Although America still has a taste for big cars, its appetite for one particular kind has been somewhat curbed over the years.The Chevrolet Caprice is the kind of car in which we once went to see the USA. The USA, though, has obviously changed. Big, heavy and thirsty, the traditional full-size sedans have largely given way to smaller, lighter front-drive cars. Nevertheless, they're still around, having managed to persist through two gas crises and tightening fuel-economy standards. There are some very good reasons for this. Cars like the Caprice are spacious, comfortable and as smooth as a milkshake. The sheer mass lends a sense of security, and body-on-frame construction enhances the likelihood that you'll walk away from a crash unharmed. The usual criticism of the big rear-drive survivors is that they're out of step with contemporary standards - pillowy ride quality, sluggish handling and vague steering. And to some extent, these criticisms are valid. But they don't apply to the version of Caprice we tested: the Impala SS. Developed from the Caprice police-car package, the Impala SS is powerful and agile without sacrificing the smooth comfort that distinguishes this breed.
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