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2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Review

April 3, 2008

 Robert Ahl's avatar Robert Ahl
EditorRobert Ahl

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Impala, Caprice, Camaro, Malibu, Monte Carlo — these were the car names that were famous during Chevrolet’s glory years in the 1960s and 1970s, when the division owned one-fifth of the U.S. car market.

The Monte Carlo, introduced in 1970, was an example of Chevrolet’s marketing genius. Although it was based on GM’s unremarkable midsize car platform, the Monte Carlo’s handsome long-hood, short-trunk styling virtually created the moderately priced "personal luxury coupe" market in the United States. It was a market that would remain popular in the U.S. for the next 20 years.

Monte Carlos were all about styling. The new 2000 Monte Carlo continues that trend. Its dramatic styling is the first thing that strikes you — but not necessarily for good reasons. In recent years, Chevy’s been trying to recapture the design excitement of the cars of its past. But as the new Monte Carlo shows, this strategy is risky.

Its body is a strange mix of old Monte Carlo design cues — the vertical taillamps, the long hood and short deck, the wide C-pillar — with modern headlamps and aerodynamic contours. The low and wide front end, with its strange cat's-eye headlamps, looks awkward. So, too, does the large expanse of metal above the rear wheels, which makes the car look heavy in back. Aerodynamics played a heavy hand in this car’s design, because this is the body that Chevy will compete with in the important NASCAR racing series for the next few years. Still, for a car nameplate with such a glorious past, this Chevy should look more attractive.

A brighter picture beneath

Underneath the exterior, the picture gets brighter. The Monte Carlo was created from the same front-wheel-drive platform as the new-for-2000 Chevy Impala, a generously sized four-door sedan (which itself is descended from the Chevy Lumina). Despite its two fewer doors, the Monte Carlo is still large enough inside to seat five comfortably. The interior is friendly, too. The instrument panel includes a full-set of gauges, and a liquid-crystal-display "driver information center" that can alert the driver to various problems as well as notify the driver when an oil change is required. Separate driver and passenger climate controls are standard, and the steering wheel on SS models includes handy switches for the cruise control and the stereo. The position of the major controls and the seats are excellent. The front seats themselves, however, lack lumbar and lateral support.

Impala, Caprice, Camaro, Malibu, Monte Carlo — these were the car names that were famous during Chevrolet’s glory years in the 1960s and 1970s, when the division owned one-fifth of the U.S. car market. The Monte Carlo, introduced in 1970, was an example of Chevrolet’s marketing genius. Although it was based on GM’s unremarkable midsize car platform, the Monte Carlo’s handsome long-hood, short-trunk styling virtually created the moderately priced "personal luxury coupe" market in the United States. It was a market that would remain popular in the U.S. for the next 20 years. Monte Carlos were all about styling. The new 2000 Monte Carlo continues that trend. Its dramatic styling is the first thing that strikes you — but not necessarily for good reasons. In recent years, Chevy’s been trying to recapture the design excitement of the cars of its past. But as the new Monte Carlo shows, this strategy is risky. Its body is a strange mix of old Monte Carlo design cues — the vertical taillamps, the long hood and short deck, the wide C-pillar — with modern headlamps and aerodynamic contours. The low and wide front end, with its strange cat's-eye headlamps, looks awkward. So, too, does the large expanse of metal above the rear wheels, which makes the car look heavy in back. Aerodynamics played a heavy hand in this car’s design, because this is the body that Chevy will compete with in the important NASCAR racing series for the next few years. Still, for a car nameplate with such a glorious past, this Chevy should look more attractive. A brighter picture beneath Underneath the exterior, the picture gets brighter. The Monte Carlo was created from the same front-wheel-drive platform as the new-for-2000 Chevy Impala, a generously sized four-door sedan (which itself is descended from the Chevy Lumina). Despite its two fewer doors, the Monte Carlo is still large enough inside to seat five comfortably. The interior is friendly, too. The instrument panel includes a full-set of gauges, and a liquid-crystal-display "driver information center" that can alert the driver to various problems as well as notify the driver when an oil change is required. Separate driver and passenger climate controls are standard, and the steering wheel on SS models includes handy switches for the cruise control and the stereo. The position of the major controls and the seats are excellent. The front seats themselves, however, lack lumbar and lateral support. Impala, Caprice, Camaro , Malibu, Monte Carlo — these were the car names that were famous during Chevrolet’s glory years in the 1960s and 1970s, when the division owned one-fifth of the U.S. car market. The Monte Carlo, introduced in 1970, was an example of Chevrolet’s marketing ...

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See the Chevrolet Monte Carlo in Other Years:

2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

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