2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Style matters. By John F. Katz
Review Pages
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1. Overview
2. Walkaround and Interior
3. Driving Impressions
4. Summary, Prices, Specs

Overview
Never mind the NASCAR association; or the bad-boy reputation. Never mind that the Chevrolet Monte Carlo is as quick as it looks, with a 303-horsepower, variable-displacement small-block V8 as its top engine choice. Never mind the neo-muscle-car image the Monte Carlo carries. The Monte is primarily about style. Always has been. Always will be.
The Monte Carlo was born in 1970 as a high-style variant on a more mundane mid-size sedan, and as a high-value alternative to more expensive personal luxury coupes. Its mission, at which it succeeded brilliantly, was to deliver a lot of visual importance for relatively small monthly payments. A big-bore SS version was there from the start, but initially the SS sold at a trickle compared to a torrent of base-model coupes with all the luxury options.
The Monte quickly developed a dual personality: Although conceived originally for visual effect, its unusual proportions seemed to give it an edge in handling balance at medium-length NASCAR oval tracks. By the late 1970s, the Monte Carlo was Chevrolet's standard-bearer in stock-car competition. Then with each successive generation, Chevrolet refined the Monte's shape to improve its high-speed performance. The Monte Carlo is now the winningest nameplate in the history of NASCAR, which is certainly something to crow about.
Something comes over us when we're in a Chevy Monte Carlo. It's hard not to fantasize we're rocketing down the front straight at Talladega with 42 stock cars glued to our rear bumper. Or maybe we're going through the inner loop at Watkins Glen, bounding off the curbs as we go through the big chicane. The Monte just has that look about it. It has that feel about it, too, making it an enjoyable and appropriate car for winding down a rural road in the South with the windows down. It still draws admiring looks in these parts.
Like we said, it's all about style.
Last year, 2006, Chevrolet face-lifted the Monte Carlo. The new look is smoother, more mature, more sophisticated. At the same time, a V8 engine became available, for the first time in a Monte Carlo since 1987. Changes for 2007 are relatively minor.
We always bond with the Monte Carlo whenever we drive one. It's roomy and comfortable and easy to operate. Despite its race-track breeding, the Monte Carlo offers more interior volume than any of its non-GM competition. It's fast and fun to drive. It's stable at high speeds for long runs down the interstate and it's great fun on back roads, the same kind of roads that form the roots of stock car racing. The SS promises the kind of performance that Monte Carlo buyers haven't seen in a long time, along with a chance to feel connected to a winning tradition.
We're expecting this to be the last year for the Monte Carlo, with production ending in August 2007. So act now if you want to buy a new one.

Model Lineup
The 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo comes in three trim levels: LS and LT are powered by a 211-hp 3.5-liter V6. The top-performance SS comes with a 303-hp 5.3-liter V8. All come with a four-speed automatic transmission. (The 3.9-liter V6 offered for 2006 is no longer available.)
The Monte Carlo LS ($21,015) comes with air conditioning; cruise control; power windows, mirrors, and programmable door locks; six-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo with speed-sensing volume and auxiliary digital media jack; front bucket seats and floor console; six-way power driver's seat with manual lumbar adjustment; split-folding rear seat; tilt steering; metallic interior trim; automatic headlamps; 225/60 all-season radials on 16-inch steel wheels; 7.0 Generation OnStar with a one-year subscription; and a Passlock security system. A recent upgrade to the standard remote keyless entry allows drivers to use the red panic button to locate a car misplaced in Lowe's vast lot without activating the alarm. ABS with traction control is available ($600); as are 16-inch aluminum wheels ($350) and carpeted floor mats ($80).
The Monte Carlo LT ($22,625) adds dual-zone automatic climate control; Radio Data System (RDS); leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls; carpeted floor mats; ABS with traction control and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD); a tire-pressure monitor; and 225/55 touring tires on 17-inch machined aluminum wheels. Powertrain dampening is upgraded for quieter running. LT is available with more options, too, including a power tilt-and-slide sunroof ($900); leather seats ($795); six-disc CD changer ($295); XM Satellite Radio ($199); eight-speaker premium sound system ($250); and universal remote ($100).
The Monte Carlo SS ($27,740) comes with leather upholstery, heated front seats, XM Satellite Radio (with a three-month trial subscription); and 235/50 W-rated Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires on 18-inch machined aluminum wheels. Also standard is a stiffer suspension that GM calls FE4. A Convenience Package ($240) for SS adds a universal remote, auto-dimming inside rearview mirror, and heated exterior mirrors. Also available are polished aluminum wheels ($350) and a new Rally Stripe package ($395) in black or silver. Cloth upholstery can be substituted for credit. Otherwise SS offers the same options as LT.
Optional on all Monte Carlos are an engine block heater ($50); remote starter preparation ($30); and seat-mounted side-impact airbags ($350). New last year, the dual seat-mounted bags replaced a single door-mounted bag on the driver's side only, and help optimize head and torso protection for the driver and front passenger.
Dual-stage frontal airbags are standard on all models, as are front seat belt pretensioners, three-point seat belts in all seating positions, LATCH child-seat anchors in all rear-seat positions, strategically padded interior roof rails, and a strengthened front seat structure.

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2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Race on Sunday, sell on Monday. By Jim McCraw
Review Pages
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1. Overview
2. Walkaround and Interior
3. Driving Impressions
4. Summary, Prices, Specs

Overview
Something comes over us when we're in a Chevy Monte Carlo. It's hard not to fantasize we're rocketing down the front straight at Talladega with 42 stock cars glued to the rear bumper. Or maybe we're going through the inner loop at Watkins Glen, bounding off the curbs as we go through the big chicane. The Monte Carlo has that bad boy look and feel.
No matter what you think of the styling, you'll quickly form a bond with the Monte Carlo. It's just so easy to get along with this car. It's roomy and comfortable and easy to operate. It's fast and fun to drive. It's stable at high speeds for long runs down the interstate and it's great fun on back roads, the same kind of roads that form the roots of stock car racing.
The Monte Carlo also offers a lot of value, with strong performance for the dollar. You see, the Monte's mission is two-fold. Since its debut in 1970, it's been a high-value personal luxury coupe, a car that delivers a lot of visual importance for relatively small monthly payments. But for most of those years, the Monte Carlo has also been Chevrolet's standard-bearer in stock car racing. Keeping ahead of the competition has required constant aerodynamic refinement. So there's a reason the Monte Carlo looks like it does: the Winston Cup rule book. The rules of Winston Cup racing demand the cars we see flying around the high banks are similar to those sitting in the showrooms. The result is an attention-grabbing shape like no other on the road, a shape born in the wind tunnels.
It's a surprisingly practical shape as well. Despite its race-track breeding, the Monte Carlo offers more interior volume that any other car in its class (with the exception of other GM vehicles). Its front-drive chassis is tuned for a comfortable ride and competent handling. An SS model, the only Monte Carlo to buy, provides a potent 3.8-liter V6 to complement its racy good looks. Of course, the Monte Carlo at the local dealership does not have the tube-frame chassis or rear-wheel drive of a NASCAR machine. But the SS does deliver spirited performance, along with a chance to feel connected to a winning tradition.

Model Lineup
Two trim levels are offered. Both come with a four-speed automatic transmission.
Monte Carlo LS ($20,465) is powered by a 3.4-liter ohv V6 rated 180 horsepower at 5200 rpm, and 205 pounds-feet of torque at 4000 rpm. Standard equipment includes air conditioning with separate controls for driver and passenger; traction control; AM/FM/cassette stereo; cloth-covered bucket seats; center console; power windows, mirrors, and door locks; and, new for 2003, remote keyless entry. The suspension is all-independent and bolstered by anti-roll bars front and rear, and the brakes are four-wheel-discs with ABS. Sixteen-inch aluminum wheels are shod with P225/60R16 Goodyear Eagle GA touring tires. An optional Sport Appearance Package ($615) offers unique-looking five-spoke alloy wheels and a race-inspired rear spoiler.
Monte Carlo SS ($23,030) relies on a 200-horsepower 3.8-liter V6. Its tires are the same size as the LS model's, but are upgraded to Goodyear Eagle RSA performance rubber. A Sport Suspension package, with higher-rate springs and four-stage strut valving, is available only on the SS. Without this package, you might as well be looking at an Impala, which adds the practicality of rear doors. All SS Monte Carlos come with a side-impact air bag for the driver, cruise control, pollen filtration, fog lamps, full instrumentation, sport seats with adjustable lumbar support for the driver, OnStar communications, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, and a more modest rear deck spoiler.
A High Sport Appearance Package ($2100) is available for the SS that includes full ground effects, a race-inspired deck spoiler, unique aluminum wheels, stainless-steel exhaust tips and a red bow tie identification in the instrument cluster panel.
Options for all Monte Carlos include power seats ($325), power sunroof ($795), and a premium CD stereo with six speakers ($445). For 2003, serious audiophiles should choose optional XM Satellite Radio, with 100 coast-to-coast digital channels, including 71 music channels (more than 30 of them commercial-free) and 29 channels of sports, talk, 24-hour news, and children's entertainment. Chevrolet claims that XM's sound quality is remarkably close to a compact disc.

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2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
The car for NASCAR fans. By Jim McCraw
Review Pages
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1. Overview
2. Walkaround and Interior
3. Driving Impressions
4. Summary, Prices, Specs

Overview
Chevrolet says its 2002 Monte Carlo is "classy with a wild streak." The wild streak comes from the car being shaped in the wind tunnel for minimal drag and maximum stability because it of Chevrolet's participation in NASCAR Winston Cup stock car racing. It is no exaggeration to say Chevrolet and Monte Carlo have dominated NASCAR racing since the "modern era" of the sport began in 1972. Since its reintroduction to NASCAR's high-banked ovals in 1995, the Monte Carlo has won five consecutive Winston Cup Series Driver's Championships.
Of course, the Monte Carlo at your local dealership doesn't have the tube-frame or rear-wheel drive of a Winston Cup race car. But it does provide spirited performance in its SS form. And its styling does attract attention. Just don't expect people to cover their ears when you start it up.

Model Lineup
Two trim levels are offered. Both come with a four-speed automatic transmission.
LS ($19,985) is powered by a 3.4-liter V6.
SS ($22,785) uses a more powerful 3.8-liter V6, plus upgraded wheels, tires, and suspension.
Though the SS packs more standard equipment, Chevrolet has upgraded the LS to narrow the distance between the two models. For 2002, air conditioning with driver and passenger temperature setting is standard on both models. Electronic traction control became standard on both models last year.
For 2002, a new Enhanced Premium Sound System is available and includes eight speakers and an auxiliary amplifier. Also new for 2002 is a shoulder belt for the middle position in the rear seat and LATCH child seat attachment points.
Available on the SS version is a High Sport Appearance Package ($2100) that includes full ground effects, a race-inspired spoiler, unique aluminum wheels, stainless-steel exhaust tips and a red bow tie identification in the instrument cluster panel.

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2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
NASCAR fans rejoice! By Jim McCraw
Review Pages
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1. Overview
2. Walkaround and Interior
3. Driving Impressions
4. Summary, Prices, Specs

Overview
Shaped in the wind tunnel for minimal drag and maximum stability, the Chevrolet Monte Carlo was designed to win NASCAR Winston Cup races. It would be no exaggeration to say Chevrolet and Monte Carlo have dominated NASCAR racing since the "Modern Era" began in 1972. Since its reintroduction to NASCAR's high-banked ovals in 1995, the Monte Carlo has won four consecutive Winston Cup Series Driver's Championships as well as Manufacturer's Cup Championships in '95, '96 and '98. Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., the late and lamented Dale Earnhardt, and a long list of other Monte Carlo drivers have become household names in recent years as the sport has exploded in popularity.
While the Monte Carlo at the dealerships doesn't have the top end of a tube-frame Winston Cup car, the SS model does provide spirited performance. And its wild styling does attract attention. Just don't expect people to line up for your autograph until you've won the Daytona 500.

Model Lineup
Two trim levels are offered: LS ($19,570) is powered by a 3.4-liter V6; SS ($22,400) uses a more powerful 3.8-liter V6, plus upgraded wheels, tires, and suspension. Both come only with a four-speed automatic transmission.
SS packs more standard equipment, but Chevrolet has narrowed the distance between the two models a bit for 2001. Electronic traction control is now standard on both models. A driver's side-impact air bag and OnStar communications, both standard on SS, are offered optionally on LS. There's even a Sport Appearance Package for the LS, with five-spoke aluminum wheels and a rear spoiler.
At the same time, Chevrolet has added a High Sport Appearance Package for the SS, with unique wheels, spoiler, and ground effects, plus stainless steel exhaust tips.

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Motorweek Video of the 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS - YouTube

Interesting Monte Carlo Vid (?)
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