s_spiff

Hi guys,

I'm currently driving an old 97 Toyota Camry, and am looking for a used car (preferably 2011 - 2013). Recently we rented a 2013 impala LTZ limited, and loved the car. Bad milage, but great feel and handling.

I was curious about what have been your experiences with this car? How expensive are chevy cars to maintain? What are the main issues you guys have faced with this car?

I have two offers right now - 13k for a 2013 LT Impala and 15k for a LTZ Impala (both having about 40k miles on them).

I'm sorry if this is too general a question, but I just want to get a feel for what current owners think of this car. Edmunds and other review site have a not so flattering opinion - but user reviews on those sites as well as our personal experience with the car conflict with Edmunds reviews.

Dennis X

That will be tough. I have found that the most VOCAL people on sites like this are those who have encountered problems. I have owned many GM cars that were purchased new and I have had a clunker (76 Nova 305).....two winners (88 Astro Van 4.3, 69 Impala 350) and a so-so (78? Olds Cutlass 260 V8). I also had a 99 Grand Prix GT(I loved that car) that I just traded for a 2014 Impala. From my perspective, buying a used car is something of a gamble as there are no guarantees on how it was treated. My suggestion is to take the car to a reputable mechanic and have him go over it well and search sites like Edmunds that aggregates data for a large base of owners. Don't be swayed by a few irate complaints or "fan boys" that want you to love what they bought. A small sampling of data that you will get from a site like this can be misleading.

sledge.impy

Agree with DX...

40k miles in 2 years is quite a bit.

Where are the cars from? Do the transmissions appear fine?

Is this at a chevy dealer or another type of dealer? Or used car lot?

Private sellers?

LarryFL

No reviews are flattering anymore because it's a 20+ year-old design. GM got their money worth out of that one. Lots of parts to keep them running and not too complicated for local mechanic.


And for the best deal, try rental fleet return handlers like these guys:
Used Chevrolet Impala Dealerships | Off Lease Only, South Florida

s_spiff

Hey guys, thanks for the level headed answers to my question.

The car in question is from a rental fleet (all vehicles available from dealers are rental/fleet vehicles which have been marked up by 2-3k).

I'll definitely take it to a local mechanic / chevy dealer that I trust to have them check it out and give me a fair idea of what it'll cost me to fix whatever is wrong.

I know 40k miles is a lot in 2 years, but honestly - for my budget and size requirements, I will end up buying a used car from a dealer anyway, which I'll have no clue as to how it was treated.

I'll keep looking around for reviews (user reviews) for this one.

lulubb91

I may just have bad luck or just a lemon but in early 2012 I bought a 02 impala for 4700$ with 138k. I replaced the catalytic converter, stabilizer pins, the right drive shaft, tie rods, BCM, at least 5 fuses, fuel pump, oh and did my mention I replaced the engine??? you may ask why would i replace an engine in a car with so many problems and so many miles? I loved the car and the body was absolutely beautiful! As you can see it is 2014, and ive roughly put 7k into that car. (and i still have it, i barley drive it, it needs, the left drive shaft, new baring (due to abs) and some other minor work) With my experiences I would never buy another impala nor recommend one!

sledge.impy

Well, the chit usually hits the fan after 100k, doesn't it?

At least you didn't buy a 2011 cruze from what I've seen here.

randa1724

In 2002, I bought a 2000 Impala LS, it was fully loaded. Fast forward it to 2007, the Impala had 98,000 miles on it and I traded it on a 2007 Toyota Camary XLE. I would of got a new Impala but the 07 rode way to stiff. The reason I got rid of the Impala was I nervous about the mileage. We'll now fast forward to about three months ago. I back the Toyota out of the garage and there is a water spot on the concrete. $700 later and a new water pump I have a car with 51,000 miles. The only thing that I had to stick into the Impala was front brakes. The new cars ride way to stiff so yesterday I bought a 2000 Impala just for driving around town. I looked at it at and it is no beauty queen but with 176,500 miles, I rode in it and that feeling of a nice smooth ride came right back.
I think that people on this site will give you their honest opinions one way or the other. Most of the people come on here for the same reason you did, to hear the go and the bad. In my life, I have had 5 Impala's. All were good cars. The best thing to do is research and try to make a good decision. Good luck and I hope you find a good car. Randy

Sarge8497

I missed my 2006 Impala LT (95,000 miles) that I traded for a 2011 RAV4 (I bought it in 2012 with 35,000 miles). Last weekend I traded the RAV4 (123,000 miles) for a Certified Preowned (Fleet Car) 2013 Impala LT (with approximately 43,000 miles) my wife and I are a lot happier with it. It came with a 12 month / 12,000 mile warrenty which was a important selling point for us.

Sarge

gougie

I bought a 2014 Impala LT2, it had 11,550 miles on it when I bought it in February, it was a rental, I havent had any issues with it, I bought from a G.M. dealership!