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The Impala, which shares
its platform with the Pontiac Grand Prix, was updated and vastly improved for
the 2006 model year. While in previous years it was nothing more than big and
cheap, the seats are now comfortable, the interior is of good quality, and
ride, handling, and acceleration are all improved without changing the car’s
basic success formula. But that formula works better for the base versions of
the Impala, not this $25,000 3LT. At this price point, more refinement, more
luxury features, and some stand-out quality are requisite, which this car
lacks.
The Impala has a soft,
comfortable, and absorbent ride, though it is prone to some highway-speed
float. It handles safely, but it is larger than most of the other cars in this
group, which does not help its cornering behavior. The steering is more
responsive and better-weighted than in last year’s Impala, but lacks feedback.
The 3.9-liter V6 performs better than the 3.8-liter that it replaced, which is
still used in the Grand Prix, and a 5.3-liter V8 is newly available in the
sport-oriented SS model. The car remains quiet except under acceleration, when
the engine’s rough growl becomes somewhat intrusive. Fuel economy does not
impress.
Inside, the Impala’s
front bucket seats offer plenty of space on fairly comfortable seats, but they
are too low and flat. A front bench is also offered, but will not
realistically hold a third passenger. The rear is well-shaped and adequately
comfortable, though the car has surprisingly little head and leg space for
rear-seat occupants considering its exterior size. Interior quality was vastly
improved in the redesign, panel fit and overall materials quality are finally
 competitive with like-priced
competitors. The gauges are clear, and the instruments are large, well-placed,
and easy to use. Drivers sit low, but comfortably enough, and have good
visibility. Entry/exit is easy to the front, but the shape of the roof and the
narrower footwells complicate rear seat access. The trunk is very large and
well-shaped, and folding the rear seats accommodates cargo better than the
other cars in this group.
The Impala did very well
in NHTSA crash testing. It earned five stars for both the driver and for the
front passenger in the frontal crash test, and five stars for the driver and
four for the rear passenger in the side crash test. The Impala was only
Acceptable in its IIHS offset crash test, a disappointing score for a new
model, especially considering that its predecessor was Good. The IIHS has not
evaluated its rear and side-impact protection.
The Impala reviewed here
came in fairly well equipped at $25,260. The Impala at that price is equipped
with essentially every available option, but the car does not offer
torso-protecting side airbags, stability control, or automatic climate
control. It does include OnStar, a remote starter, and a tire-pressure
monitor.
Overall,
the Impala is comfortable and reasonably priced. It doesn’t really do anything
exceptionally, but does most things well. And while that does make a decent
value-priced car, a fully-loaded Impala compared against fully-loaded
competitors is out of that league. It isn’t exactly inexpensive (either by the
group’s standard or in general) or refined, and doesn’t stand out in this
group. It’s certainly not a bad car, but there isn’t a clear reason to buy it
over the competition.
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