2014 Chevy Impala Gets Top ‘Consumer Reports’ Score

The 2014 Chevy Impala received top honors from Consumer Reports, topping the magazine’s sedan category. The sedan’s top honors were the first for a domestic brand in more than 20 years.

The top score was a huge comeback for the Impala, as the previous version of the car was more often purchased by rental companies than consumers.

And just three years ago, the magazine’s testers described the Impala’s ride in less than positive terms, reports Mercury News. But the redesigned 2014 Chevy Impala scored 95 out of 100 points on Consumer Reports’ rankings, resulting in an “Excellent” rating.

The rating helped Chevy’s sedan beat out the Toyota Avalon and Chrysler 300, even outscoring the Audi A6 and Lexus LS400 — a shock for luxury carmakers.

Jake Fisher, chief auto tester at the magazine, added of the results, and expected criticism, “We’re going to have to have everyone withhold their judgement until they drive one.” And car enthusiasts can go down to their local dealer and do just that. The 2014 Chevy Impala started showing up at dealerships around the country in April.

NPR notes that Consumer Reports praised the Impala, saying it “rides like a luxury sedan, with a cushy and controlled demeanor, while delivering surprisingly agile handling, capable acceleration, and excellent braking.” The magazine also had high praise for the interior, commenting, “Inside, the spacious cabin sets a new standard for Chevrolet fit and finish, with generally high-quality materials and trim.”

The Consumer Reports score was a big win for Chevrolet in more ways than one. Along with beating out higher-priced luxury sedans, it also marked a comeback for domestic car makers. GM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy just four years ago. But the Chevy Impala’s performance shows that the automaker may be making a substantial comeback.

The only caution Consumer Reports had was the lack of reliability data, because of how new the redesigned model is. They wrote, “To be Recommended, a vehicle must perform well in CR’s battery of tests, have average or better reliability in CR’s Annual Auto Survey, and perform well in government and industry crash tests.”

Only time will tell if the magazine can offer the Recommended rating for the 2014 Chevy Impala. Does Consumer Reports ranking of the newly redesigned sedan make you more interested in purchasing — or at least test driving — the model?

[Image by IFCAR via Wikimedia Commons]