Cole Train

iTrader: (30)

i hope you mean on looks alone because i'm willing to bet this new one will be a more comfortable, better car overall than the previous generation.

ThisBlood147

Still a step up IMO. Yeah, the design is a bit derivative...but not unattractive. And still better looking than the current Malibu. Looks like it will be a solid car.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

I think it's nice actually. Looks better than the Buicks, and better than the previous Impala, and better than the new Malibu. I definitely thought the old Malibu looked better than the old Impala, so the tables have turned now IMO.

Most sedans within the same size class share some similar visual cues that are popular to their respective era. This is nothing new and not a good nor bad thing, it just.....is. If you want a car that stands out as being drastically different from the crowd, then you shouldn't be shopping for affordably priced mid or full sized new family sedans. If your goal is to be bold and noticed, then stick to exotics, low production sports cars, top tier luxury cars, and/or classics.

TriShield

Originally this generation was planned to be on Holden's RWD architecture and assembled on the same line as the Camaro. That all went south during GM's bankruptcy. Now it's just another huge FWD car and sure to maintain it's fleet special status. It will make a nice car for our parents or grandparents. I'll keep my G8 or take a 300 or Charger instead.

kennyxg

iTrader: (1)

I just spit my coke all over my computer screen Lmaof!

Breathing Fire

Hyundai is the design thief. Sonata was a copy of a Toyota Solara. You are accusing the wrong compay of design theft. Looks like the Lacrosse to me. Same platform last I read up on the car.

wooddaniel

iTrader: (28)

******* FWD. It looks ok at least

super_fro_daddy

iTrader: (29)

I like plain cars......

CranMaro99

iTrader: (10)

It looks almost like an SUV thats squished to a car profile. I honestly hate the look.

Why the hell do I have to look at Chrysler for a decently designed full sized car? To me, the 300 has no competition.

BanditTA

iTrader: (3)

GM still has a rwd Chevy sedan in the mix, they need an Impala regardless of what gearheads want to beleive, fwd sedans with good fuel economy sell. The current dated car sells like crazy, and that isn't just because of fleet sales either.

Isn't GM supposed to release info later this month on the next gen Nascar? Rumored to be a rwd sedan?

camar0corey

iTrader: (22)

FWD is still retarded, come on GM more RWD vehicles already......
I like the way it looks though.

I can tell that later on in life when I want a RWD somewhat cushiony GM, I'm going to have to buy an old at that point used CTS-V.

What was their reasoning again to make the new Caprice available to only law enforcement? Do government fleet vehicles not need to meet some standard that would make selling it impracticable or something?

Wnts2Go10O

iTrader: (12)

every time they do... no one buys them.

It'llrun

They don't need this Impala anymore than the last. They need the sales, but the car could be nicer or at least more appealing. RWD would do wonders.

Did you know that more than 50% of current Impala sales are fleet purchases? Sounds to me, the real reason it sells so well is fleet sales. The new one will start at over $26,000(projections estimate over 32,000) and that will make it a hard sell to people who already have a LaCrosse, Taurus or 300.

GM is so far behind on this car, a completely new model is either going to help them aside from fleet sales, or sink the car entirely. The reasons it sold so well are simple and obvious. #1, it's cheap. Thanks to the 1980's engineering, costs were kept low(much like its fuel economy). #2, because it's cheap, fleets have enjoyed making that purchase over much nicer cars. Now that it's nicer too, fewer fleet sales is almost a certainty.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

Avg consumer cares more about gas mileage then drivetrain layout. And, why wouldn't they? I feel the same way about my DDs. My STS is 300hp and FWD....is it great? Nope. But it does fine and I like every single mpg I can get. (Bout 23). The average consumer is NOT performance oriented.

BanditTA

iTrader: (3)

95% of the car buying public could give two craps about it being RWD. The majority of the car buying public is more worried about space, fuel mileage and all weather performance, all of which FWD dominates.

GM sold roughly 175,000 Impalas last year, 175000 x .50 = 87,500 units to the general public - if I'm using your logic correctly. In December 2011 Toyota stated they sold roughly 3200 Avalons per month (3200 x 12 = 38400). GM sold more than twice that to the general public with their dated Impala -which is actually based off of the 97.5 wbody platform and is 100% different from the 80s version you refer to (I actually have an 80s version and a 98 one).

BAD2000TA

iTrader: (6)

HAHA...you use the Avalon as a comparison?!? You must work on Obama's budget staff, because that's the only way that comparison works!!

If you're going to compare against Toyota, try looking at the Camry sales. Slightly higher.....

94LT1TA6spd

Not liking it... at all

Still no V8, still no manual trans, and still FWD....FML

What happened to GM re-releasing the Caprice?? it was supposed to take over the Impala spot I thought, and IMO it looked WAY better!

SSCamaro99_3

iTrader: (1)

Do you live under a rock?

CAFE and fuel prices are rising.

Take rates on manuals are astonshingly low on appliance vehicles, even in base Corvette's. LS1 F-bodies were under 50%.

This is a mass market people mover. FWD is the industry standard. Of the 20 people sitting around me in my office. I can think of 3-5 that have a RWD vehicle.

RWD Holden based Chevrolet is coming.

We need to judge this car on what it is. A high volume family car aimed at Accord/Camry/Avalon/Taurus for all intents and purposes.

It'llrun

My reason for thinking RWD would do wonders is particularly based in the overall package here. A car like this is bound to sell to fleets(who largely don't care about drive wheels or economy in a vehicle this size) and old folks(60+ is probable). People that age grew up with RWD vehicles and remember certain things, like comfort, vehicle response, ease of repair. Right or wrong, that's how old folks are. My parents are up there in age and probably won't drive much longer. Each has their own vehicle. Both are RWD and neither wants another FWD, which mom actually got 2 of in the 80's. Dad has never owned a FWD for his own driver and surely never will.

So anyway, I just think the market for this vehicle will be mostly old folks and fleets. If it were RWD, even "gearheads" would probably pick it here and there.

95% of the car buying public doesn't matter... That's about the percentage of buyers not even considering the Impala today. FWD "dominates" those categories for obvious reasons. #1, most FWD vehicles don't get V6 power, let alone V8 power. Sure, many can have V6's and some can have V8's, but 4cyl power plants dominate and with that, economy is included. The 1997 Corvette can see the economy of many V6 powered cars even today. V8's and RWD can indeed be efficient.

There aren't enough RWD vehicles to compare where space is concerned. Even Cadillac is downsized. When real full size cars were made in America, no FWD dominated in that category.

All around performance isn't even on the mind of most buyers. That said, RWD cars still shatter the performance of FWD in general and can even be easier to handle in inclement weather, provided the driver knows what he or she is doing.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-0...companies.html <~ Not even 30% of Impala sales were to the GP, just so we know. I knew it was over 50%, but decided to get some details to see just how much over... I didn't expect 71%, to be honest. The same article says the expectations will drop to about 95,000 units with the new model, as the price will be much higher and the target now will be the GP.

80's engineering meant that the basics, underpinnings, etc. were designed in the 1980's... The Impala itself was redesigned in 2005... but the chassis didn't change much. Until the late 90's, Impala was RWD and that's nothing like today, but the engineering was there already. There are significant changes available today, not made in the 80's.

The Avalon has never been a real contender against anything in its class here in America, where sales are concerned. I doubt Toyota has sold even 5k in any given month, here in America. The Chevrolet Impala holds the ALL TIME annual car sales record, at over 1,000,000 units(1965). From that to where it is today... not so great.

The Impala starts at $25,760and is rated @ 18/30mpg ... Avalon starts @ $33,195 and is rated at 19/28mpg... The Imp LTZ starts at $30,300... about 3 grand less than Avalon base model. So, the Impala costs thousands less and has better highway mpg with a more powerful engine... I wonder which one might sell better? What do you think?

SSCamaro99_3

iTrader: (1)

Totally irrelevent. Almost all foreign makers had little presence, and nearly no manufacturing capability on this continent. GM had near 60% market share. Today they are in the 20's.

I like RWD as much as the next person, but for the vast majority of people shopping for new cars, it is not important. To some in areas with large stretched of poor weather, it is preferred. If you are building a vehicle in which some people adamantly want FWD, most others really dont care, and you want to sell a lot of cars the choice is obvious.