Chevy Impala Goes from Bottom to Top of Consumer Reports Sedan Rankings

11 years, 3 months ago - 31 July 2013, Autoblog

It's got a new design, it's got new objectives, it's got a five-star crash-test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it's a central part of what could be Chevrolet's "strongest, most competitive retail sedan lineup ever," and now the 2014 Chevrolet Impala has added Turnaround Artist to its resume, going from last to first in Consumer Reports' large sedan ratings.

As if it didn't earn itself a couple of beers for that alone, the triumph is all the more noteworthy because the Impala is the first domestic sedan in 20 years to reach that position. CR only began rating cars with a score in 1992, and since then the number one slot has been from Japan 11 times, Europe nine times.

The Impala conquered with features like its "surprisingly agile handling," "excellent braking," "generally high-quality materials" and a technology interface that is "refreshingly intuitive and easy to use." Going beyond its segment in worth, whereas the previous Impala scored a 63, this one scored a 95; only the BMW 135i coupe and Tesla Model S have scored higher. And wait until you get to the part where it's considered "competitive with... the Audi A6 and Lexus LS460L...."