Rental Car Review – Chevy Malibu

This week in Maryland I was rented a Chevy Malibu as an intermediate car. I have fond memories of an older Malibu that I rented once in Oregon, the five door version two generations back which my sister and I used to carry us and two mountain bikes up the Oregon coast riding various trails. It was a nice car that felt compact but had lots of room and was reasonably powerful. A few years ago I rented a 6 cylinder version of the previous generation Malibu in Florida which had some serious mechanical issues. It ran but made lots of concerning noises from the engine and transmission and was very lethargic. Reason number 8,789,431 to never ever buy a used rental car, the agency didn’t care when I called, convinced all was well as the car still technically ran and when I returned it the agent checking the car in gave me a “you’re kidding, right?” eye roll when I mentioned the issues.

This rental was the first time I have driven a current generation model. A Silver Ice Metallic 2011 LT1 model with a 2.4L 169HP 4-cylinder engine, 6-Speed automatic transmission, front wheel drive, power moon roof, power windows and locks, 2 stage heated seats, 17 inch wheels, leather trimmed ebony seats and a smidge over 4000 miles on the odometer. As is common of many mid-sized cars, the current Malibu is a larger car than previous generations and this one is so large it seems just about the same size inside as the full size Impala. The dash is large and there is a ton of hard plastic stretching into what could be confused with a dining table in to the front windshield. There is about a one inch sliver of wood and chrome colored plastic loosely applied to the top portion of the dash breaking up the vast expanses of hard black plastic throughout the interior. Like the dash, the driver and passenger seats are big. The exterior is the familiar Malibu shape, the 17 inch chrome wheels and low-profile tires lend it a sporty appearance.

Sporty, though, it is not. Like other full-mid-size cars the Malibu drives like a parade float. The four-banger and 6-speed auto are adequate for getting through the Baltimore-Washington area freeways but the car doesn’t so much as turn, more lurches between lanes. A trait Inherited from dearly departed Pontiac, it is impossible to turn your neck and look at the blind spot corner from the driver’s seat. Brake feel is squishy and pedal travel is long but the Malibu stops just fine. The seats are mostly comfortable, my only complaint is they feel large and are hard to stay centered in. Seat power controls are easy to use which is great for fiddlers like me who can never stop adjusting. The best seat feature by far is the two-stage heaters which work fast. Radio controls are easy to use and duplicates along with cruise control are conveniently located on the steering wheel. One strange quirk noticed was that the moon roof has one touch open but the button must be pressed down for the entirety of the time it takes for it to close. As with most all GM vehicles the sound system was good.

The Malibu isn’t a bad car. But it isn’t very good either. I have driven a Ford Fusion and it’s a much better vehicle. The Nissan Altima and new Hyaundai Sonata are both better looking and the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord both have extremely loyal customers. There’s little wonder why the Malibu’s sales numbers have steadily declined. If I could characterize the Malibu in one word, I would say meh. Its basic transportation and decent enough for someone who is looking for a full-mid-size car and prefers GM.