Ahhh yes, another failed attempt to make a comfortable mid-sized sedan from Government Motors... but not so fast... could it be?
At first glance the car is very modern looking, it radiates comfort and style. Hmmm... where have we heard of that before? Maybe Japanese cars?
The Chevy Malibu first appeared in 1964, with its first generation Malibu. It continued to what you see today, the 7th generation. I'm actually quite astonished when I first saw this car; I had to give it a walk around to actually take it in, this is an American made car! GM finally built something that is pleasing and something highly comparable to its foreign competition. Because for a long time, american cars have been the ugliest and dysfunctional cars in the world. I would go onto Youtube and read comments like "Be American, Buy American." now the MAJOR issue in that idea is that why should I buy a poorly designed car when I spend a little more and get a import car that gets better gas mileage and better looks.
I'm happy to say that the long wait is over, it costed GM bankruptcy to turn things around. The Chevy Malibu comes in 4 trims- LS, 1LT, 2LT, and the LTZ. The base set-up is a 2.4L in-line 4 cylinder engine that produces 169 horsepower. With a pretty efficient 22/30 (city/highway) MPG, this car proves its worth. This car also supports a 3.5L V6 that produces 217 horsepower.
Although the Malibu weighs about 3,500 pounds, the in-line four-cylinder version reaches 60mph in less than 10 seconds. The 3.5L V6 version reaches 60 mph in just 6.6 seconds.
Take a look at the graph (click):
So far the car is doing very well, even against the stacked competition coming from Ford and Japanese imports. People liked the car so much that Kelley Blue Book awarded the 2008 Malibu the 2008 Best Redesigned Vehicle Award. Edmund's Car review repeatedly praised the cars new and fresh interior, that feels and looks luxurious. GM also boasts its 100k miles/ 5 year warranty trying to attract customers in making the "switch".
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