Topic: Test Drive: 2015 Chevrolet Impala LTZ

[nlm]

My guess is that they hope to "up sell" the consumer by showing off the top of the line, as if to say:  "See?  If you can stretch your budget just a tiny bit, you too can get all the shiny toys that you've just seen reviewed by all those intrepid reporters."

My 2 cents worth.

I think this backfires. Reading about these gadgets and options is different than getting a real feel for them. So it dilutes the experience and usually doesn't make up for the price tag. Almost every thread about a loaded vehicle review degenerates to a "$XXXXXX for that - are they crazy?!? I can get this for same or less!"

[dirtyjeffer]

I think this backfires. Reading about these gadgets and options is different than getting a real feel for them. So it dilutes the experience and usually doesn't make up for the price tag. Almost every thread about a loaded vehicle review degenerates to a "$XXXXXX for that - are they crazy?!? I can get this for same or less!"

while i don't disagree, the opposite also happens...i remember mentioning it in a somewhat recent comparison test where one vehicle was a relatively mid-trim model that was well praised, but didn't have the premium features that some of the other competitive models had (which were also several thousand dollars more expensive), and it seemed to get docked for lack of feature content...from the way the article was worded, it almost seemed like if a top trim model was provided, it would have moved up higher in the rankings...yet, when higher trim models are provided, everyone complains about the price.

i think people just like to complain.

[neil]

I think I have seen a grand total of two Impala's in the wild.  This car is nowhere.

[revalations]

I think I have seen a grand total of two Impala's in the wild.  This car is nowhere.

Nowhere but here  I been seeing quite a few lately, they really are a striking car in the flesh.

I think the next gen Impala should be built off GM's omega platform.

[mlin32]

The number of Impalas I see in the wild is correlated to the proximity of the airport and business parcs.

[Noto]

My guess is that they hope to "up sell" the consumer by showing off the top of the line, as if to say:  "See?  If you can stretch your budget just a tiny bit, you too can get all the shiny toys that you've just seen reviewed by all those intrepid reporters."

My 2 cents worth.

I think this backfires.

I agree with nlm here.

Take, for example, the Forester 2.5i Touring used in the last CUV comparo.  It was universally disliked for its spartan interior.  Providing a 'base' model is not the best showing for the car, whereas the Limited would have been far nicer and more appreciated.

I tell this story too often, but when Lady Noto got the 2011 Forester XT, she first took out a 2.5i Touring, and hated it so much that she nearly walked off the lot without sitting down for a quote.  I said "let's try the Turbo", and all of a sudden, we had a deal.

[stargazer68]

You mention the front-drive setup for the Impala, which is no surprise, and I have never heard that an AWD option is available.  Why, the, did GM put what the writer describes as a "large driveline tunnel" in the car? I realise that the exhaust system is often routed through the middle of cars, but they don't require the clearance of a driveshaft, even if you consider a heat shield. It' a rather serious item to overlook when you are trying to sell a 5-seater.
I took some comfort in reading about the quality of materials used in the Impala, not that they are substandard, but because of Chevy's commercials, where allegedly unrehearsed and unbiased people discuss the Impala interior as if they were in cars of much higher price brackets. Just goes to show, you can't believe commercials, whatever 'truth in advertising' rules exist.

[mmret]

My inner geezer wants this car so I can cruise up and down Americas many interstates. But the comfort score is a little concerning, and franky disappointing. Its a huge FWD land yacht...why does it need to corner carve? Give me magic carpet ride float!

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I'm not sure about the ride. Seems odd.

FWIW this is CR's highest rated large car with 91 points in their road test. The rest of the recommended large cars are:

Kia Cadenza (83)
Nissan Maxima (82)
Toyota Avalon Limited (81)
Hyundai Azera (80)
Hyundai Equus (80)
Buick Lacrosse (80)

Out of that list, they complained about the stiff ride in the Azera and the Avalon, both of which had been considerable stiffened compared to previous versions.