Impalas and other cars in its class

[Iron]

I'm comparing 2006+ Impalas and other cars (Camry, Altima, Infiniti I35), and I'm wondering if anyone could help me with pros and cons of an Impala vs the other 3? I love GMs but I'm afraid of resale going down, as I may be selling the car in 4 years. I'm also going to school for the next 4 years so money will be tighter than usual, so reliabilty would be a big plus...

[oldblu65]

If the Infinti I35 is being considered as an option , you are definitely looking in a higher value and cost class than the Impala . If you can afford that car , go with it . I have an Impala and I am very happy with it , but it'll never have the resale value of the I35 . Of course , another consideration is initial cost and annual upkeep . I think both would be much higher with the Infiniti . So let your wallet make the decision ! Just my $ 0.02 !

[Iron]

I'd agree that upkeep on the I35 would be higher(unless nothing breaks), but I am still considering it in my price range because they are 2002ish models, wheras the impala would be 2006ish. Knowing that I'll probably be selling in a few years, I would feel safe with a japanese car, however I know that these cars are more money in the first place, and if something breaks will cost more than the Chevy. Also I don't like the looks as much (although I do like the looks of the Altima).

['97ventureowner]

one reason the resale value is lower on the Impala is that more of these models are produced and the supply is greater. And many of these cars are used in rental fleets and when they are through with them are placed on the general market for sale usually below the prices of similar models sold privately.

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by '97ventureowner

one reason the resale value is lower on the Impala is that more of these models are produced and the supply is greater. And many of these cars are used in rental fleets and when they are through with them are placed on the general market for sale usually below the prices of similar models sold privately.

In addition, the Impala typically costs less when new than the other cars you mentioned.
Most new Chevrolet buyers pick one up because the Impala represents very good value (cheap to buy, cheap to maintain/repair and cheap to insure).
But it's rare for people to prefer the Impala over it's competitors for any reason other than cost.
If you are buying a 2-3 year-old car, you will find the Impalas are significantly cheaper to buy than the competitors. If you are just after low cost, the Impala still may be your best bet.

If you like the Impala, paying more for a competing vehicle may not be worth it just to get a possible (but not guarenteed) higher resale value in future.

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by MagicRat

In addition, the Impala typically costs less when new than the other cars you mentioned.
Most new Chevrolet buyers pick one up because the Impala represents very good value (cheap to buy, cheap to maintain/repair and cheap to insure).
.

Excellent point to add.
I'd also like to add to this by saying the points that were presented in the above posts helped to keep the Impala in the top list of best selling cars dating back to the '60s. In fact, in the early '70s they were the car that set the standard for sales which is still hard to beat.Value is a major point that keeps people coming back.
From www.cars-directory.net, "One of both General Motors' and America's most successful auto nameplates, the Impala was often the best-selling automobile in its formative years when full-sized cars dominated sales. The 1965 sales of over one million units still stands as a record. The current version of the Impala is the 8th best selling vehicle (of any kind) and 5th best selling car in the United States and has the distinction of being the top selling American nameplate sedan, according to Reuters Top 20 Best-selling Vehicles Scorecard for the calendar year of 2007."

[wafrederick]

Japanese cars do have nothing but electrical problems which are very expensive to repair.The Impala with the 3400 gets the better fuel mileage than the 3800,about 30 MPG.The Impalas sell real easy and I know people that have Impalas that are very happy with them

[PAman]

I have a '00 Impala(93K), which I love, a '01 Camry(110K) which I dislike, but my daughter drives it and a '08 Sentra which is my wife's. If you take a look at Edmunds for used car recommendations, you'll find 06+ Impalas listed. With the Impala, you get more room, with about the same MPG. Once the miles get to 75K or so, you're going to be doing some work on the Impala, but probably not much to the Camry or Infiniti. But, they'll cost more to fix. If you balance a low mileage Imp against a moderate mileage Toy or Inf, maybe you won't be putting much into the Chevy. Also, that Camry of mine was 25% higher to insure than the Imp, when my wife was driving it. The same should hold true with the I35 because of repair costs. The Impala is not as much fun as an Infiniti, so that's another factor. All Toyota sedans I've driven since 2000 model year were boring/soft, too. I travel a lot for my job and rent cars/SUVs for 1 to 5 weeks at a time. I've driven and lived with many rental vehicles. The Chevy isn't that bad of a choice, they ride decently and are roomy and comfortable. One other thing, the Chevy is invisible to many people(thieves and cops).

[phewop118]

The Impala is definitely the best choice if you are looking for good value out of a used car. Many many many Imps were sold to rental companies, which gives them a low resale value, making a great used buy. However, it has many more merits than that. It's a huge car with tons of room (although the 06+ back seat is a little tighter due to huge front seats and the "flip'n'fold" feature) for anything and anyone. The platform is incredibly solid and exhibits none of the typically flexing of a Camry or Accord. Then there are the engines, which are the Impalas best assets. All of them are powerful, smooth, get great gas mileage, and are super-reliable (the 3400 would be excluded for each one of those descriptions, as it is a piece of junk).

Overall, Impalas are fairly reliable, though there are a few things to watch out for. If you are getting a pre-2005 model, keep it at least an 03 or up, as the early years had some build quality issues. Even still, you may experience the occasional failed power window, manifold issues, clunking ISS, passlock issue, worn out brakes, worn out tie rods, etc. However, the amount of money spent maintaining an impala would be minimal and would definitely be less than the difference you would spend to purchase a Camry, Accord, Altima, Maxima, etc. For 06 models, watch out for power steering issues and waterpump issues. 07+ have very little problems that I know of. They also have 100k mile powertrain warranty which would be a nice safety net to have.

If I were in the market for a midsized sedan, I would get an 07 or 08 Impala LT3 or LTZ (both have the 3.9L V6), as they run around $12k for one with less than 30k miles. An 07 or 08 SS can be found probably for around $15k.

[463]

I too would go for an 07 or 08 Impala LT3 or LTZ (both have the 3.9L V6), + 100000 mile or 5 year warr. it's a BIG PLUS. "going to school for the next 4 years so money will be tighter than usual"

[jonnik]

Another maintenance issue to consider is that at 70,000 miles or so the timing belt on the Japanese cars must be replaced or you run the very real risk of trashing the engine (REAL bad for resale value!).