First Impressions
Family sedans are usually among the best sellers of a given auto manufacturer’s lineup, so it’s no surprise that car companies pour tons of research and development dollars into developing these seemingly mundane vehicles. The result is a class of vehicles full of the best and the brightest ideas, and it is within this class that the aging 2011 Chevrolet Malibu (view photos) competes against the superlative likes of the perennial favorite Honda Accord, the daringly stylish Hyundai Sonata, the shoot-from-the-hip Mazda 6 and the cozy-as-grandma’s-hug Toyota Camry. And at a similar price point, we can’t neglect to mention the excellent Ford Fusion or spacious Ford Taurus. After spending a week driving a Malibu LTZ with a four-cylinder engine, we’ve gotta say we’d rather have any one of those over the Malibu.
Pricing, Trims and Options
The 2011 Malibu is offered in three trim levels: LS, LT and LTZ. The base LS ($21,975) comes standard with air conditioning, power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power side mirrors, cruise control, and a CD player with an MP3 jack and XM satellite radio. The Malibu LS also has OnStar telematics with six free months of turn-by-turn navigation service, and a driver’s seat with a power height adjuster and power lumbar support. Some options for this trim level include Bluetooth hands-free cell phone connectivity and carpeted front and rear floor mats.
Next up is the Malibu 1LT ($22,825), which gets you steering wheel-mounted audio controls, a six-way power driver’s seat, floor mats, and exterior upgrades like body-colored side mirrors and chrome accents. Stepping up to the 2LT trim level ($25,235) adds a heated driver’s seat, remote vehicle starting and Bluetooth. Options like an upgraded stereo with a USB port, a power sunroof and a 110-volt power outlet for the rear seat require 2LT trim.
The king of all Malibus is the LTZ, which will give you an eight-way power driver’s seat, a six-way power passenger’s seat, both heated; a Bose premium stereo system with a USB port and MP3 playback; automatic climate control; heated body-color outside mirrors; and fog lamps, all riding on 18-inch aluminum wheels.
You can equip your 1LT, 2LT and the LTZ with a V6 engine, and a compact spare tire and jack assembly are available on all models.
Interior Features
Ask Venus Williams how it feels to be eclipsed by her younger, more talented sibling, and you’ll have a good idea of what it feels like to be the older sister to the chic, upscale 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. Having experienced the interior of both vehicles, we predict that Chevy engineers will have to come up with a pretty darn spectacular cabin treatment for the next generation Malibu, because the current one feels dowdy and cheap. We might have been a little more forgiving had our test car been equipped with the two-tone treatment available in some Malibus (although one of our test drivers thinks the two-tone version is gaudy), but this particular vehicle had a dark gray monochromatic color scheme, which added to its dourness. Compounding the problem are obviously hard plastic trim pieces and the stiff, dry leather, which feels like it will crack and split after a few hard winters.
While we do realize that most consumers are moving toward aftermarket navigation systems, or just using the GPS feature on their smartphones, it still seems a strange omission to not include a simple navigation system option on a mainstream family vehicle. GM says that its OnStar system will give you voice guidance, but it’s a subscription service with a monthly fee after a free trial period. We’ve also had spotty history with its reliability in giving accurate directions.
We found the Malibu’s front seats to be very comfortable, with a decent amount of side bolstering, and the rear seats to have ample space for three full-size adults. We were also happy to find LATCH anchors for all three rear seating positions; we like putting the little one in the middle seat, which is deemed the safest by the experts. The trunk is generously sized, too, hampered only by a small opening that makes it a bit of a challenge to shoehorn in bulky and/or heavy items.
Safety, Quality and Reliability
The 2011 Chevrolet Malibu (view photos) has fared very well in previous National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash tests. For 2011, the NHTSA changed its ratings criteria, making it more difficult to receive a 5-star rating, which, in 2010, the Malibu did for its frontal and side impact tests. With the NHTSA’s new 2011 criteria, however, it received a 4-star rating for frontal crashworthiness, 5 stars for side-impact crash protection, and a 4-star rating for rollover resistance. Those with precious cargo to haul will be gratified to learn that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded the ‘Bu its top “Good” rating for its frontal offset, side impact and roof strength tests, resulting in a Top Safety Pick designation.. And we’re pleased to see that Chevrolet has made all the important safety features standard, such as ABS, stability control, a tire pressure monitor and side curtain airbags for the front and rear.
For some reason, J.D. Power and Associates has not rated the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu’s predicted reliability, but did expect the mechanically identical 2010 model to deliver above average dependability over time. Consumer Reports agrees, predicting the Malibu’s dependability will be better than average.