live there, but I have with the ones that live in Roger. Thanks!
Traction control is great. We got an inch of snow here in central Mississippi and I decided to test the impala LS out. No problems whatsoever and I even have to drive up steep 45 degree or greater driveway and gravel roads. May all have a great day!
The GrandAm had terrible road noise until I got rid of the tires and replaced them with something better. In my case, I ultimately went with Michtron. I could easily say that the noise is down about 80%??? Let's say a bunch! Even asphalt with big rocks is not that noticeable.
Regarding idle. I was amazed that it was about 600 - 700 on the GrandAm. So, I guess that this must be common on the GM line. Causes no problem, no stalls and the car has nearly 50k on it.
Steering wheel vibration is more than I expected, although not obnoxious. On the GrandAm, the rack and pinion is not mounted on the firewall as in previous generation vehicles, but on the engine cradle area by a crossmember. GM claims that pulls vibration off the body. Soooo, I think that puts it on the steering shaft. I assume the Impala has the rack and pinion in the same area.
Anyway, I hope ya'll don't mind a GrandAm person jumping in, but some of this stuff might be common enough. And yeah, I wish I had an Impala. But, just like y'all's Impalas, this car appears to be a keeper. Just doesn't fall apart at high miles... The interior plastics might be another story, though. ;<(
As for the steering vibration, I guess a some vibration is acceptable! I am not willinging to dish out countless amount of money for a mercedes that has a vibration free steering wheel!
On another note, what are some good products to clean leather interiors??
rough asphalt.
However the GAs do have EXCELLENT traction and they are 4 ply tread
and 2 ply sidewall. Many others are only 3 ply tread and 1 ply sidewall.
Honestly speaking, the lack of good sound insulation is a problem.
LeSabres are much quieter but some of them are reported to have
funky wind leaks around their windshields. (A simple fixable problem)
I find the Impala to be very aerodynamic with virtually no wind noise
to speak of at normal turnpike speeds of 60-70mph.
I've had our LS up to 80mph with absolutely ZERO steering wheel vibration.
If you bought your Impala used, the previous owner probably did NOT rotate his
tires at regular intervals thereby causing uneven tire wear. Bad wheel balancing
can also cause vibration as well as improper alignment.
Routine tire rotation is ESSENTIAL with Front wheel drive automobiles.
Hunter:: Not a problem. Thanks for your reply. I still can't believe the way those plastic panels were installed...chintzy...chintzy..
Shamino:: I have heard very good comments on the Michelin Pilot XGT H4 tires from other GM W-Body owners. Having owned Honda/Acura vehicles in the past with OEM Michelin tires, I can tell you that nothing beats them in noise levels, traction and handling; however, I always noticed that they wore down a bit sooner than other tire brands. The Impala's OEM Goodyear Eagle LS' are competent tires, offer very good treadwear life and good wet/dry traction...however handling suffers greatly with these set of rubber (Tires give too early in hard cornering) and tire roar and noise levels are overwhelming. I also find the Goodyear's somewhat too stiff over broken pavement (Well the Impala LS has a very firm suspension anyway). My car has 13K miles and the tires are no where near giving up so Probably I'll be switching them within the next 1 year and a half to two years. Anyway I take care of them, check cold air pressure every week (Including spare), rotate them every 5K miles and have the 4 wheel aligment done every 12 to 13K, so it is coming up next for my car. These 16" tires are expensive so I will 'juice' the Goodyear's until I can justify plunking $500 or $600 on a new Michelin set.
The normal RPM Idle for a warmed 3800 Series II V-6 engine should be between 500 to 900 RPM (More or less). The engine is silk smooth and have nerver picked up any vibration from it. Try a Japanese or American four banger to feel what real engine vibration is all about.
For a more rewarding driving experience, I prefer cars that give you good road feedback in the form of responsive steering (Some slight vibration is OK in my book) to really know where the wheels are and some acceptable levels of exterior noise. I despise cars that try to isolate the driver's and passengers from the exterior world. Lexus is a good example of a car designed to isolate noise, vibration and harshness to the extreme. That's why in the past I always favored Hondas/Acuras (More road feeling) over Lexus/Toyota since "sleeping" silent cars can put you to sleep even on long road trips...not good.
I personally like the "BMW" like tuning and firmness of the Impala LS suspension; however, most big sedan domestic buyers can get easily turned off by a big sedan where road imperfections can be felt more...while floaty rides might be good and more comfortable, the compromise made in handling and emergency manuvers can never justify the comfort of a Marshmellow tuned car.
I will not doubt that the Impala would feel right at home if it were driven on a German Autobahn highway. I have read comments of American military personnel station in Germany with Chevy Malibus taken well over 110 MPH with no problems. Perhaps the Impala (Without the governor) can cruise at 120/130 MPH the entire day.
I might check it out next week.
Do you remember the German URL with info about American cars? You put the link here a couple months ago. I remember reading at that site that the top speed for Buick Regal GS is 220 km/h. This is 137.5 mph - instead of 110 or 115 in USA.
BTW, my friend who recently was in Germany, told me that MB are governed to 240 mph in the country. This is 150 mph.
extraordinary speeds. The stupidity of it boggles the mind.
NO car and NO driver is invincible.
Wasn't Princess Di killed in an "invincible" MERCEDES BENZ
going about 90mph in that Paris tunnel? That car folded like a
soda can and 3 people died needlessly. Her bodyguard
Reese-Jones will never be the same man he was before that
horrible crash.
Anyone have a guess how many people die in auto accidents
each year in the United States?
Over 41,200 in 1998 (last year reported)
Princess DI and her passengers could have survived the accident only if they had been wearing their seatbelts (probably they taught that Royalty was immune to the laws of physics). Proof of that is that the only survivor was the front seat passenger that was properly restrained and escaped with 'minor' bruises.
But I agree that speed (like everything else in life done with excess and lack of care) can be lethal. No car in no price range can withstand a 80 or 90 MPH impact without much damage.
In Europe, the driving style is very different from the US. People are very good drivers specially at high speeds. Also due to the cost of fuels, they master the art of driving a manual transmission car, know the limits of their vehicles and generally have better reflexes. cars are smaller and lighter too. An Impala in europe will be the equivalent of a 1970's domestic full size sedan to us.
In the US I don't see speed limits going up anytime soon....true we have the best Highway network in the world (And most extensive) but also do the Europeans. Our Highways are much more wider yet North American drivers are not properly trained to control a vehicle at high speeds, neither we produce vehicles to substain the demands of high speed driving. Our driving philosophy is to shave in the car, read the paper while we drive, chat on the cellular, drink a big gulp of soda or coffee, kick back relax and don't interact too much with the business of driving the car itself. In Europe you don't see that nonsense that we see in this country every morning.
When driver's do know the limits of their vehicles and their driving skill, they don't abuse or exceed them. Case in point..Germany..no speed limits in their Autobahns and if you mess up..oh well.
Ken
Di's bodyguard - had to have much of his face "rebuilt".
Back in the USA:
In 1970, auto accident deaths were 54,633.
In 1998, auto accident deaths were 41,200.
In that time the population increased by over 60 million!
Biggest change was reducing the speed limits which
were legally as high as 80 mph BEFORE the oil
supply crisis of 1973-74 when they were dropped
to 55 nationwide by 1977 I believe.
I've got a few years on you buddy and believe me that
you will grow wiser and slow down with time.
It's a fact that as you reach your 40th and 50th birthdays,
your insurance rates will drop because drivers in these age
brackets slow down and have fewer costly accidents.
But..point well taken.
If you cracked up, who would we turn to for all
that esoteric Impala info?
And think of the thousands of dollars you have and will continue
to save over the years by maintaining a clean driving record!
Are you interested in making the 50+ crowd?
Quite a few say they love their Impala's but the profiles say they are driving something else and want to buy an Impala.
Anyway, we have had so much snow up here in the Toronto area that I have only seen my LS clean for two hours since I picked it up one week ago today.
I would like to change the navy blue IMPALA words on the sides of the car with silver ones. The car is just too dark to see the nameplate. Anyone care to comment.
He goes nuts when he watches Americans drive. He's 70 now, and still will drive very fast here in the states with his international driver's license... but you'll NEVER see him without both hands on the wheel at 10 and 2.. He never turns around to look or talk to a passenger and he's got the world's best "road sense" and feel for what dummies will do on the road. He's given me many tips over the years and I still think about what he says when I'm out and about on the highways. He also HATES cruise control and says it lulls people to sleep at high speeds which is exactly the worst thing on the road. He's not been back here since cell phones have become so popular I'm sure he'll go nuts on that!
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=223638&a=1656230&p=36036893&Sequence=0&res=high
if the gov't spends billions on improving the roads, and the automakers spend billions on improving safety in the cars/trucks/SUVs, then why not raise speed limits a little on the hwys?
they're painfully slow in MN....
all it would take is better driver ed training.
?'s: if you can get a floor shift on a base, is that when you select the bucket seats? do you have to get a floor shift to get buckets? is it possible to get a column shifter on an LS?
If you don't need the 6-seating capacity and can stretch your budget a couple of thousands more, then by all means get the LS model. It is the best Impala value...you get all the goodies. The LS can't be bought with a column shifter since the LS is suppossed to be a more personal "oriented" car (and sporty of course) than the more utility and budget oriented base models.
I do agree that excessive speed is bad for mine and others health, so I try very hard not to push the limit when driving. You never know what other drivers are thinking and they tend to make sudden moves that may effect the way you drive at any given moment.