2018 Chevrolet Impala

2018 Chevrolet Impala Overview

Is the 2018 Chevrolet Impala a Good Used Car?

Yes, the 2018 Chevrolet Impala is a good used large car. This well-rounded sedan brings enough to the table to appeal to buyers looking for a family vehicle, a daily driver, or a comfortable, tech-laden car. While it has many attractive qualities, the drawbacks could be deal breakers for some people.

The 2018 Chevrolet Impala has some enticing strengths:                                                                  

• Comfortable ride, even over rough pavement
• Available V6 engine feels powerful in most driving situations
• Above-average fuel economy
• User-friendly infotainment system
• Plenty of passenger space, particularly in the rear seats
• More trunk space than many rivals

But it also has a couple disappointing weaknesses:

• Uninspiring base engine
• Below-average predicted reliability rating

Why You Can Trust Us

Our Chevrolet Impala review includes far more than just one person's opinion. We collected professional evaluations from 41 sources and combined them with concrete data like fuel economy estimates, safety features, and performance specs to help you make an informed buying decision.

The U.S. News & World Report Best Cars team has been ranking cars, trucks, and SUVs since 2007, and our staff has more than 75 years of combined automotive industry experience. To ensure our impartiality, we never accept expensive gifts or trips from car companies, and an outside team handles the advertising on our site.

How Much Is the 2018 Chevrolet Impala?

Based on listings for the 2018 Chevrolet Impala on our site, the average list price is $19,700, which is below average for the class. Prices range from $16,400 to $24,000 and vary depending on the vehicle’s condition, mileage, features, and location.

See the Best Used Car Deals »

How Much Does the 2018 Chevrolet Impala Cost to Own?

The 2018 Impala’s five-year costs for gas, insurance, repairs, and maintenance are projected to be about $24,600, or $4,920 per year. That’s below average for a large car.

Is It Better to Buy a Used or New Impala?        

The 2019 Chevrolet Impala has a starting price of $28,020 and is virtually unchanged from the 2018 model. For 2018, however, the Impala gained a standard rearview camera, and the MyLink infotainment system became available in the base model. You can potentially save thousands of dollars by purchasing a used 2018 model without missing out on anything of note from the new Impala.

Read about the new Chevrolet Impala »

If you want to save even more money, consider shopping for a 2014 to 2017 Impala. Chevy redesigned the Impala for 2014, and most of the upgrades have to do with technology. For example, the 2015 Impala added a standard Wi-Fi hot spot, and the base engine gained start-stop technology. For 2016, Chevy introduced available Apple CarPlay and wireless charging. The only real difference between the 2016 and 2017 models is that trim names were changed and compressed from four (LS, 1LT, 2LT, and LTZ) to three (LS, LT, and Premier).

Compare the 2017, 2018, and 2019 Impala »

See the Best New Car Deals »

See the Best New Car Lease Deals »

How Reliable Is the 2018 Chevrolet Impala?

The 2018 Chevrolet Impala has a below-average predicted reliability rating of 2.5 out of five from J.D. Power.

Read more about Impala reliability »

2018 Chevrolet Impala Recalls

At the time of writing, one safety recall has been issued for the 2018 Chevrolet Impala:

• Insufficient coating on rear brake caliper pistons in some models may reduce braking effectiveness

Before buying any used vehicle, make sure all recalls have been addressed.

See more information on Chevrolet Impala safety recalls »

Which Used Chevrolet Impala Trim Is Right for Me?

The 2018 Chevy Impala comes in three trims: LS, LT, and Premier. All Impalas are front-wheel drive. The LS and LT come with a four-cylinder engine, while the Premier comes with a V6. You may be able to find the LS and LT with a V6 engine, which was optional in both trims when the Impala was new.

Every Impala comes with nice tech features, but the best choice for many buyers will be the LT trim. Not only does it have more standard features than the base trim, but you may be able to find models equipped with many extras that were not available in the LS, like rear parking sensors and a sunroof.

• Chevrolet Impala LS: The Impala LS comes with a four-cylinder engine and features such as the MyLink infotainment system, satellite radio, and a rearview camera.
• Chevrolet Impala LT: In addition to the LS’ features, the Impala LT comes with remote start and dual-zone automatic climate control. The LT offered several option packages when it was new, so you may be able to find LT trims with features like navigation, leather upholstery, rear parking sensors, blind spot monitoring, and a sunroof.
• Chevrolet Impala Premier: The Impala Premier comes standard with the V6 engine. In addition to the LT’s features, the Premier includes leather upholstery, a power-adjustable passenger seat, heated front seats, several additional driver assistance features, and more. The Premier comes with almost every feature the Impala offers, but some used models may have features that were optional when the Impala was new, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, and a sunroof.

See 2018 Chevrolet Impala trims and specs »

What Does Chevrolet’s Certified Pre-owned Warranty Cover?

Chevrolet offers a certified pre-owned program for vehicles six years old or less and with fewer than 75,000 miles. Eligibility is determined by the vehicle’s initial sale’s date. For its certified pre-owned vehicles, Chevy extends the original new-car powertrain warranty to six years or 100,000 miles and provides a one-year/12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty. Chevrolet CPO vehicles must pass a 172-point inspection. Additional benefits like towing and roadside assistance may be available, so read Chevy’s warranty page carefully.

According to our research, Chevrolet's CPO program is a bit better than the ones offered by Honda, Toyota, and Ford, but it's not quite as strong as Kia's or Buick’s CPO programs.

See the best CPO programs »

Read more about the Chevrolet certified pre-owned program »

How Safe Is the Impala?

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the 2018 Impala the highest rating of Good in four crash tests and the second-highest rating of Acceptable in the driver-side small overlap front test. When properly equipped, the Impala earned a Superior rating for front crash protection, but it earned the lowest rating of Poor for how well its headlights illuminate the road ahead.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the 2018 Impala a five-star overall crash test rating out of five. The Impala earned five stars in the frontal and side crash tests and four stars in the rollover test.

Standard advanced safety features:

• rearview camera

Available advanced safety features:

• forward collision warning
• blind spot monitoring
• lane departure warning
• rear parking sensors
• rear cross traffic alert
• adaptive cruise control

See Impala safety scores »

2018 Chevrolet Impala Versus the Competition

Which Is Better: 2018 Chevrolet Impala or 2018 Buick LaCrosse?

The 2018 Buick LaCrosse is a GM vehicle, just like the Impala, but it finishes near the top of our large car rankings. Both cars have a spacious interior with similar standard and available features. Both also offer efficient four-cylinder engines and powerful, optional V6s. The LaCrosse's four-cylinder engine, a hybrid, is more efficient and energetic than the Impala's, and the Buick offers all-wheel drive. Its cabin materials have a higher-quality look and feel, and it rates much higher for predicted reliability. The Buick is the better choice here.

Which Is Better: 2018 Chevrolet Impala or 2018 Toyota Avalon?

The 2018 Toyota Avalon comes standard with a potent V6 engine, as well as far more active safety features, such as forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control. The Avalon also sports better-quality interior materials and has a higher predicted reliability rating.

Compare the Impala, LaCrosse, and Avalon »

2018 Impala Performance

How Does the 2018 Chevrolet Impala Drive?

The Impala comes with a four-cylinder engine and offers a V6. The base engine gets the job done, but it can feel strained at times, particularly if you have a lot of people or cargo in the vehicle. The V6 is more energetic, delivering better acceleration and letting you more easily merge and pass on the highway.

This Chevy sedan delivers a smooth ride, and it's ideal for road trips. It's poised around turns and reasonably maneuverable in cramped spaces like parking garages, though some class rivals are more nimble. One downside to the Impala is that it's not available with all-wheel drive.

• Base engine: 197-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder
• Available engine: 305-horsepower 3.6-liter V6
• Drivetrain: front-wheel drive
• Transmission: six-speed automatic

Does the 2018 Chevrolet Impala Get Good Gas Mileage?

The Chevy Impala gets better fuel economy than most of its classmates, especially with its base engine.

• 2.5-liter four-cylinder: 22/30 mpg city/highway
• 3.6-liter V6: 19/28 mpg

Read more about Impala performance »

2018 Impala Interior

How Many People Does the 2018 Impala Seat?

The 2018 Impala seats five people in two rows. Whether you sit up front or in the back, you'll enjoy plenty of head- and legroom. The front seats are supportive on long drives, but they don't have much side bolstering, so you might slide around a bit when taking turns. The Impala's rear seats are bigger than in some rivals.

Standard seating features:

• cloth upholstery
• power-adjustable driver’s seat

Available seating features:

• leather upholstery
• power-adjustable passenger seat
• heated and ventilated front seats

How Many Child Car Seats Fit in the 2018 Chevrolet Impala?

The 2018 Impala has two complete sets of LATCH car-seat connectors on the rear outboard seats, as well as an upper tether and one lower anchor on the rear middle seat. For its ease of use, this system earned the second-best rating of Acceptable from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The lower anchors are set too deep in the seat, and the middle seat's lower anchor is difficult to work around.

2018 Chevrolet Impala Features

The MyLink infotainment system comes standard in the Impala. Its touch screen has crisp graphics, responds well to inputs, and is easy to use. Smartphone connectivity options such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, unlike in most rivals.

• Standard infotainment features: an 8-inch touch screen, a six-speaker audio system, satellite radio, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and three USB ports
• Available infotainment features: an 11-speaker Bose sound system and navigation
• Additional standard features: OnStar with 4G LTE and a Wi-Fi hot spot
• Other available features: a power sunroof, remote start, and dual-zone automatic climate control

See 2018 Chevrolet Impala specs »

Read more about Impala interior »

2018 Chevrolet Impala Dimensions

Chevrolet Impala Cargo Space

Not many large cars give you more trunk room than the Impala's 18.8 cubic feet of space. You can get even more room for large objects by folding down the rear seats. The trunk is a bit shallow, but since the floor is mounted fairly high, it is pretty easy to load and unload your cargo.

These cargo dimensions are for comparative purposes. There is no substitute for visually examining the storage area in any car you’re considering.

2018 Chevrolet Impala Length and Weight

• Length: 16 feet, 9 inches
• Curb weight: 3,681 to 3,811 pounds

Where Was the 2018 Chevrolet Impala Built?

Chevrolet built the Impala in Michigan and in Canada.