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Chevrolet Impala sedan ranks as bestseller with long history
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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DALLAS, Tex. -- Steering a stop-and-start course through the lively restaurant district of Dallas, we're only inching up McKinney Avenue due to too much vehicular traffic on a Friday evening and too many intersections snagged by sluggish signals.
The snail's pace might frustrate us if time was the motivation for this spin around town, but we're content to focus instead on the ride quality and interior comforts provided by Chevrolet's popular Impala sedan with its mid-size structure but a full-size cabin stocking seats for all in the family or a load of friends.
Impala currently ranks among the top ten best-selling passenger cars in America and it's also the bestseller at Chevrolet in a nameplate tracing through five decades and accounting for more than 14 million units.
The latest iteration debuted two years ago re-oriented with front-wheel drivetrain and mid-size scale as replacement for the retired Lumina.
In Chevrolet's 2002 line, Impala scores a sport appearance package that includes unique taillamps and a smooth front fascia, 16-inch aluminum wheels and more gauges added to the instrument cluster.
Individual temperature controls for both driver and the front-seat passenger are now standard, as is a stereo AM-FM RDS radio with cassette deck.
Two trims define the 2002 Impala -- a base model and the upscale LS -- and there are two V6 powertrains available, including one earning the highest fuel economy of any V6 in the market.
No other badge in Chevrolet's historical parade of cars carries such a cachet as Impala, excepting perhaps Corvette.
The name first appeared at the 1956 Motorama auto show on a slick dream-car sedan with fiberglass shell and a big V8 stuffed below the extended hood. It subsequently became a production reality in 1958 as the top-of-the-line Chevrolet with sporty coupe and convertible styling.
Other shapes followed with trendy fins and muscular shoulders, and a 1961 Impala packed the legendary 409 engine as immortalized in song by The Beach Boys.
In the Seventies Impala expanded in size, stretching in length to 223 inches by 1975. Yet the name eventually gave way to an Impala variation called Caprice, and in 1986 the Impala tag disappeared entirely until 1994, when a special Caprice model -- Impala SS -- emerged for a four-year run.
In its heyday of the Sixties, Impala amounted to a full-size car with an iron-block V8 engine that exerted massive horsepower on the rear wheels but handled like a floaty barge.
By contrast, the current Impala condenses to international proportions at only 200 inches for length to cultivate a lively personality.
Under the hood, each of the two available six-cylinder engines directs all torque to turn the front wheels.
The largest V6 engine that motivates Impala was carried over from Lumina, the roof panel Impala shares with Pontiac's Grand Prix, while the mid-size platform under Impala also shows up not only on Grand Prix but also Buick's Regal and Oldsmobile's Intrigue.
Still, Impala represents a unique treatment for a large sedan with fresh if subdued styling points, zippy performance from rather frugal powertrains and a pleasant and firm ride quality that edges toward a nimble and quick performance machine.
It contains a lengthy list of sophisticated safety systems normally not available as standard gear, plus plenty of features for comfort and convenience, and -- as Chevrolets historically have delivered -- a solid value due to competitive price points.
Styling for Impala looks sleek but different from the ordinary medium-sized and wedge-shaped sedan, due to the high roofline and an unusual tail treatment.
Impala's nose slinks low and cradles a grille narrowed to match the thin shape of twin headlamp clusters. The hoodline forms a smooth arch that rises to meet a contoured windshield. Side panels seem rather flat and there are large wheelwells to accommodate large-scale wheels and tires.
At the tail a curt tapered panel holds a wide back strip of lamps with bold round lights that look similar to those marking the earliest Impalas.
Beneath the sculptured skin, structural components start with a safety cage that has underbody longitudinal and cross-car bracing for extra rigidity and torsional stiffness. Body stampings on each side from windshield pillar rearward to the tail consist of a single piece of convoluted metal and a horizontal cast slab of magnesium runs across the structure from one front pillar to the other behind the dash.
A compliant four-wheel independent suspension system enables Impala to respond with solid sensations when moving over pavement irregularities, and it reacts quickly when asked to steer clear of lane obstacles like slower traffic.
The suspension puts a MacPherson strut at each corner and progressive-rate springs to dampen road chatter and prevent excessive body roll.
Actually, the base and upgraded LS editions differ in ride quality due to variances in suspension tuning. Softer settings apply to the base Impala, while the LS exhibits more firm characteristics because of a switch in stabilizer bars, front and rear, plus different tuning for shock absorbers and stiffer springs.
Rack and pinion steering feels assertive and firm to handle at higher speeds yet easy to manipulate when parking.
In the power department, the base Impala stocks a familiar 3.4-liter plant from General Motors that produces 180 hp at 5200 rpm and torque numbers of 205 lb-ft at 4000 rpm. Fuel economy runs as high as 32 miles per gallon.
The optional 3.8-liter V6, with sequential port fuel injection system and multi-valve technology, features aluminum cylinder heads and pent-roof firing chambers with central positioning of spark plugs for complete combustion. Output reaches to 200 hp at 5200 rpm, plus 225 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm.
An electronically-controlled four-speed automatic transmission -- GM's smooth Hydra-matic shifter -- links to either V6.
All aspects of the base Impala point to a mass appeal -- from the easy entry price around $20,000 to suspension components geared to deliver a softer ride quality and a cabin outfitted with front bench seat split in 40-60 proportions for convenience.
Impala LS narrows the focus with a platform tuned for a taut ride and the suspension with firm settings, a tachometer added and disc brakes linked to anti-lock and traction control devices. It lists for $23,795.
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size sedan
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| Model Options: |
Mid-size sedan
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| Wheelbase: |
110.5 inches
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| Overall Length: |
200.0 inches
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| Engine Size: |
OHV 3.4-L V6
OHV 3.8-L V6
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 4T65-E
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| Drive: |
Front
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| Braking: |
Impala: Power 4-disc
opt. ABS/TCS
LS: Power 4-disc
ABS/TCS
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| Airbags: |
2 (front) + 1 (driver's side)
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| Gas Mileage: |
3.4-L: 21/32 mpg
3.8-L: 20/30 mpg
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| Price: |
$ 20,000 to $ 28,000 |
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