Zander Drives Cars

A couple years ago, Chevy very quietly killed off their “cars.” Gone were the Cruze, Spark, Sonic, and Impala. Sure, the Camaro and Corvette stayed, but it was crossover only. Well, almost crossover only. For some reason, the Malibu stayed around. In a world of shrinking sedan sales, and a market dominated by Japanese and Korean offerings, why this Malibu? Why is it still here? Well, it is a good car. In fact, it is a very good car.

Now, let me get something straight: if you’re a die-hard automotive-crazy person, you won’t want this car. If you like sportiness, go buy an Accord. But, if you’re a regular consumer that doesn’t want to break the bank on a car that they’re not super invested in, the Malibu might have what you want. For starters, it’s a handsome car. I haven’t heard anything negative about the way this car looks from any member of the car community. Sure, it might not be super striking, but potentially dull is better than ugly. And this metallic blue does help the car stand out from a sea of grey econoboxes.

So, the interior of the Malibu is the same that is found in last-generation Chevy products. Unlike what we see in the Suburban and Silverado, there are still some cheap plastics and some undesirable feeling materials scattered throughout the cabin. For one, the rubber steering wheel controls are very weird and feel like they’re from a knock-off game console. But, this top-of-the-line LT model is $30,000 with dealer rebates, so what are we to expect? Well, probably not leather. In fact, there was a lot in this car that I didn’t expect for this price range. Sticking to the seats, these things are impressive. If you can count on the stereotypes of American cars being big and comfy, this car holds it. Both the front and rear seats are super easy to sink into, and for the rear seats, the legroom is unbelievable.

The center screen in this car is, like some other parts of the interior, previous generation. But, this system isn’t too bad to use. There are plenty of features and you can navigate it without issue, especially considering everyone who uses it will just use CarPlay. I will say, however, that screen could be tilted a bit more towards the cabin than the ceiling. The only other thing to note is that, unlike Toyota or some Honda products, this car has navigation that you don’t have to pay for. Huzzah! Can we get a nationwide ban on companies that limit stuff like that? It’s insane.

Like other cars in its class, you get a semi-digital driver’s display. A fully digital one would be nice, but whatever. The digital part of the screen is pretty configurable, however. You have a speed-limit sign reader and various different alerts and graphs that people will never look at. It is pretty good, but nothing super insane on its own.

What is pretty insane is the sheer amount of stuff that this car has on it. This Malibu (again, $30,000) has heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, power front seats, USB-A and USB-C ports for front and rear passengers, a Bose Soundsystem, handsfree Bluetooth, and Carplay, wired Android Auto, power moonroof, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and forward collision warning. Again, find me any car in its class that has 3/4ths of these features for $30,000. You won’t. I won’t even complain about the lack of wireless charging.

The Chevy Malibu LT is powered by a 1.5L (can you tell this engine is Euro?) 4cyl making 160hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, sending its power to the front wheels via a CVT. As I said earlier, this is not a driver’s car. If you put your foot down, it screams, and not in a good way. This car is not meant for your lead foot. Don’t get the wrong impression. This car is for daily commuting, and being an Uber driver. Because to be an Uber driver, you need a comfortable car, and this rides so much smoother than the Accord, Camry, or Altima. Seriously, this thing is smooth and floaty like a car twice its price at least. It is the best kind of uninspired: blissfully uninspired because it can be, and it works like that.

So, let’s talk about reliability. I will be frank when I say that these engines do have problems, and Chevy’s CVTs are known to be problematic at times. That being said, for everyone telling me how unreliable these cars are, I’ve had just as many tell me how their car hasn’t had a single issue. I hate talking about reliability. Every time I open my mouth about any car, I’m yelled at by both sides telling me I’m wrong. So, that’s why I never talk about it. Take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Again, if you’re a driver, don’t buy it! You won’t like it. But, this car isn’t for you. Brian of CRC recently said that “NPC dollars are bigger than enthusiast dollars.” and he’s so goddamn right. This car will sell because, to normal consumers, this is a good car for a great price. Why not buy it? If you’re in the market for something and there’s an option that fits your small and narrow parameters, get it! Why should we car enthusiasts care? Shit, if anything, this is what funds new Corvettes. So let this car do its thing, and be impressed at what it offers the mass market.

As always, huge thanks to Steve of Koons Chevy Whitemarsh for letting me come down and drive one of these Malibus. Apparently, this is one of their best sellers, so if you want one of these, they have a few. Click here to view their inventory.