1997 Chevrolet Lumina Interior Review at Automotive.com
»Locate a Dealer»Find a Used Car»Get Financing

1997 Chevrolet Lumina Review: Interior

Find a Car
 

1997 Chevrolet Lumina Review

A genuine family value.
Interior
Once inside our basic Lumina tester, we were struck by the roominess

and plain simplicity of interior. If the Amish liked cars, they would like

this one. There is plenty of room all around; the standard seating capacity

is six passengers, and the back seat can even fit three real adults. An

integrated child seat is available ($195).

The minimal controls are clear and easy to use. The instrument panel

consists of large round analog gauges, and the heating controls employ

large rotary knobs. It would be better if the more-frequently-used radio

controls were above the heating controls, but everything is within easy

reach. Extensive sound-deadening has produced a pleasantly quiet interior.

New for 1997 is a clever indicator that tells you when it's time to

change the oil. It calculates wear based on your driving habits by tracking

engine temperatures and engine speeds. Lots of short, cold hops around

town? The light will come on sooner. Scores of easy highway miles? You

can stretch out the time between oil changes.

The Lumina has a sound menu of basics as standard features: dual air

bags, air conditioning, automatic transmission, power locks, rear child

locks, height-adjustable seat belts up front and child comfort adjustment

loops on the rear belts. It has a short, thoughtful list of amenities including

a gas cap tether, intermittent wipers, and a lined storage cubby to the

left of the steering wheel handy for toll tickets.

Stepping up to the LS trim level adds about $2200 to the base price

and a good selection of features: antilock brakes, power windows and mirrors,

cruise control, a better radio with a cassette player, 16-inch wheels instead

of 15, trip odometer, cargo net in the trunk and a higher quality of cloth

on the seats. The LTZ has all of the above-- except cruise control--for

about $2500 more than the base Lumina.

Several options are only available on the LS and LTZ, including a power

sunroof (new this year), front bucket seats, dual-zone temperature controls,

and steering wheel controls for the radio (also new this year).

The fact that 80% prefer the base Lumina says a lot about how value-conscious

its buyers are. Many prefer to add only the specific features they desire.

Key options and their prices include antilock brakes ($575), uplevel radio/cassette

player ($232), rear window defogger ($170), upgraded seat cloth ($100),

and an equipment group that includes power windows and mirrors, cruise

control, remote trunk release, floor mats, and cargo net ($758). Next Page



1997 Chevrolet Lumina