2006 Chevrolet Impala SS Quick Spin

If there’s one thing American car companies know how to do, it’s build a V8 engine. Ford Motor Company popularized the V8 for the masses when it introduced the 1932 Model 18, but it’s the legendary small-block V8 from General Motors that cemented the engine configuration as an American icon. It first appeared in the 1955 Chevrolet lineup as the “Turbo-Fire” V8 and has, in one iteration or another, remained a GM powertrain staple ever since. Now, a decade after the Chevrolet Impala SS last had a V8 under the hood, the redesigned 2006 model gets eight pistons pumping power to the road. The 5.3-liter V8 in the 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS is smaller than the big-block 409 that was optional in the very first Impala SS of 1961, and it doesn’t make as much horsepower as that pavement killer did, but the new car is certainly quicker to 60 mph. Forty-five years of engineering prowess has netted a 0-60 acceleration time that’s faster by 1.5 seconds. Of course, the differences over the decades amount to more than straight-line speed. The newest Impala SS is a safer automobile, more fuel efficient, more comfortable to drive, and a much better handling machine. Nostalgic types may lament the fact that it’s a four-door instead of a two-door, that it’s dragged around by its front wheels instead of pushed in a cloud of blue tire smoke by the rears, that it’s barely different in style and appointments from a standard Impala – but they’d be missing the point. The 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS represents honest value. It’s a good car at a good price that has landed, unfortunately, into one of the largest segments of the market, a segment populated with several great cars at great prices. The problem with the Impala SS isn’t its engine, or even the front-wheel-drive architecture on which it rests unless drifting to the office and back is your style. The problem is that nothing aside from a rear spoiler and big wheels makes it stand out from the crowd like many Impala SS models of the past. Then again, that makes the 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS a classic sleeper, the kind of car that rises up and smacks you silly when you least expect it. Just ditch those garish “SS” badges and your secret will be safe until you rocket away from the next traffic light.

Nuts and Bolts

Nuts and Bolts What makes the 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS unique is its 5.3-liter V8 with Active Fuel Management. When you’re not worried about trying to match the EPA’s 28-mpg highway rating, you can dip into the Impala SS’s 303 horsepower and 323 lb.-ft. of torque. Chevrolet has given its best-selling model, the Impala, a thorough revision for 2006. A revision, however, is not the same as a redesign. This ’06 Impala rides on the same platform as the previous model, and uses the same architecture under the skin. The sheetmetal is new, the interior is new, and the Impala has gotten significant structural enhancements to improve the ride, handling, and refinement. What makes the 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS unique is its 5.3-liter V8 with Active Fuel Management. Active Fuel Management shuts down four of the engine’s eight cylinders under low-load driving conditions to provide as much as an eight-percent fuel savings, according to Chevrolet. When you’re not worried about trying to match the EPA’s 28-mpg highway rating, you can dip into the Impala SS’s 303 horsepower and 323 lb.-ft. of torque. Just keep in mind that Chevy recommends premium fuel, but doesn’t require it. Aside from the engine, bigger wheels wearing P235/50R18 Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires, and larger hollow stabilizer bars front and rear are exclusive to the 2006 Chevy Impala SS. The rest of the hardware is standard-issue. Even the hydraulically assisted power rack-and-pinion steering features the same ratio as every other Impala. The suspension is comprised of MacPherson struts and coil springs up front and a trailing arm tri-link arrangement with struts and dual-rate coil springs in back. The braking system is new for 2006, with larger vented discs in front, improved solid rear discs, and added brake pressure boost. If you don’t peek under the hood, you can tell the difference between the rental fleet Impala and the Impala SS by checking out the wheels. This performance-tuned model gets 18-inch machine-faced five-spoke alloys that can be polished as an option. Look even closer and you’ll see the diamond pattern grille inserts and the bright exhaust tips. Those are the only exterior cues – aside from the rather large “SS” badges – that differentiate the Impala SS from the models with a V6 engine. Inside, it’s even harder to tell. The steering wheel airbag cover says “SS” and the instrument panel gets unique metallic-look trim, but otherwise there’s little difference between this car and the one your parents just bought. Every 2006 Chevrolet Impala gets dual-stage front airbags, side curtain airbags, ABS with electronic brake-force distribution, and traction control. A tire pressure monitor is also included in the base price, along with OnStar telematics with Advanced Automatic Crash Notification. Let your kid borrow the Impala SS for a date, and he can plug his iPod right into the stereo and listen to his music instead of your Barry Manilow collection. One of our favorite things about the 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS also comes standard, and that’s the remote starting system. Other standard features include cruise control, dual-zone climate control, and a driver information center. Options include XM satellite radio with a free three-month trial subscription, Bose premium speakers, heated outside mirrors, and a power sunroof. Nuance leather seats are also available, heated up front and featuring eight-way power adjustment for the driver and six-way power adjustment for the front passenger.

Design

Design Compared to the outgoing car, the new 2006 Chevrolet Impala coddles occupants like a Benz. And the double hump design of the dashboard provides a strong tie to Chevys of the past, intended as it is to recall early Corvettes. With the 2006 Impala redesign, it appears that Chevrolet has decoded one ingredient of the Toyota Camry’s successful recipe: inoffensive yet handsome design. The new Impala might be dull, but it looks good, hints at upscale pretension, and will wear well over time. We like, in particular, the wheel design on the SS model. Another thing that gives this Chevy a look of longevity is the mandate to produce tighter gap tolerances between exterior body panels, lending the Impala a higher-quality appearance. If you remember the previous Impala’s interior, you’ll understand why we say that the 2006 model’s cabin is exceptionally well done with two-tone décor, matching textures, smooth low-gloss Nuance leather seating surfaces, soft-touch door and upper dash materials, a woven mesh headliner, and chrome accenting. Compared to the outgoing Impala, this new car coddles occupants like a Benz. And the double hump design of the dashboard provides a strong tie to Chevys of the past, intended as it is to recall early Corvettes. In fact, aside from a few cryptic control markings that are not immediately discernable, we’ve got no problems with the Impala SS’s interior. Chevy has done a nice job of making the Impala adept at carrying cargo, too. The trunk is roomy but cheaply outfitted, and features a folding rear seat to expand the space. But the most interesting feature is the innovative flip-and-fold rear seat design that has a storage tray under the cushion that doubles as a place to securely carry grocery bags or other items in the back seat. When the bottom cushion is flipped up, you can even hang those pesky plastic bags on the provided hooks.

Comfort

Comfort The importance of remote starting is not lost on residents who live where the weather is icy cold or blazing hot. How nice it is to get inside a toasty warm Impala SS on a January day in Detroit, or a refreshingly cool Impala SS on a July day in Phoenix. If comfort is important to you, the 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS delivers, more so for the front seat occupants than those in the back. Cloth upholstery is standard on the SS, but smooth, soft Nuance leather is optional. Our test car came equipped with the cowhides, and we found these multi-adjustable, heated front chairs to be quite comfortable. Add the four-spoke, tilt adjustable, leather-wrapped steering wheel and the soft upper door panels to the equation, and it’s easy to think that the Impala SS would make a capable road tripper. Though greatly improved over the old Impala’s low, flat park bench, the 2006 Impala SS’s rear seat is snug for legs. With tall adults riding up front, rear passengers will find their legs right up against the soft seatbacks. However, this is not as uncomfortable as it sounds because the bottom cushion sits high off the floor and offers excellent thigh support. Anyone who lives where it snows or where the sun beats relentlessly down understands the value in the Impala SS’s remote starting system. Press a button on the keyless entry fob from inside the house, and the 5.3-liter V8 engine out in the driveway fires right up. The importance of this feature is not lost on residents who live where the weather is icy cold or blazing hot. How nice it is to get inside a toasty warm Impala SS on a January day in Detroit, or a refreshingly cool Impala SS on a July day in Phoenix.

Road Test

Road Test If the fuel economy issue doesn’t matter to you, then you should give the 2006 Chevy Impala SS a try. It’s a nice car to drive, offering a compelling blend of performance, comfort, and value. Chevy worked hard to stiffen the existing Impala foundation for reductions in NVH (noise, vibration, harshness), firm up the front end for improved ride and handling, and make the car quieter through the use of laminated Quiet Steel construction in specific areas. The results of these efforts show, especially in the 2006 Impala SS. We drove a well-equipped version in the mountains and deserts east of San Diego, Calif., spending about 90 minutes behind the wheel. The Impala SS’s suspension does a terrific job of masking the car’s inherent forward weight bias, transitioning weight in a predictable fashion and providing an excellent ride quality free of excess body motions or loss of road feel. Likewise, the braking system is up to snuff, with impressive pedal feel, response, and modulation. However, despite the vented front discs, the heat of the day and excessive use on a long downhill grade left the Impala SS with a shudder in the pedal when we reached the valley floor. Steering is a bit light on center, and it’s not telepathic by any means, but neither is it numb like the electronically assisted tiller in a Chevy Malibu. But let’s get to the heart of the 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS – it’s 5.3-liter V8 engine. Rev it up, and you’ll be rewarded with an intoxicating note that only eight cylinders can produce. Shift the four-speed automatic into gear, and flat-foot the accelerator pedal. You would expect torque steer to wrestle the wheel out of your hands, but that doesn’t happen because Chevy uses equal “strength” half shafts in the Impala SS. Instead of heading on a roadside hunting expedition like a Nissan Maxima, the SS just hauls straight down the road. The engine is strong, and the transmission shifts flawlessly, but somehow it just doesn’t feel like 303 ponies are galloping through the Goodyears to the pavement. The fact that the engine doesn’t feel as strong as it should makes the fuel economy even more disappointing. Active Fuel Management is supposed to cut power to half the engine’s cylinders under low-load conditions, and it works as advertised, but our spirited mountain driving produced just 14.9 mpg. That’s not even in the same zip code as the EPA rated 18 mpg this car is supposed to get in the city, and a transcontinental flight away from the 28-mpg highway rating. If the fuel economy issue doesn’t matter to you, then you should give the 2006 Chevy Impala SS a try. It’s a nice car to drive, offering a compelling blend of performance, comfort, and value. Especially if you want a capable set of wheels that flies below the radar.

FAQs and Specs

FAQs and Specs The 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS’s main competitors are the Dodge Charger RT, Honda Accord EX V6, Mazdaspeed 6, Nissan Altima SE, Nissan Maxima SE, Pontiac G6 GXP, Pontiac Grand Prix GXP, Subaru Legacy GT, Toyota Camry SE, and Volkswagen Passat 3.6L. With 303 horsepower going to the front wheels, doesn’t the 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS suffer tremendous torque steer? Surprisingly, torque steer is absent from the 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS, a significant engineering coup. Torque steer typically affects front-wheel drive vehicles with unequal length driveshafts, and the driver can feel the phenomenon as a tugging in the steering wheel. The higher the engine power, the worse the torque steer is. But Chevrolet has employed what it calls equal “strength” half shafts in the Impala SS, and the result is a car that tracks straight and true under full acceleration. Chevrolet is making a big deal about Active Fuel Management on its 5.3-liter V8 engine. Does it really improve the 2006 Impala SS’s mileage? During our test of the 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS, which included plenty of mountain driving, we managed to achieve just 14.9 miles per gallon. That’s not even in the same zip code as the EPA-rated 18 mpg this car is supposed to get in the city, and a transcontinental flight from the 28-mpg highway rating. If the 2006 Chevrolet Impala isn’t much different from the Malibu in terms of size and comfort, what is the point of having both products in the lineup? The midsize sedan market is fragmenting into an “entry” category of less expensive models and a “premium” category of more expensive models. Typically, the premium-class vehicles are a little larger – sometimes full-size by EPA standards – and feature more equipment, more refinement, and added comfort. In Chevrolet’s lineup, the Malibu is offered as the entry midsize product, with a standard four-cylinder engine and an optional V6. The Impala is the premium midsize product, with a standard V6 engine and an optional V8. This way, Chevrolet covers the marketplace with family cars priced from the high teens to the low 30s. SPECIFICATIONS Test Vehicle: 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS Price of Test Vehicle: $30,370 (including $660 destination charge) Engine Size and Type: 5.3-liter V8 Engine Horsepower: 303 horsepower at 5,600 rpm Engine Torque: 323 lb.-ft. at 4,400 rpm Transmission: Four-speed automatic Curb weight, lbs.: 3,712 EPA Fuel Economy (city/highway): 18/28 mpg Observed Fuel Economy: 14.9 mpg Length: 200.4 inches Width: 72.9 inches Wheelbase: 110.5 inches Height: 58.7 inches Leg room (front/rear): 42.3/37.6 inches Head room (front/rear): 39.4/37.8 inches Max. Seating Capacity: Five Max. Cargo Volume: 18.6 cu.-ft. Competitors: Buick LaCrosse, Buick Lucerne, Chevrolet Malibu, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Ford Five Hundred, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Hyundai Azera, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Amanti, Kia Optima, Mazda 6, Mercury Milan, Mercury Montego, Nissan Altima, Nissan Maxima, Pontiac G6, Pontiac Grand Prix, Subaru Legacy, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat

Photos courtesy of General Motors