Several upgrades and refinements for 2007 make for a better car: The available 3.9-liter V6 gets GM's Active Fuel Management system, which idles cylinders at certain times for improved fuel economy. A tire-pressure monitor comes standard. OnStar comes standard and has been upgraded for 2007, offering the new Turn-by-Turn navigation service. And OnStar will automatically communicate the nature and severity of a crash as well as its location to the 911 centers.

The Impala is a big car. It's generally classified as a mid-size sedan, though it's large for that class, and nearly a full-size. The front and back seats are roomy, though not inordinately so given the size of this car, and getting in and out of the car is easy. and it has a healthy cargo capacity. It has a huge trunk and flip-and-fold back seats that present holding wells for groceries or a flat cargo floor that expands the trunk for long items.

It's very stable on the open road, a nice cruiser. There's lots of low-end torque from the larger of the two available V6 engines, the 3.9-liter V6. Step on the gas and it goes. And it handles well, in fact surprisingly well given its size.

Several models are available, ranging from strong, reliable, fuel-efficient family sedan to sleek and powerful performance car. The mid-level Impala LT probably best exemplifies the model line. We like the LT with the optional 3.9-liter V6 engine, which gets GM's Active Fuel Management system for 2007, which improves real-world fuel economy. The LTZ adds leather and other convenience features. The SS comes with a small-block 5.3-liter V8 engine that sounds great and delivers strong acceleration performance.

For its low price alone, the Impala will be on many family-sedan shopping lists, where it competes against the Ford Five Hundred, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Nissan Altima.