Review
Introduction
Until gas prices started going through the roof, the Impala was one of the few cars that was selling well for General Motors. Essentially, it offers a lot of bang for the buck, with a cavernous interior, plenty of standard amenities, and powerful, moderately responsive engines. The Impala comes in four trim levels, with three different engines. The base LS comes only with a 211-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. The LT comes with the same powertrain but is also available with a 224-hp, 3.9-liter V-6 engine. The fancier LTZ has the 3.9-liter engine as standard, and the sportier SS is available only with a 303-hp, 5.3-liter V-8 engine. All Impalas have front-wheel drive.
Verdict
Enthusiasts dismiss the Impala because, frankly, it’s pretty boring to drive. The car provides a cushy highway ride—particularly in LS and LT forms, which have the softer FE1 suspension—but it wallows through the twisties. Straight-line performance is reasonable, although the SS really suffers from having too much power driving through just the front wheels.
The Impala does score in two major areas. First, it’s huge, with 104.5 cubic feet of interior room and the ability to seat six if one opts for the front bench seat (remember those?) available in the LS and LT. Second, it offers a lot of car for the money, with a base LS starting under $24,000. For that, you get a large car with more than 200 horsepower and plenty of standard equipment, and savvy buyers can find examples for far less on dealer lots at the moment.
Higher-quality interiors and more involving driving experiences are available from top-line competitors such as the Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata.
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What’s New for 2009
There are small but important changes for this model year. Bluetooth phone connectivity is added, and dual-zone climate control is standard across the range. From a safety standpoint, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with traction control have been standardized, front-seat lap belts now have pretensioners, and side-impact airbags are fitted on all Impalas. The SS gets newly styled, polished aluminum 18-inch wheels.
Highlights and Recommendations
It’s tempting to highlight the sportier SS model—it has the bigger V-8 engine, a sport suspension, and an attractive body kit—but in truth, there are more appealing cars out there for a base price of just over $31,000. Unless, of course, you’re a huge fan of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and want to live (sort of) vicariously.
Even the LTZ, which has leather seats and all manner of luxurious amenities, strikes us as a bit pricey at $28,000 or so. We would tend toward the LT, which has loads of safety features, a willing 3.5-liter V-6 engine that returns an EPA rating of 29 mpg on the highway, dual-zone climate control, power locks and windows, a remote engine starter, and 16-inch aluminum wheels. If one goes for the Luxury Edition package—it adds leather seating, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, and a flip-and-fold rear seat that dramatically increases load-carrying ability—the price remains under $27,000. And that’s before discounts come into the picture.
Safety
The usual raft of airbags is standard on the Impala, including full-length curtain devices and front side bags. Anti-lock brakes and traction control are standard on all models, and a stability-control system comes on models equipped with the 3.9- and 5.3-liter engines.
