The Impala SS will probably have a fairly decent price advantage, over the Taurus SHO.

However, the Taurus will have alot of features that the Impala SS can only dream about.

So, if it was "ONLY" about money, someone may buy the Impala SS over the Taurus SHO.

There is no way that I would even consider it, however, due to the lack of AWD.

 

This is going to run 6sec 0-60's. A turbo auto AWD isnt the best for launching if there's no launch mode. It will take a moment to build boost before it really gets going. I doubt the AWD system is stout enough to handle hard launches.

 

I drove an Impala (rental), and found it to be pretty spirited, nice size, and the V8 SS I test drove a couple of years ago ended my skepticism on the fact it's exactly as quick (right down to quarter mile times) as my then owned LT1 Z28. The "W" car still is very capable, if old.


However, the problem with Impala is that it was created under the "old" GM (as opposed to the "old, old, GM"). The Impala was made by taking a look at what the competition was doing back in the early decade, then did the same thing.

Trouble with that is when the current Impala came out, it's design inside & out was OK (it was already a couple of years behind), but now it's essentially archaic inside & out. Sitting in the Impala, then sitting in what everyone else has out in an auto show makes the Impala's interior obsolete. God forbid you compare the Impala interior to the new Fusion's digs. Even the Malibu makes the Impala look like a old used car in a new car showroom.

Comparing the current Impala to the new Taurus is just flat out inhumane cruelty.

IMO, Impala needs a redesign... like last year. I don't see the W chassis as the problem, and with GM's new 3.6 DI V6 instead of the 5.3 V8, you could plausably create a Impala SS that's as quick, gets better mileage, is slightly lighter, and is just as sophisticated as anything anyone else is doing.

The current Impala is a good car. But the competition is better.... in some instances, light years better.

 

Not to hi-jack, but what does the current Impala give you over the new Malibu? Personally I love the new Malibu and if I was in the market for a 4dr car that would be the ticket (G8 is nice, but I have my Z28 for fun)... The Impala looks old, dated, and doesn't seem to even be much bigger then the Malibu.

When will we see a next gen Impala? Bigger?

 

Did the G8 get a power boost are are you averaging the 2 V8 models?

As a multi-generation impala owner, I looked strongly at the LS4 Impala SS when it became available. It is a much nicer car than my wife's 04 LS and it is much more polished then my 96 SS (as a 10 year newer car should be) but it just doesn't have the emotion behind it that either of the other cars seem to have. It is very bland on the outside. The 96 SS was SSinister. The 2000-2005 impalas have character in their headlights, round taillights, and swoopy body cutlines that are reminiscent to the 69 Camaro. The 06+ impala just has none of that.

 

While these are your opinion, they don't sit well with reality. This car came out as a 2006 model. You are comparing it to a 2010 model. I would hope the 2010 model would be better.

FWD is important to a large amount of buyers who want shopping for sedans. The one is FWD based AWD, is that so much better for a it must have RWD and have an available manual transmission crowd?

I have driven an Impala. It is a nice car that I like. I liked the interior of the one I drove. I was close to buying one, but my wife and I went in a totally different direction (Enclave). Only real complaint was not having an A6.

Finally, maybe you should look at the sales numbers for the Impala. They are great. The new Malibu is taking some of those sales numbers away, but that is to be expected, it is newer, slight smaller and less expensive.

I think the car was a success for GM.

 

They impala is a nice rental car and that's all the credit it deserves.... Then you drive it for like 3,000 miles and it needs a new steering shaft!

 

When can we expect to see the Epsilon II Impala?

 

I would place the Impala at worst in it's class... you don't need a class leading car to do well, but GM wouldn't be doing so ****ty if it had something at least competitive.

Even within GM the Malibu blows it out of the water.... and even that lacks in some areas compared to other cars.

 

Sorry guys...
I rode in the same car again today (we all went for Mexican this time).

The girl - yes, 40-y-o woman that loves cars - driving it nailed it from a light and slid the front tires for a good bit. It didn't side-step or misbehave... the t/c kicked in and we took off. Not shabby for 4 peeps on a dry road. The performance is there IMO - I don't care if it IS 4 years old. Sometimes, enough is enough.

As for the interior - sure the newer stuff is nicer... it should be. SHO is just fresh off the drawing board... Impy was there 5-6 years ago. All I was saying was that I was impressed with the fit/finish and basic materials I came into contact with. I too love the looks of the new Taurus interior (I loved it when it was the previous version of the Mondeo I rented in Great Brittain too), but that doesn't mean GM did a crappy job on the Impy.

I guess that is what I was trying to ask earlier, and did a poor job of asking it.

I was impressed with the Impy when it came out - still am. I think it's a great car and a great value. Just wondered if there was something I was missing in El Duce's comment. As he answered, I think his reasons for disdain are subjective... they are his opinions on the car being bland-looking, having a dated interior, and FWD. He made his point, and I can't argue his position - that is his opinion and he is entitled to it. Likewise, MY opinion is that the Impy is pretty dang impressive and well-put-together, so I don't think it " is a perfect example of why GM is in the current mess it finds itself."
At least IMO, it does not deserve to be the scapegoat for all GM's misfortune.

OK... back to the thread topic... did not mean to hijack it and make it an Impy SS thread. My apology to El Duce for the derail, and thanks for the answer!

 

Agree with Proud. Comparing a not-even-released-yet 2010+ car to one that preceded it by 5 years is a bit silly. Besides, I like 'em both. I'm loving upcoming products from both companies and hope they are both around to show 'em off! I'd love to talk my wife into getting a year or two old certified used Impala SS (if not a Caddy) for her next DD.

As for the SHO vs. the G8, I don't think it will quite hang. If, that is, the SHO comes with 350 hp as predicted. If it gets a hotter version of the ecoboost V6, then maybe. Ford's website didn't show (or I missed) the weight of the Taurus. Motor Trend showed 3930 for an SEL (I'm assuming with AWD). Yahoo autos showed 3640 for a FWD car. If the SHO will have turbos and associated plumbing, presumably bigger brakes / wheels / tires, AWD, and all the interior goodies, I'm guessing it will be in the 4000 lb range. It had better be packing more than 350 hp if it is to hang with the 355 hp / 38x lb-ft G8, but it won't be far behind.

 

Again, I have no complaint or issue with the Impala's "W" chassis. Both Impala's I drove, the SS and even the V6 powered LT, were both lively, tossable, and had pretty good roadholding and ride.

The general quality of interior materials are for the most part on par with what many cars are still using today... not too bad considering.

The issue is that import cars on the market while Impala was being developed is what GM matched. By the time the Impala came out, those cars had improved, so Impala was already behind. Today, the design of the car (and especially the design of the interior) is very out of date, and not up to what the competition is doing.

Chevrolet is still selling almost everyone they feel like producing (they purposely diled back production in an attempt to maintain the resemblence of resale value), but it's hardly a high demand retail car next to what Honda and Toyota is selling retail.


Got the numbers from Pontiac's own website.

My guess is that it will be at next year's NAIAS.

It's due in 2011MY, which is next year.

 

Looks a bit mundane... And I still get Subaru legacy vibes from it.

Oh well, I bet the performance will make it not so mundane

And FWIW, I'd gladly drive an Impala SS. There's nothing wrong with the car other than it being a bit aged and a bit basic. But then again, that (the age) makes the car that much more remarkable when one thinks of how well the engineers did, given what they had to work with.

 

A V8 and some nifty Impala emblems... (I'm being honest too... Hey, you asked... )

I do love the Malibu though and I don't really see where people say it 'lacks' anything. IMO, it's an excellent car that is at or around the top of it's class, and the sales jump this year reflects that. Here's hoping that the next Impala will (finally) not directly compete with the Malibu.

Reminds me of the RAVE reviews of the GP GXP (which was even better tuned than the Impala SS) A lot of people believed it was the best FWD V8 car ever produced.

I agree... The interior is a bit spartan, but the car conveys a sense of confidence that isn't matched by much. (Or at least it did to me and my GF... And I don't know why)

I agree and disagree... The Impala, at it's core is a solid product. Where GM failed (and has failed for years) is the interface with the customer and the details. So I think his statement is somewhat justified, although not as justified as it once would've been.

Another example; my GF had a 97 Cavalier. Awful little car IMO, but not because it was unreliable. In fact, it was bulletproof. She put that car through hell and it never once left her stranded. The reason we both hated the car was because it was uncomfortable, cheap feeling, cheap looking and soul-less. It used to make me so angry, because the GM guy in me would always think "GM you got EVERYTHING right at the core, but the devil is in the details and the DETAILS are what control the perception of your product."

 

But you flipped the numbers, which is probably what threw him off.:
The car has 355 hp / 385 lb-ft, not 385 hp.