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2008 Chevrolet Malibu Quality Review

May 29, 2008

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 9 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Understated, simple, and functional
Car and Driver

Quiet is abundant
USAToday

Easy to slide in and out
Cars.com

Gone is the hard plastic rental-car look
Road & Track

The 2008 Chevrolet Malibu offers a large, comfortable interior with high-quality materials, a major success for General Motors.

There's nothing fancy here, according to Car and Driver, but the materials are of decent quality. Road & Track rejoices: "Gone is the hard plastic rental-car look." The interior has plenty of storage; MotherProof.com notes the Malibu’s “center console [is] large enough to store my purse.”

The Chevrolet Malibu for 2008 has substantially more legroom in both rows, thanks to a wheelbase that is a half-foot longer than last year. "Front and rear seat passengers will have little to complain about in terms of ride quality," Edmunds reports. Cars.com says, “the modestly contoured cloth seats were easy to slide in and out of when entering the car. The materials also seem to be better than previous models.”

GM has taken great pains to make the Malibu quiet and free of vibration, Edmunds adds; measures include specially laminated window glass, acoustic insulation and composite liners for the wheel wells, and a "tighter" firewall to prevent engine noise from being heard in the passenger cabin.

Special engine mounts in the Malibu go a long way toward preventing excess vibrations from affecting passenger comfort; while ConsumerGuide notices some bumps in the road, their reviewers acknowledge that the different tires used on the various models may have no small affect on the smoothness of ride.

TheCarConnection.com’s editors have observed a range of Malibus, some with the jazzy two-tone interior offered this year. There’s been a sea change at Chevrolet; 2008’s Malibu has a very well-designed cabin, with an attractive instrument panel and materials that are pleasing to the touch. Front seats were among the most comfortable in the mid-size sedan class, and the backseat is quite roomy.

Conclusion

The 2008 Chevrolet Malibu has a well-trimmed cabin, with plenty of room for adults.

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 9 out of 10Expert Quotes:Understated, simple, and functionalCar and DriverQuiet is abundant USATodayEasy to slide in and outCars.comGone is the hard plastic rental-car lookRoad & Track The 2008 Chevrolet Malibu offers a large, comfortable interior with high-quality materials, a major success for General Motors. There's nothing fancy here, according to Car and Driver, but the materials are of decent quality. Road & Track rejoices: "Gone is the hard plastic rental-car look." The interior has plenty of storage; MotherProof.com notes the Malibu’s “center console [is] large enough to store my purse.” The Chevrolet Malibu for 2008 has substantially more legroom in both rows, thanks to a wheelbase that is a half-foot longer than last year. "Front and rear seat passengers will have little to complain about in terms of ride quality," Edmunds reports. Cars.com says, “the modestly contoured cloth seats were easy to slide in and out of when entering the car. The materials also seem to be better than previous models.” GM has taken great pains to make the Malibu quiet and free of vibration, Edmunds adds; measures include specially laminated window glass, acoustic insulation and composite liners for the wheel wells, and a "tighter" firewall to prevent engine noise from being heard in the passenger cabin. Special engine mounts in the Malibu go a long way toward preventing excess vibrations from affecting passenger comfort; while ConsumerGuide notices some bumps in the road, their reviewers acknowledge that the different tires used on the various models may have no small affect on the smoothness of ride. TheCarConnection.com’s editors have observed a range of Malibus, some with the jazzy two-tone interior offered this year. There’s been a sea change at Chevrolet; 2008’s Malibu has a very well-designed cabin, with an attractive instrument panel and materials that are pleasing to the touch. Front seats were among the most comfortable in the mid-size sedan class, and the backseat is quite roomy. ConclusionThe 2008 Chevrolet Malibu has a well-trimmed cabin, with plenty of room for adults.  2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU STYLING | [9 out of 10] Automobile: "good-looking new sedan" Car and Driver: "Sleek styling, attractive interiors" Los Angeles Times: "fine-drawn and harmonious design" Popular Mechanics: "more expressive styling" The Auto Channel: "sleek, sophisticated...looks ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

All these mid-size sedan models are priced very closely to each other, so that shouldn't be a factor. These five sedans all have a very different feel and different styling, though. The Fusion has by far the boldest, most aggressive styling, while the Accord arguably looks the most elegant. The Sonata is more comfort-oriented, but its interior isn't quite up to the standards of the Malibu or Accord, and it's not as quiet inside. The Fusion and the Altima are more fun to drive than the Malibu, but neither of them is as roomy and comfortable inside. Backseat room is another big differentiator; the Malibu and Camry both have very roomy backseats, as does the Accord, but the Altima's is especially tight. And the Malibu's interior puts Toyota to shame; its attractive interior is well styled and has better-looking and better-feeling materials than much of the class.

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See the Chevrolet Malibu in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

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