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___new direction from general motors just plain flat out sucks___especially in interior styling, an embarrasing attempt to make it seem more upmarket, but fails miserably___ don't trust me, see for yourself!!!
I used to be a proud owner of a 2000 model year chevrolet impala, until I traded it in for the benchmark mid-sized SUV honda pilot. but that got totalled by some idiot who ran a red light, so I'm stuck with a RENTAL 2006 Chevrolet Impala...
Boy does the INTERIOR SUCK HARDCORE! it is two-toned in color, a horrible matte textured black for the deep deep dash, severly raked windshield, you feel like sitting in a slanted cardboard box feeling. the '06 impala is bigger than the previous '00 generation I owned, it feels heavier, but smoother.
The worst part is this NEW BLAND GENERIC CONFORMING CORPORATE STYLING that General Motors mistakenly is following. GONE ARE THE ICONIC 'IMPALA EMBLEMS' they are replaced with the 'generic chevy bowtie' emblem. this car certainly lost it's identity. the exterior front end looks like a resurrected LUMINA!!!
The power seats doesn't have enough range for adjustment. the 'pop the trunk' switch is too easily assecibile, near the headlight switch.
But all in all, the feeling that you get from sitting in the driver's seat is dissappointing, you feel enclosed in a cardboard box. that sever rake... the window sills seems like it doesn't have any angles in them!!! the left & right mirrors are so triangulated, just bugs you!!!
Very very dissappointing. the 2000 impala I actually liked, it felt more lightweight and manuevarble than this bloated monster of a car. General Motors have lost it in these new crop of large family sedans. HORRIBLE!!!
JUST SIT INSIDE THE DRIVERS SEAT OF A 2006 IMPALA AND YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN!!! A DISGUSTING UN-DYNAMIC AUTOMOBILE.
SIMPLY AN EMBARRASMENT TO GENERAL MOTORS.
STAY AWAY FROM THIS CAR!!! YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE STUCK WITH IT. FOR ME IT'S A RENTAL___
I posted the first review in the 2006 section, which was a typo, it is actually a 2005...I agree with the poster above in regards to the looks of the 06 Impala... I don't like the new look. My '05 has the styling which ran back to 2000. I bought my 05 and had it sent up from another dealership that had it, because I wanted the Impala SS lookalike package... I do get positive comments from people who like its looks... The newest one to me looks too much an imitation of a foreign car... If you took the bowties off an 06, it would not be recognizable as a Chevy, let alone an Impala in my opinion... The newest version is an Impala in name only... Where are the round taillights, Jumping Impala insignia, etc... One reason that the 1991-96 Caprice flopped, was GM made the bloody thing ugly...Now, they have taken the Impala, and made it bland and took away the Impala looks... The 303 HP V-8 may be impressive, but at least make it look like an Impala SS... instead of a V-8 Camry... I hope that when the Impala's next redesign happens down the road, that someone at GM will return this car to its roots...
Wow! That's all I can really say about your review. I just rented a 2006 Impala and my experience couldn't be more contrasting to yours. I found the interior to be quite exceptable, with virtually no panel gaps, no rattling, and the materials + finishing were on par with anything from the competition. I drove the LTZ with the 3.9 V6 and found that the performance was more than adequate for a full size family car. I have a feeling that no matter what GM you got into you would have found something hate over. General Motors could create a car that ran on tap water and looked like sex on wheels and you would still have had a problem with it.
BTW, writing in caps IS REALLY ANNOYING!!!13.
The original reveiw here is all opinion and no fact. There seems to be nothing wrong with the car other than you find it ugly.
I agree with the poster regarding the interior layout. as I had just rode in my friend's new 2006 impala riding shotgun, you feel like you are riding in a sofa! you feel squashed from that roofline near your head, and I'm not that tall either. the feeling you get is immediate Clastrophobia!!!
2007 Camry is a better bet. and no I do not work for Toyota!!!
My family rented the 2006 Impala for a trip from Atlanta, GA to Dallas, TX. I have made that trip in a couple of different cars and by far the 2006 Impala gave the most comfortable drive. I have to admit that the body style is the only thing keeping me from purchasing this as my next car, but it is a good driving experience. Smooth and comfortable like just like "riding on your sofa."
Claustrophobic, horrible use of interior space, longer than many SUVs on the road today, interior is ass, whatever happened to the round tail lights? It has a generic 'GM' badge on the side of the car. I test drove one. The advice is don't buy one. GM designed all their full size cars for the rental market. Horrible execution, designed by some faceless corporate committee!!! Harsh? You bet it is.
Why is it that almost any Chevy (baring the Corvette) such a lightning rod for criticism? A person who drives a Toyota will not be interested in almost any GM product. It won't even be on their radar. This is fine. But why the sanctimonious attitude? Is it because Toyota doesn't even offer a V8 in a car of this class? Is it that you need to feel superior to others while driving to make up for your own insecurities? I am a die hard auto enthusiast. I have my brand preferances, but I like a number of different manufacturers product. Statistically the difference in reliability between manufacturers these days is razor thin. Sure Lexus outscores Kia, but not by that much. As for a GM product being designed for fleet sales; most of the rental cars I see lately have been from Chrysler or Toyota.
Well, I personally find the 2007 camry to be UGLY... that plus the interiors feel pretty cheap and flimsy compared to what it used to be.
Anywho, people will probably say something about me saying something bad about the camry, but that is just my OPINION. Just like the original post... his post along with most others here based on the styling is OPINION. Nothing about relyability and what not... unless I missed that somewhere.
I just saw and test drove the Impala. First off, this is an abolutely wondeful car for the price. For $26,000 you're getting a car in the $35k or even $40k class. Style, sturdy, and comfortable.
I am shopping for a car to replace my 1999 Olds 88. So far I drove a 2006 Honda V6, 2007 Camry V6, 2005 Camry V4, and 2006 Impala.
Naturally I am biased towards big soft-riding American cars, and I enjoyed Impala for that reason, but it is a very pleasant car to drive in its own right. Good acceleration for our Massachusetts traffic (not for Daytona), soaks up our famous potholes, and has an amazingly short turning radius for such a large car. It has good safety ratings, 5 stars for frontal and side impacts, except for 4 stars for rear seat side impact.
Previous generations of Impalas earned those side ratings even with side and curtain air bags inoperative, which is a lot more than one can say about Camry -- without the side airbags it is rated Poor. The only thing Impala is missing is ESC, (Stabilitrak), which is not available. Also ABS is optional (?!). There ought to be a law... When you rent an Impala, you assume that a car of that size and weight would have ABS, so you stomp on the brake and hold it. This better be one with ABS. Also it is very unfair to car thieves, they have a right to expect ABS after going to all the trouble of hot-wiring the car.
As to '07 Camry, the '06 model it replaced was vastly superior. 06's clean control panel design was replaced by a garish conglomeration of LED readouts, with clock sitting in the center just under the edge of the windshield, so as you drive your eyes naturally wonder to that clock 2 ft from your face instead of being focused on the road 100 ft away. That kind of design should be illegal and I am sure PI lawyers are already preparing the class action lawsuits they will be filing on behalf of the dead and injured. But I am saving the worst for last. Steering is so light that you can turn the wheel with your pinky, and totally devoid of road sense. In all fairness, I have to admit that the wheel does return to the straight-ahead position upon completion of the turn. We have to be grateful for small favors.
The 06 Camry, however, is (was?) a pleasant car to drive, with good road sense, and uncluttered dash. Maybe Toyota will phase out the 07 and return to the 06 design... Don't hold your breath.
Honda feels like I imagine a sports car would feel if I had ever driven one. Tight steering (feels like there is no power assist at all), bumps in the road remind you about their existence every chance they get, but you have good control and the ride feels a lot like the Audi. (That's meant to be a compliment).
I am in a rental Impala at the moment, and after 1800 miles in 4 days, feel that GM has done a poor job in the comfort, interior room and overall styling. My kids stated that if the front seats were not so thick and bulky, there would be more rear legroom. It does get great fuel mileage for the size of car. (29 mpg combined from Portland to Denver).
I just bought the 2006 Impala SS and I have to say that this is a great car. I am a bit confused that anyone would choose a Camry over this car, the Camry styling is for old Japanese couples and the engine is a gutless disgrace. My Impala is fully loaded and I love it, great on gas, tons of power, great handling, comfortable for a long drive or a short trip, and I think the styling is a home run too! I get tons of compliments on my car all the time!
I currently own an 03 Impala, and along with most of you, I was disappointed when I got my first peek at the redesigned 06. My first thought, "The 2006 Honda Lumina." Its been about a year since then, and I must say, the Japala has officially grown on me. I'm still not a huge fan of the exterior styling, but the features and amenities of the car far outweigh my disliking for the lack of round taillights. Then again, the 2000 restyle took time to win me over after being madly in love with the 96 SS. And while we're on the topic of the SS, the idea that you can load this car up with all the goodies (including a 303hp V8 with 28 mpg!) for a little over $30k... you can't beat it. I am planning on picking mine up by end of the summer. This one will hold me over until the rumored RWD Impala is available around 09...
The review is absolutely hilarious, you are complaining just because the interior is laid out differently, though nothing major has actually gone wrong with the car in general. If you did not like the layout, or the car itself, then why did you buy it???
I purchased a 2006 Impala SS after owning a 2004 Impala. I am pleased with all the changes and feel the 2006 is an improvement over the old body style. My complaint is the gas mileage. Chevrolet indicated 18 city & 28 highway. I have yet to get better than 14.9 both city and highway driving mixed. And NO, I don't keep my foot it in. My husband gets better mileage in his 400 hp 2005 Corvette. Could I have a problem with this particular Impala and is there anybody out there who could tell me who and where to write about this problem? I had reservations about the 4 to 8 cylinder conversion in the beginning.