Comments: 1-15, 16-23
Since I bought the car new, I have added at least 1 1/2 quarts of oil every 1500 miles. Dealer performed engine oil consumption tests which proved out of GM specs. The vehicle is now in the shop for the third time having major engine repairs done.
First- replaced PCV valve.
Second- replaced piston rings and push rods.
Third- re-machine head and change valves and seats and springs.
Numerous trips to dealership for service.
Decreased value of the car.
Car has been in the shop for 1/5th of it's life.
LEMON.
Just because you have had problems with yours does not mean that the Accord is better. The Impala was rated the best in reliability in the JDS serveys, you just got a lemon. I would not touch an import with a 10-foot pole. GM makes the most comfortable cars for the price. I know 5 people with Impalas and they have had no problems at all, just regular maintenance.
I Disagree.
First off, the Impala is larger, more comfortable, more economical, cheaper and more reliable than the Accord.
At the last 2004 JD Power Survey, the Chevrolet Impala was Rated as the most reliable car in its class.
Hate to break it to you Hondaphiles, but your precious Accord is nowhere near the car that the Impala is. The Accord is smaller, has a harsher ride, and is nowhere near as comfortable or roomy as an Impala is. Plus, the Impala is a more durable car as well as reliable. And fuel mileage is excellent for the car's size also.
I just put a down payment on a 2004 sedan. The thought of buying a foreign vehicle to support other countries never entered my mind. By American and work longer.
Whoever thinks the accord is a better car than the Impala, an Accord? Roomier? whatever. the Impala is the best road car in the world, mine even with a diesel has a comfortable quiet ride. Honda can come nowhere near the quality of the Impala.
What are you thinking saying that an Accord is better than an Impala? Impalas are bigger, nicer, ride better, and LOOK better than a foreign klunker. I would never buy a foreign car, they ride and look horrible. I recomend the Impala SS or LS to ANYBODY. Support the USA and buy an American car all you idiots that buy Accords.
Totally disagree... If you're having engine problems---It has to be the Driver---not the engine... I have a 2000 Impala LS with 135,000 Miles and It don't use a "pint" of oil in 4-5000 miles... Average--27 Mpg in Town w/AC on--and 30.5 On the Highway... EXCELLENT Automobile---and STILL---tight as a Snare Drum... On My 3rd set of Tires---averaging 55,000 per set.. and the Front end has NEVER been touched... Its called---"Proper Care"--of your automobile and it will take care of you...
I have to say that I am a Impala fan also. Even though my 2003 Impala has given me a couple of problems. For one, my gas gage is off. I had a half tank of gas, so I thought, on my way to the next town with my kid. Take a look at the gauge again and it's on the line-EMPTY. This is not a good feeling when your on the road with your kid and ninety degree heat. Thank goodness I made it to the nearest station; that happen to be one of the 'off-brand' gas stations.
As for the Honda's. I would not buy on for the world. They do not have more room and comfort than the Impala. Not even close. I do have one good thing to say about Honda, though. They will run forever. You can drive it to the ground and it will keep kicking.
The Impala is bigger than the Accord, I won't dis it, because it, because the Accord IS reliable. My honest opinion(s) are that you simply got a lemon, trade it off for another Impala and I assure you'll be impressed. Or, that, with all due respect, the car wasn't treated or maintained well. The harder you drive, the lower the reliability. Even a rock will break if you put enough pressure on it. As for the Impala, great looking car, I've been in one, while the Accord is OK, the Impala is absolutely miles ahead of it for visual impression and design. I'd give both a high grade of reliability, and I would STILL choose the Impala over the Accord, hands down, no regrets.
I agree with most impala fans here, I am a huge fan of impala and in general GM. I believe GM did an excellent job on the impala. It is a beautiful vehicle, I used to patrol in an impala for a security company and that car had guts. Never got stuck in the snow, and the handling was very good. I felt VERY safe in that vehicle. So I encouraged my mother to lease a 2004 Chevy Impala and she is very happy with the vehicle, NO problems at all.
So for those accord fans, yes it is reliable, but don't come on here and automatically say accord is the best, how about try driving the impala first, then come back and tell me to buy an accord, I'll bet you won't be saying that when you finish test driving that impala (In my opinion).
Accord Lovers on this page: Go work for Consumer Reports. They need completely biased people like you. I am on my second Impala, first was a 2001 that I bought brand new with the 3.4 V6, absolutely no problems whatsoever. I put 75,000 miles on it, and traded it 6 months ago for an LS with the 3800. This is turning out to be as awesome as the first, except a little quicker. But anyways, the reviewer got a LEMON... Import lovers/manufacturers be scared. Be intimidated. The Impala and others from the GM family are slowly de-throning you. As for Consumer Reports (I just love how this magazine will only recommend one American car out of about 100), I would re-check your consumer data. I think it may be a little off.
My Impala has been extremely reliable. Nothing outside of ordinary maintenance after 2 years. I test drove Taurus, Accord, Camry. None of them beat the smooth ride and large interior of the Impala.
I drive the car 120 miles a day and get great (30mpg) mileage for such a big car.
I expect to get the same reliability I got from my Toyotas; something I never expected from an American car.
The Chevy Impala is a fantastic GM car, but lets give credit where credit is due. The car is actually built at the GM plants in Oshawa ON, Canada where we also build another fantastic GM product, the Buick Regal. Sorry all you Honda owners, but these hometown cars ROCK! Do your research and then buy a decent North American car!
I have an 1995 Toyota avalon and a 2003chevrolet Impala and both of them will out do an Honda anyday. the only concern about the impala is that it fells like it struggles trying to pull hills and I am not a big guy (156lb)
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Anyways...
There seem to be a lot of Honda bashing going on here.
First off, I'll let my position be known. I can't bash either model because I love both of them. The Accord and the Impala are both really nice looking automobiles. They both have their unique advantages and disadvantages. (Although, if I wanted a performance car, I will never touch the newer Impala SS. Those things are a travesty compared to a REAL Impala SS, which is REAR-WHEEL DRIVE, not this front wheel drive malarkey.)
Both cars are very easy on gas, are pretty reilable, have good craftsmanship, and are joys to drive. The Accord does have an edge in that it has incredible resale value.
As for manufacturing, you can no longer be sure that your purchase may or may not support working Americans on brand origin alone. American carmakers have used Canadian and Mexican labor to build their vehicles while the Japanese have increased their utilization of American labor to build and, in some cases, even design their vehicles. And, especially with Mitsubishi, UAW workers have been used to build Japanese cars.
There was a comic strip which described this unusual situation where a salesman gave the shopper two choices:
"Do you want to buy an American truck that was built in Brazil or a Japanese truck that was built in USA?"
It is with great irony that I must confirm this instance of confused patriotism as my brother's Ford Escort ZX2 was built in Mexico while my brother's girlfriend's Toyota Corolla LE was built in the United States. Furthermore, while the engine in the Ford was built in the USA, the transmission was built in Japan. Compare this to the parts content of the Toyota Corolla, where the entire drivetrain was built stateside.
It most certainly begs the question as to which car is more American. Do you judge by the nameplate or do you judge by something more substantial? I find it more ironic that buying a Ford may be seen as more patriotic than buying a Toyota, even though you may be paying the salaries of Mexican laborers at the expense of American workers in the purchase of the Ford while the purchase of the Toyota pays the American workers that builds cars like the Camry or the Tundra at factories like their Kentucky plant.
The Honda Accords sold here in the United States may be built either in the United States or in Canada, pretty much like the Chevrolet Impalas. Either way, you can't go wrong as they are both fine cars (although I must give a nod towards the Honda because of its superior resale, but one detraction is its high probability of theft versus the Impala, which means the Accord may cost more to insure). As an aside, I most certainly hope that GM has stopped using that Dexcool garbage masquerading as coolant. If they haven't, they need to. This stuff loves to sludge up, causing all sorts of cooling system problems, especially if you have a leak in the system that you detect too late.
As for the vehicle I drive: 1990 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 Silverado with the legendary 350 c.i. (5.7 litre) V8 engine, built in Flint, Michigan. Easy to work on, easy to drive, comfortable, very reliable, low cost parts, highly utilitarian, built like a tank, and, interestingly enough, gets slightly better gas mileage than my old 1993 Ford Taurus (3.8L V6) that was built in Atlanta, Georgia. - Reinhart.