American sport sedans: mirror-image muscle;
Chevrolet Impala SS vs. Ford Taurus SHO vs. Pontiac Bonneville SE
Supercharged; Road Test Evaluation by Daniel Charles Ross (Motor
Trend 5/95)
In the '90s, sedans with rock-and-roll in their fuel lines
have been resurrected as full-on factory offerings - and we've
'gathered the three hottest versions for a thorough test. Chevy's
Impala SS is a persuasive subset of the Caprice line, with
rear-drive, a full frame, and a big-cube American V-8. Pontiac is
the purveyor of the higher-tech Bonneville SE, which is
front-drive, optionally supercharged, and has enough back-litred
instruments to make an aircraft pilot feel cozy. The front-drive
Taurus SHO is a perennial favorite of the hot-sedan set and comes
with a high-tech Yamaha-built DOHC V-6 and optional four speed
auto-shifter. Although the EPA classifies the SHO as a midsize
car and the SS and SE as large cars, all are similarly priced and
offer comparable performance.
All three cars follow weighty performance legends that they
must live up to.For the Impala SS, it's the cars for which it was
named, cars like the '67 version that packed a massive 427
cubic-inch big-block V-8 and churned out as much as 435
horsepower. The Pontiac reflects a heritage that includes the '65
Catalina 2+2, which used a Tri-Power carburetion setup atop its
421 cube powerplant, and massive aluminum drum brakes with
eight-lug hubs. Meanwhile, the Taurus counts the amazing '65
Galaxie in its family tree - a car that used its 427 cubic inches
to terrorized dragstrips and to carry Fred Lorenzen to victory in
that year's Daytona 500.
During the 80's, Detroit plastered nearly car with a "Euro"
this or a"Touring" that. But now the Motor City had managed to
pull off a really neat . It's combined the sophistication those
tape-and stripe shops jobs only pretended to represent, with real
muscle reminiscent of the great v-8s.
The Impala SS nameplate (which debuted in '61) has the
longest history of the trio and may be the most recognizable.
Parked next to its competition, the Chevy is certainly the
biggest of the three. The Impala offers the longest the
wheelbase, the widest track, the fattest tires, the greatest
overall length, more ground clearance, extended cargo capacity,
the most interior room, the biggest engine, the most horsepower -
the list goes on and on with one exception on the
mine-is-bigger-than-yours roster: It boasts the lowest base price
and the lowest as-tested price. And despite being the heaviest
car in this mix by about 345 pounds, it shows its tail-lights at
the dragstrip, clocking the fastest 0.60-mph and quarter-mile
times of the group.
Created for the Corvette and cloned for police service, the
LT1 engine powering the civilian Impala SS owes no apologies to
anyone. The 5.7-liter OHV V-8 with sophisticated multiport
electronic fuel injection contributes classic big-displacement
horsepower of 260 at 5000 rpm. With a torque figure of 330
pound-feet at 3200 rpm, the Impala generates the most pleasing
twist of the three by far. Such prodigious output translates into
spine-compressing launches, rapid acceleration (0-60 in 7.0
seconds), and an overall feeling or road-going authority.
If your tastes (or memories) run to smoky burnouts, the
Impala SS is your obliging steed - in dry weather. The car isn't
available with traction control of any kind other than by lifting
your right foot, so icy roads definitely are not its element,
though Chevy has included its new Bosch ABS V anti-lock brakes as
standard equipment. The SS has firm-feel power rack-and-pinion
steering, but its on-center presence is vague and needs minding.
This is complicated by those huge 255/5OZR17 BFGoodrich Comp T/A
meats in the fender wells, which dart after every nick arid
nibble in the road surface. Ride quality, however, is first-rate,
especially with the Impala's considerably firmer suspension
tuning. Handling is musclecar-direct but sometimes tail-happy in
lift-throttle comers (weight distribution front/rear is 78/22).
Twelve-inch disc brakes haul the 4000-plus-pound impala to a stop
from 60 mph in an impressive 115 feet, and in 36 feet from 30
mph. it recorded 0.82 g on the skidpad and 62.5 mph while
slinking its way through our 600-foot slalom. It feels huge at
speed, but holds the tarmac with sports-car tact.
Inside the large interior, most basketball players would
probably find a comfortable position while traveling, whether in
the wide front buckets or on the three-place rear bench. Dual
airbags are standard, and there's ample headroom front and rear,
but the Impala's front seats are a click too soft and well below
any acceptable threshold of lateral support required for sporty
cornering.
The Taurus SHO is a fundamentally good car that rightfully
deserves attention from car enthusiasts. It was introduced as
America's BMW and quickly became one of the industry raves. But
while smaller and not as well equipped as the Bonneville SE, it's
nearly as expensive. Also, the SHO is neither as high-performance
as the Impala SS nor as high-tech as the Bonnie SE. Ford failed
to empower the SHO with a distinctive style to differentiate it
from its ordinary Taurus sibling. Even the next-generation '96
1/2 SHO piece (see our First Look in this issue) doesn't bench
race any faster than the current model and will look little
different from the regular-issue '96 Taurus.
The '95 SHO automatic is powered by a 3.2-liter DOHC 24-valve
Yamaha V-6,offering a cast-iron block topped with cast-aluminum
cylinder heads and an impressive "nest o' snakes" cast-aluminum
intake manifold. Only SHOs equipped with a four-speed automatic
transaxle receive this engine with its extra 0.2-liter
displacement. It supplies the same 220 horsepower as the
stick-shift SHO, but at 6000 rpm versus 6200. its torque is 215
pound-feet at 4800 rpm, or 5 pound-feet less at the same rev
limit. In any street-driven operation, the SHOmatic is an
auditory treat indistinguishable from the manual transaxle car
except that it changes gears without your assistance. The music
emanating from this quick-revving powerplant must be heard to be
appreciated. Even nominally nonenthusiast passengers aboard for
full-throttle runs exclaim, "Oooh! I like that!" Around town, the
automatic's top gear can be electronically disengaged to preserve
a slightly higher cruising rpm and faster kick-down
characteristics. Unfortunately, sound doesn't equal fury: The SHO
took 7.7 seconds to hit 60 mph, but in the quarter-mile event it
was only a tick behind the SE by docking 15.8 seconds at 87.9
mph. The Ford had the longest braking of our trio, stopping in
137 feet from 60 mph, though its curb weight is the lowest. It
came to rest in 36 feet from 30 mph, however - same as the as the
much heavier Impala SS. Its 62.8-mph slalom performance was in
the same narrow zone as the others, but could manage orgy 0.79g
skidpad circuits on 215/6OZR16 Goodyear Eagle GT+4 rubber.
A sport sedan must show some individuality to account for its
claim to the title. The SHO interior provides only token symbols
by way of power adjustable thigh and upper-body bolsters that
offer ferocious suppose when in full-grip bill-collector mode.
Neither these bolsters nor the inflatable lumbar supports hold an
air charge for long, however, requiring regular infusions of
additional pressure. The ergonomics are muddled, too. The radio
is manipulated more often than the climate control, yet its stuck
in the dark bottom of the center dash and graced with teensy
buttons. Even the stop-gap supplemental radio controls high on
the dash are hidden behind the thick steering wheel, requiring a
head-toss for adequate viewing.
The Pontiac Bonneville SE qualifies as the most modem of
these three sedans.It posts an appealing aerodynamic shape,
promotes performance with an optional high-output supercharged
3.8-liter V-6, and offers well-bolstered chairs, great outward
visibility, positive control response, and a spacecraft-grade
interior with a host of red-lit instruments.
Pontiac strived to make its '95 Bonnei a precision driving
tool, and succeeded almost completely. Our SE test car included
ft L97 3800 Series II OHV V-6 with supercharging, a
driver-selectable shift program for a four-speed electronically
controlled automatic transaxle, signature floor mats, a special
instrument cluster with boost gauge, and 225/60HR16 Goodyear
Eagle RS-A rubber. The 1SB option package is recommended for its
value: For $ 1440, ft adds remote keyless entry, a head-up
display of speed, an electrochromic rear-view mirror, automatic
air conditioning, an eight-speaker sound system, an advanced
anti-theft system (PASS-Key II, with a coded resistor in the
ignition key, is already standard), and traction control.
The SE has a compact but powerful engine, with a cast-iron
block and cylinder heads, and sequential pod fuel injection. The
V-6 is a quick-revving powerplant that aims 225 horsepower at the
road through the front wheels. At 275 pound/feet, torque output
is as strong as many V-8s. The driver can program the four-speed
automatic transmission to shift on Performance or Normal
schedules. For another $ 380, the computer command ride option
allows you to preselect suspension firmness between Performance
and Tour.
Surprisingly, the SE has a lower tolerance for full-tilt
handling chores than the Impala. The Bonneville is a little
Clumsier with less linearity. Additional structural rigidity
would lend a more solid feeling. Throw the car into a transition
too quickly, and the back end tends to step out a bit, putting
the driver on the defensive. On the straightaway, it has enough
power to stay nose-to-nose with the LT1-powered Impala right up
to 90 mph. Though 345 pounds lighter on its feet than the Impala
SS, the Bonneville braked from 60 mph in a comparatively
leisurely 134 feet, and it needed 39 feet to stop from 30.
Although saddled with less aggressive rubber, the front-driver
demonstrated the same skidpad grip as the Chevy (0.82 g), and at
62.8 mph, was just an eye-blink faster through the slalom cones.
The act of choosing a winner among this tho doesn't hinge
solely on performance data - each car embodies a decidedly
unique, excitingly delicious personality. The Impala SS has
character from the bottom of its 17-inch tires to the top of its
monochromatic body. Combine that with the lowest price and
quickest performance of our trio, and the result is a victory for
Chevrolet. The Bonneville is probably the right choice if you
value sophistication over bravado, and fuel economy over
tire-melting torque. And though the current Taurus SHO matches
the Bonnie on the sophistication scale, fans of the car may be
better off waiting for the '96 1/2 iteration to arrive with its
promise of V-8 power, roomier interior; improved structure, and
superior handling.
Any of these cars is more than a match for the American
performance sedan of yesteryear - they're faster, better
handling, and more efficient. In the future, they'll be the
standard against which American muscle sedans should be judged.