Rental Car Adventures IV: Baby Got Back

Review of 2000 Chevy Monte Carlo

Rental Car Adventures IV: Baby Got Back
I don’t think the era of the large performance coupe is dead- at least not for Chevy. I’m combining three experiences for this review. The 2000 Monte Carlo is pretty much the same as the 㤊 and 㤋 models, all of which I’ve driven. But I don’t feel like writing three separate reviews for them as I found very little differences.

Background
Cities driven in: Houston, TX; San Jose, CA; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA
Each session was at least a week long, however the 㤊 model I ended up with a few times in the Portland and Seattle areas.

The Monte Carlo is a predictable car- I mean that in a good way. When you travel for a living the last thing you really want are unpleasant surprises. The car is a smooth riding vehicle that is for the most part a joy to step out of a plane and into.

As the owner of a 2002 Saturn Coupe, it’s odd to drive this car at times because for a two door, it is very large. This is not your European or Japanese hold the road (for dear life) kind of car. The cabin is spacious and inviting. The car is easy to get in and out of without being overly ‘Buick-ish’ or anything like that.
And the trunk! Baby GOT Back. Lots of it. In fact the 㤋 model looks a bit odd, in that the back end looks even bigger than the front. I’m sure it’s nothing more than a bigger spoiler or something, but the visual impression is that this car has got quite a caboose.
The back seat… well… it is a two door- I personally think that coupes need to knock it off with back seats and just do the truck thing- put shelves or something back there to hold your luggage and laptop, etc. Maybe a fridge or something, jeez. But let’s say for the sake of argument that it’s more spacious than I’ve usually seen in Coupes.

The doors are heavy and large, however- it requires a bit of effort to lean out, grab the handle and pull the lumbering steel beast in.

Though spacious, and improved in later years slightly, the interior leaves much to be desired. Very similar to the Olds Alero- boring and not as functional as one would hope. A car that screams give me wrap-around bucket seating has flat couch-like seats. While not uncomfortable, I was hoping for more.

Performance
This car has got more than size- it’s got a beefy V-6 (I tested both the 3.4 L standard and 3.6 L SS edition). Well, beefy is a relative term. It seems to me that this car was built for comfort more than performance. Punching the accelerator is not the muscle car scream you’d expect, rather a front-wheel drive pull (on certain spaces I did feel the steering jolt a bit under hard acceleration).
Why Chevy went with front wheel drive (on the Impala as well!) I’m not exactly sure- but when it started to rain, I didn’t mind so much at all.
Handling is very good for a car of its weight. Almost excellent considering the size of the beast.
Where this car really shines, though, is your typical cruising adventure. This car would be a joy on long trips. In fact the last 㤋 I rented I took on a trip between Seattle and Olympia and I was very impressed with the car’s longetivity.

The ride is nearly flawless with ample acceleration even at speed (probably why it was a Nascar pace car a few years ago), but the car is quiet at 130, er, 75 mph and the feeling is slightly deceptive as far as your perceived speed. Bumps in the road are barely felt, thanks to the very solid construction and sheer bulk of the car. This may be one of the most solid feeling cars I’ve ever driven- even more ‘solid’ feeling than the decked out Lincoln Towncar I transported from New Orleans to Houston (another story altogether!). I never heard a peep out of the body: no squeaks or the typical at-speed rumble usually heard with coupes I’ve driven before.

I’ve outlined in several of my reviews some of the standard GM interior features (speed-sensitive radio, dash layout, etc) and this car is pretty much cookie-cutter GM as far as that goes.

Summary
I’d say that this car is pretty nice all around if you are the kind of person that takes lots of road trips with 3 or less people in the car. The cavernous trunk is built around said road trip with what I would deem as additional space for two people to lay in the trunk itself. I am not kidding- this car has GOT BACK.
I would not recommend this car for the person who doesn’t enjoy trips to the gas station, or anyone with weak arms.
All around, however, I am willing to bet this is one of the last cars Chevy builds like this, so grab it while you can.
Now, if you’re one of those people who loves to customize a car- this car is for you! Room to grow and the internal and external features scream for it.
Have fun! I did!

Performance- 4 of 5
Handling (dry)- 5 of 5
Handling (wet)- 5 of 5
Safety- 5 of 5
Interior Aesthetics- 3 of 5
Exterior Aesthetics- 4 of 5
Comfort- 4 of 5
Overall Rating- 4 of 5