2006 Chevrolet Impala Review
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By Jim McCraw

Overview

The Impala has been changing, morphing, and maturing with the vagaries of the market since 1958 when the first one showed up as a coupe and convertible.

Now, the Chevrolet Impala has been substantially upgraded for 2006. The 2006 Impala features new and very attractive exterior styling, a new interior, and a choice of three new engines.

The new Impala is a comfortable and convenient car, roomy, easy to get in, with big grab-style door handles. It's a practical sedan with Innovative flip-and-fold back seats and folding rear seatbacks. And it comes well-equipped with safety features, including side-curtain airbags. The Impala LT best exemplifies the model line, especially when ordered with the larger, 3.9-liter engine, which delivers responsive performance. The LTZ upgrades with leather, a very nice XM Satellite Radio setup and other convenience features.

An inexpensive pricing structure with loads of rebates on it puts the new Impala on the shopping list for family sedans. Impala competes with the Ford Five Hundred, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Nissan Altima.

The SS stuffs a small-block V8 into this package. It sounds great and delivers strong acceleration performance, but it's a lot of power for this front-wheel-drive sedan.

Model Lineup

The 2006 Chevrolet Impala spans a broad model range and includes the base LS, the middle-range LT, the loaded LTZ, and the high-performance SS.

The LS ($21,330) comes with the 211-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6, and a four-speed automatic transmission. It comes with the bare essentials, such as air conditioning, power windows and locks, AM/FM/CD, cruise control, cloth upholstery, a bench seat, and 16-inch steel wheels. Anti-lock brakes are optional ($600).

The LT is available with the 3.5-liter V6 ($21,860) or a new 3.9-liter V6 ($24,760), which includes 17-inch alloy wheels. The LT comes standard with dual-zone air conditioning, bucket seats, ABS, traction control, dual exhaust, fog lights, remote starter, power outlets, and a rear spoiler.

The LTZ ($26,870) is powered by the 3.9-liter V6 and is upgraded with leather upholstery, heated seats, upgraded audio with MP3, XM Satellite Radio, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise controls, and 17-inch wheels.

The SS ($27,130) boasts a 303-horsepower, 5.3-liter V8 with Displacement on Demand and a four-speed automatic. The SS comes with 18-inch wheels and tires and a performance suspension.

Safety features that come standard include dual front smart air bags, and side-curtain roof-mounted air bags. All but the base LS model come standard with anti-lock brakes (ABS) and traction control.