2024 Chevrolet Impala Review

The Chevrolet Impala is an American classic with a convoluted history. It debuted in 1958 and is often credited with starting the muscle car revolution. It soon became the best selling car in America and remained at the top until its cancellation in 1985. The Impala name, if not the actual car, was resurrected in 1994, to market a limited edition, high performance Chevrolet Caprice. While not a bad car by any means (in fact, some say the Impala SS was the best auto GM ever made), it wouldn’t be until the year 2000 that the Impala was properly resurrected. Created as a replacement for the Lumina, this Impala was more of a family sedan than a race car. Despite being the first front-wheel drive Impala, and having no V8 option, it soon became one of the best sellers in America. A 2006 redesign added the SS trim, featuring a small-block V8 engine.

The BuyingAdvice Team Says:

Don’t be confused by the muscle car origins of the Impala name. The 2024 Chevrolet Impala is a family sedan that shares little with the origins of the model. Even with the optional V8 engine, its performance is limited by a four-speed transmission. In the crowded family sedans market, the Impala’s chief strength is its competitive price. The Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord offer a wider range of standard feature, but come with a higher price tag. The Impala has decent safety ratings but we would like to see an improvement in its standard options. Overall, the Impala delivers solid value for money.

What’s New For 2024:

Quite a bit of standard equipment is being added to all trims. All models now include tire pressure monitoring and OnStar 7.0. The LT now features 16 inch aluminum wheels. The SS now comes standard with leather seats and XM satellite radio, and its engine has been upgraded to 303-horsepower. The LTZ now includes Active Fuel Management, which deactivates unused cylinders to save fuel.

What is the Predicted Reliability:

J.D. Power and Associates gave the Impala three out of five stars in initial reliability. Drivers are overall fairly happy with the Impala, though some report various electrical and transmission issues. Not surprisingly, the first Impala model (2000) was plagued with a number of issues, including dead batteries, difficult shifting, squealing brakes, coolant leaks, and vehicle noise. Similarly, the redesigned 2006 model was plagued with issues, such as power steering leaks, faulty starters, inoperative turn signals, and stalling engines. Expect average to below average reliability out of the Impala. The basic warranty lasts three years or 36,000 miles, and the powertrain warranty is good for five years or 100,000 miles.

Analysis Of Safety Ratings And Features:

The Impala scored five stars overall in government frontal crash tests, and an average of four and a half stars in side impact testing. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Impala an average “Acceptable” rating for frontal impacts, its best “Good” rating for side impacts, and a mediocre “Marginal” for rear impacts. Full side curtain airbags and tire pressure monitoring are standard on all trims. Anti-lock brakes and traction control come standard with the LTZ and SS. The 2006 Impala was recalled for unsatisfactory seat adjusters.

Pros and Cons:

Pros
+ Well priced
+ Roomy
+ GM’s powertrain warranty

Cons
– Four-speed automatic
– Limited safety features
– Spotty reliability

Head-To-Head Competition:

There are plenty of 4-door sedans on the market, but the Impala beats just about all of them on price. It’s about $600 less than the Ford Fusion, but the Fusion comes standard with a CD changer and a six-speed automatic transmission, as opposed to the Impala’s four-speed. The Impala base model costs about $3,000 less than the Toyota Camry SE and has about four more square feet of cargo capacity. For the extra money, the Camry features anti-lock brakes, a six speed automatic, and over 50 more horsepower. If you want more safety features for the price, you might want to look at another GM offering: The Saturn AURA, which has a bit less interior room, but comes standard with anti-lock brakes and traction control.

What Others Are Saying:

“Though the Impala’s underpinnings are basically the same, this chassis still gets good marks for rigidity, as well as surprising agility. Add a roomy interior, quiet operation, and more muscle, and seeing the U.S.A. in a new Impala looks like an inviting proposition.” – Car and Driver

“It seems Chevrolet’s engineers had one target to beat when they set out to make over the Impala for 2006: Toyota’s Camry. And, believe it or not, they’ve succeeded in building a car that’s as good as the current Camry.” – About.com

“The SS is top-of-the-line in a series that has base prices as low as $21,330 for an Impala equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 delivering 211 hp. With a bottom line of $29,320, the Impala SS is probably equivalent to what the car would have cost in 1963 dollars, figuring in inflation and all the safety measures that have been added. That’s still a pretty good value.” – The Family Car

Read more about the 2024 Chevrolet Impala at the Chevrolet manufacturer web site.