This is how the 2000 Chevrolet Impala ditched the V8 & RWD. Classic Cars | Chevrolet Cars | Impala
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ก.ค. 2024
- This video will cover the 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala.
Arriving at dealers in early April 1999, the 8th generation Impala went on sale for the 2000 model year.
During this time, the strong-selling Chevy Lumina was still available. For size comparison, the new Impala rode on a wheelbase three inches longer although being an inch shorter overall than the Lumina.
Chevy’s new sedan offered more room and equipment for the price compared to a contemporary Accord or Camry, although the Japanese-brand rivals were perceived as being more polished all-around.
The new-for-2000 Impala was more aggressive-looking than its Lumina stablemate. The sedan sported smoked headlamp lenses and large circular tail lamps. It was mentioned that John Cafaro and his team looked to Impalas of the 1960s for inspiration.
This video will also cover the 2004 and 2005 Chevrolet Impala SS. There was no V8, however, the new Impala SS gained a healthy supercharged 3800 engine cranking out 240 ponies. It was mentioned that the 2004 Impala SS was just as quick as the previous 1996 Impala SS.
Check out the video for more information regarding the 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 Chevy Impala.
That car caused lots of hype when it came out in 1999 for 2000. It was sleek, sharp, and futuristic. It was basically The Car of the New Millennium. It also became a popular Police Car. A new Monte Carlo coupe also came out for 2000.
Yep, and there’s also a video discussing the 2000 Monte Carlo.
I owned a 2000 Impala with the 3800 engine one of the best engines out there. Drove the car over 230K trouble free miles never had a problem with the 4 speed automatic. I bought a 2017 Impala that was just ok but would rather have my 2000.
I agree. The 3800 has proven reliability.
I just picked up a 1 owner black 2002 Chevy Impala LS Sport and I love it. Always did have a soft spot for these and people always complementing on how good the car looks.
gotta say, i really like how this bodystyle looks
I had an 04 Impala. It really was a great car to own
I currently own an 03 Impala LS and it is the best car ive ever had. Im driving this car till she cant no more
Just bought a 2001 Impala with 90,000 miles! She still a baby 😭🫶🏾
omg congrats!!!
Damnnn ur lucky I got a 2000 with 178k still runs has its issues im gettin fixed nothing engine wise tho
That was actually a very solid built car and much better built than previous land yacht “American” sedans. They took some engineering cues from the automotive engineering experts aka the Japanese but left some crucial American car traits like roominess and comfort.
I owned a 2000 impala LS for 15 years It had 230,000 miles when a sold it. Great car I still miss it.
Thanks for sharing that.
I bought a new 2001 Impala
I ordered it to have the sunroof on the base engine because they didn’t allow a bench seat with the 3.8 engine. I drove it for 18 years and gave it to my daughter. Great car. I got 180k miles out of it until the slight accident and then an electrical issue. It was showing its age and had to let it go.
I just had a new transmission in my 2003 that also has the 3800 engine in it. There is no body damage or paint damage or interior damage to it. It run perfect as my daily driver.
I used to want one of these but it never worked out. Then I got a 9th Gen in 2020 and I loved it with the 3.6. The 3800 is super smooth and reliable but unless it's supercharged it just isn't quick enough for me lol
Bad part is the transmissions absolutely suck on all of them so there's that 😂
I saw your comment on motorweek from like 2014 haha and you mentioned how the 2000 Impala resembled the 2014 model up front. I agree.
@@MotorMaster_StunticonI guess that's because the 10th gen was also designen by John Cafaro, he just picked from where he left in the 8th gen.
@@victoria.beilstein996 ok well that certainly makes sense!
@@MotorMaster_Stunticon I guess rear design wasn't his specialty 🤣
I liked the rear on the 00 well enough but those 14s needed more! It's like he left it unfinished. Chevy wouldn't even refresh it and give it those slick LED tail lights like the Malibu 🤦🏾
I still wish I could have done something about our old Impala before it got sold for parts. I have been feeling bad for doing nothing about it for over 7 years now.
Had the 2004 International SS Series, in black with gray leather seats. Man what a car. It was a lease and they wanted too much to buy it off lease at the end. To this day I wish I still had that car. It fit me perfectly. Say what you will about GM and Chevy, but I loved mine.
In my W-body experience the Chevy versions just aren't as nice as the Pontiac/Olds/Buick versions. GM was still in the midst of what I will call their "Chevy = Cheap" era and it comes thru in the interiors and overall feel of the cars. Still, my mom had a '96 Lumina when this Impala was a new car and I loved them because they were so much better looking than our Lumina.
Yeah as far as the W-body, I really like the Grand Prix and Intrigues of this era the most.
In 2001 and 2002, I rented an impala of every color offered by chevrolet. Somebody gave me a brochure for each of these years.
Cool. Thanks for sharing that with us.
Thumbnail looks like the 04 I had except base 3.4 with cloth bench seats/column shifter. Heavily preferred the teal 96 Crown Vic my parents had prior, but for the price they bought new att, it felt like an economical alternative almost as spacious safe and comfortable but would get 30+mpg when I use to drive out of state on the highway to work. Felt pretty tankish as well withstood a lot of teenage abuse, only time it ever broke down was when it failed to start on someone's driveway (water got into the electrical wires underneath). Still hanging on by 250k miles, though rusty, when the headgasket finally went out.
Thanks for sharing your story!
I love my 3.4L 00' Impala, its a tank and working on it isnt uber hard.
Well done. I liked the footage. I liked the information included in the video. You did a great job. I know it takes time to put videos together. I will also add the Caprice name was used at Holden and in the Middle East as a Chevrolet Caprice based on Holden Caprice after the last large American Caprice was dropped. It came back to the United States as Chevrolet Caprice PPV. I thank you for the details you discussed.
Thanks for watching. You’re correct about the Caprice. Thanks for sharing that info with the other viewers.
im a 2nd owner of a near mint 02 impala LS with 116k miles. definitely can see the classic designs that GMs designers threw in, like the rear widows peak style like a 62 impala.
Glad to hear your 2002 Impala is near mint. I see plenty of well-kept ones on the road.
I had two Impalas. A 2003 LS with the 3.8 V-6, and a 2005 with a 3.4 V-6. Both cars fell apart by 70,000 miles. Both needed transmissions, and the top end gaskets needed replacing on both engines. Both were serviced every 3,000 miles, and were running with the old green coolant. No Dexcool coolant was being used, and the gaskets still failed. Both had to have rack and pinion steering rack replacements every 20,000 miles because they would leak. Both had to have ABS Traction Control Module replacements. One had a catalytic converter plug up. One had cracks develop in the welds on the front end sub frame because of faulty and incorrect welds in the factory. Both had constant hub replacements because the traction control light would come on. The tires would also wear out by 25,000 miles. These were the worst cars that Chevrolet ever produced, and I sold both of them. I have owned a lot of Chevrolet cars since 1980, and these were the worst.
Well done Rob
Thanks for tuning in.
Had an 02 with the 3400 . Loved that car. Only ever had issues with the exhaust ... I was always fixing that.
I had an 02 LS silver with the 3.8. I thought it was a wonderful car. I bought it in 04 with 39000 miles for $11,000 gm certified used. I wish you could by a 2 year old car for that now. lol. Still think it was one of the best looking cars, one of the last GM made that had any style. I use to be a diehard GM guy, but these days Im more of a Toyota guy.
I had purchased a 2005 chevy impala from a car auction in 2017. Very nimble in handling. It was a floor shifter. It had the 3800 engine with folded down rear seats for extra cargo. I had given it to my sister. I now drive a 2004 mercury marquis ultimate edition. I like it but it is not functional that my 2005 impala was. The trunk space is greater in the impala than it is in the marquis due to the rear seats can fold down for extra cargo space. The impala are good on gas especially with the 3800 engine
Cool bro. Yeah I like those Grand Marquis. I still see a ton of them on the road. They are super reliable cars, I wouldn’t mind owning one myself. As far as the Impala, yeah the 3800 was great.
@@MotorMaster_Stunticon would you prefer the Mercury Marquis over the impala?
Definitely. The Grand Marquis has always been one of my all time favs. From 1992 and beyond but I like the look of the 98-02 the most. And solid reliability too. There’s a reason why so many are on the road.
@@MotorMaster_Stunticon you had convince me on keeping my beat up 04 grand marquis. I had given my sister my 05 Impala whom had passed it along to my other sister and her husband. It save a little bit more gas was the reason I was considering swapping my sister and brother in law their impala for my marquis. Now I. Better not to
@@stickshiftdriver1832 awesome I’m glad I convinced you to keep the Grand Marquis.
Great video about a great car 🫡
Thanks for tuning in.
Ive been thinking about making a video talking about how the 8th gens and 9th gens are misunderstood, and youve hit the nail on the head with the lumina point.
As a GM freak i like all of these cars, but i can see the faults of Chevy here. The 7th gen was an anomaly, seriously HEAR ME OUT; it showed up for only 3 model years, only as an SS and based on a preexisting caprice. Not very unique design, but it has become one of the most iconic American cars of all time.
Impalas before that were still just family value sedans/coupes without a performance SS trim since the 60's. A FWD V6 makes sense as an affordable sedan for the 2000s, but Chevy put the weight of the 7th gen's fame on these more tame 8th and 9th gens when they got the name 'Impala' instead of 'Lumina'.
The B-bodies were never surviving, and car enthusiasts probably wont accept that kind of thing, anyway, no idea if ill ever make that video since im not skilled. Thanks for reading if you do
Whenever I was behind one of these , I'd notice how the taillights were kind of like a Skyline GTR. Great vid Rob. You made a car Hertz or Enterprise would throw you the keys to interesting....Likely not the SS versions of course.
Haha thanks for the compliment. Yeah I try to make each car interesting as much as possible. They’d definitely toss the keys of a Base or if lucky, the LS. Enjoyed your recent Yugo video too. It’s a miserable car, but I like the info you delivered!
@antiquetags5167 Thanks! Sometimes how the car came to be is more interesting than the car itself.
I own a 2000 Impala. Bought it with 28000 miles on it. The check engine light has only been on once the whole time. (spark plug wires) I still drive it as my daily driver.
I have 2002Impala bought 3 years bought run very and base it a good work car that get back forward where going it as a nice ride and so it as not gave any trouble thank god for
The Impala was really the Celebrity if you want to be technical, the Australian WM cars was the last Caprice/Impala. Also as a side note the Citation is still being made as the current Malibu...
Haha! Good point. I like it!
I have a 2004 Impa; a 3400 engine h w120K. I overheated it and no my mechanic is relplacing the head gaskets. My fault not the cars. I” m hoping to get anymore miles out of it. I love the 2oo4 Impala.
I've always thought this 8th gen impala was ahead of its time, I think this same generation was used for police enforcement.
Yeah the police used it as well.
I own a 2005 Impala SS and love it I've been slowly adding mods to it from zzperformance and it's really surprising at least to me how well it performs it wasn't bad stock either. Ive changed the suspension up too and it really handles well that wasn't even that bad stock either
Cool. Glad to hear you’re loving the 2005 SS. The performance for that time was decent, even in stock form.
@@MotorMaster_Stunticon it definitely was can't beat that 3800 lol. Nice video too covered everything about the Impala very well so good job !
The Commodore/Monaro should've been the basis for the 2000s Impala/Monte Carlo. Save time and money along with keeping the RWD V8 spirit alive.
Agreed. That would’ve been interesting with a V8 (and not the 5.3L)
That's my first car!!!!
I’ve never driven an 8th gen Impala, but I rented a 9th gen one for a week when I needed to move a bunch of people and luggage.
I knew it would be big and carry a lot, but I was shocked at how fun and engaging it was to drive. It made me seriously consider buying one.
A few years later I decided to go ahead and buy one. By that time the 10th gen Impalas were available. Test drove a few, and while it was clear they were more advanced and more competent than the 9th gen Impalas, somehow they were LESS fun and engaging to drive. It’s hard to explain.
Thanks for sharing that. I’m sure you rented the V6 version, but the SS of that generation was quite peppy (just a bit of torque steer).
it was in the shop a lot i took it to the junk yard when the coolant started leaking from pin sized holes everywhere on the engine block..3.8l and failing transmission barely got 13mpg and 19
Less then my current 6.0L hybird which does 19city-26 hwy
i would get another one but it will need a RWD mod to it and a 4.8L v8 with a 6 speed ...
@@MotorMaster_Stunticon they also had a LSX model with stage 1-3 and better rear trunk panel :D
Well, no wonder. The Chrysler 3.2 V6 put out over 225 hp. The GM engine only had 180. That's almost a 50hp difference. And the Intrepid was also front wheel drive and had a slightly more aggressive transmission. I think that's why the Impalas weren't very fun to some people.
Love my 2013 gen 9. Really performs even after 10 years.
The caprice looked so much better tho. I also like the next generation impala looked much better
The Caprice was definitely a legend. Guess they just wanted to make the 2000 Impala more ‘modern’.
Currently, that car is driven in Housing Projects all across the nation...in general as former Police cars, by people who oddly seem to spend a bunch of time trying to avoid being in police cars....
Good point.
Or in bad neighborhoods where you see beater cars. I rarely see this on the streets on the east side Ohio. South Euclid, Cleveland, University Hts, and Cleveland Hts area.
yikes 💀
That car and the Nissan Altima
@@kurtwetzel154I often see beat up Pontiac Grand Am Or some Lexus cars with wheels that are more expensive than my house.
Good car, but notoriously the buy-here-pay-here dealer special in the early 2000s. My dad works on hundreds of these beat to shit haha
I have an 00 with 277k miles on it
I had a 95 Impala SS with the LT1 and considered purchasing a 2006 Impala SS with the 5.3 V8.
Good that you didn't. Would have been a massive disappointment.
I have a 2004 Impala Indy SS one of only 4, 088 built .
Groovy!
I had a 04 impala SS in high school just got a 07 SS 97k miles impala with the 5.3 i like V8 more i dont abuse those cars they are not built for true performance good beaters doe i have 19 5.0 mustang for fun car
Glad to hear you got the ‘07 SS!
I am considering an 8th generation Impala as an option for my first car! Anyone think that is a good idea?
I am also considering the Buick Regal, another W-body car as another option.
The Regal is reliable. If you get the Impala, make sure it’s the 3800.
@@MotorMaster_Stunticon Yeah - the 3.4 had head gasket problems. Otherwise, it was pretty decent - it's a shame GM had to ruin an otherwise good engine with one major design flaw!
@@MotorMaster_Stunticon My dad has been a Toyota/Honda fan for a while, and I like Toyotas and Hondas too, but I have been getting a knack for these older GM cars lately, and I find that they are less expensive to buy, but still fairly reliable.
Besides, the Impala and Regal both look cool in my opinion - no they are not Ferraris, but still...
One thing's for sure - I wouldn't buy a newer GM product - they are overpriced junk! It's a shame that a company that used to build excellent cars has now fallen so far!
Can you do gmt900 chevrolet silverado
The GMT900s are still ‘too new’ for this channel. The Impala in this video only made it because it was actually designed in the 90s and went on sale in the 90s (1999).
Ok
I'm hitting the like despite my disdain for this car. It was such a disappointment. I love your content though and this is still enjoyable infotainment.
Hey I appreciate it. What do you think GM could’ve done to improve this generation Impala?
@antiquetags5167 Great question. I am very biased, just so you know. I owned a 92 caprice and I currently have 2 town cars, one of which is a light sleeper build. Had Chevy built a full sized rwd platform with a performance v8 like an LS to do battle with the panther, it would have been magical. If Ford had Chevy putting on the pressure they would have been forced to refine the Marauder, performance Marquis and Victorias.
I have gotten more respect for these 3800 impala more as time passes. I think it was a misstep to not have set this engine up for rwd. My friend used to have a late 90's or early 2000's Grand Prix with a 3800 which was pretty quick. Throwing that power to the rear would be like an American VQ
Idk man I always thought the 9th gen impalas were distinct. It’s something about them that Chevy did just right. The 10th gen is ok but it’s not the “ impala “ I was hoping for .
Interesting. What in particular did you find distinct about the 2006 Impala?
Although, it sold well. Thought it was disgrace to the Impala name then.
Yeah going from the LT1 car of the 90s to this car wasn’t an easy transition for many.
On top of that the taillight design was hideous imo. And interior plastics and fit and finishes were inexcusable
I had a 8th gen and a 9th gen. The 8th generation was a better car.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I like the design of the 8th gen over the 9th.
They never should have dropped the Lumina name. Impala was still fresh in the minds of those who recently saw the V8 1996 models, let alone the fans of the revered Impalas from decades earlier. Regardless of name legacy, the 2000 Impala was hot garbage. It was ugly, the interior looked awful, the materials were typical GM bad, the engines were boring... There were no redeeming values.
Seems as though you guys have mixed opinions regarding this generation Impala.
@@MotorMaster_Stunticon I think I'm in the age group that has fond memories of Impalas and lukewarm feelings about the Lumina. The Lumina (and Celebrity before that) were milquetoast sedans that excelled at nothing. The 2000 Impala was exactly that. GM eventually made it more intriguing with a stronger engine and later gave it some style in the last generation, but the 2000 and 2006 designs were very underwhelming.
They should have dropped the front drive Impala and kept it a B body
And not get rid of the Caprice.
In fact Mary Barra bring back the Caprice and Impala
No more plastic fantastic car's
If they brought it back, they’d probably make it another suv. Not a good thing.
@@MotorMaster_Stunticon
Screw the SUV,
Bring back a full size body on frame 8 cylinder car....
@@ralphabreu5022They can’t. CAFE standards and emissions controls.
@@adamesd3699
I'm tired of plastic fantastic car's.
Yes if they can build a 5.3 engine for a suburban they can bring back B body car's.
@ralphabreu5022 it’s all up to the market, not the manufacturer. If the market only wants bloated SUVs, then it isn’t profitable for the manufacturer to produce a full-size sedan-which are aren’t really in demand.
Corsica was Awesome, Malibu is/was garbage. Lumina was good
Yeah I like the Corsica.
The Corsica was garbage. I had one, and the Malibu that replaced it was better. I had both.
Terrible Impala - a renamed Lumina
Very junky cars! This is when the Impala really fell off.
yeah and it sucked
That’s too bad.
All through the 00s I remember seeing news footage of them cutting off the roofs so they could safely extract those 6 foot police officers out of this generation of Impalas after accidents. At 6'-4 1/2" I never even considered them. Took an elderly Czechoslovakian neighbour(my height) car shopping and tried one out.
Never even fired it up. After he hauled his legs up and over the ridiculously high rocker panel and tucked them into the cramped floor pan bucket he said "everything is touching me". What he meant was a half dozen points on him were already contacting the dash, console, steering wheel, etc .
Now imagine what happens when an Impala starts collapsing during an accident, with you already touching several contact areas????
I will say they had more headroom than comparable Pontiac's of the era. I had to recline the seat on a GranPrix back four clicks and lay down just to drive it. Cid went with a 24 valve Intrepid, saved a ton of money over the Impala and loved it the whole time he owned it.
@@NickGilesMusic99 we've seen and experienced what we've seen and you've seen and experienced what you've seen. I don't doubt your experiences, Cid and I were that much bigger, at over 6'-4 1/2". I have the same inseam(32") as an average height man of 5'-10", but I'm taller sitting down than my 6'-10" buddy Porter, with my 40" sleeve length. We both contacted the Impala in several areas of it's cockpit and it was Cid who pointed that out. A lot of cops(who emergency services chose to remove the roof to extract from Impalas) are also that tall.
The reasons I saw it on TV, a lot, was only the GTA used some Impalas up here. Crown Vics were "the" choice of 95% of police departments here until the RWD Charger returned to dominate the police market here.
Now it's Ford Exploders(as the junkyard guys call em') in the cities and Chargers for the hwy units. A neighbour is a cop and says the only things that get away from Chargers are other higher performance Charger models, the top four engined Challengers and a few similarly engined 300s.
As far as the 24 valve engined Intrepid, I'd never seen, much less knew there were police versions. Like I said it served Cid well the rest of his days, until he stopped driving and very reliably. In it's day there wasn't much would touch it for performance and two stealerships fought over taking it in when he sold it.
I remember a motorcycle buddy telling me about a sedan he'd just ridden in, around 1990, that "passed like a bike". Turned out it was the 24 valve engined Eagle Vision TSI(basically the Intrepid's sister car at the waning AMC franchise before they wound it down.
Cheeseler really only bought AMC to get their hands on the much covetted Jeep brand back then, which alone has paid for itself many times over for them.
Although several of my M-bodied RWD Fifth Avenues were manufactured in the old AMC plant in the mid to late 80s. So they made that pay too. The last three years of production benefitted from AMCs galvanized floor pan stamping process. Couple still have ZERO rust underneath or when you lift the carpets. That's a feat up here with our spray, liquid road salt. As far as "son", I built my first motor in 1974.