| 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS |
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By TERRY JACKSON
When you look at the 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS, it’s hard to know what to think first.
It’s a handsome, muscular-looking four-door sedan that offers more style and room than any of its major competitors, especially the bland Ford Five Hundred. The body style dates back to 2000, but the update for this top-of-the-line model gives it a fresh stance.
So far, so good.
Then there’s the famed SS moniker – which stands for Super Sport, which dates back to 1961, when the first SS Impala debuted. Throughout the decades, SS has usually meant there was V8 power under the hood.
The last of the fire-breathing Impala SS models appeared in 1996, when it was applied to the big four-door, rear-wheel-drive Caprice sedan. Under the hood back then was a slightly detuned version of the 5.7-liter Corvette V8. The car quickly became a favorite with anyone who appreciates the ability to smoke the meaty rear tires.
When Chevrolet followed GM’s misguided corporate policy of turning almost every car into a front-driver, the Impala was downsized and emasculated.
When the SS version of this Impala-lite was introduced in 2000, the V8 was banished in favor of a supercharged 3.8-liter, 240-horsepower V6. It was at best a competent performer, but in no way was it a true SS.
So the question that arises when looking at the 2006 Impala SS, the major question is, “What’s under the hood?’’
The answer once again is a V8.
This time it’s a 5.3-liter small-block engine that produces 303-horsepower. It also delivers 323 pound-feet of torque, which means this little engine can be a mean motivator. Chevrolet says it can propel the Impala from zero to 60 mph in 5.7-seconds, making this the fastest Chevy Impala ever offered from the factory. That includes the 409-cubic-inch and 427-cubic-inch big-block SS models from the 1960s.
And in the face of $3 a gallon gasoline, the new V8 uses technology to shut down half its cylinders in highway cruise mode. Using the EPA numbers, that means an Impala SS driven judiciously, can achieve as much as 28 mpg, though the EPA city rating of 18 mpg is more indicative of what average drivers can expect.
OK, that’s the good news about the powerplant.
There’s other good news. The Impala SS interior is very comfortable, with leather seating and room for five full-sized adults, and, except for some tinny-looking efforts at a machined metal dashboard, the overall impression is one of quality that hasn’t been seen in many past Chevy sedans.
The SS package also means that 18-inch wheels mounted with low-profile tires are on-board, as well as a sport-tuned suspension that provides a taut ride that’s not uncomfortable. The steering is still a little on the numb side, something that seemingly afflicts all GM front-wheel-drive sedans to one degree or another.
Overall, this SS is the most fun an Impala has delivered since the 1996 SS went away.
But the bad news is that as much fun as the Impala is to drive, the package feels something like a Band-aid effort at creating a cutting-edge performance sedan. (All of what’s written here can also be applied to the 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix GXP, which is mechanically identical to the Impala SS.)
The culprit, not surprisingly, is the front-wheel-drive chassis.
No matter how much technology is applied, it seems that it’s impossible to put the torque and horsepower of a V8 to work in a front-wheel-drive sedan without creating dreaded torque steer.
For the uninitiated, torque steer is an unintended twitching of the front wheels caused by the twisting – or torque – of the engine.
In a rear-wheel-drive car, such twisting is eliminated through the drive shaft and the rear differential. In a front-wheel-drive car, because the engine is mounted as part of a unit with the front wheels, the twisting of the engine has a more immediate impact.
To be fair, GM has done a good job of greatly reducing torque steer in the Impala SS using traction control and beefed-up suspension geometry. Ten years ago, this much power applied to a front-wheel-drive chassis would have made it just about undriveable.
In the Impala, the torque steer most only shows up when significant throttle is applied in sharp turns. But it’s there and it limits the abilities of the Impala and can create some surprises.
The 5.3-liter V8 is a sweet engine that makes all the right growling sounds on demand. In a rear-wheel-drive chassis, it would make the Impala SS a world-beater.
As it stands now, the Impala SS is an enticing package, especially at a starting price of about $28,000.
But it’s still a pretender. For drivers who demand a true high-performance, American V8 sedan, Chrysler’s 300 and Dodge’s Charger are still the leaders of the pack.
Copyright © 2005 Men.com
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