6th Gen ('00-'05): Car and Driver magazine talks smack about 6th-gen Monte styling
#1
06-11-2017, 05:24 PM
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Papillion, NE
Posts: 322
Car and Driver magazine talks smack about 6th-gen Monte styling
Car and Driver critics, on the 2000 Chevy Monte Carlo when it was new (September 1999 issue):
"I fail to see a coalescent theme here. The nose and headlight treatment is space-age futuristic, and the hind end is strangely reminiscent of an El Camino's. The Monte Carlo's design is a "mixture", which, in case you dozed off in high-school chemistry, means its components retain their own properties and can be separated -- they're not chemically combined, as in a "compound". Or as in, say, a car such as the SS of the mid-'80s. "As heavy-class performance cars go," our Pat Bedard said of that vehicle, "this is the real thing." Well, long gone are the wide tires, the rear-wheel drive, and the four-barrel V-8. Sadly, the real thing is long gone, too."
-Cora Weber
"I can live with vehicles that inspire love or hate, but this Monte Carlo's rear end is, uh, ungainly. Buyers who prefer two doors give up four-door practicality in return for a stylish body and a handsome exterior. So now I'm wondering who's going to pony up for this new Monte. If anyone does mosey down to the Chevy store for a test drive, he or she will find a refined, smooth, and polished automobile. If he's looking for something sporting, he won't find it. The Monte rolls around too much for me, and although many GM cars now have excellent brakes, the Monte's faded after severe use. This Monte Carlo has numerous features for the dollar, but who cares when it almost hurts to look at it?"
-Larry Webster
"As a child, I was admonished to say nothing if it couldn't be something nice, so here goes: I like the radio, and it's easy to drive the Monte Carlo in the dark. Which is when I chose to drive it. Everyone I spoke to during my 72 hours with this car hated its bloated and overwrought shape. Its disparate elements seem to have been penned and clinicked by different studios. It's best viewed from the bottom, looking at all the well-engineered drivetrain and suspension bits. It doesn't matter how well it drives (darned nicely), I can't look at it -- especially knowing how striking the original Monte Carlo was. Lumina, Malibu, Impala, and now this. Hey, Chevy, never mind outsourcing the parts, it's time to farm out your styling!
-Frank Markus
Well, well, well, who poured sand in their gas tanks? 
Everybody's got an opinion...
As for myself, I did pick a 5th-gen Monte to drive, but I still like the 6th (and 7th)-gens. I like to think that the 5th-gen brought back the Monte name, and the 6th-gen brought back the Monte style.
"I fail to see a coalescent theme here. The nose and headlight treatment is space-age futuristic, and the hind end is strangely reminiscent of an El Camino's. The Monte Carlo's design is a "mixture", which, in case you dozed off in high-school chemistry, means its components retain their own properties and can be separated -- they're not chemically combined, as in a "compound". Or as in, say, a car such as the SS of the mid-'80s. "As heavy-class performance cars go," our Pat Bedard said of that vehicle, "this is the real thing." Well, long gone are the wide tires, the rear-wheel drive, and the four-barrel V-8. Sadly, the real thing is long gone, too."
-Cora Weber
"I can live with vehicles that inspire love or hate, but this Monte Carlo's rear end is, uh, ungainly. Buyers who prefer two doors give up four-door practicality in return for a stylish body and a handsome exterior. So now I'm wondering who's going to pony up for this new Monte. If anyone does mosey down to the Chevy store for a test drive, he or she will find a refined, smooth, and polished automobile. If he's looking for something sporting, he won't find it. The Monte rolls around too much for me, and although many GM cars now have excellent brakes, the Monte's faded after severe use. This Monte Carlo has numerous features for the dollar, but who cares when it almost hurts to look at it?"
-Larry Webster
"As a child, I was admonished to say nothing if it couldn't be something nice, so here goes: I like the radio, and it's easy to drive the Monte Carlo in the dark. Which is when I chose to drive it. Everyone I spoke to during my 72 hours with this car hated its bloated and overwrought shape. Its disparate elements seem to have been penned and clinicked by different studios. It's best viewed from the bottom, looking at all the well-engineered drivetrain and suspension bits. It doesn't matter how well it drives (darned nicely), I can't look at it -- especially knowing how striking the original Monte Carlo was. Lumina, Malibu, Impala, and now this. Hey, Chevy, never mind outsourcing the parts, it's time to farm out your styling!
-Frank Markus
Everybody's got an opinion...As for myself, I did pick a 5th-gen Monte to drive, but I still like the 6th (and 7th)-gens. I like to think that the 5th-gen brought back the Monte name, and the 6th-gen brought back the Monte style.
#6
06-12-2017, 10:56 AM
Agreed
I owned a 2003 Monte Carlo SS for 10 years, and while it had its good points, the styling never caught on. At least Chevy fixed the styling mistakes on the 2006-07 model, so it went out on a good note. It was still a big, heavy car but at least it didn't droop everywhere like it was melting.
And why on earth did Chevy slap the coveted SS badge on a car with a 3.8 liter V6 with 200 hp? Even in 2000 that engine was pretty standard fare in a big front drive car.
And why on earth did Chevy slap the coveted SS badge on a car with a 3.8 liter V6 with 200 hp? Even in 2000 that engine was pretty standard fare in a big front drive car.
#7
06-12-2017, 12:43 PM
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Posts: 4,779
You mean people had opinions before social media? The 6th Gen Monte was a great selling car for GM. They sell and still sell; dealerships can't even keep used ones on the lot now. So yeah... they're terrible cars and people hate em.
SS badge on the Monte Carlo? Why did they slap an SS badge on the Cobalt, Malibu, Malibu Maxx, Impala, Silverado, HHR and TrailBlazer too? They were putting that SS badge on everything in those days. It was, at least, more justified on the Monte Carlo than most of the others, especially when the refresh hit in 2006. The Monte Carlo did wear the SS a couple other times in its history.
SS badge on the Monte Carlo? Why did they slap an SS badge on the Cobalt, Malibu, Malibu Maxx, Impala, Silverado, HHR and TrailBlazer too? They were putting that SS badge on everything in those days. It was, at least, more justified on the Monte Carlo than most of the others, especially when the refresh hit in 2006. The Monte Carlo did wear the SS a couple other times in its history.
Last edited by 06mistreSS; 06-12-2017 at 12:54 PM.
#8
06-12-2017, 02:30 PM
The paradox
I agree that the 2000-05 Monte Carlos have a certain appeal on the used market. When I traded in my 2003 SS the dealership seemed happy to get it, and I think they sold it on their used lot rather than send it to auction but I'm not sure.
But all told, those Monte Carlos were not loved like earlier ones. And every other car on that platform looked great: Lumina, 1995-99 Monte Carlo, Cutlass, Regal, Grand Prix. I even like the Impala despite the busy back end of the 2000-05 era. Chevy would have been wise to make it just like the Impala, but with 2 doors. That would have looked better.
But all told, those Monte Carlos were not loved like earlier ones. And every other car on that platform looked great: Lumina, 1995-99 Monte Carlo, Cutlass, Regal, Grand Prix. I even like the Impala despite the busy back end of the 2000-05 era. Chevy would have been wise to make it just like the Impala, but with 2 doors. That would have looked better.
#9
06-12-2017, 07:16 PM
I've always enjoyed the unique styling of the 6th gen MC's. After doing a ton of work to my MC (struts, tires, tie rods, replacing all fluids & filters, spark plugs & wires, and more!), she is an awesome car to drive. While she's not an SS, she's still has plenty of HP for me, and is honestly a nice car to cruise in. It is nice at times to have the extra trunk space.
Only thing I've never been a huge fan about is the "boaty" feeling it has at times, but that has always been my issue with GM vehicles. Other than that, I would love to keep my MC going to 1,000,000 miles.
Only thing I've never been a huge fan about is the "boaty" feeling it has at times, but that has always been my issue with GM vehicles. Other than that, I would love to keep my MC going to 1,000,000 miles.
#10
06-14-2017, 01:18 AM
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Papillion, NE
Posts: 322
Yeah, when you stop and think about it, the 6th-gen LS has the same hp as the 4th-gen SS (180 hp). So in that regard, at least, the 6th-gen SS with 200 hp qualified for the SS title.
Well, I give props to Chevy stylists for making the 6th-gen Monte Carlo and Impala look so different from each other. After five years of having the Monte Carlo and Lumina looking so much alike, now it was so easy to tell the difference from every angle.
One thing's for sure, I don't think any other car ever had wavy-style headlights like the 6th-gen Monte does.
How many other cars can you positively identify just from their headlight fixture? A few, probably, but not a whole lot...
Well, I give props to Chevy stylists for making the 6th-gen Monte Carlo and Impala look so different from each other. After five years of having the Monte Carlo and Lumina looking so much alike, now it was so easy to tell the difference from every angle.
One thing's for sure, I don't think any other car ever had wavy-style headlights like the 6th-gen Monte does.
How many other cars can you positively identify just from their headlight fixture? A few, probably, but not a whole lot...