The difference is while Hyundai's 10 years ago were turds, they definitely aren't now. Drove a V6 Genesis sedan a few weeks back and I couldn't believe how many people were asking about that car, they thought it was a Mercedes or a Lexus. How many people have you ever seen that excited about the Impala the last 10 years? Hyundai is starting to put the whole package together, GM is showing signs of promise then sometimes they resort to the old GM thinking.

 

Not to mention that the Sonata is selling very well and getting rave reviews for it's class. Turbo'd 4 with excellent power and gas mileage don't hurt either.

 

If this refers specifically to Impala, I'm not quite sure what alternative they have right now.

If the new Impala simply can not be on the market yet (not ready), the only choices are to keep the current one until the new one is ready, or kill the current one and have a gap in the segment.

 

The problem is GM let's cars live on forever before they start working on the replacements, I'm sure the Impala is a nice car and all but it's still basically the same as it was in 2004 when I bought my Comp G and they were already getting long in the tooth by then, they've updated the motors a bit or downgraded them if you ask me when it comes to the LS4. There just isn't any excitment with the Impala, nobody is excited about buying a rental car.

 

Let me tell you, I'm a diehard American car guy but after driving that car for 10 minutes I knew it was something special. The ride, comfort, styling, amenities, power, etc...were all beyond what I expected. I wanted one after driving it for 15 minutes, I liked it that much, it blew away anythign else I have driven and I've test drove the old Impala SS LS4's back in 08 or so, no comparison. The only thing the Impala had on it was the power of the LS4 (I was driving a V6 genesis the V8 is probably the same as the Impala)but even being a power junkie I would rather have the Hyundai and add to it the fact that it has rwd. I remember 20 years ago if you had a hyundai it meant you were broke and couldn't afford anything better, they were a joke, now look at them. A mercedes/lexus quality vehicle for GM money. My Cobalt has had it's power steering go out, something in the ignition broke locking my keys in the ignition and having to go to the dealership to get them out, rear brakes dragging, and now the driver side window and back right window don't work, also tried the sunroof yesterday and now it doesn't work. So now for the 4th time in 3 months I have to take this car back in and taking time out of my day and missing work to go to the dealership. GM do you think I'm going to be buying another one of your products anytime soon?

 

I totally agree, I am just thinking that maybe all the bunkruptcy and other money issues they had just made it tough for them to keep up on every segment.

Hopefully going forward there will be better and better able to keep the products fresh since they are now more financially stable.

 

The Genesis is not an Impala competitor. Put the new LaCrosse or a CTS up against a Genesis and it'll be a fair fight.

That isn't to say that the Impala isn't way long in the tooth. But Hyundai has chosen to use one brand name instead of the Chevy / Buick / Caddy or Toyota / Lexus or Honda / Acura (etc.) format. The Genesis and Equus are luxury cars (and they nearly did get their own branding; note the minimal Hyundai branding on the cars) that would go against the Buick / Caddy (or Lexus, or ... ) lineups, not a $22k Impala.

 

Impala SS's were going for over $30k 3 years ago, even the Sonata which is probably more in the same market is far ahead of the Impala.

 

I agree wholeheartedly. Hyundai has done continual improvements over the years, learned from other car makers, and have been extremely competitive.

While GM has also been competitive regarding the Chevrolet Malibu (just think of Malibus 10 years ago! ), the Impala has languished. It's 2004 redesign was weak & save a few trim pieces and the tail lights has been visually unchanged in about 8 seasons.

Hyundai is taking big slices out of not just American car makers hides, but also the Japanese as well. While I have never been very interested in any Japaneese cars, Hyundai's Genesis coupe has my attention. Although it's interior materials leave a bit to be desired (but no worse than Camaro's), it does have a solid chassis, a great drivetrain (it's 4 banger is shared with Mitubishi...including the Evo, and Chrysler...including the SRT4), and although it's not exactly an ultralight, it does have tidier dimensions than our "pony" cars.

30thZ286speed is right in that there will always be a need for fleet and rental cars. While Malibu has been pulled out of that to a large extent, Impala has filled that role. GM can still sell every Impala they make that way (as long as they don't give them away).

Impala also now seems to be popular with women (every single person I know that drives a current model Impala is female...I can't name a single guy I personally know who drives one...no exxageration!), so it must be percieved as a very good value.

 

I figure guionM knows this, but the wording was a little strange to me. I just want everyone to be clear that Hyundai is Korean, not Japanese. The Koreans auto makers are very different from Japanese auto makers. (even thought their names sound so similar)

 

Not sure where you're getting 2004; Impala was last updated for MY 2006. FWIW, that's the same year the Camry was last updated.

 

We're burying the lead here. Can everyone stop down and reflect on the passing of the great GM 60 degree V6? 30+ years of service.

 

GM had a RWD Impala on the drawing boards, it got cancelled, then they went bankrupt.

 

I think Hyundai/Kai are building some of the most interesting vehicles these days. If I were forced to purchase a non-American vehicle, it would most likely come from Korea.

 

I think the Impala still has some retail sales. Especially to the more mature crowd who want a basic large car that gets good gas milage for not much money. These customers fo not care about nav, stroking dashs, or eye popping designs. They want an appliance that gives them very little hassle with no fuss. Think about it. Impala has a ton of room, seats 6, and really just does what it does very well. If GM though that dropping $500 million to $1 Billion in a new car would be worthwhile they would. The reality however is that the current Impala sells the same or better than many of the large sedans it competes with like Taurus, Charger, and Avalon. A redesign would likely require moving to another patform, and adding a lot of stuff that will kill the value the car has. Ford did the same thing with the Panther platform for many years.