Distance: 897 km
Location: North Carolina
Date: June 16-19, 2023
Up front: The wide-range model is worth the upgrade for the lumbar support, heated seats, and two-zone air conditioning. Ergonomics is good, but there is a lack of upper back support for long drives and the steering wheel doesn’t telescope far enough to reach me. All the buttons are generally easy to use and it’s clear whether a feature, such as air conditioning, is active. I wish the stalks behind the steering wheels were also lit so I can see them at night.
Apple CarPlay synchronizes with the screen most of the time, so BlueTooth is more reliable for audio. I put a phone holder on the air vent to avoid trouble with the connection. Don’t expect much from the audio system, it sounds tinny, like giant versions of smartphone speakers.
The quality of the finish leaves much to be desired, the floor liner is misaligned, the steering wheel plastic feels like it came from an arcade, and the Toyota Camry at the same price point feels more premium. The cloth seats are hardy, but hardy means it feels like it came out of a work truck, not a sedan. Chevrolet deserves praise for minimal use of reflective surfaces in the interior making sunrise and sunset drives less glaring.
In the back: There is plenty of space in the rear seats even for three adults. However, the seats are uncomfortable because the headrest juts forward pushing the passenger’s chin down and the child safety seat anchor points are covered by a large flap that pokes your butt. It’s a bit like sitting a park bench with one misaligned bar of wood just below the small of your back.
The boot lid opens nice and wide for access to cavernous storage space. It’s padded with cloth to minimize noise from items sliding around, but you know what would be even better? Tie-down loops so things don’t slide around in the first place. It also lacks webbing and dividers to help owners organize items in the boot.
Driving: If there’s one reason to avoid this car it’s the underpowered 1.5L turbo four-cylinder engine. With only 160hp, it’s even slower than the naturally-aspirated base model 1998 Subaru Legacy sedan. It is peppy at city speeds and eagerly turns into intersections, but it’s reluctant to pick up speed on the highway and lean into bends at high velocity. The front-wheel-drive powertrain makes the front tires squeal around tight corners and understeers at speed.
Another reason not to get the Malibu is the droning CVT that can’t decide what RPM to hold itself in during acceleration. The turbo kicks in with a shudder at about 2000 RPM and disengages with another shudder when the accelerator is depressed. This is nothing more than a company car, a state government’s bulk order, or a model for the standard sedan of the next game in the GTA franchise. Don’t be an NPC; don’t buy the Malibu.
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