Chevrolet Impala Kicks Ass

[dales]

http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/l ... 6048.story

Consumer Reports gives new Chevy Impala one of its top ratings ever


By Jerry Hirsch
July 25, 2013, 6:42 a.m.



In a development that marks the resurgence of American automakers almost as much as the huge profits they announced this week, Consumer Reports said that the new Chevrolet Impala is one of the best cars it has ever tested.


The consumer magazine, known for its influential car reviews, said the 2014 Impala earned its top rating for all sedans, grabbing a ranking that has been held by Japanese and European models for at least two decades.

“The Impala’s performance is one more indicator of an emerging domestic renaissance,” said Jake Fisher, director of Consumer Reports automotive testing. “We’ve seen a number of redesigned American models — including the Chrysler 300, Ford Escape and Fusion, and Jeep Grand Cherokee — deliver world-class performance in our tests.”

That’s one reason why the Detroit automakers are posting big profit numbers. On Wednesday, Ford Motor Co. said its second-quarter profit rose 18.5% to a $1.2 billion. Revenue rose 14.4% to $38.1 billion. Its North American sales were the biggest contribution to the rosy numbers.

On Thursday, Impala-builder General Motors Co. said it also earned $1.2 billion in the second quarter, helped by North American sales. But that was down from $1.5 billion in the same period a year earlier because of losses in Europe.

Before its complete redesign, the Impala earned a test score of just 63 points. The new model scored 95, among the top-rated vehicles Consumer Reports has tested. Only the Tesla Model S hatchback and the BMW 135i coupe have scored higher.

“The Impala rides like a luxury sedan, with a cushy and controlled demeanor, while delivering surprisingly agile handling, capable acceleration, and excellent braking,” Consumer Reports said in its evaluation.

“The Impala corners quite well for a large car, with prompt turn-in response and controlled body lean,” the magazine said. “Steering is nicely weighted; it’s light enough for parking maneuvers and provides decent feedback. When pushed to its handling limits, the Impala proved secure, responsive, balanced, and easy to control.”

Consumer Reports said the Impala which starts at about $27,000, and was competitive with much more expensive cars, including the Audi A6, Lexus LS460L, Acura RLX and Jaguar XF. Consumer Reports tested a fully loaded model that sells for about $39,000.

However, a review by Times auto critic David Undercoffler says the Impala still drives like it belongs in the retirement community.

And despite all the praise, the Impala still lacks the one attribute that is probably the most coveted portion of the Consumer Reports evaluations, a “recommended” rating. The magazine said it does not yet have enough reliability data to give the Impala its full stamp of approval.

[Crackpot]

Knowing Consumers reports this makes me wonder about the quality of the impala

[dales]

Note that they couldn't recommend the car due to lack of long-term feedback.

I'm no big fan of the General (more of a FORD guy) but I wish them well.

eta: I've always had a soft spot for the Impala. I got my California Driver's License in 1968 after passing the behind the wheel in a 1965 Impala. The DMV guy looked about 100 years old and was a strict old coot (went too fast thru blind intersection).

[Jarlaxle]

Wrong-wheel drive...pass. For a fullsized car, I'll have one of these, please!

[Long Run]

I was assigned an Impala as my car rental a couple of weeks ago and I was favorably impressed -- good engine performance, nice handling and smooth ride, comfortable seats, good visibility, plenty of room for five and a sizeable trunk. It is not going to make you forget your BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, etc., but for a mainstream sedan, it is up there with the Camry, Taurus and other top cars in that category. If GM had made cars like this all along, there would have been no need for the federal bailout.

[Crackpot]

The thing is GM (and the rest of the domestics) has been making Cars that good for two decades (more or less) there was many other factors other than quality that caused the bankruptcies from Mismanagement to legacy costs and flat out bias in publications (like consumers reports) and the federal Government (until recently toyota has been an "open secret" that toyota has got far more leeway on alternate ways to deal with "recalls" than what was offered the domestics.

[dales]

Well it's no secret now that Toyota is getting its chops busted.

[Crackpot]

Not really they're just getting the same shit that has been thrown at everyone else for years.

[dales]

Toyota is still the largest automaker in the world - they're a big target.