Chevrolet Malibu History
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2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco, 2012 Hyundai Azera Earn Top Safety Ratings
The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco, and the 2012 Hyundai Azera—both recently redesigned... Read More
2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco, 2012 Hyundai Azera Earn Top Safety Ratings
The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco, and the 2012 Hyundai Azera—both recently redesigned... Read More
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In its present form, the Malibu is a front-wheel-drive mid-size sedan that takes on the likes of the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, and Ford Fusion, among others. While the Malibu hasn't typically offered cutting-edge features or top performance, it's always been a relatively strong value.
Following previous rear-wheel-drive versions that ran through the 1960s and '70s and into the 1980s, the Chevrolet Malibu name was reintroduced for 1997 as a replacement for the outdated Corsica sedan. The 1997 Malibu was by all means a bland car. Powered by an economical 150-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine (a version of GM's much-maligned Quad Four) or 155-hp (later 170-hp), 3.1-liter V-6 (which felt much stronger, actually), the Malibu was only offered with a cushy suspension and four-speed automatic—and its interior, though it had the comfort basics covered, was drab and dull. Chevy dropped the four-cylinder engine completely in 2000.
The Malibu got a much-deserved full redesign for 2004. Built on a new global platform, the 2004-2008 Malibu was a bit more refined, handled better, and had a far improved interior (though it still felt too plasticky on the cheaper trims). The Malibu was a half-step smaller than mid-size entries like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, yet its interior was surprisingly roomy and comfortable. Its powertrain lineup consisted of a nice, fuel-efficient 144-horsepower EcoTec four-cylinder (with a manual gearbox possible), but the V-6 option on most Malibus—a 201-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6—was a little disappointing, saved only by its prodigious torque. A four-speed automatic was again the only transmission, and the combination just didn't feel very refined.
Oddly, the Malibu Maxx wasn't at all packaged for the sportwagon crowd; it was only offered with the 3.5-liter pushrod V-6 and four-speed automatic. A later Maxx SS model got a 3.9-liter version, making 240 horsepower, but this engine is thirsty in city driving.
The Malibu boredom was remedied for 2008, when GM completely redesigned the model, making it much longer to match mid-size rivals, with an interior and back-seat space that outclassed many sedans its size. The interior has vastly upgraded materials, and a design that's a clear step better than the layout of the former rental-car favorite. Powertrains included a 169-horsepower, 2.4-liter version of the EcoTec four-cylinder engine and a 252-horsepower, DOHC 3.6-liter V-6 that's a version of the engine previously used in the Cadillac CTS and SRX, among others.
For a short time, a mild-hybrid version of the 2009 Malibu was offered; it offered very slightly improved fuel economy over the four-cylinder versions and it failed to catch on. It was discontinued after a very short production run.
For 2010, the Chevrolet Malibu was named a Top Safety Pick under the new tighter requirements from the Insurance Industry for Highway Safety (IIHS), which include new roof-strength tests, and has also been more reliable than past models. The changes in 2011 to crash-test scoring leave the Malibu an IIHS Top Safety Pick, but the NHTSA ratings have fallen to four stars overall.
The Malibu carried over essentially unchanged for 2012, but a significantly refreshed, more fuel-efficient version of the Malibu is expected for the 2013 model year.
