The parking brake got stuck in the up position, which was a known issue and the dealer fixed it on the spot.
The car is excellent. 2.0t with MT, provides more than strong enough acceleration for any situation, and can give really great fuel economy. EPA mileage on the highway was 34 on the sticker, but I always best it - I repeatedly get 35-36 with cruise set over 70 MPH, and can get 39 with average speeds of 55-65. You really can't beat that, considering the size and power output of this car, which blows away the econobox and midsize offerings from domestic and Japanese makers. And, to be honest, the car didn't cost much more than a similarly equipped Camry or accord after incentives.
You get top notch engineering, top notch safety, up to 18k miles between oil changes (verified by used oil analysis) and an overall wonderful package. highly recommended.
I just bought a 2004 ARC and its really fun to drive and very comfortable and I am 6 foot 4, 215. I love the heated seats and the lumbar support and the comfort. I do wish the seats gave more lateral support when going into a turn, but we can't have everything. I love the acceleration, it feels as though once the turbo lag comes and goes fairly quick albeit, it just takes off, I guess like a jet. Anyway, I look forward to driving it every day and feel it's a very good value for what you get. It is obvious GM has some not so great features in it, but it seems every day I find a new great feature, like the parking assist and the lumbar support and I actually like the quirky cup holder.
Patrick in Puyallup, WA.
18k between oil changes will kill that turbo, they are known to go. Even with 5w30 synthetic oil.
I agree - 18k between oil changes is asking for major trouble.
I stress 3k between oil changes and I use full synthetic.
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