The automotive world can be a strange one. Some popular nameplates fizzle out, never to be seen again, while others carry on for decades. The Chevrolet Impala was one of the longest-running vehicle names in history before its discontinuation in 2020. Chevy explored all sorts of body styles and designs with the car over its lengthy run on the market, finally settling on a full-size sedan shape for its final generations.

Though sometimes labeled as a rental-fleet beater, the Impala evolved into a comfortable, supremely useful, stylish sedan. It offered plenty of space, a comfortable ride, and intuitive tech. There’s plenty to like about the Impala on the used car market, even when compared against today’s tech-forward rolling computers.

Modern competitors include the Dodge Charger, the Ford Taurus, the Toyota Avalon, and even some small crossovers.

Generations: Ten

Chevrolet Impala 1st Generation
Chevrolet Impala 2nd Generation
Chevrolet Impala 3rd Generation
Chevrolet Impala 4th Generation
Chevrolet Impala 5th Generation
Chevrolet Impala 6th Generation
Chevrolet Impala 7th Generation
Chevrolet Impala 8th Generation
Chevrolet Impala 9th Generation
Chevrolet Impala 10th Generation

Pros: Easy-to-use tech, enormous trunk space, plush ride quality
Cons: Not as up-to-date as its rivals, lacks advanced driver-assistance and safety features

Chevrolet Impala 10th generation (2014-2020)

After more than six decades, the 2020 Chevrolet Impala became the last to leave Detroit. General Motors announced the decision as it trimmed many sedans from its lineup. The tenth-generation cars sold from 2014 to 2020 and featured attractive modern styling, generous standard features, and a trio of available powertrains over the course of its time on sale. Reviews for the car remained mostly positive until its demise, with critics citing its cavernous interior space, easy-to-use tech, and silky-smooth ride quality as significant selling points.

Chevy offered two drivetrain options in the last-generation Impala. The base engine was a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that made 197 horsepower, which proved insufficient for the big sedan and left it without much grunt when it most needed power. The optional 3.6-liter V6 engine made a much more acceptable 305 horsepower, which gave the car the acceleration and passing capabilities it direly lacked with the four-cylinder engine. Both units came paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive (FWD).

Inside, the last-gen Impala offered standard cloth upholstery, but higher trims came decked out with leather upholstery and upscale finishes. Chevy used soft-touch materials for most surfaces inside, which gave the car a more expensive feel than its price tag suggested. The Impala boasted an expansive rear seat, great visibility from the driver’s seat, and acres of legroom throughout.

Tech was generous in these cars, and included a responsive, intuitive MyLink infotainment system, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Bluetooth, USB inputs, and available navigation. Automatic climate controls, a Bose audio system, keyless entry with push-button start, and satellite radio were available.

Chevrolet Impala 9th generation (2006-2013)

The ninth-generation Impala remained a full-size, front-wheel-drive sedan and delivered an expansive cabin, impressive fuel economy, the versatility of FlexFuel capability, and peace of mind, in the form of a safety package that included standard OnStar services. For 2011, the Impala came in entry-level LS, mid-level LT, and top-of-the-line LTZ trims. Chevy added a new optional Luxury package for the LT trim, which includes heated front seats, a six-way power-adjustable passenger seat, heated power mirrors, and an automatic rearview mirror. Other than that, the Impala remained unchanged for 2011.

Chevy offered the Impala with a choice of two engines. A 211-hp, 3.5-liter V6 powers the Impala LS and LT trims, while the LTZ retained its 233-hp, 3.9-liter V6. Both FlexFuel-capable engines ran on regular gasoline as well as E85 fuel. The smaller power plant performed well around town but sometimes struggled when passing at highway speeds. Fuel economy numbers landed at 18 mpg city and 29 mpg highway for the base V6 and 17 city/27 highway for the larger V6, although those numbers dropped when the engines were running on E85 fuel.

Despite its positive points, the Impala did not score well with reviewers, who found fault with the car's interior quality, dated mechanical equipment, spotty performance, and uninspiring exterior design. It bore little resemblance to the upscale and popular Impalas of the 1950s and '60s, reviewers noted, and the car came up short when compared to such competitors as the Ford Taurus, the Buick LaCrosse, the Hyundai Azera, and the Chrysler 300.

Chevrolet Impala Historical Models

The Impala has posted some pretty impressive numbers during its more-than-50-year history. At one time, during the early 1960s, the Impala was the best-selling car in America, despite its classification as a premium vehicle. This was due in part to Chevy's goal to keep the Impala affordable for typical middle-class buyers. As recently as the 2008 model year, the Impala was the best-selling domestic-built sedan in the US and the sixth-best-selling car in US history.

Chevy certainly had high hopes for the Impala when it launched in 1958. Designed in part by General Motors styling legend Harley Earl, the first-generation Impala (originally known as the Chevrolet Bel Air Impala) had a long, low profile, a look that was a departure for Chevys of the era. Positioned at the top of Chevy's lineup of Bel Air coupes and convertibles, the Impala featured an all-new front-end design, a relatively short cabin, and a long rear deck, which gave it an elegant, stretched-out appearance. The muscular snout, prominent headlights, long tail fins, and signature triple taillights on either side helped make the Impala stand out in a crowd and ensured its future as a coveted collector car.

The first-generation Impala was available as either a hardtop Sport Coupe or a Convertible Coupe. Power came from a choice of three engines, including a 235-cubic-inch Blue Flame inline six-cylinder power plant, a 283-cubic-inch Turbo Fire V8, and a 348-cubic-inch big-block Turbo Thrust V8, which put out about 315 hp. The Impala rode on a new chassis designed for stability and minimal flexing, although there were some safety concerns about the chassis in the event of an accident, according to some reports.

For its second generation, which came along fairly quickly in 1959, the Impala became longer (the wheelbase grew by 1.5 inches), wider (by 2 inches), and lower (by 3 inches). In addition, the Impala split off from the Bel Air line to become a separate model, and the trim lineup expanded to include a four-door Sedan and a four-door Hardtop Sport Sedan, in addition to the Sport Coupe and Convertible. The Impala's brakes, suspension, and handling were also upgraded, although the power plants remained the same.

By the time the third generation appeared in 1961, the Impala had become the best-selling car in America, and it would remain so for the next decade, epitomizing as it did the perfect storm of performance, features, and affordability for car buyers in the early 1960s. The new Impala displayed a more subdued exterior as Chevy revamped all the sheet metal except for the roof. The triple taillights, which had disappeared for a year, returned, but the tail fins were gone, resulting in a sleeker rear end and nearly straight lines from front to rear. The big news for 1961, however, was the introduction of the Impala SS (Super Sport) package, the forerunner of the muscle cars of the mid-to-late '60s. Owners could add the SS package to any Impala trim, outfitting it with an upgraded suspension, high-performance brakes and tires, and a choice of several powerful V8 engines, including a new Turbo-Fire 409-cubic-inch V8, which generated an impressive 360 hp. The Beach Boys immortalized the 409 in their song of the same name, which appeared on their debut album in 1962.

Chevy continued to refine and retune the Impala SS, particularly the 409 trims, through the early '60s, and the automaker ultimately split the Impala SS off into its own line in 1964. It featured unique trim, side moldings, wheel covers, and badging.

The Impala's sleek, clean exterior lines continued into the fourth generation, which appeared in showrooms in 1965. The revamped Impala proved so popular that it sold more than one million units that year, setting an industry record that stands to this day. The Impala sat on a new chassis and featured a pillar-less side profile with vent windows at the front. In addition, Chevy introduced a new Impala Caprice four-door hardtop sedan trim with unique upholstery and wood-grain interior accents. Chevy phased out the 409 V8, replacing it with a new Mark IV 396 V8, which mated to a new Turbo Hydramatic 350 automatic transmission.

Throughout the 1960s, the Impala and Impala SS continued to sell well. However, sales of the SS began to decline in the late '60s, and it was wrapped back into the Impala line as a packaged add-on. By 1969, the SS was dropped completely, with the exception of one trim: the Impala SS 427. By the time the fifth-generation Impala debuted in 1971, however, more significant changes were in the air. Although the Impala had sold more than 10 million units by 1972, the oil crisis of 1973 sounded the death knell for the “land boats” and muscle cars of the 1950s and '60s, and the Impala began to downsize. It remained highly popular, however, becoming the best-selling car again in 1973.

The Impala had stretched to an overall length of 219.9 inches by 1972, but by the time the sixth generation debuted in 1977, it had shed more than 10 inches off its length, as well as 4 inches off its width. It also dropped more than 700 pounds from its weight. The big-block V8s were gone as well. However, buyers and the industry alike seemed to like the changes, and the Impala was named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year in 1977.

The Impala continued to soldier on into the 1980s, as sales of full-size cars dropped dramatically. Chevy improved the Impala's aerodynamics and introduced a new 229-cubic-inch V6, which managed fuel economy numbers of 18 mpg city and 26 highway, a new fuel-efficiency milestone for Chevy. Trims were reduced to a four-door sedan and a station wagon by 1982, as the popularity of sport sedans waned. By 1985, however, sales for the Impala proved so poor that it was dropped from the lineup, although the Chevy Caprice continued into the '90s.

In 1994, the Impala re-emerged for its seventh generation as the Impala SS. Essentially a revised Caprice, it sat 2 inches lower than the base Caprice and came equipped with sport-oriented features typically reserved for police fleet cars, including a sport-tuned suspension, larger brakes, dual exhaust pipes, and a limited-slip differential. Power came from a 260-hp, 5.7-liter LT1 V8 borrowed from the Corvette and Camaro, with some minor retuning. Design-wise, the Impala SS drew some styling cues from the muscle cars of the '60s, with a more rounded shape, a body-colored grille, rocker moldings, and a rear spoiler. It was available only in black, and carried on until 1996, when Chevy again dropped it from the lineup, along with the Caprice, the Buick Roadmaster, and the Cadillac Fleetwood, as GM cleared its assembly lines to make way for the coming SUV wave.

The Chevy Impala was down but not out, as it was set to re-emerge yet again, in 2000, as the eighth generation, with a return to its core values of the early 1960s. In re-designing the car, Chevy again attempted to create that perfect storm of performance, great specs, and affordability. The four-door Impala sedan sat on a platform borrowed from the now-defunct Lumina, which it replaced in the automaker's lineup, and came in Base and LS trim levels. While all previous Impalas had been rear-wheel drive (RWD), the new Impala was a FWD vehicle. Power came from either a 180-hp, 3.4-liter V6 or a 200-hp, 3.8-liter V6. Outside, the new Impala took a more conservative approach, with rounded, contemporary lines, although the rounded taillights brought back some of the old Impala's mystique.

In 2002, Chevy introduced an LS Sport appearance package, which included a front bumper extension, a chrome-finished exhaust pipe, and a unique six-gauge instrument cluster. In 2004, Chevy debuted a new 240-hp, 3.8-liter supercharged V6 power plant, which drove the Impala from zero to 60 in 6.5 seconds, returning some of the sports car feel to the long-running brand.