2017 Chevy Impala Review
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Edmunds' Expert Review
byBrent Romans
Senior Editor, Written Content
Brent Romans has worked in the automotive industry since 1996. He has written or edited thousands of expert car reviews and road-tested hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career.Pros
- Rides smoothly over bumps and rough roads
- Quiet interior at highway speeds
- V6 engine provides quick acceleration
- Cabin looks sleek and classy
- big backseat and trunk are great for carrying passengers and luggage
Cons
- Mediocre acceleration with four-cylinder engine
- A few interior panels and controls feel a bit cheap
- Thick roof pillars hamper outward visibility
What’s new
The Impala heads into 2017 with some minor revisions to the naming and availability of its trim levels but is otherwise unchanged.
Vehicle overview
Like a lot of long-running American automotive nameplates, the Chevrolet Impala has seen its share of ups and downs. You could chart its appeal through the decades and the graph would probably look a lot like the Dow Jones Index. But as a car shopper of today, all you really need to know is that Chevy's been on an upswing with its Impala ever since it redesigned it a few years ago.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2017 Chevrolet Impala LT 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 6A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.35 per gallon for regular unleaded in Virginia.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia
$164/mo
Impala LT
vs
$222/mo
Avg. Large Car
The current design of the Impala dates back to 2014. It's still a handsome-looking sedan in our opinion.
The 2017 Impala's portfolio starts with its roomy interior. This is one of the main reasons to consider this class of car, and compared to a typical midsize sedan, the Impala gives rear passengers plenty of space to stretch out. There's also a big trunk that can hold up to 18.8 cubic feet of stuff. Should you load up both the rear seat and trunk for a road trip, the Impala will keep your crew comfortable with its impressively smooth ride over bumps and low levels of wind and road noise on the highway. This is a restful, serene road tripper on long hauls.
It's fair to say that these qualities are big-car basics, but we're also fond of the Impala's technology. Standard on all but the base LS trim is the 8-inch MyLink touchscreen infotainment system, which has crisp graphics and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. There's also an appealing collection of safety features available, including lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking. These nicely complement the Impala's crashworthiness, which scored high marks in government testing.
Of course, the Impala isn't the only option you should consider. The perennial all-star of this pack is the Toyota Avalon, which offers a fuel-sipping hybrid four-cylinder engine in addition to its smooth V6. We're also fond of the well-equipped Kia Cadenza (which is also fully redesigned this year) as well as the stylish and powerful Chrysler 300. You might also check out the new Buick LaCrosse if you're looking for something a bit more upscale. Overall, though, the 2017 Chevrolet Impala is right in the mix and would be a solid addition to your garage.
The 2017 Chevrolet Impala comes standard with antilock brakes, traction and stability control, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and front knee airbags. Also standard is GM's subscription-based OnStar service, which includes automatic crash notification, an emergency assistance button, remote door unlock and stolen vehicle assistance.
A rearview camera is optional on the LT, as are forward collision warning, lane-departure warning and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. These come standard on the Premier. Optional for the Premier only is forward collision mitigation with automatic emergency braking.
In Edmunds brake testing, an Impala with 19-inch wheels came to a stop from 60 mph in 114 feet, an excellent result for the segment.
In government crash testing, the Impala received aperfect five stars for overall crash protection, including five stars for frontal-impact and five stars for side-impact collisions. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the Impala its best rating of "Good" in the moderate-overlap frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests. Also in IIHS testing, the LTZ's optional frontal collision warning and automatic braking systems earned the top rating of "Superior."
Edmunds' Expert Rating
With an abundance of passenger and trunk space, the 2017 Chevrolet Impala is unmistakably a large sedan, but there's more to this Chevy than just room. You'll also appreciate the way it keeps you and your passengers comfortable and safe.
Driving
Impala buyers might be tempted to stick with the four-cylinder engine on account of its lower price and higher fuel economy, but we recommend shelling out for the V6. The V6's relatively swift sprint to 60 mph only tells part of the story -- when you punch it at cruising speed, the engine responds with real authority. As for the base four, it's reasonably smooth and willing, but its 110-hp deficit is readily apparent from the driver seat, especially if you've got passengers and luggage aboard.
Get the Impala's optional V6. For this large sedan, it's really the way to go.
As expected, the 2017 Impala takes road impacts in stride, soaking up the bumps and ruts like a big car should. The driver's outward visibility is hampered somewhat by the Impala's thick roof pillars, but the interior is also pleasingly quiet, with minimal amounts of wind and road noise at freeway speeds. For maximum ride comfort, we advise skipping the Premier's optional 20-inch wheels, as they ride a little too harshly over sharp bumps. Taken around turns, the Impala isn't as sporty as the car's sleek styling might suggest, but overall this is a secure and competent-handling sedan.
Interior
The Impala's dynamic, modern exterior writes checks that its interior is pleased to cash. The graceful dual-cowl dashboard flows organically into the door panels, creating a wraparound effect that has become a GM trademark as of late. The 8-inch MyLink touchscreen for audio, navigation and phone functions ties it all together with its crisp, high-resolution graphics and an intuitive interface. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration also come standard, and both are great for minimizing driver distraction. It's a worthwhile upgrade compared to the LS's base setup. We would ask only for quicker and more predictable responses to touch inputs, as well as upgraded materials to replace a few flimsy plastic elements in the center console.
The interior design is sharp, though materials quality in some places is underwhelming. Leather upholstery comes standard on the Impala Premier.
A generous wheelbase (the distance between a car's front and rear wheels) gives the Impala serious passenger space front and rear. Four 6-footers could do a cross-country road trip in perfect comfort, which is precisely what we expect from a large sedan. The wide, plush front seats offer a variety of upholstery options, including cloth, a cloth/leatherette combination and leather. The standard 60/40-split folding rear seatbacks add useful additional cargo space to the already ample 18.8-cubic-foot trunk.
2017 Chevrolet Impala models
The 2017 Chevrolet Impala is offered in three main trim levels: LS, LT and Premier. (Chevy also offers versions of the LS and LT with a bi-fuel V6 engine that can run on regular gasoline and compressed natural gas (CNG). You'll unlikely encounter an LS or LT CNG on dealer lots or in online inventory, but note that feature availability does vary slightly compared to the regular versions.)
