Does anybody else out there think this is a really good car. I dont mean like speed wise, but just all around in reliability and performance. My GF has one, and its comfortable, drives nice, has plenty of power, handles very well, alot of trunk space, and enough seating to comfortablt fit 4 adults. Her's has like 160k on it and the thing runs like its brand new. no smoking, no loose steering wheel, nothing. She does have an intermittent check engine light, but its just for an 02 sensor. Also, it seems to get pretty good gas mileage. She went into the ditch with it the other day, and it was pretty deep snow, and she had to be pulled through a field (very snowy) to a field approach to get her back on the road. Well, if they went slow the car would get stuck, so they drug the car through the field (her dad was driving the car, his friend in the truck) and they were probably going like 30 in the field, you could see the car bouncing and just flying. We got it back on the road, and the dang thing even seemed to still be in alignment. What does everyone else think about this car? Does ford have a vehicle that will compare? I think its about a 96 lumina. Right now if I had to pick the most practicle car, it would be the lumina.

 

My buddy just got rid of his. It was the exact same year. I dont know what chevy did, but they need to do more of what they did with that car. He had 320,000 miles on the clock and the car was still running good. Aside from things like cv joints at 200,000 miles the car had no real work done to it. The only reason he got rid of it was that it was his wifes car and he was afriad of it giving up the ghost on a deserted road. The car had one hubcap and looked like hell. I dont think there was a strait body panel on it. But it just kept going and going and going............................

 

Yeah, my GF has driven it through a ditch once (went in then came back out) and it has been put into the ditch that has been described above. It has 2 small dents on it, 1 on each front fender. Its strange, because it seems like every other lumina i see that is that color has those same dents on it. Its like a lumina conspiracy. I'm seriously thinking about maybe buying a used one or somthing. They are super good cars. Changing the oil on them is a breeze.

 

My girlfriend used to have a 92 Cavalier Z24 Coupe, had the 3.1 V6, which I think was put in the Lumina. This thing is unstoppable also, and got the best gas mileage of any car she or I have owned. We'd take a 4 hour trip from Mass to Maine and it'd use less than a 1/4 tank. The tank wasn't huge or anything either. She ended up giving it to her younger sister who still drives it today- 168,000 miles.

 

I have a 00' model Lumina that I've been racking miles up pretty quickley. The 3.1L engine seems to be a good solid design. I ran 170k on one in a cutluas supreme before I bought this lumina. My dad also has a 94 Grand prix with around 250k miles on it so I assume the 3.1L to be pretty solid. I have 123k on the lumina as of today and the car has been pretty good so far. I plan to get another 100-150k out of it if possible since it is my commuter car (I drive roughly 80 miles oer day to work and back).

I like the car but it does have its problems, the big one being the intake manifold gasket. These are a common problem and they are very expensive (600+ to repair). I did mine myself (at 112k) and it still cost me $200 just for parts. Its also an all day project!! Another thing is the radio, the lights on the 1 and 4 buttons have went out, I was gonna switch it out with the one we have at work untill I noticed that one also has two buttons burned out (numbers 3 and 6). I then relized the 98 blazer we have at work has the same radio and again has the same two buttons burned out as well. They still function properly, they just don't light up any more. Its kinda more of an annoyance than anything. The only other problem I had was the trany let go at 80k but it was kinda of a freak thing that I won't hold against it. A $2 seal failed in it and cost me $1600 clams for a new one. one the other hand my new pickup (03 Superduty V10) crapt out the trany at 20k so like I said, sometimes **** happens.

I do have a good fair comparison though. I resently purchaced a 02' Ford Traurus SES with the FF 3.0L. The following is what I have observed. The tauras has a much more resposive throttle, the 3.0L motor may be slightly weaker than the GM 3.1L but they are pretty comparable for power. The Lumina is a quieter car hands down. The taurus has a nicer firm shift, but I also like a good solid shift vrs a real soft sloppy one, some perfer it the other way. They get comparable gas mileage but if I had to chooose one I'd give the 3.1L the edge, its pretty close though. I like the interior and gauge layout better in the taurus than the lumina. I also perfer the looks of the taurs over the lumina but both of those are just personal preferences. The taurus also has a rear folding back seat that leads to the truck and the lumina doesn't. I will give all tightness awards to the taursus. It steers tighter, has less body roll, and a firmer ride than the lumina. as far as rattles I will have to wait untill the taurus has 125k miles because neither cars have any (or had) any rattles at 40k miles (that all I have on the taurus).

For the most part they are pretty equal but after owning both I do prefer the taurus over the Lumina mostly for the above resons. Also the taurus has a few mor cup holders unlike the single one in the lumina, also the Lumina cup holder obstructs the radio. I'm getting pretty nit picky so I'll stop at that. I do agree that aside from the 50% that need intake gaskets the Lumina is a good vehicle that seems to be built for the long haul. good luck but don't count the taurus out if you looking at 2000 and up models (I like the looks of the lumina better than the 96-00' tuauses).

 

I had a 1990 pontiac 6000 with the 3.1, the transmission was slipping and the engine gave out with only 132k. My buddy thought that my 3.1 would outlast the 3.3 in his olds. This car was my first gm product and it didnt leave a good impression.

 

Oh yeah, one gripe about the 3.1-at least when its in the cavalier- don't try and work on the motor. Probably the tighteste engine compartment I've ever worked on. Changing the plugs took more than an hour. Thank god I never have to fix that thing again!

 

bigblue, get used to it all new cars are this way. I found it pretty easy to work on the Lumina compared to any of the DOHC engines in any car. I'm sure it was a bit tighter in the caviler. Did you loosen the two front dogbone motor mounts and pull the engine forward so you can access the rear plugs? If you do this they aren't great but without doing so it could be a real bear.

I forgot about my biggest gripe with these cars (mostly the 3.1L engine) two words "PISTON SLAP". Every day I start my car it sounds like a damn deisel running in the garage for the first two minutes. After it warms up a bit it quites down untill being barely noticeable. My cutlass had the same crap and both cars had it from the day I purchaced them. I don't know that it really affects anything but it makes the car sound like a peice of crap. I mean my friends ..........MOM....... asked me what was rattling in my engine one day after I had started it up in there driveway, My friend replied with a "thats the sound of a GM mom, this is why we buy fords". It pretty sad when a woman that knows little about cars notices it!!! niether my V10 or the 3.0L taurus have it although the V10 has only 30k on it and the 3.0 with 41k so we'll see if tehy stay PISTON SLAP FREE in another 100k miles, both the Lumina and Cutlass had it under 50k, the lumina had it from under 15k and the cutlass developed it around 47k.

 

My '91 Lumina blew the engine at around 120,000 miles. Had it comepletly rebuilt and then 4 fuel injectors went out. I ended up sinking a lot more money into that car then I care to admit. It was a nice driving car, but it had its problems also.
JEV

 

No I never loosened the motor mounts, but the engine bay is very very tight. I'm a small guy too, and it was hard for me to get close to anything. Too bad that cars are getting this way.

For the piston slap-your soo right there. Here car sounds horrible at first and then smooths out. I've noticed even with new Chevy's that when you turn the key and the starter turns the motor, that it sounds like the motor is completely dry of oil, and instead has sand inside. I always thought that it would sound harsh when turning them over, then when the motor sparked up it would run normal. Next time you start the lumina, listen to it just as it spins (just before it starts up), and see if you notice it.

 

JEV, I would like to say that the 96+ luminas are completely different than the 91' luminas. The only part of the engine that may be the same is the block itself, other than that I don't think that anything else carried over.

BigBlue, I don't think I would have much of a chance of hearing thise unless I pulled a fuse (disallowing the engine to start) because it takes off within a crank or so. I can say that at 112k miles when I had the entire top end apart to change out the leaky intake gasket that everything looked nice and clean with very little sludge build up. The rocker arms and push rods had very little wear, almost unnoticable! The only thing that has ever been done is scheduled 3k mile oil changes and over half of them were with regular dino 5w30 mobile at which point I changed over (around 70k miles) to castrol 5w30 synthetic blend. From seeing the cleanliness inside the engine itself I have no worries about it making over 200k miles without any major service.

I forgot to add big blue that by loosing the motor mounts and pulling the engine forward you should gain atleast another 6 inches of clearence between the firewall and the rear of engine, still not alot but atleast workable. The only bad part is you need a tie strap or somthing to tie to inorder to hold the engine forward while your working on it, it will just go back in place otherwise.

 

We still make the Lumina... sort of. It's called the Impala. Still part of that "W" body family that included the Grand prix, Cutlass Supreme, and Regal. Luminas seemed to last forever, though.

 

ya i have a cutlass supreme 4 door. i am at 150k and it needs new shocks in the rear. bad. i have mud and snow douglas tires on it. i can go through about anything (snow wise) if you put your foot in it and get some momentum.

i would take my car anyday over any 2x4 truck. i beat the heck out of it and do regular service and the thing is gutlass but it's the 92 3.1 i had a shift seleniod go out in the tranny. that cost 500. but other than that just minor stuff.

 

The GM 60 degree v6s are pretty solid. Mainly the pushrod versions, though, despite the intake manifold gasket issues they still have.

That's what has my 95 3.4L Camaro sidelined. Maybe I will see what the previous owner let happen to it, but that'll wait.

Just don't go for the DOHC 3.4L v6. It is costly to maintain, known for blowing head gaskets, has an issue with oil leaking from under the distributor (hard to get to, to boot), and costly to rebuilt. About $2500 or so worth of jack to rebuild. Though, 215 ponies and potential for more is tempting...

I had to help a coworker change spark plugs in his 3.1L Beretta once. He paid $500ish to buy it and it showed. He thought it was a 4 banger...so I knew what trouble this could be. After changing all the sensors that were rusting off, I had trouble moving the next morning waking up, since I had to become a contortionist to help out.

Death to sideways engines.

 

In 2004 my mom finally sold her 1994 Lumina and it had the older 3.1 with 160k that car never had a problem she didn't even want to sell it. I still see the guy that bought it still driving it around she now has a 2001 Impala 3.8 hope it's as good as the Lumina was, so far so good.