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I'm looking for some opinions on a 2007/2008 Chevy Impala LTZ for a friend of mine who has just graduated college. He's a great guy but really doesn't know jack about cars so I told him I'd do a little research. I've read a couple reviews on the new generation Impala and it sounds promising but haven't seriously looked at one myself. His main specs are:
Under $20K
4 Doors
Inexpensive to maintain
Low miles (under 30K preferably)
Less than 3 years old
Midsize to large
A little luxury (i.e. leather seats, nice looking interior, etc)
MUST HAVE A SUNROOF (take advantage of the Arizona sunshine)
Any opinions on a new Impala or alternatives? For the price I don't think you can beat it but again, I haven't driven one for myself.
A quality low mileage Chevy Impala would be tough to beat, SpeedyAZ.
Another vehicle to consider would be a Cadillac CTS. About the same size, plenty of luxury and amazingly good performance plus decent gas mileage.
I forgot the Malibu, thanks for inserting it. It looks like a solid machine and a good value.
Drive the Malibu four also. I'm seeing reports at an auto site of well into the 30s for MPGs with the Malibu four.
VWs have a bad rep regarding reliability. I had a Golf diesel which I loved, but electric stuff kept going kaput. The B-B warranty at that time was just 2-24, so I dumped it.
Imo, the 4 cyl Malibu is weak - it would be frustrating to drive this otherwise nice car with that engine, but I only drive sporty cars.
Good suggestion, although it will be tough to get a V-6 for 20K. Maybe an '08 fleet rental with mileage, but not a new one. OTOH, an '07 Saturn Aura(essentially the same car as the Malibu) should be available.
The Saturn Aura is a great car, mostly overlooked by the public. There is a new even better one coming in 2010 - that will be a great car, but the Opel-based Aura we have now is a good car to consider.
Well we looked at it over the weekend and he bought it. It's a low-mileage 2008 Chevy Impala LTZ with every single option and I was very impressed with this car. The seats are comfortable, the interior has a fairly high quality feel with the exception of a few bits of hard plastic that look cheap, it rides well and I do actually like the style, it's clean. He's happy with it and I couldn't find any major reasons NOT to like it except I don't know how much I care for the dual passenger control wheels, I'd rather have actual buttons like on my Yukon.
VWs suffered from poor reliability from about 2000-2006 - the company took a renewed interest in reliability and its showing.
Different strokes... I haven't driven the Malibu 4, but it's probably in the neighborhood of the last 3.4 Impala I had.
I'm hoping VW has improved reliability. They have quite a rep and it's not good. Otherwise, I like their cars. Not sure I'd ever buy one again, after all the trouble I had with my '99.
I'm surprised how many people are recommending Town Cars and their ilk - they are floaty cars to drive and they are not that big inside - they just have huge trunks. Not saying its a bad choice, but its not that great a car.
Look at the actual interior dimensions of a Town Car and other midsize and large sedans, and you'll be surprised at how small Town Cars actually are. The Town Car platform is decades old and that engineering is dated compared with modern designs.
And if the Town Car is Ford's best kept secret, perhaps we now know why Ford is in such financial trouble! The 500/Taurus was designed to replace the Crown Vic/Town Car - I'd look at one of those for the modern chassis, good space, etc.
Wow... just brush off the flagship of the transportation business. HAHA! The towncar/marquis is an EXTREMELY robust machine, ample cabin space, decent fuel mileage, very cheap parts due to the sheer amount of them, good handling, excellent ride, simple to work on... there is really not much wrong with these cars and you can pick up used ones for pretty cheap. Did I mention these things will last nearly a lifetime???
Going back to the impala... I have driven a few of them and I must say they were remarkably comfortable and very carefree to drive. They are not a very flashy vehicle in stock form but have decent potential. They are an extremely practical vehicle good for any on-road application, lots of room, big trunk, good fuel mileage, ample power and you can have just about any luxury option you want.
I would take the accord any day over the impala. In a few years you will tell the difference. The Honda will be as tight as new the impala will be rough.The Honda 4 cylinder is as smooth as 4'sget;if you want more get a honda 6cyl. Much smoother than any domestic 6.
I would take the accord any day over the impala. In a few years you will tell the difference. The Honda will be as tight as new the impala will be rough.The Honda 4 cylinder is as smooth as 4'sget;if you want more get a honda 6cyl. Much smoother than any domestic 6.
Have you rode in an Impala ('00 or newer)? Even the ones that are eight years old and have 150k miles on them are still tight with minimal rattles. He bought a 2008 Impala, not a 1978 Impala.
I disagree on the Accord 4 cyl too. The last one I drove was a '99 model, and the engine was buzzy and vibrated too much for my taste. The Accord V6 is probably a smooth running car though.
just my 2 cents,i bought a 2003 impala ls. new. it has 91,000 miles on it now. aside from a few minor problems,which were fixed by the dealer ,under warranty. body control module , and the battery failed. has been a trouble free car.still no rattles,it has had 2 sets of tires,and 1 set of brakes ,normal wear items. it still has plenty of power,and when you shut the door its as quiet as it ever was,its hard to believe its still not new. i have never driven any of the other cars mentioned,and by no means are putting them down,as i know nothing of them.just letting poeole know of my experiance with the impala.
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