GM Start / Stop 2016 Impala any experience?

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KCJeep

KCJeep

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I have taken a keen liking to a 2016 Impala. Interested in the 2.5 that has stop/start standard due to price and the fact it would mostly be a commuting car so the 30+ highway mpg is appealing. I am not normally one to warm up to anything new but the system intrigues me and I am not inclined to run the other way because of it.

Any first hand experience with the system, especially long term? I would like to hear your thoughts.

I am concerned that 5 years from now GM's stop start with be some notorious disaster like their diesels of the 80's, but that is the skeptical side of me, most of me thinks GM has really gotten it's act together lately.

Appreciate your feedback.
 
Think of it as seat belt interlock V2, wait till the first time it wont start at a red light. I have driven may vehicles equipped with this [censored] and yes its a deal breaker if there is no shut off for it.
Personally I rather have an eye poked out with a #2 Phillips than be stuck with one that cannot be disabled.
 
I had an MB rental in Munich that had that start stop technology. It takes some getting used to.
 
My malibu has the 2.5L w/ start/stop. It takes some time to get use to but once u get a hang of it you can get it to work when you want. So far with 21k it has been trouble free. I get 27-30mpg combined in my malibu.
 
I haven't heard of any trouble with any of the start/stop systems. The cars I have driven with the system took me a few stops to get used to but then you don't even notice it. Those Impalas are really nice driving cars, I would strongly consider one if I was in the market for a sedan.
 
My '13 LaCrosse eAssist with the 2.4 has it. It took me a couple of weeks to get used to get used to it, but it was never very intrusive or bothersome. Anticipating when you'll need to move and taking a half-second delay between releasing the brake and hitting the accelerator makes a difference, and I do it as a matter of course now, even in other cars. Average fuel economy per fill-up has been 29.4 - 34.1 mpg over the 4500 miles I've driven it. Weather's made a difference - I admit to using remote start on a few mornings the temp has been below 15.
 
Glad you found something you like; agree 100% -- if you cannot turn it off it is a deal breaker. I would pick a Mazda 6 over the Malibu.
 
Originally Posted By: Leo99
I had an MB rental in Munich that had that start stop technology. It takes some getting used to.


The 2014+ Mercedes E350 has it. They can be had used for $25-$35k depending on mileage and options. It can be shut off, but has to be disabled each time you start the car.
 
The GM E-assist uses the alternator for start / stop. The conventional startier is used only for cold key starts. E-assist has fuel economy gains from 8% to 15%. My sisters Malibu has it, and she tells me you get used to it very quickly and she has no complaints.
 
GM passenger car transmissions have be terrible for years, 4 speeds and 6 speeds, the aftermarket manufactures are cranking up production for the rebuild market - repair shops can't afford 'comebacks' for cheap GM parts. Sonnax has redesigned lots of GM parts.

Do I love my Impala? Yes, more so after I had it rebuilt with Sonnax parts in the valvebody - after the GM dealer dicked around with it under warranty! The GM dealer was so bad it actually got worse!

My rule of thumb is if major stuff breaks, it's crummy - why? Because I drive super smooth with the goal of getting 300K to 500K out of it. Can't get that if I beat it up!

By contrast I've driven 3 Chrysler 5th Ave with 318 V8 and A727 TorquFlite trannies 900K + and never had a tranny issue!

The current crop of GM 6 speed trannies have all the problems of the 4 speeds. The Stop/Start engines need special transmissions to keep the shift accumulators pressurized, etc, all weak GM parts.

I'd wait a few years to see the fallout before I'd try one!

Consider this:

For 6 model years GM built 4T65E trannies with 4th gear shafts with unhardened splines!
The splines stripped out under load leaving you stranded! Cheapskates at GM didn't want to pay for heat treating!
 
I drove a rental Malibu with start stop. I didn't like it but I bet it wouldn't be too hard to get used to. You gotta be able to turn it off though.
 
My 2 Series has it; no issues in over 13k miles. I use it when commuting and it works fine- I tend to forget it's even enabled. That said, it can be switched off. And in any event, activating either Sport or Sport+ mode also deactivates the feature.
 
My wife's 2017 Ford Escape 2.0 t has stop-start. She finds it very irritating, but it has a on-off button. She got into the habit of turning off the feature as soon as she starts the engine. I have only driven it a few times and it did not bother me.
 
I had a 2 yr old Ford Focus diesel with auto stop/start stop on me at a major intersection in a traffic jam at 5pm in the rain and wouldn't restart.
What really concerns me is the life expectancy and the cost of replacement parts and their availability, some of these alternator units could cost a small fortune and for one of decent quality will probably be OE only. An electrical fault could prove more than the average shop can handle and if it happens on the road could prove a real nightmare.

Sure it may save a small amount of fuel but that small savings over a long time could be burned up in a flash with a costly repair. IMO keep it simple as possible, down the road its going to be an older car with older car problems.
 
I've been driving a 2016 Impala 2.5 for 7 months/6000 miles. The start stop "feature" is unobtrusive. For the first week or so it was disconcerting to have the engine stop when stopped at a traffic light. I've gotten used to it and don't pay any attention to it. The start/stop is disabled when you have the a/c on max. Orange indicator light on a/c climate control. You can press the a/c button again to go to eco mode (green indicator) and enable start/stop. I had to read the manual to figure out what was going on.

At first I was concerned about the engine not engaging quickly enough after an auto stop. That has never been a problem. The engine restarts immediately after I move my foot off the brake.

One concern I have is the long term reliability. There is an extra battery in the trunk that keeps the accessories going when auto stopped. This battery is small but probably going to be expensive to replace.

All things considered, I'm happy with the fuel economy. Averaging about 26 in traffic and over 32 on the highway. I would not hesitate to buy the 2.5 with start/stop.
 
I like renting them - but this is the first I recall of someone posting actual MPG - that is good for a large, smooth, quiet car at that price point ...
 
Originally Posted By: ems1
I've been driving a 2016 Impala 2.5 for 7 months/6000 miles. The start stop "feature" is unobtrusive. For the first week or so it was disconcerting to have the engine stop when stopped at a traffic light. I've gotten used to it and don't pay any attention to it. The start/stop is disabled when you have the a/c on max. Orange indicator light on a/c climate control. You can press the a/c button again to go to eco mode (green indicator) and enable start/stop. I had to read the manual to figure out what was going on.

At first I was concerned about the engine not engaging quickly enough after an auto stop. That has never been a problem. The engine restarts immediately after I move my foot off the brake.

One concern I have is the long term reliability. There is an extra battery in the trunk that keeps the accessories going when auto stopped. This battery is small but probably going to be expensive to replace.

All things considered, I'm happy with the fuel economy. Averaging about 26 in traffic and over 32 on the highway. I would not hesitate to buy the 2.5 with start/stop.

the batt runs about $100 and the batt under the hood is about $200 because of it being an AGM batt.
 
Originally Posted By: rubberchicken
My wife's 2017 Ford Escape 2.0 t has stop-start. She finds it very irritating, but it has a on-off button. She got into the habit of turning off the feature as soon as she starts the engine. I have only driven it a few times and it did not bother me.


On my car once you switch stop-start off it remains disabled until you switch it back on.
 
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