Impala vs. Accord?

It held up pretty well till someone slammed into it, actually it held up pretty well through the whole impact, got totaled on a technicality.

That's good advice. And I wasn't really responding TO YOU so much as I was responding about CR. You just happened to post their stuff.

Sorry to hear it got wrecked. Paul.

I left my original post intact so you could see that what you said is precisely what I said. I've owned both the supercharged and the non- supercharged 3.8L and I'm very familiar with them. Smoke coming out of the wheel wells is not one of their claims to fame. If your SSEi is spinning the tires with the TC on though, you'd better get the TC checked - it's not working. Better yet - don't. (IMHO), you're far better off without TC. Thank god for the switch on the dash.

Mike - please read, will you. Look again - see the sentence that states "I've never seen any car in the class of the Impala that will smoke the tires - especially with TC on."? Do you not understand the difference between spin and smoke?

You also said that they 'might' spin the tires. I am just saying that they will spin the tires.

Actually, they will only do it when I give it a lot of gas, and only for a second until the TC kicks in. Nothing wrong with the system, as both of my Bonnie's do the same thing, and I have had it checked out, just to be sure.

I don't usually turn the TC off, but then again I don't usually spin the tires either. However, I am glad there is a switch. I have seen a few cars with TC and no 'off' button. BTW, I meant no offence to you. I was just giving my opinion.

Ok - I was trying to say something a bit different but I can see where it came across as it did in a post.

I turn mine off a lot in the winter time and occasionally in the summer. If you attempt to accelerate hard (say, as in pulling out into traffic) and the TC senses a wheel spinning, it cuts the motor and you lose all power. Turn off the TC and you actually drive the car (what a concept, huh?), controlling wheel speed/spin and gaining a great deal more acceleration. I hate that sagging feeling when the TC kicks in and the car dies right underneath of you... with another car bearing down on you. Sometimes technology is not so good as a substitute for good driving skills.

And none taken sir.

Got me, what do you smoke? ;)

mike hunt

Do you not understand the difference between spin and smoke?

I have an off switch, for the anti-lock brakes, installed on my cars. I can see why some may not what to pay to buy TC but why would somebody want to take the 'off' switch, for the traction control, off their car if TC is standard equipment? If one lives in hilly country you will discover there are times you can not climb a grade with TC engaged ;)

mike hunt

Absolutely no offense taken, Sgt.

I can't even make up my mind what car I want to buy, so have decided to wait a while.

I will most likely take over a lease on a Volvo as a company car, and this will be my first of these to become intimate with. It has an automatic tranny, which I would not have chosen had it been a personal car. But, it will make it easier for my wife to drive, especially in a country that is strange to her, and where winter ice and snow are formidable obstacles.

Volvo aint Volvo anymore, but at least I dont have to assume the responsibility for it.

That's okay. Mini Coopers aren't Mini anymore either. Kind of like beer. Whoever owns the name can use it on whatever they want.

No problem with our '01 Sebring. I've read of sludge problems in earlier versions of that engine, but I also read that those who changed oil regularly have had no trouble.

Here in Vancouver, Canada the Sebring is very common as a privately owned car. Of course they could be leased; few will tell you that.

With the 300 replacing the LH Chryslers, the Sebring is now the preferred mid sized Chrysler here. The 300 sells poorly here, but the LH sold very well.

Canadian buyers prefer one size less than USA buyers for cars and in Vancouver the average car size is less than in the CDN prairies and central Canada.

How long do you keep them. If you trade your cars after the new warranty expires your comment doesn't count.

Well they aren't a Mini, but they sure are "mini". With me in the drivers seat there is 1" of space between the front seat and the rear seat. Not enough space to carry little children, unless they are in a kids seat. The VW Beetles had much more space.

Most parts for the higher volume Honda's, Toyota's are made locally in NA. Here insurance cost is related to the new vehicle cost. You're spouting off again without facts Mike.

(NB:I had the '05 3.4L Impalla for a 2 weeks rental. These comments may only be applicable to that model of Impalla)

There is a huge difference between 4 th and 3 rd gears and the transmission didn't seem to adjust it's shifting to my driving style as modern automatics (since the early 90s) do. I was highway driving in hilly country, on both 50mph and 70 mph max. roads. I assume in an attempt to get max fuel mileage it stays in 4 th as long as possible and required a big push on the accelerator to get the downshift to 3 rd and resulting much higher revs. and uncomfortable to drive. On cruise in hilly country at higher speeds (60 mph+) this huge down shift results in one hell of an engine racket. Without a tach, which all our Chryslers have had for years, I couldn't quantify the rev difference between 4 th and 3 rd, but the engine noise difference told the story.

My oldie '95 Concord and my wife's '01 Sebring are very pleasant to drive by comparison. Both just slip down into 3 rd when needed; hardly noticeable. They don't even require much additional push on the accelerator, but will down shift to maintain the speed one is driving when not on cruise. Also on cruise the Chryslers downshift automatically when downhill speed goes about 5mph above the cruise setting, this Impalla didn't do so, probably not having this function that has been common on most cars since the early 90s. Also The Impalla cornering and tracking took me back to cars of the 70s, whereas all FWD Chryslers we've owned since '79 have had excellent cornering and better tracking than the Impalla. I will admit that the Chrysler Reliant of the early 80s (I rented a few) had very poor cornering. I read that it was setup to be similar to what NA car owners were used to. >:) Re handling and cornering I owned several UK and European cars in my younger years, because I couldn't stand the sloppy handling and huge size of the typical NA cars at that time. They spoiled me on handling. Chrysler was first of the big 3 to produce crisp handling cars in NA, with the '79 Horizon 3 dr hatchback.

On the other hand the Impalla is OK for relatively level roads. IMO it would be a fine car in flatter country and the highway mileage was very good, obviously the result of such a high top gear. It has a huge trunk, the front seats were fine; we had no rear seat passengers to comment on them. The Impala also has very nice conservative styling, even better in '06. The Impalla makes a fine airport taxi, which appears to be where many of them sell here. For an inner city taxi service the Toyota Corolla is becoming very common here.

As for "my being overwhelmed by GM auto transmissions", I'm overwhelmed that this ''05 Impalla had an auto transmission and handling so inferior to that of my 11 yr older '95 Concord.

Right now, one has 149,000, the other 115,700. Does that make it count?