Lhs

[Neanderthal]

Got rid of the 2004 Impala and bought a first-generation Chrysler LHS.
Why?
Why not?

Driver environment:
LHS leather interior is first rate, very classy looking, feeling, and smelling even after 12 years @3,000 miles/year. The seats are comfortable rather than the chiropractor-lobby-inspired devices in the Impala. The Driver Information Center is a fun toy, it precludes my having to do the aftermarket bit to get compass/temp. And the instant and overall MPG feature is just the thing to get me into a rear-ender.
No worries with the dash, it's missing dual zone and if I were dictator for a day DZ would be in every car sold in Amurricar. It does have auto temp which IMO is way overrated, but WTF engineers have to do something with their spare time other than designing a fresh air intake filter system--which no LH car had apparently--and doing DZ which I guess Chrysler never did understand.

Driving:
Thank God someone understands suspensions a bit better than the goobers at Impala Inc. This makes up for the no DZ and no cabin air filter.
This car has had a few suspension bushings replaced, but the struts and anti-roll bars are original equipment and about, oh, 12 to 24 years ahead of the Impala.
I don't know if the 2006+ Imps suspension is as squishy as the 2000-2005 generation, but I replaced the Impy struts at about 12 thou with KYB GR-2 and although they did away with the worst of the narrow-rowboat-on-a-choppy-lake feeling, the Imp really needs Konis or something just this side of them firmness-wise, as well as the GM Parts Direct HD anti roll bars. The struts are weak and the car rolls far too much in light curves.
My LHS has nicely snubbed jounce and rebound while providing a comfortable ride. The well-dialed-in anti-roll control keeps her flat in the curves and corners.
Again, I don't notice much difference in the highway comfort level, but the well-controlled ride motions in the Chrysler are head and shoulders above the Impala's squishmobile standard.

The 214 HP 214 TQ first gen. Mopar 3.5 OHC has plenty of scat. It should, geared as low as it is: 30 MPH/1000 RPM in top gear, as opposed to the Chevy's 36.5 thanks to a 2.86 final drive vs. a 3.66 over at Chrysler Corp.
I wonder how close a contest it would be in the 1/4 with the 3.4 Impala geared as tight as this puppy? Maybe not too close, the Chev power gets flat at 5000 or so while the Chrysler just keeps giving at the office, right past 6000 and on to redline.
Chrysler doesn't get it with gearing like Chevy doesn't get it with suspension settings and seats. Torque peak is somewhere around 3000 RPM, lower than the 3.4 and 3.8 Impalas, and this thing gits it from low to yo! and snaps into third gear at WFO before you can say lookee the cop.
I'm not expecting the great MPG I got in the Impala. I did get close to 30 during a 55-65 MPH cruise for about 30 miles when I was road testing the new plugs. It came with the original plugs--no extra charge--and I felt no difference with a fresh set in.

Four wheel discs and ABS are both standard on the LHS, as they should be on every car. No problem with the brakes, I try not to use them anyway, just a waste of saudi's finest fuels.

Looks: This is subjective except for the various experts who have All Encompassing Knowledge and can claim with impunity "that sucks!"
I am one of the two dozen or so natural born US citizens who consider the 00-05 Impala a fairly handsome car. I like the overall look, like the front, like the taillight treatment. I think the new ones got the blanderizer treatment, making them one with the UJCS (Universal Japanese Car Standard) of invisibility. But hey, maybe they're getting lots of FBI contracts or something.
Oh yeah, looks. I think the LHS of both generations are good looking, distinguished actually, in different ways. The impression of course is dependent on the car's color. They look best in black or white, IMHO. Mine is gold, or a 60s-70s Army OD green in low light conditions. Then it looks like a general staff car, especially with the black steel wheels and snows it's wearing for the slick months.

The LHS looks much lower than the Impala, although real height is different by 3" or less. The roof is lower, the hood is lower, the trunk is like way down there.
It's lower, wider, longer, has a real spare tire and enough leg room in back to put a couple of old Checker Cab jump seats back there in a pinch.

So: Far quicker acceleration, poorer MPG, better handling, a draw braking. A far friendlier set of chairs, a real spare, it lacks a cabin air filter which I will try to improvise, and it sits lower with a far lower lift over for the trunk.
I'm happy.

[mikmak]

Firstly LamronH, don't you know: 'Tis the season (to go with the flow and not rock the boat regardless of the impact to ones personal psyche)?

You can't go around saying that the LHS is a better option than the mighty Impala (viz: the 50th anniversary edition).

Congratulations on the purchase of your new chariot. I can only hope that you are going to adorn it with appropriate propaganda ie. "I'd rather be driving a chevy" stickers, 22" rims for which to roll and a pod intake filter dwarfed in size only by the vacuous dimension of ones tail pipe.

I know little of the LHS; only that of its cousin, the Dodge Intrepid seen during power off oversteer on NCIS. Still, I admire your candor and wish only the most joyous of prambulating pursuits. There is only one thing left to add:

[HoeyHimself]

Actually, Ive got a 1996 LHS and despite its many technical issues over the years..that thing is still one of the sweetest riding cars.

[mikmak]

Oh and merry Christmas. Yes, in my neck of the woods, not only am I blessed with RWD for the masses, but also yule tide arriving whilst others are yet approaching the ebb.

[Neanderthal]

Originally Posted by mikmak

Firstly LamronH, don't you know: 'Tis the season (to go with the flow and not rock the boat regardless of the impact to ones personal psyche)?

You can't go around saying that the LHS is a better option than the mighty Impala (viz: the 50th anniversary edition).

Congratulations on the purchase of your new chariot. I can only hope that you are going to adorn it with appropriate propaganda ie. "I'd rather be driving a chevy" stickers, 22" rims for which to roll and a pod intake filter dwarfed in size only by the vacuous dimension of ones tail pipe.

I know little of the LHS; only that of its cousin, the Dodge Intrepid seen during power off oversteer on NCIS. Still, I admire your candor and wish only the most joyous of prambulating pursuits. There is only one thing left to add:

Haha, mikmak you write with great humour, insight, and pizzazz.

Yes, I have ordered the bumper stickers: "Chevy's Frist!" (misspieling intennshinul, a paen to our late unlamented Senate minority leader and generally ineffectual putz), "Chevy's Fourever!!" and other snappy slogans, along with the mandatory Calvin peeing sticker.

The 22s are on back order, apparently a lot of new Sebring owners have ordered them in an effort to make their cahs getto-kewl and right on.

I'm planning on cutting a hole in the muffler and gorilla glue/grafting on a pair of 5" center-exit tailpipes for that spiffy, "gotta-have it!" look.

The drowning I mean crowning (D so close to C on the keyboard!) blow will be the tri-level wing that reaches toward the heavens, four feet off the top of the deck lid. It will contain numeros LEDs and lasers guaranteed to set off all radar/laser detectors within 100' of the rear bumper, and to generally advertise how utterly, pitifully kewl the driver desperately wants 2B.

Thank you so much for the encouraging words this Christmas season. I am aiming for Elantra-level, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band class, panache, gravitas, and groovieness.

I sent you some mental pictures; we Neanderthals communicate that way. If it didn't work, I will sally forth with our homo sap electronical pitcher-takin box and load some images pronto presto chango.

[Neanderthal]

Originally Posted by HoeyHimself

Actually, Ive got a 1996 LHS and despite its many technical issues over the years..that thing is still one of the sweetest riding cars.

Kewlness. Why ChryCo dropped the LH is a sad, Grimm Fairy Tale.

I was expecting flames galore, "traitor!" etc. but perhaps that will come with the Happy New Year!

[IROCNROL1]

First off, I had intended to write a scathing rebuke of your obviously anti-GM/pro Chrysler review, but it was well written enough to make that difficult. Fortunately I'm more than capable of finding fault with Mother Teresa or Walt Disney so I'll proceed.

As far as leather interiors are concerned, while admitting Chrysler isn't the only one at fault, it would have been better to omit any reference to animal hide draped interiors so as not to offend our friends at PETA. While I realize Neanderthals are incredibly insensitive to this important issue, that's no excuse. You should cater to the majority unless the minority makes more noise. BTW, chiropractors need love too.

Speaking of noise, since you didn't mention the sound systems I'll have to assume that the Impala's was superior.

Been in a Toyota lately? If so, then you'll have to admit that the vast majority of American drivers prefer the gooey, unattached driving experience, so the Impala wins again, hands down.

Since the next big PC push will be better fuel mileage, both these cars are losers, IMO. Since my Elantra gets 40+ mpg along with whiplash inducing acceleration, I'm of the opinion that all cars should do this well, at a minimum. However, since the Impala sucks less dinosaur blood than the LHS, guess who wins this segment of the test.

Being a various expert, I can indeed proclaim "That sucks!" with impunity. However, in the interest of being non-contentious, I'll refrain from doing so. All I'll say in this regard is take a look at what all the major companies are puking out and you will have to conclude that bland is better. That being the case, we would have to call this one a draw, except the Impala looks better.

In conclusion, the Impala is chiropractor friendly, has a better stereo, has the ride that motorists love, gets better mileage, and looks better while accomplishing all this. We have a winner.

[Neanderthal]

^^ What can ise say? Neanderthals love leather, it's so...animal-like. Here, I'll send an image.













I'm not much of a sound system afleecionadio-onamatopoeia type, I mostly listen to the Sounds of Silence, thought messages from my fellow Neanderthals, and talk radio which as we all know is run by Neanderthals so I repeat myself repeat myself. The LHS, or as I call it the LHSD, has an aftermarket system that some minimum-IQ homo sap installed so I can't say fershur whitch is better.
The Imp had a pretty kewl one which automatically raised the volume as cabin background noise got lousder, and since it has a 12 year jump I'd assume it's just as good. I have a similar-to-factory ( recent Sebring) system on order, and since it appears all Chrysler systems for the past 15 years are pretty much the same, we'll see.
BTW, the LHS has an Infinity system, so I plan on suing Nissan/Infinity/Carl Ghostin/Renault/the French guvvermitt et al since I believe they stoleded the Infinity name, and that IMO is unconstooshinal and goes agin everything we hold dear as 'murricans.
You, IROC, fail to mention the great advantage in how much easier it is to load bodies into the LHSD trunk, what with the long low lean look the caah exhibits, and the convenient low, chiropractor-friendly tossover/dragout height.

Good point on the MPGs both being inferior to your Mighty Elantra's, however.
I will be making inquiries into how to get a 10% boost in the Chrysler's final drive ratio. At ChryCo they did things the opposite of GM. Just a couple of V6s, and just a couple of final drives instead of five or more. Hmmmmmmm.

All I can say is a 3-piston Geo Metro 5-speed can get 50 MPG so nyaa nyaaaa nyaaaa nyaa nyaaa nyaaaaa!!!!

And you missed something, in your Elantra pheeding phrenzy: no cabin air filter, while it might seem to appeal to Neanderthals in getting more scents to sniff, is actually a negative point due to the crud that has access to the blower motor and the general crud that makes it into the cabin. After all, the air is not As Pure As The Freshly Driven Snow as it was before Homo Saps started doing the burn baby burn bit and smoking up all our air and our culture and heritage and save the whales and watch out for bunnies!

[Neanderthal]

Originally Posted by mikmak

Firstly LamronH, don't you know: 'Tis the season (to go with the flow and not rock the boat regardless of the impact to ones personal psyche)?

[BusyBody]

^^ Those seats look so comfy. Hope you enjoy your new ride.

[91 s-10baja]

+ YouTube Video

[bouda]

Originally Posted by IROCNROL1

First off, I had intended to write a scathing rebuke of your obviously anti-GM/pro Chrysler review, but it was well written enough to make that difficult. Fortunately I'm more than capable of finding fault with Mother Teresa or Walt Disney so I'll proceed.

As far as leather interiors are concerned, while admitting Chrysler isn't the only one at fault, it would have been better to omit any reference to animal hide draped interiors so as not to offend our friends at PETA. While I realize Neanderthals are incredibly insensitive to this important issue, that's no excuse. You should cater to the majority unless the minority makes more noise. BTW, chiropractors need love too.

Speaking of noise, since you didn't mention the sound systems I'll have to assume that the Impala's was superior

Been in a Toyota lately? If so, then you'll have to admit that the vast majority of American drivers prefer the gooey, unattached driving experience, so the Impala wins again, hands down.

Since the next big PC push will be better fuel mileage, both these cars are losers, IMO. Since my Elantra gets 40+ mpg along with whiplash inducing acceleration, I'm of the opinion that all cars should do this well, at a minimum. However, since the Impala sucks less dinosaur blood than the LHS, guess who wins this segment of the test.

Being a various expert, I can indeed proclaim "That sucks!" with impunity. However, in the interest of being non-contentious, I'll refrain from doing so. All I'll say in this regard is take a look at what all the major companies are puking out and you will have to conclude that bland is better. That being the case, we would have to call this one a draw, except the Impala looks better.

In conclusion, the Impala is chiropractor friendly, has a better stereo, has the ride that motorists love, gets better mileage, and looks better while accomplishing all this. We have a winner.

Promise to use your powers only for good rocnrol

[Neanderthal]

Originally Posted by 91 s-10baja

Ha! You sure dug up some old ads, s-10. Laser. That was an item in its day.
T'anks for the memories...

[atomicshark]

Congrats on the LHS! I always liked those big Chryslers. I especially love how cheap they can be had.

Originally Posted by IROCNROL1

Since my Elantra gets 40+ mpg along with whiplash inducing acceleration, I'm of the opinion that all cars should do this well, at a minimum.

I can't attest for the MPG, but I can say that the acceleration is far from whiplash inducing. Actually the Elantra I test drove last week felt unnervingly sluggish between 40 and 70 MPH while trying to pass a slow moving vehicle. It did feel stronger than the Versa or Corolla but I know that is not saying much.

[Neanderthal]

Originally Posted by BusyBody

^^ Those seats look so comfy. Hope you enjoy your new ride.

They are. Maybe GM should do a "merger of equals" with Chrysler...

Thanks, I am. Too bad ChryCo isn't introducing the 2008 LHS, 300M, Concorde, & Intrepid at the NAIAS.