Faults:

Oil Leak from Distributer plug.

Oil leak from Intake Manifold.

Alternators go out regularly.

Door Handle broke.

Stereo died.

Rear wheel noise still not figured out.

General Comments:

Oil Leaks and more oil leaks. This car leaked oil from the distributor plug that apparently this engine is famous for.

When I got the oil leak fixed at the dealer for $700, I swear they used sewing machine oil as my otherwise trouble free engine blew the #2 rod bearing a week later. This engine is known for being very strong and hard to destroy. It has had the oil replaced every 3 months or 3000 miles like clock work. Of course dealer denied any responsibility.

Took it elsewhere for engine replacement and now have massive oil leak from intake manifold that wasn't there for first 10,000 miles and just started out of the blue. This will probably cost a small fortune.

I would fix this myself, but this car has no room to work under the hood and is designed very mechanic unfriendly.

I have been through 2 alternators.

And old engine had mystery coolant leak no one could find, but could smell it. (Likely head gasket)

A nice car with lots of pep, but I am so tired or oil leaks and the high priced repairs I won't ever buy a Chevy again. My old Mercury was a dream I should have kept and my current Ford truck is also heaven compared to this GM product. I am tired of having to keep speedy dry in my driveway to catch the leaks from this nightmare.

Faults:

Distributor shaft seal failed causing major oil leakage. One liter every 1000 kms initially (previous owner never told me - lucky I found out or else I'd have blown my engine) ; one liter every 200 kms before I got it fixed - which costed me $500. Now it leaks one liter every 2500 kms - better. Buyers of cars with this 3.4 DOHC should be ware!

Alternator died at 130,000 kms.

Recently I got only 14 mpg (20L/100km) Though, if I do a lot of highway driving I can get 20 mpg.

General Comments:

This car handles very well and is relatively fast. Suprisingly, though, I once raced a 1996-9 Cavalier Z24 with standard and it was just as fast. If you want performance and less fuel consumption, consider the Cavalier though I heard the engine is failure prone and the car is no better.

Faults:

One Blown-out Sub-woofer (My Fault, turned it up too high by accident)

Replaced battery.

Hood needs a new paint job.

General Comments:

Appearance

The Lumina Euro Coupe is not the coolest-looking car on the road, but it is not plain or ugly, either. It has a rather unique spoiler that tells you, "I can be a mean machine if you want me to be!"

Performance

The acceleration is fantastic for a mid-size car. With the slight tap of the throttle the car jumps into roaring speed. This acceleration really helps out while driving onto the on-ramp of a highway. It also helps out when passing other vehicles.

One thing I have to complain about, relating to steering, is the turning radius. This isn't the kind of car you would want in a crowded city. I seem to have trouble turning into tight parking spots.

The handling is very responsive and reliable. Turns seem to produce a lot of lean for passengers, but the car handles them well, none-the-less.

Interior

The front bucket seats are very comfortable, and it is convenient that riders can adjust the tilt of the entire seat as well as the ability to recline. There is plenty of legroom for the front seat riders. Backseat riders also have ample room as long as the front seats are not all the way back on their tracks. The is plenty of headroom, both front and back, for me being five feet nine inches tall.

The controls for the air conditioning, vents, heat, window defroster, etc. seem rather awkward because they are located high in the middle of the dash. It seems like a long reach to turn on the vents. However, the controls are very simple and easy to operate. The dials for the speedometer and tachometer seem a little too small and hard to read, so double-checking them comes often. The cruise control, in my opinion, is one of the easiest to engage compared to those in other automobiles. With the flip of a switch and the press of a button, the driver can take his foot off the pedal and rely on the car to retain a continuous speed.

There is one small issue with the color of the interior. Of course, this is all opinion, but I don't think red is a good color scheme for the inside of any car. It is not downright ugly, at the least.

Overall

In general, the Chevrolet Lumina Euro Coupe is a good "bang for the buck." It combines sportiness, comfort, reliability, and afford-ability into one magnificent package. I am very pleased with the $2500 I spent on this car.