Car Review: Chevy Impala

I drove the Impalla for a week long trip in Denver, CO.
It can be found here: Impala

The weather ranged from 60s and sun to 32 and snow.
Here is a rough Map of my travels which totaled for the week about 80 or so miles.

I don't normally rent a "standard"size car, as I'm sure you can tell by my blog, however this week I would have some co-workers with me and needed the space. I do like the overall handling of a bigger car, so it was nice to have that from the get go. Also upon arrival in Denver, the wind was AMAZING! So I was truly glad to have a larger vehicle with a better stance.

Seen here at the Doubletree Denver Tech, the Impala does have a cretin mix of slick, and grandpa all in one. This combination is again evident in the interior touches.

As seen here, the false wood grain, and simple layout is pleasing to the eye, while hearkening back to a day long ago, and far away. It is a mix of old fashioned and sleek "new" designs.
 One of the small touches that I found enjoyable and nice to look at is the simple chrome ring around each of the dials, topping off a very clean looking dash.

So I rented the larger car for more space, how did it do?
We had three people with three large suitcases and three backpacks, and all was well with the world. Plenty of trunk space, and a roomy interior as well.

 So how did it do overall? Well It was quick, big enough for what we needed, a decent turning radius for a bigger car, had remote start (thank you!) and over all was a great car. However.... One issue that would cause me to go absolutely crazy was the drivers seat. You see, there is lumbar support... WAY TO MUCH lumbar support, so much that I felt as though I was going to slide forward off of the seat. So simple fix right? Find the lumbar toggle, switch, or slider and adjust it! WRONG.... zero adjustments... that's right, you see the factory knows how much lumbar support you need, and they have it all set up for you just right, all you have to do is get used to it. Now, I'm sure that this is an issue related to the trim level that the rental CO had purchased, and I'm sure most units will have the ability to adjust this setting. If they don't, beware, and check the seat prior to purchase! So overall I would give this car a 4 of 5. It's a decent price 25K ish new, and with around 30MPG, it's a lot of car for that kind of MPG!! (see my Nissan Versa Review)
Also, honestly if all I have to whine about is the seat, what am I going on about?

So let's try something here: PLEASE COMMENT!!
Do you own an Impala?
Is the seat an issue?
Did you find this useful?
Do you have questions about my week with the car?

Evening Landing In Chicago

I just really liked the view:

Car Review: Fiat 500

I had the opportunity to drive a Fiat 500 Sport.
I had the car for a week, and traveled about 190 miles during the week.
Here is a rough map:

The weather ranged from sunny and 68 to snow, wind and about 28 giving a good all around idea of the handling of the car.

I have to tell you, I was skeptical from the word GO. I thought I was about to drive around in a small, expensive, piece of jewelry. Was I surprised? We'll see.

The Fiat can be found here: http://www.fiatusa.com/en/500/models/

They actually have a pretty attractive offer going on right now as well.

So let's start off on looks, WINNING. I first thought it would be a little too "girly" but was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn't feel this way after getting into it, and heading out on my trip.

I did notice right away, that I'm used to a four-door. The door swing seemed crazy long, and I felt like I had to squeeze into the wedge to get to the drivers seat. (I'm sure this was not the car, as later in the week I didn't notice this at all) I had to laugh... must be getting old!

So something about the wheels, and the front end conspire to take what could be a girls car only, and turn it into a nice quick looking little runabout. Likewise, the rear being raked as far as it is, adds to the sporty manly look.

Lets talk space for a while... we know it's a small car so no beating it up on sheer size. This means we need to look at it's practical use of the space that is available. So how did the Italians do?

Up front, they have done well, the seats are long ride comfortable. the wheel is fun to hang on to, and the overall layout makes the car feel bigger than it is. I think some of this can be attributed to the gauge cluster. It has all the info you could want, and yet takes up VERY LITTLE precious dash space. I really enjoyed the solid feel of the switches and toggles. There was enough quality to give the impression things would go on working for a good long while.

How about in back?

You can see that the seats are designed with the rear passengers knees in mind, however even with this the seats remind me of coach airline seats. Not much room, but then we knew that didn't we?

As far as driving enjoyment goes, I have to say I was impressed. I found that even with "sport" mode turned off, it was fun to drive. Once the sport mode was turned on, it was even more peppy. The only time it felt a little slow was on the run to 70. I must point out that this run was still acceptably short for this type of car, and that once up to highway speeds, it still felt capable of getting out of it's own way.

The little engine that can... most of the time.

You can see that my well traveled Samsonite large suitcase fits in the cargo area, JUST. However, the seats can be pushed down for more room, and actually leaves you with quite a bit of space.

 And finally a peek into the glove box showcasing a USB / line in spot that only a passenger could love. Due to the center console arrangement, the drive could never reach these plugs.


So overall what do I think? I think they managed to make a small car do well in america, not an easy task, and for that I give them a 4 out of 5.
Great fun to drive, peppy enough for me to have fun, small enough for ANY parking spot, and still big enough for most of my errands. Prices are nothing to laugh at either in the 20's when loaded.
Is it a small expensive piece of jewelry? Not 100%, it's actually a good little car, that can look like jewelry.
Would I buy one? You bet, although I may wait for the Abarth version to come before making an order, something tells me the added pizzazz may make me want one even more.