Would like your opinion on the 2018 Impala Premier I drove the car and liked the looks of it. Are there other models you might recommend? Thank you
IMHO this requires research from automotive oriented magazines and Consumer Reports. Find issues that do a side by side comparisons with similar vehicles.
CR will also provide reliability comparisons.
If you then choose the Chevy, consider a 2-3 day rental and drive it on a trip.
Last, check dealer reviews, some really good dealers, some bad.
Good advice. I’m wondering if others have had experience with the Impala. This particular model has all the bells and whistles. I had not really considered a full size car for a daily driver, but the looks and all the safety features have made me consider it. And the price.
Oh, here’s that Impala. As I mentioned in the Camaro thread, I test drove a 2017, same as the 2018. I also drove a Toyota Avalon. Both great cars; I liked the Impala Premier best. I found the new safety equipment on the Impala to be less annoying than the Avalon’s. The Chevy handles extremely well for a full size car. An advantage with the Impala vs the Camaro is that you can actually carry people in the back seat. In the Camaro, that is a convenient place to put your lunch on the way to work. It’s a little different with the convertible since you can put the top down before your smallest friends can get back there. If this is your only car, you should consider how often you want to carry more than one passenger.
For a more spirited drive I would get a 2018 Dodge Charger. This big car handles like a go-kart,has a lot of engine choice and has a great ride. You can even change suspension modes from sporty to soft.
The rental idea is absolutely right. You’ll never know if the seats are comfortable on a longer drive, or if it’s easy to handle in your daily routines, etc.
My opinion is that our opinions don’t matter. We’re not paying the bill.
If reliability is important, check with CR. If not, and you like it, get it.
The view out of the rear window is poor.
Impala is discontinued as of this year according to GM.
Driving and comfort? Excellent! It has a proven drive train as well.
You like it? Buy it.
CR just named Impala as best large car, really surprised me.
Not me. I drove it, and it really is excellent. If I could have found one without a sunroof, I would have bought it. The Avalon XLE is a very good car, but for me, the Impala Premier is a lot better. The Impala handles better, fits my body better, and the safety nanny controls that I experienced worked better.
My comment was a little snarky. I used to subscribe to CR. Sometimes after reading their results their recommendations were biased toward Toyota.
One CR fail was when I bought a Ford Ranger, CR recommended against opting for the 4 liter over the 3 liter. Foolish me, I did not test a 4.0 and went with the 3.0.
Sometime later had the opportunity to drive a 4.0. The performance difference was very substantial.
If you liked it, you probably should have bought it anyway.
When I bought my car I couldn’t have cared less about the sun roof. I bought it solely for the comfort. I’ve grown to love the sun roof. But even if I hadn’t, the car itself was a good purchase for me… I simply would have left the sunroof closed!
Should I buy another car, a sunroof won’t be a factor in my choice. But a ragtop might!
Sunroofs typically reduce the available headroom
And there’s more opportunity for leaks and things to break down
I’m all for power windows, locks, mirrors, etc.
But I’m also not a big fan of sunroofs . . . the main reason being I don’t use them very often, therefore why pay for something I won’t use, anyways?
That’s true.
Why more manufacturers don’t use better designs is beyond me. Some, mine included (fortunately) are designed such that there is no path for water to leak into the passenger cabin when the roof is closed. When closed, mine is a sheet of glass that drains on all sides into open “rain channels” that run off past the neoprene seals on the sides of the windshield and hatch. The glass sheet sits when closed on two rectangular neoprene gaskets around the roof hole with no passage for any runoff. And, of course, there are no drain tubes in the A-pillars. I believe Lincoln now uses the same design principle.
In short, a better sunroof design is already in existence and proven. I don’t know why manufacturers continue to use the old design.
The biggest problem was the dealer. I called ahead to make sure they had what I wanted. When I showed up, they said they had it at a different location. I test drove the car at their dealership, and the tried to confirm that the one at the remote site had no sunroof. I told them that I would not sign until I saw the specific car and drove it. At that point it became clear the other one had a sunroof too. Their lies were the reason I didn’t buy there, and I’ll never go back to any of their dealerships.
You’re smart. Far too many people would have fallen for their scam.
I’m reminded of the old Chevy Chase comedy where the car he got was totally different from the one he’d ordered. I think the name of the movie was “Vacation”.