Chevy has ruined a lot of names and titles in it’s day, but none so brutally as the ‘SS’ nameplate. Once upon a time, SS meant V8 powered, rear wheel drive, tire melting fun. Nowadays, the 2007 Chevrolet Impala is the closest we get. Chevy did decide to throw a V8 under the hood ( after the embarrassment that was the supercharged V6 Impala SS of recent years ). Unfortunately, Chevy still decides to throw the power at the wrong set of wheels. There is never a time when V8 goes with FWD. Never, ever. V8 = RWD, or V8 = AWD/ 4WD ; there never need to be any exceptions.
As if the whole FWD thing wasn’t bad enough, there’s the fantastically bland styling of the Impala SS. There isn’t really a whole lot to say about the styling, because there just isn’t much going on there. Nothing about the car says Supersport. Nothing at all. I look at it, I want to fall asleep. That’s all I have to say about that. Does the performance make up for the strikes against the 2007 Impala SS? Read on to find out.
2007 Chevrolet Impala SS Specs
- 303 HP 5.3 liter V8
- 323 ft-lbs of tire-melting torque
- 4 speed automatic
- 18 mpg city / 27 mpg highway
- Curb Weight : 3718 lbs
- FWD
2007 Chevrolet Impala SS Reviews
Edmunds reviews the 2007 Chevrolet Impala SS and doesn’t feel it’s worth it – ‘While the SS model may be tempting to power-hungry buyers, be forewarned that dipping into its formidable reserves quickly brings fuel mileage down to around 17 mpg, despite ratings of 18 city and 27 highway. Our recommendation? Stick with the better-balanced LTZ and its plenty powerful 3.9-liter V6.’
Carforums.net reviews the 2007 Chevrolet Impala SS and applauds the power – ‘With the foot to the floor and traction control on, the engine winds up quite quickly and breaks the tires loose, even with a rolling start. It only took a moment for the TC to kick in and stop the fun. With the traction control off, not only did the tires spin, but gave the front end a very loose feeling in which it produced more oversteer than I would have predicted. Keeping it straight would not be a challenge for someone who knows better, but for someone not expecting it, it pulls back and forth and could get away from them.’
The Truth about Cars reviews the 2007 Chevrolet Impala SS and writes – ‘In short, this dog won’t hunt. Someone in GM’s marketing department should have had a word with the company’s engineers. Even a shade tree hot rodder knows an Impala SS requires strong styling, an upscale interior and a world class chassis. Rumor has it the next generation Impala will have a proper rear-wheel drive layout. Let’s hope so. ‘
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
i would like to see you use ashoe horn and squeeze either apro-chargerc with about 12-15 lbs of boost pumping out of that exaust or some may call it plumbing i love that car with all my heart but i really cant decide yet so i really think my heart is really set on a 2007 or a 2008 trailblazersswith the 8 cylinder with 395horsepower and 400lbs of foot torque i would absolutely kill for that truck sincerel y michael guerra my email address is mchguer5@netzero.com
The Impala SS is already putting out 303 HP, and is already nose heavy, as well as heavy in general. Slapping on a supercharger wouldn’t help in any of these areas. I can only imagine what kind of wheel spin you’d see, let alone the horrible torque steer that would be present.
I bought a 2008 Impala SS in April, 2008, a used car with about 14,000 miles on the odometer. The car was priced at $22,750 (25% off original price) and the dealer gave me $3,800 for my 2003 Impala trade-in with 164,000 miles and a transmission that was failing. The 2008 Impala is red with a black leather interior.
So far, I’m very happy with it. A performance bargain (0-60 in 5.6 seconds) with or without the generous trade-in, the car is quick, quiet and comfortable. Mileage is 20 mpg in the city, 28 mpg on the highway. Keep the big picture in mind: I got a nearly-new car for under $23,000 with more performance and features than a Fusion, Taurus, Accord, Camry or Altima.
Glad to hear you’re happy with your Impala. The MPG you’re getting is fantastic – that’s one of the things Chevy V6 and V8 engines are known for.
But I’m not convinced on the deal – perhaps there was some more room to maneuver. But again, if you’re happy, that’s all that really matters.
i love my 07 ss. it is a highway star w. oomph. i travel 104 miles a day and run it at about 80 and get 22mpg. i’m not a hotrodder and appreciate front wheel drive esp. in mountains and in the snow.
FWD is great for snow and rain, no doubt. But a strong V6 would do just as well with the FWD setup…. especially considering the wheelspin and torque steer issues with the V8.
With every article I see about this car, all it is is whining about it being FWD. To be quite honest, I really don’t know what the huge issue is? Instead of complaining about something that can’t be changed, maybe people should be thankful that they even decided to put a V8 in it.(optimism… *cough*) I have a black 2008 Impala SS and the torque steer is nearly non-existent. Even with FWD, the car still launches very quickly off the line. I’ve actually gotten 5.4 seconds to 60mph on my G-Tech Pro SS. The car handles extremely well in any weather type. If anything, I’d rather see the next generation Impala be AWD over RWD. As for the styling I agree, it is somewhat bland. However, it makes it more fun to surprise the hell out of people at stoplights! lol
A FWD SS V8 powered Impala is kind of like a FWD I4 powered four-door Mustang. It’s just wrong.
V8 powered cars need to send the power to the right ( rear ) wheels, period. AWD is, of course, acceptable. FWD has its place, and it excels in some areas. Driving a V8 “sporty” car? Not gonna compare to RWD / AWD, today, tomorrow, or ever.
Regardless of whether nor not it’s “wrong,” there’s nothing that can be done about it at this point. All people can do is hope that GM will make the next generation AWD or RWD. I’m just saying that I’m tired of hearing people constantly bitch about the FWD setup. It’s really not a bad car that everyone makes it out to be; I have one. People shouldn’t drive cars like assholes anyways (i.e. flooring it around a curve).
If you’re not going to have fun with a car ( or ‘drive it like an asshole’ ) then why in the world get a car that has a big honkin V8 under the hood, and purports to be “sporty”? Sounds like the vanilla Impala would suit your needs much better. Nothing wrong with FWD, when it’s on the proper car. Both of my current rides are FWD. Neither is fast.
Here’s the thing, I’m not posting on this website to attempt to change the minds of people. If you’re happy with RWD, more power to you! The point I’m trying to make is that the “torque steer,” even with the FWD setup, isn’t something that people should be crying over because it literally almost doesn’t exist. Also, taking turns at excessive speeds (i.e. getting the ass end out) is driving like an asshole, that’s what I’m taking about. If that’s the only reason one is purchasing a V8, than he or she should have their license revoked because that’s reckless driving. Period. What I’m talking about is straight-line 0-60. “AS A PROUD OWNER OF THIS CAR” I can say that the torque steer is almost non existent. I like having it FWD because it can be driven in all seasons and it’s fast. And no, a V6 Impala wouldn’t suit me because I feel that they are underpowered and really aren’t that quick. Would a RWD setup in this car handle better than FWD? Yes it would However, does the current FWD setup in this car work? Obviously yes it does considering it was the third best selling car in 2006 selling nearly 290,000.
The most appropriate option to suit all buyers would be AWD. AWD would completely remove the little torque steer that occurs and allow one to drive this car in all seasons. The issue with RWD and AWD is that the price of this car would increase and the gas mileage would decrease. Each drive train pretty much has its positives and negatives.
FWD= Good: gas milage bad: torque steer.
RWD= Good: sportier driving bad: terrible in snow.
AWD= Good: Excellent handling Bad: gas mileage.
I own a 2006 that I purchased new, it now has 68,000 miles. I am very happy with it and it has been very reliable. When I bought it I didn’t expect a sports car but a comfortable sedan that 4 people could be comfortable in that is enjoyable to drive. To drive it hard you need to be a driver, not just jump on the accelerator and expect the car to make up for your lack of skill. I’m of the opinion that rear wheel drive cars inherently handle better but that doesn’t mean that fwd cannot be fun. I had an Olds Aurora for 10 years and it was a fun car to drive too.
i just recently bought a 2008 Impala LT with the 3.5 V6, and it does get the job done. It smooth and quiet. Haven’t had a problem with it yet, and it gets on down the road when I need it to. It is a fun car to drive. I’ve always enjoyed the Impala’s. It is heavy, but ya know, what do you expect? It’s an Impala! Great car though. I’m not complaining about it.
I just bought an 07 Impala SS… it is out of control (in a good way). With 303 hp and 0-60 in what 5.6 secs the power is just about amazing… I was driving in town and a 5.0 mustang drove up beside me and reved up their engine, wasn’t scared one bit. I raced my friends corvette and took it off the line. I mean along with the leather seats, bose sound, sunroof, tinted windows. This gives a little bit of luxury and a whole lot of power… Believe what you want about all these reviews but until you get behind the wheel don’t judge until you try
I have a 2007 Impala SS and consider the thing nothing other than a curse. It is the only new car I have ever purchased, and it has broken down on me more than all of my previous cars combined. Transmission went out COMPLETELY (as in you’re-not-going-anywhere-whatsoever) at around 65K. Air conditioning and power steering have had problems. Side molding peeled off, cost me about $250 to get replaced (by dealer), then peeled off again less than a year later. Battery died less than two years into ownership and costs about $200 to get replaced because they have to remove the front fender to access it. (Remember the good old days when a person could change their own battery relatively easy?) Front end alignment is off, causing the too-expensive tires to get about 1/4 to 1/3 of their reported treadwear even with proper rotation. Tire monitor system has not worked properly since the first few months of ownership. Yesterday this car left me stranded (with my two young children in tote) an hour from home when it refused to start and would not jump start.
All I can say is that I used to be a “Chevy Guy” but this car has reversed my thinking 100% on that one. I will get rid of this car as soon as I can possibly afford to and from now on my motto with be “Anything BUT a Chevy!”
We should have just let GM go bankrupt for selling this kind of crap to the public. What happened to the idea of a free market economy? If your product sux, then you’re out of luck!