ponchoman49

Interesting cause I changed over to fully synthetic Mobil 0W-30, K&N filter and those same wires with my 98 Grand Prix 3800 series II and didn't really notice any difference a couple of years back. Did you do anything else besides the 89 octane gas? I have heard that the engine used in the full sized cars uses a different cam and is tuned for a bit more power too so maybe those engines like the higher octane better.

I have owned several of those old A-bodies and believe me, everyone of them had that damned front end shimmy. I was told by a GM dealer once that it is related to the axles binding up with age and not perfecty balanced tires. Everything has to be perfect for these things not to vibrate. I never tried replacing the axles but I did get improved results replacing the 185/75R14 tires with perfecty balanced 195/70R14's. As for the 3100's, watch out for sudden coolent useage when they start getting miles on them. I have seen many a person lose one of these engines due to intake manifold gasket failure which affects all 93-05 vin code "m" and "j" 3100's and 96-05 vin code "e" 3400's. So keep an eye on the coolant level when the miles rack up.

It's interesting to note that the recently release Monte Carlo 3LT or LTZ models with the 3900 are rated at 20/28 while the same Impala models are rated at 19/27. They both use the same engine and 3.29:1 gears. Does anybody know why this is? 20/28 isn't really bad and is in fact only 1 mpg off the highway rating of the previous 3800 full size car ratings.

The concept is a hideous mess of ill porportioned lines and an ugly grille. How is it hot? :puke:

Never cared for the 03-05 Accord. It looks smaller than the Impala and I don't care for it's pug like rear end treatment, taillights or bland grille. The 06 Impala looks more refined IMO than either the Accord or the older 00-05 Impalas. It's tail end treatment may be a little bland but overall it's pretty nice. Of course we all know the Accord has the better interior and has more refined engines and newer designed trannys. It will be interesting to see if Chevy puts in the new 6 speed automatic for 07. I have a feeling it will only show up on the higher end versions and the LS and LT models will continue statis quo.

I don't own one but I did look on MSN's carpoint at the owner's reviews section and read quite a few SS reviews. Most were favorable but several owners were complaining of poor mileage with the 5.3. What wasn't clear was how hard they were driving the cars and if they were fully broken in yet. Also a lady where I work has a silver 06 SS. She says she uses regular gas with no problems and typically sees 17-18 mpg on her trip computer as an average. She is pleased overall with the car but has noticed some of Chevy's cost cutting with eliminating the cig lighter/ashtray, glovebox light, floor shift indicators, trunk keyhole etc. Other than those minor quibbles she says she loves it. I'm working her over to let me test drive it someday.

You mean like Honda & Driver or Toyota Trend! :rolleyes:

He probably would have said how awesome and hip hoppy the Scion was and how trendy it's interior was and how it has so successfully appealed to not only kids but people in there 40's-50's and even 60's. He would have said about the same for the Honda too mainly because it has the word Honda on it. Aside from the Aztek, these 2 vehicles have got to be some of the worst I have ever seen from the Hondas tacky, unfinished looking exterior with all it's chunky black plastic and oddball lines that don't coordinate if there lives depended on it to the Scion xBox with it's hidious styling, to it's bug collector front end, to it's underpowered lawn mower engine, to it's piss poor interior to it's inadequate A/C, to it's absurd center mounted guages that are barely legible etc!

Look out Toyota! It won't be long before your blah boring Camry, especially in the frumpy dull 07 iteration, will be unseated by the Sonata. Add a much better warrenty, a bigger interior, much more std features and more hp and people will really start to notice the Sonata. My dad and I drove one and were extremely impressed overall. I think this car will climb further up the sales chart.

I recently had the opportunity to pick up a light blue LS Impala from Enterprise for 4 full days to really get a feel for this revamped Chevy. To my surprise and delight this base LS model came with a trip computer and dual trip odometers so I could see what the computer said I was averaging and what the calculator said. This was again the LS model without the 2 only options of ABS and remote starter prep. My first observation upon pulling out of Enterprise and getting up to speed was how much quieter this 06 was compared to my previous 00 base model. This pleased me to see that Chevy has finally quelled some of the road noise that plagued earlier versions. This new Impala also impressed me with it's solidity. It felt rock(no pun intended) solid over bumps and could be tossed around with little in the way of complaint. That was the second thing that was instantly noticeable, the handling. This base model would easily out handle my 00 with 3800/suspension upgrade or my Buddies 01 LS. Whereas the older models always felt a bit ponderous and heavy handed around curves, this one actually liked taking them. I found the steering to be spot on too with pretty good communication. It felt slightly less heavy and more responsive. The 3500 proved to be a two sided coin. It was quite the performer for one thing. I timed it with a stopwatch 5 times at 7.8 seconds 0-60 on different roads. It was very consistant. This car had only 2100 miles on the odometer so may have not been fully broken in. If this car was anything to go by, Chevys accelleration times are very conservative. 7.8 seconds is what Chevy quotes the 3900 LTZ model at with performance 3.29:1 gears versus this cars 2.86:1 and 31 more hp! Also the 3500 revs up to 6250 rpms in first gear making this car one of the first I have driven that shifts from first to second at 60 mph! Now for the bad; engine noise was only slightly better than the 00-05 Impalas. Even at part throttle the 3500 made it'self heard. It wasn't a deal breaker but anybody used to a Camry would probably be put off. The 4T65 usually shifted smooth but sometimes felt clunky when getting a little aggressive with the throttle. Now is the time to be using that 6 speed automatic. Interior comfort was better than expected. The bench seat felt hard initially but proved comfortable after a long 5 hour drive. I was delighted to find a std power seat with power recliner and lumbar too. Of course power pedals and a telescoping wheel would have been nice but I quickly got comfortable behind the driver's seat. I also noticed that Chevy included a tachometer for the base cars for 06. My fully loaded 00 base car did not have this. And for those that don't know, sidecurtain airbags, cruise and CD player are now std too making this a pretty well equipped base car. The rear seats even have map pockets on both sides. I however noticed that a center rear seat armrest wasn't included and was only available on the up level LT models. The sound system was very easy to use and sounded very good overall. Kudos for the non intrusive trunk hinges and std cargo net. That 18.6 cu.ft trunk was plenty for all my gear. Dissapointments came in the very light gray seat fabrics and cheesy plastic on the lower part of the dash. Also shame on Chevy for axing the dark blue interior that was available in 00-05 models. At the end of my 5 hour drive the trip computer was reading an average of 28.5 mpg. Not bad considering it wasn't all trip driving. When more city driving was included the average dropped to 24.1 mpg. Checked against the calculator my 2 mileage readings were 28.1 and 23.9 which was very close. When bringing this car back to the rental agency I thought to myself that yes, I could own this car and be very happy with it. It does most things quite well and is a big improvement over the last generation. I even found myself enjoying the styling and found it more refined than the older gen. The only 3 changes I would want on my car would be floor shifter/buckets, ABS/traction control and alloy wheels. Would also like to see Chevy paint the steering wheel the same color as the interior instead of black. Moving the ignition to the steering wheel was a quality control induced move I hear from several dealers that say the dash mounted switches gave many people nightmares. Overall I was pleasantly surprised how competent this Chevy was and could be very happy overall owning one. I can't wait to see how these cars perform with 6 speed automatics if Chevy does indeed use them in this line anytime soon. Below is my pro and con table of the 06 LS Impala PROS: Excellent workmanship and solidity, gutsy base engine, decent fuel mileage, pretty well equipped for a base model, roomy front seats and trunk, above average handling, quiet ride CONS: engine noisy at times, gray and tan cloth seats are too light and show every little piece of lint and dirt, cheesy looking lower dash plastic, no telescoping wheel, even on top of the line SS versions, lacks some features that it's competitors has(AWD, automatic climate control, power pedals, 6 speed automatic) etc!

Damn! Those are really sweet cars. They were, to my knowledge, the only A/G bodies that came with the 5.7 liter gas V8 from the factory(excluding some high altitude wagons and California cars). Other factory goodies included 3.08:1 rear gears, std buckets/console, rallye guages, F-41 suspension, larger tires, hurst shifter and special paint sceme and graphics. These are surely going to do nothing but go up in value so keep it prestine. Good luck!

How did I contradict myself? If you actually bothered to read my whole paragraph you would have seen the words "my dad". I myself know that these are all warmed over entries with new names. My dad is not a car enthusiasts like myself so does not know what a Lucerne or LaCrosse is. None of these cars sounded or looked familiar. I had to explain that these were still Regals/Centurys, Lesabres/Park Aves underneath. It's the name changes on old platforms with older engines/trannys that is ludicrous. Why did they bother re-naming the Regal. What was wrong with Park Ave or LeSabre. These were names that people identified with and made cars like LeSabre best sellers in there segments. Now many consumers see all these brand new names and different sheetmetal and interiors and have no clue what they are buying.

Again, I haven't driven the 3.6, only started a few up at the dealers. The 3.5 Shortstars were by no means thrashy sounding. I have owned quite a few 3800 equipped cars and have driven many Shortstars and the Shortstar is much quieter and more refined sounding. My 02 Intrigue is so refined in fact that a friend that owns a Toyota Camry commented on how my engine was nearly as refined as his but had a nicer, sportier exhaust note. That sportier exhaust note may what your confusing with thrashiness. In day to day driving my Intrigue is just as refined as any Accord or Camry. I even have to on occasion look at my tach to see that my engine is even running as it is so smooth.

And to think we have until 09-2010 to wait for GM's answer to this. Unbelievable!

Quote:Toyota's latest 2006 sales volume projection outstrips its earlier estimate for 8.5 million units, as demand for environment-friendly vehicles such as its Prius hybrid vehicle is increasing globally amid high gasoline prices. Next year Toyota said brisk overseas sales will again lead the firm's global sales expansion. What is it going to take to convince the sheep, ah people that this Hybrid is false economy. You can already buy a Corrolla that gets 40 mpg highway, looks 10 times better, has a normal looking interior, doesn't have a system that only a Toyota dealer can work on, doesn't need costly batteries down the road, doesn't stop dead in highway traffic, doesn't cost upwards of 25K or more etc! Just because a lot of obviously drugged out rock or movie stars like them doesn't mean they are perfect. I would wait at least 5 -8 years before even considering a Hybrid after they work all the bugs out and parts start to come down to everyday mans level.

If Saturn can make cars that look like this they will actually steal some sales away from arrogant Toyota and Honda. The current Ion will hopefully be a long forgotten bad memory.

Knowing GM you are more than probably right.

Not neccessarily so! I have an 02 Intrigue with the 215 hp Shortstar that gets to 60 in 7.5 seconds consistantly. That engine really comes alive once your off the line and provides more than enough power for a mid size sedan. The LaCrosse is bewidering with the 240 hp 3.6 DOHC engine. Some reports have it at 8.0 seconds while others say 7.0 flat and 7.4. It's strange that this engine can provide such different times. 2 things stand out. The 3.6 as used in the LaCrosse puts out less rated torque than my 3.5, 225 vs 230 ft lbs. The Lacrosse weights 300 lbs more than my Olds. And while some will argue that the 3.6 puts that lower torque rating at lower revs it really has to do with the total powerband of these engines. I haven't actually driven a 3.6 LaCrosse, just a 3800 version which left me very underwhelmed. I would therefore conclude that the LaCrosse would be a tad quicker than my car is at high rpm's. My point here is that putting the 2.8 in either of these cars would seem like a waste of time considering that the 3.6 hardly overwhelms in the lighter LaCrosse. Buick would need to install the 255 hp version of this engine in the Lucerne to generate decent performance times and even then it won't compare to the Toyota Uglyon which is claimed to do 6.2 seconds to 60. Lets hope when Buick comes to there senses and installs the 3.6 in the Lucerne that they also include the 6 speed automatic with it.

These new names that GM insists on giving these warmed over entries are retarded. Terazza, Enclave, Lucerne give me a break. GM's name changes have brought much confusion from the buying public. My dad checked out Buick's site yesterday and was shocked to see not one familliar name and all but 2 sedans from just a few years ago. He had to ask me what these cars were before the name changes because nothing looked familiar. He also couldn't believe they had a minivan.

If it's done right, yes! Saying Buick shouldn't use wood is like saying Gen X and Y people should all drive micro compacts to save gas: it just isn't going to happen!

A couple of things to look out for: The 3800's in the 90's have a propensity to destructing the upper plastic intake manifolds. If you buy one and it starts using coolant get that intake replaced right away. Also have the mechanic check the lower intake. 1997 was the last year for 4T60E trannys in the full sized cars and from 1998 to present the 4T65 was used. I have seen a ton of these trannys with shifting issues, from miles in the 60-100K range, when fully warmed up. Pay close attention for bang shifts or torque converter chuggle when it tries to engage/disengage. Of course a lot depends on the prior owner and how often they serviced those trannys. I personally like the LSS 88's best as they had the comfy Aurora seats, firmer suspension, 16" Aurora alloys, 3.05:1 performance axle for quicker get aways and were more loaded up. The LSS versions drive noticeably better than the soft mushy base versions, something to think about if you drive every day.

3 thumbs up for not giving us sleep inducing gray, tan or black for the interior colors. I could care a less about aluminum trim. It is just another fad that will come and go like anything else.

If that PM rendering of the next gen Malibu is even close I say good to the delayed 08 version. The current car is fine and if Chevy beefed it up a bit for 07 with nice seat cloth, better dash, making the 2.4 std and getting some more respectable power figures from the relatively big 3500 V6 it will continue to do fine. BTW the base $17995 models are flying off dealer lots in upstate, NY. Not sure how they are doing elsewhere.

Analysts and dealers say the Enclave will be a full-sized crossover with three rows of seats and a standard V-6 engine. The vehicle should have a base price near $27,000, with prices rising to $40,000 for a fully equipped model, sources say. What are they going to use, a 197 hp 3800 and 4 speed automatic? Funny they didn't specify. If I see one more new GM with this powertrain combo I am going to scream!

Bring out a Riviera with classic style and chrome and an optional V8 model based on the Lucerne chassis. That would turn some heads for sure.