Price: $27,535 to $36,580
Competitors: Toyota Avalon, Ford Taurus, Nissan Maxima, Hyundai Azera, Buick LaCrosse
Powertrains: 2.4-liter I-4 eAssist, 182 hp, 172 lb-ft; 2.5-liter I-4, 196 hp, 186 lb-ft; 3.6-liter V-6, 305 hp, 264 lb-ft; 6-speed automatic, FWD
EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 25/35 (eAssist); 21/31 (I-4); 19/29 (V-6)
What's new: Think of the new Impala as a Cadillac XTS Light. The two giant GM sedans, along with the Buick LaCrosse, all share the company's long-wheelbase (111.7-inch), Epsilon II architecture. That means this Impala remains front-wheel drive, though the Caddy's all-wheel drive is not an option. Regardless of which wheels do the driving, the change to a modern platform is welcome. The last car rode on a chassis whose original design dates back to 1988. If you miss the bench seat, take heart in the fact that the old Impala will remain with us in rental fleets for years.
On the outside, the big Chevy is a muscular, clean-sheet redesign and a handsome sedan. Behind that crisply styled nose sits a 305-hp 3.6-liter V-6 with direct injection, an engine shared with Cadillac. (For those of you who miss the rear-drive and V-8 performance of yesterday's Impalas, look to Chevy's new 430-hp SS.) The V-6 is paired to a six-speed automatic. A 196-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder is also an option, and before the end of the year, Chevy will add the company's eAssist mild hybrid powertrain to the lineup as well. Those more fuel-economy-focused models come packing active grille shutters and underbody aero panels that combine to produce a drag coefficient of 0.29.
The Impala's front strut and rear multilink suspension shares just about all of its hard parts with the Caddy. But the Chevy's front end has unique strut tower bracing to reduce chassis flex, and rebound springs to tame the Impala's body motions in corners. Sadly, the Impala doesn't receive the more sophisticated magnetorheological dampers from the XTS, nor its optional HiPer strut front suspension. The Impala and XTS use a new TRW belt-drive electronic-power-steering system that shares its mechanical makeup with the Camaro's.
Tech Tidbit: The latest generation of Chevy's MyLink infotainment system, which comes standard on LT and higher trim levels, allows for customizable graphics and can store up to 60 "favorites", which include contacts, radio stations, navigation destinations, and other media. We really like the large buttons and their ease of use, but the centerpiece of the system is the new natural-language voice-recognition system. Tell the system to play the music you want to hear or the destination you'd like to visit in the same way you would a person?"Take me to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue"?and it will do your bidding. It works, though MyLink needs more time to interpret and execute complex phrases.
Speaking of destinations, entering nav instructions manually now requires only one step to enter all the information, instead of separate steps for "city" and "state," for example. In other words, it's more like the nav system in your phone, and that's good.
Driving Character: The first Impala powertrain to hit the roads, and the only one available for our drive, was the six-cylinder. It's a gutsy machine. The V-6 hauls the 3750-pound Impala to 60 mph in just 6.8 seconds. You'd think there would be some torque steer to accompany an aggressive launch away from a stoplight, but we felt no fight from the wheel. The six-speed automatic is a smooth operator. None of the competition has an eight-speed. But if one were installed here someday, two more gears would boost fuel economy and reduce some mountain-road gear hunting in this Impala.
Although the Impala will never be mistaken for a sport sedan, it never feels clumsy or sloppy when pushed. This car shrinks around you and feels more capable, balanced, and agile the longer you drive. The electric power-steering system alters the assist based on both road speed and torque as applied to the wheel by the driver in a corner. Turn into a sharp set of switchbacks at speed and the effort will become heavier to match the job. As precise and easy as the steering is, it does muffle a lot of the information you'd receive from the road. That's probably just fine. Do you really need to feel the crown of the road midcorner through your fingertips on your way to Little League practice?
Out on the open highway, the Impala is supremely comfortable and smooth-riding. Although the 20-inch wheels are cool, we'd stick with the 19-inchers and keep some sidewall to dampen the biggest bumps. This nearly 2-ton machine is easy to guide down the road because it has a sort of virtual detent on-center?a V-notch channel of sorts that keeps the car pointed straight ahead. That means minimal steering fuss from the driver as the Impala gobbles up the freeway miles.
Inside, the Impala is well-crafted, with soft materials over the dash and on every surface you are likely to touch. The command center is very easy and intuitive, with large MyLink infotainment virtual buttons on the 8-inch screen, and four round knobs to control audio functions and climate control. The Impala's long list of options and technology reads like a brochure from a luxury car of a few years ago. High tech has gone mainstream here, with options such as forward-collision alert, adaptive cruise control, and lane-departure warning.
Favorite Detail: At the press of a button, the Impala's 8-inch touchscreen slides up to reveal storage space behind it. The screen itself has a Valet mode that allows you to enter a numeric code to lock the screen?and any access to your personal information on MyLink.
Driver's Grievance: The rear seat isn't the limousine experience you might imagine from a car this big. That's not because it isn't roomy?with 39.4 inches of legroom back there, you'll never be cramped. But is it supremely comfortable? Not entirely. The seat cushion rides low, and the backrest inclines at a relatively steep angle.
Bottom Line: The Impala may not break new ground, but it excels at most of the tasks you could ask of it. It's roomy, powerful, and downright cool to look at. And it's a good deal?mostly. Just remember to exercise some restraint when checking those option boxes. A base LT model with the V-6 is right around $30,000. But move up to the $36,580 LTZ and then add lots of the techy options and the sticker gets close to $40,000. At that point, you're nudging up to the base price of the Cadillac XTS.
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