Wow! What a day it has been for me! I was fortunate enough to go car shopping with my dad today. It's just about time to unload his 2004 Rainier CXL.
We drove a Lucerne CXS, and an Impala SS. I will do the Lucerne review later this evening....I have pictures too.
First off, the Impala. We came to the dealership wanting to take a spin in a Monte SS, but the only one they had left on the lot was just being sold. So, with my dad's previous test drive of the Impala SS being on wet pavement, we decided to take it for a spin.
First off, the car had less than a gallon of gas left in it. Not a very good thing.
Our tester was "Laser Blue Metallic", which I'm not very fond of. The interior was ebony with the chintzy looking 'carbon fiber' trim. Very cheap looking. Overall fit & finish was fantastic. The lower dash has the same grain as the Lucerne, and I mean the EXACT same grain. In both vehicles it's hard to the touch, unfortunately. The upper dash is a soft, high quality plastic, again with a nice grain to it.
Ugh, the center console is horrible. Looks & feels cheap. The shifter is big and bulky, looks like it wasn't thought out all that well. Surprisingly the arm rest was leather wrapped, a very nice luxurious touch.
The seats were very comfortable, and the leather was of high quality. The stereo was OK (8-speaker BOSE). I wanted to listen to some hip hop/rap, to see what kind of bass it was pumpin'. But, being in the car with my dad, that wasn't going to happen!
So the radio would have to do. Overall I really wasn't too impressed, but I'll reserve final judgement until I hear it cranked up, and tuned to my liking, with a good cd.
First thing you notice when you start the car up, the beautiful rumble of the V8. We pulled out of the dealership, and you could just feel the gobs & gobs of torque. Just out of the dealership, we got onto the highway. As soon as we turned onto the on rap, my dad floored it.......
WOW!!!!
Holy crap! This thing is quick! Both of us were put back in our seat, with a huge grin on our faces.
We weren't on the highway much longer. I could tell my dad was itching to test the handling limits on the SS, but unfortately an AVEO was in front of us on the off ramp. Too bad.
We turned into a church, and we switched seats.
First thing I did when I got into the driver seat, I revved that pumpy up. The exhaust note is BEAUTIFUL!
As soon as I put the car in drive my dad said "Nick, take it easy." :p
Just putting the gas pedal down barely, you can feel the pull of the V8. Torque is VERY abundant in this car.
Making a right turn, I put the pedal down about half way.........can you say TORQUE STEER? Good thing I was paying attention, or I would have nailed the cop coming at us!
If anyone has driven this car, and hasn't noticed torque steer, you must be crazy.
So we get back on the highway, and I punch it. Again, back in your seat!! Wow this car is quick! Both of us just had a HUGE grin on our faces. I told my dad he would have tons of fun with this car. He said "Yeah, but I'm sure my gas mileage would be *****."
I get off the highway, sitting at a stoplight, no one in front of me. As soon as the light turns green, I put the gas pedal down about half way, and the tires light up! I left a good 10 feet of rubber on the pavement, could have been longer if I floored it. I was expecting my dad to bitch at me, but he just sat there with a big grin on his face.
We pulled into a Speedway, and we switched seats. I highly doubt the dealership would be happy if we pulled in and I was driving. :p
Overall the car is great. What really surprised me is the ride, even on rough Michigan roads, it rides nice. The car never creaks or moans over bumps, and nothing is really transmitted to your tooshy. Brakes are very tight, no sloppy pedal going on here.
Steering is tight, and on center feel is fantastic. Very accurate.
Positives
- Gobs of torque
- V8 growl
- Nice interior design
- HVAC controls are very direct, and easy to use
Negatives
- Iffy interior quality
- Iffy stereo
- Torque steer
Overall I walked away impressed. I've been dying to get my hands on one, and I finally did. It was an awesome test drive.
Watch out for my Lucerne review later on...
-Giagastormer