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