2004 Chevrolet Impala SS

Giving Chevy's prosaic four-door more power, better handling, and a snarkier look is a worthy goal. GM already had the 240-horsepower, supercharged 3800 Series II V-6 and sportier suspension pieces handy. Other bits, like the handsome 17-inch alloy wheels, stainless-steel dual exhausts, rear lip spoiler, and a revised front fascia, are new. But then they pulled out a set of "Impala SS" badges--the very same ones worn on the flanks of the beloved, rear-drive, V-8-powered SS of 1994-1996--and stuck them on this V-6 front-driver. Hmm...

For the record, this new-for-2004 Impala SS more than plays against the old one, LT1 V-8 or no (see chart). Yet it fails to excite. The blown V-6 is stout, but lacks the grunt and rumble that people associate with a "real" Chevy SS (remember SS 350, 396, 427, 454, et al.?). There's no manual transmission offered--a performance accoutrement you can get on a 240-horse Nissan Altima. When you compare the Impala to some of the racier sport compacts in and around this price range, it's clearly outgunned from a performance standpoint, though the SS is a roomy five-seater with a large trunk and relatively high feature content.

Chevrolet's product and marketing types are anxious to make the most of the reborn and fondly revered SS brand. But casually applying it to a platform that doesn't carry the persona and promise of that badge can only dilute its value.

This SS is a more engaging Impala. We just wish they'd have called it something else.