Test drive: 2007 Chevrolet Impala LS
Most of the cars tested by About.com Cars -- and, indeed, by most automotive publications -- are supplied by the automakers, part of "press fleets" that they keep for just such a purpose, and no doubt at great expense. Some automakers keep a smorgasboard of vehicles for journalists to drive; others stock only the latest and greatest. With so many brands and models, it's no surprise that General Motors falls into the latter group. But it's the ordinary vehicles -- the so-called "bread and butter" cars -- that most people buy, and those are the cars we try to test-drive each year.
Chevrolet's Impala isn't a new model, so again it's no surprise -- and no criticism of GM -- that they don't have one on their press fleet. But with so many of our readers being loyal domestic buyers, I felt it was an important car to review. So I sent intrepid test-driver Philip Powell on a mission to his local car-rental agency in search of a Chevrolet Impala.
Automakers aren't crazy about us renting cars to test. While press cars are under the automakers' direct control and can recieve the best TLC (something that, as our Pontiac Solstice GXP test drive shows, doesn't always happen), rental cars are the victim of untold abuses and indifferent care. (I worked for a rental company while in college that didn't even bother to change the oil!) Though GM might not agree, I think this works in their favor; the Impala is the second rental Chevy we've tested (the first was the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt) and both were holding up surprisingly well to the hard life of a rental car.
So how did Philip like his run-of-the-mill Heavy Chevy? Check out his 2007 Chevrolet Impala LS test drive and review for the details. -- Aaron Gold
Photo © Philip Powell
ALL your test cars should be rentals and/or lease returns. How many of us actually have a mechanic good enough to compare to the “specialists” that tune everything to perfection the way the manufacturer does? It is MUCH more representative of our experiences if we have a car that may have been used a bit or had a repair or two (collision damage excepted). I’d probably read a lot more of these if this was the case and give them more credibility.
I agree with Mike J. Real people never get to drive the pampered, finely prepped test cars. We’re stuck with whatever we get and the accompanying sometimes poor dealer service too. If your objective is to test cars that real people drive continue with the rental approach.
OK, I read about the Impala. I don’t know how old this Mr Powell is but he really needs to get more experience in the real world.
1. The Impala is capable of seating SIX. That would be difficult with a console shifter and only a very narrow minded person would criticize a car for a column shift and floor brake if the car is designed for that many passengers.
2. Front seat. I’m sure GM recognizes that although the Impala CAN carry 6, it most often would carry 4 or 5. Therefore, the front center was not designed for daily center passengers. But was designed to handle it if needed. Something most other cars can’t do even if they wanted to. So why deduct points for something doing exactly as it was designed???
3. Ratings. WWII people should buy this car? What kind of idiot recommendation is that? People over 80 should be buyers? Viet Nam vets and Desert Storm vets maybe and those who don’t fit into the narrow minded thinking of some car testers would be more accurate.
4. ABS. Why does every car need it? I’ve driven cars for 40+ years and owned one with ABS. To this day I couldn’t tell you what the difference is. I’ve driven my daughter’s car with ABS but it makes no difference. I doubt I’ve slammed on the brakes more than 3 times in the last 30 years. I’ve lived and driven in cities in Europe (Germany/France/Austria) and U.S. (San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, etc.) as well as in towns of less than 20,000 people. So why is it so important for this car to have ABS? Incidentally, I also own two cars with 4 DRUMS and don’t have any problems with them either. Considerably more difficult to stop fast from 70 mph but if one drives like they have brakes not as good as today’s cars, one never has to do that.
Cars should be reviewed from the perspective of the type of buyers of the car, not from the view of the test driver who would prefer a BMW 3 series. I drove an Impala when I was looking for a new car in 2006. For what it was built for, it was an excellent car and I probably would have given it 4 stars. It wasn’t the type car I was looking for so I didn’t buy but if I had still been a family man with 4 kids, I probably would have jumped on it given how few full sized choices there are without going SUV. Mine are all grown so I was looking for something smaller. But I never eliminate a car from the list except if it is out of my price range. As a result, I still own 2 4-door cars even though I rarely have anyone but myself in the car. Every dealer tries to sell me a 2-door but I get better deals on 4.
Bottom line. Your test drivers, yourself included, should be testing these cars for what they ARE and what they are designed for, not what you WISH them to be. The Impala is a 6 passenger capable sedan for someone looking for comfort, needing size and wanting enough power to pull it all without all the electronic gadgets that most of us don’t use, want or want to pay for but have no choice. Another pet peeve of mine is all the things we HAVE to buy in a car that we don’t want so we pay WAY too much for what we need all because the builders want to pump up the prices.
Mike,
I agreed with some parts of your post and disagreed with others. I must say that although you do not often slam on your brakes, ABS is a proven safety feature and should really be standard these days. The airbags in my car have never deployed, but I’m awfully glad I have them.
Mike — I won’t reveal Philip’s age, but I will tell you that he’s our most experienced reviewer, and has been doing this for around fifty years. His own car is a very modest Hyundai Accent that he bought used. (Not sure if it has ABS.)
One question. Why does this review have the line. People that should not buy a Saab 9-3?
Who should buy the Chevrolet Impala:
WW2 vets, Chevy traditionalists, rental car operators
Who should not buy the Saab 9-3:
Buyers seeking a better way to package themselves and their families
I know GM makes both but really….
BTW I would bet you can get the Impala with front buckets. Just not in a rental car.
I think renting cars is a great way to get to know a car before you buy. My wife and I ended up with a rental HHR for a week. It was a nice car but we had to rule it out when we went car shopping because of the visibility. It was hard to see around those thick pillars. It drove us crazy and probably wouldn’t have been noticed in a short test drive.
Mike, I appreciate your comments but you seem to have totally missed the point: that three across in front creates a serious driving hazard.
I’ve personally witnessed this (from the outside, fortunately) when a car was hit in such a way that the driver could have recovered. But the middle passenger was thrown against him so that his hands were knocked off the wheel. This led to a second, more damaging collision. Even a sudden change of direction can cause that to happen.
As for putting myself in the shoes of prospective owners, it is always a priority for me and of course that’s not easy when you’re a geezer. However I have two sons with small children and I would never, ever, recommend that they buy a car with that kind of seat configuration. Not that I’d have to… one drives a Mazda 3 hatch, the other a 2003 Camry V-6.
I’m sorry, Mike, but I do believe this type of vehicle is aimed at the 65+ market, which consists of many people who think “things ain’t what they used to be.” If you read closely you’ll note that I enjoyed driving the Impala and found it to be spacious and comfortable but had specific criticisms that marred the experience.
As for ABS, you and I can live without it but unskilled drivers cannot. (I learned many years ago how to use my foot as an ABS device by quick pumping of the brakes when trying to stop on a snow or ice-covered surface. I imagine you did, too.) By the way, my 2003 Accent GLi hatch doesn’t have ABS. It rarely snows here.
Four doors? Jim Kenzie, one of Canada’s best-known automobile journalists, put it this way: “A door for every seat.”
Lwatcdr: It says “Saab 9-3″ ’cause I screwed up.
I’ve fixed it, thanks for pointing this out.
Philip and Mike: Gotta say I disagree with you on the ABS thing. No human can pump the brakes as fast as the ABS system can. Of the cars I own, one is drum/drum (no power assist or ABS), one is disc/drum (no ABS), and one is disc/disc with ABS. ABS is fantastic — it’s like a form of autopilot. Just press as hard as you can and you don’t need to worry, you get maximum possible braking with no loss of steering control. Who wouldn’t want that?
our chev astro has had only a fuel pump and water pumpa fail since we bought it new in 1999. i’ve had occasions to rent impalas, malibus and a colorado 4 cyl crew cab. all were quiet and drove very well. the impala got 23 to the u.s. gallon. beside the van, we own three other cars——–mazda 3, volkswagen golf and a 66 dodge dart. the chevrolet is as trouble-free as the others.
Sounds like a great car to me. Quiet comfortible. The big A pillars are common on new cars to assure roof integerty in an event of a roll over.
collum shifter bench seat? whats wrong with this? It`s an Impalla for god sake.
I believe this car to be far better than a Camry.
I’m a Chevy Dealer Tech, the 06-07 Impala has been very reliable. The biggest problem I have seen is with the keyless entry system(antenna/receiver problem). If I did not have kids I would own one(I’m 36).
The 5.3L engine option is very fun to drive, very fast.
Mike’s logic on the need for having brakes is tantamount to a turkey’s logic… that for 364 days in a row the farmer has brought the turkey his feed at dawn…but on the 365th(Thanksgiving Day), he brouht an axe. That day when Mike gets to the top of that ridge and has to brake on some “black ice” will give him that crash course as why he should’ve had ABS!
Actually, it’s very hard to find a car with a bench seat anymore. Bench seats are great if you want your lady friend to sit next to you as opposed to sitting in a bucket beyond arm’s reach.
Philip,
The 211 HP 3.5 engine is an OHV with
12 valves, which is standard on the LS,
it has great low end but does not like
over 6,000 rpm. This car is a great value but has some small faults, cup holder is cheap, no glove box light.
I too like the quiet ride, must be something to quiet steel and aluminum
front undercarriage system,most of the finish is average, interior, paint,
tires, etc. are just OK. Plus is 100 K.
warranty on powertrain. I bought an LS
two months ago, I am satisfied with this
car, a good value.
I’m an 06 impala owner, and the car has been perfect up to last week, when the keyless entry system, without warning, stopped working. Fortunately, the car has manual keyed entry. Other than that, the Impala gives a comfortable, reliable, fun ride. And I can fit four full sized guitars in the trunk and still have room!
I have a 2006 Impala LS that I purchased as a program car (ALAMO RENTAL) for $10,000 under the new list price. It’s perfect save for 2 exceptions. The seats don’t fit my wife or myself very well. Our old 2000 Impala fit perfectly. The other thing is that the remote keyless entry just stopped working on both of the remotes at the same time. The batteries are good but the car doesn’t react to them at all. The owners manual has a section that tells how to reinitialize the remote but it has a misprint that refers to itself for more information. No help at all.
I drive a government isuue 2007 impala, i absolutely love it. i am just researching the vehicle because i am about to go buy one for personal use as well. i drive a base model now and it has plenty of power and ample room. i love it so much i am going to trade my prestine lincoln mark VIII wich i havent put a dime into in over 100k.