Chevrolet Impala; for more than 50 years, Chevy has placed the nameplate on a range of body styles--most of them sedans, some of them taxis or police cars. In recent years it's been a full-size, front-wheel-drive sedan, with the Toyota Avalon, Hyundai Azera, Ford Taurus, and Dodge Charger among the alternatives. Prices tend to be quite low for this class of car, with most Impalas priced at less than $30,000.
Originally introduced in 1958, the Chevrolet Impala has seen nine generations over its lifespan, but the last-generation has been particularly long. From finned land yacht to clean rectilinear cruiser, wire wheels to steel hubcaps, the Impala was at the leading edge of sedan design through the late 1950s and all through the 1960s—with some of the most memorable, timeless designs—while the 1970s and 1980s were some of the more forgettable. The seventh generation car (which the current Impala still dates back to, mechanically, in some ways) remains one of the most easily picked out of the cars of that era, its smooth and rounded shape at once unassuming and completely unique. After a hiatus at the end of the seventh generation in 1996, the 2000-2005 eighth generation introduced the front-wheel drive layout and more restrained look of the car on the road today.
The current Impala first hit the roads in 2006, offering a 211-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine in the standard car and a 5.3-liter V-8 engine in the Impala SS. Later in the 2006 model year, a new 3.9-liter V-6 was added to the range. In 2007, Flex Fuel capability was added for the 3.5-liter engine, and in 2009, the Impala SS was discontinued. The current lineup features only the 3.5-liter and 3.9-liter V-6s. Overall, we've found these Impala models to perform adequately but with little to no excitement; and while the ride is comfortable, the seats are not.
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| Image by The Toad via Flickr |
