POS of the year award.

"jkm7680" (jkm7680)
04/04/2015 at 22:32 • Filed to: None

*Going up a steep hill*

(First four jerky automatic shifts are in VERY rapid succession.)

FIRST GEAR

SECOND GEAR

THIRD GEAR

FORTH GEAR

FIRST GEAR

WON'T GET OUT OF FIRST GEAR

FIRST GEAR

Such a massive pile of shit...... I'm not surprised cops hate the Impala. I feel bad for whoever owns one of those things. (Also the service life of these things for Police use is usually around 60k. ) Because that's about when the engine and transmission start to go.

DISCUSSION (72)

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > jkm7680
04/04/2015 at 22:38

Its funny because my whole county uses them for cop cars. I know a lot of them so I always ask them and they say getting Impalas of this gen was one of the worst things ever.

they either are begging to be put in the new Caprices or switch to FHP because new Chargers!

XJDano > jkm7680
04/04/2015 at 22:40

A co-worker bought one, got screwed on interest rate, then screwed because his step dad's name is on title. In MO we have personal property tax, if that's not paid you can't renew your plates. His step dad is in jail, hasn't paid taxes & The kid can't renew his tags. I feel sorry for him, but as we say he "is now a lifer", accumulating bills at the income of a 40-60k job and won't be able to stop work, go to school, get a better job than a laborer.

jkm7680 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
04/04/2015 at 22:41

Haha, they really are complete shit though. The steering wheels surface turns to rat fur at around 30k, the engine and transmission are totally dead at around 60k depending on how bad it is, and the interior is shit.

The FHP uses a real strange balance of cars, haha. I was recently in Florida and saw a decent amount of '05 Crown Vics still in service alongside relatively new Chargers.

Round headlight enthusiast > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
04/04/2015 at 22:42

Huh. I never knew the police hated these. I can only imagine what they must have thought of the Impala that came before this one. NYC seems to like having those as police cars

jkm7680 > XJDano
04/04/2015 at 22:42

Ouch, that's a tough spot for sure.

Alex from Toronto > jkm7680
04/04/2015 at 22:43

I thought generation of Impala was a solid car, boring and cheap interior but good mechanically.

jkm7680 > Alex from Toronto
04/04/2015 at 22:44

Fleet maintained, so I doubt that this was just one bad car.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
04/04/2015 at 22:45

Near me in CA its all Dodges and Ford Explorers. SFPD still has the old Chevy cruisers for the most part.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Round headlight enthusiast
04/04/2015 at 22:47

They used the older Crown Vics (with the long taillights) before and loved them. at least here they hate the gearbox and how underpowered they are...

jkm7680 > Round headlight enthusiast
04/04/2015 at 22:48

I'm guessing in NYC they're driven pretty lightly since there's less high speed maneuvering.

Ask any cop about the Impala 9c1. Worst successor to the Caprice 9c1.

ranwhenparked > Round headlight enthusiast
04/04/2015 at 22:48

NYC is one of the few cities that bought a lot of them. Philadelphia tried them to, apparently they work perfectly fine as long as you replace them after 3-4 years, after that, things start going wrong and they start spending lots of time in the shop. That used to be a pretty normal replacement interval for police cars, and some departments don't have a problem affording it.Lots of them got spoiled by the Panthers. Smaller departments, especially, got in the habit of running Crown Victorias for 150,000+ miles, since they could take the abuse without breaking a sweat.

NYC is more willing to experiment with FWD cars than others, right now they have a number of Fusions, and they've also used Altimas. The consensus is that they do the job fine, but their useful lifespan is just much more limited, since they're not really well suited to heavy commercial use. Then again, very few cars being made today are - even Chargers and Caprices probably don't hold up that much better.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
04/04/2015 at 22:48

The county uses these. My town is Taurus and explorers. Fhp is Chargers and durangos. The next town over is a mix of fusions (not a mistake) and Dodge Magnums oddly enough with undercover crown Vics thrown in

Alex from Toronto > jkm7680
04/04/2015 at 22:49

Ok never mind then.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > jkm7680
04/04/2015 at 22:50

That's not really a surprise, but honestly our Impala was dog reliable for 100k miles, though it was slow as shit.

jkm7680 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
04/04/2015 at 22:50

What year was it?

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > jkm7680
04/04/2015 at 22:52

'05 Impala, so previous generation.

jkm7680 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
04/04/2015 at 22:53

Huh, those must have been slightly better built or something.

Arben72 > jkm7680
04/04/2015 at 22:56

So up until last year Illinois state cops mostly used crown vics. Then I noticed a shit ton of caprices so I thought, oh wow, I can't wait til I can get one of these for 2k. Now I'm noticing a lot of impalas and I'm wondering where the fuck were they keeping were these pos.

On a side note, anyone know the official cop car of Illinois state police? I noticed everything from mostly impalas and caprices, to up north its mostly ford interceptors (suv and the tauras), and now I'm noticing a few chargers. I've also seen quite a few new tahoes. It's hard to remember the headlights you need to watch out for.

Steve in Manhattan > jkm7680
04/04/2015 at 22:57

I've seen Altima Hybrid, Taurus, and even a couple Volt police cars here. But this is NYC, so high speed pursuit is not usually on the menu.

jkm7680 > Steve in Manhattan
04/04/2015 at 23:01

Yup, that would probably explain why they actually are used in NYC.

There aren't any on NYPD Highway Patrol right?

jkm7680 > Arben72
04/04/2015 at 23:02

They probably kept them locked away and hoped they would never have to use them. They're so damned slow that a Panther could probably blow them away on any given day though.

Round headlight enthusiast > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
04/04/2015 at 23:06

Oh gawsh that Durango. If it's the previous gen (I've seen a few in police duty), then man, what a massive POS that must be. Just apalling vehicles all around, those things.

Steve in Manhattan > jkm7680
04/04/2015 at 23:18

Not sure. I've also seen some Chargers - I think all Crown Vics have been phased out or sent off to be taxis.

jkm7680 > Steve in Manhattan
04/04/2015 at 23:21

Dammit! Everywhere I've seen the Crown Vic is holding out strong. Outnumbers all the others 10 to 5about.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > jkm7680
04/04/2015 at 23:25

Oh no, they just didn't have enough power to break anything. Everything else started falling apart at 15k miles.

jkm7680 > ranwhenparked
04/04/2015 at 23:26

The Panther really was something special. Those things could really take a beating and then live again as taxis again after years of abuse. 400k is a breeze for most of them.

For the Impala, as you said it seems to be about 2 years and 30-60k tops. Rarely see more than that.

jkm7680 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
04/04/2015 at 23:28

Hahaha, well that explains it!

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > jkm7680
04/04/2015 at 23:28

NY doesn't have HP. Well kinda but it's State Troopers that do it not a separate division.

ranwhenparked > jkm7680
04/04/2015 at 23:29

The Panther was just purpose built for long life and heavy use. Low tech and durable, basically the ideal car for fleet use, but not terribly desirable for consumers (excepting skinflints that buy one new car every 20 years and run them into the ground).

jkm7680 > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
04/04/2015 at 23:30

I meant the NYPD's Highway Patrol division.

jkm7680 > ranwhenparked
04/04/2015 at 23:31

Also very comfortable for what it was. No frills, gimmicks and all that with a 4.6 V8.

Steve in Manhattan > jkm7680
04/04/2015 at 23:36

The Crown Vic taxis here will be done fairly soon. I talk to drivers all the time - they regularly go 6, 7, 800K. Most drivers lease the taxis, so they have to earn $120 before they start making money on their shift. Often these cars aren't turned off for days. And the taxi companies love them because drivers like them, and it's all dumb technology. Parts are plentiful, repairs are easy, and the cars are dead reliable.

However, many of them I ride in have whining differentials, collapsed rear suspensions, and rear seats with collapsed springs. The interactive systems in them are old - you can still pay with credit/debit, but you can't control A/C without the driver's cooperation, and you can't charge a cell phone. The N200 and a few other models allow this. So we'll see. Still, my favorite taxi remains the Toyota Highlander Hybrid - comfy seats, great ride, and pretty damn safe.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Alex from Toronto
04/04/2015 at 23:45

They're great commuters, but terrible for a basher. FF transverse design means it sucks for taking hits.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > jkm7680
04/04/2015 at 23:53

Ah, do they have an HP division?

Arben72 > jkm7680
04/05/2015 at 00:22

I hate it. The more caprices there are, the cheaper they'll be. V8 and rwd is a good combo. Instead they probably found a warehouse full of impalas that some corrupt politician ordered to line his pockets.

JasonStern911 > jkm7680
04/05/2015 at 00:23

that's not so bad. one time a work trip required going to GDC in San Francisco and our company rented a Dodge Caravan. I got the unfortunate job of driving back to Reno across the Sierra Nevadas. I assure you, 11111111111111111111111 is better than 24324324324324342342432432432432432434234243 EVERY F'ING TWO SECONDS with no tiptronic-style shifting ability. I never really understood Oppo's hate for automatic transmissions in non-sporty environments until then.

RallyWrench > jkm7680
04/05/2015 at 00:51

True story. I had one as a rental and the best thing I can say about it is that the AC worked.

suba-wagen > jkm7680
04/05/2015 at 01:09

Its funny because the guy I deliver pizza with uses a police spec version. Comes complete with brush guard too.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > jkm7680
04/05/2015 at 03:10

I'm assuming this was an older one with the 240 horsepower 3.9L engine and four-speed auto and not one with the 305 horsepower 3.6L and six-speed that's essentially the same as what's in the redesigned one. Because yes, that whole drivetrain was a POS in whatever it was shoved in.

Alex B > jkm7680
04/05/2015 at 08:39

Ew.

jkm7680 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
04/05/2015 at 08:41

Think it was around an '07. Total hooptie. Couldn't stand anything about it.

jkm7680 > RallyWrench
04/05/2015 at 08:42

The A/C didn't work properly on this particular one.

jkm7680 > Arben72
04/05/2015 at 08:42

V6 and FWD is the worst.... Cough IMPALA.

jkm7680 > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
04/05/2015 at 08:42

Yup, sorta a strange division.

jkm7680 > Steve in Manhattan
04/05/2015 at 08:44

Yup, In New York they seem on their way out. In other cities such as Miami, they're still running strong. 9/10 cabs in Miami are P71 Crown Vics. It's pretty cool actually.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > jkm7680
04/05/2015 at 11:28

interesting. Did not know that existed.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > jkm7680
04/05/2015 at 13:01

FHP makes no sense at all which is how they get you. There's an undercover beige Toyota highlander with a stick figure family running undercover work. We also have a Viper. Then all three generations of Chargers and Crown Vics as well

jkm7680 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
04/05/2015 at 13:46

Wow, that's pretty scary actually.

Steve in Manhattan > jkm7680
04/05/2015 at 14:50

I suppose I'll miss them a bit too ... I remember as a kid the last few years of the Checker era. Talk about a taxi ...

jkm7680 > Steve in Manhattan
04/05/2015 at 14:57

I'll miss them for sure, of course a good percentage of them from NYC are taxis in other parts of the United States..

All those Nissan "Taxi of tomorrow" things will be dead within five years and 100k. Just watch.

Steve in Manhattan > jkm7680
04/05/2015 at 15:20

I'm not so sure - seen a few half million mile Priuses and Altimas, a few Escapes nearing 800K - the Nissans will probably go for a long time. And they're roomy in the back, which is nice.

jkm7680 > Steve in Manhattan
04/05/2015 at 15:28

The Escape Hybrids were really durable, but the Nissans really started to show their age quickly.

I doubt that the tiny wheels and CVT are up to the task. The age of the American NYC taxi is over now that they rely on Japan for everything.

Steve in Manhattan > jkm7680
04/05/2015 at 15:45

We'll see. It's amazing what the really big concerns do to keep their machines on the road. What's really bad? Those Ford Transit/Courier thingys - nearly every one I've been in makes noise, and the rear seats are collapsed.

jkm7680 > Steve in Manhattan
04/05/2015 at 17:28

The rear seats were like concrete park benches from what I've heard. They should have really made more effort to bid on the Taxi Of Tomorrow slot.

I'll say the CVTs go out at 100k and the suspension collapses far before that.

Steve in Manhattan > jkm7680
04/05/2015 at 17:41

That's the thing - the big companies will just rebuild the CVTs or swap them for something more reliable, if available. It's amazing what they can keep on the road.

jkm7680 > Steve in Manhattan
04/05/2015 at 18:07

Yup, do you recall how long the contract with Nissan is?

Hybrids are exempt, and I have a feeling that a good portion of drivers are going to go for those.

Steve in Manhattan > jkm7680
04/05/2015 at 18:23

10 years . If it survives all the court challenges.

jkm7680 > Steve in Manhattan
04/05/2015 at 18:40

I'd say it won't. Really shitty cars those.

Steve in Manhattan > jkm7680
04/05/2015 at 19:56

The rationale won't be the car, it'll be whether the mayor has the authority to impose what cars the T&LC can use. If memory serves, Bloomberg lost a round of this when it came to hybrids, but I think that will continue simply because they're the best choice for stop and go here. We'll see.

jkm7680 > Steve in Manhattan
04/05/2015 at 19:57

DeBlasio was reluctant to support it, but it really isn't the right car to suit the job.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > jkm7680
04/05/2015 at 20:48

I know an older lady witha W body, and she insists on putting premium gas on it. ugh

and no it's not an SS, not that an SS would need premium either.

jkm7680 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
04/05/2015 at 20:50

If I owned one I'd probably use premium gas to set it on fire.

The SS was a total joke also, haha. Like why does that even need to exist.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > suba-wagen
04/05/2015 at 20:50

is it a V8?

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > jkm7680
04/05/2015 at 21:02

Well it was almost fun to drive, in a straight line. But the interior was so terrible I couldn't enjoy the V8 acceleration. man was it bad.

One thing that pissed me off was the shifter that wasn't labeled and was made of the cheapest, hardest, most hallow feeling plastic ever. when you movedd it just felt so cheap, and then you had to hope you landed in the right spot, or look on the dash to make sure you were in the right gear.

Kinja'd!!!