Wanted: Economical car with room for a future family, a good engine, and a comfortable ride.

This is what I was looking for, but I didn't start with the Impala. Instead, I test drove and researched the Pontiac Grand Prix, Bonneville or Sunfire, the Oldsmobile Alero and Intrigue, the Nissan Maxima, and the Toyota Solara and Celica.

Instead I purchased a 2001 Impala LS. I'm not going to compare and contrast every car and every feature, but I will tell you, the Impala is exactly what I was looking for. I rented a base model Impala for a road trip across Alaska and was pleasantly surprised by the smooth ride and fuel economy. After a test drive in the LS, I was sold!
I will focus on fuel economy, comfort, the 'ride', and other features.

Fuel economy:
One of the big sells for me was fuel economy. With the built in trip computer I've found that I average about 26-29MPG on my daily commute, and have scored about 33 MPG on longer trips.

Here's my first CON on this vehicle. The 'Low fuel' warning comes on when you have about 3 gallons left. Other cars I have driven alert you at about 1 gallon or less. I get kind of annoyed knowing that I have almost 100 miles of driving time on left on my 17Gallon tank, and this bright low fuel warning and bell is trying to get me to fill it up. Those of you who spend more time at the gas station won't mind, but it bugs me!

Comfort:
This is one of the largest 'mid sized' vehicles out there, and your back seat passengers will know it. When I give someone a ride they are always telling me I can pull my seat back more, they have plenty of room. My 6ft frame fits comfortably in the driver's seat. Power assisted seats in the loaded LS also contribute to a comfortable experience.

The trunk is huge...almost too big! If you put something in the back of the trunk you might need a golf club to pull things out, it's that deep! The seats also fold down for even more room.

Certain textures of road seem quite load in this vehicle, but most driving results in a pleasant noise level, and smooth ride.

The ride:
The V6 in the LS is smooth and powerful. When you put the pedal down, it takes off! It took a little while for me to get used to the different stages of acceleration in the pedal (one can practically shift gears by holding the pedal to certain stages, read your manual!), but now I don't miss my 5 speed Nissan 240SX at all!

I have traction control and it has kicked in a few times during this mild winter. I have yet to fishtail or go out of control on ice and snow. This is a very safe-handling car.

Other features:
Heated Seats and leather add to comfort. The 'premium' sound system is just OK. I feel that it would have been much better if they put some front speakers at ear-level. I wish they offered another level up for audio options, but this CD/TAPE combo is satisfactory for now. I don't see how you could replace it because numerous features in the car are set or reset by using the radio. (The auto tire pressure monitor, oil-change monitor, lights, alarms, etc are set from the radio). Dual temperature controls are nice for keeping things friendly in the front seat. I should also mention the heater works great. I leave it on '1' and have always been comfortable this winter.

Looks:
When I bought this car I felt like I was the only one that had it. Now, it seems like everyone and their uncle has an Impala. They are popular because they are all-around good cars. If you want to stand out a little, look at the 2002 Sport appearance package. It replaces some of the tail end details and adds a few more chrome touches for a really sporty look.

I plan on driving this vehicle for 10-15 years!

*Update 12/2002: I've got 23,000 miles on my Impala...no problems or complaints...great ride!
Amount Paid (US$): 21920
Condition: New
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: LS, Loaded