How reliable is the car? How well does it drive? I do prefer to hear from people who surpassed 100k in them but any mileage is fine. What are the goods and bads about the car? How reliable is the transmission?
CASEVII
Big spread but generally the 3.6 Impalas do real well. Gotta carefully consider any modifications including stereo and communications and motor. They come from factory maxxed out for performance and mileage. The systems are tagged for anti-theft so need to do any upgrades with good planning. It's a great vehicle and nearly anything you modify will be less capable.
The Impala with 2.5 motor is imo crummy. Annoying. Steer clear.
The Impala with 2.5 motor is imo crummy. Annoying. Steer clear.
My wife and I bought a new 2014 Impala 2LTZ (3.6 V-6). It now has 107,xxx miles on it.
The car has been used for work commuting by my wife, and pleasure driving by us. We have taken it on several vacation trips, driving no more than 400 miles. It is a very quiet, comfortable and well-driving vehicle. We still get compliments from others on the styling. The 3.6 V-6 engine is VERY smooth and powerful for our needs. I would stay away from the 4-cylinder in the Impala.
When new, there were several software issues that had to be repaired / updated under the new-car warranty. The car has held-up very well, other that transmission issues which were repaired under my GMPP (zero deductible).
The transmission cooling lines began to weep (not leak badly) where the rubber meets the metal connectors. The lines (called pipes) were replaced as an assembly by the dealer, with the cost being about $350 retail (but paid by GMPP).
The transmission would shudder at times, and pause on the upshift from 2nd to 3rd, when accelerating normally from a stop. The transmission was repaired by the dealer under the direction of this TSB: 18-NA-358 1..2 Note that this TSB has instructions to the dealer on how to repair the vehicle, and is not an extended warranty. The retail cost would have been $1,5xx about 1-2 years ago (but paid by GMPP). (EDIT: The cost in 4/2023 was $2,361).
At 104,xxx miles, I replaced the two original headlamp assemblies with OEM GM units. The LTZ model has high intensity discharge headlamps. My cost was $806 per assembly (which was 10% over dealer cost). The lamp's lens were fogging and getting cloudy.
Recently my wife became antsy as the vehicle reached 100,000 miles fearing a breakdown. She wanted to buy a new car and bought a new 2025 Chevrolet Equinox RS AWD. She is disappointed with the vehicle and its maddening controls and poorly designed dash. She has continued to drive the Impala, and only drives the Equinox in poor weather (AWD).
If GM still made the Impala, we would have bought another one without hesitating. We buy new vehicles, partially due to the warranty and GMPP availability.
I have read on this forum about a/c evaporator leaks on several model year 9th generation Impala's. GM issued an extended warranty / satisfaction campaign to repair those with leaking evaporators. You may want to do an internet search? The a/c on our Impala (a/c never serviced) is still very cold and works flawlessly.
Good luck on your decision. The 9th generation Impala is a rock-solid sedan and I am surprised the GM discontinued the model.
The car has been used for work commuting by my wife, and pleasure driving by us. We have taken it on several vacation trips, driving no more than 400 miles. It is a very quiet, comfortable and well-driving vehicle. We still get compliments from others on the styling. The 3.6 V-6 engine is VERY smooth and powerful for our needs. I would stay away from the 4-cylinder in the Impala.
When new, there were several software issues that had to be repaired / updated under the new-car warranty. The car has held-up very well, other that transmission issues which were repaired under my GMPP (zero deductible).
The transmission cooling lines began to weep (not leak badly) where the rubber meets the metal connectors. The lines (called pipes) were replaced as an assembly by the dealer, with the cost being about $350 retail (but paid by GMPP).
The transmission would shudder at times, and pause on the upshift from 2nd to 3rd, when accelerating normally from a stop. The transmission was repaired by the dealer under the direction of this TSB: 18-NA-358 1..2 Note that this TSB has instructions to the dealer on how to repair the vehicle, and is not an extended warranty. The retail cost would have been $1,5xx about 1-2 years ago (but paid by GMPP). (EDIT: The cost in 4/2023 was $2,361).
At 104,xxx miles, I replaced the two original headlamp assemblies with OEM GM units. The LTZ model has high intensity discharge headlamps. My cost was $806 per assembly (which was 10% over dealer cost). The lamp's lens were fogging and getting cloudy.
Recently my wife became antsy as the vehicle reached 100,000 miles fearing a breakdown. She wanted to buy a new car and bought a new 2025 Chevrolet Equinox RS AWD. She is disappointed with the vehicle and its maddening controls and poorly designed dash. She has continued to drive the Impala, and only drives the Equinox in poor weather (AWD).
If GM still made the Impala, we would have bought another one without hesitating. We buy new vehicles, partially due to the warranty and GMPP availability.
I have read on this forum about a/c evaporator leaks on several model year 9th generation Impala's. GM issued an extended warranty / satisfaction campaign to repair those with leaking evaporators. You may want to do an internet search? The a/c on our Impala (a/c never serviced) is still very cold and works flawlessly.
Good luck on your decision. The 9th generation Impala is a rock-solid sedan and I am surprised the GM discontinued the model.
There are 2 different engines available for the 9th Generation. 3.6L V6 VVT and a 2.4L V4 as a starting point. Obviously the 4 cylinder engine is going to be better on gas. I picked up a 2014 3.6L V6 4 months ago with at that time approximately 159K on it. The transmission did end up having an issue with the transmission control module in the time I've owned it that seems to be a common problem where the electronic control module quits communicating with the engine control module.
The mileage of course all depends on 2 key things: type of driving done- road miles vs all the stop and go city driving, or rural dirt road mileage can also be another, and most important is if it has had good maintenance and oil changes, tires rotated and alignments, and of course the other fluids, filters and items as needed and recommended.
The mileage of course all depends on 2 key things: type of driving done- road miles vs all the stop and go city driving, or rural dirt road mileage can also be another, and most important is if it has had good maintenance and oil changes, tires rotated and alignments, and of course the other fluids, filters and items as needed and recommended.
The only money we've had put into out '17 3.6 LT besides oil changes and tires, was for replacing the defective aftermarket backup camera. I added aftermarket front seat warmers for the wife's birthday. She loves them. Great car for the open road. She still misses her '99 Cadillac Seville STS though.
One kid learned on the Gen 8 LTZ and the other learned on the Gen 9 LTZ. Both were 3.6l. As mentioned above, these cars have been very reliable for me. From a driving perspective, I've always liked a bigger sedan and think it's a bit safer than a compact car and I'm very comfortable letting them use the car. The v6 is well sized to give the oomph when needed while getting very good mileage for the car's size and power. And, the Gen9 LTZ/Premier is very well appointed with many bells and whistles for a very reasonable price. That said, these are not the most maneuverable cars. A smaller car would generally handle better and feel more peppy off the line...if that's what you want for a first car. And, one down side is that I find the visibility on the Gen9 to be only fair. The Gen8 was better and most other cars I've driven are better than the Gen9.
I think there was also a 4cyl e-assist motor for awhile.
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Awhile back there was some A.I. activity incorrectly indicating 2017 Impala Premier came with LGX but never happened. I saw one unknown source list saying 2017 to 2020 Impalas had LGX but it was wrong on every level.
A big A.I. weakness is that it looks for often-posted information and assumes it is true simply based on numbers of times posted or published. Misinformation is promulgated by A.I. so freaking often.
One trusted source encapsulates the LGX application:
Because Wikipedia is vetted it's most often more accurate too. Not perfect but a lot of dedicated people do their best to fend-off Misinformation 😊.
The GM sourced info is not so tidy it takes lots of digging by each model year to figure out that all of the 2012 to 2020 V6 Impalas are LFX. They don't publish a handy list.
If one day someone cites differently with proof (maybe an Impala SPID with LGX that can be vetted and proven) then I'll be shocked. But I never like to say never lol.
.
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Awhile back there was some A.I. activity incorrectly indicating 2017 Impala Premier came with LGX but never happened. I saw one unknown source list saying 2017 to 2020 Impalas had LGX but it was wrong on every level.
A big A.I. weakness is that it looks for often-posted information and assumes it is true simply based on numbers of times posted or published. Misinformation is promulgated by A.I. so freaking often.
One trusted source encapsulates the LGX application:
Because Wikipedia is vetted it's most often more accurate too. Not perfect but a lot of dedicated people do their best to fend-off Misinformation 😊.
The GM sourced info is not so tidy it takes lots of digging by each model year to figure out that all of the 2012 to 2020 V6 Impalas are LFX. They don't publish a handy list.
If one day someone cites differently with proof (maybe an Impala SPID with LGX that can be vetted and proven) then I'll be shocked. But I never like to say never lol.
.
@1954 Chevy
Awesome back story plus its always nice to know there are some nice honorable dealers out there. Sadly none are near me.
Awesome back story plus its always nice to know there are some nice honorable dealers out there. Sadly none are near me.
Does the dash / display appear the same for vehicles with the 3.6 V6 and the 2.5 I4, or does the I4 differ due to stop-start?
Just curious.
..
Just curious.
..
I'm up to 193,000 on my 9th Gen 2015 Impala LTZ. For all intents and purposes the car runs as well as it did when new. I still greatly enjoy the power of the 3.6L V6 and appreciate that it doesn't rely on a turbo. I have been fortunate to have no transmission issues. The only thing I wish it really had is an Apple CarPlay upgrade for the touch screen.
This summer's maintenance projects:
I am also planning to have a dealer fix my blind spot sensors, which appear to have been affected by water intrusion this past winter. There is a TSB out for this issue.
Beyond that, I've only done fluid and filter changes, regular brake services, replaced a few bulbs, and repaired some leaky trunk gaskets. This car has been parked outside nearly its whole life. I really have no complaints maintenance-wise.
It would have been a great first car. Visibility out of the front left and right corners is not the best for navigating pedestrian-heavy areas, but with some extra care when making 90 degree turns, it's not a deal breaker.
Like another poster said above, I really wish they'd bring this car back. I enjoy the spaciousness and ride qualities of a large sedan over the latest and greatest crossover SUVs any day of the week. With that said, I'm not sure they'd ever bring the Impala back without including a turbo and auto stop-start, which would be automatic deal breakers for me.
This summer's maintenance projects:
- Replace suspension with new OEM parts
- Fix wiring short in driver's visor that is tripping interior lights offline
- Replacing damaged driver's side mirror assembly
I am also planning to have a dealer fix my blind spot sensors, which appear to have been affected by water intrusion this past winter. There is a TSB out for this issue.
Beyond that, I've only done fluid and filter changes, regular brake services, replaced a few bulbs, and repaired some leaky trunk gaskets. This car has been parked outside nearly its whole life. I really have no complaints maintenance-wise.
It would have been a great first car. Visibility out of the front left and right corners is not the best for navigating pedestrian-heavy areas, but with some extra care when making 90 degree turns, it's not a deal breaker.
Like another poster said above, I really wish they'd bring this car back. I enjoy the spaciousness and ride qualities of a large sedan over the latest and greatest crossover SUVs any day of the week. With that said, I'm not sure they'd ever bring the Impala back without including a turbo and auto stop-start, which would be automatic deal breakers for me.
As for the Apple Car Play Upgrade- they are out there and available- either Car Play or Android Auto (and maybe both?) can be done with a few companies out there.
As for bringing it back, the Malibu is still out there, and the most recent versions of that body are getting closer to being a full sized sedan. Sometimes if I can't see the full vehicle profile I have to look for the name plate. Slightly smaller trunk also probably if side by side comparison. The SUV's and Trucks are more profitable for them and that contributes to the decisions of Auto Corporations.
As for bringing it back, the Malibu is still out there, and the most recent versions of that body are getting closer to being a full sized sedan. Sometimes if I can't see the full vehicle profile I have to look for the name plate. Slightly smaller trunk also probably if side by side comparison. The SUV's and Trucks are more profitable for them and that contributes to the decisions of Auto Corporations.
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