2011 Chevrolet Impala offers two similar engines: a flex fuel 3.5L V6 on the LS and LT trims, and a more powerful flex fuel 3.9L V6 for the LTZ trim. Both engines are decent, but the 3.9L is arguably superior.
Key Points
- Despite its slow and underpowered performance, the 2011 Chevrolet Impala‘s 3.5-liter V6 engine is still good enough for daily driving.
- The 3.9-liter V6 brings more power and torque, but still leaves the 2011 Impala pretty slow for its class.
- With regular care and maintenance, these engines can last around 150,000 miles, despite having a rare but serious problem reported by some owners.
- The 3.9-liter’s performance benefits outweigh the minimal cost savings of the 3.5-liter engine.
- According to Kelley Blue Book, the price difference between a used 2011 3.5-liter Impala LT versus a 3.9-liter Impala LTZ is minimal. In fact, the “typical listing price” difference is just $362.
Base 3.5-liter V6 Delivers Uninspiring Performance but Remains Acceptable for Daily Driving
With 211 horsepower and 215 lb.-ft. of torque, the 2011 Chevy Impala’s 3.5-liter V6 is not exactly fast by today’s standards. It propels the 2011 Impala from 0 to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds, which is 1.5 seconds slower than the 3.9-liter motor. Despite this engine’s modest acceleration, the horsepower provided is still enough for relatively comfortable day-to-day driving.
In terms of fuel economy, 2011 Impalas with the 3.5-liter engine get 19 mpg in the city and 29 on the highway. Additionally, because of the flex-fuel technology, this engine can run on E85 ethanol fuel. Using E85, the 3.5-liter V6 gets 14 mpg city and 21 on the highway.
If the time comes for replacement of this engine, the prices according to Car Part Planet are reasonable. A used unit with around 63,000 miles costs $999, and a rebuilt engine goes for $3,358.
No recalls have been issued by the NHTSA relating to the 3.5-liter V6.
3.9-liter V6 Brings Power and Torque Boost, but Still Leaves the 2011 Impala as One of the Slowest Cars in its Class
Only available on the LTZ trim, the 3.9-liter V6 is the go-to for those who want their 2011 Impala with a little more grunt under the hood. With 230 horsepower and 238 lb.-ft. of torque, it is considerably faster than the 3.5-liter Impalas. In fact, it goes from zero to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds. Even though that is significantly faster than the 3.5-liter engine, it is still slow for its class.
The 3.9-liter V6 doesn’t just have more power and torque, it also makes the horsepower easier to access when in demand. Unfortunately, with that extra power comes noticeably worse fuel economy. It delivers just 17 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway. Like the 3.5-liter engine, this engine can also run on E85 ethanol fuel. Running E85, it puts up 13 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway.
A replacement block for this engine goes for around $3,235.99 at AutoZone.
Like the 3.5-liter V6, no recalls have been issued relating to this engine.
Serious but Rare Problem with Both V6s Has Been Reported by Owners, but with Regular Maintenance, the Engines will Last Around 150,000 Miles
While these V6 engines aren’t as durable as some of Chevrolet’s best engines over the years, they are both still decent engines that will last a while. According to ownership data, 2011 Chevrolet Impalas with the 3.5- and 3.9-liter V6s should last up to around 150,000 miles. That is lower than the industry standard 200,000, which is likely because of the notoriously unreliable four-speed automatic transmission.
The transmission is not the only source of problems though. Owners have reported incidents of both engines losing power while driving at around 90,000 miles. Even though this problem is not too widespread, it is serious and should be taken into consideration.
More Powerful 3.9L V6’s Marginal but Significant Performance Benefits Outweigh the Cost Savings of the Base Engine
The 2011 Impala’s base engine is a good powertrain, albeit slow and underpowered. There is nothing wrong with that, but there is an important factor to take into account. The Kelley Blue Book price difference between a used 2011 3.5-liter Impala LT versus a 3.9-liter Impala LTZ is minimal. In fact, the “typical listing price” difference is just $362.
While $362 is not a small amount of money on its own, when considering the 3.9-liter engine’s strengths over the 3.5, it’s a bargain. The 3.9-liter engine is not only more powerful, it has more torque. It’s not just about the power boost though–it is what that brings to the overall package. In other words, the better accessibility of that extra horsepower gets the most out of the 2011 Chevy Impala’s package.
The 3.9-liter V6 is the superior engine and is the one to go with, and it does require purchasing the LTZ trim, because the 3.9-liter is not available in the LS and LT trims.
Photos: Chevrolet
