Original Publisher: The Gazette

For a number of years, when friends and family members who were not into cars asked my advice on what was a good, safe, reliable family sedan that wasn’t too expensive, I would mentally go through my list of what was new, what I’d driven recently and what I knew was coming up, before invariably concluding with: “Of course, you can’t go wrong with either the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry.”

For more than two decades, those two cars’ near-bulletproof reputations have earned them the right to be standard-bearers for the mid-size sedan segment. Over the past couple of years, and certainly since its redesign in 2006, I have added the Chevrolet Impala to my list of fallback stalwarts.

No, the Chevy isn’t going to inflame the passions of motorheads who yearn for burnout-inducing acceleration and BMW-style, limpet-like grip – not even the sporting, V8-powered SS model. But it tackles the day-to-day grind of family transportation with stoic competence, is laden with lots of standard features and is attractively priced.

The most intriguing aspect of the four-model lineup – LS, LT, LTZ and the aforementioned SS – is the inclusion of the FlexFuel 3.5-litre V6 engine, which runs on either gasoline or a blend of up to 85-per-cent ethanol (E85) and 15-per-cent gasoline.

And, as much as GM should be applauded for its efforts to keep corn farmers gainfully employed as well as reducing the car’s need for non-renewable crude, it’s a case of not being ready for primetime – at least in Southern Ontario. A Google search could locate only two gas stations selling E85, the nearest one more than 100 kilometres away.

So it was good, old 87 octane for the tester, which slurped it to the tune of 10.8 litres per 100 kilometres for the week. (It’s worth noting that, when powered by E85, a 10- to 15-per-cent reduction in fuel economy is to be expected.)

While it’s the smallest and least-powerful engine in the Impala lineup, the 211-horsepower 3.5-litre performs yeoman service, getting the mid-size sedan to desired speeds in proper time without any sense of strain. And, though bolted to a rather prosaic four-speed autobox, power flow was smooth, not interrupted by huge drop-offs between upshifts – GM knows how to get the most out of old tech.

Actually, my biggest beef with the transmission was that the column-mounted shifter (which comes as part of a $195, six-passenger seat option) didn’t have a proper detent do Drive, meaning that it was too easy to drop into a lower gear without realizing it.

Unlike the SS model, which can make some claim in the performance department, the LT tester was the epitome of family transport. Despite the 2007 model year’s retuning of the suspension and slightly wider track, the ride is definitely skewed toward comfort and not sport. Pushing the Impala hard into a corner will only result in the expected pronounced understeer. A milder approach works best, the car rewarding a gentle application with an equally gentle, relaxed result. Considering the Impala’s role as a reasonable alternative to the minivan, I find it unconscionable that anti-lock brakes with traction control are a $950 option on the base LS and LT. (General Motors of Canada must have felt the ground quake from my unbridled fury. It has made ABS standard across the Impala range for the 2008 model year.)

Moving to the inside of the car finds a comfortable cabin that highlights a more concerted effort on the part of GM to improve its interiors – tighter panel gaps, higher-quality trim bits, improved seat upholstery stitching, that sort of thing. No, it’s not Lexus-like quality, but neither is it the cold, stark, built-for-a-price effort of the past. And it’s roomy in the front and back as well, although I wouldn’t want to go three abreast on the front bench with that option.

For those needing to maximize utility, the optional ($325 on the LT) flip-and-fold rear seats are a worthy consideration. The seat cushions flip forward to create a covered storage area beneath the seat with cushions down and offer convenient grocery bag hooks when the cushions are flipped forward. The seatback also folds down to create a pass-through from the trunk. More than big-car roominess, Chevrolet wants the Impala to convey sophistication, not just transportation. For the most part, it succeeds, primarily on the strength of competence backed up by the automaker paying greater attention to sweating the details.

The Impala LT is a solid value for the money.