For enhanced safety, the front shoulder belts of the Chevrolet Impala are height-adjustable, and the rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Volvo S60 has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Impala and the S60 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front-wheel drive, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in the IIHS moderate overlap frontal impact, side impact, rear impact, roof-crush crash tests, an “Acceptable” rating in the newer small overlap frontal crash test, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Impala its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2015, a rating granted to only 170 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The S60 has not been tested, yet.

Chevrolet's powertrain warranty covers the Impala 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the S60. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the S60 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 10 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Volvo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Impala's warranty.

The Impala has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine's coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The S60 doesn't offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the car's engine.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it's being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Impala's reliability 45 points higher than the S60.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2019 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is ranked 28th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2019 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 89 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is ranked 29th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports' December 2018 Auto Issue reports that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Chevrolet 6 places higher in reliability than Volvo.

The Impala's 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 55 more horsepower (305 vs. 250) and 6 lbs.-ft. more torque (264 vs. 258) than the S60 T5's standard 2.0 turbo 4 cyl.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Chevrolet Impala is faster than the S60 T5 2.0 turbo 4 cyl.:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Impala uses regular unleaded gasoline. The S60 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Impala has 4 gallons more fuel capacity than the S60 FWD's standard fuel tank (18.5 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Impala has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the S60 AWD's standard fuel tank (18.5 vs. 15.9 gallons).

The Impala stops shorter than the S60:

For better traction, the Impala Premier's tires are larger than the largest tires available on the S60 (245/45R19 vs. 235/45R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Impala Premier offers optional 20-inch wheels. The S60's largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The Impala has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The S60's suspension doesn't offer gas-charged shocks.

The front and rear suspension of the Impala uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the S60, which uses transverse leafs springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

The Impala's drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The S60 doesn't offer drift compensation steering.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Impala a Large car, while the S60 is rated a Compact.

The Impala has 9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the S60 (105 vs. 96).

The Impala has 2.5 inches more front headroom, 3.5 inches more front legroom, 1.8 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 4.6 inches more rear legroom, .7 inches more rear hip room and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the S60.

The Impala has a much larger trunk than the S60 (18.8 vs. 11.6 cubic feet).

The Impala Premier's optional easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver's seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The S60 doesn't offer an easy entry system.

To shield the driver and front passenger's vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Impala has standard extendable sun visors. The S60 doesn't offer extendable visors.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Chevrolet Impala Premier offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The S60 doesn't offer wireless personal charging.

The Impala offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The S60 doesn't offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Insurance will cost less for the Impala owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Impala with a number “3” insurance rate while the S60 is rated higher at a number “5” rate.

The Impala will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Impala will retain 42.7% to 43.7% of its original price after five years, while the S60 only retains -498.28% to 42%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Impala is less expensive to operate than the S60 because typical repairs cost much less on the Impala than the S60, including $49 less for a muffler, $140 less for a starter, $353 less for a fuel pump and $21 less for front struts.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Chevrolet Impala will be $6048 to $9660 less than for the Volvo S60.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Chevrolet Impala, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volvo S60 isn't recommended.

The Chevrolet Impala outsold the Volvo 60 Series by over three to one during the 2019 model year.