![]() ![]() ![]() They are easy for the non-dealer mechanic to work on, and junkyard parts are accessable to most people. If new parts weren't getting so hard to find, I would buy another Lumina in a heartbeat. When passing one day, I was suprised to look down and find I was going almost 100, no shimmys, no rattles, just a smooth ride. I find that I can take "45mph" curves at 60-65 without feeling like I'm going to loose it. It has a very large turing radius and a front-end that is longer than it "feels," so give yourself plenty of room when parking. They do have the notorious Chevy breaks, especially on the rear, so you do have to keep an eye on them, but I've never been dissapointed in the power or road-hugging capabilities of this nearly full-sized sedan. We bought both cars used and ran them beyond 200,000 miles before anything serious wore out. The new Lumina and Monte Carlo are noexceptions, but Chevrolet is not far off the mark.My family has owned 5 different Lumina Sedans (90-95s)and have never been left wanting! We have owned 2 of the 93 Euros and both were absolute dreams to drive. ![]() Throughout the summer, Chevy dealers will start receiving both cars involume. They’vejammed Chevy with more than 90,000 orders for the cars. Chevrolet dealersalready think the MonteCarlo, which went into production Feb. And so is the legroom and headroomavailable to rear passengers.Ĭhevy officials hope to sell 300,000 Lumina sedans and Monte Carlo sportcoupes in the 1995 model year. With more padding and support in the lower portion of the seat, the carswould have been as close to faultless as you can get in a lower-priced familysedan and sports coupe. Itwas almost as if theseat cushion was touching the floorboard.Įven though the cars I test drove were pre-production models, Chevroletofficials said the seats in production cars would be virtually the same. I weigh 172pounds and I felt the lower part of the seats sink slightly as I sat down. Specifically, it’s the lower portion of thefront seats that need work.There isn’t enough padding and support in the lower cushion. I tried all of the seating options Chevy offers in the Lumina and MonteCarlo – bench and bucket, cloth and leather – and I couldn’t really getcomfortable. Unlike the old Lumina, you can reach the radio and pop in a cassettewithout having to lean forward.īut after driving some of the cars that the Lumina and Monte Carlo willcompete against – such as the Honda Accord, Ford Taurus and Dodge Intrepid – Irealized that Chevy interior designers dropped the ball when it came toseating comfort. The analog gauges, with their orange needles, white numbersand black background, are easy to readand nicely placed within the instrumentcluster. The three rotary air-conditioner switches feel excellent and are extremelyeasy to operate. Thecupholders, for instance, have been designed to hold everything from thebiggest cup of soda you can buy to a coffee mug with a handle. The interior doesn’t break any new ground in terms of styling ortechnology, but it is attractive, well laid out and user-friendly. Both systems are well matched to the weightand handling abilities of sedan and coupe. The four-wheel independent suspension in theLumina sedan takes the sharpedge off most bumps while still delivering a very capable and athletic ride.īoth cars are outfitted with disc brakes up front and drums in the rear andpower rack-and-pinion steering. You can’t even feel the downshift from fourth to third when you arecruising at highway speeds and you floor the accelerator to pass.īalance and finesse probably best describe the overall driving and handlingcharacteristics of both cars. The gearbox in the Lumina and Monte Carlo provides seamlessshifts. I can’t recall driving any car with a smoother automatictransmission. All that both cars need are better frontseats.īoth available engines – the 160-horsepower 3.1-liter V-6 and the210-horsepower 24-valve 3.4-liter V-6 – felt great, delivering superblyrefined performance and fuel economy many four-cylinder imports can match butnot beat. I feel that both cars – which are mechanically identical – are just oneminor improvement away from giving Chevrolet a real shot at competing for thetop spot in the mid-size market. Last week I drove 180 miles through the winding country roads of northernCentral Florida while taking turns behind the wheel of the new ChevroletLumina and Monte Carlo and the cars Chevy says will be their maincompetition.Īfter a careful comparison, I feel I can predict that Chevrolet will havesolid hits with its new mid-size family sedan and luxury-sports coupe.Initially, however, the1995 Lumina-Monte Carlo may not be a home run, butthey’ll certainly move Chevrolet into scoring position. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |