Pour One Out for the Impala

[FirstWorldProblems]

I'd rock a Marauder but she has the same comment....

Now a marauder I would DD, it's like a slightly modernized impala ss

 

[YoushallgoFo]

The 96 was/is awesome. It was designed before grilles took up 95% of the front end and windows weren't the size of a mail slot.

 

[EmersonHart13]

Now a marauder I would DD, it's like a slightly modernized impala ss

When I see guys motor swap those, I drool. Thats really the only downfall was that they didn't give it more power.

 

[CMNTMXR57]

The Impala died in '96. When GM switched to FWD it became an appliance. They tried a FWD V8 option but with the same suspension as the base model? What was the weight distribution like 80/20? Could it even make a turn under moderate throttle without breaking your wrist?

While I will never argue that a FWD based car will have shortcomings of physics in trying to move fast, trying to apply power and steer through the same set of wheels;

The SS doesn't have the same suspension as the base model. It does have bigger sway bars, different bushings as well as different shock and springs. And lets not forget bigger, 18" wheels vs. the base model. ALbeit, from the factory it was shod with shitty Goodyear Eagle RS-A's (which should've been illegal for Goodyear to sell they are so shittty...)

I have zero issues shuffling ours along at speeds in excess of legal limits. Is it the GTO, G8, or Cadillac? Absolutely not. Will I go take it to an auto-x event? Nope. But it is well mannered and makes glorious noises. One thing I gotta say, it sounds REALLY good with the stock exhaust. A lot of the Impala/Monte SS and GP GXP guys put aftermarket exhaust on, and it sounds obnoxious.

My real only complaints are the launch traction with a V8 twisting the fronts and of course the hellacious amount of torque management they dial up to save the notoriously overtaxed transaxle.

 

[radioguy6]

While I will never argue that a FWD based car will have shortcomings of physics in trying to move fast, trying to apply power and steer through the same set of wheels;

The SS doesn't have the same suspension as the base model. It does have bigger sway bars, different bushings as well as different shock and springs. And lets not forget bigger, 18" wheels vs. the base model. ALbeit, from the factory it was shod with shitty Goodyear Eagle RS-A's (which should've been illegal for Goodyear to sell they are so shittty...)

I have zero issues shuffling ours along at speeds in excess of legal limits. Is it the GTO, G8, or Cadillac? Absolutely not. Will I go take it to an auto-x event? Nope. But it is well mannered and makes glorious noises. One thing I gotta say, it sounds REALLY good with the stock exhaust. A lot of the Impala/Monte SS and GP GXP guys put aftermarket exhaust on, and it sounds obnoxious.

My real only complaints are the launch traction with a V8 twisting the fronts and of course the hellacious amount of torque management they dial up to save the notoriously overtaxed transaxle.

Didn't they also reverse stagger the tires on these too? The front tires were wider than the back, or was that just the GXP? I'm sure its a good cruiser and a beast in a straight line but imo fuck it should have been RWD. V8 engine and FWD is just so wrong.

 

[EmersonHart13]

I sold my GXP because that trans was on hopes and dreams. It couldn't keep up with the V6 cars....

 

[CMNTMXR57]

Didn't they also reverse stagger the tires on these too? The front tires were wider than the back, or was that just the GXP? I'm sure its a good cruiser and a beast in a straight line but imo fuck it should have been RWD. V8 engine and FWD is just so wrong.

Just the GXP. Along with bigger brakes too IIRC.

 

[SaturdaysGS]

Man you guys need to look at the lastest gen Impala, I have the 2017 2LTZ and have been super impressed. It's a big comfy car, plenty of interior room, leather isn't bad for a domestic. The trunk can fit 2-3 dead bodies and your groceries. Hell I can't even reach all the stuff that slides against the back seat. The v6 has good power especially for the gas mileage you get in a such a big ass car. I've got 45k on mine and I am getting 24mpg mixed with doing remote start to warm it up in the winter. In the summer it's getting upper 20's mixed and 32 pure highway.

The only 2 things I'm not a fan off is the infotainment quirks and the rear end styling (never liked the tail lights on my 17). The infotainment problem I'd have to assume it's just how chevy does it in all their vehicles.

I was literally coming in to post the same thing. The current gen is a decent rental car, that's about it.

The 3.6l impala gets shit gas mileage and the 4cyl is UNGODLY slow. Over 8 seconds to 60...the type of car you're scared to merge in to traffic with lol. Looks decent but that's about it.

If I'm buying an appliance car it'd be a honda or toyota, not this heap

Interesting.

 

[YoushallgoFo]

What would have been cool is if they released the Caprice alongside the g8 and then the SS version would have been the impala. Which I guess they did do but the naming and marketing and timing was terrible.

 

[CMNTMXR57]

The Caprice straddled the two generations though (VE/G8 and VF/SS, Commodore), being updated for each as the WM Caprice and the WN Caprice. So really the SS should've just been named the "Impala" in a perfect world.

 

[Mike K]

The 94 - 96 Impala SS was what kindled my love of cars as a dorky teen in the midwest. I still remember going to the library for the free internet and spending hours reading about the car and perusing the various clubs.

 

[cap42]

I was literally coming in to post the same thing. The current gen is a decent rental car, that's about it.

The 3.6l impala gets shit gas mileage and the 4cyl is UNGODLY slow. Over 8 seconds to 60...the type of car you're scared to merge in to traffic with lol. Looks decent but that's about it.

If I'm buying an appliance car it'd be a honda or toyota, not this heap

This is the second thread where you have stated this, I have not had a problem with gas mileage on the 3.6L engine in the impala. I've also asked a few others I have seen with the same car and they haven't seen poor mileage. So I have to ask what do you consider shit gas mileage?

This is a big car in today's standards and its a heavy pig but I would consider mid 20's to low 30's pretty damn good gas mileage for a chevy of this size.

 

[The Beast]

Man you guys need to look at the lastest gen Impala, I have the 2017 2LTZ and have been super impressed. It's a big comfy car, plenty of interior room, leather isn't bad for a domestic. The trunk can fit 2-3 dead bodies and your groceries. Hell I can't even reach all the stuff that slides against the back seat. The v6 has good power especially for the gas mileage you get in a such a big ass car. I've got 45k on mine and I am getting 24mpg mixed with doing remote start to warm it up in the winter. In the summer it's getting upper 20's mixed and 32 pure highway.

The only 2 things I'm not a fan off is the infotainment quirks and the rear end styling (never liked the tail lights on my 17). The infotainment problem I'd have to assume it's just how chevy does it in all their vehicles.

We had a 17 impala with the door rusting. So many people passed on it because of the rust.

 

[CoppeR]

Had to drive a few later model versions for work, god awful they were but I got over it and bought one 61 years older!

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

kill off FWD impala, bring it back as a trim level on the caprice and open up sales to everyone FTW!

Caprice has been dead for 2 years and holden is dead as well. Good luck there.

if the caprice had been a civvy model, the SS could of easily been named the impala ss. I think they missed the boat there without having a cheaper version of the ss. They were probably just using up old parts laying around anyways.....

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Also the B body was horrendous. Fight me.

 

[TommyGloves]

I had a 2020 Chevrolet Impala LT rental a few months ago. The headlights were worse than a 97-03 Grand Prix. Wasn't impressed with anything about that car, unfortunately.

 

[GLADIATOR]

 

[Blood on Blood]

1950s/1960s... the rest are meh

 

[Mr_Roboto]

Also the B body was horrendous. Fight me.

I would argue the opposite in that the longevity of it alone was staggering. It likely should have been replaced and/or modernized (look at the Panthers for instance where Ford did a darn decent job) but it went fairly unchanged underneath for decades. It was also the base design for a lot of other GM stuff arguably to include the Astro Vans, full size vans, 1/2 ton trucks and even second gen F-bodies used similar component parts in the front suspension/braking. It absolutely was dated but if you consider what cars were when it came out I would say it was probably actually pretty decent.

That said most if not all old cars were pretty terrible in one way or another; They look fucking fantastic though which leads most of us to forgive that.

 

[The Beast]

Good

 

[Yaj Yak]

This is the second thread where you have stated this, I have not had a problem with gas mileage on the 3.6L engine in the impala. I've also asked a few others I have seen with the same car and they haven't seen poor mileage. So I have to ask what do you consider shit gas mileage?

This is a big car in today's standards and its a heavy pig but I would consider mid 20's to low 30's pretty damn good gas mileage for a chevy of this size.

Yeah my friends who have them get good mpg and they RIP 0-60 for what they are.

Waaaaayyyy bigger inside than a turd taurus, for sure.

 

[Yaj Yak]

Now a marauder I would DD, it's like a slightly modernized impala ss

Modernized how? they're basically the same beast body on frame car...

Ford just took 7 years to drop something similar

 

[The Beast]

Modernized how? they're basically the same beast body on frame car...

Ford just took 7 years to drop something similar

Bro it’s got a 4v

 

[Yaj Yak]

Bro it’s got a 4v

Yeah one of the weakest ones possible also.

Turd.

Shit, 3800s with a single tiny turbo make more power, easier and more reliably than that boat anchor of an engine.