This is the thing most new cars lack, the comfortable seats and the fabrics they used for the upholstery (including the japanese cars of this era). I have just recently purchased an AE92 Corolla in as new condition with ORTHOPEDIC SEATS from the factory with that glorious japanese fabric scent to go along with it.
My 88' Supra and 94 Camry have the most damn comfortable seats I've ever used. The Supra ones are head and shoulders above anything I've experienced in a car while still looking and amazing and being sporty. Both cloth. My new (to me) 01' Celica has leather seats and uhh, yeah they aren't that great.
My parents used to have a bright red 91 Lumina with the 3100. They used to pull a small pop up camper with it when they'd go camping. It was a good car.
My grandparents bought a new lumina euro in 1991. Great car the only problem they had was it had a battery drain. The fuse to the dash lights was pulled, and that fixed the drain. I can remember road trips in the dark my grandfather having to turn the overhead lights on to check his speed. 😂
My neighbor and friend, who was 2 years older than the rest of our group, got a white 1993 Lumina Z/34 for his first car in the early 00’s. When he brought it home the 5 of us just stared at it sitting in the driveway. It was our first taste of unsupervised freedom. Some of the best teenage memories I have were riding in that red velour interior that reeked of 90’s GM plastic. I can still hear that starter and big V6 under load. Thanks for the nostalgia.
I have and love my old old 92 Lumina Euro. I got her at 112k 9 years ago and she's now at 174k. Plan on giving her a paint job this year. You don't see many on the road anymore.
Mom had a ‘91 not-Euro but V6 Lumina for years. Was a very roomy and pretty reliable car. Was eventually replaced by a used ‘99 Regal that also served very well. Then replaced by a ‘12 V6 Chrysler 300 in ‘15 that has also been just a comfortable, reliable car with no fuss knock on wood
I had a 90 base 3.1 in 1996. My first car. I was 16. I did the least amount of maintenance one can do to keep a car running. The coldest Chicago winters. Runs up to Wisconsin. It never once broke down. Never once didn't start. 2 years of abuse 7 days a week. That's amazing
My best friend growing up had this exact car except he had the two door, which had the cool high up door handles... he also had different alloys, ive actually never seen these wheels before, but I also had a 92 base lumina sedan at the same time and its hubcaps said the chevrolet motor division.. this car also has the rare square ring grill, which was dropped for the regular razor grill on later years... the 3 spoke wheel was considered a sporty wheel and compared to the normal 2 spoke wheel was very nice... the cd radio i believe would have been found in a high trim model, like the z34... now the Euro model was more than a trim model... they were trying to emulate sporty sedans like BMW (not well of course) and they had stiffer suspension, full gauge package and different gearing ,glasspack exhaust, as well as the spory trim ... my base lumina was a complete different car, even though they both had the 3.1L V6... it was the first car I owned where everything worked and was in great shape
I had a 1993 one of these. Same colorway. I bought it in 2000 and drove it until the transmission died a couple of years later. I had the transmission rebuilt and then sold it.
My dad got this exact (the model not the car in the video) car as his first company car. Euro package, right down to the wheels, though his was silver. It was pretty neat at the time.
My uncle bought a euro coupe new in 93 it was black with red interior but had bucket seats and console shift I was 10 and thought it was so cool. It last over 15yrs until my cousin crashed it on an icy road but good memories from my childhood
Loved my Sapphire Blue '90 Lumina, ran like hell. Whacked a deer at 70mph and all it needed was a bumper and grille. Plus the sex on the front bench seat, fuggetaboutit. Damn, sucks getting old lol.
I bought a 1991 Lumina sedan non euro version new. Drove it until I retired in 2012. Best car I ever owned hands down. Everything about the car was so smooth. The way the doors closed, the way the column shifter just glided from all of the ranges. Such comfortable cloth bench seats. Super reliable never failed to start despite sitting outside in the cold rustbelt north. One small hole in the drivers side rocker panel about the size of a quarter. It was a tank in the snow. I think that was because it was equipped with 195/75/14 tires, and anyone who knows about winter driving knows that skinny narrow tires are the answer to going in snow and ice. Wish I would have kept it and stored it away so it would become my classic car to take to classic car shows. Think about it who is saving Lumina's?
Choices were good. There are almost no sedan choices anymore. That is a beautiful Lumina. I had a 1991 and would buy that one off that guy if he was selling.
My memory of the Lumina was a 94 or 96 when I had just moved to Texas and the AC didn't work. When my mom and I would go somewhere, I would just recline the front seat all the way back and try to sleep in the sweltering heat while we drove with all of the windows down. It had the same red on red paint and interior. Infact, I rarely saw a lumina that wasn't in that burgundy color scheme.
I had one just like that one, except mine was bucket seats. Got it for a steal from a law firm after it was depreciated down in 93. Sold it for a huge profit 2.5 yrs later after buying 93 Lumina Z34 in fall of 95 (should have kept the Z34.) Put an after market sound system in 90 then moved it to the 93. Amazing a 6 disc changer fit under the passenger front seat and was fed by reaching into the back seat.
Thanks for reviewing this neat car! If you need to know what radio it had originally, look for a tag marked “Service Parts Identification”. All GM cars had these tags, often in the glove box or trunk. The RPO (Regular Production Option) codes should tell you what equipment a car had from the factory.
CD wasn’t available on those back then. Top level was a Delco/Bose setup with cassette which they prolly made about 6 of with that option. Usually was a UM7 (radio only) or UM6 (typical GM-Delco cassette radio)
I bought a 92 at an auction for $1500.00 to my surprise, this was a fantastic car! Low to the ground, mono leaf horizontal fiberglass leaf , super smooth. 3.1 fuel injected, aluminum heads …. All computer controlled in a old school way. Under the hood convenience. Remove one bolt and using the tire iron, pull the engine forward and slip the bolt back in That’s to allow you to change the spark plugs in the back of the transverse engine. It has a u ground plug by the radiator,???? …. Turns out to have a block heater for cold weather!!! Totally cool! My biggest mistake was letting my stupid kids drive it. They wrecked it…. I bought it back salvaged and they wrecked it again. I got about 30,000 smooth comfortable hassle free miles before human interference F**KED it up for me. You can’t find them anymore in the shape I had ….. there gone regretfully.
Thanks for showing this video I had me a 1993 Euro lumina and a guy ran a stop sign and destroyed a car after I put a brand new crate engine in it but it's great seeing them still on the road thanks
when I was a kid my dad bought one of these new and we thought it was a really cool "sports car." Between the aero fin spoiler, sharp design and leather wrapped steering wheel it looked very futuristic. I still think the car looks really good, it's a shame I think cash for clunkers claimed most of these cars.
I was hoping that this video would highlight the exhaust sound that was particular to the Euro 3.1 trim. The car itself was unremarkable in its design, but the engine and exhaust note gave the Lumina (and other GM cars with the 2.8 and 3.1 liter engines) a sense of having sporty intentions. Today’s vehicles simply don’t have the same degree of personality…even though they’re far better in quality and efficiency.
I had a 1990 Chevy Lumina Euro Coupe that didn’t have the rear deck spoiler. I like the sound of the 3.1. I also had a 1993 Lumina Z-34. Great car. My homie in high school had a black Lumina Euro.
The Chevy lumina was a very late design.. This car was supposed to be the answer to the Taurus in 1986. The design was 4 years later Ford Taurus was the best seller. It was Disney World's premiere car.... And a rental car
I gave my mom one of these Luminas many years ago. She drove it a few years and then gave it to my sister who absolutely beat that poor thing literally to death. That car took a LOT of abuse, and kept going.
I always remember the first gen Lumina as that random car parked outside of Cyberdyne when the terminator is minigunning and grenade launching all the police cars. Not so much as the rental car that gets jacked up in Days of Thunder.
The fleet stereo's had no tape or CD! I had one. Then I upgraded to the 1994 model year. Which is the year before before they changed the design. So that stereo is era specific to the generation. They shared a lot of stuff with the Cavalier & a couple other vehicals.
I actually saw one on campus in person before. And it was owned by the employee. Those aren't really my favorite but there super rare and they looks great!! most of them were beat up by the way.
Believe it or not there just weren't a lot of them sold. I know Total sales numbers for the LQ1 sedan was around 10,000 over Three years total of manufacturing.
@@jiggity76 Yes. LQ1 sedans were made and sold for the 1992-4 model years. Sales were around 10,000. Now the LQ1 coupes were made and sold for the 1991-4 model years. Total sales were a little over 38,000!! These are GM numbers so don't shoot the messenger.
I'm the guy who has fond memories of the Lumina in its time. The coupe with the euro package and alloy wheels was sharp! Better than the Taurus and Sable IMO. If you think Chevy was late to the game, IIRC Chrysler was still doing k-cars for a couple years after the Lumina was introduced. They didn't catch up until the Concorde/Intrepid/Vision came out, years after the Lumina. The Lumina is a huge step up from a Beretta/Corsica, let alone a Cavalier. My folks had a Lumina in the 90's - it had to go into the shop once and GM gave them a Corsica for a loaner car. It was a miserable, tiny thing. We couldn't wait to get back into the Lumina.
Really? I remember in college I dated a girl and her g'friend drove like an '88 Corsica, and I remember the backseat being quite roomy if you know what I mean.😁😁😎Of course I was probably 50 pounds lighter back then at least!😆
I never really liked that dash. It always seemed too low. I felt like where I would be looking at gauges on other cars, I ended looking at the speaker grills on the top of the dash. I will say the Z34 was a decent car performance wise, however the car was ultimately plagued by GM build quality of the era.
the problem with the lumina is it was late to the party. the taurus came out in 85 and the Lumina was suppose be cooler better to drive edgy while being conservative at the same time and it was so late to party with its main competitor the taurus that's why it blends into the background because almost every mid size car was going to the Mac and cheese lol
More or less a successor to the Celebrity Eurosport which could also be ordered the same way. If I am not mistaken, both co-existed for a year or so. I think in addition to being an appearance package, I think both had the F-41 suspension package or some variation of it. I believe in the Celebrity you could get the Eurosport with the Iron Duke which there was nothing sporty about that engine. GMs line up was a mess in the late 70s through the 90s. Chevy had redundancy such as in 1982 when you had the Citation, Celebrity and Malibu all sort of the mid-level offerings between the Cavalier and Caprice/Impala and then the period of the Celebrity, Corsica/Barretta, Lumina all existing. Pontiac had naming issues with over the years the full size offering starting out as the Catalina and the Bonneville the becoming the Parisienne all on the same full size platform. Then you have the Le Mans/Grand Prix mid level which shared the stage first with the Phoenix (which more or less was a renaming of the Ventura) and eventually the 6000, but only after the LeMans inherited the Bonneville name. The also mid size Grand Am was introduced, LeMans was moved to a Korean car, the Bonneville eventually returning to the full size line up, now front wheel drive in which the wagon during that era was the Parisienne Safari based on the large rear wheel drive car which started out as the Catalina/Bonneville. That was replaced, when the other GM divisions rebodied their large rear wheel offering by...well nothing. Maybe the TransPort. No wonder GM had financial issues and that isn't even mentioning the Chevy NUMMI cars like the Nova and the Geo range, Saturn, Hummer and the biggest albatross they chose to put around their necks, the SAAB acquisition.
@@kevinpatrickmacnutt I'm almost ashamed to admit I owned an '87 EuroSport with the 2.5 iron duck. Everything you said about the Celebrities Is True!! When my granny passed in 2000, she left me the Euro 2.5 And a 1996 Civic. My dumb@$$ sold the Civic because I hated foreign cars!! One of the BIGGEST Mistakes of my life!! I had Nothing BUT problems with the chevy. Three years later I bought a Saturn Ion. SECOND best car I ever owned! But That Civic'd probably Still be running!!😢😢
I remember this came out with sister cars the Olds Cutless Supreme and the Buick Regal and they partnered with Disney for the ad campaign. They replaced a rwd platform to all go front wheels drive and I guess It was a big deal at the time, I think the weird vacuum mini vans came out along with them or something. They spent billions and it was only a so so response. I must be forgetting lots.
Man these things suck compared to the Taurus and Sable. This was actually supposed to come out earlier in the 80s, so it explains why it looked so dated from new. All of these were maroon, I think it was federally mandated. My neighbors had one just like this.
I fully believe that if these launched in 1986/87 with the Taurus/Sable, they would have given them a run for their money. They look so much more sleek with better powertrains than the Taurus but it was too little too late by 1990.
@@GMfwdSpence That is true, if these had come out earlier they would’ve done better. I personally prefer the Taurus’ looks, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I agree that Ford had less reliable engines, my parents had an 89 Aerostar with the Vulcan that was about to blow its head gasket when they got rid of it.
I would still daily the shit out of that car. This is a great example. Zach, please talk more about suspensions on your reviews deary. We like to know what's holding them up :)
I remember when GM boasted about having spent billions of dollars on the Lumina project only for it to be a rounded off Chevy Celebrity, much to the laughs of the automotive press.
I coulda told them that! This was reportedly GM's response to the Ford Taurus! I Owned an '87 Celebrity EuroSport. My 2.5 Iron Ducks SUCKED!!!!! But my bff from high school's parents had a base 1990 Lumina 4 door blue. NICE!!!!!😎😎
As a European I always wondered why the brake pedal is so big with automatic transmissions, sometimes it almost seems comically big in comparison to the gas pedal. Is there some story behind this?
My mom had one when I was a kid. It was a car for us. Nothing special; probably base trim. By the time we sold it, it was drinking a quart of oil a week and the roof lining was coming undone.
"Forgotten" 🙄 Separately, I'd suggest dropping the cupholder test for older cars. Your bottle is ridiculous and probably won't fit anything that isn't a full-sized truck/SUV. People in the 90s didn't accessorize with jugs of water, so it wasn't important to fit more than a can (or similarly sized container) into the cupholder. As for the car... GM seemed to use the Lumina to showcase just how poorly they could choose and assemble interior materials, namely the dash, console, and switches. This car came out AFTER the Taurus, not to mention then-current Camry. Even the outgoing Accord was available for benchmarking. GM's own W-body competition were better than this. For that reason, the Lumina was EMBARRASSING. Lastly, Pontiac was never the entry-level brand. That was Chevy. Pontiac was supposed to compete with the Europeans. Buick and Oldsmobile competed for older buyers. Chevy was the everyman car, meant to appeal broadly to everyone.
GM was guilty of building a car just for rental industry. Kind of like when a New movie previews and goes straight to DVD. The Lumina never opened it was built and shipped to Disney World to sit in a sea of other Ford taurus and Some brand of mini van.
They were largely appliance vehicles, sort of mediocre. The W Body had a rough start considering the cost of GM to build the platform was so massive. IMO the Regal had the better interior, the rest were all too...something.
@@GMfwdSpence Very true. I did have a 93 Gran Sport when I was a teen and it was a very, very good vehicle for being over 20 years old in the Northeast; put up with all kinds of abuse. Later sold it to a guy who has 8 of them....
I used to have a 1997 Lumina. Drove the wheels off that car and it really didn't have any major issues. This one still looks great 👏✌️
Hey its my car!! I bought it at the autin 2013 and sold it to Spencer back in September. Glad to see it getting love!
This is the thing most new cars lack, the comfortable seats and the fabrics they used for the upholstery (including the japanese cars of this era). I have just recently purchased an AE92 Corolla in as new condition with ORTHOPEDIC SEATS from the factory with that glorious japanese fabric scent to go along with it.
My 88' Supra and 94 Camry have the most damn comfortable seats I've ever used. The Supra ones are head and shoulders above anything I've experienced in a car while still looking and amazing and being sporty. Both cloth.
My new (to me) 01' Celica has leather seats and uhh, yeah they aren't that great.
My mom had a 91 lumina 4 door red paint red interior great car never had problems then again we always had it regularly maintenance
My parents used to have a bright red 91 Lumina with the 3100. They used to pull a small pop up camper with it when they'd go camping. It was a good car.
My grandparents bought a new lumina euro in 1991. Great car the only problem they had was it had a battery drain. The fuse to the dash lights was pulled, and that fixed the drain. I can remember road trips in the dark my grandfather having to turn the overhead lights on to check his speed. 😂
I have a 1990 3.1 euro with 43000 miles. But I can say this one on the video is exceptionally clean.
Had an 88 Taurus and a 90 Beretta GT. Always wanted a Lumina. Really like this cars. Especially the early 90's first gens.
I had this same exact car. Loved it. It came with a cassette player, FYI.
My neighbor and friend, who was 2 years older than the rest of our group, got a white 1993 Lumina Z/34 for his first car in the early 00’s. When he brought it home the 5 of us just stared at it sitting in the driveway. It was our first taste of unsupervised freedom. Some of the best teenage memories I have were riding in that red velour interior that reeked of 90’s GM plastic. I can still hear that starter and big V6 under load. Thanks for the nostalgia.
I have and love my old old 92 Lumina Euro. I got her at 112k 9 years ago and she's now at 174k. Plan on giving her a paint job this year. You don't see many on the road anymore.
Mom had a ‘91 not-Euro but V6 Lumina for years. Was a very roomy and pretty reliable car. Was eventually replaced by a used ‘99 Regal that also served very well. Then replaced by a ‘12 V6 Chrysler 300 in ‘15 that has also been just a comfortable, reliable car with no fuss knock on wood
I learned to drive on this car. Loved it!
I had a 90 base 3.1 in 1996. My first car.
I was 16. I did the least amount of maintenance one can do to keep a car running. The coldest Chicago winters. Runs up to Wisconsin.
It never once broke down. Never once didn't start. 2 years of abuse 7 days a week.
That's amazing
Yep, my Nana and Papa had the iron duke model!
Yes the Lumina was offered with a Delco AM/FM Cassette player for 149.00 extras the Delco AM/FM CD Player was a whooping 400 option
My best friend growing up had this exact car except he had the two door, which had the cool high up door handles... he also had different alloys, ive actually never seen these wheels before, but I also had a 92 base lumina sedan at the same time and its hubcaps said the chevrolet motor division.. this car also has the rare square ring grill, which was dropped for the regular razor grill on later years... the 3 spoke wheel was considered a sporty wheel and compared to the normal 2 spoke wheel was very nice... the cd radio i believe would have been found in a high trim model, like the z34... now the Euro model was more than a trim model... they were trying to emulate sporty sedans like BMW (not well of course) and they had stiffer suspension, full gauge package and different gearing ,glasspack exhaust, as well as the spory trim ... my base lumina was a complete different car, even though they both had the 3.1L V6... it was the first car I owned where everything worked and was in great shape
I had a 1993 one of these. Same colorway. I bought it in 2000 and drove it until the transmission died a couple of years later. I had the transmission rebuilt and then sold it.
My dad got this exact (the model not the car in the video) car as his first company car. Euro package, right down to the wheels, though his was silver. It was pretty neat at the time.
My uncle bought a euro coupe new in 93 it was black with red interior but had bucket seats and console shift I was 10 and thought it was so cool. It last over 15yrs until my cousin crashed it on an icy road but good memories from my childhood
If you find that gauge cluster linear and interesting, check out the cluster on a non-euro lumina. The euro cluster is miles ahead of the base model.
Loved my Sapphire Blue '90 Lumina, ran like hell. Whacked a deer at 70mph and all it needed was a bumper and grille. Plus the sex on the front bench seat, fuggetaboutit. Damn, sucks getting old lol.
I loved riding in back seat of this car. You could see everything.
My dad had one in blue. I'm definitely one of those with some good memories of this car!
I bought a 1991 Lumina sedan non euro version new. Drove it until I retired in 2012. Best car I ever owned hands down. Everything about the car was so smooth. The way the doors closed, the way the column shifter just glided from all of the ranges. Such comfortable cloth bench seats. Super reliable never failed to start despite sitting outside in the cold rustbelt north. One small hole in the drivers side rocker panel about the size of a quarter. It was a tank in the snow. I think that was because it was equipped with 195/75/14 tires, and anyone who knows about winter driving knows that skinny narrow tires are the answer to going in snow and ice. Wish I would have kept it and stored it away so it would become my classic car to take to classic car shows. Think about it who is saving Lumina's?
GM took its time. The Chevy Lumina was suppose to be the answer for Ford's Taurus, and I think it did reasonably well.
That lift over was a witch on the trunk
Choices were good. There are almost no sedan choices anymore. That is a beautiful Lumina. I had a 1991 and would buy that one off that guy if he was selling.
My grandma who was a Delco retiree bought one of these when new. I though it was awesome at the time!
These were a staple of the rental car agency like Avis Enterprise.
this is one of those cars like the 2006 vw passat. just a regular everyday car that made so much memories in someone's mind
My memory of the Lumina was a 94 or 96 when I had just moved to Texas and the AC didn't work. When my mom and I would go somewhere, I would just recline the front seat all the way back and try to sleep in the sweltering heat while we drove with all of the windows down. It had the same red on red paint and interior. Infact, I rarely saw a lumina that wasn't in that burgundy color scheme.
I had one just like that one, except mine was bucket seats. Got it for a steal from a law firm after it was depreciated down in 93. Sold it for a huge profit 2.5 yrs later after buying 93 Lumina Z34 in fall of 95 (should have kept the Z34.) Put an after market sound system in 90 then moved it to the 93. Amazing a 6 disc changer fit under the passenger front seat and was fed by reaching into the back seat.
Thanks for reviewing this neat car! If you need to know what radio it had originally, look for a tag marked “Service Parts Identification”. All GM cars had these tags, often in the glove box or trunk. The RPO (Regular Production Option) codes should tell you what equipment a car had from the factory.
CD wasn’t available on those back then. Top level was a Delco/Bose setup with cassette which they prolly made about 6 of with that option. Usually was a UM7 (radio only) or UM6 (typical GM-Delco cassette radio)
I bought a 92 at an auction for $1500.00 to my surprise, this was a fantastic car! Low to the ground, mono leaf horizontal fiberglass leaf , super smooth. 3.1 fuel injected, aluminum heads …. All computer controlled in a old school way.
Under the hood convenience. Remove one bolt and using the tire iron, pull the engine forward and slip the bolt back in
That’s to allow you to change the spark plugs in the back of the transverse engine. It has a u ground plug by the radiator,????
…. Turns out to have a block heater for cold weather!!!
Totally cool! My biggest mistake was letting my stupid kids drive it. They wrecked it…. I bought it back salvaged and they wrecked it again. I got about 30,000 smooth comfortable hassle free miles before human interference
F**KED it up for me. You can’t find them anymore in the shape I had ….. there gone regretfully.
Thanks for showing this video I had me a 1993 Euro lumina and a guy ran a stop sign and destroyed a car after I put a brand new crate engine in it but it's great seeing them still on the road thanks
when I was a kid my dad bought one of these new and we thought it was a really cool "sports car." Between the aero fin spoiler, sharp design and leather wrapped steering wheel it looked very futuristic.
I still think the car looks really good, it's a shame I think cash for clunkers claimed most of these cars.
My aunt and uncle had a 93 Grand Prix white with the same red lumina interior and a 95 beretta
Всем привет!
Очень хороший автомобиль ❤ у меня он уже 26 лет и я не хочу с ним расстаться.
С Люминами не расставайтесь никогда.
I remember this when I was a kid but I drove and been in a 2nd generation lumina
I guess It's the shape, but the C-Piller gives me 1995 Chevy Impala SS vibes.
Days Of Thunder vibes… if you know you know.
I remember that. Love these boxy luminas
I haven't seen a lumina or dust buster Van in years
Not a Chevy fan at ALL, but this is a pretty damn decent car. Really love the red interior and gauge cluster.
nice red Lumina90 🙂
I was hoping that this video would highlight the exhaust sound that was particular to the Euro 3.1 trim. The car itself was unremarkable in its design, but the engine and exhaust note gave the Lumina (and other GM cars with the 2.8 and 3.1 liter engines) a sense of having sporty intentions. Today’s vehicles simply don’t have the same degree of personality…even though they’re far better in quality and efficiency.
Days of Thunder. Remember the major sponsor?
I like how a light comes ON when the ventilation is OFF
I put the same cd player in my S10 Baja
I had a 1990 Chevy Lumina Euro Coupe that didn’t have the rear deck spoiler. I like the sound of the 3.1. I also had a 1993 Lumina Z-34. Great car.
My homie in high school had a black Lumina Euro.
The Chevy lumina was a very late design..
This car was supposed to be the answer to the Taurus in 1986.
The design was 4 years later
Ford Taurus was the best seller.
It was Disney World's premiere car....
And a rental car
Only problem with the trunk is the opening is not low to the bumper, so you would have to lift up your luggage to put in the trunk.
Zack could you do a Chevrolet Celebrity review if you find a good one?
I gave my mom one of these Luminas many years ago. She drove it a few years and then gave it to my sister who absolutely beat that poor thing literally to death. That car took a LOT of abuse, and kept going.
We have the Holden Commodor rebadged as a Chevy Lumina in the Middle east
Oh yeah, my neighbors had the 91 euro. They drove it for 10 yrs
I always remember the first gen Lumina as that random car parked outside of Cyberdyne when the terminator is minigunning and grenade launching all the police cars. Not so much as the rental car that gets jacked up in Days of Thunder.
In that same vein, I will always remember Charles Grodin getting hosed by Bonnie Hunt while backing his Lumina Euro out of the driveway
@@thesam19841 I remember that too!!😁
That white Lumina(??) musta belonged to Joe Morton as the scientist Miles Dyson.🧐🧐
@@landonbenford8369 There's no way a guy with a house like his drives a Lumina lol.
@@MintyFreshTurds HAHAHAHAHA!!! Maybe it was his commuter car?!?😁😆🤣
The fleet stereo's had no tape or CD! I had one. Then I upgraded to the 1994 model year. Which is the year before before they changed the design. So that stereo is era specific to the generation. They shared a lot of stuff with the Cavalier & a couple other vehicals.
I actually saw one on campus in person before. And it was owned by the employee. Those aren't really my favorite but there super rare and they looks great!! most of them were beat up by the way.
Love the amazing condition of this one
Love that car! Why do people always forget to mention the Euro 3.4?
That's the only one that I think of when I think Euro. I've got the 3.4 dohc from one in my Fiero
@@86TDC Not sure what you mean. Yes, I know the Fiero guys love these motors for swaps. I own 2 LQ1 cars and no, you can't have them, LOL!
Believe it or not there just weren't a lot of them sold. I know Total sales numbers for the LQ1 sedan was around 10,000 over Three years total of manufacturing.
@@landonbenford8369 That number seems still WAY to high...if we're talking about the sedans from 92-94.
@@jiggity76 Yes. LQ1 sedans were made and sold for the 1992-4 model years. Sales were around 10,000. Now the LQ1 coupes were made and sold for the 1991-4 model years. Total sales were a little over 38,000!! These are GM numbers so don't shoot the messenger.
I always like your friendly and informative videos man. Has that car got the 700R4?
I'm the guy who has fond memories of the Lumina in its time. The coupe with the euro package and alloy wheels was sharp! Better than the Taurus and Sable IMO. If you think Chevy was late to the game, IIRC Chrysler was still doing k-cars for a couple years after the Lumina was introduced. They didn't catch up until the Concorde/Intrepid/Vision came out, years after the Lumina.
The Lumina is a huge step up from a Beretta/Corsica, let alone a Cavalier. My folks had a Lumina in the 90's - it had to go into the shop once and GM gave them a Corsica for a loaner car. It was a miserable, tiny thing. We couldn't wait to get back into the Lumina.
Really? I remember in college I dated a girl and her g'friend drove like an '88 Corsica, and I remember the backseat being quite roomy if you know what I mean.😁😁😎Of course I was probably 50 pounds lighter back then at least!😆
I never really liked that dash. It always seemed too low. I felt like where I would be looking at gauges on other cars, I ended looking at the speaker grills on the top of the dash. I will say the Z34 was a decent car performance wise, however the car was ultimately plagued by GM build quality of the era.
The 3100 was actually the 3.1s that said 3100 on the plenum. This was just known as a 3.1 😬
the problem with the lumina is it was late to the party. the taurus came out in 85 and the Lumina was suppose be cooler better to drive edgy while being conservative at the same time and it was so late to party with its main competitor the taurus that's why it blends into the background because almost every mid size car was going to the Mac and cheese lol
You’re absolutely right… if this debuted at the same time the Taurus did, I think it would’ve absolutely gave it a run for its money!
And I hate to admit it but Toyota and Honda were closing the gap!
4:38 i have a 92 lumina euro, almost the exact same car and it has the same radio and cd player from the factory
i had one these nice car brand new ..2 door ..everything was wrong with it ..nice car to drive
I never knew that the euro version had the column shifter and split bench seating setup!
The rear spoiler was also an option on both the Euro coupe and sedan.
More or less a successor to the Celebrity Eurosport which could also be ordered the same way. If I am not mistaken, both co-existed for a year or so. I think in addition to being an appearance package, I think both had the F-41 suspension package or some variation of it. I believe in the Celebrity you could get the Eurosport with the Iron Duke which there was nothing sporty about that engine.
GMs line up was a mess in the late 70s through the 90s. Chevy had redundancy such as in 1982 when you had the Citation, Celebrity and Malibu all sort of the mid-level offerings between the Cavalier and Caprice/Impala and then the period of the Celebrity, Corsica/Barretta, Lumina all existing. Pontiac had naming issues with over the years the full size offering starting out as the Catalina and the Bonneville the becoming the Parisienne all on the same full size platform. Then you have the Le Mans/Grand Prix mid level which shared the stage first with the Phoenix (which more or less was a renaming of the Ventura) and eventually the 6000, but only after the LeMans inherited the Bonneville name. The also mid size Grand Am was introduced, LeMans was moved to a Korean car, the Bonneville eventually returning to the full size line up, now front wheel drive in which the wagon during that era was the Parisienne Safari based on the large rear wheel drive car which started out as the Catalina/Bonneville. That was replaced, when the other GM divisions rebodied their large rear wheel offering by...well nothing. Maybe the TransPort.
No wonder GM had financial issues and that isn't even mentioning the Chevy NUMMI cars like the Nova and the Geo range, Saturn, Hummer and the biggest albatross they chose to put around their necks, the SAAB acquisition.
@@kevinpatrickmacnutt I'm almost ashamed to admit I owned an '87 EuroSport with the 2.5 iron duck. Everything you said about the Celebrities Is True!! When my granny passed in 2000, she left me the Euro 2.5 And a 1996 Civic. My dumb@$$ sold the Civic because I hated foreign cars!! One of the BIGGEST Mistakes of my life!! I had Nothing BUT problems with the chevy. Three years later I bought a Saturn Ion. SECOND best car I ever owned! But That Civic'd probably Still be running!!😢😢
I remember this came out with sister cars the Olds Cutless Supreme and the Buick Regal and they partnered with Disney for the ad campaign. They replaced a rwd platform to all go front wheels drive and I guess It was a big deal at the time, I think the weird vacuum mini vans came out along with them or something. They spent billions and it was only a so so response. I must be forgetting lots.
9:15 I thought Pontiac was a sportier Chevy . Like how GMC is the rougher Chevy
Great 👍 review Zach ! The Chevrolet Celebrity sold better , but the Lumina was a better vehicle in space and comfort .
This looks way better than the taurus ,better all-around too.
you’ll be getting a email soon bro for my 06 Sonata bro , keep up the good work!! ❤️
Man these things suck compared to the Taurus and Sable. This was actually supposed to come out earlier in the 80s, so it explains why it looked so dated from new. All of these were maroon, I think it was federally mandated. My neighbors had one just like this.
I fully believe that if these launched in 1986/87 with the Taurus/Sable, they would have given them a run for their money. They look so much more sleek with better powertrains than the Taurus but it was too little too late by 1990.
@@GMfwdSpence That is true, if these had come out earlier they would’ve done better. I personally prefer the Taurus’ looks, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I agree that Ford had less reliable engines, my parents had an 89 Aerostar with the Vulcan that was about to blow its head gasket when they got rid of it.
Everything about this car is anything BUT euro. Automatic, full burgundy interior, etc... Funny.
It's such a sad looking car. Every detail screams committee thinking or cost cutting lol.
I would still daily the shit out of that car. This is a great example. Zach, please talk more about suspensions on your reviews deary. We like to know what's holding them up :)
These Nebraskans will save anything 😂
I remember when GM boasted about having spent billions of dollars on the Lumina project only for it to be a rounded off Chevy Celebrity, much to the laughs of the automotive press.
I coulda told them that! This was reportedly GM's response to the Ford Taurus! I Owned an '87 Celebrity EuroSport. My 2.5 Iron Ducks SUCKED!!!!! But my bff from high school's parents had a base 1990 Lumina 4 door blue. NICE!!!!!😎😎
I had.a venture with a 3.1 and it died at about 120k miles.
My friend had one back in the late 90’s. Did they come with a digital dash?
I don't think so. First Generation Luminas had the most plain and generic looking dashboards I've Ever seen in ANY car and I Still like it!!!!!😁😎
I wouldn't say the Iron Duke is a little 4cyl, it's a big chungus
The iron duck is a piece of $#!+!!!
As a European I always wondered why the brake pedal is so big with automatic transmissions, sometimes it almost seems comically big in comparison to the gas pedal. Is there some story behind this?
My mom had one when I was a kid. It was a car for us. Nothing special; probably base trim. By the time we sold it, it was drinking a quart of oil a week and the roof lining was coming undone.
one weak point of those luminas, the ash trays in the rear doors were made of plastic & over the years if they were used they would eventually melt.
I got a 1990 lumina euro and it act like it wanna stall out and stuff wonder why??
"Forgotten" 🙄
Separately, I'd suggest dropping the cupholder test for older cars. Your bottle is ridiculous and probably won't fit anything that isn't a full-sized truck/SUV. People in the 90s didn't accessorize with jugs of water, so it wasn't important to fit more than a can (or similarly sized container) into the cupholder.
As for the car... GM seemed to use the Lumina to showcase just how poorly they could choose and assemble interior materials, namely the dash, console, and switches. This car came out AFTER the Taurus, not to mention then-current Camry. Even the outgoing Accord was available for benchmarking. GM's own W-body competition were better than this. For that reason, the Lumina was EMBARRASSING.
Lastly, Pontiac was never the entry-level brand. That was Chevy. Pontiac was supposed to compete with the Europeans. Buick and Oldsmobile competed for older buyers. Chevy was the everyman car, meant to appeal broadly to everyone.
I thought the Euros had nicer wheels? Maybe they were lost at some point and replaced with these?
Aluminum wheels were optional.
Cool 😀
I dont think these had the iron duke. I think they had the quad 4
The Lumina had the iron duke. The Grand Prix and Cutlass Supreme got the quad 4.
Brakelineswitch
Built in Oshawa😤
First he says about using the front seat for a couch, then he says how you could live in the trunk, is this a car or a...furniture store?!
GM was guilty of building a car just for rental industry. Kind of like when a New movie previews and goes straight to DVD. The Lumina never opened it was built and shipped to Disney World to sit in a sea of other Ford taurus and Some brand of mini van.
They were largely appliance vehicles, sort of mediocre. The W Body had a rough start considering the cost of GM to build the platform was so massive. IMO the Regal had the better interior, the rest were all too...something.
Lol
GM really fumbled the debut of the W bodies. They had so much potential but Roger thwarted that.
@@GMfwdSpence Very true. I did have a 93 Gran Sport when I was a teen and it was a very, very good vehicle for being over 20 years old in the Northeast; put up with all kinds of abuse. Later sold it to a guy who has 8 of them....
i remember mostly old people in these cars.
These are so quirky
How tall is this guy?
nvm he's 5'11"
This car had some of the worst ergonomics of any car ever made.
There used to be the Lumina SS back in the day
3.1 is different than 3100