For those who fell in love the Chevrolet Impala in the 1960s, you might be disheartened to learn that Chevy ceased production of this venerable muscle car turned sedan in 2020.
From its beginnings, the Impala worked well as a family car. Although in its earliest incarnations, it boasted only two doors, it morphed through the years into a four-door, roomy sedan.
Of course, used Impalas abound. You can still purchase a used 1960s or 1970s version to enjoy the muscle car life in the 21st century. You could buy a convertible model in the 1960s, 70s, and 2000s.
Buying a used Impala does take a bit more shopping savvy than purchasing a new car since you need to know how to check the vehicle’s history and look at its physical and mechanical operations.
Perhaps though, instead of spending the $10,000 to $25,000 for a used Impala, you want to purchase a new car. This means you need to determine the closest possible match for the car.
The Impala has always been a performance car, but you can also look at finding alternatives based on model-type and price.
We’ll consider sporty sedans costing near the 2020 base model price of a Chevy Impala, $36,420, and providing comparable gas mileage of 19 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. The typically results in an average 22 mpg.
You can find alternatives to Chevy’s newly updated line. Let us help you get started with a quick list of our favorites, starting with our top three, then providing the runners-ups.
1. Acura ILX
The ILX trounces the Impala in price, starting at just $27,950. The ILX beats the Impala on gas mileage, too, earning ratings of 24 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway, for a combined average of 28 mpg.
Why It’s Similar to the Impala?
This Japanese manufacturer created a mid-sized sedan that seats five. The ILX offers 12.4 cubic feet of cargo space to the Impala’s 18.8 cubic feet. You get 45.8 inches of front leg room in the Impala but 42.3 inches in the Acura ILX.
It comes close to the Impala in rear seat leg space with 34 inches to the Impala’s 39.8 inches. So, with the ILX you do sacrifice a little space, but you get better gas mileage.
Vehicle Design Observations
To nab an Acura ILX that’s nearly the twin of a Chevy Impala, choose the Premium Package when purchasing the vehicle. On the inside though, you lose engine horses.
The ILX uses an engine that generates 201 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. The Impala uses a 305-horsepower engine with a 3.6-liter engine.
Speed/Time for 0 to 60 miles per hour: 6.8 seconds
Horsepower: 201 hp
Torque: 180 lb. ft.
Base Model Cost: $27,950
Seating Capacity: Five
Fuel Efficiency: 24 mpg in the city/34 mpg on the highway
Towing Capacity: 3,500 to 5,000 pounds, depending on the drive transmission installed
2. Acura TLX
No, we didn’t open an Acura dealership, but you are seeing two Acuras in a row because the Japanese automaker makes vehicles that much like the Chevy Impala.
While the ILX has the Impala beat on price, the TLX comes close to matching it sticker price and in other ways. The price tag for the TLX is $37,500 and that gets you a mid-sized sedan of above average quality and performance.
Why It’s Similar to the Impala?
The Impala and TLX use similar body styles, and both provide a mid-sized sedan that seats five. The cost remains similar, and both use good quality materials.
Vehicle Design Observations
You won’t get the engine power out of the Acura that you get from the Impala. The Acura uses a 2.3-liter engine that provides 272 horsepower and 280 pound feet of torque.
You will get roomy cargo space the provides plenty of space for luggage when you road trip. You’ll get 79.8 cubic feet of cargo space, while seating five comfortably.
Speed/Time for 0 to 60 miles per hour: 5.9 seconds
Horsepower: 272 hp
Torque: 280 lb. ft.
Base Model Cost: $37,500
Seating Capacity: Five
Fuel Efficiency: 22 mpg in the city/31 mpg on the highway
Towing capacity: 2,000 pounds
3. Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 4MATIC
If you don’t mind a sticker price significantly greater than the Chevy Impala, you can buy a car very close to the Chevy in design and price.
This Benz provides above average fuel efficiency and performance, with mid-range materials. The German manufacturer asks for $42,000 for its base model CLA 250 4MATIC.
Why It’s Similar to the Impala?
In body style and seating, the two vehicles provide similar. You can fit five passengers comfortably, but you only get a tiny cargo space.
The Benz only provides 13.1 cubic feet of cargo space, so you either need to pack light or install luggage racks to the top of the vehicle.
Vehicle Design Observations
The Benz beats the Impala for fuel efficiency, getting 24 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. The combined gas mileage is 27 mpg. It provides about the same towing capacity, horsepower, and torque.
Speed/Time for 0 to 60 miles per hour: 5.6 seconds
Horsepower: 208 hp
Torque: 258 lb. ft.
Base Model Cost: $42,000
Seating Capacity: Five
Fuel Efficiency: 24 mpg in the city/32 mpg on the highway
Towing capacity: 3,086 pounds
Runners Up to the top Three
If you didn’t find the next car of your dreams in the top three vehicle alternatives to the Chevy Impala, keep reading. We located other Chevy Impala alternatives, too.
4. BMW M3
BMW M3 $62,000 Base MSRP
The much more expensive BMW M3 provides only average fuel efficiency that is similar to what the Chevy offers. Your BMW M3 would earn a combined fuel efficiency of about 20 mpg. That’s 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.
This high performance vehicle provides 425 horsepower and 406 pound feet of torque from its 3-liter, six cylinder engine.
That outdoes the Impala. Of course, the German automaker uses the best quality materials available, so you can count on luxury from the extra expense. The full-size sedan seats five.
5. BMW 330e xDrive
The BMW 330e xDrive costs $46,550, which also puts it well above the Chevy Impala price tag, but it provides a an above average fuel efficiency since it uses an electric battery.
You can drive on gas power or on battery power, so the ratings look a little different. Your BMW 330e would get 25 mpg or 50 mpge. The battery is just a backup to help you when you run low on gas and find yourself far from the nearest station.
It provides a 20 mile battery range. Its mid-sized engine does provide decent horses – 382 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque.
The German manufacturer offers a large size sedan that seats five and provides a whopping 60.7 cubic feet of cargo space.
6. BMW M235i Gran Coupe
If you don’t mind paying a price tag that tacks on about 15K, you can drive the very similar BMW M235i Gran Coupe. The base price of this BMW, $45,500, still provides a fair bit of luxury, but you’ll only get average size for a sedan.
Although it seats five, most of the space in this vehicle goes to the cargo area, which provides a massive 60.7 cubic feet of storage. In the areas of materials quality and fuel efficiency, the Gran Coupe performs above average.
It earns a fuel efficiency rating of 23 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. That provides a combined rating of 26 mpg, for an above average rating.
While not a muscle car, it does have a strong engine that provides 301 horsepower and 331 pound feet of torque.
This German product provides an average- or mid-sized sedan that does well toting the family around town. You can also rely on it for road trips since it can accommodate quite a lot of luggage.
Classic Impala Alternatives
Just in case you wanted to shop for a classic Impala instead of a new one, but you can’t find one near you or you can’t find one in good condition, we also provide a short list of cars similar to the original muscle car Impala.
In these cases, with the exception of the Camaro, you can typically find these cars for a comparable price to a used Impala from the same time.
If you love the lines and power of the early Impalas, try a Pontiac GTO or Tempest, a Chevy Chevelle or Camaro, Oldsmobile 442s, Buick Skylark GS-400, Dodge R/Ts, or Plymouth GTX. The Chevy Nova SS and L79 Chevy II provide 1960s model alternatives.
You can find Chevelles, Camaros, Skylarks, and Plymouths from the 1970s that strongly resemble that decades’ Impalas. Both the body style and the engines will bear similarity to one another.
