MotorWeek | Retro Review: 1991 Chevy Caprice Wagon
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- čas přidán 24. 07. 2016
- So many car enthusiasts claim to "love wagons," yet very few actually buy them. No doubt, these V8 RWD Chevys are well on their way to becoming collector's items!
- Auta a dopravní prostředky
12 yards long, 2 lanes wide,
65 tons of American Pride!
It`s the top of the line in utility sports,
unexplained fires are a matter for the courts.
Canyonerooooooooo!
Canyonerooo
Aaaaahhhhhh hahahahahahahahaha classic im dying over here thanks guys
Whoah, Canyonero!
Go ahead, drool all you want, you can't hurt that finish. Now rainwater, that will strip it right off, so - Aww, I shouldn't have said that!!!! Aww Gil
My favorite car of all time, especially the sedan. It's like driving your living room couch.
LMFAO!!! yeah it is haha!
try driving an eldorado just as comfortable
bowserdude20 Same with Lincolns, really most of the big-body American cars of this era and before are just floaty, cushy, road warriors
I have a 95 chevy g20 covers ion van and it is like driving your living room around sitting on the couch, love it
It was an unbelievably junky car, though. I remember the police force in my city got rid of their Caprices years before they had planned to because they were having so many problems with them and they were just costing too much to repair.
25 mpg in that behemoth is nothing to be ashamed of
22mpg average!
That engine better have something going for it since it's so under powered.
+Marq Mac all the 305s and 350s from 1988-2005 were de tuned u can just tune it to give more power they de tuned them for mpgs and insurance resons
Thats amazing considering the 2.8 V6 in my 98' A4 gets 20mpg average. And the A4 weighs over 1000lb's less!
That ~.70:1 OD ratio has alot to do with it. At that time, the 700R4 was a great transmission, and TBI injection was pretty thrifty too for the time. Those are great highway cruisers. That was actually I'd say one of the last great GM vehicles.
Imagine instead of there being a tauus wagon, there was a crown victoria wagon you could have bought in the early 2000’s
The 3rd and 4th-generation Taurus and Sable wagons had folding 3rd-row seats.
@@nostalgiakarlk.f.7386 but were wrong-wheel drive.
@@nostalgiakarlk.f.7386
I like those wagons. Some didnt have the third seat though. Too bad we don’t see more of them out on the roads.
YES.
Considering it's massive curb weight, and the fact that it only had a 305, acceleration and quarter mile times were actually pretty respectable.
That was probably the most reliable fuel injection system ever made. It was like having the world's best tuned carburetor all the time under any conditions. Very few parts to fail.
@@scdevon Exactly. I always like to say GM TBI is the post-apocalyptic fuel injection system I'd want.
Dude it's better than my 2300lb compact from 2006!
Like how in the goddamn
These 305 Caprices smoked the 4.6 Crown Vics, mainly because the massive torque that the Caprice had. The Caprices with the 350 flat out killed the PI Crown Vics in every way.
Mary Barra needs to watch this video.
It took a woman to ruin General Motors....
This is when car's were dependable not today's plastic fantastic car's.
These were great cars. Especially the 1994 to 1996 when Chevy put the LT1 350 in them. The Caprice's with LT1's were fast! I still mourn the fact these cars were dropped after 1996.
Clark Griswold would be pleased.
Not enough headlights. 😉
moretacos1 ...a true family truckster.
You may hate it now, but wait'll you drive it.
The Family Truckster was build from a Ford Country Squire not a Chevrolet
He switched to front wheel drive sleighs
It's so nice to see these cars back when they were brand new. Ultra clean engine, glossy paint, spotless interior..
Motorweek let's have a wagon appreciation week!!!
Yeah, Do the Roadmaster next!
I wanna see the ones with wood panels. Damn, I'd rock one of those in today's time. Would be awesome.
+WAQWBrentwood Roadmaster is my favorite wagon. at any year.
I would hook one of them up just because..yea just because its different..
Luis X I know I'm getting old, I remember when cars like this were everywhere! (now just ugly "CUVs")!
love how the dash flex when the buttons are pushed..rearward facing seats...nothing says good times like watching almost getting rear ended
In my moms old Taurus wagon, my cousin and I were actually sitting back there facing rear when the car got rear-ended lol luckily I was sleep when it happened
+MAN_ON_WHEELZ And your cousin? Does he still wake up at night?
Oh my god. Tracksuit jacket and driving gloves?! SO 90s
I never knew these wagons had a two-way tailgate. That's pretty cool!
I have an Olds Custom Cruiser and I love it. I get compliments ALL the time!
Once the Caprice Wagon and Roadmaster Wagon were upgraded to the 260 HP LT1 engine in 1994, these cars instantly became TRUE classics. I owned a 1994 from 2008 to 2015 - purchased for $2800 at 61,000 miles. Best car I ever owned for the money, hands down.
That slalom run through the cones was hilarious...i pictured kids flying around in the back...
We loved those wagons for exactly that reason.
No its just the perfect car
The driver confidently sliding along the bench seat from one side to the other while pressing random climate control buttons?
Styling has aged far far better than that Chrysler mini van.
The Caravan is actually coming back as a "historical vehicle" it's over 25 years old now, and some younger enthusiast grew up in one. So they are treating them like 32 Ford's or 65 mustangs
fr tho
It's interesting to note that in 1991 this 4300 lb full-size wagon was one of the heaviest cars on the market, while today a Dodge Challenger Hellcat tips the scale at over 4400 lb, and very few seem to notice the mass.
Is it just me or is this the highest quality retro review yet?? The video looks great!!
The 5.7 is the one I'd like to see. Still an interesting review.
My dad had one of these. It was bright yellow and his friends called it "The Banana Mobile".
They came in yellow?!
I remember when this generation Caprice premiered. I remember saying "It's about damn time Chevy updated the Caprice. While there's nothing wrong with the old-school Caprice and Caprice Classic, it was high time the Caprice got an upgrade. Given its size and weight, I would've ordered mine with the police pursuit package suspension upgrade.
F41 package
This is from back in the day when American cars weren't afraid to be American cars, with their split bench seating, column shift, and suspension tuning that emphasized ride over handling. Now, notice how most everything American is trying to look and drive like it came from Japan or Europe. I miss real American cars!
Totally agree. This was a great car. Perfectly suited to crossing the USA outside of tight urban centers.
There's a difference between good ride and good composure, there's cars out today that ride as well as this wagon but they don't wallow over bumps.
palebeachbum well said man ...
May real American cars rest in peace
palebeachbum 🍺👏👍🍻
Here in South America they still use them as hearses
In my country, the Netherlands, this Caprice and it's predecessor were the standard hearses in the 80's and 90's. Now it's lengthened and heightened E-Class Estates mostly
The model shown in black reminds me of Hearse. FYI confirmed.
They look so long that I thought of hearses when I first saw the side view showing the huge length from the back wheel to the back.
Link Knight They did use its sister car, the Fleetwood, as a hearse back in the day.
Pretty sure they’re the cadillacs never seen a Chevy hearse
My aunt had an Oldsmobile version of this when I was little. We either fought over the front seat or the rear-facing seat! Good times!
Standing at the back of one of these and looking at the cargo hold, especially in light of what today's vehicle offer, is a sight to behold!
0:57 Wow, look at that rear overhang! 😲
I'd suspect that no current vehicle outside of a pickup truck matches it.
driving gloves in a Caprice? Optimistic..
Sometimes they would wear them to test how easily you could use things inside of the car with gloves on.
alfamonk I got more of an "American Psycho" feel from the gloves, like perhaps that individual was practicing using the car after killing his wife and dumping the body in a salt water marsh in Maryland.... Very disturbing.
It was the thing back then
Just coming back from lifting weights in 1991...lololol
They have them on in almost any video no matter what car they are testing
“The End of the Innocence” by Don Henley on the radio!
I noticed that too.
My dad used to have this very model, this very year (But the color was ultra silver metallic.) and it was awesome. Not only was it like sitting in a drivable luxury couch, the rear seats that you could sit in that faced backwards were cool. every kid in my school wanted to carpool with us because we had those.
My mom had one in black! This brings back so many memory's! Blue interior!!! SUPER 90s love this AWSOMEMOBILE!
What he didn't realize is the SUV would kill off both the station wagon and mini van.
and now the crossover is killing off the SUV
Not sure "killing it off', but yes, the CUV is getting more popular. Basically a "sporty SUV" is all it is...
A. Whiteman it kinda is, think off the top of your head a brand new traditional SUV that's not a full size that isn't a FWD crossover. The only thing I got is the 4Runner
A full size CUV has been introduced, and I have one. I think (not sure) it is the first and only "full sized" CUV. The Hyundai Santa Fe (not the Santa Fe Sport, it's shorter and only has a 4 cylinder) but the full version, 3rd row seating, 4wd 290 HP engine. The roof is lower than a traditional SUV making smaller, sportier windows, a little lower ground clearance than a traditional SUV (not a lot lower) so it handles like a car and has 19 inch sport wheels. It is classified a CUV. Correct me if I am wrong, but it is the only full sized CUV...at least I haven't seen another.
John Davis: "But suddenly station wagons are back in style."
SUVs: "Hold my beer."
Unfortunately. I would choose an estate car over an SUV any day.
I’d rather have a modern SUV. They are faster, get better mpg, ride better, and are easier to park.
Station wagon anyday 💪
And they're coming back in style 25 years later. My 94 Buick wagon with the LT1 gets thumbs up all the time. Plus I've gotten several offers to buy it...
@@user-tb7rn1il3q Find a CTS-V wagon and take it for a ride. Then tell me the average suv is better.
Even though I've seen this review about a million times by now, I still am so happy to see it uploaded here. I love the Caprice (and its B-body siblings), so keep them coming!
I hope to see wagons become a thing again
This is NOT the car I ordered, I distinctly ordered the Antarctic blue, super sports wagon with the CB and the optional rally fun pack.
You think you hate it now, wait til you drive it!
Truckster
but the deluxe queen family truckster is a fine automobile
He did switch to front wheel drive sleighs
*cuts to trade-in being crushed
It's a boat! It's a whale! It's a Caprice Wagon:)))))))))))))
I miss the days when American car builders made these 4500 lb behemoths that you'd glide over roadways in while steering with 2 fingers. I still miss the Buick Roadmaster I totaled 10 years ago and I hope to own another someday.
They still make them!
No they don't! They stopped making them in 1996! The closest thing to a full-size 1970s land yacht or b-body would be the Ford Panther Cars, but even those will be getting rarer and rarer now that they are out of production. Everything is about Sport and big wheels now, but I still love the smooth ride of a true full size American luxury car.
Josh Nixon I have an old '02 Crown Vic I use as a daily driver... it's nice but I still miss my Roadmaster.
Dan McCarthy I feel the same about the 1964 Galaxie I had in college. We all have that one car that got away. I have an '02 Town Car with 130,000 miles on it now and it's fairly similar in dimensions, ride, and steering feel to my old Galaxie. Gets 27 MPG on the highway, though, unlike the Galaxie, which averaged 12 on a good day.
I have a soft spot for all the cars I had but gave up for one reason or another... even the rusty Eagle Summit Wagon which was like the runt of a minivan litter. But that Roadmaster... man, that was a beaut. Black with red leather seats... the rear visibility was horrible but it had the best horn... man, buying and driving that thing made me so proud. I found an old promotional video on CZcams used by Buick dealers to sell the things and honest to God, I got choked up watching it.
In Europe, our last ride to our grave is made in these cars. But still, I like these Giants a lot.
I just bought a 92 Caprice wagon same color as the first car in this video with 80,000 original miles on it and I love it
Congratulations.
This was the epitome of america for me as a child in England. I still want one and it’s perfect for me and my kids! Trouble is there aren’t any here ☹️
and today, both the Minivan and Station wagon are replaced by crossovers
Justin Noker yea man it sucks
Not really minivans still sell a lot! Chrysler, Honda and Toyota sell many of them
Yeah, what a "great" advancement. So now if you want a midsize wagon, you have to pay the same price as a midsize sedan but you only end up with a compact crossover, and you get less cargo room and worse fuel economy added bonuses. What is wrong with people? Or what is wrong with manufacturers? I mean, how is it that Subaru, VW, and the German luxury brands still offer wagons but no one else does?
Maestro_T dodge did with the magnum, and not for nothing man wagons aren’t that appealing to people. I’d honestly rather drive a minivan then a wagon. Or a suv for that matter. Dodge only got away with the magnum because it was practically a muscle wagon
Maestro_T, I agree with you.
I had a 1993 Caprice. Loved it. It had 225,000 miles on it when I got rid of it. My only main complaint was the headlights. The beam was scattered and not well focused. I wonder if Motorweek ever drove theirs at night, I bet they would have mentioned that in the review.
I got my 93 9C1 up to about 313k before rust took it off the road. Powertrain was still healthy and capable of burnouts.
That thing is beautiful.
0:30 yeah that didn't last long...
kind of a shame
Look at that thing wallowing around on the road. I absolutely love it.
These things were available with the Police package that gave you the 350 and cop suspension, radiator, etc. I would love to see a review of that.
My father had the Roadmaster wagon like this Chevy I'd give anything to have it today. Riding on a magic carpet with killer motor
I'm a car nut and watching these old videos brings back good memories cause I remember riding in these cars and minivans.
I drove it once in snowy weather in Sweden, it handled like butter in a frying pan. But I liked the soft suspension and comfy interior.
My dad had one of these. It was painted yellow. His friend called it the "Banana Wagon".
Rear 3rd seat to 😍 this thing has everything. I would love to 388 stroker one and pro tour it . love that tailgate
My Granny still has her 95 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon with the 5.7 and it's a sleeper for all the kids at the red light who don't know any better!🤣 Plus it'll tow a boat, turn on a dime and it's like riding on a cloud.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!! ONE OF MY FAVORITE STATION WAGONS!!!! THANKS FOR SHARING!!!!
I'm glad I owned a 93 Roadmaster for 3 months. I have a great ideal of how this wagon ride and handle. The RM had a 350 and got 20 mpg n the city and 23 mpg on the hwy doing 80 mph. That 5.7 would lay down some rubber.
The overdrive meant 80mph was a mere 1700rpm.
Charles Macgilchrist No more like 1950 because it turn 1450 at 60 mph
Charles Macgilchrist The RM came with 2.60 gears.
@@blackericdenice 2.56 gears. Those were awful. My 93 9C1 had 3.42s!
Thank you for posting another GM video. I forgot about this vehicle. Thank you for pulling this video out for us to view. As I said before, I appreciate when you upload these GM and Lincoln videos from the past. Thank you once again. I look forward to what else you may have. Do you have the 1987-1990 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight Touring Sedan? Thank you.
My uncle's fiance used to have a Caprice Classic Wagon like this from the mid 80s. I was told it was a land yacht.
It is a land yacht, lolz
They didn't look like that in the mid 80s. They were squared off back then.
This was our family car for many years. Great car.
I want one of these. I drove past one slowly and was tantalized >> Modern looking yet huge and smoooothe.
4:03 Love that old Pepsi can in the cup holder it's definitely retro. LoL 😁.
Motorweek rocks, but my oh my do I long for these no-nonsense-type reviews of the earlier days. There's no hipster nightclub music in the background, John isn't trying to hold your attention by shouting at you, it's simply a superb, well-thought-out presentation of the vehicle delivered to a mature audience. There's no need for those other distracting elements because the review itself stands on its own.
Look, any television program that's been around for over 30 years must be doing something right, but this is just my $.02. Not hatin, just statin :)
I agree. That's what I loved about Motor Week.
Considering how old you sound, your $.02 is probably with $30 in today’s money. Tell me, what was WW1 like?
Rust has claimed many of these in salt states
*Cash for Clunkers*
Rust would claim anything made from steel when its exposed to road salt
So many car enthusiasts claim to "love wagons," yet very few actually buy them. No doubt, these
V8 RWD Chevys are well on their way to becoming collector's items!
3:57 that's such a GM thing in these retro videos: the whole panel moves when the driver starts pushing buttons.
I always wished Chevy would have kept a larger V8 like a 400 sbc or 454 bbc in production with the modern technology to meet emissions requirements available in cars like this. The 305 was just adequate, even if they would have kept to 307 bore size(shared with the old 283) and used the stroke of the 350 as did the 305 it would have made for a MUCH better performing base/economy V8 engine. If the Vortec version of the 350 with say 270hp(or better yet a 400 with 300hp) and the Vortec 454 with say 300-320hp (the main advantage over the 350(or theoretical Vortec 400ci) would have been lower peak power rpms and a big boost of say 50-80ft/lbs of tq across the band. The 454 Vortec increases here compared to the HD truck application would come from a car cam and a free flowing intake and exhaust could have really made the top level B body sedans and wagons hot stuff from their debut in 1991 on making them highly desirable and popular than they were with the weak sauce L03 TBI 305 as the lone initial engine until the L05 350 with a measly 180hp came along a year or two later making the arrival of the LT1 350 with 260hp that came in 1994 after the line's fate had already been sealed and the car had already been written off by a public enamored with big dumb SUVs and increasingly using pickups with a back row of seats as a family car, figuring if they could only get an underpowered V8 they might as well have it in a big imposing tough looking 4x4 poser package and the only way to get a big block V8 required buying a 3/4-1ton truck that they would likely drive in 4 door configuration and short bed in the same role a properly powerful and styled B body could have fulfilled. The Impala SS was quite popular as a last gasp but, a 400 and 454 powered B body with a manual option could have gotten the muscle fanatics out of those trendy trucks and back into mean muscle sedans and wagons.
After 1972, wish all you want. We had to wait until many years later for Detroit to quit being afraid of it's own shadow. There was the GNX and Impala SS; but Detroit refused to take any chances before the rebirth of the Charger.
Problem is that they had to meet a certain mpg or face having people pay a gas guzzlers tax in an already waning market. They did what they needed to try to save the car a little longer so they could get money back from the tooling costs. Now you could always motor swap it and not worry about the taxes after or bore out the engine and get some vortec heads and make a stroker engine out of it.
Alright you had me at the two way tail gate, but then sealed the deal when I saw it could seat 8...man they don't make them like the used to...
I remember seeing these everywhere when I was a kid. These things reigned supreme until just a few short years later when the minivan started to take off and many other manufacturers started offering their version of the minivan and dodge had redesigned their caravan making it more modern looking it was game over. Although not too long after that we now have the SUV and crossover craze that killed both.
You've gotta put the 2nd gen lebaron on there! You mentioned it in the first episode ever! I have one and I would really love to see what you guys had to say about it!
That the heaven's for automobile auctions across the country. When a person for the right price can own something that was once was very important in our American in our car culture.
The last days of the true Yank Tank Era. Great highway cruisers for thier day. The rear facing seats on road trips with my Game Boy Color, with a copy of Pokemon Red was the highlight of my 90s childhood.
This is what I'd love drive from NYC to LA. Ultimate highway cruiser.
My grandfather had a 5.7 in his 91 caprice, he towed a trailer . but MAN if he was just cruising that car would move. I miss that car.
That driver did outstanding with those cones and I remeber those rear facing seats
My grandparents had a brand new 94 Caprice wagon and that thing squeaked and rattled going down the road from day one. It drove my grandmother crazy. I remember them complaining about screws meant to hold in the grocery net missing. I think they took more care in the cousin vehicle Buick Roadmaster
Too bad wagons are not that popular anymore back then they were big for family trips back in those Glory days ✨
the magic gate makes me happy.
3:56 Those are some quality switches right there. Even Chrysler wouldn't let that pass quality inspection.
Cheers
I'd take this over a van any day!
"The most aerodynamic wagon of the market". Period.
I loved my '92 Caprice Wagon, very cool!
+mgee63 don't forget the metallic pea
When I think about the car that I would make my project car it is often a Miata or an 80s/90s Honda. But there is something so appealing about station wagons. CUVs are mostly just lifted wagons with higher rooflines.
They were very cool back in the days ... still right now ... I would love to own one maybe gold with tan interior!
Lol in my country (The Netherlands) this car was excusively used as a hearse. Literally nobody bought one as a private car, even back when gas was cheap in europe....
I had a friend who had one of these, he is now an editor for a car magazine.
These people thought this car was big, but look at the modern truck and SUVs.
I loved these Station Wagons
Caprice wagon only came in the base model version through most of the 90s. The Taurus wagons came in the top drawer trim level LX. It had available amenities like genuine leather seating surfaces, automatic climate control and power sunroof that were not offered in the Caprice wagon in 1991.
There was the LTZ sedan and don't forget about the Custom Cruiser and Roadmaster variations. The Roadmaster Limited had a decent amount of bells and whistles including auto climate control...
One of my dream cars :)
Specially a sedan version.
I think it looks excellent in black.
I miss these cars
Love that retro Pepsi can at 4:04!
Love that 90s fashion.
we just bought a 1996 Buick Roadmaster Estate with 120k miles on it...rides like a dream!
Ok, you got me... I'm gonna buy one!
I had one back in 02, 03. White with police rims cat delete and a chip. The car was fun! Miss that thing. Only paid a grand for it.
For when you want to drink the family's single wide trailer to work lol... Old cars are just awesome haha
I love bench seats.
I. NEED. ONE. OF. THESE.
This thing begs for a ls swap
No...a Motown Industries 454 small-block...dressed to look like a stock 305 down to throttle body injection (a 454 truck TB, on an Edelbrock Performer RPM TBI intake with the logos ground off). Add an extreme-duty TCI 6-speed automatic (based on the 4L85E) and a pair of drag tires. 11s, anyone? :D
I am a car enthusiast who absolutely loves wagons but the issue is being broke, been looking at possibly replacing my money pit of a Toyota with a station wagon though I'd love something that gets decent gas mileage since I have no money
The 1991 B-body redesign was like putting a 1976 B-Body on a 1973 A-body chassis(which the 1977 downsize B-body used as a baseline for its conception)