2010 Chevrolet Malibu

The mid-sized sedan is a major building block of the auto industry, but the cars themselves rarely get a lot of attention. Yet these cars are among the most common vehicles on the road and every major manufacturer has to have a mid-sized sedan in the lineup if they want to sell to the millions of American families that need such a car.

About 10 years ago, Chevrolet resurrected the venerable Malibu nameplate and put it on what I thought was one of their best cars in decades. The Malibu of 1999 and 2000 was punchy, solid, and well-built. As a result of that good start, Chevy has kept the Malibu name going, and the 2010 edition is still solid and well-built.

But alas, the times they do change, and you have to give GM credit where it’s due – they have delivered this year’s Malibu with better fuel economy than ever before. 22 MPG in the City and 33 MPG on the highway is very good for a mid-sized sedan. Emissions are 25% of the new vehicle average this year, so the Malibu is also much cleaner than most cars on the market. The General achieved those numbers with a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission (or 4-speed auto on the bargain basement trim levels). The engine produces 169 horsepower, which is enough for most drivers, but if you want more, Chevy also offers the Malibu with a capable V6 at 252 horsepower.

In a week of driving, I found the four-cylinder engine to be somewhat sluggish as the automatic tried to keep the revs as low as possible. But that’s the price you pay for good fuel economy in a larger car. Chevy found a way around this, however, by offering gear selection on the steering wheel. Just slip the console gear selector into “Manual” mode and use the buttons on the back of the wheel to shift gears. Doing this, you can easily keep the Malibu’s engine up in its happy zone and enjoy good performance until you’re cruising on the highway, then slip into Drive for better fuel economy.

Inside the Malibu, you get a nice family car with every modern convenience. There’s air conditioning, cruise control, power everything, heated seats, remote keyless entry, Bluetooth connectivity, and a nice stereo with CD and satellite radio. The layout of controls is intuitive and the overall interior package looks good. There’s a thin strip of plastic woodgrain as a beltline from the doors around the dash, and in the ordinary way of things I can’t stand fake woodgrain, but this was well-done and tasteful, so Chevy scores points for that.

With the Malibu, you also get 5-star crash ratings in every category except rollover, which gets 4 stars. The car features airbags in every conceivable place you could have them, the LATCH system for child safety seats, stability control, traction control, antilock brakes, and OnStar in case of accident. So Chevy has the family safety angle completely covered.

Speaking of coverage, the Malibu comes with a good powertrain warranty of 5 years and 100,000 miles. That’s important in a family wagon.

Finally, the price of the Malibu is attractive – I had the 2LT mid-grade trim level, and the car lists at $24,705. On top of that, the test car had a $550 upgraded stereo option (6-disc changer) and a $250 rear power package that offered a 110-volt outlet to the rear seat. I think I’d keep the rear seat outlet, but I’d pass on the stereo and save some money.

Even with destination charges, it should be possible to bring a well-equipped Malibu home for right around $25,000. That’s comparable to other quality mid-size sedans such as the Hyundai Sonata. And right now, with Cash for Clunkers money renewed and dealers who are extra-motivated to sell cars, you can likely make a deal for quite a bit less than the sticker price at your local Chevy dealer.

The bottom line on the Malibu is this – families will always need a family wagon, and if you haven’t considered a Chevy recently, you should take a drive in the Malibu. The combination of price, fuel economy, features, and a nice-looking car may be just what you need.

Written by Jeff Zurschmeide of northwestautoreview.com