So our 2001 Impala is at a body shop for a few weeks waiting for repairs from being hit while parked in front of the house last Friday evening, and we now have a 2012 Impala rental with a VVT 6 cylinder engine.
The 2012 has noticeably more horse power, and wider Goodyear Eagle tires. It climbs a twisting road with noticeably more power and grip on the turns. Kinda like a cross between a sports car and our old Impala. I looked up the VVT engine and it is rated at 287 Horse-Power at 6500 RPMs vs our old 2001 with the 3.4 rated at 180 Horse-Power at 5000 RPMs when it was new.
While an increase of 107 more Horse-Power and an engine that seams eager to jump up the RPMs is nice when combined with the wider tires and stiffer suspension, while winding up a long hill when traffic is low. However, the hard jolts in the back from the stiff suspension when driving on straight and level roads, combined with the transmissions tendency to remain in too low of a gear and slow the car down when it could shift up to let the car glide down shallow hills, makes me miss the old 2001 Impala.
Given the choice between the two, I would pick the old 2001 that had a better ride on bumpy roads before the Goodyear Assurance Comfortracks were put on it, and a MUCH better ride now that it has the Goodyear Assurance Comfortracks on all 4.
I guess it takes more engineering and or dollars per vehicle, then Chevy is willing to throw at an Impala, to make a vehicle that is both nimble in the turns and soft on bumpy roads.
I will be happy when our plain jane old 2001 Impala is back from the body shop, and will not miss the back jolts of the 2012 Impala when we give it back to the rental company.
The 2012 has noticeably more horse power, and wider Goodyear Eagle tires. It climbs a twisting road with noticeably more power and grip on the turns. Kinda like a cross between a sports car and our old Impala. I looked up the VVT engine and it is rated at 287 Horse-Power at 6500 RPMs vs our old 2001 with the 3.4 rated at 180 Horse-Power at 5000 RPMs when it was new.
While an increase of 107 more Horse-Power and an engine that seams eager to jump up the RPMs is nice when combined with the wider tires and stiffer suspension, while winding up a long hill when traffic is low. However, the hard jolts in the back from the stiff suspension when driving on straight and level roads, combined with the transmissions tendency to remain in too low of a gear and slow the car down when it could shift up to let the car glide down shallow hills, makes me miss the old 2001 Impala.
Given the choice between the two, I would pick the old 2001 that had a better ride on bumpy roads before the Goodyear Assurance Comfortracks were put on it, and a MUCH better ride now that it has the Goodyear Assurance Comfortracks on all 4.
I guess it takes more engineering and or dollars per vehicle, then Chevy is willing to throw at an Impala, to make a vehicle that is both nimble in the turns and soft on bumpy roads.
I will be happy when our plain jane old 2001 Impala is back from the body shop, and will not miss the back jolts of the 2012 Impala when we give it back to the rental company.
