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By Steven Cole SmithOrlando Sentinel
April 29, 2007
By default, the Chevrolet Impala has become America's car, a rolling Swiss Army knife that may not be perfect for any application but is suitable for most every application. Only mildly updated since it was introduced as a 2000 model, the Impala has been the journeyman of General Motors. It's available in several basic flavors, ranging from the modest LS model to the sporty, V-8-powered SS, which can easily top $30,000. The LS and the slightly more deluxe LT account for most sales, typically to customers more interested in utility than impressing the neighbors. The test car is an LS, with only anti-lock brakes and floor mats as options. Base price is $21,015, and as tested, $22,380. As with most new cars, features we once thought of as optional are now assumed standard. Air conditioning, power windows and mirrors, a six-speaker stereo with a CD player, remote locking -- all are included on the Impala LS. Side air bags and disc brakes are also standard; electronic stability control is not. Among the most interesting features of the Impala LS is a front seat that brings back memories: You can sit three across, and with three in the back, this is a true six-passenger sedan, one of only a handful left. A center console and armrest flips down from the middle of the front seat if you don't need it for that sixth person. And really, are there many of us left who use a sedan to regularly seat six? Seems like most everyone who needs to carry that many passengers has a minivan or SUV. But my father-in-law, who is on crutches, finds that extra middle-seat room in his Impala awfully handy, and presumably others do, too. The LS engine is a 3.5-liter V-6 with 211 horsepower, mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. In the test car, that engine is "Flex Fuel," meaning that it would run on E85 ethanol, if you were so inclined -- and if you live where they sell E85. Otherwise, regular gas is fine. Fuel mileage is EPA-rated at 21 miles per gallon city, 31 mpg highway, on gas. On E85, the EPA-rated mileage is 16 mpg city, 23 mpg highway. This engine and transmission work well enough together, offering reasonably smooth, brisk acceleration that is more than adequate to merge you into freeway traffic without prompting you to clutch your rosary beads. Handling is about what you would expect -- compared with, say, a Ford Crown Victoria, the Impala isn't that large, and gets around corners without much tire-squealing. The suspension is too soft for my taste, though -- stab the brakes, and the nose dives like a '64 Buick. Otherwise, not much to complain or get excited about. The Impala LS is what it is, good enough to make the Impala easily the best-selling American-branded car.
Find a USED 2007 Impala for SaleFind used car inventory in your area.
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