1996 Chevrolet Impala SS 5.7 Gasoline

Summary:

Best car I have ever owned

Faults:

Transmission went out at 97,000 miles due to really hard driving on my part.

The Air Injection pump (emissions related) went out at 90,000.

The EGR valve went out (Recall - dealer fixed free of charge).

Tires are rather expensive, and don't last long.

Other than those things, all normal maintenance.

General Comments:

Excellent reliable car. More than enough performance (0-60 mph in under 7 seconds) required for a car of this size. For a car this large, it is extremely agile, and is more than a joy to drive. I have taken this on many cross-country trips, and have felt virtually no fatigue as compared to my previous vehicles on a trip of the same matter. Gas mileage is excellent for this 2-ton beast (18 city, 28-32 highway), especially considering the Corvette-derived LT1 engine. Hands-down, this is the absolute best car I have ever owned, and I never plan to sell it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th February, 2003

7th Sep 2004, 22:58

I also have a '96 impala, but my gas mileage isn't nearly as good as yours, I'm getting about 11 mpg. also my gas gauge constantly moves. why is there the difference on my car and yours?

15th Oct 2004, 09:51

Chevrolet's (I'm not sure if it is all GM models) are notorious with the gas gauge moving around 1/4 or less tank. I have a 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe and my gas gauge moves too. Along with my friends 1996 Monte Carlo. That's a chevy thing, expect it with any Chevy you buy. I'm not sure about older Chevys, but around the '94-'96 models, expect it.

21st Apr 2006, 08:35

28mpg I can believe, but 32mpg is just a load of rubbish. My L99 Caprice with 2:73 rear gears that I drive VERY easy wouldn't even get 32mpg, let alone a stock LT1 Impala with a 3:08 rear gear ratio.

1996 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport 5.7

Summary:

A real super sport legend

Faults:

Battery went dead after four years of very tough work.

Heater fan went down, but it got fixed under the warranty.

General Comments:

The best car you can possibly get for your money. Very fast and comfy. Eats any Mustang that tries to race it. The best car ever period.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd October, 2000

14th Oct 2004, 09:30

1996 Chevy Impala was made to smoke mustangs and any other car that comes across it. It's a fast and good looking car. It keeps me goin and has not let me down since the day that i bought it.

10th Feb 2007, 09:52

To the poster above.

While I respect and understand your point of view, it is clear to me that you are limited by your lack of technical knowledge about this vehicle. The B and D body vehicles date back to the Chevrolet Bel Air and had been improved upon for decades. Honda with their Civic and Toyota with their Corolla have done the same thing in keeping a platform for years and constantly improving upon it. This is what makes cars reliable - time and effort put into their engineering. The body on frame Impalas and Caprices are as reliable as the day is long because of the chassis/body configuration's inherrent advantages. That alone makes the car better than 90% of vehicles going. Unfortunately GM made a poor decision and cancelled this platform, leaving the Ford Crown Victoria line of cars the only remaining body on frame platform available as a new car. I am very financially secure. I could afford a car such as a BMW or Mercedes, but won't waste the money because their unibody platforms and weak structural integrity makes them a real laughing stock in the quality department. That's why I drive a Lincoln Town Car.

However, the Impala had something the Crown Victoria does not (or at least no longer) have. A small block OHV V8 engine (the Crown Vic is overhead cam). The small block V8s are the most reliable powertrains ever made. They are cheap to fix... and cheap to modify. Relatively inexpensive modifications are easily made the these cars, and yes, can make them faster than than just about anything (including Dodge Vipers) at the racetrack. I highly doubt you would still be of your opinion if you gave this some detailed attention.

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