The seventh-generation Chevrolet Malibu bolted smartly out of the starting gate in 2008, one of the stars of GM's product renaissance over the last several years and one of the first Chevys to feel modern rather than retro. As a result it was acknowledged as the 2009 North American Car of the Year and earned a fair amount of positive praise. Four years on, the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu continues to be a very desirable car, but…
The seventh-generation Chevrolet Malibu bolted smartly out of the starting gate in 2008, one of the stars of GM’s product renaissance over the last several years and one of the first Chevys to feel modern rather than retro. As a result it was acknowledged as the 2009 North American Car of the Year and earned a fair amount of positive praise. Four years on, the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu continues to be a very desirable car, but the competition has caught up.
On the plus side, the Malibu features a stylish cabin with straightforward controls, nicely balanced ride and handling characteristics, and a choice of either a fuel-efficient four-cylinder engine or a strong V6. Perhaps best of all, the Malibu has an upscale look that says “premium sedan” rather than “rental car.” Although we could live without its flashy chrome-clad wheels, the Malibu sports clean, classy lines with tight panel gaps, and doesn’t succumb to cheap visual add-ons like spoilers, side vents or body flares.
Every 2011 Malibu can be equipped with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine as standard equipment, which generates 169 horsepower and 160 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent through the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control. Estimated fuel economy checks in at 22 mpg city/33 mpg highway and 26 mpg combined. In Edmunds performance testing, a four-cylinder Malibu reached 60 mph in 9.1 seconds, which is about average for four-bangers in this class.
A 3.6-liter V6 is available for the Malibu LT and LTZ, and bumps output to 252 hp and 251 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed automatic is again standard. Fuel economy is estimated at 17/26/20 mpg. Our test of a V6-equipped Malibu resulted in a 0-60-mph sprint in just 6.7 seconds, making it one of the quicker V6 sedans in its class.
The Chevy Malibu comes standard with antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, OnStar telematics, front side airbags and head curtain airbags. In the government’s new, more strenuous crash testing for 2011, the Malibu earned an overall rating of four stars out of a possible five, with four stars for overall frontal crash protection and five stars for overall side crash protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the Malibu its highest rating of “Good” in its frontal-offset and side-impact testing. In brake performance testing, a V6 Malibu impressed us by stopping from 60 mph in a short, fade-free 122 feet.