Had a chance to drive around an '04 supercharged Impala SS tonight.

One thing that really impressed me was it's ride and handling.
Suspension is "sporty" firm...yet very supple. I haven't driven a new Comp G yet, but compared to all the previous gen GTP's I've driven, the Impala SS is certainly in a league above.

Where the previous GTP handled very much like my father's LeSabre....the Impala SS handled like a real sports sedan---and with an extremely comfortable ride.

Also, the one I drove had every option except for sunroof, OnStar and XFM.

With discounts and rebates.......$22,600. A screaming bargain in my book.

 

hahaha...

Let me be the first...

But a 300C would.................

 

loaded with all that you said for 22.6!! Jesus... I dont see how Toyota sells any cars? Is GM really that bad that you would pay another 8-10k more for a Camry? man, thats a friggin steal.


and branden...you read my mind. "But a 300C would smoke it..." for 10k more.

 

1. If they sell it for $22,600, then why isn't the MSRP $22,600?

2. Why not just get rid of the rebates and lower the actual MSRP?

3. Is there some reason why GM wants me to pay sales tax on my own money?

 

The rebate is only one component of the total discounts. No need to get your panties in a wad over it.

This car truly is an excellent performance value at such a low price. Great crashworthiness, versatile interior, top notch quality from the award-winning Oshawa plant, in fact the only things that would have held me back (vs my CompG) are the lack of TapShift, HUD and StabiliTrak Sport (actually a few other things too).

 

Marketing , Marketing, Marketing. A lot of people fall for the jewlery store pricing, Mark it up high, then have a huge "sale". People like to think they are getting a deal. This sales tactic has proven to work, If it didn't work GM would have dumped it long ago

$22,600 is a good price, The Impalas look good with the 17" rims. They are fairly quick too, In the last MotorTrend test they did the 1/4 in 14.7

 

Which means in a year, a used one should be had for under $20,000.

...still be worth $10,000 more than the Impala a year later?

 

Who cares that a 300c is faster... What a love fest for that damn car..sheesh. The impala is a good people mover. The guy said he enjoyed his test drive and could get it for a good price. Thats what its all about here. Its not a sports car as we all know so Im sure its "performance" is adequate for its given tasks.

 

How did it run compared to the GTP? I know they have the same drivetrain (previous gen. GTP). But I was wondering if it felt faster?

 

Maybe, maybe not... but I've never been one to buy a more expensive car in hopes it will depreciate less than an inexpensive one. All sedans depreciate. The smart way to go is to minimize how much of your capital you have tied up in cars and put the rest into savings/investment/retirement.

Not quite, the GTP has the 260 HP Series III 3800 with the next-gen Eaton M90 supercharger while the Impala gets the 240 HP Series II 3800 which was on the 2003 GTP.

 

Compared to a Series II GTP, acceleration felt about the same. Of course, I didn't beat on it. It wasn't my car (the owner was riding shotgun), and it only had about 60 miles on it.

But it really felt far better...as far as ride and dynamics go, than previous Series II GTP's I've driven.

But like I said....I haven't driven a Series III Comp G yet.

 

Thats exactly what I said "the same drivetrain as the previous Gen. GTP"

 

Ok I thought you took one for a test drive from a dealer, I figured they would run about the same. I thought maybe the ImpalaSS might have gotten some tweaks (like gear ratios, ect.) over the Series II GTP

 

I've driven the Impala, and as I posted last September, it's a surprizingly good car. It's pretty well made, and very tossable in the city. When I 1st saw the Impala SS on a ride & drive down in Oceanside, I commented on how the simple addition of chrome pipes, different wheels, and a slightly different grill made the car look much better.

Because of the fact we are talking about the Impala SS, a 4 door sedan with performance pretentions, it is relevent to bring up other like cars. Regardless as to someone being "sick" of hearing about it..... so there.

As far as cars as investments, the best move is to pick a car that you want, and purchase it used 1 or 2 years later, missing the most dramatic depriciation. New cars are the worse large investment you can make. So bad are new vehicles for investment, for some people it's cheaper borrow vehicles for an extended time (leasing) then simply giving it back and borrowing a new one.

Get as much for your money (and as close to what you want-need) as possible.

If a front wheel drive V6 Impala SS with Grand Prix's old supercharger at $22K fits everything a person want's in a car more than a powerful and very quick V8 rear drive 300C at $32K, then that should be the car they get.

Both are excellent cars for what they both are.

 

Styling wise I think the Impala SS would be perfect if it had an updated rear panel with some new tail lights.