2001 Chevrolet Impala base model 3.4 V6 from North America
Summary:
I love this car!!! Chevy did a good job
Faults:
So far, the only problem I have had is a very, VERY slight antifreeze smell when I drive it. I had it looked at and was told I have a small leak, and to keep an eye on my antifreeze level. I knew this might be a problem, as I have read several reviews on this site about 2001 Impalas having that problem. I am hoping that any problems that might have arisen during the first few miles were taken care of my the previous owners.
So far, so good.
General Comments:
First off, I should say that I am the second owner of this car, so I am not exactly sure if the last owners took good care of it, or if Chevy did a good job, I am hoping it's a little of both, or maybe the latter.
I am very impressed with how well this car handles in ice and snow, especially since I have discovered that I have no ABS in this car. It's possible that I am mistaken on that though, and that maybe the ABS light isn't working. I'll have to check on that.
This car is very fast for a 3.4 engine. It's great for highway driving, and rides very smoothly.
And the highway mileage is wonderful, I am averaging 30-32 MPG highway. Living in Iowa, that's great since I have to drive out of town to do any kind of mall shopping, etc. It's great to find a decent V6 with that kind of mileage, in a day and age of 3 bucks a gallon for gas.
The interior is very roomy. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find a vehicle that matched my Blazer room-wise, but this did, and it's great. I think Chevy did a great job making everything fit that was necessary to the interior. The trunk is huge, which is good for out of town trips, especially camping. And the fact that the back seats fold down is great too, giving more room with the trunk. The seats are pretty comfortable. Everything is within arms reach, so it's pretty nice.
My Impala is equipped with radio and cruise control on the steering wheel, which is something I really wanted. In my Blazer, I always had a problem controlling the radio while driving, and never really felt safe about it.
One of the things I absolutely cannot get over about this car is the fact that I can listen to a radio station, and it can tell me the call letters, frequency, and what song I am hearing. Being a huge music fan, I love this feature. Especially because I tend to be one who forgets where on the dial a station is located. Also when I use the seek feature, it lets me choose what kind of music I am seeking, and chooses only those stations for me. How great is that?
I love having the remote lock/unlock feature. I have never had this feature before, and it's nice. I can set how I want my alarm to chirp when I lock and unlock it, plus I can choose whether or not I have the lights flash to tell me if it's unarmed or armed. Really handy when you're in a noisy or bright atmosphere.
I think this is a good looking car. Mine is navy blue, and it looks pretty sharp. One thing I have always liked about the Impalas are the round tail-lights. It distinguishes them from the crowd.
Another thing I like is the slightly tinted plastic over the headlights (I don't know the technical term for those). I always thought those looked sharp on other vehicles, as it does on this Impala.
I wouldn't change a thing on this car. I absolutely LOVE IT!!!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 6th December, 2007
10th Dec 2009, 01:03
That coolant smell sounds like you have a leaky intake manifold gasket or head gasket. I would suggest getting a compression and leak down test to anyone who encounters that smell. Finding a leak, and fixing it before said leak gets worse and hydrolocks your engine will save you more money in the long run than putting off the repair. I tried putting off a small leak in a 3800 series II and it ended up costing about the same amount of money to fix the engine leak. Cleaning my engine however ended up taking longer and having to do several oil changes to get all the water out of my oil meant a lot of irritation, plus the cost of several gallons of oil.
31st Dec 2007, 14:43
I am the original writer of this review, just wanted to note that by accident this is listed as a 2000 Impala, when in fact it is a 2001. Sorry.