2007 Chevrolet Impala LS 3.5
Summary:
All in all, a good car for a good price
Faults:
Nothing yet, it only has 45k miles on it so far... I did have a bad alignment issue in the rear of the car a while back though. The car chewed up the inner edge of the rear tires, but I got it fixed at a non GM shop for about $70 plus tires.
General Comments:
This is a good all-around car. The newer Chevy Impalas are not the big RWD boats of the past, but they still boast nearly 20 cubic feet of trunk space and optional seating for 6, although 4-5 adults is more realistic. This car has 211 HP and I don't know the torque rating, but it feels like it has a lot for a V6. My car gets 24 to 26 MPG mixed city/country driving, about 30 MPG highway unloaded and 27-28MPG fully loaded on a long trip.
Comfort - the LS is the base model. It comes with AC, CD player with AUX-in, drivers power seat, On-Star, cruise control and power everything.
People that drive my car or ride in it complement me often for its comfort and the way it drives. The car is very smooth on the open road or in the city. Great ride for sure.
Dislikes - I'm not a big fan of the plastic used on the dash. My car has console shifter and I don't like console shifters in 4 door cars... I would like a normal shifter up near the steering wheel better because it would free up room in the front seats.
The cup holders in this car are a joke, but they are better than some 90s cars I've been in. The cup holder holds things well, it's just in an odd place because large cups get in the way of the shifter.
Likes - I love the front end of the car, it looks sharp and the way the turn lights are integrated into the head lamps is cool. The comfort and quietness of the cabin is great. GM full sized cars have always been the best riding cars in their class and the Impala is no exception - GREAT RIDING CAR for the price.
One last thing... 5 year 100k mile coverage for the motor, trans, drive axles and wheel hubs! Beat that Toyota!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 17th August, 2009
2nd Dec 2009, 04:00
I'm the original poster for this car.
The battery is defective now at 49,800 miles.
I think this was caused by my radio draining it over night every night. If I let the radio turn off by itself when I get out of the car, she won't start in the morning without a jump. If I turn off the radio with the power switch rather than the ignition switch, she starts in the morning... go figure!
Got to get a new battery and maybe a new radio - aftermarket for sure :D.
8th Dec 2010, 17:48
This is me again - it's been a year since I've been on here, and the car now has over 73,000 miles. I replaced the battery about a year ago, and that is the only problem I have had since. I had the right side inner tie rod end, wheel bearing and wheel replaced after I slid into a curb last winter - it rained after I was at a friends house one night and the temp dropped below freezing... first and only time I ever hit something with a car in around 250,000 driving miles.
On a different point - my car was a rental car and so was ordered without ABS brakes, side air bags and On-Star. The lack of ABS means that when I had to do a panic stop from 60mph to avoid a Hummer, I flat spotted my tires. The car has a vibration at higher speeds, which kills the nice ride it has.
29th Aug 2009, 00:12
This car was just driven about 700 miles round trip on a long weekend to the Boston area. With one passenger and a trunk full of stuff, I got 26 to 27 mpg speeding. Doing 70 MPH it got nearly 30 until I hit some mountains... This is according to the average MPG computer on the dash, which I reset before getting on the (interstate). I forgot to check it the old way (pen and paper distance/fuel used).
Driving steady at a speed at or near the speed limit in your area is best for your MPGs.
It was about 5.5 hours in the car each way, and I would have to say the car was great. My only complaint is the CC (cruise control) doesn't keep the car quite as steady as my 1990's Oldsmobile's did, although CC is still better than holding your foot in one place for 3-5 hours at a time.