vonVeezelsnider

That's a gorgeous color, wish it was available on Buicks and Cadillacs, it would really set off a Light Neutral, Light Gray, or even Caramel colored interior.

I've seen a few Darts on the road here, they look nice in the flesh.

Now that they have added the Backup Camera, Cross Traffic and Blind Zone Monitoring for 2013 I have very few nitpicks about this offering. So few that there's pretty good odds I will be driving one this time next year, Leather or Turbo model- Cashmere Leather and Mocha Bronze, White Diamond, or Crystal Red exterior. Reg is not at all exaggerating when he says that (again, save for perhaps only the ATS) this is the most no-nonsense, sorted, well-thought out car GM currently makes across all four core brands. In terms of consensus there are very few American cars made in the last fifteen years which have been so well received by the marketplace and the media. High quality interior, and the one thing that always gets to me is the sound when you slam the door shut from the inside (there isn't any)- there are Lincolns, Acuras, Volvos costing ten thousand dollars more that do not offer this feeling of solidness. It has woodgrain and fake stainless steel but it really doesn't look fake or overdone like the $h!e in the Malibu they put on with a trowel this year. Combined with the frankly lame interface options being offered in many brands these days Intellilink also shines. It's also zippy and fun, perfect for nipping around the country or parking downtown; just the right amount of power for its size with the base engine, with the turbo I'm sure it will be a real sleeper. Bearing in mind that there is no reason besides size for discounting this offering- my suggestions for improvement: Offer heated seats as a standalone option on the leatherette cars The drivers' seat should have a power recliner and some form of lumbar adjustment HIDs ought to be available on the Turbo Model Ventiports, if you are going to have them, should be on the fenders and not so darn fake looking, otherwise lose them Make the piano black/bright chrome accessory grille the standard grille, it really makes the car "Pop", especially in White Diamond and Black

There's got to be almost a good foot of difference in length.

They probably couldn't change the wheel without changing the whole steering column. I am curious to see if they added colored logos to the keys for 2013 Lambda refresh, if so might be time for an parts counter upgrade.

I ran the comparison. There somewhat is less hip and knee room versus the W-Impala but more shoulder room and legroom. My 2007 has about 42in/37.5in front/rear for legroom which is actually similar to the 2013 Malibu whereas the new car is 45/39.5 front/rear- and you can get your feet under the seats (which you can't in the current car), which makes a huge difference.

I think the black/brown will be very much an acquired taste, some people will absolutely love it but I look at it and I can't help but think about why you don't wear a brown belt with black shoes and vice versa. I very much like that it has the -real- brushed aluminum trim though, that's a real plus. Also like the driftwood colored woodgrain on the Mojave interior as well. Puts me in mind of the driftwood trim in the later high-spec LeSabres from 2003-05. The woodgrain in the above picture is good too- tastefully applied and it doesn't look as over the top or fake as the stuff they put in the Malibu with a trowel. From that perspective, on this car you really can't lose.

That's the all black interior above. I suppose the Black/Dark Titanium would have a medium gray on the tops of the IP, the seats, tops of the door panel and the center armrest. Probably would bring a little more light into the car...

GM Has posted the 2014 Impala ordering guide online, I guess these things must be hitting the road sooner than we thought- maybe January or February. It appears the 2LT and LTZ will be the only vehicles available at launch, with standard V6 power. The LS and 1LT will be 2.5L only and will be coming in Q2 with the Eco coming by year end. http://eogld.ecomm.gm.com/NASApp/domestic/proddesc.jsp?year=2013&butID=1&regionID=1&divisionID=3&vehicleID=13882&type=0 You guys can draw your own conclusions but I have to say I'm a little disappointed with the packaging. Seems to be packaged worse than the Malibu, No leather available on the 2LT, which doesn't match well against the Taurus or Charger which offer optional leather in their mid-range trim levels. Also doesn't seem entirely fair that in order to get the heated leatherette/microfiber seats (incl. w/ Comfort Package), they make you also buy the advanced safety package with all the electronic nannies which, while, cool, probably add 1200-1400 extra to the car in addition to the 800-1100 the Comfort package itself adds. Is there any rational reason why I shouldn't be able to get heated seats without cross-traffic alert and vice versa? I can't think of one, although I suspect Canadian optioning will be different slightly as it often is, and may offer the Comfort Package as a standalone considering the climate. No exposed dual exhaust on the 2LT even though you paid for the V6, only the LTZ gets that for some reason while you make do with hidden exhaust with the turned down tips. On the Malibu if you pony up for the turbo they give you the visible exhaust with the polished tips regardless of trim level. Also no color whatsoever inside this car. You can get the Jet Black/Mojave leather if you pony up for the LTZ but otherwise your interior choices are Black, Black/Dark Gray, and that absolutely nasty all-Brown interior from the showcar. I was kinda hoping for some sort of Cocoa/Light Neutral or similar lighter colored interior as they are far and away my preference. I suppose if this is what I was buying next year (and lately I've been going back and forth between this and a Verano Turbo) I would have the 2LT with the Convenience Package, Black/Dark Titanium interior in either Black or Blue Ray.

^ I miss that dark brown color on the Regal, they offer it on the LaX, Verano, and Enclave too so what gives?

That is one gorgeous subcompact. The stance with those wheels is great, the Mojave leather trim is great too- I hope that color is offered on the new Impala.

The only issue I had with a strange noise in the 2012 Impala 3.6 I drove is a weird whistling noise when the engine spools up for a higher rev (ie to pass or merge), otherwise more refined and well behaved, although slightly less relaxed than the 3.5 pushrod which I have become so familiar with and fond of.

I'm with b-k, I prefer the actual 2014 Impala to that design proposal. It has so much more presence and I just love the 60's throwback styling cues without actually being retro.

If those were the initial sketches we really got ripped off on the XTS considering what the production version looks like. Not a bad looking car at all but certainly nowhere near as good as this.

If I'm up on the terms and conditions of the GM Canada new vehicle warranty, they will only comp a rental car if they need to keep your car for more than one business day to complete repairs. I think the case is different under the Cadillac warranty, which is somewhat more generous- I read somewhere that they give you a comparable loaner even for one day, but for Chev/Buick/GMC that's usually the bottom line. Once the Toronto dealer determined they needed to keep your car for more than one day they rightly put you in the Impala and comped it, and I think that's usually the extent of their coverage. Our usual dealership has a Budget Rent-a-Car franchise right in the service department and on one occasion GM comped a truly awful Mitsubishi Lancer for a couple days when they needed to keep my Impala for warranty work. While I'm not sure that warranty should pay for either the Mazda or the Fiesta rental, the reason they fed you for why not isn't kosher. They should also be refunding you the whole cost of the diagnosis at the first dealership. Diagnosis and shop costs for items covered under the 5/160 powertrain warranty are always not the owner's responsibility, and it's not your fault that they misdiagnosed at the first dealer. Given the correct diagnosis and a copy of the workorder from the Toronto dealer there should be absolutely zero arguing with you on that point.

You can always sneak one across the border, Canada gets the Trax later next year.

All that money and you don't even get a whole Trabant, just roughly two thirds of one! Unfair!

That article is completely wrong, my car has been hit three times since 2010 and it's not on that list

I'd go with the Trans Sport, with the 3.8L and alloys of course...

This was taken on the 696 / 275 interchange heading toward Milford. Seems early to not have a manufacturer plate. I agree it seems early, I thought that Encore production wasn't beginning until after the new year.

I would probably go with the Riv

I've held my tongue about the new Malibu for quite some time now but now is as good a time as any to let my thoughts be heard I think. The current Malibu was designed, as Lutz put it, to look like a car that cost $10k more. That mission also seems to have been the driving force behind the 2014 Impala. The 2013 sub-LTZ Malibu models look kinda cheap, like a second tier of the midsize segment when you compare the looks of the more inexpensive trims of the Fusion and Sonata. The LTZ is a very nice looking car but that's just because this is one of those cars that uses a good wheel/trim package as a crutch to achieve good looks. That's not the case with the Sonata or Fusion, the new Impala or even the current Taurus either. It's certainly not the case with the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 either. If you look at other newer members of the Chevy lineup (Traverse, Equinox, Impala) the contrast is there too... I can't put my finger on it. Suffice to say it does bug me enough that I won't be considering one for myself while I will consider spending the extra money on an Impala. It's just that lukewarm to me for some reason I hope the interior is not of a poor quality and this was an isolated incident because the couple I've seen at the Auto Shows and press events have had impressive interior quality by my estimation, way better than the outgoing model, I'd almost say that my impression was build quality inside and out (along with the 2.0T engine) are probably the high points of the entire damn car. Rushing out your volume model in the biggest segment in the majority of your markets was a huge mistake. That's just bad strategy. The current Malibu could have waited the 8 months it would have taken to get it out with the right engine and maybe some more engineering and sorting out. I'm confused as to why they didn't think they'd get dinged for this.

I don't dream too often but when I do it's usually completely off the wall. I do sleepwalk quite a bit. According to my family, years ago when we were on vacation I was having a "heated argument" about politics in my sleep.

Reatta or Toronado

'blu, it is equipped more or less exactly like the top-line 2.4L Verano. The BLIS and Cross-Traffic alert are standard on even the non-leather mid-range Convenience Model for 2013.