2008 Chevrolet Impala

Review

The Chevrolet Impala is an American institution. It's a solid, gimmick-free

sedan that's honest and down to earth. It's a four-door, five-seat home-made piece of apple pie, if you will. You might think that this in an odd premise for a modern car, granted the number of cutting edge, high-tech four-doors now available including Chevy's own Malibu, but this formula hasn't proven Chevrolet wrong yet. It's on the top-ten best selling list in America (which measures total sales including those to fleet purchasers, such as police departments and taxi cab companies), and also happens to be Chevrolet's number one selling car in the US, and the top-selling North American car sold in the US. It's also taken the Monte Carlo's place on oval circuits in NASCAR racing.

Up until the arrival of the new and vastly improved Malibu, the Impala was Chevrolet's way of fighting off the Camry and the Accord, despite being significantly larger (nearly a foot longer). In fact, in actual terms of size, the Impala measures up comparably against the Chrysler 300 and the new Ford Taurus, two of which it consistently outsells. Why is that? I think it's got a little something to do with the fact that as a large car, it has the qualities that buyers want: space, silence and comfort, not to mention a relatively

low price.

The Impala is the newest vehicle to ride on the heavily updated W-Body platform, which was launched in mid '05 as a model-year '06 car. GM's staggered launch saw the Buick LaCrosse introduced a year earlier, and the Grand Prix a year before that. But time's is on the Impala's side. From a visual standpoint, it looks up to date, if not a little bland, and the interior, at least in terms of layout and functionality, is easily the best. The dashboard and shallow console are the car equivalents of the setup you can find in the GMT900 pickups and SUVs. The materials are about the same quality, a hard plastic plinth with a heavy grain that's broken up by a strip of faux wood that runs across the doors and dash. The HVAC and climate controls, with their rubberized grip and chromed edges, have a nice, high-quality feel to them. They're surprisingly similar to those used in Caddy's full-size DTS. And, like that Cadillac, if you should so desire, you can have the Impala with a front bench seat. Quizzically, the floor-mounted shifter has no gearshift markings (they're on the dash),

which in some ways makes it look modern, but in other ways, unfinished.

The Impala's engine lineup, at the time of its launch, was completely new with no carry-overs from the previous generation. The base model is powered by a 3.5-liter V6, which is about the same size as rivals' optional V6s but doesn't quite match them in power. It does, however, offer more grunt than their standard four-cylinder units. At 211 horsepower it doesn't feel particularly speedy, but it's sufficiently adept at moving the Impala along. To be honest though, if you're in the market for an Impala I'd recommend stepping up to the mid-line engine option, the 3.9-liter V6. It's the same engine that can be found in all sorts of GM products, like the G6 GT Convertible, making 233 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque. And the best part about it is that there's almost no penalty to pay for its better performance in terms of fuel economy. With cam-in-block variable valve timing and Active Fuel Management, GM's cylinder deactivation technology, the 3.9 equals the 3.5's fuel economy in the city but just 1 mpg less on the highway, which just goes to show that you can teach an old pushrod some new tricks.

Then there's the SS, which is powered by a 303-horsepower 5.3-liter V8. It too has the same gizmos as the 3.9, and 303 horsepower is definitely enough to pull long, tire-shredding burnouts, though onlookers may wonder why it's the front wheels and not those in back that are smoking. And an aside, the new SS is actually the quickest Impala SS to ever be sold in North America. It's quicker to 60 than the old Caprice-based RWD car, and even faster than the big-block 409 from the ‘60s.

All Impalas are mated by default to a four-speed automatic transmission. The transmission itself functions without complaint, providing smooth and well-timed shifts, but to deliver that good fuel economy the gearing is long. Adding an extra two gears would certainly give these engines a boost in performance and even further improve fuel economy. Over a consistent mix of city and highway driving, I managed to average a very respectable 24 mpg even.

I won't lie – I expected the Impala to drive and handle with the same prowess as a harbor barge with similar ride characteristics. And

while there is no denying that this Chevy is big, squishy and soft, it doesn't wallow around or feel as if it's made of gelatin. The Impala feels like it's been tuned specifically for the open highway, where irregularities in the road surface are heard more than felt. Body control is merely OK, an indicator of which are the flat but comfortable front seats; you steer via steering angles rather than feel. The steering also is geared rather low, with one-handed cruising seemingly in mind. Steering effort is even lower, so when it comes to making three-point turns or parallel parking in the city, you'll need to turn the wheel a lot, but at least it won't strain you. If the traveling salesman were still around, this would be the car of choice.

Buy an Impala this year, and you get more for your money. 2LT and LTZ trim levels now boast standard anti-lock brakes plus traction control and a tire-pressure monitor. Both of the Impala's V6s can be had in versions that run on E85 ethanol. In terms of the basics, the Impala has you pretty well covered, with all the expected features like keyless entry, power windows and power locks as standard, as well as A/C; a trip computer and a driver's seat lumbar support is also standard, a nice plus. LT models, the next step up, get a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls (not available in the 1LT), alloy rims, a remote starter and dual-zone climate control, while 2LT and LTZ models add

stability control, bigger wheels and tires, and dual exhausts. A (slightly) sportier suspension setup is standard for LTZ and SS models. Not much to get excited about, but like I said, it has the basics pretty well covered.

The launch of the new Malibu has spurred some very important questions about what General Motors will do with the next Impala. As it stands, the Malibu is a vastly more impressive package, offering very good road manners, plenty of interior space, plus it has the looks inside and out as well as the fit and finish to seriously give the midsize segment a shake-up, imports and domestics. Where does that put the Impala? With the pending CAFE regulations, GM hasn't yet decided if they're going to do a Zeta-platform, rear wheel drive, V8-powered Impala, a Chevrolet version of the Pontiac G8. Though it would make a lot of sense (not to mention that a Chevy version of the G8 is sold in the Middle East), no green light has been flashed. Right now, all eyes are on the Malibu, the Traverse, Chevy's version of the Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave, and of course the Camaro. While we wait it out, it's doubtful that we will see any major changes happen to the Impala before the end of the decade, but you never know. Chevy always seems to have something up its sleeve.

Specifications (Chevrolet Impala LS):