After 55 years, Chevy Impala is hot again

The Chevrolet Impala has been around since 1958. Back then, it was the best-selling car in America.

Matthew Serino has been restoring Impalas since he was in high school.

"They've become a classic for a lot of reasons,” he said. “They're luxurious. They handle well. They've always been a great-looking car."

Over the years, the Impala has been redesigned several times – and it sank in sales.

But for 2014, Chevrolet is out with an all-new Impala that has really impressed Consumer Reports.

"It rides like a luxury sedan: cushy and yet controlled,” said Tom Mutchler of Consumer Reports.

Testers say it also accelerates quickly and handles surprisingly well for a large sedan. The top-of-the-line LTZ version costs around $39,000 and comes standard with advanced safety equipment, including blind-spot monitoring and warnings if the driver is about to leave the lane or rear-end someone.

That's a big change from the 1958 Impala that had no seat belts and of course, no air bags.

Today's state-of-the-art model has a MyLink system that offers access to apps such as Pandora.

"We've seen a big improvement in American cars recently with a lot of successful redesigns,” Mutchler said. “The Impala is perhaps the most impressive transformation yet."

It actually outscores cars such as the Audi A6 and Lexus LS, which cost thousands more.