The modern Chevy Impala produces respectable fuel economy for a large sedan. When equipped with either the 3.5 or 3.9 liter six-cylinder engine, the roomy Impala’s gas mileage rating falls between 27 and 29 miles per gallon on the highway. Results with the 5.3 liter V-8 (last available in 2009) aren’t anything to sneeze at either, with a rating of 16 city / 24 highway. The Impala is a big, comfortable ride that’s conservatively priced and well suited to soaking up the highway miles.
A significant number of E85-capable FlexFuel Impalas were produced over the years. While these older engines were not optimized to achieve great fuel-efficiency with E85, the ability to run locally-produced ethanol may be advantageous in certain locales and instances. With the proverbial still in your shed, you can enjoy big (domestic!) car comfort without sending your fuel dollars overseas.
While all the chrome, the two-tone paint and the fins may be long gone, the Chevrolet Impala is still a king of the open road and a true slice of Americana, with a long and storied past that dates all the way back to the 1950s. And ready-or-not, the latest update might just bring back memories of the performance-oriented Impala SS.
Although long overdue for a platform and design update, the 2012 Impala offers significantly more power as well as a slightly higher level of fuel-efficiency, as it continues to offer FlexFuel-capability. The addition of a direct-injected 3.6-liter V6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission in the 2012 Impala promises to deliver 18 MPG city / 30 MPG highway with conventional regular unleaded gasoline.
The 2012 Impala’s 3.6-liter V6 is rated at 300 horsepower (HP), a significant jump from the previous model’s 211 HP 3.5 and 230 HP 3.9 V6 engine choices. Needless to say, we look forward to road tripping Chevy’s big four-door sedan in the near future.
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