For years the Chevrolet Malibu was plagued by quality issues, most notably in its interior. The latest Malibu has left all that behind but has it evolved enough to truly compete in the glutted mid-size sedan segment?
We’ve said it countless times before the midsize sedan category is a glutted one which makes sense every car maker wants a piece of that hugely profitable mid-sized pie so what about the chevy malibu is it a serious contender for your chevy’s midsize entry lagged behind the best-in-class most notable in interior quality latest malibu has left all that behind soft
Surfaces and an attractive design create an upscale atmosphere while big knobs clear instrumentation and countless storage nooks contribute to excellent usability if you had to pick a focal point for improvement it’ll be roominess the malibu isn’t cramped but overall legroom lags behind the vw passat and ford fusion by several inches and up front the center stack
Reduces inboard knee space if this spot right here were more spacious or just softer we’d be happy all that said seats are comfortable and the cabins refinement is top-notch oh and the trunk offers a spacious sixteen point three cubic feet expandable via the 60/40 split rear seats the malibu ekos air-cooled lithium-ion battery pack reduces that number by 3 cubic
Feet as car designers push ever more bearing shapes into production chevy malibu remains at the conservative end of the spectrum despite sporty touches like camaro inspired taillights with the malibu does have going for it is an impressive point 2 9 drag coefficient strangely the malibu eco is the less sleek choice sporting a slightly worse 0.3 coefficient of drag
Speaking of eco it’s the most efficient option in the malibu range featuring a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine supplemented by an electric motor electric kick adds 15 horsepower and 79 pound-feet of torque to the bottom line for grand total of 182 horsepower and 171 pound-feet of torque enabling more than adequate acceleration and impressive fuel economy figures of 25
City and 37 on the highway at this point you should mention that the toyota camry hybrid is much more efficient and only slightly more expensive for the mazda 6 and nissan altima each achieve better fuel economy than the malibu eco for less money without relying on hybrid technology powering base-level cars is a perfectly reasonable and efficient 2.5 liter rated
At 197 horsepower and rounding at the malibu’s all four cylinder lineup is a 2-liter turbocharged engine that produces a healthy 259 horsepower and 260 pound feet of torque without blowing your gas budget despite sprinting from zero to 60 in the low six second range turbocharged car is largely free from the torque steer that plagues many powerful front drive cars
Regardless of engine all malibus feature a fine shifting 6-speed automatic transmission and front wheel drive leaving all-wheel drive buyers to consider cars like the ford fusion or subaru legacy the chevy malibus road manners are aimed right down the middle to mainstream sedan buyers the ride is smooth with minimal interior noise even in the turbo model which
Offers extra power but suspension refinement comparable to it’s slower kin those who experienced the previous malibu might remember it’s oddly large diameter steering wheel thankfully the wheel in the current malibu is shrunk but much more pleasing signs turning it is an uneventful affair resulting in worryfree predictable cornering starting around $23,000 the
Base malibu includes essentials like ten airbags and six months of onstar featuring automatic crash notification throw a few more dollars at the sales guy and you can add stuff like a backup camera lane departure warning forward collision alert leather upholstery heated front seats and a very user-friendly mylink infotainment system featuring a 7-inch touchscreen
And smartphone app integration and a push this button and there’s a hidden space to store valuables that only criminals who happen to watch this review will ever think to explore with so many choices it’s tempting to seek the one big differentiator that elevates this sedan from that one among the chevy malibus many competitors there’s certainly flashy er more
Interesting choices many of which offering better long-term resale values and some priced a bit less it may not have a strong hook but the malibu does its humble family sedan job well it’s attractive it’s comfortable the interior is well outfitted and exceptionally quiet and its engine and future choices cover most buyers needs if any purchase it makes sense to
Actually drive a few cars before you buy now more than ever chevy malibu deserves a place in your consideration list
Transcribed from video
2013 Chevy Malibu Review – Kelley Blue Book By Kelley Blue Book