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Follow-Up Test: 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
Rodney Dangerfield on Wheels
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By Christian Wardlaw
Date posted: 01-01-1999
Most people, when asked their opinion of the Chevrolet Malibu, don't have one. "Good rental car." "Boring midsize Chevy." "Dull sedan that can't match Camry and Accord in terms of refinement or desirability." Each of these opinions is accurate, but you'll notice that none of them pays the Malibu any respect.
Factor in how we found our test car sitting amongst worn-out Grand Ams, Aleros and older Malibus in the National Car Rental lot at Detroit's cool retro-style airport (Huh? You mean they didn't design it to look and smell like a relic from the 1960s on purpose? Oh.), and any hope for respect is lost. In town to beat 6,995 other bloodthirsty journalists covering the 2000 North American International Auto Show into submission for first dibs on press kits and freebies to sell for big bucks on ebay, we needed wheels, Detroit-style. What could serve our needs better than a Chevy sedan?
Our Malibu had only 4K on the odometer; not enough time pounding southeastern Michigan's horrific pavement with clueless suits behind the wheel to cause any damage. Tight and solid, the Malibu tracked well and exhibited no signs that indifferent maintenance had altered its state since leaving the assembly line. So we thought we'd write about our time with the car.
Chevrolet improved the Malibu this year by squeezing more horsepower out of the now-standard 3.1-liter V6 engine while refining it enough to pass LEV standards in states requiring special emissions systems. Making 170 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 190 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 rpm, this venerable pushrod powerplant still makes quite a racket when pushed hard, but now we don't mind it so much because plenty of acceleration is on tap, motivating the 3,100-pound Malibu with verve.
Power flows to the front wheels and their P215/60R15 tires through a smooth-shifting four-speed automatic transmission, whose gears are selected using a comfortably tall selector mounted in the center console. A four-wheel independent suspension keeps the rubber planted on the Michigan minefield known as I-94. Front disc/rear drum antilock brakes work competently to drag the Malibu down from speed, but you cannot get one of these Chevys equipped with traction control for any price.
Other updates for 2000 include new wheel covers and alloy rims, a revised grille that ties Malibu more closely to the larger Impala, new interior fabric, and door lockout protection. Buyers (or renters) also get Solar-Ray tinted glass for the windshield and backlight, assist handles mounted to the headliner, and body-color mudguards. Options previously unavailable include a decklid spoiler and a gold package (which, incidentally, Chevrolet illustrated in press releases using useless black-and-white photography).
Obviously, our rental LS model included only the standard goodies, including five-spoke aluminum wheels, remote keyless entry, combo CD and cassette sound system, six-way power driver's seat, A/C, tilt and cruise, and power windows/mirrors/locks. Had we been consumers ordering an LS, we could have added leather seats and a sunroof.
Though the Malibu is considered a midsize sedan, it accommodated our Edmunds.com troops better than the bigger Impala could have. How so? Malibu fits four in more comfort than its larger sibling. Legroom in particular is quite generous fore and aft, and the front and rear seats are wide, firm and supportive. We like Malibu's interior design better, too. It's more cohesive in terms of appearance and ergonomics than the six-passenger Chevy.
Trunk space, with 17.1 cubes of volume available, easily handled our daily load of laptops, cameras, press kits, and free schwag like concept car posters, scale-model PT Cruisers and aluminum Dodge Motorsport container clipboards (Chrysler, not Daimler, always has the best stuff at these shows).
Plus, the Malibu is spunky enough to entertain, and tautly sprung enough to handle on- and off-ramps with vigor (us auto scribes always gotta push the limits, regardless of the iron we're piloting). Add in the lack of squeaks and rattles, a decent sound system, and all the creature comforts a traveling businessperson or point A to point B commuter could need, and the Malibu impresses as a pretty good set of wheels.
Then, when price is taken into consideration, Malibu suddenly becomes more attractive. At $19,715 (that's retail including the destination charge - you actually pay much less), this car is a great bargain. Malibu is no head turner, but you don't wish for a motion sickness bag when you see it, unlike some other GM designs. Malibu's staid sheetmetal is inoffensive, and as a result, should stand the test of time. People buy the Toyota Camry in droves, and it sure ain't because it's the automotive equivalent of Ashley Judd.
Which leads us to the reliability question. Will the Malibu's hardware last as long as the styling? Introduced for 1997, Malibu stumbled out of the blocks on this front. And recent crash testing indicates that corners may have been cut, structurally speaking. Yet Malibu has been engineered to keep maintenance costs to a minimum, with lifetime transmission fluid, platinum-tipped spark plugs and engine coolant that lasts five years or 150,000 miles.
Early reports indicate that this Chevy still can't match the best from Japan over the long haul. That's too bad, because the rest of the package, at this price, is incredibly good. Though it probably won't get your heart pumping any faster than a rerun of "Matlock," this is one of the best sedans GM makes today and is the only new four-door passenger car with a Chevy badge that you should seriously consider.
See all the Ratings: 2000 Chevrolet Malibu 4 Dr LS Sedan Road Test Scoreboard
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