1.5 liters and 117 mph. Don’t ask me how I know.
And at that speed, the Malibu rode on rails. Flat. Smooth. Planted. Well behaved. One with the road, in perfect harmony with the universe. It was a glorious ride.
Color me impressed. I rented Chevy Malibus on the last two secret missions and I loved the car. I’m no James Bond and the Malibu is no Aston Martin, but as secret mission motor vehicles go, this is a cool car. It would cruise easily at 85 mph, and jumping up to that big number listed above (117 mph) was effortless.
At first, I could only wonder what was powering the thing…a Z06 engine?
My preliminary Internet research showed the Malibu has two engine options: The base model 1.5L four, and an upgraded 2.0L four. Mine must have had the 2.0-liter four banger, I thought, because it was just flat quick. There was nothing posted on the Malibu’s exterior to tell us how many hamsters were hiding under the hood, so Big John and I took a look. Every secret agent needs a wing man. Big John was mine.
1.5L.
Well, I’ll be.
How the hell did Chevy get that kind of giddyup out of a measly 1500 cubic centimeters?
Turbocharging. That’s how. But you could have fooled me. The car has no markings to indicate it hides a turbo, there’s no discernable turbo lag, and it just feels good.
I think it looks good, too.
Chevy’s Malibu MSRP is around $23K, and that ain’t bad. The car is roomy and comfortable. There are no machine guns or passenger ejection seats, but the Malibu clocked around 40 miles per gallon. In the real world, this thing checks all the boxes.
So what did I dislike? Nothing, really. Well, maybe that automatic engine shutoff at stop signs that all new cars seem to have these days, but I’m getting used to that. I’m not in the market for a new car, but if I was, the Malibu would be at the top of my list.
Here’s another shocker. It seems Chevy is going to discontinue the Malibu in the next year or two. Discontinuing the Chevy Malibu. We are living in a world gone mad. I guess they are not selling, but I can’t see why.
Chevy, your marketing weenies are flat on their overpaid butts. There should be lines around your dealerships waiting to buy these cars. They are that good. You should advertise with us.
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Wow, 40mpg. That’s hybrid territory. And $23K? Yep, someone somewhere isn’t earning their marketing fees…
I almost wish I needed another car. This is a good one. Straight body panels, consistent seams, it all looked good. Chevy has their act together.
I own the Malibu’s corporate cousin – 2017 Buick Regal. I agree with your blog. The 2.0 liter turbocharged engine in the Buick is very smooth and powerful. 29 – 30 miles to the gallon doesn’t hurt either
Hmmm… I used to be Chevy guy, first car a 59 Bel Aire straight 6, powerguide 2 speed auto… then a Mercury guy for the last 30 years or so…and since there are no more Mercury left, sniff… I will have to take a look. I like the idea of nice BIG car and MPG in the 40’s is great. My last Mercury gets 16 in town and 28 on the road with 4.6 motor. I wonder if it will last like my Mercury’s? I usually get around 150,000 plus, and more with my last one. I guess I will have to see. Thanks for the review!
Side note… are you in the Pan Handle of Texas? Amarillo?
It’s a secret mission, so I can’t say…
I’m still driving an ’07 Saturn Aura, which shared the same platform as the Malibu at the time, and it is still a great car. I will likely stay with GM when the time comes to replace.
I just don’t see that little turbocharged engines lasting 250,000+ miles, much less 100,000 miles. Owners must not skimp on maintenance – turbo motors are hard on oil and any more than 5000 miles, no matter what the owners manual says, is suicide. Don’t skimp on oil quality either, this is the car for a full synthetic. I’m sure that is a great short term car. Not a car someone should buy and expect it to last a decade or more. That’s my opinion. Really.
Sadly there are reports that the pistons in this engine are getting damaged due to excessive heat.
I guess Americans rather have small sedans on stilts (aka crossover SUVs) than regular low center of gravity sedans.