Someone wise once said the best cars impress their owners more than their owners' neighbors.
Malibu is like that. It is designed for comfort, quietness, practicality and affordability, yet it also provides a good account of itself on the road, boasting fine power and handling, with a V6 engine standard on all models.
As a mid-size four-door sedan, Malibu competes head-to-head with Ford Taurus, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. But even against the best-selling cars in America, Malibu makes a good showing, with more than 207,000 sold last year.
Malibu received some significant revisions and updates last year. Changes for 2002 are minimal; probably the most significant are new colors and upgrades to the stereo system.