Everyone who came of age in the 60’s knew what a Chevrolet Impala was. From 1958-65, the Impala was the sportiest, flashiest full-size Chevy made — sort of a working-man’s Cadillac.

Although mild-mannered in its base form, it also came in semi-muscle car trim. It offered performance options such as Chevy’s first big-block, the 348, as well as the renowned 409, which was memorialized in song by the Beach Boys. In 1965, its engine compartment also became home to Chevy’s new big-block, high performance powerplant, the 396, which morphed into the famous 427. That engine is still the base design for Chevy’s big block SUV and truck engines of today.

After ‘65, the sporty Impala became secondary to the more conservative-looking, upscale Caprice, which by the 1980s had become arguably the ugliest car on the planet. Eventually the Impala name quietly disappeared from the Chevrolet lineup altogether.

It enjoyed a brief resurgence in the early 1990s. Utilizing a stylized Caprice body, only with flared, high, open wheel wells to accommodate larger wheels and wider tires, plus, a high-performance engine and sport suspension. Coming only in black, it was one great package. However, it suffered from anemic marketing by GM and was retired again after only two years so the plant that built it could be relegated to helping satisfy the nation’s seemingly insatiable demand for trucks. Those early 1990s Impalas are already collectors items based on the very limited number built.

The nameplate has been dusted off once again and today’s Chevy Impala is a mid-size sedan boasting nearly full-size room. The Impala comes in two models: the base Impala ($20,325) and the LS ($24,025). Both are four-door sedans.

Styling-wise, its visual cues are calculated to engage the nostalgia feature for that 60s generation. And, like in the old days, with base-level equipment, today’s Impala is simply tame and practical — kind of like your dad’s old Chevy.

But behind the wheel, with the optional 3.8-liter V6 under the hood, it drives like a big luxury car — accelerating quickly and handling much better than you might expect. In my view, it’s more responsive than any of the five or six-seat sedans from Ford, Toyota, Dodge, or even GM’s own Buick.

The base Impala comes with a 180 horse, 3.4-liter V6. However, the more upscale LS features GM’s well-proven and highly competent 3.8-liter V6, that puts 200 ponies to the pavement. That engine is also available as an option ($995) on the base model, making the only real difference between the base Impala and the LS the level of amenities.

All 3.8-liter Impalas come standard with traction control and anti-lock brakes. ABS is available as a stand-alone option ($600) with the 3.4-liter engine.

The Impala, with Chevy’s heritage of delivering value, comes pretty well equipped. Although a remote keyless entry was added for 2003, standard on all Impala’s is air conditioning with dual driver and passenger controls; power windows, locks and mirrors; tilt wheel; AM/FM/cassette stereo; four-wheel-disc brakes; a rear window defogger; front and rear anti-roll bars; P225/60R16 tires on aluminum wheels, and stainless steel exhaust.

The LS Sport Appearance Package ($1495) adds extra instrumentation to a graphite-finish instrument panel and is distinguished by embroidered logos on door panels and floor mats. It also includes brake cooling ducts, a strut-tower brace, a tire-inflation monitor, a body-color taillight panel, and chromed exhaust tips. If you don’t care for the somewhat geeky-looking spoiler on the deck lid of the LS, you can get a $175 credit by deleting it.

GM’s OnStar is standard on the LS and optional on base Impalas. OnStar is a satellite-linked customer-service network that can serve a critical role in an emergency. The network is automatically notified when the airbag has been deployed, and operators will dispatch emergency crews unless you respond to their calls. Operators can also pinpoint a car’s exact location to direct roadside assistance or if it is stolen, as well as help you find a good restaurant or hotel in a strange town.

XM Satellite Radio is also available as an option on both versions. The high-tech system offers 100 coast-to-coast digital channels, including 71 music channels (more than 30 commercial-free) and 29 channels of sports, talk, news, and children’s entertainment. According to Chevrolet, XM’s sound quality is remarkably close to a compact disc.

The Chevy Impala actually looks bigger than it is. It’s nine inches shorter than a Dodge Intrepid for example, yet at 122 cubic feet, it has slightly more total interior room. However, the Impala’s rear seat area is shorter on useable legroom. But it’s still better than the Ford Taurus or the even the full-size Ford Crown Victoria.

The Impala is very roomy inside because of the high roofline with relatively vertical sides. Chevy engineers also carefully rearranged the rear bulkhead, and moved the seats slightly outboard. The noticeable distance between the driver and the front-seat passenger contributes to the overall impression of more room than there actually is.

Base Impalas offer a three-passenger split bench seat in the front while the LS comes with two individual buckets. However, by checking off the right options you can put buckets in the base model or a bench in the LS. An optional leather-accented bench seat with six-way power, lumbar support, and a side-impact air bag, is available for $1390 on base models and $625 on LS.

The Impala’s rear seating position is comfortable and relatively high, which makes it easy to get in and out. There are LATCH child-seat tethers and the LS has a folding rear seat that’s split 60/40 to allow for loading long, bulky items.

Instrumentation is also laid out in a logical fashion and is easy to see
Exterior styling is highlighted by its headlight and taillight clusters, which use a unique combination of round lights clearly visible from behind trapezoidal covers. It’s a very aggressive look for a Chevy sedan. There’s also some new exterior colors and new five-spoke alloy wheels.

Behind the wheel, the Impala feels like a big luxury car, even when compared to a Ford Crown Victoria or Toyota Avalon. The Crown Vic actually seems somewhat unrefined when you drive it back-to-back with the Impala and the Toyota is just plain vanilla by comparison.

Handling is quick and sharp — surprisingly so — and delivers good feedback. This is definitely not the wallowing, land yacht from the ‘60s and handles much better than the competing Toyota Avalon.

Chevy engineers cite the Impala’s extruded aluminum engine-cradle subframe, an industry first, which isolates vibration while allowing for a more rigid structure. A monster dashboard bulkhead made of light, strong magnesium adds to the Impala’s rigidity, giving the car a robust feel.

Acceleration is brisk, especially with the more powerful 3.8-liter engine. Chevy claims the Impala can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds — pretty quick for this class. The Impala is also used for police work and the police package includes higher-ratio gearing from the Pontiac Grand Prix for quicker acceleration.

The brake pedal feels smooth, firm and responsive thanks to the use of discs at all four wheels, even on the base model.

Whines: Although visibility is generally excellent, the rear deck lid seems high, so care is required when backing up. There’s enough torque steer whenever you romp on the gas pedal to remind you that this is a front-wheel-drive car.

Bottom Line: With its long list of amenities, the Chevrolet Impala carries on the tradition of delivering excellent value. It offers decent handling and good performance when equipped with the 3.8-liter V6. Even for a younger generation who never knew the original, the Impala nameplate will still stand out as a great family-car.