A lot of outlets have been giving the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu for lagging in fuel economy and cabin space when compared to the competition. But one cannot argue the several intangibles the new sedan nails. For one, it’s incredibly quiet, and sets a new standard of cabin silence for the brand. There’s also the easy-to-use technology of Chevy MyLink and all that comes with it. The other, is a five-star overall crash safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
There is no higher rating. Specifically, five stars were awarded in front and side crashes, with four stars awarded in rollover testing.
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And falls dead last in Motor Trend’s comparo. Not a good sign. I just drove the 2.5 LT the other day. The steering wheel is very thin (is it 1980?) the faux would should be an option (or an option to delete) and the seats are not as comfortable as the Cruze. The materials are high quality, however, their execution is a little contrived. The back seat room is atrocious.
The LTG engine will also boost the appeal.
Great looking car from front to back. I think it has the most “brand DNA” of anything else in the segment, it looks like a Chevy, which is great. But, it’s in a hyper-competitive segment battling super strong cars like: Camry, Accord, Sonata, Optima, Altima, the new Fusion and an exciting new Mazda6. Tough competition.
Michael, I agree. I really like the Malibu and can’t wait to see one here in Germany. The segment is competitive for sure and the one thing this car needs more than anything is more powertrain options.
I cast my vote for a diesel in the US and a Voltec application to beat Ford and Toyota in the hybrid game.
Too bad they’re still using that cheap looking gold bow tie. This one looks so much better IMO:
http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1274&bih=691&tbm=isch&tbnid=LGLwiyoC6kYdrM:&imgrefurl=http://www.chevrolet.com/culture/category/history.html&docid=xIEnYdijQX97PM&imgurl=http://www.chevrolet.com/content/dam/Chevrolet/northamerica/usa/nscwebsite/en/Home/Chevy%252520Culture/History/historywithmystery/01-images/2012-culture-history-bowtie-mm-1-565×225.jpg&w=565&h=225&ei=rBtsUP-ULYXa8wTC_4DwBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=877&vpy=357&dur=4720&hovh=141&hovw=356&tx=204&ty=91&sig=104043935860001386357&page=1&tbnh=81&tbnw=203&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0,i:102
Got in the ‘Boo at the Orange County show in CA- wow, the rear seat legroom IS a problem. It is far worse/less that the 2012 Ford Fusion, with the front seat NOT all the way back (which goes back real far). The Camaro, even in base trim was pretty awesome though!