Five-Point Inspection: 2014 Chevrolet Impala

Sometimes, it is not hard to improve on a product. We can’t imagine there were too many developers at Microsoft who said “No sir, we can’t improve on Windows ME.” Same can be said for the designers at Chevrolet.

Things most likely not heard around the office in the past three years “Nope. No way could we possibly make the Impala more stylish.”

So, it should come as no surprise that the 2014 Chevrolet Impala is better than the king-of-the-fleet-yard 2013 model. But even with such high expectations, the 2014 Impala still exceeded them; think 2000 New England Patriots vs. 2001 New England Patriots.

Certainly you have already checked out our 2014 Chevrolet Impala Review – Video first drive, but to ensure we weren’t swayed by the picturesque location, vast vehicular improvement and general awesomeness of the warm San Diego climate, we decided to take a second drive of the 2014 Impala. General Motors invited us up for a drive and to visit to its Oshawa, Canada assembly plant where the Impala, Regal, Camaro, XTS, Equinox and old Impala (Classic) are built. Even with a constant bombardment of rain and snow, the new Impala truly is the real deal in the full-size sedan market; here are five reasons why.

The first improvement noticed when approaching the 2014 Impala is the exterior styling. The car rivals the Toyota Avalon as the most stylish sedan in its segment; something no one would dream of saying in 2011. The Impala’s taught, sharply creased body lines look modern and elegant. Thankfully, the split grille design element found on virtually every new Chevrolet over the past decade is gone. It’s safe to say this is the most handsome Impala since the 1996 SS.

The rear-end treatment, including taillights, looks terrific; if only the Malibu had this styling. Adding a little visual pizazz to higher-trim LTZ models are front LED daytime running lights, HID headlights and optional 20-inch wheels

Inside, the majority of materials are of great quality. There are soft touch materials everywhere, and the whole cabin design finally looks premium enough for a full-size sedan. The stitching, despite being fake in some places, looks nice and accents the Impala’s design theme; yes, there actually is some design in this new Impala.

The front and rear seats proved comfortable for medium distance drives and the trick ‘ice blue’ lighting that comes through chrome strip running the length of the dashboard looks great at night.

The 2014 Impala can be had with Chevrolet’s latest iteration of MyLink, the company’s infotainment system. Despite this edition of MyLink being the easiest yet to navigate, will the Impala demographic really appreciate having to learn how to use it? Thankfully, there are conventional button and dial controls for the HVAC and radio.

The best feature of the Impala’s MyLink has to be the valet mode. Enter a four digit pin, much like you would a hotel safe, and the car will lock out all vehicular information like GPS history, radio stations, phone contacts, mileage, etc. As well, the touchscreen can slide up to reveal a storage compartment behind it that valet mode locks to create a small storage safe.

The Impala is still the great highway cruiser it has always been. Keeping up to highway speeds and tracking straight has never been an issue for the Impala. Corners have been. But now the full-size sedan can actually handle curves like any other full-size sedan (sport specials not included). In fact, the Impala feels as composed in the corners as many mid-size sedans.

This doesn’t make the Impala a sports car; far from it. But at least it won’t be holding up other vehicles, like garbage trucks, road graters and street sweepers when the road gets bendy.

Initially, the Impala will feature a carryover powertrain from the 2013 Impala, the 3.6 L V6. Power is up 5 hp and 2 lb-ft bringing the totals to 305 hp and 264 lb-ft of torque. The only transmission available in the Impala is a six-speed automatic. Chevrolet claims a 0-60 mph time of 6.8 seconds for the V6 and that seems accurate. There is strong pulling power both in the city and on highway. It is more than enough for this vehicle, even when shuttling three adults and their luggage. Fuel economy is essentially unchanged for the V6 at 19 mpg city and 29 mpg highway.

A second drivetrain has just begun production and will join the V6 shortly. It is a 2.5 L four-cylinder engine producing 196 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque. It too is coupled to a six-speed automatic and Chevrolet expects 21 mpg city and 31 mpg highway with this set-up. Later this year, GM’s 2.4 L eAssist powertrain will join the Impala lineup as well.

The 2014 Chevrolet Impala will begin at a base price of $27,535 with V6 editions starting from $30,760.

Thinking about buying a new car? Interested in a Chevrolet Impala?

Visit AutoGuide’s new car buying section here. If you want, you can skip to Chevrolet.