Luxury with a Touch of Sport for the Family

The 2006 Impala is built on an updated W-Body platform, which has been around for a couple decades now. In 1996, I bought a 1992 Lumina Euro with the 3.1L that was also a W-body and survived a harsh life before and during my ownership. All-in-all, I had that car for 5 years and traded it in with 168k miles on it.

We got our first taste of the new model when we rented an Impala LT in Jan 2008. I immediately fell in love with the car. It wasn't blazing fast, nor was I expecting it to be. It had a ride that was somewhat familiar to me and was a very comfortable car to drive. It was like my old Lumina, but with fresh new looks, updated controls, fancy accessories and... cupholders!

In May, we finally decided to throw in the towel on our 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass. Not because it was a bad car, but it had 198k miles on it and the A/C compressor was leaking. Remember, we're talking about heading into summer without A/C. We had been window shopping for almost 2 years though, and our experience in January really pushed the Impala to the top. Another thing to note, both the Lumina and Cutlass share the same basic, albeit different generation, drive-train as the new Impala; engines and transmissions that have served my wife and I very well.

Our Purchase
During our test drives, we found one that had significant wind noise. It wasn't anything unbearable, but certainly disappointing. At high speeds, it sometimes exhibited notable brake vibration, suggesting that the front rotors needed to be machined or replaced. These could be things to look for, though the latter is easier to remedy than the first.

We found ourselves a nicely broken in 2006 Impala 3LT, which is just a step back from the LTZ depending on options. It had more miles on it, but had neither pronounced wind noise or brake vibration, nor anything else that would steer us away.

While we weren't looking for a loaded car, I did want the 3.9L, remote start and styling upgrades, such as the 17" wheels, dual exhaust tips, rear wing, etc... Similar to the "Euro" on my Lumina, those cues that come with the 3LT and LTZ give the car a sportier, more youthful, look. Perhaps it makes me feel less like I'm driving a grocery getter.

Performance
The Impala handles much more like a "luxury sport" than a sport sedan. The suspension is firm enough to be responsive, but is soft enough to absorb rough roads. The car does have pronounced body roll with hard cornering because of the softness. It is a great compromise that keeps the car fun to drive, while compliant enough for day-to-day roads.

Brake feel is very responsive, giving you a sense of confidence that it will stop as fast or as slowly as you want it. Steering is slightly heavy in parking lots, but the steering feels agile and provides some road feedback that otherwise might not be there if more power-assist were present. Torque steer can be felt when the go-pedal is pressed southward. However, it is nothing more than you should expect from any front wheel drive vehicle.

The 3900
The 3.9L absolutely screams. Don't get confused and think this is in any way a sports car, but it very much will get up and run. The new 3.9L and 3.5L are based on the old 60� degree V6 family that have been popular in GM vehicles in the past. These are the first to implement VVT (Variable Valve Timing) in a pushrod engine and the 2007 model introduced the AFM (Active Fuel Management) option that should offer increased fuel economy in the right conditions.

While the 3.9L V6 doesn't exactly send fear down spines like a raunchy V8 would, it's exhaust note with dual exhaust tips at idle just might give you goose bumps. Unfortunately, that music comes at a cost, particularly with today's fuel prices.

The 3500
The rental and others we test drove had the 3.5L. It is a very capable motor and reasonably quick in it's own right. The 3.5L makes for an excellent compromise between agility and efficiency, without making the car feel utterly underpowered.

Fuel Economy
In the 6 weeks we have had the car, we have only a slight sense of what the fuel efficiency really is. According to the DIC (Driver Information Center), 22 MPG is our current average over a course of 2 weeks. A great deal of that driving has been on congested city streets and highways. I also do not have the greatest driving habits, but the number rose as the novelty of mashing the gas faded.

Interior and Amenities
The interior is a vast improvement over the previous model. It's clean, with smooth, sophisticated lines. The texture of the dash, which I initially simply noted as something different, actually seems to have a purpose. Much may be the black interior, but there is virtually no glare off the dash when heading toward the sun.

Creaks and squeaks are virtually limited to extremely bad roads, mainly 100 year old brick roads, and is entirely acceptable.

One thing I'm not keen on is a tray in the center console. When you open the console, you have to remove the tray to access the compartment below it much like a simple toolbox. Not a great thing if this is where you stow CDs. I'm not certain the tray serves a useful purpose for us anyway, and the solution may simply be to remove it altogether.

Knobs, switches and buttons... Oh my!
The buttons, switches and knobs all have a quiet and smooth, yet tactile feel. Other, older, GM models sometimes had stiff knobs and clunky buttons. Those never failed me though and time will only tell if the new versions hold up.

One caveat is the lack of a way of orienting yourself to what direction a knob is pointing. Old models basically had a handle or grip, from which you could tell, for example, what the fan speed is. The new versions just have points of light, so you have to shift your view from the road to the dash. It's simply something you may have to get use to.

Bose
Our Impala has the Bose sound system. I'm far from a Bose fan and am probably the last person you'd hear recommending Bose anything. But, in cars where acoustics are far from ideal, where clean output rules over quality and sound stage, the Bose does well enough. And it's certainly better than the lower options.

MP3 Capability
Playing MP3 files has been slightly clunky. It did not like the first CD-RW I tried. It was an old and likely sun damaged disc, so a new spindle of CD-R media was purchased and those work nicely. It recognizes folders and treats them as albums, while it reads the tags on the MP3 files and displays track number and title.

XM Radio
We have it and, while I'd love to subscribe to it, we have a short commute and don't travel all that often.

Homelink Transmitter
Our model is equipped with Homelink, which I feared would not be compatible with the "rolling code" Genie garage door opener we have. Fortunately, I was wrong. The process is outlined in the manual, but it basically involves first teaching the Homelink system your remote frequency using an existing remote. Then, you "teach" or "synch" the Homelink with the garage door opener.

It works extremely well, with equal or better range than the Genie remotes. The only oddity is, you do have to hold the button down for a moment, as a simple press/release doesn't seem to trigger a response. However, I've had a habit of holding the button as I approach the house anyway, even with the Genie remotes.

Flip-n-Fold
This is a feature that I had actually been waiting to see taken from SUVs and put into cars. On models such equipped, the seat bottoms flip forward so the seat backs can fold down completely flat. Also, with the seat bottom up, here is a small storage compartment and there are some integrated plastic hooks on the back of the seat bottom. The compartment itself is plastic, making this a good place for items that may spill or it could serve as a firm platform for when a cushy seat won't do.

An interesting discovery is that the driver's side rear seat, the smaller section, can still flip and fold with the child seat installed in the center position.

Non-Interference Trunk Hinges
Typically, trunks have huge hook shaped hinges mounted inside the trunk under the package tray (under the window) and intrude on the space inside the trunk when you close the trunk lid. This is something that is easily overlooked until you pack your trunk to the brim and realize that these hinges are going to crush anything in the way. While this isn't a new feature, it's worth noting that you can pack your things into this model without this worry. I honestly didn't notice it until we finally took this car to Sam's club. I made it a habit to check the clearance, and, to my surprise, there was nothing to check.

Seats
Heated leather is something I could take or leave. But leather does look nice and cleans up easily. I also found that they show dirt more easily as well however. We won't know whether the heated seats are worth anything until winter, though they do work. The seats themselves are very comfortable and adjust quickly and easily. They do lack side bolstering to keep you planted in your seat, but, as I said, I would think of this as a luxury sport more than a sport sedan.

Others that we test drove had column shift and cloth interior. You don't slide around as much on cloth and I'm almost certain that the center arm rest was cushier.

Power Roof
Another take it or leave it item for me. Most of the time, ours remains closed, but it is fun to open it occasionally. It's also convenient to prop open on a hot day while you do some shopping, as opposed to going through the task of "cracking" each window open slightly. I can't say yet whether it makes a big difference or not, particularly with black interior. Just remember, avoid using the windshield washers with it open... shower!

Factory Remote Ignition
This was just one more reason that I wanted a 2006 or newer Impala. Getting the A/C or heat going as you cross a parking lot almost sounds too good to be true. We haven't had much use for it so far, but it does come in handy on a hot day while you load groceries in the car. And there's no risk of locking your keys in the car. The range of the remote is decent with ours.

Tire Pressure Monitor
This is our first vehicle equipped with TPM. The DIC reports pressures for each individual tire. The sensors communicate via radio signal, so, if the tires are rotated, they become out of order. In that case, you need to put the system in a learning mode and change tire pressure in each tire in an order specified in the manual.

Safety
This is one area that has seen a lot of changes in the W-body. The new model has dual stage front airbags and side curtain airbags standard. All things the '92 Lumina did not have. It also has passenger sensing, so the passenger bags only goes off if an adult is present, potentially eliminating that replacement cost in the event of a wreck or if a child is sitting there (Children should still sit in back though).

The chassis also has been strengthened considerably for safety as well. It's a heavier car and I'm positive I can feel it, but the car also feels stiffer and stronger.

ABS is standard on LT and higher models, but optional on LS models. That's something to keep in mind if ABS is important to you.

Exterior and Paint
Fit and finish looks terrific to my eyes. Gaps appear constant and panel alignment also good. A small but nice change is the elimination of bulky black plastic or rubber trim in many areas, such as around the windshield. This cleans up the look and greatly simplifies cleaning the windshield or waxing the paint.

The 17" Alloy wheels have no lip where you would usually find balancing weights. Those weights usually have some iron content (i.e. steel) that chemically interacts with the aluminum alloy and causes corrosion. I absolutely LOVE that tire shops are forced to use adhesive weights that are hidden out of view.

Perhaps noteworthy, the paint appears to be somewhat soft. There nose simply seems more battle worn than I would expect, although I don't know how or where the prior owner drove it. I'd suggest looking for rock chips and etc if you're looking for used.

Final Thoughts
We thoroughly love this car. It's extremely practical and spacious, without being unnecessarily large. We were tempted by SUVs and Minivans, but couldn't justify the vehicle size given the extremely limited need to haul more than two adults and two children. And, for a family car, it's great fun to drive.