2004 Chevrolet Impala Base review from North America

Nothing has gone wrong with this car.

This car was a replacement for my lemon 2004 Malibu. To date, I have had no problems with this car, granted the miles are low as I only drive it on the weekends and long trips.

It is a smooth riding car, well isolated from the outside world, a quality that I like.

The base engine gives more than adequate acceleration for around town driving and highway merging and passing.

The brakes are very effective on this car, providing smooth, consistent stops each time. The only downfall is the car nosedives on hard braking.

The air conditioning could be a little more effective here in South Florida. It does not compare at all to the wonderful A/C in my 94 Tempo.

It does have 9 fan settings and driver/passenger temperature controls, which is a plus.

All controls are very well placed, though the turn signal control stalk is a bit busy with both the wiper controls and the cruise control on/off switch. The other controls for the cruise are located on the steering wheel itself, sort of an odd arrangement. The headlight switch is the pull switch type. However, it is not needed as the headlamps come on automatically at night.

The interior is very comfortable. This car has the very rare "Regal Blue" interior. Most cars these days have either gray or tan, so the blue was a refreshing change and looks sharp with the Silver exterior. The seats are the 60/40 full bench arrangement, with the gear selector on the steering wheel, where it belongs:)

The optional 200 watt CD player is nice, though better midrange control would be a welcome addition.

Gas mileage around town leaves much to be desired, right around 20MPG. I have measured as high as 33 MPG on the highway with the cruise control set on 77.

Overall, I am very satisfied with this car. To me, it is a throwback to the strong, comfortable cars GM built in the late 70s/early 80s.

Most people consider the Impala an old folks car. but I have always loved large American cars. I am in my 30's and I hate the fact the the full size American car is fast becoming a thing of the past.