Review: 2007 Chevy Impala SS - It's Hilarious

I review the 2007 Chevy Impala SS in all its front-wheel-drive V8 glory. While the premise sounds sketchy, I think it actually drives better than some of the reviews made it seem back when these were new. And while it's floaty and soft, and a bit half-baked, it's commendable that Chevrolet had the guts to do this and I think for those looking for a nice sounding cruiser without any frills, the Impala SS certainly can still fill that role well. What do you think about the Impala SS? Thanks to Harrison Auto Sales for providing this car to review! This one sold fast, but their full inventory can be found here: www.harrisonautos.com
Time Stamps:
0:00 Exterior
1:48 Interior
4:43 Initial impressions
8:11 First acceleration
11:06 Handling
15:15 Competitor comparisons
16:55 Final thoughts
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[@Branto123]

My mom had a 2011 Impala with the hilariously slow 3.5L v6. She loved it and thought it would be perfect for my first car. So when I turned 16 I talked her getting me a 2008 Impala SS. She didn’t know what the SS meant. I told her it was a trim level (leather seats, nicer stereo, etc.).

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Haha nice one!

[@marksman4004]

Should've told her it meant super safe. 🤣🤣🤣

[@donc6781]

You moms car didn’t have a 3.4L, 3.5 or 3.9

[@Branto123]

@@donc6781 3.5, my apologies.

[@jimmypena2442]

I had a 2007 3.5 v6 and I didn’t think it was that slow. For a v6 long boat feeling ride I thought it was plenty torque.

[@jaimeramirez-perez7198]

Nice to see old car reviews like this 👍

[@ZillaDaKilla195]

Can't believe this is considered old. I feel old now lol

[@Neon_Dre]

Agreed

[@pnwvibes_]

How is 2007 old?

[@ZillaDaKilla195]

@@pnwvibes_ 16 years for a car is pretty old🤣

[@cfisher2447]

What, trying to be Doug demuro?

[@wg5331]

Correction Matt. That did not use a Corvette engine. Corvette never used the 5.3. The C6 base vette used either the 6.0 or 6.2.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

I thought C5 had the 5.3 but I was wrong, it was the 5.7. Thanks for the correction!

[@lookitsrain9552]

Yea, the engine in this is an LS4, which is just an alu truck 5.3 v8 turned sideways with some changes to make it work (send the 4t65e to orbit)

[@JohnSmith-lf4be]

@@lookitsrain9552 the block is shorter than the truck 5.3

[@DouglasJobin]

@@MattMaranMotoringThe C5 also ended in 2004. 2005+ was the C6 which only had 6.0 and 6.2 liter Gen 4 LS engines

[@mefford2692]

Odd seeing people say the C6 didnt have the 5.3 when I can go for a walk through town and show you 3 base model ones that had 5.3s.

[@gt0783]

My dad had the Monte Carlo version of this. He did so much work to the engine, and a lot of upgrades to the interior. It was beautiful, and hilariously powerful and loud. What a fun FWD V8 muscle car.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Sounds fun!

[@issavibez394]

Hellllll yaaaa lol

[@Somanybeats]

Does he have a KZbin channel? I wanna see

[@DPWian]

The Monte Carlo version looked so good. I’d honestly would try to find one now.

[@chrisgonzales2252]

Monte Carlo with V8? What ?

[@zackeryjones2314]

I've never thought of you reviewing this kind of a car and I love it please do more of these videos of use affordable performance cars😊

[@ToesInTheSand6927]

I agree, I think we all like seeing throwback cars review that we all actually can afford.

[@johndudgeon7954]

What. About. Police. Version. ?

[@ToesInTheSand6927]

@@johndudgeon7954 Well the police inceptor version sucked until 2012. When it got the 3.6 and 6 speed. Before that it just had the 3.9 and 4 speed.

[@caddieguy6510]

I had a 2006 Impala SS for 4 years and did a truck intake manifold, a cold air boxed intake, e85, 3 inch exhaust. That car was a ridiculously fast daily driver and definitely turned heads when people heard the exhaust note

[@datrill1000]

No it wasn’t 😂

[@Sqwishyplatypus]

@@datrill1000 were you there?

[@MyNameJeff..]

You thought in your head you were turning heads lol

[@MyNameJeff..]

@@SqwishyplatypusI was. I saw no heads turn.

[@natezosso6822]

Lol a truck intake why???

[@diegohooker]

Love the classic Harrison auto sales reviews. Always been curious about these FWD V8s

[@jayelbee1111]

Those GM W-cars equipped with the LS3 5.3 Liter V-8 can pull hard. They had 303 horsepower and was able to go 0-60 in 5.6 seconds, 1/4 mile in 14.2 seconds, and a top speed of 150 m.p.h. They had good fuel economy as well. They were: 2006-2009 Chevrolet Impala SS 2006-2009 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 2006-2009 Pontiac Grand Prix GXP 2006-2009 Buick LaCrosse Super

[@staceyhauck4200]

You are right. I drive my 2008 ss daily and also ran it at the track 14.10 at 98mph. Not bad for at front driver. Lol also those two cars in video would not take the impala. Still to this day it holds its own

[@jayelbee1111]

​@staceyhauck4200 I know a guy who had a 2008 Impala SS 5.3 V-8 upgraded the exhaust, camshaft, retuned it, and added a cold air intake. It had that throaty grunt and he managed to get it to around to 376 horsepower. That Impala SS beat a Mustang GT in a drag race

[@Stressless2023]

Buick Lacrosse Super was two years only, 2008-2009 - Monte Carlo SS V8 was also two years only, 2006-2007 when it was discontinued - Pontiac Grand Prix was discontinued in 2008 along with the GXP which ran from 2005 not 2006.

[@michaelmohrle1773]

LS4

[@Detroittruckdoctor55]

We didnt know how good we had it

[@agaad22]

Im surprised there’s still any of these on the road. The transmissions were literally ticking time bombs.

[@jlpsuroeste]

I’ve had two and never have I had any issues

[@pontiacGXPfan]

I say that every single time I see one of these personally I like the Pontiac version better because at least it got better tires

[@bsizzlehill2283]

My uncle had one with 215,000 miles on it. With the original transmission. I think it has alot to do with good maintainence and not driving like a psycho.

[@timothypadilla4192]

Awe yes a video on one of these cars wouldn't be right without the TYPICAL comment on the transmissions.

[@SCHMALLZZZ]

​@pontiacGXPfan what is the Pontiac version?

[@GoldYeti1320]

I used to have a 2006 Impala SS. I loved that car! Nice to see the love to this unique car!

[@jodobaggens2723]

Define unique.

[@da_poopoo_dealer3152]

I have three impalas from this generation. I have an LT, an LTZ, and an SS all in matching silver. I love the impalas more than any other car ive owned. They’re so forgiving, deceptively fast, and exceptionally agile. These impalas are just down badged cadillacs. Everything is built so well, everything is heavy and has weight to it. I used to have a 2002 deville with the v8 northstar, and the impala ss drives almost exactly like it. You dont really feel the imperfections of the road when you’re driving like a normal person, but when you start redlining it and hitting curves as fast as the car can handle it can keep up with almost any car that cost less than 85k. I have full faith they will be sought after in the future after people realize how good they are, because right now you can find a used one with 45k miles on it for ~8k. They’re almost all owned by old people. As of now i have 200k+ miles on both of my normal impalas and 170k on my SS. Thats alot of driving for not too much money.

[@cosmopaynetv9099]

I remember this car came out back then wanted bad...Now it a certified hood classic 😂

[@CTF33]

"You slip into the slot and it starts right up." Nice😊

[@FrickYourHandle]

My Mom totaled one of those after jumping some train tracks and flipping multiple times before hitting a tree. But she walked away fairly unharmed so thank you Chevy for saving my Mama👍🏻

[@MattKremer39]

My 2006 Impala SS was one of my favorite ownership experiences to date.

[@jaysmoove6442]

Same I had a GXP and still regret selling it

[@nicholas6349]

Same, I only sold mine after the transmission took a dump though. Such a fun car imo.

[@IBENOUTMYMIND]

​@nicholas6349 lol I'm in the same position. Even bought a upgrade kit. Still got it lol

[@MattKremer39]

Same! The trans started slipping ever so slightly, and at the time I didn't realize financially it would have been much smarter to fix it than to trade into a hemi grand cherokee. ha@@nicholas6349

[@theadventuresoftubby3286]

Still have mine as my favorite so far It was lowered and straight piped plenty of fun

[@GenXtra65]

I had a new ‘08 Impala LTZ with 3.9L V6. It was very quick in a straight line but if you stomped on it, it had torque steer until it broke the front tires loose and then it was a free for all. Rode well and it had firm handling so I’m thinking the wallowing you experienced was a result of age.

[@garysarnowski3113]

Bought one new exactly like this one, black on black. Ran a KN air filter and used it for business travel. Loved the exhaust sound, handled well. Beat out most cars on the road. Only issue, transmission went at 30,000 miles, replaced with a rebuilt one under warranty. Had another replacement, rebuilt at around 60,000 miles under warranty. At about 80,000 miles, started to act up again, so I traded it for a 2011 Impala LTZ with V6 engine. No transmission issues. Did experience torque steer with the 2007 but the car was a blast.

[@christopherlaflam6383]

These are so cool. Sound amazing. I drove a co-worker's back when these were new. Fun to drive!

[@Eddie-loves-cars]

I appreciate you keeping the videos fun and informative. Great video Matt.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Thanks! Glad you like them!

[@paralyzes]

5.3 was also available in the Buick Lacrosse as well. These rides were dependable, naturally aspirated sleepers, that’s what I like about them. The Chevrolet SS is indeed an awesome 6.2 sleeper, but hold onto your wallet. Great review!

[@jeffputz4266]

Set the cruise at 55 -60 and you could touch 30 MPG...

[@TWOxTONE_773]

I had the Grand Prix gap with the 5.3. I loved it but the trans started slipping at 140k miles. I traded it and drive a Taurus SHO now. I wish new GM sedans had a performance version I can afford.

[@FLEXjs]

I had a 2006 SS that I bought new and I really liked it. Bland styling, yes. Can't really recall the handling but it was a nice, affordable V8 sedan for me when our kids were young and money was tight. I really liked it. Had it about a year then upgraded to a Charger R/T and I've stuck with Chargers since, having owned 4 now including three SRTs. Don't see too many SS Impalas around these days but I always notice them the rare times I see them. Fond memories.

[@nick0164]

the late 90s to 2000s fwd sports cars from GM are some of my favorite. my dad had a GTP with the supercharged 3800 and i loved that thing. not amazing reliability but man these were some cool cars

[@saint5ify]

I always loved them until I grew up and realized they aren’t what GM and some people claimed they were. My dad had a 2001 GTP for a bit when I was a kid, I always thought it was fast and I’ve now owned a number of GTPs. If you’re not $1500+ into mods, you’ll be stuck in the mid 15s and they’re extremely underpowered. The 4T65 holds them back tremendously, the FWD doesn’t help with handling at all and doesn’t properly put the power down, the throttle bogs heavily around full RPM, list goes on. The only car I personally think GM made somewhat impressive in that category, was my old 1998 Bonneville SSEi, which utilized the L67 3800 Series 2 and first generation of 4T65. That car would get up and move for it’s size and weight.

[@saint5ify]

⁠@@nick0164I’ve owned three of them, all really disappointed me. Only car I had with that same setup, was the much heavier but faster 1998 Bonneville SSEi. That car would spin at 40-50 mph and pull and pull for miles if you gave it enough. Very cool in an almost 4000lbs sedan versus the lighter GTPs that you would expect to move like that. My dad had a 2001 GTP sedan when I was young and he always said that GM lied about numbers on those cars, although 240hp/240tq makes sense for that time period, performance wise.

[@nick0164]

@@saint5ify my dad had one of those too. all black with gold badges. not 100% sure if it was the SSEi but i know it was a 98. i don’t remember that car all too well i mainly have memories of the Gtp. even if it was underpowered, 6 year old me thought that thing was the fastest in the world. unfortunately he totaled it drunk driving around 8 years ago. funny thing was we didnt even know, my mom seen the totaled car while going to work😭couldnt even tell it was a Grand prix, license plate was the only form of identification

[@danielsherrill7085]

I had a 2012 Impala LTZ with the 300 hp 3.6 V6 and the six speed. I absolutely loved that car. It wasn't the sportiest or best looking car on the road, but it was comfortable and quite the sleeper. In a straight line I was able to run with the 4.6 Mustangs and 350Z's, and even beat a couple of each on a roll race where my traction wasn't as limited. And when I took it to Florida a couple times on vacation, it held all of the luggage and could've held more , and returned 30 mpg on the highway. Eventually it was stolen and wrecked. Oh well.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Bummer, but thanks for sharing your memories!

[@patricks.7951]

I believe it, I had an 06 3.9 and it could beat V6 mustangs with the 4.0 in rolls and sometimes from a dig depending on the driver

[@damontroch4765]

Actually the 3.6 were faster than those 5.3s . Not by a lot but those 3.6 scream over 4000 rpm those 5.3 are are dead by 5500 and the 3.6 is just waking up. The 3.6 with 6 speed is definitely more fun.

[@gray25xt]

LOVE the retro reviews. Your personality and knowledge presentation fits this segment well. Subscribed!

[@schizophrenicgaming365]

Please stop making me feel old by calling 2007 retro

[@BabyBugBug]

Retro? What?

[@JonIronhorse]

Really like this review. When I saw the title, I scrolled past, but something told me you'd make it interesting and you did not disappoint, and neither did the Impala... Cheers!

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Thanks, I’m glad you gave it a shot and liked it!

[@sammiller2249]

My favorite part about my SS isn't even the V8, it's the suspension and handling. I payed 4k with 140k miles so for the price it's hard to find anything else in that price range with the power and handling it offers.

[@waltfraher7198]

Thank you so much Matt for this older car review. Really appreciate these reviews. I'm not much of a truck/SUV person, and definitely not in favor of EVs. These older performance cars are still awesome!!!

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!

[@tannerthomas5986]

Don’t forget about the Buick Lacrosse ‘Super’ that had the same engine, super rare!

[@FrenchSmitty]

Having owned 3 w-body vehicles (92 Lumina, 99 Lumina, 09 LaCrosse), this video brings back some good memories. I appreciate the research you did for this video, you described this platform perfectly! Thanks!

[@FrenchSmitty]

My 92 had the 3.1 mpfi, the 99 had the 3100 sfi and the 09 had the 3800 series III, by far the best out of the 3

[@JCVACCARO]

My brother had a 2005 Impala SS with the 3800 supercharged V6 engine. It was pretty reliable.

[@cavalierliberty6838]

The 3800sc was overall a better car, and more stylish too.

[@ShineWorxAD]

Nice. We have those here in our Holden Commodore (Chevy omega). L67 3800 V6 RWD. Bit of a boat anchor stock, but has potential.

[@lifeofdre707]

The 3800 is a good engine especially supercharged

[@monikhushalpuri]

I have a 2004 impala ss as a winter beater, can confirm super reliable and great on gas when cruising and instant torque when you step on it...I'm genuinely thinking of keeping the engine for a rwd g body swap or camaro 3.8 swap when it gets too rusty to drive any further

[@luisvilla799]

The 3.8 is a reliable engine

[@doggedlydetermined7022]

Chevy could’ve had a solid Crown Vic competitor if it were RWD and the V8 standard

[@naveenthemachine]

I thought the crown Vic wasn’t a competitor to the impala. I thought that’s the job of the Taurus

[@doggedlydetermined7022]

@@naveenthemachineperhaps, but Chevy could’ve gotten a chunk of those crown Vic sales with these. Just fell short though

[@lookitsrain9552]

Impala went fwd because the rwd b body version simply didnt sell, most crown vic sales were fleet because it was dirt cheap and old.

[@jeffputz4266]

Bland and RWD...brilliant! How did nobody think of it sooner? Wait, Ford had that niche covered for a decade...

[@ianscheurer]

the vics went fleet sale only in 2007 and they wouldnt have competed with the grand marquis or the town car lol

[@liveamazing9350]

Idk why it makes me so happy to see you back at Harrison auto sales

[@itslorenzo]

This was fun and nostalgic to watch Matt! Great review 🙌🏾

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!

[@GOBRADON502]

Correction the 5.3 was never used in the Corvette , but the 5.7 LS1 was used in the Corvette from 97 until 2004 And when The super sport Impala came out the The only V8 that was available was a 5.3 l aluminum based LS instead of the 5.3 iron block used in the trucks in the tahoes

[@seanm1319]

My mom still has a Grand Prix from the same generation with the 3800 series 3 pushrod V6. Last spring when I detailed it for her, I did a little joy ride and forgot how awesome that V6 was. For all the shortcomings GM cars had, they got the feel of the power train and steering right. The 4-speed auto worked perfectly fine, strong and consistent band of acceleration, not blow you away strong, but extremely consistent power delivery. Fairly quiet even by modern day standards, and a fairly comfortable ride too. If GM started making mid-full sized cars again, I’d definitely be interested. I especially miss the assortment of practical mid-sized coupes from 10+ years ago. Grand Prix, Monte Carlo and Riviera were all practical cars, but had a cool factor that modern sedans don’t have. I had a 02 Grand Am GT coupe at one time and loved the car, despite the fact that it definitely wasn’t perfect, it looked cool and was fun to drive for what it was. I’m done rambling now haha

[@smilerespectively4125]

I stopped watching your videos for since 2014, it’s good to be back!!!

[@dougb3740]

Very cool review Matt! Thanks for sharing it!

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Thanks for watching, glad you liked it!

[@JackKarneval]

You should have also mentioned the most sleeper of all the 5.3L V8 powered FWD cars from that era, the Buick Lacrosse Super!

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Yeah I forgot about that one!

[@MrHungry_420]

Yup they are the rarest and im lucky to have one myself

[@netoownoraa970]

I had an '06 Impala SS that my neighbor put a stage 1 racing cam in after I blew the Trans and had it rebuilt. It was absolutely ridiculous to drive, but I loved it!

[@mtbker30]

Thanks, Matt! Would love to see more old car reviews like this.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Thanks for watching! I'm gonna try to do as many as I can!

[@timw2083]

I like seeing these older reviews 🎉 I just picked up an 02 IS300, that 2JZ isn't fast but it's smooth

[@johnalterio372]

would love to see a comparison with this and a 2003 Mercury Marauder. Growing an appreciation for these cars.. maybe because I'm closing in on 50.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

I’d love to review one of those too if I come across one!

[@mattcronin3237]

I got a 2006 Monte Carlo SS as my first car, it’s awesome and a blast to drive. Was thinking of getting the Impala but a Monte popped up by me and I couldn’t pass on it. After only driving a 2014 GMC Terrain for my first year, upgrading to this thing has been a blast. I know the transmissions aren’t the best but I plan on swapping for the 4T80E out of the old North Star caddy’s. Great video and great car.

[@marcusallen2951]

It’s a sleeper now because it’s a lost generation of high performance luxury coupes that people don’t respect anymore.

[@mattcronin3237]

@@marcusallen2951 Fr man people need to put some more respect on its name. People always hate on the fwd and transmission, but a 300hp LS is a 300hp LS no matter what’s around it.

[@yeathatsright369]

Will that trans match the monte carlo

[@carsaregood911]

Videos like these are your bread and butter Matt, this and the weekly updates 😊

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Glad you like them!

[@michaelpeterson2473]

I had an 08 ss with 44,000 back in 2012 wasn’t the fastest but boy did I have FUN with this car thanks for the memories Matt 👍👍

[@SirT80]

A friend of mine had a Pontiac Grand Prix GXP. Hilarious to ride shotgun in. Those wheels on the Impala SS have always been kinda sexy to me.

[@Opium64]

It’ll be cool to do a q50 hybrid surprise it wasn’t a review for it it’s the most innovative power train they made

[@GroovyBit]

No lie it really was ahead of it’s time before everyone jumped on that boat craz people ignore that

[@00lexuses300]

My uncle has one of these and I remember driving it and how easily you could make the tires shred on these. It was fun!

[@GermanLibertarian]

The first 1.5 seconds sum up my whole experience with this car. It still made me love,....now...15 years later.

[@71vwdriver]

Nice to see you do an older less known car

[@mastafa4517]

The suspension setup (soft) makes it handle like a boat! Chevy Impala SS v8 303hp. Nice job Matt . . . especially that wheel spin. 🎉

[@liamcorr1215]

Most american cars handle like boats to manage their weight, which closely relates to the general public (in america) and probably why they're gawked at by Americans, even when they're built awfully by the same company, because who in North America would get anything other than a fat V8 to get them to and from McDonalds ever so slightly quicker

[@Vagabor123]

2007 impala ss was my first car. Bought it when i was 21. I had it for 13 years. Mine had a lot of problems (transmission x2 was the major one) but i loved it. When i first bought it, it turned heads. People always complemented me on my car whenever i went. I sure do miss it.

[@fordmuscleluis9710]

Glad you got this old school car reviews my favorites always

[@MattMaranMotoring]

I’m glad you liked it!

[@LukeO-1234]

My grandparents had this exact car in an 08 with grey interior. The only complaints they had about it were the cheap feeling interior, and the AC really struggled to keep up on hot summer days. I am also surprised that you didn't mention that the 3.6 V6 a few years later was a little more horsepower than this.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

I wanted to stay focused on the SS versions, but yeah it’s funny that the regular V6 had similar power as this old V8. That’s cool your grandparents had one!

[@stevesmith6236]

The next, and final gen Impala, was rated a few more hp for it's V6, but had a lot less torque, and was considerably slower in the 1/4 mile.

[@michaelmohrle1773]

I was going to say same thing Steve said above, About 65 lbs more torque!

[@BabyBugBug]

Grandparents? You act like this was 40 years ago my god.

[@LukeO-1234]

@@BabyBugBug i grew up with them a lot as my regular parents suck ass

[@The_Stick]

Thanks for bringing back some good memories Matt. I test drive one of these when they were new. At the time, I didn’t feel like it compared very well to cars like the second generation G35 sedan. They sure sound cool though!

[@joshtavenner3073]

Got a new one of these back in 2007. Owned for 2 years with no issues. Last car I ever owned before going to trucks. Nice daily driver it was and decently quick despite being V8 with wrong wheel drive.

[@petermandics1517]

Great review, Matt! Speaking of gearing, I remember that these things were good for 104 mph in 2nd(!)

[@imnotusingmyrealname4566]

3:12 I don't even want to imagine how cheap the woodgrain would be😂

[@mclaren6792]

In contrary to what he said, those SS Impalas did have headrests that said SS. The one he had must have not thought. But he was still wrong.

[@sengsythao1896]

Very nice car! Always like to see old car reviews! Like you said, I would buy the v8 model Impala ss. Just for work and back while having spirited fun! 😎👍

[@jmt8706official]

I love these blast from the past reviews. 👍

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Thanks!

[@BabyBugBug]

Huh? Dude, quit acting like this is a 1970s land yacht.

[@jcangler88]

The transmissions are known to go regularly on these. With that said I had an ‘06 for a couple years, it was so fun, and handled like garbage haha. When the trans was starting to slip like they all do, I traded it in lol.😊

[@iraqifoodcart8447]

That's the thing about Chevys. They make great engines, and everything else is either made from Chinesium, or it's made from plastic they scraped from the bottom of the barrel. Ironically, GMC vehicles actually have reliable transmissions. Why Chevy didn't get the exact same transmissions, despite being made from the same parts, same bolt patterns, idk what makes the Chevy versions of the GMC transmissions so unreliable compared to the GMC versions of the transmissions, but if you put a GMC transmission on a Chevy, and you end up with reliability comparable to that of a Toyota or a Volvo.

[@no1zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

@@iraqifoodcart8447 That is the most crackpot thing i have ever read. They use the exact same transmissions, from the exact same plant, with the same internals..and in every instance I know of---the exact same programming. I happen to specialize in rebuilding of products from the folks over at GM powertrain Toledo

[@RothBalloon]

I was in the rental car business around that time and my favorite was the Monte Carlo SS. I felt at the time that this was a very fun and fast car. Didn’t hurt that the Monte Carlo basically looked like something from NASCAR 😊

[@MackJic23]

IKR, it looked almost identical to the race car!

[@aaalll2513]

The original leather seats do have the SS embroiled on the headrest. It's an awsome car and not slow at all. Back then it was the NASCAR option for Chevrolet. I still drive one .... 2007. The only thing that actually bothered me was the shiny edge trim around the shifter, which I got it resolved with some carbon fiber wrap.

[@NissanAltimaGuy]

I wanted my mom to get one so bad at the time, but she got a 2008 Pontiac Torrent Gxp instead. I appreciate this review!

[@steinravnik8692]

Roger Smith's GM10 W-body debacle last hurrah. Amazing to think that this design began in 1982 and lasted up till the bankruptcy. Always seemed like a harbinger for the enevitable bankruptcy that soon ensued after this ridiculous V8 powered version came out. Had a coworker who bought one. I rode in it a few times. It rode really nice for the time, and had a good number of features for the era. Keep in mind this is pre smart phone, touchscreen and bluetooth era. An auxiliary audio jack and satellite radio was high class back then. The power steering hose went out on a trip. Finally the transmission self destructed prematurely and and he ditched it after only a few years and traded up to a Cadillac DTS as he was approaching retirement. He was a big GM guy.

[@imnotusingmyrealname4566]

I love these stories and those cars even though they seem mundane to most.

[@kyle_throws_tools]

I drove one of these while working as a used car tech for a Ford dealer back in 2011. I remember it being hilariously terrible fun.

[@brianb1199]

I'd love to see you do more of these older car reviews.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

I try to do them whenever I come across the right cars, hoping to increase the frequency though!

[@kmena05]

I drove one of these one time and it flies, its pretty impressive for its age and being on a FWD layout.

[@AgentB-0711]

Great review! I picked the 2013 ltz with the 3.6L v6 over the 2009 SS i was looking at. Even though I wanted that v8 sound, i think i made the right choice because the ride quality and power delivery are similar and the ltz is better on gas, (the gas prices have been crazy lately). I do wish i had the SS as a back up daily driver though, that would be nice lol

[@davidestrada7337]

These impala are" OK" cars i bought a 07 SS with a new tranny for 3900 w/ 95k miles v8 alone sounds great just a cheap work car beater

[@AgentB-0711]

@@davidestrada7337 i agree, they're just "okay" cars... serve their purpose though lol

[@AlexJonesWasRight1776]

i own a 2014 v6 impala lt i love it check out these guys push a ltz to the limit these cars ccan really perform on a windy road. my wife loves her impala total sleeper. I will confirm mine tops out at 152 ,ph apprently some were sold with speed limiters based on crap tire options or most ratings for top speed are based on the 4cy anyway check these guys run the shit out an impala on road in claifornia wine country it's insane, heres the uphill run kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5mxnmx6fc-emtk heres the downhill run kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIuyhoFonqmFnLM

[@barrystracner8554]

I have a 2012 LTZ and for the 11 years I have owned it, it has been a great car. Plus we have the same horsepower with a 6 speed Tranny. This car has more torque which makes 5.6 0 to 60 to our 6.1 160k miles and still going strong.

[@jeffputz4266]

No, you chose poorly...power delivery was not at all the same but economy was...How'd those 3.6 timing chains around 100K feel?

[@dtroit_playa3139]

They really need to bring these back

[@twotrackjack2260]

They ate transmissions. My friends wife went through 2 in 120k miles, and she is definitely not hard on cars.

[@naveenthemachine]

Did these ever offer a manual

[@twotrackjack2260]

@@naveenthemachine I'm not certain but I don't believe so

[@ep9372]

@@twotrackjack2260that’s definitely not normal. 153k and still on the original trans

[@ianscheurer]

they need to bring it back but rwd 😔

[@Drolly95]

My grandpa had a 06 Impala SS and took me out driving in it when I was learning to drive. When he passed it was left to my dad and it was probably the coolest “spare” car on the block until the transmission finally gave out because V8s,FWD and automatics don’t mesh very well. Lots of fun memories though.

[@masonvance5003]

Been waiting on one of these videos for awhile

[@Crispychicken4u]

Yes! A old school review . Thanks ,Matt. That generation 4 speed automatic transmission was awful tho .and would grenade when a lot of torque was put on to it

[@MyNameJeff..]

“Old school” shit I feel old

[@1mlb704]

The supercharged 3800 V6 was the better engine for this particular platform I think. It has great aftermarket support, easy to make more power, plus it was more reliable. The cylinder deactivation on these 5.3 V8's was a bit problematic. Still a cool bunch of vehicles though, I'd definitely go with the Grand Prix or the Monte Carlo over the Impala.

[@foxtrot685]

I’d take a Grand Prix GTP CompG package with the 3800sc any day over this. I’d have the Grand Prix way longer too.

[@SPARTANLuis067]

After having multiple supercharged 3.8s and one LS4 car, I still think the V8 was more fun although with the right setup the SC 3.8 can be much faster

[@dlatsch1556]

My mom had an 07 blue Monte Carlo SS. That car was awesome and sounded amazing! Loved driving it

[@JimmyTheMachine]

I used to have a black ss just like this... The motor blew eventually and I did replace it, but then I smashed it up not long after - thanks for the trip down memory lane!

[@JimmyTheMachine]

Mine has SS in the headrests though... Not sure why this one doesn't...weird

[@imnotusingmyrealname4566]

Isn't the lack of telescoping steering wheel, bolstering and comfort features like padding and nicer materials on touch points typical for the time? We often forget how much cars have improved. I mean look at the Chevy Trax, that thing is incredible and has such a low price.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Not really, all the reviews in 2006 complained about those things and cited how competitors were better.

[@naveenthemachine]

A fwd setup with a v8 ?. Imagine if it had a 6 speed manual. That would be a lot of fun

[@ScorpioMotivation]

I feel nostalgic with that old car review.. great job subaruwrxfan :)

[@bryanhill4516]

I was working at a dealership when they had a used one on the lot. I really enjoyed it!

[@matthewwolfe4509]

It's nice to see a clean one. These and the GXPs are everywhere here in Michigan. They all came here to die I think lol. Most are rusted and ragged out on their 2nd or 3rd transmission and a hacked up exhaust. Love the older vehicle reviews, more please!

[@flatzzzz718]

I'm in lapeer area and I think I'm the only one left around here with a clean 08 impala ss. my wallet hurts but I keep up on TLC and I'm at 148k miles and I'm thinking about throwing a 4t80e trans in it at 155k and some engine upgrades and getting upgraded suspension and try to take it over 300k!!! love my sleeper

[@jefff6884]

That's the midwest in general because Ohio had their fair share too! I'm in AZ now and it's nothing but Tesla, BMW and big ass trucks lol

[@integrafreak1]

GM didn’t care around this era. They would just put a bunch of parts together, slap a made in America sticker on the car and send it out

[@yankeesaugust]

What a throwback to see the Harrison Auto Sales shoutout

[@eatonuter7113]

We had this as a loaner car back in 2007-2008 if my memory is correct. It was an experience!

[@madcowusa4277]

Would drive that over any of today's "bubble cars" as I call them. Expensive SUVs with a bulbous midsection trying hard to look aggressive and sporty. Rav4, Forrester, Rogue, X5/6/7/8, Audi Q whatever it's called. Don't be a sheep. Nobody is impressed, except like minded sheep.

[@lapoose325]

Karen Transportation Vehicles

[@Smllc22318]

Cool review. This was one of those cars I considered buying as a teenager trying to maximize cool factor while minimizing dollars

[@FeloniousSavage]

I have a 2007 trailblazer SS, make fun of it all you want but it's worth about $8000 more that I paid for it now versus when I bought it... Pretty quick SUV, it has a tune and a fully stainless steel exhaust with long tube headers

[@theman.6396]

Previous gen with the 3800 series 2 was a beast. I couldnt imagine how much fun this one would be

[@cgrndon]

bought my impala ss in 2019 my first ride many ups & downs with the car but many amazing experiences & memories on the road also around the time i did research & the impala / impala ss name has been around since 1958 first SS model in 1961 & has its history as a legendary muscle car hot rod while the 9th generation impala ss is overlooked because of its design especially being a FWD I see mines & see something worth keeping & preserving for years to come till it eventually becomes a american classic of the early 2000s got its flaws but very unique

[@yesmikedanger]

One of Best first 3 second intros ever 😂 great video.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Haha thanks for watching Mike!

[@yesmikedanger]

@@MattMaranMotoring no prob you know I’m one of your biggest fans, dude! 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

[@salvagesam3551]

I would love to see your old intro come back in a few videos it nostalgic to me😌

[@zoidzoid87]

I always say this is when GM was exiting. They made a ss or gs,gxp, gtp, version of almost every car. Buicks version was the lacrosse super. They even made a malibu ss with the 3.9l.

[@SPARTANLuis067]

The Lacrosse Super even had the better suspension package from the GXP! Always thought it was funny that the Buick got the better suspension that the sportier Impala never did

[@xonthebeat6]

I have a 2006 Monte Carlo SS, I love it so much it’s my first car, 17 btw, it’s my baby man. Gas is terrible but the smiles per gallon I get are worth it. It’s an old car but mine sis in almost perfect condition only has some transmission issues but that’s normal for this car, other than that I love the Monte Carlo and impala ss

[@beepbeepmichael]

Just got mine yesterday. They are in fact hilarious

[@potcommitted5355]

Tires screeching around every corner is what I remember about the early 2000 GM cars. Back when they made everything front wheel drive to really take any fun out of driving.

[@seeingghosts]

I had the lacrosse ss and it was a heck of a cruiser!!! It was made to go up against Lexus ES300. Brown on brown. Great rumble

[@cadillacseville00]

Ahhh I spend many, many hours behind the wheel of my grandfathers 2006 Impala SS. His '98 Monte Carlo was starting to age and get higher mileage and he really wanted another V8 and he eyed this particular Sport Red SS for many months at the local Chevrolet dealership. One day he took me with him and ended up buying the car that day! He had me drive it off the lot and take it down a backroad (Mind you at this point I'm a 16 year old kid whose daily was a 4 cylinder Camry so driving something with this much power was awesome) and told me to stop in the middle of the road so confusingly I did. At that point he had me turn the traction control off and told me to hold the brake for a few seconds and floor it. To this day I don't think I've ever driven a car with that much torque steer but damnit if that car didn't make both of us grin. I'll always cherish those memories with him and that Impala SS. With that being said the car ended up being a piece of crap. Within a few years of ownership and low mileage the B-Pillar garnish staring to fade and haze over and he did have those replaced under warranty (they ended up doing it again out of warranty). The next few years included such fun as 2 broken blend doors in the dash causing a loud tapping noise when the A/C was on the lowest setting, the car started consuming a quart of oil between changes and the last straw was around 48k miles when the transmission starting slipping. At that point he traded the car for a 2013 Buick LaCrosse which he didn't get to own long as he passed away about 7 months later. Oh I also forgot to mention these cars will go 150MPH but I don't recommend it as the old W-Body wasn't designed for that kind of speed.

[@SuperCheesemaniac]

Some Subaruwrxfan vibes there. Glad to see old cars in the channel 🫡

[@jdp5704]

I love these older car reviews my dude. Been a fan for a long time SubaruWRXFan!

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Thanks for the longtime support! 🙏

[@MyNameIsCorey]

I'm on my 2nd 06 SS black on black like this one currently has 106k miles on it recently got a remanufactured transmission very fun to drive