Monte Carlo is among largest of coupes

So the 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo at dealerships is front-wheel drive, not rear-wheel drive like the Monte Carlo that NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon races in Nextel Cup every weekend.

And the Monte Carlo in showrooms includes seats for five, while Gordon and fellow race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. have only driver's seats in their racetrack-ready Monte Carlos.

Still, buyers of the 2006 production Monte Carlo -- especially the top-of-the-line SS model with small-block V-8 -- can feel a subtle link between their cars and the race-winning National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing Monte Carlos.

Inside, the 2006 Monte Carlo retains the old-school feel of a two-door coupe that's larger than most other coupes offered today. Outside, there's a silhouette that's vaguely reminiscent of a NASCAR Nextel Cup vehicle.

Most of all, under the hood this year, Chevrolet replaced the top engine -- a 240-horsepower, supercharged V-6 in the 2005 Monte Carlo SS -- with a much more potent, 303-horsepower, small block V-8 that delivers 323 foot-pounds of torque at 4,400 rpm.

While this isn't anywhere near the 700-plus horsepower and more than 500 foot-pounds of torque at 7,000 or so rpm in today's Nextel Cup vehicles, it's a much-needed improvement.

Now, everyday drivers can feel strong, sustained acceleration in their Monte Carlos if they want to mimic a racer, just a little.

Starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, is $20,990 for the base Monte Carlo LS with a 211-horsepower V-6. There's a second V-6 available -- a 242-horsepower, 3.9-liter unit.

But it's the top-of-the-line Monte Carlo SS, with a starting price of $26,990, that's noteworthy, thanks to the new, 5.3-liter engine.

In the test Monte Carlo SS, I learned quickly about the newfound power. Ignoring the throaty V-8 sounds that emanated after the engine turned on, I innocently pressed the accelerator a bit too aggressively when a stoplight turned green. I pulled away like some race-inspired terror. I moderated that gas pedal from then on.

Monte Carlos were some of Chevrolet's most popular cars in the past, setting a model year sales record of nearly 250,000 in 1973, for example.

They were made even more special when Chevy added "SS" to some of them. SS stands for Super Sport, a label that has been put on special performance Chevrolets for some 30 years and recently has been revived at the automotive brand.

The interesting thing about the LS4 V-8 in the consumer-version Monte Carlo is the fuel economy mode called Displacement on Demand. DOD automatically switches the engine from eight-cylinder operation to only four cylinders when the car doesn't need to gulp gasoline in all cylinders.

This typically occurred during the test drive just about every time I let up on the gas pedal and coasted.

Chevy officials said DOD can boost fuel economy by 8 percent in the Monte Carlo compared with all-V-8-all-the-time operation. But in my test drive, the majority of it in city traffic, I still didn't get terrific mileage. The on-board computer said I averaged 14 miles a gallon -- far less than the government rating of 18 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.

There's only one transmission in the production Monte Carlo, and it's a four-speed automatic. Premium fuel is recommended for optimum performance.

The Monte Carlo SS has the same MacPherson strut front suspension and rear tri-link coil over strut configuration as the V-6 models. But front and rear anti-sway bars are updated, and the SS wears the largest tires -- W-rated 18-inchers.

The test car didn't glide over roads, the way some other sizable cars do. Instead, the Monte Carlo SS communicated road vibrations mildly while keeping harsh road impacts away from passengers.

The uplevel audio system, with three free months of XM satellite radio service, provided fine sounds.

But climate control is manual, doors can bang into other cars in parking lots, and the opening in the ceiling for the optional moonroof looked small in a car this size.

The Monte Carlo is longer, taller and wider than its major competitors that include the 2006 Honda Accord coupe, which has a starting MSRP, including destination charge, of $25,750 for a model with 244-horsepower V-6, and the 2006 Pontiac GTO, which starts at $33,290 for a 400-horsepower V-8 model.

Note the Monte Carlo has more interior room -- 98.2 cubic feet vs. 88 in the Honda Accord coupe. And the Monte Carlo's big, 15.8-cubic-foot trunk is 3 cubic feet bigger than the Accord's.

Some safety features are optional. For example, antilock brakes are $600 extra on low-level Monte Carlos, and side air bags are a $350 option on all models.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded five out of five stars for driver and front-passenger protection in frontal crash testing.

But front-seat protection in side crash testing was just three stars in the Monte Carlo, with or without side air bags.

Back-seat passenger protection in side crashes as well as the Monte Carlo's rollover rating were both four out of five stars.

There were safety recalls of every model year Monte Carlo from 2000 through 2004. The last safety recall, two years ago, was for possible braking problems in 47,991 cars from the 2004 model year.

Consumer Reports magazine lists the Monte Carlo as a recommended buy with "very good" reliability.