2008 Chevrolet Malibu Review

Specifications

The name Malibu brings back a lot of good memories, and some not so good. It was this car, in ‘76 two-door guise that I took my driving test with and continued to use, when mom let me have the keys, for umpteen dates including grad. It was also in this car that I experienced my first accident, having been broadsided by a yellow cab that had run down the outside lane before an intersection and, his timing a bit early, jumped the light meeting my passenger-side door. The car lived on, passing through various family members until I got it again about a decade later and drove it into the ground, literally, when the entire right-side rear axle fell out of its moorings as I turned a corner, taking the wheel and tire with it as I dragged the big coupe down the road on its bumper … funnier to think of now than it was then.

Over the years, from an early ’80s wagon to more recent press cars, I’ve driven Chevy’s bread and butter family car and, while it never was as large or as powerful as that ‘76 V8-powered, rear-drive “midsize” model that took me through my late teens, each generation of Malibu was fully capable of transporting me and my clan in comfort, and in later years even a little performance was thrown in. Then again, after spending a day driving the new 2008 Malibu from Morro Bay, California to LA, through the circuitous coastal and inner highways of the Golden State, I’d have to say nothing that has previously worn this badge even came close to achieving what the General has done now.

Truly, throw out everything you’ve ever thought about the Malibu. OK, keep the heritage of the mid-to-late ’60s and early ’70s coupes that were really Chevelles with Malibu badging and a few trim upgrades, not to mention the El Camino and Caballero (GMC’s variant) car-based pickups that are now rolling collectors’ items. I suppose our ‘76 was party to such badge engineering, it having a Chevelle sibling available alongside, a formula that followed with the Malibu remaining a spin-off until the last Chevelle was made for the 1977 model year. Malibu, which by this point was the dominant family member, was remade into a more compact design and continued in Chevy’s lineup until 1984. After a thirteen year hiatus it was revived in 1997, and continues as the brand’s mainstay sedan to this day.

Why the history lesson? Simply because Chevrolet has a rich heritage in this part of the world, and Malibu, in its various forms was a critical part of the bowtie brand’s success in its heyday and important in keeping it above water in recent years. So, does this new Malibu spark a renaissance that we’ll be able to look back on in years to come as the moment a domestic carmaker took back enough of its once loyal buyers to the point that Toyota and Honda’s Camrys and Accords sold in fewer numbers than Chevy’s midsize model? Not likely. But mark my words, as good as Ford’s new Fusion is and Saturn’s Aura, for that matter, this new Malibu has more on its side to put up an honest fight against the now dominant Japanese and come out shining after every round.

Compared to the outgoing Malibu, a rather frumpy looking machine that appeared more like a boxy little truck when it debuted than anything fun to drive, the new one is a nice mix of bold charisma and feminine curves. Its strikethrough grille, finished in black or chrome mesh, divides upper and lower openings, Chevy’s bowtie emblem in gold at the centermost position, and the lower fascia adds another center air vent that makes the grille appear as if it extends right down to the lower lip. The stylish headlight clusters aren’t as much recessed as the grille and hood protrude outwards, forming a strong fender line that extends rearward, up the A-pillar and then down the C-pillar ending in a totally different fashion at the rear.

Other designs that incorporate strong front shoulders like this, such as Volvo’s S60, normally continue this trend through to the rear fenders and taillights. Not wanting to do what others have done already, which would result in a modern day cliché, Chevy allowed the roofline to simply blend into a rounded trunk lid with a Kamm-like tail end, highlighted by S-shaped bumper cuts from the rear wheels to the edge of the trunk, no doubt inspired by the Corvette. The design team let this subtle reference to the ‘Vette remain isolated to this instance only, so circular taillights don’t come as part of the package, but rather the L-shaped lights are a classy addition, somewhat minimalist in their design but nevertheless very attractive.

The car’s overall profile is long and lean, appearing lower than it really is thanks to a steeply raked rear window that pushes well into the rear deck lid where most cars would already be halfway past their trunk hinges, and the wheelbase, now at 112.3 inches, is longer than the previous Malibu’s and lengthy for the midsize class as well. The added length translates into greater interior room than the old car, which was already very roomy. Rear passenger room is amongst the most accommodating in the segment, another plus for a car that will probably get some taxi work in four-cylinder and hybrid form.

GM had all variants at Morro Bay, California, where my stint in the Saturn Astra ended and opportunity to test the Malibu began, which made the day’s glorious drive down the PCH and through surrounding mountains a truly enjoyable experience, although a real mixed bag between performance and thriftiness. The Malibu Hybrid is the real miser of the bunch, which is as it should be as evidenced by Honda’s ill-fated, performance-oriented and rather expensive Accord Hybrid … R.I.P. Chevy’s hybrid is not only efficient at the pump, achieving an estimated 24 mpg in the city and 32 on the highway, which, while not all that much better than the base car’s stellar 22 and 30 city and highway rating (at least not much better in the city) it doesn’t cost all that much more to go green either. Compared to the $19,995 base car, a Malibu Hybrid can be had for $22,790. See what I mean? Not a particularly big jump for the fuel savings and social benefits. Just in case you were on your way over to Toyota, Nissan or Saturn’s websites to check pricing, the Malibu Hybrid is the most affordable midsize hybrid available in America. Going for the hybrid could be like getting a little free performance and a bunch of top-line features plus a lot of low cost goodwill.

And yes, you can feel the electric motor’s 43 lb-ft of added thrust off the line too (the electric motor is actually 44 hp but the gasoline engine makes 1 lb-ft less twist), more than making up for its small increase in curb weight, but I didn’t really notice much difference at the top end where the hybrid only adds 5 horsepower to an engine that’s detuned by 5 horsepower, so it’s a wash at 169 ponies. But really, when it comes to pulling around a 3,537-pound sedan filled up with people and cargo, all that really matters is torque.

It’s hard to say whether or not the Malibu Hybrid will be a big seller, and I suppose we’ll have to see what happens to fuel prices and whether or not the average person’s attitude towards environmental issues causes mass change in buying habits, but I could see it making up a significantly higher percentage of sales than the Camry Hybrid does in Toyota’s midsize lineup, due to the Japanese car’s major price jump from base to HEV. One thing is for sure, the four-cylinder car, whether conventional or hybrid will be most popular. It’s a nice car to drive, with plenty of power and loads of standard features even in base LS trim, such as power windows, remote power locking doors, power adjustable side view mirrors, air conditioning, cruise control, intermittent wipers, a height adjustable driver’s seat with powered fore and aft control, a folding rear bench for longer cargo, a six-speaker audio system with AM/FM radio, CD and an auxiliary jack for an external audio device, a 12-volt power outlet up front, and a trip computer with average speed, average fuel consumption and range for remaining fuel. It looks really nice too, with alloy-look trim on the shifter, doors and dash inside, and no cost metallic paint on the outside.

On the safety front the base Malibu LS includes electronic traction control as standard, as well as front, side-thorax and front-to-rear side curtain airbags. Additionally it gets front seatbelt pretensioners to keep you in place when the four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) come into play, plus a standard tire pressure monitor makes sure the best contact patch possible is ready to grip the road. An immobilizer is thrown in for good measure, making sure your car remains parked in your driveway. Oh, and I almost forgot GM’s award-winning OnStar system, which will automatically radio emergency personnel accident information whether you’re alert or not (you’ve heard the commercials).

As long as the Malibu’s standard features list is, my guess is that the more appealing 1LT package will be the better seller. Consider for a minute that, for $20,995, which is $960 more than base, Chevy adds partially color-coordinated side mirrors, driver’s seat lumbar support, remote steering-wheel mounted audio controls, and stability control plus panic Brake Assist (BA). Those last two items, especially GM’s Stabilitrak anti-skid system, are not only worth the extra cost on their own but could very well be priceless if they prevent an accident. And incidentally, the Malibu Hybrid gets all of the 1LT’s equipment plus a few upscale items from the LTZ, to make it more appealing.

Hybrid aside, another $1,680 over the 1LT will get you into a 2LT package, adding suede and leather trim accents to the seats, with those in front getting heated cushions and four power adjustments. A leather-wrapped steering wheel with a tilt and telescopic column is also thrown in, plus an electrochromic rearview mirror, a compass, height adjustable foot pedals, an integrated garage door opener and an external temperature gauge. Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention the 17-inch alloy wheels, improving braking stability and cornering, not to mention making the car look more upscale than the base model that only gets steel wheels and plastic wheel covers. But hold on a second, aren’t those nice looking five-spoke base wheels aluminum? OK, I have to admit that when I first looked the car over during the walk-around presentation outside of our Morro Bay hotel I thought that alloys were standard, but upon closer inspection (and I mean I had to tap an “aluminum” spoke to notice) it became clear that the plastic wheel covers were just very, very deceptive … they adorn 16- by 6-inch steel wheels and look very convincing and quite good doing so.

Driving around Southern Cal I quickly grew fond of the four-cylinder Malibu in its 1LT trim level, and if I hadn’t driven the hybrid and then the top-line LTZ, I wouldn’t have been swayed toward the luxury version. But it’s with this top-line model that the Malibu really shines, and not just because of the glitzy features and unique interior treatments, but due to its upgraded powertrain. I’m a big believer in extra gears, and the top-line Malibu’s six-speed automatic is ultra-smooth and perfectly suited to one of the nicest engines in this class, GM’s 3.6-liter V6 spawned from Cadillac’s sporty CTS. Its 252-horsepower and 251 lb-ft of torque is immediately available, ready to transform this big family hauler into a capable sport sedan on command. Especially sporty are the thumb-controlled steering wheel “paddle-shifters”, allowing that extra level of control needed to extract the most out of the car in the curves.

And when the road starts to wind this Chevy doesn’t sulk home whining, but rather takes to the turns with an enthusiasm previous bowtie branded sedans could only have hoped to emulate. All Malibus get speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering and an independent front strut suspension with a stabilizer bar and coil springs plus an independent rear multi-link setup with another stabilizer bar and coil springs, a fairly common albeit sophisticated layout, which is just the way I like it. It reacts to input differently depending on the wheel and tire package offered, with the most basic 215/60R16s delivering reasonably good grip and the top-line LTZ’s 225/50R18s giving the car a much sportier demeanor.

Those chrome-plated 18s really look fabulous too, complemented by chrome door handles, chrome wire mesh grille inserts, chrome strikethroughs on the outer edges of the lower front valance, interrupted with chrome-rimmed circular fog lamps, and highlights on the rear bumpers. Inside, the $26,995 LTZ gets an alloy and leather shifter, leather seats with additional leather trim around the cabin, a five-way power-adjustable driver’s seat including height, lumbar and tilt adjustment, a three-way power-adjustable passenger seat including height and tilt adjustment (doesn’t the passenger deserve a little lumbar adjustment too), automatic climate control, an eight-speaker audio system upgrade with an in-dash 6-disc CD player and XM satellite radio (also standard in the hybrid), a remote engine starter, remote trunk release and a light in the trunk (you can’t even get that in the $50,000 Lexus GS 350 I tested this week). The only LTZ options are an engine block heater at $75, a power tilt and tip sliding glass sunroof with sunshade for $800, a rear window shade at $250, and then a number of dealer-installed accessories.

Chevy drew mixed reactions for its two-tone interior, with some lauding its color choices and others visibly turned off (mostly with the reddish-brown hue dubbed Brick), but all complimenting the interior designers on the curved passenger dash that mirrors that on the driver’s side, a la classic Corvette, and everyone in agreement that it’s one of the most accommodating, and therefore most comfortable midsize cars in the segment. Its trunk is large too, at 15.1 cubic feet, although if you opt for the hybrid some of that space goes to batteries resulting in a slightly less voluminous 13.4 cubic feet capacity.

So is this the best midsize sedan in existence? If you crunch the numbers, comparing interior measurements, features for dollars, the number of forward gears, horsepower, torque and engine pedigree, etc, it turns up on top more often than not, but this is not a business won or lost on such criteria. No, it’s a business that GM and its domestic competitors gave away years ago by not offering cars that were good enough to go head to head with the Japanese, which currently dominate. Now, even the Koreans put up a good fight with strong midsize contenders. The Malibu, however, is more than good enough to compete, and dare I say, is better than most in the midsize category when it comes to interior room, fit, finish and materials quality, performance, standard and available features, and projected reliability (the previous Malibu was a regular on J.D. Power and Associate’s top-three most dependable list). It’s also one of the best looking in this class, and that alone goes a long way to pulling eyeballs away from foreign competition.

So, if you’re serious about owning a well-built, fully-featured four-door that can run with the top-sellers in the midsize sedan segment, you need to put the 2008 Malibu on your shopping list.