Like its predecessor, the redesigned 2004 Chevrolet Malibu is the best car General Motors makes in this price range. It's roomy and comfortable on the inside, pleasant to drive by most accounts and more powerful than its relatively modest 200-horsepower rating would suggest. Furthermore, most of the surfaces human hands are likely to contact in the cabin are soft to the touch, and the doors open and close with a sturdiness typically associated with its foreign-brand competitors. In short, this is the closest Chevrolet and GM have ever come to building a family sedan that Accord and Camry buyers might actually be willing to test-drive.

But as the Malibu's seventh-place finish makes clear, there's still work to be done before buyers can drive home in a Chevy without feeling that they've made some compromises. The biggest issues facing the Malibu are its uninspired cabin furnishings and Chevrolet's continued lack of success in hiding cost-cutting measures.

Editors found the Chevrolet Malibu's interior design functional, but certainly not upscale like the interiors of the Accord, Camry and Passat or even trendy like the Mazda 6's or Galant's. Instead, there were comments about the Chevrolet's "rental car look and feel." Taupe and beige tones dominate the cabin, and a few subtle curves in the dash and some faux aluminum trim are the only breaks in the monotony. The steering wheel invites the driver to take hold of its thick grip, but once seated you find yourself staring into perhaps the smallest, most generic set of gauges this side of $20,000.

If you can get past the styling, you'll see that Chevrolet's designers did at least have a handle on the basics — the Malibu has great seats. Head-, shoulder and hiproom are plentiful in both the front and rear, and all outboard positions have adjustable head restraints. There's even a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel for the driver and adjustable pedals. Legroom in the backseat was ample for our six-foot-plus editor, but cars like the Altima and Camry offer a bit more room to stretch out. In exchange for the slightly cozier feel, the Malibu's rear passengers will enjoy a deeply dished bench that provides excellent thigh support, as well as an abundance of foot room under the front chairs.

Cushioning is soft throughout the car, and most editors found the seats very comfortable. One driver did report, however, that the flat driver seat bottom was the cause of a sore tailbone. Also of note is the lack of a fold-down center armrest in the backseat. Even though they might not have a place to rest an arm, passengers will be well protected as the LT model comes standard with front and rear head curtain airbags (optional on lower trims). Oddly, though, GM chose not to include the more common seat-mounted side airbags that provide torso protection for front occupants.

The control layout in the Malibu is generally straightforward, though there are too many small buttons — particularly on the stereo head unit — to provide the instant familiarity that you get in a Honda or Toyota. Secondary stereo controls on the steering wheel helped simplify things a bit, though, and we were pleased to find the cruise control buttons here as well (along with separate control stalks for the wipers and turn signals). Our LT model came standard with Chevrolet's new remote start feature, and we can report that it works as advertised: Press a button on the keyless remote while standing at a distance (GM claims the maximum range is 200 feet) and the engine comes to life, allowing you to get a head start on warming up the car on cold mornings.

Materials quality was about average for this class and no real step down from what you'll find in either the Altima or the Galant. Editors liked the leather and faux suede seat upholstery as well as the leatherlike grain pattern of the soft-touch material on the upper dash. Elsewhere, we found low-grade vinyl and plastic that did not contribute to a sense of quality craftsmanship. Also disappointing was the rubber used on the center armrest and door grips, which caught and pulled on the hairs of one editor's arm.

Although our test vehicle had a generally solid feel, closer examination revealed that it did in fact have a few build quality issues — some misaligned interior panels, rough edges on plastics and an unfinished headliner that was frayed at the edges. The flimsy sunroof cover and sun visor extenders moved in a jerky fashion, suggesting themselves as imminent additions to the casualty list. Drivers also noted an annoying rattle from the passenger side of the car. On the outside, though, the body panels fit together tightly, and the only lapse we noted was a slightly misaligned rear bumper.

In-cabin storage space is decent, as the Malibu offers the essential receptacles — average-size door bins, a large single-tier console container, a small glovebox and rear map pockets. A larger storage area under the center stack and a pair of rear door bins would be welcome additions, as would a larger set of cupholders. When it's time to haul larger cargo, the Malibu is one of the most capable cars in its class, as it offers a spacious trunk and both a split-folding rear seat and a folding front-passenger seat. Our only complaint here involves the trunk lid's exposed metal hinges, which take up valuable luggage space.

Driving the Chevy Malibu was more enjoyable than most of us expected, thanks mainly to the car's well-tuned suspension and 3.5-liter V6 engine that overcomes its unimpressive horsepower output and low-tech design. The Chevy couldn't hang with the leaders during instrumented acceleration testing, but in real-world driving, it easily had enough low- and midrange torque to satisfy editors and proved quite capable of catching the openings in heavy freeway traffic. Refinement wasn't a strong point compared to the import V6s, but the engine settled down nicely at highway cruising speeds — and with ample insulation from wind and road noise, this made for a quiet cabin.

An astute four-speed automatic transmission makes the most of the available power, and should you wish to take matters into your own hands, there's an "L" mode that allows the driver to toggle manually between the first three gears via a rocker-style button on the gear selector. The Malibu has the highest EPA mileage estimates of any car in this test with its 23 city/32 highway rating.

Ride quality is soft and comfortable for the benefit of commutes, but take the car around a few corners and you'll find that the suspension holds on nicely — inspiring confidence in the driver. The Malibu is no sport sedan, but should you veer onto a winding back road, you might actually enjoy yourself. Unfortunately, the car's electronically controlled steering rack diminishes the entertainment potential by providing too much power assist most of the time, making the Malibu feel a bit clumsy.

The weakest link in the package is surely the brakes. The Malibu was the only car in this comparison test with rear drum brakes, and it needed over 140 feet to stop from 60 mph during instrumented testing. This put it in last place in this category — a significant feat when you consider that the Altima turned into a shorter stop without the benefit of ABS. Most editors were content with the braking performance in everyday driving, but one driver felt that the pedal was unnecessarily stiff and tricky to modulate. Chevrolet has since made four-wheel disc brakes standard on LT models, which should improve stopping distances (other Malibus retain the front disc/rear drum setup).

It's not exactly encouraging when a freshly redesigned car finishes seventh of 10, but the generally capable Chevrolet Malibu is proof that GM is beginning to understand what resolute import buyers want in a family sedan. Until the company gets serious about offering high-quality interiors, though, Honda and Toyota have nothing to fear.

Second Opinions:

Editor in Chief Karl Brauer says:
Like the Mitsubishi Galant, the Chevrolet Malibu caught much of the staff off guard. Yeah, sure, it was a complete redesign. And the various GM factions were touting the car as a symbol of the "new GM" that will produce world-class vehicles to compete with the best from Europe and Japan. But we've heard all this before, so why should this vehicle be any different?

Happily, the Malibu is different. It rides on the same Epsilon platform that underpins the new Saab 9-3, and while it isn't as nimble as its Swedish cousin, it does offer a level of driving dynamics not previously seen in a mainstream Chevrolet sedan. The steering feel is reassuringly hefty without being unnecessarily heavy, and body motions are well controlled despite the car's considerable weight. It's no Mazda 6 or (new) Mitsubishi Galant, but taking the Malibu on a drive down a tight canyon road can be entertaining, if not downright thrilling. The V6 engine is similarly more appealing than its spec numbers would indicate. In today's world of 245-horsepower family sedans, the Malibu's 200 hp sounds barely adequate, but in reality this car launches from a dead stop with authority (and tire spin if you aren't careful).

Despite the Malibu's unexpected performance in terms of acceleration and handling, it was the car's overall build quality that had me checking the emblem in the grille. As soon as I pulled on the exterior door handle I knew something was up. I've always admired how Honda can transmit a sense of quality through the simple act of opening a door. When I first opened the Malibu's door, I was struck (actually, dumbstruck) by that same feeling. But not everything about the Malibu is as refined and polished as Honda's Accord. The exterior mirrors, for instance, still shudder as they power into position (the Accord's are smooth as silk) and some of the interior surfaces made me think of our long-term Saturn Vue (never a good thing). But this is the first non-Corvette Chevrolet car I've driven that made me think, "Yeah, I could own one of these and have few, if any, regrets."

Senior Road Test Editor Ed Hellwig says:
There's no doubt that GM stepped it up a notch with this new Malibu. The interior build quality is far superior to anything else to come out of Chevrolet in a long time and the level of chassis refinement has been noticeably upgraded over previous Malibus. The engine noise is less intrusive, the seats are more comfortable and even the size is just about right. So why am I not impressed?

The interior is still a major letdown. They figured out how to bolt it all together correctly but they're still using too many drab plastic parts and an uninspired design. The gauges hardly look different from the previous model and the center stack still fails to look like that of anything more than just an average family sedan. This wouldn't be much of a problem, but when some of its competitors look like near-luxury sedans for the same price, the Malibu looks just plain old in comparison.

Then there's the ride and handling which, for the most part, is well suited to typical driving. But compared to some of the other cars in this test, the Malibu felt considerably bigger and heavier despite the fact that it is most often neither one of the two. The electric steering system never seems to get the level of assistance just right, and the brakes don't feel as if they have much in reserve.

The Malibu is a mostly competent sedan with a solid drivetrain and plenty of room throughout. But when you can get all that and an interior that makes you feel like you paid a few thousand more, the Chevrolet Malibu loses much of its luster.