Test Drive: 2006 Chevrolet Impala LTZ

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In its first major redesign since 2000, the front-wheel drive Chevrolet Impala sedan has been given a major styling make-over, an all-new interior, two new V6 engines and an all-new V8, re-tuned suspension, newly designed flip and fold rear seatbacks, and new standard side curtain airbags.

Since 2000, the Oshawa-built Impala has been known for its roomy but unattractive interior, powerful optional 3.8 litre V6 engine, huge trunk, better-than-average reliability, and good crash test scores. A favourite with taxi firms and police departments, the Impala has proved to be a roomy, durable vehicle that’s relatively cheap to fix.

The 2006 Impala addresses some of the previous model’s weaknesses, notably its poor fit and finish, uncomfortable rear seat, and road noise. In addition, the new Impala offers two new technologically-sophisticated V6 engines with the first use of variable valve timing in an overhead valve engine; and a new V8 engine equipped with cylinder deactivation to improve fuel economy by up to 8% in certain low-load driving conditions.

The 2005 Impala’s 180 hp 3.4-litre V6, 200 hp 3.8-litre V6, and 240 hp supercharged 3.8-litre V6 have been replaced by a new 211 hp 3.5-litre V6 on 2006 Impala LS and LT models, a new 240 hp 3.9-litre V6 engine on LTZ trim, and a 303 hp 5.3-litre V8 with Displacement on Demand on the Impala SS.

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Unfortunately, it resembles some other sedans on the market and it’s certainly not as distinctive as the previous model, in my opinion. Still, it’s a clean, controversy-free styling effort with tighter tolerances between body panels, new grab-style door handles, and new flat-blade wipers for improved wet weather performance.

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The driver’s seat is positioned fairly high for an upright seating position. It features power height, tilt and rake adjustment, and manual lumbar adjustment for comfort, but even in its lowest position, it seems a bit high for tall drivers. The passenger seat also has power adjustability, and both seats offer heaters. The front seats are wide, which is good for larger people, but I found the seatbacks a bit firm. My car had the optional Nuance leather which is smooth rather than textured.

One odd thing about the Impala’s interior: the floor shift lever does not have a transmission gear indicator beside it. The driver must look up into the instrument cluster to see what gear has been engaged.

The new three-gauge instrument cluster is attractive and easy to read, and includes a tachometer. A digital display integrated into the speedometer includes the transmission gear indicator, compass, outside temperature display, and odometer.

In the upper centre dash, the radio/CD player features a bright, green-on-black display that’s easy to read day or night. It includes a standard auxiliary input jack for external devices, such as iPod or MP3 players, to be played through the vehicle’s audio system. But even on the Impala LTZ, a 6-disc CD changer is optional.

The dual temperature automatic climate control in my LTZ has sensible round dials for the fan speed and ventilation choices, but the temperature controls are two vertical wheels that I found awkward to operate.

Below that is a roomy, open storage bin with two 12-volt powerpoints, and behind the shift lever is an open storage area that can be turned into two cupholders by sliding a divider into the middle – very ingenious!

Between the front seats is an armrest with a large bi-level storage bin. However, the upper compartment must be physically removed before the driver can access the lower compartment – which I found awkward. Usually, both upper and lower storage areas can be accessed with two separate releases.

The rear bench seat accommodates three adults and has three fixed head restraints. There is plenty of legroom and headroom for rear passengers.

The new 70/30 split folding seatbacks are unique: the seat cushions flip up and forwards, and only the inner portion of the rear seatbacks folds down flat. But the seatbacks aren’t lockable. As well, the rear seat cushions have a covered storage area beneath them when down, and there are grocery bag hooks on the back of the cushions when flipped forward.

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But for most of us, the main thing is that it has more power and torque than the 3.8-litre V6, better all-around performance, and only marginally worse fuel economy.

The 3.9 litre engine uses both variable valve timing and a variable-length intake manifold to produce 240 horsepower @ 6000 rpm and 242 lb-ft. of torque @ 4400 rpm. 90 percent of its torque is available from 1800 to 5800 rpm. That compares to the 3.8 litre V6 with 200 hp @ 5200 rpm, and 225 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm.

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Though the 3.9-litre engine has 42 more horsepower and 17 more foot pounds of torque, fuel economy suffers by only about 5%. Official fuel economy numbers for the 3.9 are: City 12.1 L/100 km (23 mpg Imperial) and Hwy: 7.9 L/100 km (36 mpg Imperial). The 3.8 V6 offers City 11.9 (24 mpg Imperial), and Hwy 7.3 (39 mpg Imperial).

Perhaps almost as important as the engine’s performance is its improved quietness and lower vibration levels. A number of improvements were made to reduce NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) including a stiffer front body structure and an aluminum engine cradle. Around town and on the highway, the Impala is quieter with less engine and road noise seeping into the cabin. The engine turns over just 1900 at 100 km/h and 2300 at 120 km/h, and the four-speed automatic transmission is very smooth. On the freeway, the cabin is very quiet with just a little bit of wind noise coming from the oddly shaped left mirror.

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The driver has good visibility forwards, and to the side – the third side window does help when changing lanes. However, the rear window is quite high because of the high trunklid. It makes it impossible to see the front of the car directly behind you when parallel parking, or backing into a space at the mall. As well, the optional trunk spoiler on my test car didn’t help visibility. Curiously, the three rear fixed head restraints didn’t impede rear visibility. A concern for city dwellers: the Impala is a fairly long car – over 200 inches long. Parking and manoeuvring in tight spots can be challenging.

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While it’s a comfortable daily driver with very nice highway manners, the Impala LTZ balks at any kind of aggressive driving manoeuvres. It tends to lean and understeer in tight corners even though it has fairly meaty Goodyear Eagle LS 225/55R-17 inch radials; and the steering is fairly vague on the highway although satisfactory in town. New four-wheel-disc brakes with larger front brakes and standard ABS and electronic brake differential provide quicker stops and have a linear pedal feel – but ABS is optional on LS and LT models. Those drivers seeking a performance-oriented sedan should look at the Impala SS which has a performance-tuned suspension.

Dual stage front airbags for front passengers are standard, and the airbag sensor for front passenger seat is capable of differentiating between adults, 5th percentile females and larger and small children or child seats, in its deployment speed. This is to avoid injuring smaller passengers.