- sedan 138,624
- 571 below average
- 4,995 good
- Plainville, CT
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- autoshopper.com
- 571 below average sedan 138,624 grey automatic
2006 chevrolet impala review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. New structure, new styling, new interior. introductionthe impala has been changing, morphing, and maturing with the vagaries of the market since 1958 when the first one showed up as a coupe and convertible. now, the chevrolet impala has been substantially upgraded for 2006. The 2006 impala features new and very attractive exterior styling, a new interior, and a choice of three new engines. the new impala is a comfortable and convenient car, roomy, easy to get in, with big grab-style door handles. It's a practical sedan with innovative flip-and-fold back seats and folding rear seatbacks. And it comes well-equipped with safety features, including side-curtain airbags. The impala lt best exemplifies the model line, especially when ordered with the larger, 3. 9-liter engine, which delivers responsive performance. The ltz upgrades with leather, a very nice xm satellite radio setup and other convenience features. an inexpensive pricing structure with loads of rebates on it puts the new impala on the shopping list for family sedans. Impala competes with the ford five hundred, chrysler 300, dodge charger, honda accord, toyota camry, and nissan altima. the ss stuffs a small-block v8 into this package. It comes with the bare essentials, such as air conditioning, power windows and locks, am/fm/cd, cruise control, cloth upholstery, a bench seat, and 16-inch steel wheels. Anti-lock brakes are optional 600). the lt is available with the 3. 5-liter v6 21,860) or a new 3. 9-liter v6 24,760), which includes 17-inch alloy wheels. The ss comes with 18-inch wheels and tires and a performance suspension. safety features that come standard include dual front smart air bags, and side-curtain roof-mounted air bags. Underneath, it gets a stiff new body and chassis structure, retuned suspensions with a 10-mm wider track, and new 16-, 17- and 18-inch wheels and tires. the ls, lt and ltz share one front end design, while the ss has a completely different nose architecture. interiorthe new impala has a lot going for it inside as well, with a completely new, cleaned-up interior, reshaped and reupholstered seats, and flip/fold rear seats. we felt pretty comfortable overall inside the impala. The seats have firmer cushions and increased lumbar support than previous models. We didn't find the ss seats particularly comfortable or supportive, with too much lumbar support and not enough side bolstering to retain the upper body in corners. Optional leather-covered seating has a new style of seams around the perimeter and french seams on the center sections. the impala also has a new twin-brow instrument panel design that wraps around into the door panels. Ls, lt and ltz models have a wood trim, with brushed silver trim optional. The impala ss comes standard with metallic trim panels, with wood trim as an option. We found the panel pleasing to the eye, colorful, entertaining and easy to use, with a nice all-of-a-piece unity and style to it. We found the interior materials at least one grade better than the usual chevrolet stuff. the optional dual-zone climate control system can have up to a 12-degree temperature difference side-to-side. It's a snap to use, with large, round control knobs and good markings. The optional remote engine start system comes with a 200-foot operating range and automatic climate pre-conditioning to warm or cool the interior. The dashboard has an expanded driver information center, now with more than 50 different alerts, depending on the vehicle's equipment. The base audio system includes am/fm/cd and six speakers. An optional mp3/cd-radio is configured for xm satellite radio, with a two-line, 32-character display and the capability to select freely between am, fm and xm. Setting these presets is as easy as holding the button down. A big round knob in the center allows quick volume adjustments. The optional icdx radio adds an in-dash six-cd changer. All radios include a standard auxiliary input jack for external devices such as an ipod or remote cassette player. the rear seat is roomy and comfortable for two adults or three kids, but not three adults. The rear seat cushions flip forward to create a covered storage area under the seat (with cushions down) and grocery bag hooks when the cushions are flipped. The seatback also folds down flat to create a large pass-through port to the trunk. trunk space, at 18. 5 cubic feet, is more than competitive in the segment, and it has a huge opening for easy loading. driving impressionthe new chevrolet impala comes with a new generation of v6 engines. We found them to be smooth and quiet if not bristling with power. Variable valve timing is a first for the impala's cam-in-block v6 engines. The system changes the orientation of the camshaft, automatically adjusting the timing of the intake and exhaust valves for better performance, economy, and emissions. Thus, a system that started out on very expensive imported cars has now reached down to the lowly chevy v6 engines and made them better. the 3. 5-liter v6 that comes on lt and ls models generates 211 horsepower and 214 pound-feet of torque. The 3. 9-liter v6 that comes on ls and ltz models produces 242 horsepower and 242 pound-feet of torque. We're expecting both engines to earn fuel economy ratings of about 19/29 mpg city/highway. with 303 horsepower, the impala ss has more power and torque than any other entry in the class, but the chassis that comes with the v8 needs taming. While we appreciated the extra power and torque available in a kickdown or passing situation, and we loved the brawny, muscular sound of this engine at full throttle, it's a challenge to launch cleanly and quickly at the same time. Besides wheelspin, there's a lot of torque steering. This system helps provide up to 8 percent better fuel economy in light-load driving conditions. However, there is a lot of pitch, dive, and body roll in this chassis, and a lot of uncertain driving moments with the added power of the ss. Steering is over-assisted, fairly numb and uncommunicative. the impala's front suspension is a macpherson strut coil-over-spring independent design, with gas-charged struts and a stabilizer bar with new, taller jounce bumpers. The rear suspension uses a trailing arm, tri-link setup with gas-charged struts and coil springs. A rear stabilizer bar is standard on all models. The new abs includes electronic brake-force distribution. summarythe new chevrolet impala represents an improvement over previous models. The 3. 5 and 3. 9 v6 lt and ltz versions are pleasing to drive overall. While the ss cuts a conservative but dashing figure with its quiet badging and giant five-spoke, 18-inch wheels, it's got more power than it k. Bucket Seats✔ Power Windows✔ Anti-lock Brakes✔ Heated Seats✔ AM/FM✔ Climate Control✔ Air Conditioning✔ CD Changer✔ Cruise Control✔ Alloy Wheels
4,995 Plainville, CTPlainville, CT at autoshopper.com