Base models come with a three-passenger split bench seat in the front; LS models come with two individual front seats, although by checking off the right options you can put buckets in the base model or a bench in the LS. Or you can opt for a leather-accented bench seat. Because it comes with six-way power, lumbar support, and a side-impact air bag, it costs $1390 on base models and $625 on LS.

At first glance, the individual seats look flat, like semi-benches, but when you sit in them they provide good support for the thighs and back. They feel like bucket seats. But the front-center passenger has to straddle the split between the seats. A slight hump down the center of the floor accommodates the exhaust; but it also hampers legroom for the front-center passenger.

It's easy to orient yourself inside the Impala. Controls are logical, work smoothly, and are easy to see. They follow the function of those in the smaller Chevy Malibu, but they're bigger. Individual temperature controls allow the driver and front-seat passenger to create their own microclimate.

The Chevy Impala boasts more interior volume than the Dodge Intrepid, but the Impala's rear seat area is shorter on useable legroom. Still, the Impala is better in this respect than the Ford Taurus or the even the full-size Ford Crown Victoria. The Impala's rear seating position is comfortable and relatively high, which makes it easy to get in and out. There are three shoulder belts in the rear, as well as LATCH child-seat tethers. In the LS, the rear seat is split 60/40 and folds down to allow bulky items to protrude from the trunk, handy for trips to Home Depot.

The headliner is nicely padded, to meet the Federal head-injury standards. A seat-mounted side-impact airbag is standard on LS and available as part of several option packages on the base model.