CONSUMER REPORTS: The Revamped Chevy Impala Is The Best Sedan You Can Buy

The 2014 Chevrolet Impala is now the high-scoring sedan rated by Consumer Reports, the magazine announced today.

The sedan received a 95/100 rating. In comparison, the new Jaguar XJ luxury sedan scored just 79/100.

That makes the Impala the first domestic car to top the rankings since the magazine started tracking scores this way 20 years ago, and puts it behind only the Tesla Model S (deemed a luxury hatchback) and BMW 1 Series coupe.

That's a remarkable win for the Impala, which went from greatness in the 1960s to the definition of a boring fleet car in recent iterations, purchased in bulk by rental companies and driven by vacationers and business travelers.

We tested a $39,510 version of the fully revamped 2014 Impala, and dubbed it an excellent option for those who just want to get around in comfort.

Consumer Reports liked it even more:

Consumer Reports’ engineers found the Impala rides like a luxury sedan, with a cushy and controlled demeanor, while delivering surprisingly agile handling, capable acceleration, and excellent braking. The Impala corners quite well for a large car, with prompt turn-in response and controlled body lean.

Steering is nicely weighted; it’s light enough for parking maneuvers and provides decent feedback. When pushed to its handling limits, the Impala proved secure, responsive, balanced, and easy to control.

The magazine does not yet have reliability for the car (it's too new), so cannot officially recommend it. The Impala has a base price of $37,750.

This month, the Impala received a five-star safety score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and General Motors just released Q2 financial results that smashed earnings expectations.

“Our results in this quarter," GM executive VP and CFO Dan Ammann said, "were clearly pegged to winning vehicles like the Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Impala and Opel Mokka.”