The Car, the Town and the Doll Finally Reach Parity
By Ms. Cocoa Efficient
Spare me the feigned incredulity and the “I don’t do American” routine, because like so much of what’s rolling out of the newly reborn GM, Chevy’s mid-size Malibu sedan truly has undergone a miraculous rebirth. Playing in the same league as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry can be as risky as wearing a pair of Jimmy Choo pumps to a Tickle Me Elmo Christmas sale, but sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Domestically, the new Malibu handily trumps its rivals from Ford and Dodge, but is it really good enough to take on the best from the Land of the Rising Sun?
I was introduced to the Malibu in Memphis, Tennessee. Home of the Gibson guitar, Elvis and desserts the size of small island nations. A row of new Malibus was lined up outside my hotel and gleamed like shiny baubles begging to be pocketed. The sleek, mature lines, the stylish wheels, the attention to details; could this really be a sub-$20,000 automobile? The answer came from GM Vehicle Performance Manager and ride-along guide Martin Hayes: Yes. Martin, by the way, also shone like a shiny bauble, blessed with the kind of striking good looks that could easily have taken him to Hollywood, had he also not had a brain in his head. It was going to be a good day.
Editor Joe LaMuraglia joined along, he riding shotgun, Martin in back and me behind the wheel. Sliding inside the Malibu brought another gasp of “Oh, my.” The interior is not only intelligently designed and comfortable beyond measure, it also has—hold onto your pony tails—COLOR. Yes, finally a reprieve from the drab world of black, grey and tan. Lovely two-tone shades, some subtle some obvious, comprise the dash, console, door panels and seats. French seam stitching and fabrics reminiscent of Gucci and Prada gather here, along with so many standard features one might be perfectly happy with no more than the entry level car. Overall quality, however, is not yet Toyota tight. Along the way I discovered the power mirror switch housing had come loose, and some of the hard plastic door panels seemed to lack the tactile feeling promised by the press photos.
Chevrolet offers the Malibu in five trims: LS, 1LT, 2LT, LTZ and Hybrid. Engine choices include a frugal 169-horsepower 2.4-liter in-line four, a powerful 252-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 and a 164-horsepower hybrid model (go green!). While no manual transmission is offered, buyers are given a choice of four- or six-speed automatics, and Chevrolet offers the miserly 2.4-liter engine in any trim level, even the LTZ!
As we carved our way through the Mississippi back country, I was taken by how well this car drives. The cabin is Hush…Hush Sweet Charlotte quiet, the engine pulls willingly and without commotion and the steering, brakes and driving attitude feel more in line with German performance cars than most family sedans. With one eye on Martin in the rear view mirror and the other on the handsome two-tone dash, I charged into an unexpected hairpin turn. Thank God the optional stability control was there to save me from myself, and we all emerged none the worse for wear. As good as the new V6 with the six-speed automatic is (and it is really good), the sleeping secret of the group is the four-cylinder engine with the four-speed transmission. I found this economical combination more than livable, with sprite acceleration, quiet and smooth operation and a bit less gear hunting than I experienced with the six-speed.
As I pride myself for being a girl with an eye for a bargain, I count the new Malibu as one of this year’s best values! Even the most basic Malibu includes six-airbags (front, front side and front and rear side curtain), traction control, ABS, air conditioning, 16-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, AM/FM stereo with MP3-compatible CD player and auxiliary audio input jack and power driver’s seat height adjustment. Pony up a bit more cash and you can have heated leather seats, a 210-watt stereo with eight speakers, remote start, a three-prong, 110-volt outlet, 17- or 18-inch wheels and power adjustable pedals. Absent from the list are rear park assist and DVD navigation, but in truth you’re better off buying a Tom Tom or Garmin unit rather than a pricy DVD-based system, which can quickly become outdated. Besides, the standard OnStar’s Turn-by-Turn navigation can get you anywhere you need to go without the hassle of inputting data (sorry, love, my nails are still wet) and having to read a navigation screen while driving.
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