The new Malibu is equally substantial inside. With 101 cubic feet of interior space, it is extremely roomy for five passengers. The seats are comfortable. The front seat cleverly folds flat for carrying long objects such as skis. The rear seat is a 60/40 split folding one. Lots of nooks and crannies are available for storage, including a center console with a roomy bin, four cupholders, a storage tray and a clip pad. It further has requisite power outlets. The interior is conservatively styled but everything is logical and easy to use. Controls on the center dash are conveniently backlit for night driving.
The biggest problem with the interior is its inconsistency. Some interior parts used extremely high quality materials, such as the soft rubber door handles, which reminded us of Volkswagens, the benchmark for interiors. Yet, other parts, such as the plastic surrounding the audio and climate controls, appeared cheap. The ceiling area above the visors was lumpy, the edges of the ceiling fabric where it was supposed to tuck into the trim was ragged, the handle for the lumbar support flimsy and the seat fabric puckered. Our test cars were pre-production models and some of the finer points may be worked out in production. Still, we didn't feel the interior materials and workmanship, in general, measured up to the craftsmanship of a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry.