Impala vs. Charger vs. Five Hundred

I just wanted to see how people thought the new 2006 Impala stacks up against the Ford Five Hundred and the Dodge Charger. I picked the Charger instead if the 300 because I figured Dodge compares better against Ford and Chevrolet than Chrysler. I think the Buick Lucerne and the Mercury Montego would be better against the 300. The specs on the new Impala should be on the Chevrolet website.

Gotta go with the charger man. Just more appealing to the eye.

I forgot to put what I would take. Well the first one to go is the Five Hundred just because it is underpowered. I have heard talk about a new 3.5-Liter Duratec V-6 with around 250 Horsepower but as of right a 3.0 with only 203 hp is not enough to move a full-size sedan around. Other than the motor the Ford is a very nice car especially in Limited trim. It comes down to the Impala and Charger. I would pick the Impala not just because I'm a Chevy man but I live in the north and the Impala is FWD. I'm pretty sure the Charger can be equipped with AWD but i really dont care to much for AWD. Also the Impala SS has been estimated to run from 0-60 5.7 which is quicker than the more powerful Charger R/T which takes 6.0 to get sixty.

I'd go with the Impala SS in black, the Charger is nice also.

I honestly cant believe that the Ford 500 and Dodge Charger are cometing cars. Price wise, yes they are, but the customer is very different for each. The Impala SS would be the best of both, the power of the Charger and the practacality of the 500. But Id really have to go with the Charger. The SRT8 just sweetens the deal. But the Charger takes the cake even in the base SE (or is it SXT) form with the 250 HP 3.5L V6.

charger... that much power should really be driven through the rear wheels.

i'm not sure about the charger having the option for AWD. i know the magnum does, but not so sure about the charger.

the impala looks allright... but i'm starting to forgive the charger for not being a 2-door...

Also the Impala SS has been estimated to run from 0-60 5.7 which is quicker than the more powerful Charger R/T which takes 6.0 to get sixty.

Yea I second the notion...the SRT8 w/425HP is nasty!!! Winner Charger!!!

I just bought a Five Hundred so I'm gonna go with it. The build quality is amazing, and the 6 speed automatic really helpsw movie it when you want to but also saves a lot on gas. It has the smoothest ride out of any of these cars by far.

P.S. The new chargers are slow as balls. And the SRT-8 is overpriced. The chargers rev and make a rucus but don't actually go anywhere.

while i wouldnt put my money of a 250hp 2 ton car, i dont see how the RT or SRT8 could be slow at all.

besides, i dont see how the fivehundred could be all that quick... barely over 200hp/tq on a 3600lb car? comeon...

i dont call low 14s slow, and the srt8 is even quicker, mid-13s i think

The 500 gets better performance than expected due to its good gearing from the 6-speed Auto and CVT.

but better enough so that it matches the charger? it is only 300lbs heavier then the five hundred, which has 210hp/tq less compared to the srt8, and 130hp/180tq less compared to the RT.... untill i see it, i'm not gonna believe that the five hundred can keep up with a charger.

and now that i go and look at it, the impala is the cheapest power... but it still only comes in FWD driving that power... o.0

I have to back him up on the Chargers are slow I saw one at the track a Hemi and his best run was 14.7 in the 1/4. You would also be suprised the Ford fivehundered is faster than the Charger with the 250hp V6. And this is done by gearing and especially with the CVT transmision it keeps the motor is the peak torque of the Rpm's so it may not sound like it moving fast because the motor won't rev up that high but it will go.

Go test drive both and then talk to me, I shopped around and the FiveHundred isn't a speedster and it's definately aimed at a different segment of the market but it's still fun to drive, more so in my opinion than the other cars. The gearing on the FiveHundred is really well thought out and responds well and pulls strong throughout the band. The Charger has power no doubt about it, but when driving it, if you floor it you will hear that big powerful roar of the engine but you're gonna be really disappointed. It's great you guys can quote numbers but it comes down to how the car feels. Also the suspension is amazing on the FiveHundred and holds the road superbly.

I'll take the Impala's cousin, the GXP Grand Prix.

Horses for courses: Which "trim level" and what are you going to use it for? How important is acceleration vs fuel economy? Is styling important? Back seat room? You can always check out a lot of different opinions here (http://www.carbuzzard.com). These are someof the most reviewed cars around.

I get to drive the Impala SS soon. The V8 seems like it might be a bit much for this car iwth the fwd but we'll see. I have driven the Montego, the Mercury version of the Five Hundred, and it's a competent if unexciting ride. And the Charger really depends on which engine you get. Particularly with the R/T, I recomment the performance suspension. It's not all that firm, and in my opinion, the standard suspension is too floaty, especially for something that calls itself an "R/T."

The Charger isn't available iwth all-wheel drive; rwd only. The /Five Hundred/Montego is fwd, awd optional. The Impala is fwd only. You night also add to your list the Pontiac G6, especially if you would rather have a coupe. Yep, two doors on the G6. The GT falls short of the name, but I'm looking forward to driving the GXP soon. And if you're a "domestic move-up," the Lincoln Zephyr is available, though it's not really a competitor with these cars but a step or two up.

And if you want to go import nameplate (many American made), the list gets considerably longer.

More opinions, road tests, etc at the link above, though.

The Charger dosn't come w/ a manual transmission...