1994 Chevrolet Caprice Classic review from North America
"A great high performance boat, a little pricey on the gas"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
At about 201k miles the blower motor for the fan went, in the middle of winter.
Something wrong with ignition system, stalls when it goes through puddles. New high performance ignition wires, distributor cap, and rotor on the way to remedy this problem.
All new heavy-duty police package brake rotors and pads all around (has 4-wheel disc brakes), are about to go on to help this 6000 pound beast stop on a dime.
New tires put on at 206k miles. Eagle GT+4 235/70R15 with V speed rating and 102 load rating. A chunk out of my pocket at $130 a piece.
A problem that strikes most every Caprice is the rear passenger window sagging. It's happening, and I plan on fixing it as soon as I get a hold of the GM window tape.
General comments?
I think I may have been spoiled by this car. No other car I drove before or have driven since feels any thing like this ex-cruiser from Maryland.
Sticks to the road like it's its business. Except for a little tilt in sharp turns, it remains almost totally neutral through turns. Handles good at low speeds, and it isn't jumpy at high speeds.
Has zippo problem reaching the speed limit in a hurry when I need it to. I'd estimate its top speed to be around 145mph, but I've only had it up to 122mph. Not too shabby for a beat up undercover police car. Gets to 60 mph in about 7 seconds.
Belongs to an EMT, so I have the lights in the grille. Riding on the highway I get the VIP treatment. Cars move out of my way and state troopers and police officers wave to me.
On the amount of room available to you, it's endless. The trunk is cavernous even with the full-size spare. And the interior space is huge. The back seat holds three full-size adults more than comfortably as long as the middle one isn't too tall. The front seats have loads of leg room and are very comfortable. The only thing this car is missing is a console. It was ripped out before the MD State Police sold it. As soon as I can get a hold of a nice full size one that will fill the gap between the front seats, the Caprice or "Big Blue" will be perfect.
Excellent bang for the buck. Even though it has high miles, it runs like a gem. Picked it up for $3500, and I estimate that by the time it is done I will have spent about $1500 in fixing it up. I have no worries about hitting the quarter million mile mark, I am planning the 500,000 mile party even now.
The only drawback that I can see is the money that is spent on gas. It has a 24 gallon tank, and I usually get about 17mpg in the city, and closer to 22mpg when I just ride the highways. The 5.7L LT1 pursuit engine certainly delivers power that is worthy of the price of the Super grade gas that I put into it. Using the good stuff gets me this kind of mileage. With regular, the way I drove it in the beginning, I get about 14/19mpg city and highway respectively.
More Chevrolet Caprice reviews
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 5.7 V8 multiport injection Automatic |
| Performance marks | 10/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 10/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 196234 miles |
| Most recent distance | 207867 miles |
| Date of Entry | 26th April, 2001 |

