We finally get the chance to test drive the new for 2013 Chevy Malibu
The rest of the story
Here at LotPro we don’t often get the chance to get behind the wheel of an all-new Chevrolet model, so when we do we grab it. Such was the case at the recent Midwest Automotive Media Association fall rally held in suburban Chicago.
We drove one of two up for grabs which turned out to be a mid-trim 2LT in Atlantis Blue metallic equipped with Chevy’s direct injection 2.5-liter DOHC inline-4 that produces 197 horsepower and 191 lb.-ft. of torque.
2013 Chevrolet Malibu 2LT
First the good news
On the road, the new Malibu is one of the quietest midsize sedans we have ever driven. Road noise, even over bumps and washboard surfaces is muted.
Speaking of washboard surfaces, another thing in the Malibu’s favor is its straight line ride quality. This Chevy does an amazing job of soaking up even the harshest road imperfections while still maintaining laser-straight stability.
On to the less than good news
The seemingly good news is that the Malibu’s looks are not offensive. That being said, neither will its Chevy-generic snout nor its retro-but-clunky rear end win any beauty contests.
Inside, while its’ dual cockpit design will still resonate with some buyers, there is too much going on in the way of textures and finishes to give the cabin any kind of design cohesiveness. In other words, the objective may have been laudable but the execution, at least in our opinion, is flawed.
In addition to a mash-up of colors – black for the upper dash, tan for the lower dash and a lighter shade of tan for the seats, there are no fewer than four finishes on the center stack alone – flat black for the push-button areas, piano black surrounding the touchscreen, faux wood on the console (and below the HVAC controls on the center stack, and chrome trim on both the shifter and transmission gate. Door switches are surrounded by the same glossy near-wood, while the passenger side dash, in ascending order, goes from tan to black to a chrome trim strip and back to black.
Now for the bad news
We mentioned earlier that the 2013 Malibu is a composed straight-line cruiser, which is true. Once you throw it into a curve, however, the fun quickly recedes into the rearview mirror. Feedback through both the steering wheel and suspension is vague. You know you’re in a corner, but the neither the steering nor the suspension telegraph much of this information to the driver.
The bottom line is this: Most drivers will find that the new Malibu is a nice enough midsize sedan for highway cruising. But if you’re looking for any kind of driver involvement other than signaling a lane change on the expressway, the Malibu will not be your cup of tea. Nice enough, at least at this point in time in the midsize segment, is no longer good enough.
2013 Malibu 2LT
Base price: $25,240
Options:
Leather package: $1,000
Electronics & entertainment package: $1,175
Advanced safety package: $395
Cocoa fashion package: $150
Destination charge: $760
Total vehicle price: $28,720
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