Driven: 2010 Chevy Malibu 2LT

[afty]

Was in the Bay Area for a wedding the past few days and had a Chevy Malibu as a rental car.  Thought I would write a little review. 

My previous experience with a current-gen Malibu as a rental car was very disappointing.  We must have had the base model, because I found it very decontented compared to my 2002 Altima 3.5.  It's been a while so I can't remember the particulars, but I felt the car was missing interior features like a armrest in the rear and grab handles above the doors that made the whole car feel cheap.  It's a pretty impressive trick to make a 2002 Altima driver feel that another car's interior is cheap.  I left wondering why the Malibu had gotten such praise from the automotive press.

This time we had a mid-level trim 2LT Malibu, and I was much more impressed with the car.  The interior seemed much nicer.  From the faux-leather seating surfaces to the leather around the shift lever, this Malibu really felt like a luxury car and not a mainstreamer.  The whole car gave an impression of solidity and luxury -- the thunk of the doors closing, the gas struts for the trunk, the exterior styling.  I also rode in a friend's '07 Accord Hybrid this weekend, and coming from the Malibu it felt a bit cheap and tinny. 

The ride was well controlled but not at all sporty.  It resisted turning in and understeered more than my Altima, and of course the 2.4L 4-cylinder wasn't nearly as responsive.  This is not a fun car by any stretch of the imagination.  Solid, but not sporty. 

Interior space was adequate, though again smaller than my Altima.  I don't know what the numbers say, but the rear seat felt smaller than my car's, and getting our infant car seat in and out was more difficult.  In addition, the trunk was less usable -- the opening was quite small, which made getting our (monster) stroller in and out difficult. 

Anyway, the take-away is that I was really impressed with this Malibu and can see why it got so much praise when it was released.  It's not the car for me, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to friends who want something luxurious and comfortable.

[afty]

Just read ifcar's review and found we mentioned a lot of the same issues.  Also, I agree that the visibility is poor.  The Malibu has a high beltline especially in back, which really hurts visibility. 

[SVT666]

My wife travels a lot for work and she got a loaded Malibu for a rental a couple weeks ago and she really liked it.  She absolutely hated the 2010 Hyundai Sonata she got the time before that and the Pontiac G6 she got before the Sonata.   Her favourite one so far was the Fusion she got last week.  She said it felt sporty, while the Malibu was cushy (which she also liked).  She said she would be happy with either one.

[CJ]

My dad had a Sonata a few weeks ago in California. It had 32,000 miles and felt pretty good, he said. It was just like his Camry, only newer.

[Atomic]

i have driven just about everything until i needed to stop traveling following recent accident related injuries. the malibu's ride and handling mirrors the camry, while the fusion is more accord-like. all pretty good choices, depending on need and preference and loyalty. the older (pre-2011) optimia seems like it was built as a fleet car - a "just so" ride and drive sedan, while the '11 is far superior. i still favor the current honda accord for doing everything right. the mazda6 rental i had for a few weeks far exceeded my expectations and seemed closest to my perennial favorite, the accord ex v6. i am looking forward to driving chrysler upcoming sebring "replacement", the 200. probably nothing earth-shattering, except for improved materials, quality and hopefully reliability, but who knows. it is refreshing to hear about all of the changes and exciting to have new reviews and midsize car challenges to appear in all the mags.