1994-1996 Chevrolet Impala SS

Manufacturers risk a lot when resurrecting a fabled nameplate. Yet, after a 25-year hiatus, Chevrolet brought the Impala SS name back to the marketplace in '94. Introduced at the 1993 Detroit auto show, the new SS was essentially a Caprice LTZ with an exterior dress-up package and a Corvette-based iron-headed 5.7-liter/260-horse LT1 V-8. In a 1994 Motor Trend road test, the reborn Impala hustled to 60 mph in only 7.1 seconds. Large brakes and attractive 17-inch rolling stock helped stop it from the same speed in just 120 feet.

Like any full-size American sedan, the Impala SS was loaded with creature comforts, including leather upholstery, power everything, and air-conditioning. Mechanically, the SS used heavy-duty suspension bits from Caprice police cars, while Onyx Black paint and a rear-deck spoiler imparted a bad-boy image. Inside, the taxicab-like column shifter remained to hold down costs, but the SS was a clear indicator that performance was still alive inside the General.

For '95, Chevrolet offered the SS in two more colors: Dark Cherry and Dark Gray Green. A center-console-mounted shifter and an analog tachometer were introduced in '96--the final year for this generation of SS, and the best one to buy from a collector's standpoint. A total of 69,678 Impalas were made, so finding one isn't exactly a needle-in-a-haystack experience. As with any musclecar, low miles, originality, and condition are the most important factors. Two safety recalls were issued in 1995, the first dealing with an adjustment for the automatic-transmission shift-control linkage, while the second noted excessive friction in the accelerator pedal. A safety recall in 1996 addressed a lower control-arm ball joint issue. Numerous Technical Service Bulletins relate to the Impala SS; check NHTSA.dot.gov so you'll know what to look for.

The SS has a lot going for it: In spite of its humble taxi/cop-car underpinnings, it performs well for its size. It'll hold a ton of people and stuff, and it's probably depreciated about as much as it's going to. All in, the '94-96 Impala SS is lot of modern-day musclecar for the money.