Faults:

This car has a loose interior; over large bumps the whole interior shudders, almost like a single unit; you can hear it banging back and forth against the car metal.

The video display reacts slowly.

There was a bothersome rattle from the driver's side door innards.

General Comments:

Consumer Reports said this car was among the best-riding cars they've tested and among the quietest. I found the latter is true, but IMHO the former is not. This Impala LT (50 series rubber on 18" rims) has a superficially smooth ride over average-quality roads with lumpy/segmented pavement, but sharp bumps crash through with a flimsy shuddering sound (loose interior pieces) in the passenger compartment. The roar from coarse pavement is not well suppressed and resonates in the cabin. The engine is well-muffled (electronic noise cancellation) and can only be heard as leakage from outside through the closed windows. Wind noise is almost totally absent, as well.

The 4-cylinder engine has an amazing amount of power and smoothness; I never wanted for the V6. The handling was poised, with no discernible sway/lean/dive/squat, and the suspension's performance was unflappable on the curvy, wavy stuff. I just wished GM used 60 or 70 series rubber to take the edge off of those sharper bump impacts.

The seating was supportive and comfortable over the long haul, at least for the driver's seat with its power-adjustments and variable lumbar support. Entry and egress for this tall person, were vastly superior to the late model Passat I tried. With the driver's seat elevated as far as it would go, I didn't have to squat much to enter the car. With the driver's seat in its elevated and rearmost position, I could sit in the back seat with at least 3" of space between the driver's seat back and my knees. However, my head bumped into the ceiling unless I ducked or slouched.

The driver's outward visibility was strictly average, the rear-view camera display is an essential tool to avoid a collision with another parked car, as the mirrors have a limited field of view.

In summary, I admired the neutral drivability and serenity of this vastly improved Impala, I consider it the best performing value among its peers (Chrysler 300, VW Passat, Toyota Avalon) and could recommend it with comparatively minor reservations.

Faults:

Check engine light came on and the purge valve solenoid was bad. It was replaced under warranty.

General Comments:

I was in the market for a newer car, so after a couple of weeks of searching, I had my eyes set on the Impala for a few main reasons: price, cool styling, large size, and value for what you get out of this car.

I'm not easily impressed by things, and honestly, I've been wary about GM cars for a long time, but in the last few years, they have seriously upped their game and this Impala is proof of it.

I purchased this car lightly used, with low miles, so the car is pretty much new.

One major plus about the car is the massive interior and interior quality; sure the interior has plastic, but the plastic is very sturdy to touch, and not flimsy like other cars in this class. The car feels upscale, and more like a BMW than a Chevy. The stitching on the dash and door panels with aluminum inserts are a nice touch compared to the majority of midsize cars in the lineup. I drive for Uber and Lyft, and many riders have complimented the car on numerous occasions saying things like "Wow, I had no idea this was an Impala, it looks and feels much nicer than I expected".

Also the seats are nice, a little too firm at times, but they have great thigh support which is a plus for tall drivers and passengers.

So in a sense, the Impala of this generation is borderline luxury, it's nothing like the Impalas of the past whatsoever, this is an entirely new platform that was designed in Germany, the Epilsion II which is shared with the Caddy XTS and Buick Lacross. I have the LT model which comes with the 8 inch touch screen and Apple Carplay, Android Auto, and other nice features.

The car feels weighty and solid to drive; you don't get that tin can feel as the ride quality benefits from it.

Although I have 18-inch wheels on it, and the tires are only a 50 series, the car rides very good for the most part, and the car is also very very quiet to drive, with absolutely no squeaks or rattles.

Living in CA, in San Diego County we have extremely bad roads and freeways that are in horrible crumbling conditions, so ride quality is important to me. Out of all the cars I test drove in the mid-size car segment, the Impala had the most stable, quiet, comfortable ride for the price. The Impala drives nicely for the most part, but on the really rough and coarse pavement, the ride does get a little choppy and rough. I mean I don't know what else could ride smoother unless someone steps up to like an E-class Benz or Chrysler 300.

One issue that I have with the majority of FWD cars, is the lack of wheel travel and front strut suspension. This type of suspension doesn't allow for much wheel movement like a short arm, long arm suspension you see on RWD vehicles, so the ride quality is bouncy and jarring on bad streets.

Overall the car is awesome, it has great power from the 3.6 V6 engine, the car doesn't have that jackrabbit punch when you hit the pedal, the power is more seamless and smooth like a premium car should be. One problem that I don't like is that sometimes the transmission can be funky, it has a slight delay and lag when it upshifts, it's a little slow to respond, but other than that, the powertrain is amazingly smooth and silent.