Chevy Test Drive inpressions

[TheIntrepid]

Maybe the generation that you guys had, but not the new one.  It's much bigger.

The new one is supposedly SMALLER, CJ.

[2o6]

Yes they are, and yes it is.  The Impala is the same as the Grand Prix which is the same as the Lacrosse, which means the Impala and the Lacrosse are the same thing.  I sat in both cars back to back, and found the Lacrosse to much bigger on the inside.

The Lacrosse is on the N-body.


The Impala is on the W-body.

[TheIntrepid]

The Lacrosse is on the N-body.


The Impala is on the W-body.

There we go.

[2o6]

Oh, wait. You said Lacrosse.

[2o6]

LUCERNE is on the N-body.

The Impala and Lacrosse are the same.

[TheIntrepid]

Oh, wait. You said Lacrosse.

You assumed Lucerne, right? I thought something was not right.

[MX793]

OK, some hard numbers for rear seat space (not that they tell the whole story)

2001 Impala LS
Rear headroom:  42.2"
Rear legroom:  38.4"
Rear hip room:  55.7"
Rear shoulder room:  58.9"

2008 Impala LS
Rear headroom:  37.8"
Rear legroom:  37.6"
Rear hip room:  57.2"
Rear shoulder room:  58.6"

In a nut shell, the rear seat in the current Impala is significantly smaller in the head and legroom department than the previous one.

And, for the hell of it, here's the numbers for the LaCrosse/Allure, which is a platform-mate to the Impala.

2007 Buick LaCrosse/Allure
Rear headroom:  37.2"
Rear legroom:  37.6"
Rear hip room:  54.6"
Rear shoulder room:  57"

A bit tighter than the Impala, particularly in hip and shoulder room, but similar in head and legroom.

[CALL_911]

No they're not, and no it's not.

psst.....HEY TREP, THEY ARE THE SAME CAR!!!!

Edit: beat me to it.

[CALL_911]

There we go.

No, the Lucerne is a N-body, the Impala is a W-body.

EDIT: WHAT THE FUCK!!!!! WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP BEATING ME TO IT.

[TheIntrepid]

You're a bit late, Ro. All necessary edits and clarifications have been made. Unless you're just here to rub things in.

[CJ]

The Lacrosse was just...it was better layed out, I guess.  It had more room.

[CALL_911]

You're a bit late, Ro. All necessary edits and clarifications have been made. Unless you're just here to rub things in.

Hence the "EDIT". Good try, though.

[ifcar]

Additionally, as far as the back seat is concerned, the new Impala is a different car and ifcar has commented about how the latest revision of that platform (w body, is that right?) has some packaging issues (we had a long argument once upon a time about the Lacrosse's back seat, don't worry, I schooled him (it was, as usual, a battle of technicalities)).

All the W-Bodies have terrible packaging that leads to tight rear seating for large cars. And the Grand Prix's in particular is shameful for anything bigger than a compact coupe.

[Panama_Chopster]

Cloth feels cheap, stains easily, and is hard to clean.  I don't find it comfortable either.  Leather feels better, looks better, cleans more easily, and is far more comfortable.

And makes the car smell better.

[Submariner]

As I remember it, the Intrepid and Impala's back seats were nearly identical in size.



This is the back seat of my car as it sits outside in the rain right now. Sorry for the shitty pic from my mom's phone, but it's the best i can do. The front seats are almost all the way back, if not all the way.

Those seats are not pushed all the way back, or close to it.  Not many cars have their normal frontal seating position that much in front of the B-pillar.

[TheIntrepid]

Those seats are not pushed all the way back, or close to it.  Not many cars have their normal frontal seating position that much in front of the B-pillar.

It's the angle. The back of the seats are right at the B-Pillar. The passenger seatback is up at almost a 90* angle though, so that may be it as well.

[Submariner]

It's the angle. The back of the seats are right at the B-Pillar. The passenger seatback is up at almost a 90* angle though, so that may be it as well.

Generally, the back of the seat bottom should line up with the back of the B-pillar, or thereabouts.  Also, there is too much of the center console showing in the back seat.

[omicron]

OK, some hard numbers for rear seat space (not that they tell the whole story)

2001 Impala LS
Rear headroom:  42.2"
Rear legroom:  38.4"
Rear hip room:  55.7"
Rear shoulder room:  58.9"

2008 Impala LS
Rear headroom:  37.8"
Rear legroom:  37.6"
Rear hip room:  57.2"
Rear shoulder room:  58.6"

In a nut shell, the rear seat in the current Impala is significantly smaller in the head and legroom department than the previous one.

And, for the hell of it, here's the numbers for the LaCrosse/Allure, which is a platform-mate to the Impala.

2007 Buick LaCrosse/Allure
Rear headroom:  37.2"
Rear legroom:  37.6"
Rear hip room:  54.6"
Rear shoulder room:  57"

A bit tighter than the Impala, particularly in hip and shoulder room, but similar in head and legroom.

Just for the hell of it:

VE Holden Commodore / Pontiac G8

Rear headroom: 38"
Rear legroom: 39.4"
Rear hip room: 58"
Rear shoulder room: 59"

[Northlands]

http://www.autobytel.com/content/shared/articles/templates/index.cfm/article_id_int/1312


Both complained of tight rear space.

I thought I'd just look at some articles.Here's one posting.

I remember a friend of mine, complaining about the newer model Impala ( he was a fan of the old one. ) One of his complaints was that the car appeared longer, less room inside. Newer does not always mean bigger.

[SVT666]

OK, some hard numbers for rear seat space (not that they tell the whole story)

2001 Impala LS
Rear headroom:  42.2"
Rear legroom:  38.4"
Rear hip room:  55.7"
Rear shoulder room:  58.9"

2008 Impala LS
Rear headroom:  37.8"
Rear legroom:  37.6"
Rear hip room:  57.2"
Rear shoulder room:  58.6"

In a nut shell, the rear seat in the current Impala is significantly smaller in the head and legroom department than the previous one.

Headroom is 4.5" less int he new one so I agree with your assessment, however the legroom is a scant 0.8" less.  That's barely noticeable if at all.

[ifcar]

And the old one hardly had a huge back seat either.

[SVT666]

And the old one hardly had a huge back seat either.

I thought backseat space in the old car was alright.  Not huge like a 300 or Magnum, but it was still fine.

[ifcar]

I thought backseat space in the old car was alright.  Not huge like a 300 or Magnum, but it was still fine.

Or a Camry, or an Altima, or many other smaller family cars.