2006 Chevrolet Impala

dispencer1 · April 2006

I had one of the 1973 "Millionth Vegas" and it seems to me that there was a sleeve in the cylinder but it was a synthetic material and wore so much that as you say -after 12,000 miles the car used a quart of oil a week. I'd have to look this up but I do recall some sort of sleeve. The "Iron Duke" 4 in 1976 cured the problem but by then it was too late for the Vega except for the "Monza" wagon that soldiered on a few years. Actually other than the engine the Vega was a great car -good looking and it handled and drove fine. I'd buy one today (with the later engine) if it was offered.

charts2 · April 2006

Its interesting over the years the Chevrolet Impala has carved a very important history for General Motors. From the 1958 until the present 2006 Impala the public loves them. GMs biggest problem were their small cars. Many of GMs small cars were built on the cheap to compete at that time with the fast rising Japanese market that started flooding the United States. The Corvair, Vega, Fiero, Chevette, Citation to name a few. Most hit the scrap heap long before they should have. Chevy has to continue to make upgrades on the Impala to keep it the #1 car that GM sells, and if that means changes more often to stay fresh then do it. A couple color changes and DOD for the 3.9 for the 2007 Impala and probably not much more for 2008 will not keep this car at the top where it is now. The competition is coming!

poncho167 · April 2006

Hyundai offers a longer warranty that is not transferable to any other accept a direct family member; additionally, I believe they have a co-pay like Dodge warranties do.

I read on another forum by an owner that Hyundai's are still 100,000 mile cars because everything starts to fall apart at that mileage. This particular owner was inadvertently said that Hyundai didn't expect people to keep their cars this long thus they don't have to worry about warranty claims after it changes hands.

I would stick with the American company.

poncho167 · April 2006

If you are considering the Nissan you might want to take a look at the Malibu. Too me it is a better value than a Nissan and is an American brand that gets as good or better mileage with either a four or six cylinder engine.

worr · April 2006

The Malibu is too small for me compared to the Nissan Altima and gets lower performance numbers for the V6 engine both for HP and mileage. The Altima has over 43" leg room. That is fantastic for a mid sized car. Also its track record for reliability is very good, though the Impala has this same rating.

jz68 · April 2006

I thought I'd post a follow up to the issue I was having with my battery draining. It turned out to be a bad cell in the battery. What makes me say that there might be an issue is that my dealer had seen another 06 Impala that had a bad battery. I haven't heard of any other owners complaining, but I found it strange that there would be two cars from the same dealer with a battery problem. Maybe there's an issue or maybe its a coincidence.

It might be worth your time to test your battery to be sure you don't have a bad one. Mine died after having the 4 doors opened and running the radio at low volume for no more than 30 minutes. A cheap battery tester from an auto store showed that my battery was good so I would recommend not using one. Better to know about it now then to end up stranded somewhere waiting for a jump.

quietpro · April 2006

I thought I'd start another line of discussion since I rarely see it addressed. Why don't American brands (which I love and always buy) build cars for us (tall folks)? I bring this up because maybe the discussion will find its way to GM designers. I know we (tall folks) are in the minority but it seems that it wouldn't take a different design to help us out. All that may be needed is a seat that sits closer to the floor. In my case (8 way power seat), the seat is probably ten inches or more above the floor board at its lowest setting. If I want, I can go up, up, up and eventually stick my head through the sun roof but I have no way of lowering the seat to extend my head room. There has been minor improvement, as evidenced by my ability to own a car with a sunroof, but it's still an issue which I feel has received no attention. I would like to see GM keep us taller folks in mind when the next generation comes along.

Why, you may ask, am I bringing this up? It's because other makes have cracked the code in head room. One of my coworkers (6'8") bought a Honda Del Sol many years ago. I had wrongly assumed that there had to be less passenger room in the Del Sol than there was in my Cougar. After all, the Cougar was larger in every exterior dimension. But, inside, there was no comparison. More leg room and not just enough head room but head room to spare. I know there are several cars out there with ample head room, but, I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe, someone up in corporate land will hear me. It may even help convert some SUV buyers back to cars.

quietpro · April 2006

Thanks for the follow-up, jz68. I thought your problem sounded like a dead cell but you had tested it (unfortunately with cheap equipment) so I didn't feel the need to mention it. I had the same thing happen with my '02 Monte Carlo just after the warranty ended. I had the same symptoms where all the electrical systems worked but it just wouldn't crank. I'm assuming it was replaced under warranty? Did you happen to see how they removed and installed the battery? The way it's shoe-horned in there, I'm not looking forward to replacing it. :confuse:

steve333 · April 2006

Saturn Aura-is has 3 inches more room, longer wheelbase. It also has hydraulic steering compared to the malibu's electric steering. Nice looking car also.

jz68 · April 2006

No I didn't get a chance to look at it while it was being replaced but it looks like they removed the black support bar that runs across the corner and the plastic electrical box that sits just behind the battery. Definitely not the easiest thing to replace that's for sure.

pat · April 2006

I don't know what, if anything, GM is doing to address your concerns, but we are talking about them here: Best Vehicles for Taller/Larger Drivers. Come join us!

dispencer1 · April 2006

I agree. I don't know what the secret is with the Camry -it doesn't have massive changes each year and seems to be the top seller in the mid size category. Unfortunately for the Impala, the 2007 Camry interior makes it look like a Chevy work truck. There is no comparison at all - the Camry looks like the Avalon inside. I would think that if Impala expects to compete with the Avalon, base Lexus, 500, etc, it needs to look like a luxury car inside. Of course GM doesn't know how to design a luxury car -the inside of my 2003 Deville is pretty plain, especially the door panels.

dispencer1 · April 2006

As a follow up, it appears that GM, especially Pontiac and Chevy, are pushing engines, horsepower, V8s, etc. Camry doesn't. It provides engines that do the job and have adequate horsepower and torque, but advertises the amenities on the cars and it is obvious that reliability plays a large part in its sales success. Perhaps the majority of buyers aren't interested in NASCAR racing on Main Street. It seems like the only people who are interested in this sort of thing are car writers and reviewers. Frankly I don't like "performance suspensions". I dumped an '06 Solara SLE convertible after a month of a stiff ride. I like my Impala just fine but I didn't buy it because of the engine.

worr · April 2006

Outstanding question!

I haven't purchased a new car (van yes) for a very long time. So I began with the running assumption that foreign cars were for smaller people. So I only by chance checked out the Altima and was very surprised. Even the Accord has great leg room since the 03 model. Camry is too small however and Avalon has the center post in my knee.

But I was surprised to find the foreign market had encroached upon this market niche. So GM should take note!

I've been in two car wrecks and both times my knee went into the dash. So I'm very mindful of it this car purchase. I want that dash out of my lap.

By the way, I also appreciate the telescoping wheels.

I'm looking at the other thread on tall people right now!

worr · April 2006

Where did you get the numbesr on leg room?

poncho167 · April 2006

I don't know what you are looking for in interior looks, comfort, but my moms previous 1982 Riviera was all luxury to me. It is hard to believe that the interiors have been downgraded since then.

charts2 · April 2006

I believe there are many factors why the Camry/Accord have done so well for so many years. For those on this forum that are old enough to remember starting in the early 70s the big three started making cars on the cheap and ran into a large number of mechanical issues that plagued many models for many years. Rust, engine/transmission failures, head gaskets, paint peeling, etc. and dealership service departments that weren't interested in your complaints. Believe me I was there. The Japanese cars had started in the US with a few problems of their own but knew to compete they had to make their cars better. Toyota corolla and the Honda Civic started to become reliable and their dealerships were sympathetic to problems that you might have. The big three were making BILLIONS and not interested in anything but making money. Most americans at that time were not interested in anything but US made but as time went on, when people started buying Japanese cars and found them more reliable and fuel efficient, and higher resale value, they purchased again, and again. Soon it became like a religion where people found that if the US wasn't going to make reliable cars people were going elsewhere. Only in the past few years has the big three realized and started copying designs from their fast selling imports. Chevy started with the Celebrity Eurosport just to compete. Reliability of the big three has come a long way but the Japanese/Korean/ and soon to be Chinese cars are still ahead slightly in reliability and resale value and dealership friendlyness, which is very important. The current 2006 Impala is GMs top seller and little will change for 07/08. I believe the next 2 or three years GM will launch the largest new car change over in their history. There is a lot of excitement about the next Impala that will fianlly break away from "looking like most of its competition" and get back to ITS roots in design/performance and notched up reliability. According to GM the next Impala will be larger, MUCH bolder looking (similar to what Chrysler has done) and break away from the import look. Its a big gamble but GM doesn't have much choice. They can't continue to lose BILLIONS every year following the competition. GM has already started this year with capping production of some models to boost resale value of their cars. In 2007/8 the chinese will flood the US market with their Chery line of several models from small/midsize/fullsize cars and trucks that are suppose to rival any of the competition for quality/reliability at a very low price. Exciting times are coming, and I believe that GM will pull out all the stops starting with the new Camaro and Impala in 09.

mfletou1 · April 2006

I'm just wondering if GM is going to be late to the "retro" party. By the time that car launches, that fad me over. I'm not convinced that its really a long term trend. After the initial buzz, what's the staying power? I'm not sure how much sense it makes to mess radically with the formula that is producing the #1 sales car in the entire company.

Honda & Toyota have gone the evolutionary route, I think that's a smarter move. I think the '06 Impala is a very smart looking car, clearly "fresher" than the previous model. I can understand the switch to a rear drive platform, but count me skeptical of major new styling changes on Impala. I don't neccessarily feel that way about other GM models, however.

Sad thing is that Impala is literally the only GM car in my price range I'd buy right now. The LaCrosse is ridiculously non-competitive to me. The Grand Prix is a joke. Neither of them area all that cheap, either. Lucerne is a nice car, but again only the CXL is competitive and that is very expensive. I love the STS and SRX, but have never really been a huge fan of the CTS (looking forward to seeing the new one). I actually like the look of the Saab-based Cadillac BTS (Europe sale) better.

So, if I had to buy a car right now (it looks like I won't, at least until my warranty is up on the Intrigue), I'd have one option from GM. That leaves me looking at Camry and Accord. And for the same money, where do you think I'm going to go? To the Honda dealership, where for the price of an Impala LT3, I'm in an Accord V6 EX with more features, and I don't have to worry about it falling apart like my 'Trig is.

charts2 · April 2006

The current Impala platform has been going strong since introduced in 1999 as a 2000 model. The 2006 is a nice freshening and little will change on the 07 08. Back in 2000 the Korean cars weren't even on the scope but now they have a car the Sonata that is drawing a lot of attention as an Impala competitor with strong warranty and fine appointments. Chinese cars will flood the US market in 2008 with their Chery brand and they will have a car that will go head to head with the Impala. GM knows that just following the competition hasn't worked for them. Losing Billions every year making look-alike cars of the competition doesn't work. Chrysler made bold moves and just the word HEMI has switched a lot of loyal GM customers to Mopar. A friend of mine just traded a 2004 Impala LS for a Chrysler 300. The interior and ride are light years apart on these cars and not much different in price. You can't just keeping making the same old today.....The bold new Camaro is the winner this year in GMs concepts and has drawn more attention then anything else. Throughout the 60s the Impala was the #1 car in America. If it worked then it can work again, just check Chryslers numbers and anticipation of the new Challenger coming on stream. I'm not saying the next Impala has to look like a 67 SS but hints of that era will get my heart racing. For GM to survive a different direction has to be taken. I applaud GM for doing that.

worr · April 2006

"Throughout the 60s the Impala was the #1 car in America. If it worked then it can work again"

The 60s also saw trade tarrifs to keep out foreign competition. I'm not so sure it will work in the same manner.

charts2 · April 2006

The 60s had trade tarrifs is correct and competition was mainly between the big three. At that time the Impala outsold its competition. Today on a level playing field with no tarrifs with more competition then ever before the Japanese car companies are consistently the leaders and will be until the big three decide that following doesn't work. Example: The Malibu SS and Impala SS from the front are almost identical. That doesn't make sense and doesn't work anymore. A bold new direction must be taken. GM knows chances have to be taken to succeed today. GM doesn't have enough resources to lose billions continually following the leaders. Its time to take the lead and show the competition that they are the new standard. Within 2 years or so great new product changovers will start coming from GM. Exciting times are ahead!

chats1 · April 2006

Could you please tell me why the Grand Prix is a joke. I had three GTP's and now have a 2006 GP GXP, which is a wonderful car and a great looking car, much better than the Impala. In total, I have had 5 Pontiacs since 1992 and never had any problems with any of them from my Grand Am to my present GXP. I would rather drive an American car any day. The paint on the Japanese cars is cheap. The Japanese cars use processed steel. I just don't understand your reasoning. Chats1

mfletou1 · April 2006

Well, sorry if I've offended you, but having driven the GP myself, I found it to be quite subpar in many areas. The interior felt quite cramped in the front to me, I thought the instrument panel was ugly, and back seat room was terrible for a car that size (also a shortcoming for the Impala).

Plus, it wasn't that cheap. I guess the styling points are subjective, but most journalists have not been impressed with the GP. Yes, yes, I know most of you consider CR to be a biased source, but I would note that a number of American cars actually do quite well in their reviews, including the Chevrolet Malibu. But the GP is actually their lowest rated large sedan, far below Impala, 500, 300, etc, to say nothing of Camry and Accord.

I've never owned a Japanese car, but I've had the opposite experience that you have had with my cadre of GM products and I'm fed up. How would you like it if your car had just gotten out of warranty, and at 21k miles, blew out its power steering system, costing me $2500, with GM chipping in $300? How 'bout if your car, a sister to my Intrigue, simply turned itself off while you were driving 60 + mph on a busy highway?

I never had any serious interest in Japanese cars, and in many of them I still don't. But I took the time to look at a new Accord, and for the price it was very hard not to be impressed. The interior materials were very high quality, visibility was excellent, it was roomier than any of the GM cars, and faster than most of them. The one I looked at had leather, heated seats, dual climate, sunroof, etc, and was being sold below invoice, which amounted to about $24.5. I was impressed.

jz68 · April 2006

The Grand Prix isn't a bad looking car. I test drove one before buying my 06 Impala SS. I should say that I attempted to test drive one since I never got out of the dealer lot. The headroom was absolutely horrible. With the seat all the way down and reclined to a comfortable position my hair was still rubbing on the ceiling. The Impala isn't exactly generous in the headroom department, but it's better than the Grand Prix. I also sat inside a Monte Carlo and had the same problem.

Actually I wasn't impressed with the look of the new Impala until I saw one in laser blue metallic. By far the best looking color and looks even better with the leather interior.

rayainsw · April 2006

GP = joke.

Well, (like Chats1) I currently drive a Grand Prix GXP  mine happens to be a 2005.

I see the GXP version to be in no way a joke.

For example: I will certainly grant that the GP back seat is not the greatest in comfort or space, within this price category. But I drive a sedan largely because I prefer the visibility and driving position compared to a typical coupe or sports car (such as the Corvette) in the daily driving I need to do  including Atlanta Metro traffic. I rarely carry humans back there  and then typically only to lunch & back.

I will grant that the hodge podge of different plastic textures on the dash and center console and doors is clearly not the most luxurious looking in the class. But I am far more interested in having a dash layout that provides quick and easy access to the information I require & desire while I am driving. I find the dash layout, the control positions and ergonomics, and particularly the HUD implementation to provide superior access to what I want & need to drive quickly and safely. And (again, much more important to me than finish) the various pieces and parts bolted \ glued \ fastened together to form the interior have shown no tendency (in almost 13,000 miles) to come un-attached and \ or generate extraneous noises. And the drivers seat is very comfortable & supportive (even for 6+ hours in a day) for me, and the steering wheel is comfortable to hold& offers useful duplicate audio controls.

I dont (after purchase) spend much time either staring at or fondling the dash materials. So I guess thats why there is no issue for me.

I will grant that (with a sun \ moonroof like in mine) the GP does not have the most headroom in the class. Yet at 6 0, I find enough room to be very comfortable, indeed.

And  by extension (given the common basic structure & assembly plant) I would expect many of these GP qualities to be similar in the Impala.

And my GXP (MSRP = $33K, and actual transaction price, last June = $27K) with moonroof, Monsoon, XM, heated leather \ suede seats, dual zone HVAC and remote start provides much better acceleration than any Accord Sedan ( ** MUCH ** better), manumatic actuation for the automatic trans., outstanding grip from the 18 Potenza Ultra High Performance Tires, amazing ride as well as handling (Bilstein dampers) & impressive stopping ability. In other words, the dynamic capability of my GP is pretty amazing. (Oh, and that V8 exhaust note. Sweet.)

[ GMS pricing (Employee price less $2,000 rebate), less $300 further discount, plus NO Doc fee, plus NO Adv. Fee ]

I consider mine a far better bang for the buck than the Accord at $24.5K. Though my Mom (85) owns a 4 year old Accord quite similar what you describe  and it is certainly no joke either  but very, very different in almost every way from my GP. If you like the Accord, I guess I am not surprised that you do not find a GP of interest. . .

Also: I drove a 300C Touring (from Dollar Rental, largely because I was curious about how it would drive) approx. 950 miles (in 4 days) with my daughter from Vegas to Zion and the Grand Canyon a couple of weeks ago  and did not find the interior to be superior to my GXP in any significant way. The driving dynamics (specifically setting aside acceleration, since this rental did not have the 5.7L Hemi) and ride were not in any way superior to either my GP - or an Impala I drove as a rental for a few days some months back.

Just my 2 gallons worth . .

- Ray
Happy with the choice of a GP . .

dispencer1 · April 2006

I will agree that the 1982 Riviera had a great interior. The new interiors are easier to clean and lots simpler. If you don't think they have been downgraded look at the Impala next to the 1982 Riviera

dispencer1 · April 2006

I agree with you except for the comment about the "friendly" Toyota dealers. Most of the Toyota dealers that I've had the misfortune to deal with act as if they are doing you a tremendous favor to sell you a car. Discounts until recently were a pittance. Honda and Nissan had the same attitude but this is changing because of competition. The Japanese car dealers also cost you a fortune in "suggested" maintenance with their silly 7500 mile, 15,000, mile etc. "services". Toyota also has a tendency to deny any mechanical malfunction such as the engine sludge problem, always blaming the owner. You can have the "friendly" Toyota dealers. I'll stick with GM. I bought my 2006 Impala in about 10 minutes. I paid about $100 over invoice; ordered the car with no payment until it came in, and the paperwork when it did come in took about 15 minutes. I gave them a check and I was gone.

dispencer1 · April 2006

Why is the LaCross non-competitive? It is on the same platform as the Impala and has a better warranty. I don't like the lack of 8 way power seats, the lack of a Bose stereo, and the price is a little higher. I just don't think it looks fresh at all - it resembles all the other Buick cars since 1998 -rounded sides, etc. I preferred the Impala but I considered the LaCrosse competitive. Why don't you? Just curious, not argumentative.

poncho167 · April 2006

I agree, you don't make every models front end look alike. Models need to be more distinctive like in the 1960's and 70's. GM seems to be following Chrysler's example by trying to make there cars and trucks have a resemblance which is not good because there is no individual identity other than the make of the car. Chevy follows this pattern more so than other GM divisions.

The Chrysler products looks don't do it for me at all. The big grills in the cars and trucks are grotesque.

poncho167 · April 2006

How is a Grand Prix a joke? This car is not for those looking for a plush ride but those who seek a sport suspension and like a sporty looking car as well. Very attractive car with a nice interior layout and a nice variety of models and engines to chose from. The only negative I could give the car is there is no manual transmission.

Now what's wrong with the LaCrosse? I admit it is a little bland but other than that it is very nice inside and out and I would rather have this car than the Japanese Cam/cords.

poncho167 · April 2006

You can get a Malibu for less than that Accord price with more features and probably better crash worthiness. The Max surely has more leg room.

bubbaman999 · April 2006

Congrats on the new ride. I have an 06 Grand Prix GXP, the pontiac equivalent of the Impala SS and I am getting 17-18 around town only and 22-23 on city/hwy mix. Yet to take her on a long trip but running mostly mid grade. What Civic SI gets only 19, the new one? My 03 SI got 28-29 city/hwy mix and not much better hwy only.

Cheers,
Gary

mfletou1 · April 2006

Well, at least I started a conversation.

First of all, you don't have to tell me about the Malibu or the Maxx. I already own one, a 2004 that has 19,400 miles. Its not in the same class as the Accord, nor did it cost what the Accord did. At the time, I got an LS Maxx optioned up (basic equivalent to today's LT) for $17k. For that money, a good purchase. Today, that same car is going to cost you 21+. Not sure at that money.

It doesn't have better crash worthiness, where did you get that from? I don't dislike our Maxx, but the engine is coarse and noisy, the steering is hit or miss (my wife doesn't mind the electric steering, I'm not a big fan), and handling is fairly poor, due in large part to terrible OEM tires which I can't wait to change but don't want to spend $500 on right now. Materials are ok, but like my 4 other GM cars, it feels like its falling apart. Squeaks and rattles, pieces of pastic falling off, etc. And more troubling, the brakes have been an embarrassment. The lack of ventilated rotors combined with the very poor quality of the installed rotors means that they warp every few thousand miles. I've had them replaced twice--UNDER warranty, which should tell you something because brakes are almost always a "usage" thing, but the dealer admitted there's no way they should be in such bad shape every couple thousand miles.

So anyway, that's the Maxx for you. The LaCrosse just feels dated. Part of the problem for me with the LaCrosse and the GP is that I'm 6'2 with long legs, and I could not get comfortable in either car. There was not sufficient leg or head room for me. (The Accord was a palace up front, on the other hand, and even my Maxx was easily better). The LaCrosse dash---yuck. Was there any design there at all? With the 3.6 CXL, its not a bad car, but you are looking at $25k. I don't HATE the styling, but it looks no fresher than my Intrigue does.

As for the GP, well, it sounds like you got a good deal on a GXP. Cheapest I've seen them around here is 29 or so these days. Prices are higher now than they were anyway. (Well, transaction prices, not MSRP's, obviously, which was the whole point of the strategy change).

But that doesn't change the fact that I still can't fit in it, and the interior looks bad. I actually do care what my interior and dash look like, since I spend so much time staring at them sitting in traffic. What car in this class for this money DOESN'T have a "dash layout that provides quick and easy access to the information I require."

I mean, that's hardly unique to the GP, is it? Is the Accord, considered by many to be the most ergonomically perfect sedan ever made, really lacking in this area compared to the Pontiac? C'mon.

Now, getting back to the Impala (since this is the Impala thread), I find most of those problems resolved on the Impala. The interior looks good, feels good, seems well made. Headroom and legroom up front are better.

But the problem is that I can't be confident in the long term quality of the product. For most of the time I've had it, you couldn't have found a more content Intrigue owner than me. I loved my car. I still do, but I don't TRUST it as much anymore. And part of that is because both of our Aleros, my first Malibu and now my current Malibu haven't proven to be trustworthy, either. You go this many cars, and the same things keep happening to ALL of them, its more than a coincidence. All of them appeared to be well made, pleasant to drive, etc, but once the miles starting racking up, problem after problem after problem.

And so why risk it with an Impala if I'm not going to save money? The Accord 3.0 is going to get to me 60 just as fast as the Impala 3.9 will (actually a few ticks faster), just as fast at the LaCrosse CXL, and faster than my Intrigue. I AM a performance oriented guy (hell, I just put ContiExtreme Contacts on my Intrigue to get more grip) which is why Camry (at least '06 and prior) were not for me. But Accord is a different animal in terms of handling, suspension, etc. I just speak as a guy who ended up surprised as to exactly how nice of a product that was for the money, and I bet most of you would be too if you looked. But you probably haven't.

charts2 · April 2006

I agree with your post that people have to test drive or own at some time the competitors cars to make a subjective analysis. I can't believe by now Chevy haasn't fixed the brake issue with their cars. The current 2006 Impala is a nice car but still lacks the refinements of Accord/Camry and long term reliability is still questionable. There were a lot of issues with the previous Impala. Brakes, roof straps lifting, Intermediate steering shaft, engine cradle, coolant leaks, intake manifold to name a few. GM has been in business 100 years now isn't it time they know how to put proper quality & sized brakes on a car. Every annoyance makes the owner look closer to the leader in the competition race. I am not saying that Camry Accord have the answers to everyone but when they continue to be #1 and #2 in sales year after year they must be doing things better then their competitors or they wouldn't be at the top.

imidazol97 · April 2006

>Intermediate steering shaft,

I just saw intermediate steering shaft problems in a Toyota dicsussion. I believe it was Toyota.

The intake manifolds are past news.

quietpro · April 2006

I agree with your post that people have to test drive or own at some time the competitors cars to make a subjective analysis.

Subjective analysis is part of the problem.

I know that was a typo, just messin' with ya.

GM has a lot of issues facing it. The biggest issue in the news of late is the huge cost of medical benefits and pensions. I am pretty divided over the issue and I think there is plenty of blame to be shared. The management and the unions need to make some hard choices. The overhead that GM now adds to each car it produces (with no direct connection to the costs of production) is incredible. It will be interesting to see how (or if) they can dig their way out of it.

I think GM's current strategy of selling many vehicles for a loss is helpful but it's futile if the buyers aren't satisfied with the product. I haven't had any major issues with my last two purchases (which also happen to be the first GM vehicles I've ever owned). I am convinced that GM has come a long way but if the overwhelming majority doesn't feel the same way, it will only make things worse. Hopefully by the time public opinion turns around (assuming it will), GM will have worked out a fair compromise with labor and retirees. Also, hopefully, their bottom-line will be quality cars at reasonable prices rather than profit alone.

charts2 · April 2006

If you read my post it stated previous Impalas regarding those issues, and many of those problems still plague current owners. There have been a few glitches with the 2006 Impalas as with most cars. I am sure Toyota & Honda have their issues but they must be doing something right or different as why the american public keeps buying them again and again. The American public loves Japanese cars. I believe the american public would rather buy American but until GM breaks away from "lets follow the competition and make our cars look like everyone elses" they will never be #1. The 2006/07 Impalas are good cars but will age quickly in this fast moving market today. This will be the eighth year of this platform. Time to move on. Hopefully GM gets it right with the next generation Impala that will be larger, with RWD/AWD, bold new styling with cues from the late 60s even more performance for those that want it in the SS. Chrysler has done well with the direction they have taken whether you like them or not.

bubbaman999 · April 2006

Concur with Ray's comment. Got my GXP just a 1 1/2 months ago and got a great transaction price, $26,640 (negotiated price, plus GM Card top off and auto show discount). I test drove the Accord V6 6speed and it was nice, but not as "sporty" and not the "sweet" exhaust sound, plus it didn't make the category for "mid-life crisis." Also Honda Dealer offered nothing off the price and my trade (an 03 Civic SI 37K) was $2K less than I got from Pontiac. I figured I would get a benefit for having owned a Honda from same Honda dealer, but no such luck.

Very Happy with my GXP,
Gary

mfletou1 · April 2006

Well I hope it works out for you.

The first few years of my GM vehicles were all enjoyable experiences. I hope yours is better built than (all) of mine were.

I wonder if the reason for the lack of a discount on the Accord was the 6-speed. Right now, its pretty much standard for Accords to be going right at invoice. There aren't the rebates like GM has, of course, but nobody is paying close to MSRP.

Looks like I'm not buying anything for a while, anyway. I had my Intrigue appraised today--it has every option but leather and gold trim (Bose sound system, stability control, sunroof, etc), 41k miles...worth $6500...ha! I knew going in what would happen to it, so I wasn't surprised.

bh0001 · May 2006

I'm up to almost 10,000km (6,250miles) on my LTZ (3.9l engine). Calculated average mileage is 11.84 l/100km (19.87 miles/gallon).

I did a highway test last week. Filled up, drove very conservatively for about 100 miles (only went about 10km/h over the speed limit, used cruise as much as possible), then filled up upon arrival. This got me 7.47 l/100km or 31.48 miles per gallon! I was quite impressed.

charts2 · May 2006

31.48 mpg.in Canadian gallons. US gallons it would be 25.1 mpg. Your Canadian DIC is calculated in Canadian measurements. 3.78 litres in a US gallon. 4.55 litres in a Canadian Gallon.

bh0001 · May 2006

Actually...I did use US gallons. I did all the calculations manually. So I really did get 31.48 USmpg. I try to be pretty careful to give you guys down south an accurate representation

BTW, the DIC calculations for my '06 are MUCH better than my '01. The old was was off by 20% or more. This one is only off by about 4%.

charts2 · May 2006

Your right about the old DIC. I have a 2001 LS and it was never accurate, espcially calculating city mpg. I only use it as a compass. I'm from Ontario Canada.

bh0001 · May 2006

Sorry...for some reason I figured you were from the US. I think you and I have been on this board for about the same length of time, so I should have known you were in Ontario!

dispencer1 · May 2006

A friend just got the top of the line Avalon - says he gets about 25 in town and got 32/33 on the road. This is better than his 2005 Camry and much better than the Impala. I get around 20 in town and 30 on the road.

chrisnj · May 2006

just bought a 3LT, and i'm very impressed with it. i drove the 2LT w/3.5 and the 3LT w/3.9 and the 3.9 had more torque improvement than i thought .4L would give. overall a very well rounded car for 23K. it's replacing a 99 supercharged park ave. so didn't want to give up too much in the power dept. just wish i could get a rear wheel drive mid-grade large sedan from gm (owned a 95 rwd-V8 impalla-awesome car). only thing from gm rwd is the sts but at 55K, it's beyond me, or trucks but already have 2.

zjim · May 2006

Overall, I like my 06 3LT except for a couple minor faults, . . . and one BIG one! The car now has 2500 miles on it and it is riding like a motor boat over large swells when driving over uneven road surfaces! My car, as well as a couple others that I drove, were very nice when new and tight, but now my car is terrible. The struts just aren't damping the way they should. I'm an old auto enthusiast and I know when something isn't right. I'll be taking the car into the dealer for servicing and correcting some of those minor faults. At that time, the dealer said that I could take a technician for a ride to show him the problem, but the service writer said they haven't received any other complaints. Has anyone else noticed the problem? I checked with 2 dealership to see if there were different struts used on different models. To my surprise, they all use exactly the same assembly. Even the 9C1 calls for the same unit. I just can't see a cop pursuing a suspect at high speed in a car with this suspension! Anyone have any ideas? Anyone have the same problem? I've got to fix it or sell/trade it. If that happens, it's goodbye forever to GM.

mfletou1 · May 2006

You are describing what happens to my Intrigue. It goes in and out of it. I can't describe it...it just stops being precise. Its fine for a while, then...boom, its like I'm driving a Mack truck. I bring it in, they look at me like I'm crazy and see everything is within the norms.

Drives me nuts. Be interested to see what you find.

Question: what the hell is the point of having a 3LT and a LTZ??? Aren't they almost exactly the same car?

quietpro · May 2006

I believe the difference is a small letter "Z" just after the "LT".

Actually, the LTZ comes standard with the Bose sound system, XM radio, heated leather seats, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and heated remote side-view mirrors. All are available as options in most of the other trim packages.

charts2 · May 2006

Chevy should streamline the different Impala Models. A person buying an Impala for the first time doesn't need to do homework distinguishing the differences between LS, LT, LT2, LT3, LTZ & SS. LT, LTZ, and SS would be sufficient and you could order options that would fall into each catagory. Its even confusing for purchasers who remember last year the LS was the top of the line where now it is the base model. Keep it simple. Tooo much about nothing!

2006 Chevrolet Impala

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