Finally got a car... sadly not a Vibe

[hotbug1776]

The wife was in need of a car in a bad way. We were looking for some time (I have posts on trying to be a 2 vibe family), with no luck on financing.Good Friday we FINALLY lucked out and were able to purchase a car.DRUMROLL PLEASE...A 2012 Chevrolet Impala!!!Base, but well equipped, V6 (same one as in the Camaro), 6 speed Automatic, bluetooth, XM, Onstar, car washes FOR LIFE!!!, 100,000mile bumper to bumper warranty. with my discount and my dad's discount, I got $4500 off. $23,000 out the door, I'm so excited for us, as this will be a godsend for my credit. I'll get some pics up ASAP.

[star_deceiver]

A sedan??? Congrats on the new car!

[hotbug1776]

Thanks, yes, a sedan. I was thinking about it though. 50 years have passed since the most popular Impala, the 62. While not as cool as a 62, the 12 has its own feel to it. It is a nice car. I am more into small cars, but, the wife and kids seem to be content in it.

[journeyforce]

Nice car. Is it the 3.6l? That is a nice engine. It is a bit more thirsty though then the vibe but it is all good.Post picsIt is interesting while the 62-64 Impala is very popular now, the 1965 Impala was the most popular Impala of the 1960's, they sold 1 million of the 1965 model. It is sad the 1950's to 1970 was the heyday of the Impala. From 1977-1985 and 1994-1996 it was just a trim level on the Caprice line.My favorite Impala was the 94-96. They were the last of the RWD Impala and had a version of the LT1 engine(Corvette Engine)I hated the 2000-2005 Impalas. They were utter junk and I got stuck during my time as auto tech working on a lot of them.The 2007-2012 are very reliable cars(the 06 was not but first year of the new model cars don't always have all the bugs out of them)

[hotbug1776]

Yep, the 3.6. I was shocked the first time I popped the hood. NO EXHAUST MANIFOLD!!!!I'll try to link up some pics tonight.

[hotbug1776]

I have neglected posting pics. Well, news, less than 4000 miles on it and it got sideswiped today. Drivers side. Hit and run. Goes in the shop tomorrow. Hooray for rentals!!! Lol

[KITT222]

So your rental... basically the same thing, right?

[hotbug1776]

It better be. The wife will blow a gasket if it isn't. Lol

[hotbug1776]

Well, dropped off the car, got a dodge avenger (wife = not happy).

Estimate came in at $1000 to repair everything. Got my $250 already to go for deductible.
Now we wait a week.

[journeyforce]

Well on the one hand it is still a car(just barely)

But I am surprised that you did not get a Malibu or a Impala as a rental. GM makes good money selling Impalas to rental agencies. You can always tell a ex-rental or fleet Impala due to it missing the Onstar system(no antenna).

My folks got a rental Sebring while their 2009 Taurus was in the shop because somebody hit it. The other person's insurance company paid for it but it was still a piece of crap

[KITT222]

Well on the one hand it is still a car(just barely)

But I am surprised that you did not get a Malibu or a Impala as a rental. GM makes good money selling Impalas to rental agencies. You can always tell a ex-rental or fleet Impala due to it missing the Onstar system(no antenna).

My folks got a rental Sebring while their 2009 Taurus was in the shop because somebody hit it. The other person's insurance company paid for it but it was still a piece of crap

This Impala is doing so well as a fleet vehicle, even with the new Impala coming out for 2014 model year, the current one will keep in production as a fleet vehicle called the "Impala Classic."

[journeyforce]

Yes that is true as this is the first generation(2006-2012) of Impala since the name was revived that gets great reviews. Granted the FWD Imp only has two generations currently but the 2000-2005 Impala was such a unreliable dog.

GM likes to do the Classic thing on their Malibus. The 1997-2003 Malibu stuck around for 2004-2005 as the Chevrolet Malibu Classic to sell to rental companies and fleet sales while the redesigned malibu went on sale to the public. In 2008 the 2004-2007 Malibu stuck around as the malibu Classic for one more year as rental and fleet sales while the new 2008-2012 malibu went on sale. Now it looks like the 2008-2012 Malibu will be named Malibu Classic and sold to fleet and rental companies for 2013 while the new (and better looking) 2013 Malibu is sold

[ColonelPanic]

Yeah, it seems GM doesn't want their new designs tainted with the rental stigma until at least a couple years after introduction. As an ex-Malibu owner of the first generation after nameplate resurrection, I found it especially painful to see the original 1997 design carry on as long as it did. That was a miserable, awful, terrible excuse for a car.

As for the Avenger, I wouldn't be averse to having one as a rental if it had the 283 HP Pentastar V6. Might not be much tread left on the front tires when they got it back. I would probably rather have the 200 though, despite being the same car I find the Eminem-mobile just nicer and much more appealing. Chrysler did a great job polishing the Sebring turd with that car.

Anyway, the Impala is a nice car. Haven't driven a newer one, (but have driven the last gen SS that my dad has as a garage queen/road trip car.) The new ones I've just been shuttled around in a few when dealing with vendors at work that had them as rentals. Very quiet and good riding cars. I was a little shocked at the limited leg room in the rear, but that wouldn't be a priority for me personally. I would love to have one with a bench seat, very retro.

Hope you get it back soon.

[journeyforce]

Yeah, it seems GM doesn't want their new designs tainted with the rental stigma until at least a couple years after introduction. As an ex-Malibu owner of the first generation after nameplate resurrection, I found it especially painful to see the original 1997 design carry on as long as it did. That was a miserable, awful, terrible excuse for a car.

It was a horrible car BUT it was better then the Corsicrap err.... Corsica and the Beretta which it replaced so to the GM powers that be it was a great car. The Corsica was one of the biggest turds I had the misfortune of having to drive

[ColonelPanic]

I owned a '95 Corsica and the '98 Malibu back-to-back... How's that for misery?

[journeyforce]

I feel your pain. I had a 1990 Chevy Beretta(The Corsica's 2 door sister car) for 3 years and a 1980 malibu about 6 years before that. Don't let the RWD and body on frame attributes on that 1980 Malibu fool you, it was a total and utter POS. That car was a hand me down from my folks which was a hand me down to them from my grand dad. It replaced a 1980 Tercel(which needed nothing and was only gotten rid of because it is hard to to squeeze a family of five in a Tercel) and live along side a 1986 Dodge Aries K. Despite the Aries was an awful car the dang thing was more reliable then the Malibu.

The Beretta was bought for $200 with a cracked head and I spent $500 on a brand new head and all the gaskets and bolts and spent and afternoon putting it all together. So in the context of it costing a total of $700 it was not a bad car but in reality it was so awful. I used to have a big box of Beretta door handles because the door handles on that POS would break just by looking at them Due to a crap design water gets into them and freezes in the winter and trying to open them breaks them. I think everytime I went to the junkyard i bought a set for my stash(they were $5 a piece) I also kept a set in the trunk at all times and more then once I had to crawl through the trunk and into the cabin because both the door handles broke

GM wonders why they lost market share to imports