Chevrolet Impala makes a comeback

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Chevrolet Impala has been around since 1958. Back then it was the best-selling car in America. The Impala has been redesigned several times since then, and over the years it fell on tough times and became woefully uncompetitive.

But for 2014, Chevrolet has come out with an all-new Impala that has really impressed Consumer Reports' auto team. It rides like a luxury sedan, cushy and yet controlled. At the same time, acceleration is quick and handling is surprisingly agile for such a large sedan.

This top-of-the-line LTZ version costs around $39,000 and comes standard with advanced safety equipment, including blind-spot monitoring, and lane departure and forward-collision warning.

That's a big change from the 1958 Impala that had no seatbelts and, of course, no air bags.

While old Impalas had an AM radio, the new Impala is totally state of the art. The MyLink system has a simple touch screen, but there are still good old knobs and buttons, too.

Consumer Reports' auto engineer Tom Mutchler says, "We've seen a big improvement in American cars recently with a lot of successful redesigns, including the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chrysler 300, Ford Escape, and Ford Fusion. The Impala is perhaps the most impressive transformation yet."

The Impala now outscores cars such as the Audi A6 and Lexus LS that cost many thousands of dollars more.

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chevrolet, consumer, christine park

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