Marauder owners, your opinions please!

[Cheesepocket]

Hey all, I am a '95 Impala SS owner and have been taking a close look at used Marauders as the replacement. This would be an everyday salesman's car, including driving in the Minnesota weather, including snow.

The Impala is getting old, and it's just such a Chevy in so many ways, you know what I mean. My priority is a rear-drive V8 American car with decent giddyap, a transmission that knows what gear to be in without too much fussing, good torque for around town. The major knocks on the SS are its totally vague steering and not too rigid structure, along with all the low quality plastic bits and a distributor mounted directly beneath the water pump. I did 3.73s, PCM tune, poly bushings, big sway bars, and bunch of smaller mods, engine mods limited to intake and exhaust.

I grew up a Ford guy and really want to drive a Marauder, but I would like some opinions from you owners....

How reliable is it for an everyday car? Does the tranny do what it's supposed to? My '95 T-bird had an awful tranny that would upshift if you were anything but full throttle, very inconvenient when accelerating onto the highway. You guys will laugh at me, but how about gas mileage? How much worse does it get with 4.10s and a tune? The SS presently gets around 20 mpg combined, would I get similar? I understand that Ford worked hard to improve steering feel on this car...is it better than the US rear drivers of old? How is the leather seat and the rest of the interior holding up? Is the getaway from the stoplights really as weak as the magazines describe? Is the car quiet on the highway, in terms of wind noise? What would be your biggest knocks on the car? This would be especially interesting to hear from any of you that previously had an SS. I have read about the cooling issues in the 7/8 cylinders, is that an issue on a car that isn't raced, or is this a long-term reliability issue? How about those Autometer gauges, it sounds like they don't work??? I don't know my way around the Ford cammer, does this thing need constant fiddling? Is it easy to work on, my whole life has been ohv V8s.

Sorry for all the questions, but I need to look for the next car soon, and I have no intention of being a drone in a Bonneville or (sorry Ford guys) Taurus or a Honda.

Thanks.

BTW, it's great to see such an active enthusiast community for an American V8 rear-drive car!!

[MAD-3R]

As a daily driver, you won't find much better in todays market.

The transmition does hunt a bit stock, but for the most part it will stay in the gear needed. Milage will be the same, or a bit better. THere was no appreciable milage drop from the switch to 4.10's, and with the Superchips tuner, you can adjust the shift points to your liking. For winter, get the snow tire packadge. Our stock tires make great snowplows, but will not be the best for driving in the white stuff. Stering and handeling are far ahead of what the impala was stock. No recerculating ball here, we have rack and pinion with speed sensitive power assist.

Performance wise, it does seem weak off the light, but when you enter it's power band it will pull hard to about 120 or so. (don't ask :) ) Your Impala has a push rod motor where the torque comes in low and hard, alowing for the big smoky burn outs. Don't look for them in the marauder. But then if you do stomp it at a light, you won't attract undue attention with squeling tires ether.

As for fiddleing with the motor, just feed it gas it likes (premium) and keep the oil clean (good advice for ANY car) and it is a no brainer.

The two gauges in the center console are a dumby oil pressure, on or off type, and a funtional volt meter. You can get replacements for the oil and volt meter from autometer. Someone else will have to speak up on the how easy / to gauge swapping.

[2003 MIB]

WELCOME!

How reliable is it for an everyday car?
I've got about 11,000 miles with no real issues. I don't drive her everyday- I commute 124 miles a day to/from work.

Does the tranny do what it's supposed to?
Stock-I don't think so. reprogramming (mine's DR) makes it perfect.
You guys will laugh at me, but how about gas mileage?

Around 21 but I've seen as high as 23. Put your foot in it and it's worse.

How much worse does it get with 4.10s and a tune?
I have 4.10s and tune- I don't remember what it was stock.

The SS presently gets around 20 mpg combined, would I get similar?
Hmmm, probably....

The steering feel on this car...is it better than the US rear drivers of old?
YES

How is the leather seat and the rest of the interior holding up?
Great so far- using Meguire's leather stuff.

Is the getaway from the stoplights really as weak as the magazines describe?
Not with 4.10s and a tune.

Is the car quiet on the highway, in terms of wind noise?
Mine is but it's even better within sound deadening in the doors- aftermarket speakers.

What would be your biggest knocks on the car? Paint quality. Paint quality. Did I mention the paint quality?

This would be especially interesting to hear from any of you that previously had an SS. She was a 1996 that I sold before they took off in value :bigcry:
I like the Marauder more.

I have read about the cooling issues in the 7/8 cylinders, is that an issue on a car that isn't raced, or is this a long-term reliability issue? I don't know enough to offer an opinion.

How about those Autometer gauges, it sounds like they don't work??? The oil pressure guage does not. It is really an idiot light. the others are fine.

I don't know my way around the Ford cammer, does this thing need constant fiddling? Nope.

[darebren]

if you stay american... buy it, don't lease it bad residual=high lease payment. In my mind only the Caddy CTS-V is a better US car, but more expensive.

if your a beemer or audi type, there is better quality out there and status/style.. more $$ though - lease one

if you've got any modding needs, this car will take what you throw at it, and each one makes it more reliable and better than stock...

[Ross]

Howdy and welcome. I have had my MM since Dec. '02 and I now have 36K on it. It's my daily driver both around town and on business trips of several hundred miles. I have a lot less than $1,000.00 in mods (not counting a new exhaust which I've purchased but haven't had time to install) and I really like the way she runs. I would definitely buy the car again.

[Racerx88]

How reliable is it for an everyday car?
Dead reliable. I had 23k miles on my '03 MM before I traded for the '04 I have now. The '03 NEVER let me down. The '04 only has 3100 miles on now, but appears headed in the same direction.

Does the tranny do what it's supposed to?
Not really. Both my cars had/have a tendency to lock the torque converter or go into OD at the most annoying times. Like when making a turn and trying to accelerate. Like others have said, this can be fixed with a chip/tune.

You guys will laugh at me, but how about gas mileage? How much worse does it get with 4.10s and a tune? The SS presently gets around 20 mpg combined, would I get similar?
Gas mileage is no longer a laughing matter. I paid $2.11 for premium yesterday! Stock, ' the '03 got 17 city and 24 highway. My '04 gets 17 city and 23 highway. The '04 should get better as the motor gets broken in.

I understand that Ford worked hard to improve steering feel on this car...is it better than the US rear drivers of old?
The steering on the MM is hands down better than the SS. The SS has the same old steering gear as most every other General Motors car. The MM has rack and pinion.

How is the leather seat and the rest of the interior holding up?
I had over 23k miles on my '03, and the seats were still in great shape with little to no care.

Is the getaway from the stoplights really as weak as the magazines describe?
Pretty much. But once you get "on the cams", the car will really get up and go.

Is the car quiet on the highway, in terms of wind noise?
This car is hands down the best highway car I've ever had. Very quiet and solid.

What would be your biggest knocks on the car? This would be especially interesting to hear from any of you that previously had an SS.
Well actually I did have a '94 SS, at least until my then wife totaled it. As for knocks on the MM, I don't really have any. For the first few thousand miles, I couldn't get over the feeling that the seating position was too high. I just couldn't get the seat low enough. That kinda went away as I got used to the car and the seats got broken it and settled a bit. The gas pedal is too small. My foot has a tendency to slip off the pedal to the right. The all aluminum engine is a bit noisy. You can hear a lot of valve train noise. But that's normal (in my experiance) for aluminum engines. My '00 Camaro SS was the same way. My '03 wore out the tires at 18k miles. Too much negative camber and too little tire pressure. They seemed to have corrected all that on my '04. We'll see.

I have read about the cooling issues in the 7/8 cylinders, is that an issue on a car that isn't raced, or is this a long-term reliability issue?
I haven't had this problem yet, although I did notice last night that the clatter from the engine seemed louder some how. It'll be going to the dealer next week to have it checked out.

How about those Autometer gauges, it sounds like they don't work??? The oil pressure guage is a fake, the volt meter is real.

I don't know my way around the Ford cammer, does this thing need constant fiddling? Is it easy to work on, my whole life has been ohv V8s.
I've never needed to work on it, so I can't say.

All in all, I'd say it's a much better all round car than the old SS. You've got over 6 years worth of new technology, it's much better looking, it handles better.............all I can say is - GET ONE.
:D

[gpfarrell]

Umm. I pretty much agree with what they said.

Aside from the rear-mounted infant seat, ours is still stock.

It's not horrible off the line, but its much happier from even a 20 mph roll.

My biggest hesitation in buying a Marauder was giving up the 5-speed in my SHO. When I test drove a 160 mile Maruader I couldn't stand the stupid tranny.

Then I found out about the "O/D Off" button on the shifter. Most of my driving is under 60 mph, up & down hills, round corners, stop & go, etc.

To me, the difference between the tranny hunting between 3 gears and 4 is amazing. In local driving with the O/D off, I'm fine with the tranny 98% of the time. With the O/D on I hate it, and typically turn it off within 1/2 a mile because I notice it doing something stupid in pursuit of more mpg's. O/D on, sluggish. O/D off, crisp.

I'm so glad Ford engineers gave us the button, put it in the right place, and made the "warning" light on the dash a pleasant green instead of a glaring yellow. Green is good!

If you need to be replace the SS and a Marauder won't make you happy, I'm not sure what would... maybe a butt-ugly Chrysler?

[Bluerauder]

"...snip..."
How reliable is it for an everyday car? "...snip...". You guys will laugh at me, but how about gas mileage? "...snip..." How is the leather seat and the rest of the interior holding up? "...snip..." What would be your biggest knocks on the car? "...snip..."
BTW, it's great to see such an active enthusiast community for an American V8 rear-drive car!!
I drive mine everyday to work and back about 50 miles per day. Am approaching 10K miles now. No problems at all. On the highway, I have gotten 22.2 mpg in a bone stock configuration. Around town, it is probably closer to 16-17 mpg, but I do tend to play around and juice it up some. I haven't been worrying about mpg at all until I filled her up yesterday with some $2.199 per gallon 93 Octane premium. I thought that those pump dial numbers were going around awfully fast.

I have no knocks on the car at all. The MM is not quick out of the hole; but I knew that when I bought it. But after that first 1/8 mile, she flies. :up:

Interior is not worn at all. Of course, mine is not that old.

This is by far the most comfortable, best looking, and most downright feelgood car that I have ever owned .... bar none. :banana:

Thanks for asking .... and welcome to the MM Net.

[rookie1]

Hey all, I am a '95 Impala SS owner and have been taking a close look at used Marauders as the replacement. This would be an everyday salesman's car, including driving in the Minnesota weather, including snow.

The Impala is getting old, and it's just such a Chevy in so many ways, you know what I mean. My priority is a rear-drive V8 American car with decent giddyap, a transmission that knows what gear to be in without too much fussing, good torque for around town. The major knocks on the SS are its totally vague steering and not too rigid structure, along with all the low quality plastic bits and a distributor mounted directly beneath the water pump. I did 3.73s, PCM tune, poly bushings, big sway bars, and bunch of smaller mods, engine mods limited to intake and exhaust.

Sorry for all the questions, but I need to look for the next car soon, and I have no intention of being a drone in a Bonneville or (sorry Ford guys) Taurus or a Honda.

Thanks.


Holy Crap!! I've found my doppelganger!!

I sold my 95 Impala SS(wife made me) and moved into a new Marauder, understand that this is a MM site so I may get some flak,but, They are almost the exact same freaking car. I'm a salesman also and the SS was my daily driver also as is the new MM. The 04 MMs have traction control, tight steering,better quality interior, better feedback, and slightly tighter ride than the SS. I like the interior in the MM better also(never understood the mismatched plastic in the SS).
One of the most impressive things about the SS as a daily driver was its ability to just eat up miles on the hwy. I mean put in a cd and off you go, no fatigue, no worry, just point and go. The MM has this exact same quality which as an SS owner and a salesman I know you know what i'm talking about.
One of the problems with the SS was it's lack of handling when it got a little damp out let alone in the snow. BIG difference with the MM and traction control.
On a performance basis the SS has more torque lower in the rev band so it feels quicker off the line but the MM is right there.
It's weird but I drove alot of models when I was looking to replace the SS and when I drove the MM I felt like I was home again.

If you interested buy quickly they are not taking orders for them anymore.

[drgnrdr33]

Buy one! I say that even with the $2.75/gallon premium in California. Before I bought mine I drove a Jag, Infinity, Lexus, etc. All required premium, get about the same mileage, and had none of the giddyup that the Marauder has. Also, the Marauder was half the price, at least (bought mine used).

Another thing to consider: Service prices. My Marauder cost $28 for an oil change @ the dealer yesterday. A Jag, or other Euro car, is $495 and a major service (belts, oil, trans service, etc) was $1,000. Want to DIY? Jag trans fluid = $30/quart, plugs = $18.50, etc. :down: These are not exaggerations. I called the local Jag dealer to see what I was in for if I bought one.

So, for a few Euro-oil changes, I could buy a Trilogy S/C kit and wear an even bigger smile as I drive. :rolleyes: some day......

[jspradii]

if you stay american... buy it, don't lease it bad residual=high lease payment. In my mind only the Caddy CTS-V is a better US car, but more expensive.

if your a beemer or audi type, there is better quality out there and status/style.. more $$ though - lease one

if you've got any modding needs, this car will take what you throw at it, and each one makes it more reliable and better than stock...
David-

That's ZEX nitorus kit you have.

[Merc-O-matic]

Cheese, Get a Marauder.....
You're going to like the way you look.

Gotta Love It! :rasta:

[RCSignals]

Oh heck. Just buy one and don't look back.

If buying used, do the usual, find out it's maintenance history and if any mods have been done.

[Cheesepocket]

MMer's, thanks for all the feedback. Every car mfg should have such enthusiastic buyers. I drove one today, and all your opinions were spot-on about the car. The worst part is that goofy automatic that almost seems frantic in upshifting as soon as possible.

I found the car to not just be a little better drivng than the SS, but much better. The steering was really tight, the car just felt alot better buttoned together than the SS. I purposely drove it down a really rutted road, and this thing is solid. I would definitely have to get the 4.10s and electronic tune, but otherwise I think I could be pretty hands-off. This could qualify as the first car I ever buy and leave the factory exhaust on it, sounds great.

So, thanks again for the feedback, and if anyone hears about any good deals on a blue, silver or red version, I think I am in.

Anyone want a very used 95 SS? Maybe for your next MM barbecue, you could sell whacks with a 10 lb sledge!

[TripleTransAm]

Most who have owned previous full-frame RWD GM cars seem to experience the same sense of pleasant surprise as you did. I know I did. Makes you wonder why Ford didn't come out with this back in the mid 90s when Chevy had the market to itself.

[RF Overlord]

The worst part is that goofy automatic that almost seems frantic in upshifting as soon as possible.As others have said, the SuperChips Custom Tuning tuner will fix that in a hurry...


This could qualify as the first car I ever buy and leave the factory exhaust on it, sounds great. And it will continue to sound better as you put miles on it, up 'til around 5k or so...


Anyone want a very used 95 SS? Maybe for your next MM barbecue, you could sell whacks with a 10 lb sledge!Sacrilege!!! Any Impala SS (well, except for the new Wrong-Wheel-Drive ones) deserves more respect than that...like a Klingon warrior, it deserves to die an honourable death in a glorious battle...!

[dwasson]

I grew up a Ford guy and really want to drive a Marauder, but I would like some opinions from you owners....

How reliable is it for an everyday car?
I have 28K miles on mine. I drive it hard every day. I live 30 miles from work and all I do is keep the oil changed.

Does the tranny do what it's supposed to? My '95 T-bird had an awful tranny that would upshift if you were anything but full throttle, very inconvenient when accelerating onto the highway.
While the Trans has some issues that are annoying all is made right with the chip from Alternative Auto.


You guys will laugh at me, but how about gas mileage? How much worse does it get with 4.10s and a tune? The SS presently gets around 20 mpg combined, would I get similar?

With the stock rear gear I get just under 22 MPG on the interstate, normally cruising at 80 MPH. I believe that the 4.10 gear would not be good for a daily driver but I may be in the minority.


I understand that Ford worked hard to improve steering feel on this car...is it better than the US rear drivers of old?

The steering a real high point of the car. If you get it aligned right and keep the front tires at 35 psi it steers real well. As you'd expect with any car with wide tires in front it can track rain grooves but that can be minimized with a better alignment.


How is the leather seat and the rest of the interior holding up?

Mine is good, and I'm a big guy and hard on interiors.


Is the getaway from the stoplights really as weak as the magazines describe?
Get the chip from Lidio.


Is the car quiet on the highway, in terms of wind noise?
This may be the fastest real world car I've had. I can, with the wife asleep, run the interstate at over 90 MPH and she never suspects. She doesn't have the wind noise and twitchiness to clue her to the speed.



BTW, it's great to see such an active enthusiast community for an American V8 rear-drive car!!

The group is another good reason to get a Marauder. They people here are a great resource.

[2003 MIB]

Anyone want a very used 95 SS? Maybe for your next MM barbecue, you could sell whacks with a 10 lb sledge!

:nono: :nono: :nono: :nono:

YIKES!!!!- I for one, love the SS. If they hadn't had their car we wouldn't have ours. We have SS'ers on this board and welcome anybody with an appreciation for this "type" of car. Long live the Impala SS!! :banana: :banana: :banana:

[Smokie]

Anyone want a very used 95 SS? Maybe for your next MM barbecue, you could sell whacks with a 10 lb sledge!
The SS is worthy of respect, check out the SS sites, maybe you can find a buyer that will want to give yours a good home. Welcome to our club.

[Cobra25]

First of all welcome to our site. Now if you looking to buy a Marauder all I'll tell you is it's a good car and we have some really good vendors on this site to help us with any question's we may have and some good up grades too.

[paul hersom]

Go for it! Maruader is one of the coolest cars available. I formerly had a '96 Caprice Classic (Sleeper). All the SS running gear with beefed up suspension with KYB's in front and air shocks in the rear. I miss the torque and I loved the Chev trans....but my '03 MM 300b is more fun to drive, turns heads everywhere and production ends with the '04s.