2012 Chevy Impala Gas Mileage Rated At 30 MPG Highway
How Are Electric-Car Batteries Made? Photos From Nissan's New Plant
Making a battery for an electric car is more like assembling microelectronics than the kind of... Read More
- #4LEADERBOARD RANK
- 2897ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
- 1949COMMENTS POSTED
Add to circle
Also See
-
GM Engineer Drives 2013 Chevy Cruze Diesel 900...
-
2013 Chevy Malibu Eco Starts At $26,000, Rated...
-
U.S.-Bound 2013 Chevy Spark To Get Design...
See more video »
With discussions of raising gas-mileage standards beyond the 34 mpg they'll reach in 2015, there's a lot of shrieking about how we'll all be driving subcompacts if the rules get any tougher.
Hogwash.
Consider the 2012 Chevrolet Impala, Chevy's rapidly aging full-sized four-door sedan. Equipped with an engine transplant and soldiering on for another few years in a body first launched for the 2006 model year, the 2012 Impala will be rated at 18 mpg city and a notable 30 mpg highway.
Think of it: A full-size American sedan that consumes no more gas on the highway than the compact cars of just a few years ago.
And that's with a V-6 engine, too. Specifically, a 3.6-liter V-6 that puts out 302 horsepower, according to the folks at GMInsiderNews. It's mated to GM's modern six-speed automatic transmission for the first time.
Note that the new engine's power is just a single horsepower below the old Impala SS model, which required a V-8 to produce that power--and was rated just at 16 mpg city, 24 mpg highway.
The 2012 mileage figures are slightly better than the Impala's older V-6 options, but a number of 30 mpg or above definitely gets attention in such a large and powerful car.
Imagine what the Impala could do if fitted with, say, a turbocharged 2.5-liter four with the eAssist mild-hybrid system, in a lighter, more aerodynamic body.
For advances like that, though, we'll have to wait a few more years. The replacement for the current Impala was frozen during GM's bankruptcy crisis, and so we're not likely to see an all-new model until early 2013, as a 2014 model.
+++++++++++
Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook and Twitter.
Related Articles
-
Cheap Fuel Efficiency: Ten 40 MPG Cars For Under $20,000
-
2012 Chevy Cruze 1.4-Liter Automatic Rated At 38 MPG Highway
-
Tell Us: Is 40 MPG Highway Irrelevant, Or Crucial To Save Gas?
-
Washington State To Fit I-5 With EV Charging Stations
-
Follow Us
On Facebook
Most Popular This Week
More »
Tesla Model S Vs Chevy Volt: Owner Compares Electric Cars 
Is Tesla About To Offer Battery-Pack Swapping For Model S? 
BMW CEO To Germans: Get Over Your Angst, Buy Electric Cars... 
Diesel Cars: Six Important Things Everyone Should Know (But May... 
North Carolina Wants To Make It Illegal For Tesla To E-Mail... Find Green Cars
Photo Galleries
More from High Gear Media
- Follow Us
Have an opinion?
I'll explain; I recently drove a gas MINI rated at 28/36. Driven in the most dull way I got up to 38mpg at 40mph but it fell to 33 in normal stop-start and less than 20 when driven hard - and that's only a light (ish) car.
A larger car that can cruise at 30mpg on the highway is great but, in the hands of a rough driver, with 300bhp on tap there's only one place that power is coming from; it's not a super efficient engine, it's just by digesting a lot more fuel!
I think that pursuing best case fuel-ecconomy isn't a strong enough regulation. We should consider maximum fuel consumption as a metric too.
Also, I did not enjoy driving the Crown Vic at all. Just like driving a boat.
On the other hand, I have no problem sitting in the front of a Corolla or a Prius.
On the third hand, the back seat head room is somewhat limited in a Corolla or a Prius.
So perhaps the Crown Vic is good for moving around a group of four tall people.
The article clearly notes that the 30-mpg number is a highway rating. If your test drive was in stop-and-go traffic with lots of acceleration and braking, then the 18 mpg you achieved was right in line with the EPA city rating.
If your test drive was a blend of city and highway driving, you should have achieved roughly 22 mpg, in line with the combined rating. Hope this helps.
It's no slouch when you put your foot down, but it'll never win awards for the slalom. All in all - the best car I've ever had and a real sleeper in terms of value. (I bought mine as an 11 month old ex-rental with 35,000 miles for $12,995)
Have an opinion?Join the conversation!