Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

Chevy Impala Ss V8 2006 on 2040-cars

Year:2006 Mileage:28828
Location:

Winter Garden, Florida, United States

Winter Garden, Florida, United States
Advertising:

Return of the Real Impala

If General Motors has a distinctive engineering tradition it's a weird commitment to V8 front-drivers. Since the introduction of the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, GM has always had at least one V8-powered front-driver in its product line. Usually two. Despite all that history, this V8-powered, 303-horsepower 2006 Impala SS is the layout's first migration to Chevrolet. Dismissing this Chevy Impala SS as a pretender because it isn't rear-drive like the Impalas of yesteryear is a lazy cop-out. It's a cop-out because those old Impalas weren't that great and how this car compares to the crusty ghosts of ancient namesakes is unimportant. What is important is how it stacks up against the best.

It stacks up well, both on the road and on paper. Although a fully loaded Impala SS can break the $31,000 mark, our Laser Blue test car, which had leather, heated front seats; a power passenger seat; polished wheels (which are a steal at $295); a Bose Premium eight-speaker sound system; and XM Satellite Radio but no sunroof, stickered for just under $30,000. (A navigation system is not available.) In the age of the $29,000 V6 Camry, we think that makes the SS a good value.

Evolutionary Fitness 
Displacing 5.3 liters, the Impala SS's engine is a member of GM's small-block family of overhead-valve V8s and its all-aluminum construction means it isn't much heavier than the iron-block V6s otherwise installed in the Impala LS, LT, LTZ and 9C1 and 9C3 police packages. Its 323 pound-feet of peak torque at 4,400 rpm, however, is up 43 lb-ft from the 240-horsepower, supercharged 3.8-liter V6 used in the 2005 Impala SS.

To handle the extra twist the Impala has been reinforced. The unibody chassis design carries over but there are thicker frame sections surrounding the engine bay, and the engine and its four-speed automatic transaxle ride in a new extruded aluminum engine cradle. The suspension still uses struts front and rear, rack and pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes with standard ABS, but the gorgeous 18-inch wheels inside P235/50R18 Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires are new.

Although the 2006 edition rides on the same 110.5-inch wheelbase of the 2005 car, it's a little less than half an inch longer and 106.4 pounds heavier. That's more or less the weight of two additional cylinders plus the bigger wheels and tires minus one supercharger.

Uniquely GM 
Like it should, the Impala's small-block V8 idles with a burble through its dual exhausts. There's also an immediacy to its torque delivery that can't be simulated by a V6. The automatic transmission shifts confidently and the generous torque means a 5th or 6th gear isn't necessary even if it would help Chevy's marketing.

The operation of GM's Displacement on Demand (DoD) system, which knocks out half the engine's cylinders to conserve fuel when the car is cruising under light load, is nearly impossible to detect. Despite the cylinder shut-off system, however, this is no economy car. During driving heavily weighted to freeway cruising, it returned just 18.6 mpg. In heavier stop-and-go traffic mileage slipped down to 14.7 mpg.

So it's thirsty, but it's also quick. With its traction control active you can throw a brick at the accelerator and the Impala SS will rip to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds and bound through the quarter-mile in 14.4 seconds at 97.5 mph. Although that's quicker than a Camry or Accord, it's about two-tenths slower than the last Charger R/T we tested.

With its traction control on or off, the Impala tracks arrow straight with no intrusive torque steer. This really impressed us. Despite the V8's ability to light up the front tires with ease, the profound torque steer in the mechanically similar Pontiac Grand Prix GTP simply isn't much of a problem in the Impala SS.

According to GM's Impala product manager Mark Clawson that's due to four things. "First, we use equal stiffness driveshafts that effectively compensate for their different lengths," he explains. "Second we have 'tripod' universal joints that ensure that constant and consistent torque is applied to each half shaft. Third, we've balanced the weight over each front wheel to be even. And fourth, our transverse engine attaches with 'torque axis' engine mounts so it's allowed to pitch forward and backward but it isn't allowed to yaw [twist] so that it would push and pull on the half shafts."

Cadillac Ride, Cadillac Handling 
The new Impala SS doesn't drive like an old Impala SS. Instead it drives a lot like the 2003 Cadillac Seville STS, which is another GM front-driver powered by a V8 and four-speed automatic transaxle. And that's not feint praise.

Like the Caddy, the Impala SS feels solid and substantial. It's a composed cruiser that's agile despite having most of its mechanical load bourn by the front wheels. The Impala is and feels like a big, heavy car, but dive into a corner and it pulls through with dignity and thrust.

We like the four-spoke steering wheel and the way the steering has heft, but more road feel is on our wish list. At 62.6 mph, the Impala is actually a bit faster than the Charger R/T through the slalom (front-drive is often an advantage in that test), but all that weight over the front wheels takes its toll on braking. The Impala SS's so-so 138.3-foot stopping distance from 60 mph is more than 17 feet longer than the Charger R/T's performance.

Off the test track, the Impala can't match the Charger's chassis balance or responsiveness to steering input and the car's natural tendency to understeer at the limit can't be overcome with throttle. But it rides better, is slightly quieter and is completely confident in everyday use.

Revolutionary Elements 
Where the old Impala interior was a haphazard riot of cheesy plastic that couldn't make it through quality control at Fisher-Price, the new interior is clean, logical and the materials quality is a leap forward. The dash is simple, the instrumentation is clear and there are side curtain airbags aboard to go with the ones up front. The Bose-tuned audio system features XM Satellite Radio and an iPod-ready input jack and the dual-zone ventilation controls operate intuitively. OnStar is standard.

Still, the interior isn't perfect. The SS's "Nuance leather" seats are comfortable, but there isn't enough lateral support and the console-mounted shifter flops limply between indistinct gates. A manual-shifting system like the Pontiac Grand Prix GXP's TAPshift would be great, but we'd settle for any decent shifter.

But the controversial interior element is how little room there is for a car this size. The Impala stretches 9.3 inches longer than an Accord sedan on a 2.6-inch-longer wheelbase but offers 0.3 inch less front legroom and only 0.8 inch more rear legroom. In its favor the Impala has more hip- and shoulder room than the Accord and its 18.6 cubic feet of trunk volume eclipses the Honda's meager 14 cubic feet, but this is a big car and a big car ought to have more stretching room.

Against the Ropes, Camrys, Accords and Chargers 
Compared to high-line Camrys and Accords, the Impala SS offers a larger package with more personality and much more power at about the same price. The Impala SS also compares well to the Charger R/T, which shares much of its engineering with Mercedes products.

The two cars are about the same size and offer about the same accommodations, but the Impala's interior is better-looking and easier to use than the Mopars. On the other hand, the rear-drive Charger offers a better-balanced driving experience, even more power and even more attitude. Where the Impala is as understated and as confident as a Caddy, the Charger is just plain rowdy.

Tear open the space-time continuum and travel back to the '60s and you'll find the story wasn't much different back then. Both were fast, but the Charger was always edgier while the Impala SS balanced comfort and utility in a more restrained design. The more things change A?AˆA” and everything has changed A?AˆA” the more they seem to stay the same. Even when the Dodge Charger is a Mercedes and the Chevrolet Impala reminds us of a Cadillac.

Auto Services in Florida

Yow`s Automotive Machine ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Machine Shop, Industrial Equipment & Supplies
Address: 6219 15th St E, Anna-Maria
Phone: (941) 758-6466

Xtreme Car Installation ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Automobile Accessories
Address: 3663 NW 79th St, Bay-Harbor-Islands
Phone: (305) 836-0118

Whitt Rentals ★★★★★

New Car Dealers, Car Rental
Address: 1807 N Nova Rd, Bunnell
Phone: (386) 252-0011

Vlads Autobahn LLC ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service
Address: 5145 Commercial Dr, West-Melbourne
Phone: (321) 622-5665

Village Ford ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, New Car Dealers, Used Car Dealers
Address: 11660 SE US Highway 441, Ridge-Manor-Estates
Phone: (352) 233-2900

Ultimate Euro Repair ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service
Address: 2011 SW 70th Ave, West-Hollywood
Phone: (954) 475-0225

Auto blog

GM recalls Colorado, Canyon, and Malibu for airbag problem

Wed, Mar 9 2016

The Basics: General Motors will recall and issue a stop sale on 1,740 total examples of the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado, Malibu, and GMC Canyon. This includes 1,579 units in the US and 161 in Canada. The Problem: The second stage of the driver front airbag inflator might not be present. If this happens, the airbag won't fill as quickly as it should in a high-speed crash, which could increase the risk of injury, according to Reuters. This is not related in any way to Takata's inflator problems, and these parts come from a different supplier. Injuries/Deaths: None reported. The Fix: GM will replace the vehicles' airbag assemblies. If You Own One: GM spokesperson Tom Wilkinson told Autoblog he wasn't specifically sure when recall repairs would begin but said it would be "shortly." He expects the fixes to happen "quickly" because of the small number of affected vehicles, and many of them are either in transport or already in dealer stock. More Information: GM recalled the 2015 Canyon and Colorado in 2014 for a completely separate airbag issue. In that case, a manufacturing error improperly wired the connectors. Related Video: GM Statement GM is recalling 1,579 MY 2016 Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Malibu vehicles in the United States and 161 in Canada to replace driver-side front airbags. The second stage of the airbag may not deploy properly in certain high-speed crashes. During a routine quality inspection, it was determined that a component required for a second-stage/high-output deployment was not loaded during the inflator build. Dealers will replace the driver-side front airbag assembly. There have been no reports of crashes or injuries related to this issue. This issue is unrelated to the ongoing Takata recalls.

GM Recalling 370,000 Trucks For Fire Risk

Mon, Jan 13 2014

DETROIT (AP) - General Motors is recalling 370,000 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups from the 2014 model year to fix software that could cause the exhaust components to overheat and start a fire. The recall includes 303,000 trucks in the U.S. and 67,000 in Canada and Mexico. All of the trucks involved have 4.3-liter or 5.3-liter engines. GM said eight fires have been reported, but no injuries. One garage was damaged, the company said. All of the incidents occurred in cold weather. The company is asking customers not to leave their trucks idling unattended. GM dealers will reprogram the software for free. The company will inform owners starting Jan. 16. The major recall announcement, which came on Saturday, marred the Silverado's winning of the 2014 North American Truck of the Year Award at the Detroit Auto Show on Monday. Related Gallery Our Favorite Cars For Winter View 11 Photos Recalls Chevrolet sierra

2018 Autoblog Technology of the Year finalists

Wed, Jan 10 2018

After months of prepping and several days of testing, we narrowed the field for Autoblog's 2018 Tech of the Year award to the Nissan Rogue with ProPilot Assist semi-autonomous driving system, the Lexus LC 500h and its new hybrid powertrain, and the Chevy Colorado ZR2 and its trick Multimatic spool-valve off-road shocks. Three very different cars with very different technologies duking it out for the award. Look for news of our winner at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. We hand out this award every year to the technology or feature that we feel moves the bar forward for the automotive industry. Read more here on how our testing process works. We discuss, debate and count up score sheets, judging each vehicle and technology on a few different criteria. Is its purpose noteworthy? Does it work well? Does it advance the industry? The Nissan Rogue with ProPilot Assist was actually a prototype, as the technology will first debut in the 2018 Nissan Leaf. Still, we're here to test the tech and not the car. ProPilot Assist combines adaptive cruise control system combined with lane-keeping assistance. The system uses sonar, radar and a number of cameras for some light semi-autonomous driving and enhanced safety. While these systems aren't new individually, Nissan's system is affordable, intuitive, and coming to a mainstream product — democratizing the tech in a novel way, if you will. That's why it's here. The Lexus LC 500h uses a new powertrain that Lexus has dubbed the Multi-Stage Hybrid System. Basically it combines two types of transmissions — a CVT and a four-speed automatic — in a single unit mated to a naturally aspirated V6. That's complex and unorthodox technology, and Lexus engineered it to give drivers the efficiency of a CVT without sacrificing driving enjoyment. The package is subtle, working in the background to create a nearly seamless driving experience. It's engaging in a way most other hybrids can only dream of. The fact that it's wrapped in such gorgeous sheetmetal only makes things better. The Multimatic spool valve shocks in the Chevy Colorado ZR2 might seem low-tech compared to ProPilot Assist and the Lexus Multi-Stage Hybrid, but they represent a completely novel application of a technology that several years ago was so expensive that it was reserved for top-tier race cars. Like the LC 500h, these shocks really change your perception of how a vehicle like this should drive.