2006 Chevrolet Impala

jnt · June 2006

Impala is one of the rare bright spots at GM for the May result (down by 12 %).

For any new vehicle to be as sucessful as the older model, the first year new model should have the sales number at least 30% above the last year old model. The simple reason is after 3-4 years in production, the sales number would decline naturally as product gets old.

jt

quietpro · June 2006

I don't think that's ALWAYS true. Some vehicles gain popularity for the first few years as the word gets out, fads form, etc. I believe that's less the case now than it once was but it's still true occasionally.

Also, I think Chevy is doing well, especially compared to the other GM brands. "Well" as in actually turning a profit. It will be a while before GM or Ford come back. I'm confident they'll regroup, though. Regardless of how great most of America thinks the Camry and Accord are, there are still plenty of us who just don't dig them.

charts2 · June 2006

280,000 might be good news for the Impala but GM is continuing to slip away. Some sobering stats: Last 12 months GM LOST $2,496 on every car and truck they sold (average)in America. Ford LOST $590 per vehicle, D/C EARNED $590 per vehicle produced. Honda/Toyota America EARNED between $1,215 & $2,249 for every vehicle sold. GM's #1 Oshawa plant that was rated #1 in the industry in 2004 is now rated 7th. The Oshawa plant #2 (Impala/Monte Carlo) that was rated #2 in the auto industry just a couple years ago is set to close in 2008......Does that make sense? GM's oveall car sales down 19% and truck sales down 15%. The Impala might be a bright spot, but the big picture gets worse all the time. Huge changes have to come to the company, and very soon.

gocasskings · June 2006

Guess what happened? In 69 degree weather, the silly thing works. I guess they had 3 people in the day before with similar problems, but they didn't know how to operate the system. Once that was eliminated---let me tell you EVERYTHING I tried---they had the car for a very long time trying to track a possible problem. I now know one thing---- that there are no bulletins out for the heating/ cooling system. The service writer thinks the problem is something electrical. At least they believe that there is a problem.

I also learned that there is a fix coming for the window screech. It is due out in mid summer.

The service writer also told me that the wind noise is something to do with the mirrors. No fix for that yet, he said. (I laughed because this noise drives me nuts, but with all of the other problems I would never have mentioned it to him. He brought the topic up when discussing the bulletins on the '06.)

quietpro · June 2006

Thanks for the info. I'm wondering if my occasional vent rebellion is going to continue to be a now and then issue or something more permanent. As is stands now, I can't duplicate the issue. Again, so far, my problems are only nuisances.

dispencer1 · June 2006

I only waited a few days for the part to come in on the passenger window to eliminate the screech. It has been more than three weeks now on the part for the driver's side window and still the part isn't in. Many people must be having this problem.

charts2 · June 2006

The side glass on the 2006 Impala is thicker this year then the 2000-05 models. I wonder if they are still using the same window track mechanisms as on the earlier models. If parts are being ordered to remedy this problem then it must be widespread with the 06 Impalas.

dispencer1 · June 2006

I can't figure out what your wind noise problem is. Every car I own has wind noise. The Impala isn't any worse than my '03 Cadillac. I don't hear any whistle or loud noise and I have driven 70-80 mph. Perhaps those of you who have a problem have a bad door or window seal or something. Perhaps many of you expect something more out of an Impala than what is there. This is not a luxury car. It is not an Avalon or Lexus. It is a relatively cheap full size car that holds 5-6 people, rides well, has a good stereo, but has high depreciation because it is nothing special. I bought one because it provided exactly what I was looking for in a second car. If I wanted to spend another $5k and buy a car that was built like a luxury car I'd have purchased an Avalon or would have gotten another certified Deville. The Impala interior doesn't even compare with the interior on a top of the line Camry or Camry Solara. GM needs to get its act together. Chevrolet produces a good ,durable rental car but that's about it. I think that many of you are expecting too much out of this vehicle.

dispencer1 · June 2006

I didn't study the part when it came in but it looks like a strip that brushes against the window when it goes up and down -perhaps to seal the mechanism against water. Apparentely this strip has a rubber piece that is supposed to bend when the window goes down. When it doesn't bend, the window rubs against it and makes a screeching sound. It is really loud. When the window gets wet the sound goes away immediately. I haven't noticed it on the back windows.

zjim · June 2006

They replaced both front struts, which eliminated the ridiculous bouncing over every dip in the road. The strut replacement also stopped the rattling sound coming from the front suspension when making right turns. The sunroof now fits reasonably well and crooked lettering on the trunk has been replaced. The loss of remote reception and tire monitoring system were repaired after they had the car for 3 days. Turns out, the receptor and some bad grounding was the problem. They could not duplicate the squeeking cooling fan motor after the motor is stopped.
I hope this is the end of problems for a while!!

quietpro · June 2006

Glad to hear you got some relief. I hope that's an indication of improved customer service nation wide. My local dealer was bought out so I don't know if the improved service is a result of the new management or a top down re-emphasis on the importance of customer service. Hopefully more and more folks will start getting better service from the "service" department.

I do have a question for you though. Regarding the front struts, was there a TSB or recall that dealt with it? I'm curious because I believe my SS is starting to show the same symptoms. Thanks for the update, regardless!

dispencer1 · June 2006

It is 100 degrees today in Clovis, NM and the Impala AC is lousy. It works just fine when the temperature in is the 70's. My Mustang AC is far better. Your tinted windows must really cut down on the heat -I should install them. I have the manual AC system on the Impala. The automatic AC in my Cadillac seems to be more effective.

quietpro · June 2006

You might want to have the AC checked at the dealership. There should be a range of temperatures that should be produced at the vent. If the air is as cold as it should be, maybe the AZ sun is just too much for the Impala AC system. If you're "lucky", maybe your system just needs maintenance and/or refrigerant added.

While I swear by window tinting, especially the semi-metallic, I don't think that it makes that much of a difference in normal use. I think it's greatest benefit is helping to keep the car from getting super heated while parked in the sun.

Regardless, I think it would be a good idea to get the R-134A checked. The check shouldn't take long and neither would adding any if needed.

zjim · June 2006

There was an extensive TSB for the remote/tire monitor system problems, but I don't think there was anything on the struts.

When I brought the car to the service department, I think they thought I was just being overly picky about a soft suspension system. My car was first in line in the two lane service bay. I asked, and they brought an identical new Impala and parked it next to mine. I opened both hoods. Now I think they thought I lost my mind. I proceeded to grab the radiator support bar and began bouncing the car like you used to do to test for defective shocks. It was relatively easy to get the car bouncing pretty good. When I let go, the car continued to bounce once, then a very small second bounce before it stopped moving. I then tried to do the same on the new car. I could barely move the suspension on the new car and when I did release it, it stopped immediately. The service advisor and service manager just said "Wow! That's pretty graphic proof!" There was no further discussion and they changed the struts. The car now rides like it did when new. No more bouncing and rattling!!

quietpro · June 2006

zjim,
I love that you were able to show them so graphically. I think all of us have had an experience where a mechanic acts like we haven't a clue and decide on their own what is and isn't wrong with our vehicle.
I had a similar experience a few years back when I had my struts replaced. The new ones were far worse than the 100,000+ mile set they replaced. This shop was skeptical as well until they watched it bounce and bounce and bounce. It took two more sets of struts before they found a set that worked. I believe the first two sets were a cheap knock-off.
All of this just goes to show that the experts aren't necessarily the best at diagnosing our problems.

dispencer1 · June 2006

That's a good idea. The car will be in there when the window piece arrives and I'll have it checked. It really isn't very effective. Funny that this car seems to have a number of minor problems. My Cadillac and my '01 Malibu were pretty much defect free.

zjim · June 2006

I worked for a number of years at my fathers auto repair service from the time I was 12 years old. My father was an excellent teacher and it really burns me when I take my car to a dealer and they try to treat me like I'm totally ignorant about cars. This wasn't the first time that I told a dealer what was wrong with one of my cars, only to have them spend hours or even days trying to find the problem. In the end, my diagnosis was usually correct and would have taken minimal time to repair. I guess they just don't like having the customer tell them what's wrong. Sort of like trying to tell a doctor what's wrong on visit to his office! Must be a "professional's" thing.

priggly · June 2006

Had the opportunity today to test drive two Impala SS sedans. Impressions:

1) blistering speed with superb performance throughout the torque band. Very, very impressive. Displacement on demand operation totally seamless.

2) very capable handling, excellent ride characteristics. The ride was a pleasing combination of sporty handling and smoothness, the best of both rides. Not too rigid but at the same time not too cushy. The recent negative article by C&D in this regard was pure bunk and yet another example of their emotional and unfounded bias against domestic cars.

3) one car had mild to moderate wind noise at highway speeds while the other had essentially none up to 75 mph. What accounted for that discrepancy I cannot say as the car doors and windows on both cars seemed equally sealed. Somewhat of a mystery.

4) apart from wind noise in one of the cars, engine and road sounds were well muted. The drone of the V-8 exhaust was in the background but not unpleasant and actually added a pleasing element to the driving experience.

5) interior fit and finish on both cars excellent and easily the equal of the vast majority of the imports, e.g. Toyota Avalon, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

6) superior ergonomics, excellent seating surfaces, highly functional controls and gauges. The ability to switch from metric to English units and back is a huge plus for those of us who drive both in Canada and stateside.

7) sound system simply excellent and I am an automotive audiophile. This particular BOSE system is very, very good.

8) interior space was commodious and the trunk is downright cavernous.

9) I found both the exterior and the interior styling aesthetic and pleasing.

10) the value quotient of this automobile is extremely high. There are few, if any, competing cars which can match its combination of speed, handling, refinement and overall pleasing driving characteristics.

It is a real shame more people don't actually go to GM showrooms to sample the current generation of their cars. If they did, many would be quite surprised as to just how far GM has come in upping the playing field with respect to its current automotive offerings.

charts2 · June 2006

I don't believe Car & Driver were trashing the Impala. All three testers indicated improvements could have been made to suspension components to the SS to handle the extra power especially for a front wheel drive car. I have driven the SS and I believe for a FWD with lots of power the suspension should match its performance capabilities. There are posters on this forum with suspension issues post #1723 & 1726. I have read dozens of test reports of the 2006 Impala SS. It fits somewhere in the middle of the pack to its competion.

Why would all car magazine testers be biased against american cars? GM spends millions advertising in their magazines every month. Wouldn't that be counterproductive? Basically I believe the car testers are saying this is the best the americans offer right now but the Japanese competitors are still a little ahead. Nothing wrong with being honest. A little more refinement with the front suspension, better supportive seats ( I have been saying that for years) and a little less looking like the competiton would move the Impala up a notch or two. For the price the current Impala SS has good value to buy, but still lags the competition in resale. Very important to the spending consumer. The 2006 Impala SS is the best SS chevrolet has ever made, but Chevy has to keep improvements/refinements on the front burners because the competition is not standing still.

dispencer1 · June 2006

I agree with your assessment. The only downside of the Impala is its plain interior. There is no comparison between the interior of the Avalon and even the top of the line Camry. They frankly look luxurious. The Impala doesn't, especially the door panels that look stamped out. Perhaps this plays a part in the Camry's popularity. It certainly isn't popular because of its power, handling, etc.

poncho167 · June 2006

Where is Car & Driver based, probably California where most people buy Japanese cars. I would definately say they are biased based on their buying habits. This is a magazine that bragged about taking a just released Chevrolet HHR to a roadside burger joint and while sitting there for a half hour in the open, no one would even look at them as people just walked buy, yeh right. I don't totally dislike C & D though. They sometimes have pro American articles.

Now on to Consumer Reports. I recently read a Consumer Reports best & worst magazine that commented that they didn't like the placement of the power window controls in the center on the HHR, but looking at the Chrysler PT Cruiser there was no mention of that. In my opinion CR is not a legitamate magazine and shouldn't be testing cars and keep their testing to toasters and televisions.

imidazol97 · June 2006

>power window controls in the center on the HHR, but looking at the Chrysler PT Cruiser there was no mention of that.

I saw inconsistencies with CR when I would read their auto reviews years ago. Same with Motorweek TV show - their bias is showing! :P

The reviewers of cars who are based here in the Midwest who are local seem to reflect more realistic reviews. They often pick out things much more interesting than the coastal reviewers/mags.

timothyaw · June 2006

Car and Driver is based in the good ole Midwest..Ann Harbor MICHIGAN! So much for your theory :P

imidazol97 · June 2006

Who writes their reviews? Where do they live?

charts2 · June 2006

Biased! Who cares! Toyota/Honda are laughing all the way to the bank. Thats business. Toyota/Honda have very smart business people and thats coming from a chevy guy. I give credit to those that deserve it.

Can't wait for the 2009 Impala. No more Camry/Accord/ look-a-like Impalas. A bold new direction coming.

Hopefully no more screeching windows, soft front suspension, or ticking dashboards. Lets hope they get it right.

americanpie · June 2006

I drove an SS shortly after it came out, and agree with most of your points but for one glaring exception: the handling. Did you try accelerating the car out of a turn, on a road that wasn't perfectly even? This thing has torque steer, and LOTS of it; that's what C&D was chiefly complaining about in their test. The V8 motor is just too much for a FWD car, and although I haven't tried an Impala with a V6 yet, I suspect it would be a much better match to the car's suspension dynamics. Chalk me up as another enthusiast waiting for the next generation Impala, with proper REAR wheel drive.

That said, I still think the latest Impala is a fine car (assuming good long-term durability of the tranny, variable valve timing, DOD, etc.) and represents a tremendous value. I like the styling much better than current Japanese cars which seem to get wierder with each redesign. Reliability of the Asian models is probably still in a different league, but the Impala offers a lot for the money. Besides, I have to like the looks of the car I drive.

For the record (if anybody's keeping track) I live in California but grew up in the midwest...and have owned a '65 Impala SS for nearly 20 years.

deminin · June 2006

I haven't been on these forums for awhile, so I read the last several pages. It sounds like our LTZ is doing quite well, compared to others comments. Our A/C works quite well, but it does have one quirk...which the dealer told us about at the time of delivery. It seems that the A/C compressor runs all the time when the fan is on, UNLESS you turn the vent control to both foot and dashboard vent position. On that position, it just feeds in outside air unless the A/C button is pushed. Whether that is something Chevy will change, I don't know, but we know about it, and it poses no problem. The only time we have been back for service in the 9 months we've had the car was when we had the brakes recalibrated. So far, no squeaks, rattles, or problems. We routinely get 27.5 MPG on the highway, and a few weeks ago, coming back from Denver, I ran between 85 and 90 across Kansas, and got 26.5....not too shabby. We tested the SS before we bought, but the torque steer was just too pronounced, so we got the LTZ. It has gobs of power, and gets good mileage if driven reasonably. I especially like the firmer suspension on the LTZ over the LS...this thing really handles on our twisty country roads. If I had one wish for this car, it would be memory seats and mirrors. I have to fiddle with everything after the wife has driven the car. That, plus the fact that the cars speed is governed to 113MPH are my only complaints. For the money, its pretty hard to get a much better car...IMO.

quietpro · June 2006

This thing has torque steer, and LOTS of it; that's what C&D was chiefly complaining about in their test. The V8 motor is just too much for a FWD car, and although I haven't tried an Impala with a V6 yet, I suspect it would be a much better match to the car's suspension dynamics. Chalk me up as another enthusiast waiting for the next generation Impala, with proper REAR wheel drive.

I agree (almost) completely. While the SS is a handful due to the gobs of torque steer, the longer I drive mine, the less of an issue it is. Just like anything else, you learn to compensate. As for being too much, I don't know that I would EVER say a car had too much power.

As for the V6 versions, you are correct that they are much more civil. We now have three '06 Impalas in my family; one of each engine and so far, all of us are very happy. Mine continues to grow on me which is a very good feeling. I'll probably be in line for an '09 but will enjoy my '06 until then.

quietpro · June 2006

It seems that the A/C compressor runs all the time when the fan is on, UNLESS you turn the vent control to both foot and dashboard vent position. On that position, it just feeds in outside air unless the A/C button is pushed.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean but what one of the other forum regulars noticed and I confirmed is that if you press the recirculate button, the AC compressor runs regardless of whether or not the AC indicator is on. This isn't an issue for me because I usually use recirculate with the AC anyway. If you could, please clarify your comment.

priggly · June 2006

I drove an SS shortly after it came out, and agree with most of your points but for one glaring exception: the handling. Did you try accelerating the car out of a turn, on a road that wasn't perfectly even?

The handling is perfectly fine for 99.99% of reasonable and typical or average driving maneuvers. As I am not in the habit of racing a high-torque/HP FWD car out of a turn or driving it at breakneck speed on a racetrack this is not really a shortcoming for the SS unless you are a Car and Driver writer.

Chalk me up as another enthusiast waiting for the next generation Impala, with proper REAR wheel drive.

For purposes of driving in snow or on rain-slick roads FWD is significantly superior and I personally would not want the Impala any other way.

Reliability of the Asian models is probably still in a different league,

Not the impression I get from reading the new Toyota Avalon board, the new Camry board, the Acura TL board and the new Lexus ES 350 board where complaints are numerous and bitter and address such defects as transmission and engine failures, rattles and buzzes in the dash and elsewhere in the cars' interiors, pulling to the right or left, harmonic vibration in the drivetrain, poor quality leather seating prone to wrinkles and cracking, fading dashboard material, wind noise, poor availability of color combinations, ridiculously expensive options bundling, etc. And don't get me started on the grossly overhyped and overpriced German cars with their dismal reliability and needless gizmos such as the universally maligned i-Drive which BMW is using to help ruin most of its formerly superb cars.

North American cars are getting better while the Asian and German cars are now largely selling on hype and perceived quality in the eyes of the buying public plus past but not present reputation. If these trends continue, the smart money will be increasingly beating a path to the GM and Ford dealerships as time passes. About time, too.

poncho167 · June 2006

Do you still have that 1965 Impala? That is one of the cars on my dream list, 1965-67 Impala. I like the 1960's Impala's the best. I sold my 1967 GTO convertable 2-years-ago because of lack of time and a storage issue.

charts2 · June 2006

You make a lot of assumptions about the Japanese cars. Sure they have issues just like the Impala on this forum. Americans still love the Camry/Accord #1 and #2 in sales in the USA, and will be into the forseeable future. You say people will be beating a path to GM/Ford. Statistics just released last 12 months. GM CAR sales down 19% TRUCK sales down 13%. Toyota/Honda sales higher (again) GMs market share continues to drop in the US market. I can't make this stuff up. The current Malibu/Impala are just about at the end of their life cycle. A new path will be taken soon by GM with bold new designs and better quality. I hope they get it right.

evandro · June 2006

I really think that one cannot say that Asian brands are more reliable. The fact is that there are Toyota and Honda. Period.

Nissan and Mazda are about as good as GM. Suzuki and Mitsubishi are worse than the average American brand.

Asia includes India, Russia, Korea, etc. It can hardly be argued that Russian cars have anything that one can call reliability.

Hyundai has made great strides, but the judgment on long-term reliability is still out.

I'll not even comment on European brands, such as VW, Mercedes, etc. Bar BMW and Porsche, they're worse than the average domestic brand.

So, no need to be apologetic about buying a Chevy. It may not be in the upper crust of reliability, but it's better than most of the market.

deminin · June 2006

"Please clarify your comment"
OK...I think we are both right, but I didn't explain it very well. I just double checked, and in the Recirculate position, the compressor runs all the time...in all vent positions. When in Fresh Air mode, the compressor does NOT run in the 3 most CCW detent positions on the vent control knob, unless the AC button is pushed. These positions have the little "stick" figures pointing towards the floor vent, midrange between the floor and dash vents, and equally between the floor and dash vents...if that makes sense.
Anyhoo....I just mentioned that because a couple of the earlier posters mentioned that their AC compressor always seemed to be running, whether they wanted AC or not. The owners manual does make mention of the conditions under which the AC compressor is engaged, but the manual is almost as clear as my explanation.
Most of the time, I use the "fresh air" setting, unless it is very hot and humid.
At any rate, I just wanted to chime in and let the world know that after several months, and 10 thousand miles, our LTZ is doing great. We looked at cars costing thousands more when we bought, and so far I am glad that we saved some money with the Impala. In its price range, I think it offers very good value for the money.

priggly · June 2006

You make a lot of assumptions about the Japanese cars. Sure they have issues just like the Impala on this forum.

They are not assumptions. The issues to which I referred are amply documented on the boards of the respective cars and I personally experienced a number of them on test drives.

imidazol97 · June 2006

I second that.

drat19 · June 2006

I can also chime in and report that after 12K miles, my '06 LTZ are getting along just fine.

Only issues I have with it are: Passenger side window squeak issue, and occasional issue with AUX iPod input (sound) dropping out. I need to get in and have my dealer address the window squeak issue, and as for the radio issue, it seems to occur only if I plug my input in when the car is still very warm; I don't seem to have the problem if I plug in once my interior is cool (odd, huh?). I haven't decided yet if I want to have my dealer address the radio issue, or if I just want to leave well enough alone rather than get into a radio-swapping game if the next one invariably has other problems.

Otherwise, I'm very pleased. The "hard" seats happen to suit me just fine, cockpit comfort is just fine for me at 6'3" and 320 lbs, 3.9L V6 power is plenty, climate control and Bose radio are great, can't beat the trunk space and the fold-down rear-seats, and I averaged 26.5 MPG on a recent 4500 mile road trip.

As I've posted elsewhere on this thread, as long as you're not planning to transport adult passengers in the rear seat very often, this car is an excellent value, and I would recommend the LTZ package as the "preferred" package...a great compromise.

quietpro · June 2006

When in Fresh Air mode, the compressor does NOT run in the 3 most CCW detent positions on the vent control knob, unless the AC button is pushed.

OK, deminin, are you military? I'm active duty air force and all military uses lots of abbreviations and acronyms. Unfortunately, I don't know what CCW means. Also, I wasn't sure if you took my last post as contradicting what you posted. I wasn't, just sharing the info I had.

charts2 · June 2006

Sure there are those that chime in on the Honda/Toyota boards with problems, and I have stated the Impala is a GOOD car but still lags the competition, in a little refinement and resale value. Something wrong with being honest? I have been driving only chevys since 1969, and again I will say I will give credit to two car companies that have built up a reputation in America that have two models at the top of the charts.
some people will just not acknowlege that. Chevy has been in business 95 years and is chasing the competition where they should be leading the competition. Honda and Toyota have very smart business people working for them that have refined their products that are currently the envy of the car and small truck industry in America. I know all the car critics are biased. More BS.

I am happy that you have had good experiences with your Impalas. I have owned 5. But please acknowlege Priggly & Imidazol97 that two Japanese companies that came to America not long ago and learned from the mistakes the big three have made over the years and made their cars a little better. Something is wrong when a tiny Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic has a higher resale value after 3,4,5,6,7 years then a big Impala. RIGHT?........RIGHT!

ivanadrivealot · June 2006

Yup, this sounds exactly like what I described in an earlier post, and which quietpro and now you have nicely confirmed. Many thanks, as that was bugging me. The documentation was completely lacking on this point.

BTW, quietpro, I'm pretty sure he meant CCW to mean counter-clockwise, to mean the left three positions on the vent wheel.

I still think the A/C should be cooler, though.

deminin, I totally agree with your last sentence. I have the 3LT, which is identical to an LTZ but without a few options. I looked at the Camry (more expensive, especially with the options necessary to get it up to a comparable level), Maxima (Cool, but REALLY more expensive), Grand Prix (very fun car, VROOM!, but more aggressive ride quality and no rear leg room), and the LaCrosse and Accord (both far too small for my family).

Thus I concluded the price/amenities/performance mix of the Impala in the low 20's (w/ GM discount) was hard to beat, especially with the very peppy 3.9L and 17" tires. Oh, and short of having AWD, FWD is a REQUIREMENT for snowy/icy Midwest winters. Unless GM radically improves on RWD traction (doubtful), I will not be buying a RWD Impala when it comes out, so GM just lost a long-term customer there. DUMB! I want FWD, traction control, and stability control.

In comparison, Ford's sedan offerings last fall were very frumpy, underpowered, and uninspiring (although the 500's command seating and cavernous trunk should be recognized). If I didn't have kids, though, the new Mustang has really been catching my eye and making me think of younger days.

On a different note, I still hear from Chrysler owners that although their cars are more stylish, they still have reliability/durability problems and the Consumer Reports ratings confirm it year after year. In all honesty, I love the new Charger's exterior -- awesome! My brother has one, but he said the interior is cheap, and that every Chrysler he's owned has self-destructed by around 80,000 miles. To me, Chrysler = exterior style and speed over substance. To each their own.

If the Camry offered as much interior and cargo room as the Impala, I may have bought it. But it doesn't, and I seriously need all the trunk room I can get in an affordable, contemporary-styled sedan. Speaking of which, Memo to GM: INCREASE the size of the trunk cutout!!! Confucious say: Large trunk with small opening doesn't work for big boxes at store pickup. (The rear door opening wasn't big enough either -- had to take the item out of the box to squeeze it in. Was a close call.)

Anyway, that's where I think the Impala has distinguished itself. It's not in any one thing, but in the overall product/value mix. I'm just hoping the new 3.9L engine proves as durable as the legendary 3800 series.

timothyaw · June 2006

They all live in Michigan!

imidazol97 · June 2006

Oh yeah. The first name I looked up from their site reviews seems to be Australian or British and probably is a free lancer. That seems true of many articles-they're written by freelancers. So their opinions get spread across many sources propagating their viewpoint if they're a writer who is able to be popular with the mags.

BARRY WINFIELD
"After three years as technical director, Barry was asked to replace Car and Driver's West Coast representative, who had resigned, and he relocated to Los Angeles as an editor-at-large. "

>They all live in Michigan!
Is that Los Angeles, Michigan?

"Returning to South Africa, Barry joined Pulse Publications' advertising department, selling space, and designing and writing ads for technical publications. At the same time, Barry wrote freelance motorcycle road tests for BIKE S.A., accumulating a portfolio that would lead him to a job in England"

It does appear that others live in Michigan. However
"Robison pawned his snow shovel and relocated to Los Angeles to join Barry Winfield in the magazine's West Coast office. Since then, he has stopped wearing clothes."

"Patrick Bedard, now 63, lives in Florida and Arizona. "

"Ron was born and raised in southern California. "

deminin · June 2006

CCW stands for Counter-Clockwise. BTW, I WAS in the Air Force....a long time ago. I worked on radar and bombing computers on the F-105....that'll give you some idea of how long I've been around. Air Force was great duty!

quietpro · June 2006

Cool...I used to work on the weapons systems of the FB-111 many moons ago. I fly a desk now.

As for the AC compressor, it all makes sense now. The two most CW (clock-wise)

positions are defrost positions. Defrost modes always run the compressor (on cars equipped with AC) above a certain temperature, usually somewhere in the low 50s.

So, now we just have to figure out what Chevy was thinking when they linked recirculated air with the compressor. Still don't consider it a problem but I'd rather the AC light be on when the AC is engaged.

dispencer1 · June 2006

Only problem with virtually all of the car magazines is that they waste a lot of space on cars that 99% of people don't drive. Even if they test an Impala it is most likely an SS. I subscribe to most of them but I'm dropping several . Actually Automobile and Auto Week are the best ones even though AutoWeek is heavy on racing. I could care less about a road test of a $90k sports car or whether a Maybach is comfortable on the Autobahn.

nifty56 · June 2006

Have to agree with you "dispencer" We have a local newspaper that every Saturday has a wheel section. They do write ups on different cars models and makes. I also notice it is usually about cars ,like you say, that 90% of the average car buyer can't afford to buy. They never seem to say anything about the cars past reliability unless it is Honda or Toyota and it is usually "jump on the Asian bandwagon you can't go wrong." But in defense of the newspaper they have started to review the average affordable car but not in great detail but still something is better than nothing. Another newspaper never seems to have nothing bad to say about any car they review, everyone seems perfect.
I guess with car magazines, which I don't read anymore, if they were to say something negative about a car they wouldn't get cars to drive and in turn not receive advertising dollars to keep them afloat.

imidazol97 · June 2006

Our local daily has a lady and a gentleman who write reviews. The lady seems to be local and the gentleman I can't tell if he's a freelancer around the country or what. Sometimes they write together as a duo; sometimes they write separately. They are much more down to earth than any of the mags.

The mags tend to only like things a 17 year-old would think of having his wealthy parents buy him, e.g. They compare cars by picking the worst model from the brand they don't like and comparing it with the best choice for comparisons in the model they do like. The bias is there in the choice of words from paragraph #1.

charts2 · June 2006

Most car magazines test bling cars because mainstream cars don't change much from year to year. Example, the Impala has had 1 freshening in 7 years. Does't make sense to test the same car year after year. The Impala SS accounts for about 12-15% of Impala sales.

deminin · June 2006

Having the AC compressor run with recirculated air probably makes sense under most conditions. The recirculated air will more quickly built up moisture in the passenger area, just from occupants breathing. In the winter, this would cause condensation on the windows. On the Summer, when its really hot, recirculating the inside air gives the AC a boost, as it does not have to cool the outside 90 degree + air. At any rate, I'm just glad that the AC on our LTZ works good coming into this time of year. It will actually raise goose bumps on us if I run it at max for very long.

BTW, F-111's were just being deployed to Tahkli, Thailand when I rotated back to the States in late '67 for discharge.

dispencer1 · June 2006

The advertising is paramount. The Saturday car review ,as you say, is always fantastically positive but the reviewer always mentions something negative - like "the radio is a long reach" or "there are too many buttons on the radio" - something meaningless like this which then provides validity to the review. Check the advertising in Road & Track or Motor Trend. Obviously they don't want to offend their advertisers. They will rate 5 sports cars for instance. One will be the winner but all are good. Each one has a major attribute. It is all just a bunch of crap. The two new cars that I briefly owned that were loved by all the car writers - an '86 Audi 5000s and an '06 Camry Solara convertible I dumped as soon as I could. The Solara suffered cowl shake on all but glass smooth roads; its "performance suspension" provided an uncomfortable ride and the Audi depreciated to nothing due to the famous "unintended acceleration". It was also a huge lemon electronically -a 49,000 mile throwaway. I don't waste much time listening to the "car experts" anymore.

2006 Chevrolet Impala

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