Test Drive - Impala SS, very impressive!
12-01-2005, 12:29 PM
#1
Test Drive - Impala SS, very impressive! My wife currently has a 2000 GP GTP. It has 2 mods, 180 stat and a 3.4 pulley. The best I did at the track was 14.3 @ 93. This was a 1/2 tank of gas, child seat, spare tire, crappy tires. For the most part we are real happy with it and wish we could buy another "new" one in 2 years but as you know, GM doesn't make them any more.
Last Saturday after dinner, my wife and I stopped by a local Chevy dealership to get a brochure on the new Impala. Once we got home we both started looking at it and was rather impressed from what we saw and read. You guys know the saying, "if the wifes happy, I'm happy".
We got to talking a bit and asked her about the new Grand Prix and she says she doesn't like the styling and thinks the Impala looks much better.
Yesterday, I took my 2002 S-10 in for a free oil change at the chevy dealership. While I was waiting for my truck, I decided to take a new Impala SS for a test drive.
The sales guy said sure, let's go get one. He pulls it up and I was very shocked. This was the first time I have seen one up close. I think the car looks much better in person. As I was walking around the car, I got to the rear, I heard that nice little V8 rumble.
In a way it was kinda weird to hear that sound coming from a car like that, but sounds very nice at idle. This car had EVERY option.
The sales guy and I get in and I start to check out the car, I'll break it down for ya:
Interior - WOW, GM has hit the nail on the head with this car. The fit and finish is very nice and tight. The leather seats are great but it has a funny feel as they might not be long enough for taller people for the part you sit on. The dash looks great and easy to read the guages. When you put it in gear, you have to look at the dash to see what gear your in, no numbers by the gear shifter. It looks clean but I'd still prefer some numbers/letters by the gear selector.
The sunroof is nice and big but I didn't open it due to it being cold out. The back seat are nice and big but since I'm 6' 4", anyone over 6' will have a rough time on a long trip, my head hit the roofline. Overall, I think the interior is very nice for this car.
Exterior - The Impala has very nice, clean body lines, typical of a Chevy. The fit and finish of the body panels were just about perfect. The headlights work great and flow with the body. The doors close with ease and sound very solid when closing them. The overall look of the SS package was nice but I wish GM would offer Chrome wheels instead of polished rims.
Performance - Once I got the car on the road, I punched it a bit and moved pretty good for the 5.3L, kinda felt like my wifes GTP. When I was getting on the highway I was going about 20mph and then nailed it, it has some pretty bad torque steer but it hauled azz! Traction is a big problem for this car. I can see why the new GXP has bigger front tires. The DOD was pretty much seemless, but when it was switching back and forth from 4 to 8 cyl mode, I 'm not sure what I felt, either the torque converter unlocking or it was going to 8 cyl mode. I was trying to "feel"' something but really couldn't. The drive by wire sucks, it has that little bit of delay when you gas it, just like the C5s and Colorados I have driven. I guess it's something to get use to.
Overall - I think the Impala SS is a great car. Going down the highway, this has to be the most quietest car I have been in, I could barely hear any road or wind noise. The brakes, when did FORD start making brake systems for GM. The brakes are awesome. The car seems to stop rather well and you don't have to push that hard like most other GM cars. The sticker price was about $31,200. This car had EVERY option available. Maybe in 2 years when we are ready to buy, we might buy a Impala SS. When my wife and I get some free time, it'll be her turn to take it for a test drive. I'm kinda wondering if she'll feel the same about the car.
Last Saturday after dinner, my wife and I stopped by a local Chevy dealership to get a brochure on the new Impala. Once we got home we both started looking at it and was rather impressed from what we saw and read. You guys know the saying, "if the wifes happy, I'm happy".
We got to talking a bit and asked her about the new Grand Prix and she says she doesn't like the styling and thinks the Impala looks much better.
Yesterday, I took my 2002 S-10 in for a free oil change at the chevy dealership. While I was waiting for my truck, I decided to take a new Impala SS for a test drive.
The sales guy said sure, let's go get one. He pulls it up and I was very shocked. This was the first time I have seen one up close. I think the car looks much better in person. As I was walking around the car, I got to the rear, I heard that nice little V8 rumble.
In a way it was kinda weird to hear that sound coming from a car like that, but sounds very nice at idle. This car had EVERY option.The sales guy and I get in and I start to check out the car, I'll break it down for ya:
Interior - WOW, GM has hit the nail on the head with this car. The fit and finish is very nice and tight. The leather seats are great but it has a funny feel as they might not be long enough for taller people for the part you sit on. The dash looks great and easy to read the guages. When you put it in gear, you have to look at the dash to see what gear your in, no numbers by the gear shifter. It looks clean but I'd still prefer some numbers/letters by the gear selector.
The sunroof is nice and big but I didn't open it due to it being cold out. The back seat are nice and big but since I'm 6' 4", anyone over 6' will have a rough time on a long trip, my head hit the roofline. Overall, I think the interior is very nice for this car.
Exterior - The Impala has very nice, clean body lines, typical of a Chevy. The fit and finish of the body panels were just about perfect. The headlights work great and flow with the body. The doors close with ease and sound very solid when closing them. The overall look of the SS package was nice but I wish GM would offer Chrome wheels instead of polished rims.
Performance - Once I got the car on the road, I punched it a bit and moved pretty good for the 5.3L, kinda felt like my wifes GTP. When I was getting on the highway I was going about 20mph and then nailed it, it has some pretty bad torque steer but it hauled azz!
Traction is a big problem for this car. I can see why the new GXP has bigger front tires. The DOD was pretty much seemless, but when it was switching back and forth from 4 to 8 cyl mode, I 'm not sure what I felt, either the torque converter unlocking or it was going to 8 cyl mode. I was trying to "feel"' something but really couldn't. The drive by wire sucks, it has that little bit of delay when you gas it, just like the C5s and Colorados I have driven. I guess it's something to get use to.Overall - I think the Impala SS is a great car. Going down the highway, this has to be the most quietest car I have been in, I could barely hear any road or wind noise. The brakes, when did FORD start making brake systems for GM. The brakes are awesome. The car seems to stop rather well and you don't have to push that hard like most other GM cars. The sticker price was about $31,200. This car had EVERY option available. Maybe in 2 years when we are ready to buy, we might buy a Impala SS. When my wife and I get some free time, it'll be her turn to take it for a test drive. I'm kinda wondering if she'll feel the same about the car.
12-01-2005, 04:13 PM
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My dad has one in silver, he had the last year model too in the V6 and he likes this newer one alot more with the V8. The styling is much better and the performance is great for a 4 door with a 5.3 and yea that V8 rumble is nice coming out of the back.
12-05-2005, 10:56 PM
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Pretty much exactly what I tought about it. The mother just bought one a couple weeks ago. Nice car... it's all broken in now so I get to 'finish' it since all the torque kinda scares her... plus I don't trust her being able to handle the torque steer which I've found to be a pain in the ****! Still a great, comfortable car with a kick... also was VERY wierd hearing that nice lil V8 grumble riding in a 'luxury' sedan!