Faults:

Water pump - it was my sister's fault for not putting water in the car.

General Comments:

This is actually my sister's car. But since I got my learners permit (I am 15), I have spent a great deal of driving it.

The Monte Carlo is known for being one of America's muscle cars. So it's sort of a shock for such a legendary vehicle to have a Front Wheel Drive layout.

Engine/Transmission Performance - GM replaced the 3.8 engine. It had been in production for like forever! This was the engine used in the previous Monte Carlos. But this engine just made you feel so disconnected from the car.

All new for 2006, the Monte Carlo comes with three engine choices. 3.5 on the LS (I will be reviewing). 3.9 on the LT and the motorheads dream the 5.3. The 3.5 is very impressive, throttle response is incredible compared to the aged 3.8 most of its torque is achieved at 2-5 rpm. Acceleration is pretty good for a car this size.

I have come to believe that this engine will have stellar reliability, knock on wood. She first bought the car at 28000 miles. The Monte now has 102000 miles on the clock and not a speck of trouble.

Beware that transmission fluid is 7.19 cents a quart. The transmission has really good gear ratio to provide crisp shifting and better acceleration. It's really touchy from the start, and you can bump the gears every now and then, but it's held up to some abuse and still does good.

Suspension/Handling/Driving Dynamics.

This car handles very very well for its size. On par with my aunts 350z (I've driven). It's really fun to drive. I particularly enjoy highway driving in this car; it's so stable! No wobble compared to an Impala or Grand Prix. I can take a really deep curve at 75-80 MPH with no wobble, but serious understeer can become a problem if steering is jerky.

Interior/Exterior.

Interior is basic and bland, well insulated though. Seats are pretty harsh because they are so tall. Interior room is ample even in the back. Interior quality is also good, no squeaks or rattles.

Exterior is well fit, there seem to be no gaps, and everything is well thought out. The headlights seem to be bulgy to me.

Overall

Great car, great reliability.

Faults:

Power steering hose clamp came loose around 5000 miles. This was under recall and was fixed within a few hours by the dealer.

General Comments:

Its about time GM started putting V8s back into cars. The Engine runs great and gets me an average of 23.5mpg combined city/highway. I put over 20,000 miles on it in the first year and I have to say it is very comfortable for cross country driving. It has lots of storage capacity and more than enough power to for regular and aggressive driving. The car handles great at all speeds (even over 100mph) and rides like a luxury car. The dash is really open and clean looking. I would definitely buy another one, but this one looks like it will probably last me for at least 8 or 9 years.