DriveTech

2006 Chevrolet Impala SS is a great ride

Chevrolet finally put a V8 in its Impala SS. Hooray! I know 1994 was the last year of the V8, but now it's back.

Sales should start to climb with the addition of this long-awaited power plant. It isn't an LS1 or even an LS2, but it still punches out 303 horsepower from a 5.3-liter small block that incorporates Displacement On Demand. Never heard of DOD? It decides how much power you need in town or on the freeway by dropping cylinders from eight to four, depending on the demand.

The system works seamlessly. Unless you're watching the instrument pod, you won't know when it is at four cylinders or eight. Works for me. But if you hit the pedal a little too hard, you'll spin the front tires. Yes, the front tires. The Impala is a front-wheel drive mid-size sedan. But it also gets 18 miles per gallon in the city and 28 on the open road, which isn't bad for a five-passenger, V8 hauler.

If you're not a V8 type of driver, Chevrolet still offers its' very thrifty V6. Both the 211-horsepower and 240-horsepower engines get 21miles per gallon in the city and 31 on the freeway. The larger 240-horsepowered V6 gets 19 miles per gallon city and 27 MPG on the freeway. They're all backed by a four-speed, electronically controlled automatic transmission with overdrive. Sorry, no fiver or six speed yet!

The 2006 Impala has gotten a little dressing up with a new front and rear fascia, which gives the cruiser a neat look. The SS I tested came with a trunk-mounted wing, SS badges on the trunk and front doors and SS stitched on the headrests. It also has performance suspension, a nice throaty exhaust system coming out of dual pipes, four-wheel ABS brakes and electronic traction control. The 18-inch aluminum wheels mounted on P235/50R18 performance tires adds to the fun on the road, but don't let the SS fool you. It's not a racecar but a well designed mid-size sedan and it rides like one.

The driver and passenger get bucket seats with power adjustments. Poway Chevrolet ordered this Impala with optional leather interior and heated seating. The transmission shifter is in the center console. There's a nice gauge set up, plus Chevrolet's information center will keep you informed as to what your Impala is doing at the touch of a button. The climate control system allows the driver and passenger to control their own comfort level.

You also get a tilt steering wheel standard with cruise control and audio controls built into it. Another neat feature is remote starting. I admit our weather may not always dictate staying inside while starting the car outside in the heat or cold, but it is a neat trick to pull on your friends when they're standing around and your car starts up without you.
Chevrolet's sound systems have always had great acoustics and the Impala didn't fail me. It has AM/FM/CD and MP3 with auxiliary jacks for additional toys. This model didn't come with XM radio, but it can be added at the dealer.

The very comfortable rear seat has some unique features. The rear seat bottoms flip effortlessly forward 60/40 and the seat backs also fold down 60/40 to give the already good size trunk even more space and versatility. You also get a two-cup holder in the rear center armrest.

As for safety, Chevrolet hit the five-star crash test rating and didn't stop there. It gives you OnStar free for one year. Plus, it has a tire pressure monitoring system, front airbags, driver and front passenger head curtain air bags, daytime running lights, crumple zones and a factory built-in Passlock Theft Deterrent System. You get all that for under $30,000 and that's with a V8!

I really enjoyed this Impala and it's definitely worth taking out for a road test.
I got this Impala from Poway Chevrolet, which is under new management and really gets high marks in customer satisfaction. The dealership is at 13742 Poway Road. Visit it at www.powaychevy.com or call (858) 748-9600.

Next week, I go to Temecula Valley Toyota.

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