One of the great thrills of my youth was taking a midnight ride with my cousin in her used 1963 ice blue Chevy Impala Super Sport convertible.

That car was something else. It had a 409-cubic-inch V-8 -- yep, that 409 that the Beach Boys sang about -- wire wheels instead of spinner hubcaps and one of the loudest exhaust systems you ever heard.

I remember she took me to a Supremes concert in it, and when we got out, there was almost a half foot of snow outside. My cousin decided to tear through a shortcut in St. Louis' O'Fallon Park at breakneck speed. She laid a lovely patch as the car barreled on, and even did a doughnut -- to my terror and secret delight. I never told my mom what happened. Or my aunt.

	General Motors
	The new 2004 Chevrolet Impala SS has a base price of $27,335.

All those memories came flooding back as I jumped behind the wheel of a jet black 2004 Chevy Impala SS Sedan, the company's new and much awaited flagship.

The new Impala SS is a successor to the old '94 to '96 Impala SS, which was based on the Caprice. That Impala, which sold like hotcakes and is a highly sought after collector's item, was worthy of the SS nameplate first introduced in 1961 with that 409 cubic inch V-8.

This year's Impala SS is distinguished from other Impalas by virtue of its 3.8 liter, supercharged 240 horsepower V-6. It also gets a heavy duty automatic, a beefier and lowered suspension system, SS badging, a spoiler and a lowered front fascia with integrated fog lamps. There also are stainless steel exhaust tips, SS badging and logos all around and other racing-inspired features.

It has a base price of $27,335, and yes, that does exceed our Wallet Watchers limit of $25,000. But the fact is that given rebate programs and dealer deals, you are almost sure to get this car for less than that $27,335.

And what you are getting?

For starters, you will get a composed, lively performing, well-appointed, quiet American sedan that is chock full of value. It's likely one of the best family sedans around, if not the best. Consumer Reports gives the Impala, SS or otherwise, its coveted "recommended'' rating.

You should also know that this is one of the safest cars around. It received five stars, the highest possible rating,from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for both the driver and front passenger in frontal impact testing, and four out of five stars in side impact testing.

As far as frontal offset crash testing is concerned, the Impala got a "good" rating, the highest possible from the NHTSA.

What you will not get is a so- called "true" pavement ripping, V-8 equipped, belching blood Super Sport, and more than one or two car magazines have taken note of that. This car is far too understated and civilized for that.

Had this car been equipped with a Corvette V-8, well, that would have been a "hoss" of a different color, I'm sure. But as it stands now, while acceleration of the Impala SS could certainly be considered lively, it's a long way from the kind of barnstorming, bravura performance that longtime Chevy aficionados associate with the SS emblem.

And just from a psychological perspective, the presence of a V-6 instead of a V-8 makes enthusiasts even more equivocal about this car.

If you can somehow get past all that, what you will find is that the car has a number of charms, not the least of which is that is it lot more fun to drive than other American intermediate and large family sedans, save for Pontiac's Grand Prix.

What makes the Impala SS fun is the combination of nice, flat handling and aggressive cornering, a relatively modest size that makes it tossable and stable at top speeds, and predictable, safe driving characteristics all the way around.

Objections? Even though I thought the interior looked better than those of other Impala models, it still comes off a bit mediocre and wanting in terms of exuding class or substantiality.

I also think that given what this car is supposed to be, Chevy hasn't done enough to distinguish it on the style front. The SS markings on the exterior, few that there are, are not especially impressive, and I also thought the exhaust system needs to be given a more authoritative sound. As it stands now, it's not that different from other Impalas on that score.

Here's what owners say about the Impala SS.

"I've owned my Impala SS for one month. It runs great, no lag from the supercharger and handles very well. The brakes are great, and I got 24.2 miles per gallon on my first tank."

Another owner says, "The current SS will never have the same aura as the '94 to '96 rig because of its front wheel drive V-6 configuration, but it is still a marked improvement over the base and LS models ... it feels great to drive and has a lot of acceleration available at any speed. I may seriously consider trading it in, though, if the rumors are true and a rear-wheel-drive V-8 Impala is on the way."

A third one enthused that it was the "coolest car ever, except for the lack of a V-8 and a convertible."

What would they change?

"Make Impala convertibles."