Ed 2001 SS

I'm not a fan of the large square looking styling. It's the same reason I dislike the Mustang interior, and the interior of most Lincolns. At least it looks high quality.

Good Ph.D

It's big, but not that big. I think most of the size percepetion comes from the dining room chair seats.

graham

That looks like a fully loaded car which should be nice for a 30 grand appliance

97QuasarBlue3.8

Except it's missing Nav, which at $30k, is an option on most other cars. I'm also surprised at the Sony stereo. Blau has been a favorite in some of Ford's smaller cars, albeit not very nice versions of Blau hardware. At least not in the Focus that I owned. Sony, for the mid-value shopper is still a "high end" brand. As long as it can boom and hiss enough to be fun, that's good enough for most people--including myself.

The new Taurus looks decent. I'm a little worried about the dated look (not retro--that implies it was fashionable at some point) of the gauges. I am glad that they ditched the Passat roofline of the 500 for a more Fusion-esque flat roof setup.

It's comforting in a way to know that the Taurus is still around. We certainly owned enough of them in my family when I was growing up. They were good cars, but the early ones seemed to be plagued by failing transmissions around 80k.

2MCHPSI

To be honest, that interior looks like it should have been in something in the mid to late 1990's. Ford needs to totally redo ths car as it's exterior styling never caught the attention of buyers. This interior while nice, makes it seem outdated to match an outdated exterior.

guionM

You completely forgot about the upcoming Taurus ST, the successor to the Taurus SHO.

This "applience" as you call it will have at least 350 (more likely, 380) horsepower.

Keep in mind as you look at that interior and horsepower figure, we're talking about the competitor to a Chevrolet Impala and Toyota Camary. IMO, neither car is even close.

After going to the LA show and seeing what everyone else has, the current Impala is way beyond obsolete.

slt

Whats the point of the Impala? Shouldn't the Malibu be the end all?

Z28x

Impala is bigger. There is still a large market for Impala/Buick/Crown Vic sized car interiors.

JakeRobb

The Buick brand implies a size now?

Z28x

When is the new Impala scheduled to be out?

guionM

The Zeta Impala would have been out late next year or early 2010 (as a 2011), while the current FWD Impala would have continued for a year or so alongside the new one.

Word was that the change in plans delayed the new Impala 1 year, but I think (and this is only my opinion) that GM's going to be forced to get the thing out earlier than they would have normally. I'm sure GM execs see the same thing in the marketplace that I saw at the LA show: The Impala isn't even in the same league with the current crop of family sedans.

Next time anyone goes to an auto show this season (hopefully one with the new Fusion at least), try out this little experiment. First, go to the Chevrolet display. Get in and sit in the top Impala (the SS) and check out everything. Then go through the show, being sure to check out as many sedans as you can. Before you leave, go back and get in that same Impala. That Impala will feel as if it came from some emerging car market like China. The new Fusion feels like a BMW next to the current Impala.

The Impala's direct competitor, the new Taurus, is going to have head turning styling outside and a interior that one would expect to be in a more expensive car, let alone an import. Should Chrysler survive, the new 300 and Charger will be a landmark (let alone vital) car for Chrysler.

IMO, pressure for a new Impala within the next 18 months is pretty unbearable. The new Malibu, as great as it is, only brings itself up to date with what's out there. If what Ford (and a few imports) are doing is any indication, Malibu has about 2-3 years before it falls badly behind.

JakeRobb

The SS has the biggest motor, but the LTZ is the highest trim level. If you're talking about sitting in a stationary car at a show, look for an LTZ as the best example.

Also, for reference, this is the interior of an '08 Fusion:


And here is an Impala LTZ (an '06; the same as an '09 as far as I know):


And this is the interior of a car from an emerging market (the Tata Nano):


I don't know what you're really trying to say, but it sure wasn't the truth.

Threxx

The Fusion's interior is somewhat better than the Impala's, IMO, at least in terms of initial feel... I've seen and heard worse things about long term durability w/ the Fusion interior than I have for the Impala.

My dad rented an Impala a year ago in San Antonio. It wasn't bad but it definitely felt dated and behind the times overall... like something you wouldn't hate to drive but you still have to wonder why anybody would buy one with the other selection on the market.

I expect the next one will be a home run relatively speaking if GM's other recent designs have been any indicator. Then again who knows how all of these cutbacks might affect design quality in the coming years.

guionM

I'm not only talking about looks. Get in, sit. Look around. Touch everything. Get a feel for the interior. After doing that with the Impala (even the LTZ), the new Fusion, other competitors, then get back in the Impala later.

Trust me, comparing by simply putting those pictures side by side simply don't cut it, let alone doing them justice.

The Chrysler Sebring has a very impressive interior in pictures. I'd even go as far to say that it may even top the new Fusion if you put the pictures of the 2 side by side. But actually get inside both of them, and you aren't going to seriously rank the interior of the Sebring over the Fusion.... not by a mile.

Do that auto show test I mentioned.

JakeRobb

Okay, fine, but saying it was like something from an emerging market was BS and was unfair to the Impala.

As an aside, in this industry, which is mostly about leapfrogging the competition, it would have been a mistake for Ford to design the Taurus and Fusion's interiors without outdoing the Impala and Malibu. Likewise, it would be a mistake for Chevy if the next Impala and Malibu don't outdo the current Taurus and Fusion.