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2006 Chevrolet Impala

1555658606168

Comments

  • kmausskmauss Member Posts: 72
    Hi geffen.

    I bought a "2LT" which has the 3.5 L V6. I was going to test drive the 3.9L, but I found the base engine to have plenty of "get up and go." The standard features on this particular model are a huge step up in amenities from what I had. And as icing on the cake, this car had the very nice option package of leather heated seats! (And I live in a place where the winters can be pretty darn cold some years.) I think that was what finally sealed the deal.

    The funny part was they had around a dozen or fifteen brand spanking new Impalas on the sales lot and none of them were quite right. Most of them had the shift on the column and the bench seat unless they were the LTZ or the SS models. So we were in the discussion of the dealer going out searching other lots until he showed me another salesman's demo and that was that. Perfect car. The ONLY thing I could be left to wish for was the Bose sound system, but the stereo that's in there seems quite nice, especially in light of the fact that I think at least two of the speakers in my Intrepid had cracked cones.

    Now when I say great deal, realize this car was virtually brand new. It's only about two months old and only had a few hundred miles on it. So they didn't take off a HUGE amount of money, but it was around a thousand dollars for it being a demo. So between my car, the rebates, and the dealer demo discount, I took a $25,000 car down to $17,400. That seemed like a pretty good deal to me. (Now if there are car financing buffs out there who think I got soaked, please do NOT tell me as it's kinda late now.)

    Oh, and one more perk I just discovered. My car insurance only went up $12.00 a year! :D I got a quote last week on a Saturn Aura and it would have gone up about $130.00. So I can only figure the Impalas must have a VERY good safety rating. (Though I thought both cars did, so I'm not sure where the difference comes in --- maybe because the Impala is considered a full size sedan and the Aura falls into a smaller class of car.) In any case, I'm not complaining! :)

    Karen
  • charts2charts2 Member Posts: 618
    What was the year and model of the car you traded in to bring the price of the Impala demo down to $17,400?
  • kmausskmauss Member Posts: 72
    It was a 2000 Dodge Intrepid R/T -- loved the car, but it was rapidly turning into a money pit. :sick: They gave me $4500 for it --- it had what was probably obvious engine issues and any decent used car evaluator would know it had had body work, so that was pretty much in line with what I figured I'd get for it. Pretty sad for a $27,000 car that I took excellent care of, but it is what it is. :cry: I'm never gonna let myself fall that deeply in love with a vehicle again and I've almost certainly bought my last Chrysler product. That car only had 63,000 miles on it. I planned on having it ten years, not seven. Very disappointing. :(
  • geffengeffen Member Posts: 278
    Karen, Sounds like you got a great deal, i've test drove a 3.9 i'm unsure which LT model it was but it was nice, dual exhaust and remote starter however it did not have leather seats or a sun roof heated seats would come in handy here in Michigan. I've heard of people getting some bargains just by buying dealer demos its always nice to save a few thousand, I'm still shopping the Impalas and test driving, GM recently added some incentives which will save a thousand or so off.
  • jz68jz68 Member Posts: 61
    It appears that when the HVAC system is set to recirculate with the fan on high and the temperature control set all the way to cool that the AC compressor is on even when the AC button is not illuminated.

    It was hot today and I was playing around with the AC because it didn't seem to be cooling as well as I would have liked and noticed that there was no difference in the temperature of the air when I cycled the AC switch on and off. There is a post on this board that confirms my suspicion but I'm wondering if anybody else has noticed it. :confuse:
  • kmausskmauss Member Posts: 72
    The one you probably drove was the 3LT - they have the 3.9L engine. I believe all Impalas except the lowest price ones have the remote starter, or maybe they all do. I didn't look at the LS's. Mine doesn't have a sunroof - I honestly didn't want one. As far as financing, GM is running $2500 rebates off Impalas (at least in this part of PA) for how long I don't know. That was another part of my motivation to go this past weekend. But yes, dealer demos can be a really nice find. That's the first time I ever lucked out and happened upon one that I really wanted. :D Best of luck shopping!
  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    I can't confirm that the AC is SUPPOSED to work that way but I can confirm that sometimes the AC compressor will be operating without the light being on. The HVAC software has some glitches that have been addressed through reprogramming (which mine has had performed) but it didn't fix everything. You may be having some of those issues yourself. :confuse:
  • cnwcnw Member Posts: 105
    I don't have experience with the particular configuration you mention. However, I have noted that when the defrost position is selected and the AC comes on to dehumidify the air, the AC light does not illuminate. Quirky.
    Clark
  • bh0001bh0001 Member Posts: 340
    Every GM care I've ever owned has worked this way. As long as the outdoor temperature is above a certain point the compressor comes on when defrost is selected. I'm pretty sure the owner's manual also mentions that this is the normal operation for the system. Quirky - maybe. Malfunction - no.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    >As long as the outdoor temperature is above a certain point the compressor comes on when defrost is selected.

    It seems to be 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit that the comperssor will turn on.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    You guys are correct. The problem is this isn't the normal off/on of the AC compressor based on outside air temperature, it's the indicator light inside the '06+ Impala (probably the Monte Carlo as well) that is quirky. There is a glitch in the HVAC software that sometimes causes the indicator light to not illuminate, sometimes "freeze" the vents into the defrost position until you cycle the system off and back on (what mine did until I had it reprogrammed), and a couple other gremlins, I believe. It's not a major malfunction, really, just a minor nuisance. If you're not aware of it, it may make you think you're cracking up because you could swear you saw the system do something differently the LAST time you were in the car...and you likely did. ;)
  • geffengeffen Member Posts: 278
    I test drove an 07 used Impala LT, the dealership is asking $17,900 and doesn't budge on the price, it has the 3.5 engine, cloth interior, they also have another 07 Impala used with 9,000 miles on it for the same price, the mileage on the first Impala had about 20,000 and on the second only 9,000 miles on it, There was also an 06 Impala LT for $15,900 are these prices mainly the norm that most people are paying used?
  • cnwcnw Member Posts: 105
    That appears to be the norm for program cars coming back to dealers for resell. The 9000 mile car would appear to be the better deal. When I have purchased a program vehicle in the past, I usually took the extended warranty to cover any potential problems steming from the "unknowns" of history. However, GM's 5 year/100k mile warranty should take care of that issue. Check this link for comparative prices for 2007 Impalas: http://ww2.collectorcartraderonline.com/
    They have some dealers currently offering 2007 program cars; good for comparison.
  • cnwcnw Member Posts: 105
    I was mistaken in the previous post: the cars listed are 2006 models. Makes the 2007 at the stated price look even better.
  • charts2charts2 Member Posts: 618
    GMs 5 year warranty on 07/08 models only covers the powertrain. Engine, Transmission. The base warranty still applies: 3 years or 36,000 miles on everything else.
  • cnwcnw Member Posts: 105
    You're right; I was being too simplistic and thinking only of powertrain. An extended warranty would certainly provide peace of mind for the various PCM/BCM/ECM ad nauseum digital processors that always seem to fail just outside warranty. Clark
  • nosirrahgnosirrahg Member Posts: 872
    With the drivetrain covered, I'd be even more tempted to take the money I'd spend on an extended warranty and sock it away somewhere drawing interest instead. I didn't buy a warranty on my 2000 Impala, and I came out ahead versus what the warranty would have cost me.

    Has the price of an extended warranty dropped due to the increased factory warranty though?
  • charts2charts2 Member Posts: 618
    Clark: - When you buy the car you don't have to buy an extended warranty. You can buy it at anytime during the first 3 years or 36,000. If for some reason you decide to sell the car after 2 years and you didn't buy an extended warranty up until that point your ahead. If you decide at that time to keep the car long term it might give peace of mind to buy the extended warranty just before the 3 years or 36,000 runs out.......John
  • lightning23lightning23 Member Posts: 9
    In regards to the extended warranties, it's nice to know that we have until the 3/36 runs out. BUT - does anyone know if the prices at the end of that time frame are more expensive than if it would have been purchased at the beginning?

    We have a 2006 Impala that doesn't get a whole lot of miles put on it even if we try - we have 8700 and have owned it for 1.5 years - and I'm wondering if they have some type of scale that is applied when someone like me comes in near the end of the 3/36 to inquire about an extended warranty....or is there a "flat rate" regardless of milage and condition?

    Best Regards, Brian
  • lightning23lightning23 Member Posts: 9
    Might anyone have any suggestions, thoughts or comments about how to best clean/condition/maintain door seals in order to get the best longterm performance and longevity from them? I've got a can of silicone spray that states one of it's potential uses as a vehicle door seal conditioner and waterproofer. I have yet to apply it, but thought I'd post the question to see if there are any suggestions out there...

    Regards,
    Brian
  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    Brian,
    Absolutely! Silicone spray is great for your door seals as well as any other rubber items on your vehicle (although not necessarily for your tires since it is rather slippery). In particular for the '06+ Impala, the window seals tend to squeak but a little silicone spray will fix them right up. Also, the CV boots under your car are another great place to apply some silicone spray. Again, it's perfect for almost any rubber application.

    Ron
  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    I don't know for sure but some have answered on here before that the price is the same as long as you purchase it before the 3/36 expires. The only change I would foresee would be if the warranty price changes as a whole, not as a proration, just in general. The best way to know for sure would be to check with your local dealership and maybe check a second one just to be sure. ;)
  • lightning23lightning23 Member Posts: 9
    Excellent - thanks for the replies, Ron!
  • charts2charts2 Member Posts: 618
    If you buy the extended warranty for your 06/07 Impala when the car is brand new none of that warranty at all applies for any purpose for the first 3 years or 36,000 of ownership and the money spent on the extended warranty is for GM to invest. I would rather wait after a couple years or just before 36,000 and determine if I am going to keep the car or not for long term. Another example would be if you bought the extended warranty when the car was new and totaled the car your out that extended warranty money. When I bought my 01 Impala brand new the Chevy dealership tried to sell me undercoating for the car. Why? The car came with a 6 year rust perforation warranty. More ways to grab your money. The only way to find out about the cost would be to go to a dealership and inquire. If the costs are more down the road other then regular inflation increases I wouldn't buy it. But thats just me.....
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Check prices for GMPP at gmoutlet.com/gmpp.htm

    I had checked when I bought an 03 and after a certain time the price increased. I looked at it at the end of 3 year warranty and decided not to buy because the price had increased enough I didn't feel it was worth it. I wished I had bought the long mile long year warranty when the car was new.

    This company will send an email that links to or gets a quote. Just give them your email IIRC. They do not send anything else after they get your email.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • charts2charts2 Member Posts: 618
    Extended warranties are a personal preference. There have been a lot of posters on this forum over the past few years that bought their Impalas brand new and expected to keep them for many years and for a variety of reasons sold their cars early and many had bought extended warranties. Thats money lost. There is no room to build in the price of an extended warranty when selling the car used.

    I bought a 2001 Impala LS brand new....still have the car and only spent $125 on a small repair other then regular maintenace items. The extra money I had that wasn't spent upfront on an extended warranty was available to invest and has probably more then doubled in investments since 2001.

    Car manufactures make a small fortune on these extended warranties/rustproofing/leather interior protector spray/rug protector scotchguards etc. They wouln't offer them if it wasn't going to be in their favor.

    Now that GM gives 5 years 100,000 powertrain warranty on its vehicles it doesn't make sense to buy an extended warranty of basic items that aren't covered after 3 years or 36,000 miles. There are also a variety of reputable companies that offer extended warranties equal to or better then GM at a lot less $$. Educated consumers shop around!
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    To each his own on optional warranties...

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • charts2charts2 Member Posts: 618
    Exactly!
  • dispencer2dispencer2 Member Posts: 299
    07 Impalas are going for $12k at the GM dealer auctions around the country. You can buy them for around 15 or 16 at most dealers depending on equipment. $17,900 is a total ripoff. '06's should be around $12k or so. None of these cars have any resale value after you title them which is why unless you plan to keep the car 5 years or so it is stupid to buy anything other than a program car. Your new car will depreciate about nine thousand dollars in the first 9 months. Mine did. If you intend to sell it after a couple of years find out what dealers are charging for an identical car and then lower your price a thousand dollars or so and advertise it privately.
  • dispencer2dispencer2 Member Posts: 299
    The dealers tell you that it will cost more after the first 12 months or 12,000 miles but all these GM Protection Plans (NEVER BUY ANYTHING ELSE IF YOU HAVE A GM CAR)can cost whatever a dealer wants to charge. There isn't (or wasn't) a fixed price. I'm sure that a dealer probably pays one but I've gotten quotes on them in the past that were hundreds of dollars apart.
  • charts2charts2 Member Posts: 618
    Its not the car, its the way GM markets its cars. You know after 1 or 2 years thousands of Impalas flood the used car market from daily rentals and expired leases. Its all based on supply and demand. Not many used car lots in america that doesn't have a handfull of Impalas for sale. The Impala is definetly the best buy for a used car 1-3 years old. I bought a brand new Impala LS in 2001. Never again! My next ride will be a 1 year old 2008 LTZ in the fall of 2008.

    During the past few years on the Impala forums I have seen where brand new Impala buyers had good intentions of keeping their cars for several years and for unknown circumstances ended up selling early and losing thousands (rapid depreciation). When a 3,4,5,6,7 year old tiny toyota corolla/Honda Civic sells for more then the larger (original more expensive) Impala, its no wonder the Japanese autos have so many repeat customers. $$$$
  • dispencer2dispencer2 Member Posts: 299
    GM does the same thing with Cadillac DTS's, so that these $45-50k "program cars" sell for $28-32k when they are less than a year old. You are right -a GM program car is the best deal going. I plan on replacing my Program Deville with a program DTS in a year or so and won't ever buy another new Impala. Unless you pay 35-50% down you will be "upside down" if you trade on of these cars in a year or two. Japanese cars have repeat customers because they don't dump thousands of them to every rental car company each year. How often do you see a Camry or Accord for rent? If it is foreign you usually find Hyundai, Kia, etc. which don't have any resale value anyway.
  • lightning23lightning23 Member Posts: 9
    I'm thinking of having a hitch installed onto our '06 Impala (w/3.5) to pull a 4x8 Utility trailer that would, when loaded, have a gross trailer weight of 2000lbs (although the normal load would be in the neighborhood of about 1200lbs) - and I would be driving 98% freeway and highway a maximum distance of 120 miles one way. Has anyone installed a hitch onto their '06 Impala? And if so, how has it done in regards to pulling the load. Anyones $.02 is appreciated. Thanks!

    :)
  • charts2charts2 Member Posts: 618
    I believe the towing capacity of the FWD Impala is only 1,000 pounds. Exceeding that by 2 could do some damage to the rear suspension or wheels, in turn could void future warranty work.......better check into it.
  • nosirrahgnosirrahg Member Posts: 872
    Though I have not pulled a trailer, I did install a hitch on my 2000 Impala. I ordered it online (etrailer.com, I think) and installed it myself, which was a little more involved than I would have liked, but satisfying when it was done. I got the wiring put in to hook up a trailer just in case, but I've yet to have a reason to rent a trailer to actually haul anything. However, I did get a 4-bicycle rack that slips into the receiver hitch. Granted the center of gravity for the bike rack is higher than a trailer would be, but will say you can definitely feel the impact of 3-4 bicycles (and the rack) hanging back there. Towing capacity of the 2000 is 1000 pounds, and based on the influence a few bikes have on the car, I'd be hesitant to try to tow 2000 pounds.
  • cnwcnw Member Posts: 105
    2000 pound towed weight would be dicey. Keep in mind that the rating is a function of unibody construction (ie, no real frame), horsepower/torque, and the ruggedness of the drive train. Factor into that the anticipated tongue weight and where that weight will be distributed regarding vehicle center of gravity. You could end up with a front-wheel drive vehicle with a very low percentage of weight on the driven wheels; you may be in a "nose-high" attitude losing directional control and traction simultaneously. Could be a dangerous situation, to say the least. I have significantly exceeded vehicle gross weight limits in the past, on rear-wheel drive pick-ups; I now chalk it up to being young and foolish. The resulting loss of steering control is frightening, in retrospect.
  • nosirrahgnosirrahg Member Posts: 872
    Yeah I've been there too...it's tempting when you're loading 50-lb bags of feed in a pickup to put them as near the tailgate as possible to make it easier to unload, but stack 15 or so bags back there and it REALLY changes the way the thing handles. You learn pretty quickly to load things between the wheel wells if at all possible.

    I was also just reminiscing with my mom about the time we had a bull that proved to be worthless (sterile), so we had him slaughtered. The nearest butcher was about 30 miles away, so my mom and I drove down in our '79 Caprice to pick up the meat and bring it home. The only problem was when we got there we found out the bull dressed out at just over 1,000 pounds! We had the trunk completely filled with frozen beef, as well as the rear seats and floorboard up level with the back of the front seats. We made it home, but we were definitely riding slow and low, praying the whole time we wouldn't have a blowout and have to unload 500 pounds of meat to get to the spare (or be stranded with a 1/2-ton of thawing beef on the side of the road)!!
  • topcop1topcop1 Member Posts: 28
    I may take my '06 Impala LTZ on a road trip from Philadelphia to Peterborough Ontario Canada. Can anyone tell what fuel mileage I can expect on a long distance trip using the cruise control,average speed 70-80 mph. I figure using all Interstate highways ( I-81 in Pa/NY,401/115 in Canada)I should see 25MPG or better. Any thoughts?
  • cnwcnw Member Posts: 105
    I anticipate that you will meet or exceed the 25 mpg figure. I have a 2006 LT2 with the 3.5L engine. On interstate highways with no stop and go conditions, driving 70-75 mph I've averaged 32 mpg with no special efforts. I wouldn't be surprised if the 3.9L would get figures approximating the same. I've seen a number of folks with SS cars that average 25-28 mpg at the freeway speeds you indicate. Enjoy the trip.
  • soudertonxc90soudertonxc90 Member Posts: 1
    does anyone know of a super charger for the 3.9 liter 2006 chevrolet impala
  • jpstax1jpstax1 Member Posts: 197
    Not that I'm aware of. But, if you're thinking of adding a S/C to gain HP, why not just swap your 3.9 for a GM crate engine? (although I'm not sure it can be used in FWD cars)

    http://www.gmperformanceparts.com/EngineShowcase/index.jsp

    You'll be gaining more HP (and torque) without the possibility of cooking your 3.9 engine. Or better yet, see if you can swap the 3.9 V-6 for a 5.3 (LS4) V-8. That engine would probably connect right up to your present FWD tranny.
  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    The Impala SS comes with a heavy duty tranny with it's 5.3L V-8. Not sure you want to go that route with a standard tranny.
  • dispencer2dispencer2 Member Posts: 299
    Better take a pillow or something. I have a 2006 LT2 with the cloth seats and anything over about 5 hours my back hurts when I get out. Also the seat is too short and my thighs sort of ache after about 6-7 hours. I can drive my '03 Deville for days and get out and walk upright at the end of a day. I tried my Impala on an 8 hour trip to Denver and will confine it to 3-5 hour trips from now on and dump it next year. Should have bought a LaCrosse. The seats are longer.
  • bh0001bh0001 Member Posts: 340
    I've only had one tank that got 25mpg on my '06 LTZ, and that was in the dead of winter on a long trip on Hwy 401.

    My overall average mileage is a shade over 20 mpg for the 25k miles I've driven the car so far. However, I am definitely a lead-foot!
  • deminindeminin Member Posts: 214
    This past May, we drove from central Missouri to Las Vegas. We have a 2006 LTZ with the 3.9 engine. Going West, and using Cruise Control most of the way, I got about 26.8 MPG. On the way back, I decided to drive for maximum mileage, and check it closely. Running on I-40 across Arizona, NM, Texas, and Oklahoma, with the AC ON, and the cruise control OFF, I averaged 30.1 MPG, and the average speed over about 1200 miles was 72.3 MPH. The key, IMO, is NOT using cruise control. It should be called Speed Control, instead. On long downslopes, I was running as high as 90MPH, whereas on some of the uphill grades, I might drop back to 65MPH. I think that by tailoring my driving to the road, and not relying on CC, I can beat the CC mileage by at least 3MPG.
  • dispencer2dispencer2 Member Posts: 299
    I have the 3.5 and usually get between 30 and 33 on trips in the flatlands. I always use cruise control and there should be no fuel penalty on the plains. Cruise control is not very useful in the mountains. There is something wrong with yours if it ranges between 90 and 65. One of the problems with cruise control which probably eats gas is the quick acceleration after you slow down and then hit the resume button. I find it useful on long trips on Interstates. It is annoying on busy two lane roads.
  • nosirrahgnosirrahg Member Posts: 872
    I've read somewhere that the key to good mileage isn't maintaining a constant speed of the car, but a constant RPM of the engine. Obviously car manufacturers can't install a RPM controller, because as you said you'd be flying down hills and crawling up them. So if you route is hilly I agree cruise control could hinder you from getting optimum mileage. My car (2000 base model) doesn't have a tach on it, but if it did it'd be interesting to experiment a little and see how much difference it'd make to run at a set RPM (and if nothing else it'd keep you alert as you drove through some pretty desolate areas).

    Having grown up on a farm, it's interesting that on most tractors the throttle is a lever, and you adjust it to the RPM you want (and there's a optimum point marked on the tach), and then use the multiple gears (usually several forward gears, plus a high/low range so you have lots of options) to control your speed. Obviously you're not worried about speed limits or other traffic when you're rolling across an empty field, but it's the same concept you're talking about.
  • steve333steve333 Member Posts: 201
    Anyone get this recall notice? I saw it on my mothers onstar vehicle diagnostics notification but no other info was given.
  • donw4donw4 Member Posts: 2
    Can anyone tell me what an FE3 suspension is? I need new struts and some are for FE3. thanx donw
  • donw4donw4 Member Posts: 2
    Can anyone out there tell me what the heck an FE3 suspension is? I am buying new struts and some are for that type of suspension . How do I identify this?
    1991 chevy corsica
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