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our membership continues to grow. you'll all be welcome over there.
hope you'll join us in interesting discussions. the folks are pretty sharp in the forum.
www.regalgs.org
willjammer
I might be making the dealer's boat payments but the poor overworked guy never has time to play with it (LOL). Word has it that his wife enjoys the boat while he contributes to his retirement coronary:-)
I'm sure that quarterly $19.00 oil change is going to make for a great boat purchase (LOL).
I put Michilen X One's on it at about 65K miles and they are only 1/2 worn. Little noisier than the OEM's, but I high recommend them.
I change oil about every 4,000 to 4,500 miles and rotate the tires every other oil change.
I have had only one "major" problem with the care which was easily repaired. I have a fuel pump resistor fail at about 70K and the care would run. It cost a bout $230 to replace.
I was also rear ended and thought I was going to lose the whole font end as I was pushed into an Explorer and all I saw was it's bumper bent to 45 degrees. It end up that all that was damaged was both the front and rear bumpers. A truck had hit me.
Mileage has been great. I do both road and city driving and have not touched the computer in about 2 years. It reads 26.5 mpg.
I am deciding whether to keep it or trade it as it needs a tune up along with everything that goes with that which costs $600.00. If I can get the AC display operating cheaply, I'll likely keep it for a while longer as its value is low, but the darn thing is very dependable.
TIRES: recently switched out the Goodyear LS' at 32M miles. They had probably 10M left in them, but I was tired of the highway noise. Replaced with Firestone Affinity LH30. Obviously, I have not driven them in snow yet, but they handle "very" well and the road noise is gone.
I am taking the car in to the dealer soon for the 1st time. I change the oil myself regularly at 3M and I have change the airfilter myself.
CLIMATE CONTROL: to be replaced replaced as display almost gone.
TRANS FLUID: Dealer suggested (sure he would) I change trans fluid (33M miles). Owners manual says 50M or more. What's the right time to change?
SUPER CHARGER: What I have been reading on this site regarding SC fluid is some say change and some say just add if needed. What's correct?
Can you guys suggest anything else I should have the dealer look at while in the shop? Thanks for your help?
Also, $19 is pretty good for an oil change price.
Dealers have gotten somewhat competitive pricing for routine service lately.
Change the air filter every 15K miles.
Check brakes at every rotation.
Note, changed front brakes at about 65K.
Have not do any other major changes although do have them checked.
Had major service at 60K miles and will have that done again shortly.
Changed to Michilen X-One's at about 65K, good tire and only about $60.00 more per set than the GY LS.
This car is a road warrior and is showing some wear, but what do you expect. Paint is great and no rust even living in Michigan.
On another note, the 3.5 V-6 mentioned for 2004 is already in the Intrigue. I call it, jokingly, the shortstar, a Northstar with two less cylinders. It appears that the 3800 is on it's way out.
Another note! Look at the Edmunds pricing for the 2003 LS. They have definitely de-contented the car. ABS is an option along with other options being packaged into higher priced configurations.
Mike
GM has a 4.0 litre, 250hp DOHC v8 in the Olds Aurora.
The next Grand Prix has a more tuned version of the 3800SC motor and is supposed to get 280hp/280lb ft. Details are on Pontiac's site. The next Regal may end up with this motor too. It is going to be 2005 before the next Regal though, since Lutz vetoed the proposed '04 one.
Anyone here already done the comparison ?
I have a 2002 Regal LS-
Thanks in advance.
I'm 35 and realize I will be a senior citizen soon enough, but I want to be driving a Corvette or something similar when I'm over 50. Buick shoots themselves in the foot my marketing to the AARP crowd almost exclusively. Even on this board, I see people posting about their sore backs or other ailments. Not exactly performance sedan chat. I'm not trying to be a smart [non-permissible content removed] or offend anyone, just voicing my 2 cents. The Regal need not be a "Sleeper" car if Buick would pull their head out. Make it a true performance sedan with class. Unfortunately, it will never happen.
He must have had some mods to stay pretty much even with me. I saw and heard (loud) dual exhausts. He also might have had the 3500 series motor, which is a 5.9 liter V8, with 345 ft.-lbs. of torque.
Related to the 3800 and with some insider info, it will be around until at least 2008 and likely longer. They are expanding the plant where these are built. I understand that thay have manufacturing problems with the 3.5 and can't get the volume they need. GM considers the 3800 not techie enough and that is true, but the darn thing performs.
Mike
If I was in the market to trade my '00 GS for a car, the G35 would fit my needs perfectly.
Or is the G35 so much better than the GS that you can't make a comparison?
Mike
The (boulevard) ride to me was about the same. The difference is that you have the feel..the surroundings that the G35 is put together so much better the the Regal. For the interior, everything just fits better in the G35. Much better then a new Regal; which has had 5 years to 'get it right'. Of course, in comparisons to other DOMESTIC cars, the Buick's fit/finish is above average. But compare it to a Maxima, G35 (Avalon or Mazda 6), and the Buick looks like crap.
Back to the engine. I'm sure the hi-reving 3.5 ltr G35 is costlier to maintain. If I had my choice, I'd raher have a tried and true engine then a newer one (though the 3.5 ltr has ben around at least 12 years). But any hi-reving, 4 valve per cylinder engine is bound to cost more $$$ then an ol' pushrod. But if you're leasing, it doesn't make a difference.
Pricing?? The G35 is in demand. So while a loaded Buick GS can be grabbed for $24,000, I think a G35 currently demands a premium price.
Take the Corvette: Its interior plastics and flimsy leather interior is pitiful. How all these cheap pieces can go into a fine mechanically-tunes car is amazing! Corvette sales would increase tremendously if GM would emulate the Imports procedures on determining aesthetic 'pieces' that go into a car. The Boxter, The SLK and the 3 Series Bimmer wouldn't sell as many cars as they do if GM would make the interior of the Corvette as 'world class' as its engine and suspension is.
This all holds true for the Infinit G35 vs the Regal GS. Hell, its been this way for the last 25+ years ever since the imports made a dent in domestic car sales. I just can't understand what GM, Ford and Chrysler are thinking when they put the interior pieces together.
The Lexus LS 430 & Caddilac DTS should be compared head-to-head. But the interior refinements of the Lexus takes that car many levels higher then the DTS or any domestic luxury car. There should be no reason(s) why these two cars shouldn't have equal sales numbers. Again, GM has dropped the ball on what the consumer wants in a car and therefore, with the import car makers actually listening to consumer input, they pull away in just about every segment of the market.
OK...gotta get to work - getting off the soapbox.
check it out.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1847786349&r=0&t=0
Personally, I changed oil at 2k miles and 5k miles. Than switched to Mobil 1 synthetic with Pure One filter, and am changing according to the oil monitor. About every 6k miles with our driving pattern and driving style. 2000 GS, mostly my wife's car.
Over the past few days during daylight hours, my thermometer reading on my display has read 62 degrees when it should read at least 85 (as is the weather here in L.A.). Oddly, the evening reading seems correct. This will be the 2nd time in 15 months that the dealer will be changing the thermometer (I doubt its the display) under warranty. Anyone else have this issue?
Lastly, it seems my OEM GoodYear LS tires need replacement after 23,000 miles. In highway driving, anyone have any first-hand experience with Michelin MVX tires? I'm looking for a quiet, highway ride. Wet weather performance is of little issue here in L.A.
TIA
So, Firestone lives on but never on a car I'll drive no matter has well 'respected' they may be in the automotive community.