Last year we traded in our Dodge Intrepids for Chevy Impalas. As much as I liked the Intrepids the Impalas have proven themselves to be a much more reliable patrol vehicle. I love that it sits higher and provides more space inside; especially with a cage.

Love this car, fast, small, can get through snow and corn fields without too much trouble. This is my second one and it a year I'll put in for another. My first car had 110,000 miles in 4 yrs and no complaints, I'm at 60,000 now and all is good with this one.

Our agency left Ford because of the extreme maintenance and repair costs. I now have an unmarked police parkage Impala as my Detective take home vehicle. It has a roomy enough trunk for most gear, but some are removing the spare tire for more space. The interior fits me fine, and it handles very well. I can't wait to see how the 2008 police package does in the Michigan State Police tests.

I am a chevy man, but i wish it was rear wheel drive.

The Chevy Impala seems like a decent enough vehicle. I've driven a Vic and now have an Impala; the Chevy definitely lacks in the power catagory compared to the Vic, but the cornering and agility ability in the Impala are far superior. Being a municipal officer and always in the City limits, agility and cornering are what I need most. Great gas mileage as well.

like the car never has left me hanging in a persuit. but not any room in the car for a tall person.

Good handling and ride. Interior ok but cramped when filled with gear. This car is fast but accelerates too slowly, needs steeper gearing. High top end if you're in a place where that is useful. Good mileage and reliability.

I'm looking at gas cost with this one and it is cramp but will do the job. If I started my own Security Company this is the car of patrol choice but I preferre the Crown Vic

Overall a pretty decent ride. Just a quick question though, anyone else experiencing shitty gas mileage on Impala(new body style) 2006+ model years? We did a miles traveled vs. gallons of fuel taken cost comparison over 6 months at work, and the 2006 V8 Tahoes won. On average the Impalas are averaging about 9-11 mpg in town?? Any similar situations out there?

Even in my small (Comparitively) organization,we like the Impalla/Caprice sedans from Chevy. Reason being is reliability and comfort.Most guys that work with us are very tall.(Im the smallest at 6'1") Crown Vic's...hey, its a Ford and those in the know can relate to this.Im just saying for the long haul make mine a Chevy!!! Got room to spare, all your gear doen't fly around like it's in a windstorm, and its a decent no nonsence ride that gets up when and where you need it to.If we didnt have this we would get a Taurus over the Crown Vic and that's just because of the need for leg room.

love it. handing is better then the vic, not as big but has enough room to get the job done

The best urban police vehicle on the market. Ecellent for working through city traffic not built for rural areas though

This vehicle performs better than any Ford I've ever driven. Very agile and fairly quick off the line. Roomy in the front, but with a cage in the back, there's not much room for some of the larger suspects we put in there (no that I'm really that concerned about that issue).

THIS CAR IS GREAT I PERSONALLY OWN A 04 IMPALA IT MAY NOT BE AS HUGE AS THE CROWN VIC BUT THIS PUPPY CAN GET THE JOB DONE ,LOTS OF POWER AND AGILITY

For many years I drove a Police package CV. Now I drive an unmarked Police Package Impala. The Impala is small, the front wheel drive torqe is harsh and the gas mileage is terrible. One of my deputies just took possesion of a unmarked DODGE CHARGER HEMI - - WOW. If I wasn't his Sergeant, I would have fought for the car, but I try to take care of my people first. The Charger is powerful, fits well and gets great mileage for the performance it returns. I was told we picked the impala's as fleet vehicles due to the 5 year, 100,000 warranty. I don't know how long Chevy will be able to keep that up. I wish I had 5 minutes with the honcho's at Ford. I would like to ask them where they have been keeping their heads the last couple of years. They are losing a large fleet market. Too bad for them.

Drives and handles well. Like the newer model more than the last except that theres a little less room because of the way the cage fits. Overall a good patrol car.

THEY ARE GOOD CAR,.A LITTLE ON THE SMALL SIDE HOWEVER THEY CAN MOVE!

ive been driving this vehicle for about 4 years. i love the handling that this vehicle gives at high rates of speeds, super corning ability. my department has even upgraded to the new 2007's i like these vehicles just as good except for the fact that when you attempt to break at high speeds the rear end seams to get a little loose. the excelaration is even better in the newer impala. even for a bigger type guy which i am toping the scales at 250 and 6 feet in higth the vehicle has plenty of room. just not enough if you are an XXX type of guy...

Went from a Ford interceptor to this, big difference. I'm getting used to it, not a bad ride, gas mileage is not to good for a smaller car (averages around 11mph). Front fenders on this model bend extremely easy when leaned against. Having said that, It has held up alot better than I expected. Has been great for getting around town in a hurry. We've had much better sucess with the later models though. I'll be uprading to a 2008 model after the first of the year.

for comfort and gas you cant beat it.....but for pick up and pursuit its a joke! 0-80 in 8 seconds probably with a tailwind and down hill.

Good inner city patrol vehicle. Impressed others driving Crown Vics during one of my Police Driving recertification class when I got the fastest time - good handling. Straight line acceleration was less impressive though. I miss the Caprice with LT1 which is the best among the the ones I have driven: Chevy Celebrity; Ford Taurus; Ford Crown Vic; Chevy Impala; and Chevy Tahoe.

I'm an investigator and do not use this car in a patrol capacity. It's perfect for the nature of my work. I am 6'2" and find this car has enogh room to be comfortable in. Gas mileage is good. This is a quick little car for a 6 cylinder. I would give this car 4 stars except for one problem. The is considerable road noise from the front end. I thought it was the tires, but those have been changed to a different model. My department has 20 2005 Impalas. Of the ones I have riden in, they all share this problem. I have riden in a 2007 Impala and have not heard the noise. I'm glad Chevy has resolved the problem. Again, great little car, coming from a Ford man.

I have a 9C1 as a Detective unit. It will absolutely fly, it handles well, stops well and is far more comfortable than the Crown Vic. I used to have a 2001, I hated it, it seemed to die after going into 2nd gear and it had no passing power, also the brakes faded badly...Not so in the 07! I love the power seats that are standard in it as well. I dont think there is much room for a cage, but the CVPI doesnt have back seat room with a cage either, and I dont anticipate riding in the back either!

Last March (2007) I was issued a 2007 impala. It was equipped with Pureli Tires and I don't think it handled as well as my 2002 Impala. I participated in a department experiment with Good Year Tires. They handle much better. I prefer rear wheel drive. My 07 is roomier than my 02, but it is still tight. I think the 07 has way too many blind spots. I am constantly adjusting my view so I can see around the A post. When I check my blind spot on the highway, I have to really turn my neck to see around the B post. The gas mileage is ok I guess. I had to remove my full size spare to have enough room in the trunk. I think they are great family cars, but I'm not completely sold on Impala's as patrol cars.

WE have two as detective cars and one left in the patrol fleet. They are OK but I think they are too small for all of the stuff (Tac Net, shotgun/rifle rack, radios, etc) and our larger officers. It's hard to watch the big officers trying to get in and out of the cars and I think it raises some officer safety factors in case they had to get out quick. Of course I'm just standing there watching them and there is no pucker factor working.

My assigned take-home unit is a 2005 Impala and I love it. I have one of only 2 left on patrol. I have low miles and I would put it against a Crown Vic any day. In town it holds the road much better than a vic and in winter weather there's no comparision. However, on slick roads or the interstate I would prefer a Crown Vic.

Despite a rough start on the earlier models and inferior front frames, this car has come a long way. It is agile, and strong for its size, but is no match off the line with a CVI. The Special Services Package is not too comfortable after long periods of time. After being spoiled with the size and room of a CVI, this car does require a little getting used to. The front seat does have ample room for an average sized officer & partner. If you do install a partition, do not expect anyone in the back seat to enjoy the ride, as we have often had to cram other officers in to the back seats for transports. The trunk is ample for the vehicles' size, but can be quickly overstuffed if coming out of a CVI.
Overall - routine patrol is perfectly suited for this car. I do not recommend it for highspeed enforcement as Chevy still has a few bugs to shake out. If given a choice, I would take a Ford CVI over this car any day.

could not find the sucks button on this one. 50.000 miles and rtrans goes. o-80 may be if it had a rocket up its tail pipe. no room for tall people

Not impressed. under powered. Several mechanical issue's..

Good reliable car, we would run them for 24 hours straight for 2 to 3 weeks and they would be fine...minus the usual damage that cops do to vehicles, ours didnt have any cup holders though? never understood why they would give a cop a car without a cup holder. Didnt really see this thing as fast fastest I could get one to go was about 110-115, my stock integra can do that....

I do not care for the empala. the car does not handle well and the one I drove was in the shop more than out

Let me begin by saying that I am a General Motors fan. The Impala is an excellent family sedan. It is also a good vehicle for CID or Admin but as a patrol or traffic car, it just doesn't cut it. We have had repeated problems with the brakes. OEM replacement or after market "performance" parts haven't cured the brake situation. The car accelerates well and gets pretty good gas mileage but should you lean against the front fender you'll leave a dent that looks like you've been slamming perps into the front of the car. Room is adequate for all but the largest officers. Unless you can buy this car for 7 or 8 thousand less than the Dodge, DON'T DO IT!

I'll take my Crown Vic back any day of the week. I have an unmarked 05 Impala (I'm assigned to a traffic unit) and this car barely edges out my old 1994 Ford Taurus traffic car. The 06-08 are somewhat faster and keep up, if not out run a CV, but the 05 is just not designed to be a traffic car. Going from 45-0, clearing a small median, then chasing down a car is unbearable. 2005 was the first year my agency went with the Chevy, due to 3k cheaper than the CV. After a ton of complaints, we cancelled our order for 52 Impalas and ordered CV's. We have approx 500 patrol vehicles, 1100 vehicle in our agency total.

36k on the ticker and I've had the ABS sensors replaced (1,400 dollar - Warranty job), the battery twice, something with the power steering unit (450 $ warranty job)and the bearing in the front wheels (can't remember how much that cost, it was 10k ago). It's left me stranded by not starting three times (just last week), took to Chevy Dealer and they couldn't find the problem (battery was fine). Other than that, I take it home, and don't pay for gas.
BTW, I get 1 mile better per gallon, than I did in my CV.

Much better handling in the winter than the crown vic.

Good handeling especialy in winter. Good safety.

Not a fan.

I enjoy my impala. Its a little smaller than what I was used to driving.(Crown Vic) I do have to say it does get up and go. Was a secondary unit in a pursuit on the freeway, and my partners crown vic(2007) was not able to keep up with a v6 mustang. I passed the crown vic like nothing. My impala is an 05 with almost 80k on it. I had the speedo up to 135mph and the car felt very stable at that speed. My only wish is that it would be a little bigger.

Best alternative to the Crown Vic. Great handling, front wheel drive which comes in handy during Missouri winters. The newer models are roomier and provide better acess to the trunk. GM seems to be making an effort to make this a better car with every subsequent model year. My Department has recently went all Impala, simply for the fuel savings. Overall, you cant beat a Crown Vic, but this is the next best thing.

Its small for us bigger guys but it hakdles nice.

Quick acceleration and responsive (too responsive) handling because of it's FWD system. This vehicle, in my opinion was a complete "flop" for the NYPD fleet. It's ground clearance was no match for the high rising manhole swells of city streets, so it had to be outfitted with skid plates to protect the engine. If you were in a 10-53 (vehicle accident) with this vehicle and the damage was serious enough, you definitely would have needed the "jaws of life" to get you out. The cockpit seating leaves much to be desired, especially for those of us who are over 6' tall. And if there was a cage behind you, "fuggedaboitt". Try enjoying an 8 hour + tour in this vehicle, and making numerous car stops, and you'll wish the days of the Caprice Classic was back!!!

Compared to previous patrol vehicles (Ford Taurus and Crown Vic), not as comfortable driving on hill streets. Always using caution with that gas pedal. Also problems with CD player and doors. No problem with handeling when going slow/on flat surface.

although this is a nice cruiser its becoming obsolete. the dodge charger and the ford intercepters are taking over. a good change. but the impala is more affordable than the charger and the intercepters

Too small!!

Makes a fine patrol vehicle for city use, but it really isn't made for Rural county use. The vehicle isn't up to the beating of county use.

love it but i wish it was rear wheel drive

VERY NICE CHEVY'S