2002 Impala

[SentraSE-Rman]

I have heard rumour there will be quite a few changes for the 2002 Impala. I was wondering if anyone can elaborate on this. Any photos on the web? Etc..

The Impala has interested me through the years (even though the current one is really a renamed Lumina replacement). I never have gotten too interested due to lack of a manual tranny mainly. I heard rumor that one will be available for the 2002 year. As Nissan fan myself, I think the Impala (being it is in a different class being it is now FWD) could be developed to be a serious Nissan Maxima competitor. Max is FWD and always has had a manual tranny avilable and has been regarded to as a 4 Door Sports Car (4DSC). Chevy could do this as well. It is almost there.

So, what can anyone tell me of the 2002 Impala? Thanks to all of you...

[VicenteFox]

it's gettin a facelift with a possible V8, it will remain FWD until gm changes the impala to the new global platoform that is in its works.

[Black Obsidian]

Not sure if this is still an issue, but I test-drove a fully-loaded 2002 LS model last week. No V8 (3.8L V6), looks pretty much identical on the outside, to a 2001. I ahven't been inside the '01s, but it seems to me that the center consol is different now. The '02 has a big bay to hold stuff, with two fixed cupholders ahead of that. The pictures 've seen of the inside of the '01 seem to hav cupholers that "slide" out of the console.

[SentraSE-Rman]

Did some research:

To much my dismay, the new Sport Package on the 2002 Impala is just an "appearance package" Has Different Corvette inspired tail lamps with body colored surrounds.

Why cannot Chevrolet get SERIOUS with this car (or any of the current cars with exception of Z28 and Vette). I want to like it so much. And I want a Manual tranny.

I guess I will go with Nissan once and again.... They are pretty serious about the perfomance of their vehicles and offer not only 5-speed manuals, but even six speed manuals now in Maxima (255hp!) and the 2002 SE-R (175hp!), WOW!

[Hudson]

GM IS serious about their cars. They want to make money on them. Putting a manual transmission in cars like the Monte Carlo and Impala (and any of the larger cars) doesn't make much sense. They won't sell significantly more of them with the addition of a stick.

And putting in a manual transmission is quite expensive. First there's the cost of engineering in the transmission strong enough for the torque of a large displacement engine and the clutch pedal and the gearshift placement. Then, there's the cost of certifying the car with a stick...which is additional certification work above and beyond that of the automatic transmissioned version. All of this extra cost so that 2-3% of Impalas can be sold as sticks. It costs millions of dollars just for those 4-6,000 units. And most of those sales will come out of automatics that they would have sold anyway.

Manual transmissioned cars don't make up much of the American market. More than 90% of all cars (and a similar number of trucks) sold in the US are automatics. Most of those remaining 10% are economy cars and true sports cars. When you look at the ratio of automatic to manual "sporty" sedans, it rarely gets near 10:1. Not really worth the investment.

Ford came out with the manual transmissioned SHO over a decade ago, remember? Sales were soft until the automatic version arrived and sales tripled. It's experiments like this that keep manual transmissions out of enthusiast's hands.

[Ran]

welcome to the forum SentraSE-Rman!