Well said...agreed 100%

 

Me too. There hasn't been a decent Impala since the 1996 SS. Chevy needs to grow a pair.

 

Out of fairness though... are you guys looking for a 4 door family sedan?

The current Impala is one of the best selling cars in the country.

The certainly could not be said for the old Caprice that the 96 Impala SS was built on.

Also, UNTIL the Impala SS came out... the Caprice was ridiclued contastly for lookling "fat" or like a "beached whale"...

 

I think a RWD LS4 Sedan would fit in perfect at Chevrolet. Chevrolet has always had a RWD sedan up until 96. Vette, Camaro, V8 sedan would be the perfect performance linup for Chevy.

I'd make the sedan about the size of a CTS or G6 and have 2 engines.
250HP 3.9L = base/LT
330HP 5.3L = SS

Leave the FWD Malibu and Impala for the conservatives and make the RWD Sedan more agressive and mean looking. "muscle tone" sedan

 

If I was, I sure wouldn't look at the Impala - at least not a "new" one. This car is best sampled as a well depreciated rental buyback.


I remember previous generations of FWD GM mediocrities selling pretty darned well. It should be said that cars like the Celebrity and Lumina aren't as bad as some would like up to remember, and that the current crop of W-bodies (like the Impala) aren't as good as some would like us to think


The old Caprice was durable and a decent enough drive (with the right suspension option). Let's face it, the Impala SS was just a monochromatic LT-1 Caprice with suspension and braking modifications.


It was a radical design meant to re-ignite a very conservative market. GM thought that an radical body on a traditional chassis would lure younger buyers away from higher-end versions of the Ford Taurus. GM took a chance. GM lost.

These day, GM doesn't take chances - but GM still loses.

There are plenty of good reasons why GM is still losing market share despite all of the recent product introductions.

 

And plenty of good reasons why most of your arguments are airballs once again...

1) You don't like Impala? Fine...but a lot of people do. I really like the new one a lot, actually. I like the FWD too...something I am surprised you complain about. Didn't you and I actually AGREE once that RWD + snow = sucks? So why praise the LX? When you go for the AWD, you go up $2k and lose about 2 MPG...that's advancement for you.

2) I have news for you. LX does not sell well because of RWD. LX sells well because of style. But its also a style that I bet will wear thin quick. My parents are renting a Magnum in FL this week. Besides the A/C quitting on Magnum #1 (with 4k miles on it...quality control?? Hehe), both Magnum #1 and #2 make my mother feel claustrophobic because of the high beltline. Also, Magnum #2 apparently is having an idle problem. But these cars are as unflappable as your beloved Nissans, right zed-ol-buddy?

 

I was so surprized at how nice and relatively peppy the Impala I rented a couple of years ago was, I wrote a thread about it, and stopped bashing the car.

I'd probally never buy the current Impala, but that doesn't make it a bad car. It's a pretty quick, tossible car that is perfect for carving up traffic getting to a class you should have been at 5 minutes ago. It was rattle free, and the only flaw I found was a broken seat covering connector (very cheap plastic). Otherwise, it most certainly felt better built than my Camaro. Not top quality, but definately worth the money. I prefer the Grand Prix, and it's more agressive nature, but again, I'm not into FWD sedans when there are still RWD coupes and performance sedans available.

 

I got a chance to drive 2000 Impala and 1999 Lumina back to back. It was increadable how much better the Impala handled.

3800 is a very strong engine and a good fit in the Impala. The weak point with the old Impala was the old people styled interior. GP & Monte were so much nicer IMHO. The 2006 Impala has a great engine lineup and nice looking modern interior. I'd considerone for a second car if I needed one. The only way I'd buy new is if I could get AWD with that LS4.

 

You want a fwd Chevy sedan, buy a Malibu. Chevrolet also needs a full size rwd sedan and Impala is it. (not to mention I own 6 Impalas and need a new one! )

 

I agree with you. I personally like the newer Impala as well as the 94-96 model. The only thing I don't like about the new one is the interior. Like you, I believe the Monte and the GP have a better interior. But ya, we have one in our Police fleet and it is by far the most abused car in the fleet, but it still manages to take the day by day beating and stay in great shape. I see why these cars sell like hotcakes.

I see a few around that are rentals, but mostly it's people that BOUGHT them. I see more Impala's in the drive ways of homes than I see of any other car around here. After seeing how well they hold up and how well they drive, I can see why it is one of the top selling cars in the country.

I can't wait for the new Impala, I may even buy one once I graduate from college. It'd make a great daily driver. I love the looks and I love the interior. I still might buy a current Impala aswell. It's all up to the amount of money I have.