When considering mid-size family sedans, the first that might come to mind are the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, which have long dominated this market segment. Chevy hopes to put an end to this with the Malibu, which was recently redesigned in 2008.
The Malibu is larger and longer and wider now, with styling that is less blocky than its predecessor. The vertically stacked grille openings, angled headlights, well-thought-out sheet metal, and long flowing C-pillar ensure that the Malibu's styling competes with other proven family movers.
The Malibu's fresh styling is complemented by a pair of engines that offer decent power and good fuel economy. The base engine is a 169 horsepower 2.4-liter inline 4, while a 3.6-liter V6 generates 252 horsepower and 251 pound feet of torque. The inline-4 comes equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission while the V6 comes with a 6-speed auto, both sending power to the front wheels.
Mileage for the 4-cylinder is 22 miles per gallon city, 30 miles per gallon highway. The V6 gets 17 miles per gallon city, 26 highway.
Standard active and passive safety features include side curtain airbags for front and rear passengers, seat-mounted thorax-protection airbags for front passengers, ABS and traction control. The upmarket LT and LTZ models come with GM's StabiliTrak electronic stability control.
The trunk of the Malibu offers side cargo nets for added storage solutions and the 60/40 fold down rear seats make carrying larger objects a cinch. At a spacious 15.1 cubic feet, the trunk is larger than that of both the Camry and the Accord.
If the exterior styling has grabbed your attention, then you'll probably be quite pleased with the interior. The dual pod instrument cluster is sporty but not extreme. Turn on the ignition and the needles go to their max setting then return to their real-time position as if the car is raring to go. An information center in the instrument cluster provides a healthy selection of readouts including current outside temperature and tire pressure.
The leather wrapped steering wheel contains audio and cruise controls, and can be ordered with sport paddle shifters.
Base MSRP for the 2009 Chevy Malibu is a very reasonable $20,825. A fully loaded V6-equipped LTZ model still costs less than $30,000. The Malibu is backed by a 5-year, 100,000-mile power train warranty.
With recently updated styling, upgraded features to match, and a base price of under $21,000, Chevrolet has created a truly legitimate competitor in the family sedan market.