2008 Chevrolet Malibu

Malibu is a high-buck ocean-side neighborhood northwest of Los Angeles. It is also Chevrolet's bread-and-butter midsize sedan. When GM introduced "intermediate" autos, between big cars and compacts, in the 1960s, Chevy's was called Chevelle, and Malibu was its top-of-the-line model. The Chevelle name later went away, but Malibu has stuck ever since.


But Chevy's once hugely popular Malibu, like GM's other midsize cars, suffered from corporate neglect over the years as potential customers—and, as a result, the company's engineering attention and budget—increasingly shifted toward trucks and SUVs. Still, the previous-generation Malibu drew some kudos as a trusty, reliable, high-value contender and has sold fairly well despite its boring styling, cheap interior and inexpensive powertrain.


This new Malibu vaults Chevy right back to the top of the midsize sedan market. It looks great inside and out, is solidly built, drives beautifully, gets better-than-competitive fuel economy and is priced to sell in serious volumes. An affordable hybrid version performs better than the base model and is two-mpg more efficient. "We know the competition is very good, and this new Malibu has the goods to assert a leadership position in the segment and re-affirm Chevrolet's commitment to expressive cars," says Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper.

Platform and Performance

The '08 Malibu is built on GM's excellent global midsize platform—shared with (2007 North American Car of the Year) Saturn Aura, Saab 9-3 and same-size German Opels—with precise build quality and a strong body structure. More than three inches longer than the '07 sedan on a six-inch-longer wheelbase, its wheels-at-the-corners stance enhances both its eager demeanor and its tied-down driving character.


Trim levels include base LS, mid-range 1LT and 2LT and top-of-the-line LTZ, all with six standard airbags, XM Satellite Radio and Generation 7 OnStar. StabiliTrak stability control is standard on LT and LTZ, but not the base car. Available engines are a 169-hp 2.4-liter dual-overhead-cam Ecotec four and a 252-hp 3.6-liter DOHC V-6, both with variable valve timing (VVT). A six-speed automatic with TAPshift manual control (via steering wheel-mounted paddles) is standard with the V-6 and will be optional with the four-cylinder LTZ (a segment first) later in the model year.


The V-6/six-speed combo nets fairly impressive 6.7-second 0-60 mph acceleration, while the (surprisingly smooth) four-cylinder four-speed delivered not-so-great 9.5-second performance in our testing. The somewhat quicker (due to short-term power assist from the electric motor/generator) hybrid model mates an electric motor/generator to the 2.4-liter VVT four and four-speed automatic to deliver excellent 24 mpg city/32 highway EPA economy.