The Cars.com long-term Chevrolet Impala has excelled at providing comfortable transportation for both workday commutes and road trips, but its full-size dimensions have another advantage: carrying bulky cargo.
Related: 2014 Chevrolet Impala Road Trip Report
With a large 18.8-cubic-foot trunk and a standard 60/40-split folding backseat, the Impala offers quite a bit of cargo utility and was able to hold all but one of the test items from my garage.
BOB Revolution Double Jogging Stroller: Yes
The rugged construction that makes this stroller great for jogging becomes a liability when you need to transport it; this thing is heavy and bulky — even by double-stroller standards. It takes up a good chunk of the Impala's trunk when folded, but there is some unused space on the side of the trunk and near the bumper. I didn't have to fold the backseat to fit it, so passenger space is retained. The Impala's trunk lid supports are surrounded by trim, so clearance between the stroller and the supports isn't a concern.
17-Inch Mountain Bike: Yes
Bikes aren't the easiest things to load in a car, but sometimes that's the only option. My wife's 17-inch mountain bike is on the smaller side, but I still had to remove the front wheel and fold the larger portion of the rear seatback to fit it in the trunk. With the rear wheel off too, there's enough room for the bike to fit without folding the backseat. There's a fair amount of leftover trunk space, but making the most of it means packing smaller items around the bike.
6-Foot Folding Ladder: Yes
Loading the ladder means folding the larger part of the backseat, but it doesn't come so far into the cabin that you have to slide the driver's seat forward to accommodate it. It only takes up one side of the trunk, so the other half is free for cargo.
Large Window Screen: Yes
Like with the ladder, you have to lower the larger portion of the split backseat so this 55-inch-by-26-inch screen can fit. It rests flat enough to stack a few more screens on top of it, too. There's still some free cargo room along the side of the trunk opposite the screen.
Wooden Baby Cradle: No
Our wooden baby cradle was the one thing I tested that didn't fit in the trunk. The Impala has a good-sized trunk opening, but it's not large enough for the cradle, which measures 40 inches high, 35 inches long and 24 inches deep.
The Impala is a large sedan with a big trunk, but its split-folding backseat increases the car's cargo versatility considerably. Besides the things I put in the Impala, Road Test Editor Joe Bruzek was able to fit two 10-foot-by-10-foot popup tents with the larger part of the folding backseat down — things he thought would require an SUV.
For the bulkiest cargo, a minivan, pickup truck or SUV is still the way to go, but for many other things the Impala should have the cargo versatility you need.
Cars.com photos by Mike Hanley and Joe Bruzek
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