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November Sales Snapshot: Full Size Sedans
by
Paul Niedermeyer
(IC: employee)
Published: December 8th, 2009
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Impala. That one word pretty well sums up this category, in terms of the heavy players. It’s the only one to break into six figures (YTD). That’s a long way from 1965, when over a million Impalas were sold. And that’s not counting Bel Airs and Biscaynes. Details:
Paul Niedermeyer
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Published December 8th, 2009 5:24 PM
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Surprising results to me considering the Impala has been on the market for so long without even a minor update. Wonder what % of Impala sales are fleet. GM obviously has a winner with the Impala are they going to let it die on the vine as they have with so many models in the past? Seems like it's way overdue for at least a styling makeover.
Mikey, Is your Impala is an 08' or 09'? Tomorrow I take delivery on my 10' police package Impala unmarked patrol car. I'm currently assigned a light brown 07' Impala. It's been rock solid for the 40,000 miles I've had it. Good in a straight line. Curves, not so much. I've noticed the 09', 10' have this unattractive ground effect added along the rocker panel. I'm not loving it, but I'm sure it "may" improve gas mileage slightly.
"That’s a long way from 1965, when over a million Impalas were sold." Indicative of the decline of the USA's "middle class" however one defines that subjective emotion-laden term. Peruse socio-economic data and note the rise of the cost-of-living line and the lower real-wage line and th even lower minimum wage line. Working more hours for less real income and fewer benefits as in the past. Do not expect any real economic recovery soon, folks. Too much money diverted from the hands of the common folks and shunted upwards into the hands of a few. Purposefully done, in my opinion and indicative of an actual factual class war.
Mikey, Yeah...there is something strangely appealing to me about the Impala...especially in LTZ or SS trim. Rented one for a week about a year ago (LTZ...floor-mounted shift, leather, remote start)...for the miles of interstate driving I did, I was really impressed. It's on a (rather long, I admit) list of potential considerations for a "new" car for me next summer. By new, I mean used...but I run two households and am required to do some serious driving if I want to see my family (I live in Huntsville, Alabama...wife and family in Charleston, SC), and something like the Impala would make a nice long-distance cruiser. Hope you continue to enjoy yours. As for the Avalon, my uncle just bought a full-up loaded Limited, and the interior left me a tad cold (as does the new Corolla, for that matter..what the heck is happening with Toyota?). It was no better in terms of quality than my mother's 2003 Corolla. That either speaks poorly of the Avalon, or volumes about the last gen Corolla.