Test Drive: 2014 Chevrolet Impala LTZ

By Kevin Harrison

I’ve been writing about and reviewing cars for over four years now and I’ve had the opportunity to review some very interesting cars to some not so interesting cars.

The interesting cars generally generate some attention from the general public. The press car that likely generated the most interest is the Buick Regal GS. I had people come up to chat to me at gas stations grocery store parking lots, and even had people take snaps as I drove by.

Well, I think it’s safe to say, the Regal GS has been dethroned as the attention getter by the new Chevrolet Impala.

I had it for a week and there wasn’t a day that went by where someone didn’t ask about it, take pics of it or chat about it amongst themselves thinking the driver was nowhere in sight (in fact, I was).

But perhaps one of the biggest surprises with the new Impala is that it actually achieved a score of 95 from Consumer Reports. That’s the second highest ranking car in their history.

You may be shocked to learn that if you’ve ever rented a car or been in the back of a taxi (or cop car for that matter), because the old Impala dominates those fleets and let’s just say the old Impala is kind of like your fridge. You know it’s there, you know it has a purpose, but you never notice it or think to yourself “man, this fridge is really interesting”.

Well the new one is the exact opposite of the old one, says Consumer Reports. Is it really that good?

First, let’s go back to the looks. GM likely could have made the new Impala look like a crocodile and it still would have been an improvement over the old design. That’s how bland and boring it was. When it was first revealed at the Canadian International Auto show a few years back, I saw it up close and in person for the first time and I honestly thought it was awkward looking. There was something about the profile and bulbous trunk lid that seemed off. Now that I’ve had it for a week, I can safely say that most of the awkwardness I saw before doesn’t seem to be as prevalent. There is no denying the Camaro influence in the front end. The top of the line LTZ model adds LED daytime running lights, 20 inch wheels and splashes of chrome throughout. In fact, it’s the LTZ model that garnered so much attention. I kept getting approached from people saying:

“Wow, I’ve never seen one so decked out before.”

They would be forgiven for saying so because this iteration of the Impala costs about $47K. Yes, that’s for an Impala. But before we go jumping to conclusions on the price point alone, let’s take a better look at what the Impala offers.

Firstly, just like the exterior, the interior is a massive improvement. There is high quality materials and leather throughout (although the light grey colour really brought me back to the Impala’s taxi roots) and the controls are quite simply – very much a good thing considering the more seasoned audience that tends to gravitate towards Impalas. I’m not particularly a fan of the teal mood lighting which span’s the whole length of the dash to the two front doors, but overall the environment is a very pleasant place to be. The steering wheel is massive – a bit too big for my liking, but I loved that the heated steering wheel not only worked well, but it worked quickly. Much appreciated given our unseasonably low temperatures. There is plenty of cubby holes and even a hidden cubby hole behind the centre screen which rises to reveal a decent amount of space with the touch of a button.

The seats are decently cushy as you’d expect as is interior room just about everywhere. It doesn’t matter what your height or stature is, you’ll be able to get comfortable in the new Impala. Likewise, you won’t find much that doesn’t fit into the massive trunk which, by the way is so vast that they can actually fit a large mat which lines the floor. Basically the Impala does 100% what you expect a big body sedan would do.

The LTZ model gets 305 horses and 264 pound feet of torque from a 3.6 litre V6. If you desire it, you can equip your Impala with a 4 cylinder if you opt for the lesser trim versions. The V6 is decently powerful and it even emits a nice sound to boot. The gearbox clearly speaks the same language as the engine so they work quite well in unison. The only issue I have is, while 305 horses is fast and is likely more than adequate for most buyers, the Impala still weighs just shy of 3,500 pounds. So acceleration is good, but not necessarily noticeably fast. That’s just being a bit nitpicky though. It’s been a long time since I’ve driven a GM product where the engine and transmission work so well together.

At cruising speed the Impala is decently quiet and plenty comfortable, despite those massive 20 inch wheels. With that said, I wouldn’t quite call it floaty. There isn’t much weaving and bobbing over bumps, in fact the Impala sucks them up with grace and there is little disruption to the driver.

When you get to a twisty bend, it then becomes apparently that you are driving a massive piece of machinery. It is at this point where you’ll notice body roll, under steer and general fussiness. The steering is ridiculously light which I suppose is to be expected given how massive the wheel itself is. It is among the least responsive steering I’ve tested in recent memory, but if you’re a buyer in this segment, chances are that might actually be appealing to you. If you’re looking for any kind of fun in the corners though, look outside this segment altogether.

For fuel consumption, the Impala is rated at 12.4 L/100 kms and 8.1 L/100 kms highway. In real world mostly city driving, I returned 11.2L/100 kms which isn’t bad given its size, however filling the Impala’s massive tank would likely produce a bit of a shock no matter what.

There is no doubt that this new Impala is a massive improvement and I can safely say it’s now near the top of the contenders within the segment. And perhaps that may have been what Consumer Reports was driving at (excuse the pun) when the ranked it so highly. It doesn’t do everything well, but it does everything it’s expected to do well or better than expected. While I can harp on a few things, for example, I don’t know any Impala buyer that would be willing to fork over the amount of money to replace 20 inches worth of rubber four times, but overall there isn’t a whole lots that can be said for negatives.

That said, it isn’t quite a loveable car. It didn’t make me feel much when I was driving it. When it is parked, that’s where it suddenly becomes interesting. But one thing is for sure, the Impala is 100 times better than the model it replaces.

Price As Tested: $46,535

Pros: