serialcameron

Hello- I'm new to the board, and am writing because I am in the early phases of car shopping and am considering buying an Impala or possibly waiting for a 2008 Malibu. Historically, I have preferred Japanese cars, but am now considering a Chevy because of their superior warranty and improved styling (I also know Toyota has had some recent quality issues). I'm assuming y'all have had good experiences with your Chevy, what are some of the things you like best? How'd you decide to buy your Impala over some of the other vehicles out there? What are your thoughts on the Impala versus the Mailbu?

Thank you so much, I really appreciate the advice!

rbarrios

well 1st of all. the malibu is not out yet. And when it does come out- it will be an all new platform. Im not saying it will have problems- but this is the year that little stuff comes out as buyers put the car thru its paces. Vibrations, noise, electronics etc. Usually better to try at least the 2nd year.
If youre really want the hottest car in town- then fine. But considering that youre coming from having japanese- I would hate to have you say an american car is bad because of the 1st year glitches- that all cars have.
The Current Camry seems to have issues- eventhough it was reated car of the year- we looked at actual buyers comments, and theyre not happy.
Impala has been out now, and we liked the styling and look of the 3LT- with its wing and larger rims etc. We chose to buy chevrolet.
quality, look, and pricing.
the camry is just- everywhere... I get tired of seeing it over and over. and it just doesnt do much for me. The impala to me has a different look and I like it. Honda accord outdated platform- and will be new soon, the Nissans- just not my style. stuff like this helped me buy the impala.

serialcameron

Cool- well I appreciate the feedback. There are a lot of Camry's on the road and I know that the number of Toyota recalls has ballooned over the past couple of years which is really the reason I have begun considering Chevy/ GM. I never really paid attention to Saturn before, but the Aura is basically the new Malibu, right? I'm just a little concerned that the Impala may not be as economical as I need it to be..?

engine2

I used to be a die hard jap car owner, but now have 2 gm products. My experience with Toyota while pretty good with the product sucked when it came to fixing a problem. Their support for my problem was poor. So I sold my 1 year old $40K jap car and purchased a american vehicle and have not looked back. GM has excellent support and service (At least I have experienced it from my deaer and the GM 800# for minor issues I have had). So I say go for it.

rbarrios

I believe the Aura and malibu will share the same platform.
As for the Impala and gas mileage- we have the 07 3LT. it has the 3.9 L engine with active fuel management- goes from 6 to 3 cylinders.
My significant other is driving it primarily. So far with mostly city driving and a few runs on the highway- shes averaging 20-21 MPG based on the Driver information center.
We have not taken a long highway drive yet to see what kind of mileage we see on the open highway with 3 cylinders running. we have about 600 miles on outrs as of this morning.
what kind of driving will you be doing? city, highway? are you a leadfoot?
the aura is also getting very good reviews-

serialcameron

I would probably term my driving as city driving. Right now, I live in Virginia, but will be moving back to Southern California by the end of the summer. Once in SoCal it'll be highway driving with significant traffic.

rbarrios

also once in highway traffic- a difference can be how aggressive you are in the bumper to bumper..... will you stop and brake often and hard....
or what I do... give myself some space and accelerate at a slow pace- but with enough room that I dont brake as often and the car is usually rolling a bit when I accelerate again....
Ill leave a big enough room that sometimes cars take up that space from an adjoining lane... but by this method I avoid an acceleration from a complete stop which is where alot of your wasted gas goes.