These were solid cars and overall I liked them better than the same year and 1996 fish faced Taurus's. I owned both a 1996 LS with the 3100 and another with the 3.4 twin can engine. They were both great reliable smooth driving comfortable cars
I like these, my favorite thing is the soft suspension. It literally rides like a Buick. The opt. 16" wheels hold the car back on acceleration but help it in cornering. The base 15" wheels ride better, accelerate half a sec quicker but don't grip as well.
This was one of the few cars in the 90s that IIHS rated good in the crash test. Even Mercedes, Volvo, Audi, the luxury brands didn't do as good I believe. And definitely other GM cars were hit or miss or just in the middle, which is weird. You would think that if they knew how to design one of them well, the rest would follow.
As someone who grew up with one I'm gonna guess the massive front/rear overhangs helped a lot. This Lumina is the same overall length as a Buick LeSabre with just a 107.5in wheelbase.
I was 10yrs old when my grandparents traded a gunmetal gray 1989 plymouth reliant on a new 95 lumina in late 94. Ls model beautiful car seemed like a higher end car at the time. Burgundy exterior with Burgundy upgraded interior. Seem to have every option except for the power seats. But only had a Delco am/fm stereo cassette. Can remember when they brought it home from hershbergers chevrolet Oldsmobile. Martinsburg pa.
My grandma who was in her late 60s at the time had a 1999 Chevy Lumina that she got brand new. I still remember it so much which she never took it out of town a lot. She ended up having her son (my uncle) sell it in 2015/16 still in fairly good condition when my grandma was older and wasn’t able to drive anymore. Hers was the exact same color as the one shown at 0:40 and had the wood grain trim inside.
210 horsepower in a family car would have been insane back in 1995 , specially considering that Accord's and Camry's were only producing sub 160 hp with their V6's
MotorWeek is pro domestic car as they don’t talk about the amazing reliability of like Toyota and Honda. This car was ugly and unreliable. My dad had one.
My grandpa had one too, but the transmission broke. And his driveway, a piece of it fell off and the competitor Ford Taurus of the 90s which which was a better car.
This car's saving grace was that by by the next year Ford would completely fuck up the far more interesting Taurus With it's "cosmic roach" Redesign for 1996. Personally I think the lumino was the best US car offering in the late 1990s. The intrepid WA' superior design but extremely unreliable and the 4th Taurus look like an oval nightmare and suffered from the typical for do automatic transmission problems. The lumina however had a much more reliable power train if you stuck with the smaller engine. If you chose the optional 3.4 leader V6 there was a High possibility that your automatic transmission wouldn't survived past 100 K Due to the added stress and stream from trying to keep up with the more powerful V6. The real problem with this generation Lumina and it's successor impala impala was that GM made too many of them which flooded the fleet market.. These were far more common to see sitting on rental car lots that almost anywhere else. You may think it's a good thing that GM sold as many as they did But it's not especially when they go to the fleet market which consists of rental cars, State vehicles, Taxi co.s, etc Because aside from they're bare bones option lists They all eventually will be retired and then used car market. If the used car lots Get flooded with large numbers of the make and model vehicle
good thing they skipped the shiny plastic. The low luster plastic they used looks really up market. and they way the seat belt fastener comes up thru the chair upholstery, high class. After college I worked for a rental car company. We had a few of these in the fleet. Personally I never fit right. Either the pedals were too far away and the steering wheel was a good distance. Or the wheel was in my face and I could reach the petal. I assume I was not the norm, why would chevy design it like that on purpose? On the other hand why design this car in the first place? The first gen was a failure, they went ahead and made a second gen. smart.
I took driving lessons in a heavy Cavalier. I don't know the year, but it was one from 1995-2004? The driving position was awkward enough to give me knee pain when I was done driving.
At least you can pick up a Lumina with better seat interior, not this one 😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣 BTW i used to own 3 of this & my 4th car was 97 Monte Carlo LS, only main 2 problem with these in the summer were i live, AC cracks down & over heat, i dont know if in America the car have these 2 problems or not in the summer 🤷♂️
I never owned this version, but my 1991 Lumina sedan bought new served me very well until I retired in 2012. One of the best features was the fact that by unbolting an upper engine mount known as the dog bone, you could roll, or pivot might be a better word the engine forward which allowed you to both see and replace the rear sparkplugs so easily. And with the standard 195/70/14 tires which were very narrow it went like it had all wheel drive in the snow. Those narrow or skinny tires are just what the doctor ordered for winter traction. Wide tires are great for summer weather handling, but narrow tires are what you want in the snow.
I got a 2001 Chevy Lumina my senior year 2007 my daughter drives it now same motor & transmission 283000 miles later
I once dated a girl with a Lumina. It was pretty alright.
how was the car, though?
@@AltaSonata
It had front bench seats so very roomy
Was her name Lumen? 😂😂😂
Airdate: November 26, 1994.
Thank you
These were solid cars and overall I liked them better than the same year and 1996 fish faced Taurus's. I owned both a 1996 LS with the 3100 and another with the 3.4 twin can engine. They were both great reliable smooth driving comfortable cars
Taurus was a much better car. Better built and safer crash test ratings. The Chevy had a better transmission & softer ride though, that's it.
Unfortunately the white paint was shit. My grandmother's white 95 lumina started to peel.
That music is fantastic.
The interior parts look incredibly cheap.
Friend of mine had a Z-34 with the 3.4 twin cam. He had a lot of trouble with his which lead him to buy a 1999 Z-34 that featured the 3800 series 2 V6
Best sedan I ever owned hands down. Had a white 2001. Would sometimes get over 31 mpg on the Hwy. Smooth. Quiet. Comfortable.
My mom had a 2 Chevy Luminas; 1995 version from 2006-2010 and 1997 version from 2010-2013; and both of them hit almost 200,000 miles.
I like these, my favorite thing is the soft suspension. It literally rides like a Buick. The opt. 16" wheels hold the car back on acceleration but help it in cornering. The base 15" wheels ride better, accelerate half a sec quicker but don't grip as well.
This was one of the few cars in the 90s that IIHS rated good in the crash test. Even Mercedes, Volvo, Audi, the luxury brands didn't do as good I believe. And definitely other GM cars were hit or miss or just in the middle, which is weird. You would think that if they knew how to design one of them well, the rest would follow.
As someone who grew up with one I'm gonna guess the massive front/rear overhangs helped a lot. This Lumina is the same overall length as a Buick LeSabre with just a 107.5in wheelbase.
My mother had a 1997 Lumina LS identical to this. I had a 96, and my brother had a base model 95; all at the same time.
The thing I remember about these is that over time, the car starts kinda sloping down in the front, like the front suspension gets weak....
The 1st generation Lumina had rear leaf springs and sagged at the rear over time.
These things were never that spectacular looking but still, I kind of like them.
I was 10yrs old when my grandparents traded a gunmetal gray 1989 plymouth reliant on a new 95 lumina in late 94. Ls model beautiful car seemed like a higher end car at the time. Burgundy exterior with Burgundy upgraded interior. Seem to have every option except for the power seats. But only had a Delco am/fm stereo cassette. Can remember when they brought it home from hershbergers chevrolet Oldsmobile. Martinsburg pa.
Thank God they got rid of this god-awful background music
My grandma who was in her late 60s at the time had a 1999 Chevy Lumina that she got brand new. I still remember it so much which she never took it out of town a lot. She ended up having her son (my uncle) sell it in 2015/16 still in fairly good condition when my grandma was older and wasn’t able to drive anymore. Hers was the exact same color as the one shown at 0:40 and had the wood grain trim inside.
It’s crazy how 3 cylinders now make that much horsepower and torque and have faster 0-60s then a 90s V6
I can't even remember the last time I saw one of these still on the road.
I see them all over here in southwest ohio
Right! Just seen one two minutes ago that's why I'm here
I drive a 99 with the 3.1
I just bought a maroon 98 today for $300. Has 232k miles and definitely needs a little work. Was just wondering if it was worth putting money into.
😢 First vehicle I owned...
Nothing but a bland government fleet car. Nothing to see here.
anybody knows, which car has softer suspension: 2003 Taurus or 1996 Lumina?
One of the very few cars in 1995 to get a good rating in the IIHS off-set crash test.
210 horsepower in a family car would have been insane back in 1995 , specially considering that Accord's and Camry's were only producing sub 160 hp with their V6's
Brings back memories lol I lost my virginity in one of these…I was so ashamed because it didn’t even have power windows it was so basic 😂
The previous taurus and lumina were better cars than what replaced them
these cars never die. i see so many still.
MotorWeek is pro domestic car as they don’t talk about the amazing reliability of like Toyota and Honda. This car was ugly and unreliable. My dad had one.
Yeah total turds
My grandpa had one too, but the transmission broke. And his driveway, a piece of it fell off and the competitor Ford Taurus of the 90s which which was a better car.
I cant believe I wanted my mom to buy one of these blandmobiles. She bought a 95 Taurus. A much better car.
This car's saving grace was that by by the next year Ford would completely fuck up the far more interesting Taurus With it's "cosmic roach" Redesign for 1996. Personally I think the lumino was the best US car offering in the late 1990s. The intrepid WA' superior design but extremely unreliable and the 4th Taurus look like an oval nightmare and suffered from the typical for do automatic transmission problems. The lumina however had a much more reliable power train if you stuck with the smaller engine. If you chose the optional 3.4 leader V6 there was a High possibility that your automatic transmission wouldn't survived past 100 K Due to the added stress and stream from trying to keep up with the more powerful V6. The real problem with this generation Lumina and it's successor impala impala was that GM made too many of them which flooded the fleet market.. These were far more common to see sitting on rental car lots that almost anywhere else. You may think it's a good thing that GM sold as many as they did But it's not especially when they go to the fleet market which consists of rental cars, State vehicles, Taxi co.s, etc Because aside from they're bare bones option lists They all eventually will be retired and then used car market. If the used car lots Get flooded with large numbers of the make and model vehicle
Had the Monte Carlo version a few years ago. Weak motor and the rear end was rusting to pieces.
good thing they skipped the shiny plastic. The low luster plastic they used looks really up market. and they way the seat belt fastener comes up thru the chair upholstery, high class. After college I worked for a rental car company. We had a few of these in the fleet. Personally I never fit right. Either the pedals were too far away and the steering wheel was a good distance. Or the wheel was in my face and I could reach the petal. I assume I was not the norm, why would chevy design it like that on purpose? On the other hand why design this car in the first place? The first gen was a failure, they went ahead and made a second gen. smart.
The plastics GM used in the Lumina were horrid, cheap and shiny. In no way, did the Lumina's interior look upmarket.
I took driving lessons in a heavy Cavalier. I don't know the year, but it was one from 1995-2004? The driving position was awkward enough to give me knee pain when I was done driving.
I owned several of these. Sorry Ford people these were far more superior than a Taurus of the period. That’s why you still see them on the road.
At least you can pick up a Lumina with better seat interior, not this one 😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣
BTW i used to own 3 of this & my 4th car was 97 Monte Carlo LS, only main 2 problem with these in the summer were i live, AC cracks down & over heat, i dont know if in America the car have these 2 problems or not in the summer 🤷♂️
Very nice this car
lolz
I never owned this version, but my 1991 Lumina sedan bought new served me very well until I retired in 2012. One of the best features was the fact that by unbolting an upper engine mount known as the dog bone, you could roll, or pivot might be a better word the engine forward which allowed you to both see and replace the rear sparkplugs so easily. And with the standard 195/70/14 tires which were very narrow it went like it had all wheel drive in the snow. Those narrow or skinny tires are just what the doctor ordered for winter traction. Wide tires are great for summer weather handling, but narrow tires are what you want in the snow.