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By the way I aleady got the fuel system and plugs tuned. The above mentioned figures are after the tune up.
Otherwise, this thing is a pleasure...solidly built as a tank and totally reliable.
If I purchased the car, the dealer claims the bumper-to-bumper warranty would start as of the date of purchase and extend for 36 months or to approximately 43,000 miles, whichever comes first. I had a friend of mine who works for another GM dealer run the VIN through GM's warranty database and it came up as having been initiated in late September, 1999. Obviously, I have some serious concerns in this department because the dealer is located approximately 90 miles from my home. Thoughts on the issue are appreciated.
I posted quite a while ago regarding what the cognoscenti on this board thought would be a fair price for the vehicle. The responses were thoughtful and I appreciate people taking the time to express their opinions. Unfortunately, the dealer was not reasonable and so I decided he could keep his car. Over three months and now a second model year later, the dealer still has the car. Thoughts on what the car is worth now would be appreciated. I'm thinking something on the order of wholesale value (I think the reason they haven't taken it to the auction is that they CAN'T because it's never been titled).
FINALLY, I rented a 2001 LeSabre and it has that damn vibration problem at 60-70 mph which drove me nuts. As I recall, the car I'm considering also had the issue when I test drove it. I know some have claimed that the tires being "out of round" is one possible cause of the problem, but I'm not sure I buy it. Does anyone have a legitmate, tried and true fix for the issue or is it simply a suspension problem, NOT tire/wheel balance issue?
Thank you in advance for anyone taking the time to respond.
If it not possible to get an integrated radio-control operated CD changer, what are people's experiences with aftermarket RF cd changes (those that play through a radio frequenc and come with their own controls)?
Thanks
I'm helping my mom with the first car purchase she's ever had to make on her own, and she's got her eye on a 1996/1997 LeSabre. I've never owned one myself, and wondered what all of you had to say about them. I know they have generally solid reps, but the law of averages says each car has its' own problem areas too.
We've got a mechanic lined up to double check anything she is really interested in, but if any of you folks knew of potential problems unique to LeSabre's it'd really help out.
Thanks in advance for any help...later.
To reveal my bias, I would never buy a Buick - it's simply not the car for me. That said, here were our impressions after 10 days:
On the good side:
- We found the car was quite roomy, except for front legroom. I do have rather long legs, but found there was not quite enough room even with the seat all the way back. It has driver less legroom that a Maxima or Civic. Otherwise, the car was quite spacious.
- The trunk was similarly spacious - easily swallowing lots of luggage, stroller, etc. with room left over.
- The car had decent acceleration - it never seemed stressed, had power when we needed it, but it wasn't zippy.
- The car had a surprisingly tight turning radius, helpful when parking, getting around the city, etc.
- On straight, major highways, the car was in its element - it floated along in cruise control with barely a sound. It was a real cruiser.
On the down side:
- The car seemed quite big when driving - bigger than most other cars we've driven. We had a bit of a feeling that we were driving a boat.
- The car is tuned on the very, very soft side. It floated everywhere, and simply wallowed on turns or bumps. The tires chirped or squealed when making almost any turn at the posted speed. The car gives you the impression of being a large, heavy beast that prefers highway cruising to curvy roads. That said, we never felt control was lacking - you just couldn't take curves at the speeds you can with most other sedans. That may be a plus for those preferring a softer ride.
- The materials, build quality, etc. were poor or mediocre at best. The dash is an enormous slab of plastic, and the seat materials an unpleasant velour. Did not like it at all, but that may be personal preference.
- We found the seats were far too wide, and lacked side bolstering. They seem to be designed for much "larger" people. Again, that may be in line with the car - it appears to be designed more for highway cruising that twists and turns. It did mean, however, that we felt uncomfortable on long trips.
Overall, for those looking for a soft riding, highway cruiser, I think the car succeeds. For those looking for something else, you should probably want to look elsewhere.
Just my two cents.
Mike
Art
Art
Good luck
Ken
macarthur2 - I have the same black carbon buildup that you described, so I would think that it is pretty normal.
tpken - Good to see you on the Forum again !
Neil
Ken
Good info about snow tires here:
http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jk/at_011101.htm
Rick
I believe this has much to do with the average quality of the speakers and poor placement of the front speakers. The sound does not surround you or envelop you such as is the case with some premium sound systems in other auto marques. The sound is very restrictive and leaves one dissatisfied. Unfortunately, there are no aftermarket units available for replacement. The only possibility might be an upgrade in the speakers. I have not yet tried that for fear that I might spend money and find it has not improved it enough to make a difference. Just my opinion. Perhaps the 2001 has seen an improvement..but I doubt if "The General" would be bothered to spend the bucks to upgrade the sound. After all, they're selling bunches of LeSabres, poor sound or not.
Can someone kindly tell me?
LeSabres used to be the "cheap" full size Buick, usually seen with dog dish hubcaps. Now it's one of the biggest selling GM cars, outselling the Park Ave.
Vtech - you still around buddy? Anyone else? If not I suppose it's time for archive here.
Ken
I know it was maintained properly, because it has been in the family since new.
TB
When warm, the car would not go in any gear, including reverse. Stop and go traffic killed it.
Now after a rebuild, it is much smoother than ever.
TB
It has 34K on it. It has depreciated by 50 % in 2.5 years which is of little concern to me. Generally, Toyotas and Hondas do not show this kind of deep depreciation but I have another Toyota and wanted to try some thing different.
I liked the test drive, like the interiors and took the decision.
Let us see, time will tell.
Any special tips for longer life would be appreciated.
Regards,
- Sajala00
There are rumors it may be replaced by a new RWD sedan that resembled a Buick show car from a few years ago.
Or it may be replaced by an Ultra trim on the LeSabre.
Or it may be just be discontinued.
Needless to say, I went to Canadian Tire and bought a four dollar roll of red lens tape to patch things up. Not as pretty, but functional.
The bigger question is why GM cannot design a bumper that will protect from costly damage after such a seemingly trivial bump?
Cheers,
Indrek Aavisto
Sudbury, Ontario
2001 Le Sabre Limited
Maybe troll around eBay; someone might be auctioning off a tail lamp assembly cheap.
Ken
One fine day my wife broke the tail Red lamp of my Toyota while she was backing. The Toyota dealer quoted me $650. So I put the duct tape as Indrek. Unfortunately, water started sipping in from the cracks and I had to change the inside bulb every now and then [ especially for every state inspection ]. Finally I ordered that part from http://www.junkyarddog.com/ for $60.
Now it is working fine.
Regards