Chevy Impala Tops Consumer Reports Sedan Rankings
General Motors has a new feather to put in its cap: a glowing endorsement from Consumer Reports for the 2014 Chevrolet Impala.
The new full-size sedan is a crowd pleaser. It’s handsome, it drives well and it’s head and shoulders above the preceding generation. Now it’s also the first car from the Detroit 3 to top Consumer Reports’ sedan rankings with a score of 95 out of 100.
It’s a big change compared to the 63 score the same nameplate scored last year. As most of the reviews will say, the Impala offers plenty of cruising comfort and power while standing out as a surprisingly enjoyable car to drive.
SEE ALSO: 2014 Chevrolet Impala Review
There are only two vehicles that rank higher than the Impala: the Tesla Model S with a 99 and the BMW 135i with 97. Consumer Reports began awarding vehicles a numeric ranking in 1992, and this is the first time since then that a domestic car topped its list.
The Impala is offered with a 3.6-liter V6 engine that makes 305 hp and 264 lb-ft of torque. There’s also a four-cylinder version that offers 195 hp. Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also awarded the sedan a five-star crash rating.
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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I asked Consumer Reports to explain in detail how the rating is computed, and I never got an answer. I guess it's proprietary. But I would like to see how each factor is weighted; many of us might weight each factor differently.