Used 2023 Chevrolet Malibu Consumer Reviews
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A real and honest review
I own a 2021 Malibu Premier and have also owned a 2019 Malibu LT. In my experience, this vehicle is very reliable if standard maintenance is performed routinely (as should any vehicle). I prefer the Premier model for the power and 9-speed auto transmission. The LT is good for economy driving. The handling is very good as well. The Premier recommends/requires using 93 octane fuel, which i stick to and recommend using that. So gas is more expensive. The LT has the CVT transmission, which is slow to shift and does not like cold weather! Must let warm up and go easy on transmission for first few miles. The one negative I have is that the interior could feel more premium, but its good for what you pay for.
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Troubled Transmission
After just 18 months and 25,000 km the transmission is kaput!! We are seniors with excellent driving records so the car has not been abused in any way!! GM says they will replace the transmission but I have lost confidence in the car. Will be looking to replace pretty soon!!
Low quality
Bought a 2023 Chevy Malibu 2LT brand new. Thought it would be better quality since it is a 2LT. Had it for about 2 months before issues started. First issue was front bumper panel corners popped out. Had it in the garage a couple times. Being told there is no fix, just push it back in. Squeaky driver seat and gas peddle. Air box sounds like a goose when the louvers adjust. Had the air box replaced. Sound came back within 2 months. I will not buy another chevy that was made prior to 2020. Seems like the quality went down hill. Of course chevy will take it in on trade at the value it is worth. Unfortunately, this leaves the customer a couple thousand dollars upside down in the deal.
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Love it
Comfortable, smooth, quiet, fun to drive. I’ve taken it on several road trips and love everything about the ride, driver assist features and 2.0T power.
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45-50 mpg says it all.
Outstanding efficiency. Comfortable, enjoyable ride, based on 60 mile per day commute in real mixed driving conditions.
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Love my malibu!
What a great car at a great price. I would highly recommend this car!
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Wonderful car
The amazing car ever . Comfortable , relaxing exp , durability efficiency , outstanding exterior design
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Like riding in a tincan
I have owned a 2005 and a 2013 which I bought new and was very happy with them. This 2023 has VERY loud road noise. Sounds like I'm dragging a tin bucket down the road. My dealer says there is nothing they can do. I will be trading it in soon for another manufacturer.
Sporty, fuel-efficient & fun 2021 Malibu RS
Back in December 2022, I decided to stop by my local Chevrolet dealership, to purchase a more affordable, more fuel-efficient vehicle. At the time, I was driving a '14 Lexus GS 350 F-Sport, and my monthly car payments were pretty high, and it felt like I lived at the gas stations, due to that thirsty V6 engine. There was a 2021 Red/black Chevy Malibu RS, with just over 18,000 miles for sale, just chillin' in their certified pre-owned car lot. I was told it was previously owned by a Chevy employee, and all the recommended services/maintenance had been done regularly to this vehicle. I took it for a test drive, and barely noticed the sound of the turbo, but absolutely loved the linear power and its quick, 0-60 speed. Needless to say, I purchased the 2021 Chevy Malibu RS(turbo) and here are some of the "pros," & "cons" of owning it: Monthly payment: my payment is lower! Fuel economy: my gas mileage is lower! Regular maintenance: very minimal! (I've only had to do one oil change + tire rotation so far) Infotainment system works well+smooth. Rear back up camera/display very clean. Absolutely love the rim package on it! Really like the unique color : red/black. (It looks different, depending on lighting) The car handles very responsively, and the turning radius is fairly decent. Cons : The interior is very basic/boring. (cloth and black plastic, everywhere...) There are a few exterior scratches on the passenger side, from previous ownership. Top-end power is lacking, due to the small 1.5 liter engine. And that's all I have to say!
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Wow, has GM really sunk this far?
Recently rented a 2023 Malibu LS. What a disappointment over my previous experiences with this model some years ago (OK, quite a few years ago). It drive like a big tank, soft and sloppy but harsh over road irregularities. Lots of road and tire noise was present. The CVT transmission moans whenever acceleration is called for, but is quiet when cruising, yielding pretty good fuel mileage. Controls are not intuitive for a driver new to the model, Android Auto is present, it shows up on a small 1/2 screen on the center display. 4G reception showed it was good, but in reality was non-existant where I was driving in central Connecticut. A hard pass, even as a rental.
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Gas saver!
I love everything about the vehicle. From the body, to the spaciousness, to the carplay and touchscreen navigation/stereo system with beats brand speakers. Moreover, I love the heated seats, power seats, electric emergency/parking brake, the engine, the smoothness of the ride and how much it saves on gas! Furthermore, I admire the option to take off auto stop, the forward collision option, the lane switch assist option, the backup camera and the way the mirrors tilt themselves when you’re parking to help. The car is overall luxurious as well as safe and saves on gas. Five Stars.
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Drive away satisfied.
Spacious and great on gas!
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30+mpg on a budget
I traded in a equinox (great vehicle) and it was hard to find a vehicle that had all the same features that didn’t drag me into the near 40k range…..I went with the Malibu (sport edition) not your standard rental car and have zero regrets perfect for road trips and GREAT on gas even with the air conditioner on I still get 30+ mpg on the freeway
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King of rental fleets
The Malibu is roomy and comfortable with a spacious back seat and trunk. The front seats are comfortable and the cup holders in the door still allow map storage. Handling at high speed was wallowy with the LT suspension and acceleration was only adequate. The lack of multiple safety detection systems is becoming a glaring omission when most rivals offer them on all mid size models. The touch screen was very easy to use, but the Bluetooth kept disconnecting or switching to calls only, no audio. Gas mileage was a little below that of Altima; Camry or Sonata, but still acceptable.
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Safety First
The enhanced safety features are awesome as well as the navigation. Smooth handling and braking. I like the leg room. I feel cheated with the sound system, sounds like I am listening to and old transister radio we had as a kid!!
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Mubahlub (Malibu, RS)
It a car, and it performs fine. This is my first new car in about 45 years. In town averaging 31+. 35+ highway MPG. OnStar setup and client support is discombobulated. No one knows what they are doing and provide wrong information. I will not ccontinue past the trial. At over $35 monthly it is not worth it. Especially as my Samsung cell phone can do better. Their 4G subscription is not needed if you have a modern phone.
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So far our 2023 Malibu has been a good choice
We've owned a new 2023 Malibu for about 3 months now, and so far we are very happy with it. We already have a CUV so we wanted to purchase a sedan to replace a 17 year old Mustang that was fun to drive but got poor gas mileage, a rough ride, and had a useless back seat. Before buying the Malibu we test drove a 2023 Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima. The Camry sat too low, has a weird dash, the transmission hunted for gears, and it has no rear air vents in the lower price LE or SE trim levels. The Altima had a bland driving experience and didn't handle as well as the Malibu. We were going to test drive a 2022 Accord, but the sitting-on-the-floor seating position was an immediate turnoff, and the price was comparatively too high even for the base model. The Malibu in comparison has decent acceleration despite the small 1.5L turbo engine and CVT, it handles very well, and has a smooth ride. Mileage has been consistently over 30 MPG in mixed city/highway driving. The infotainment system/touchscreen has been very easy to use, and we love having wireless Apple Carplay and Sirius/XM capability. Last but not least, in our opinion the styling is the best among all mainstream midsize sedans. We had a choice of purchasing either the 2LT or 1LT model, but went with the 1LT because we didn't think the leather upholstery, Bose audio system, and power passenger seat justified a $4K price increase, and we didn't need or want 19" wheels.
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A Steal
The kids are taller than me now and suddenly it was harder for them to clamber in and out of my BMW 230i coupe. I was able to flat trade the used BMW for a brand new 2023 Chevy Malibu RS. A BMW for a Malibu? Yes indeed. The RS upgrades a number of components in a sporting direction, including a spoiler, leather steering wheel, 8-way power driver's seat with lumbar support, 18" wheels with higher performance Continental rubber, a taut suspension, a dual exhaust, and cosmetic improvements. GM is run by engineers now. It shows. This mainstream model is drenched in technology. A modern and refined 1.5 liter DOHC, 16-valve, direct injection turbo - and shockingly good CVT - deliver ever-ready acceleration in traffic, and strong fuel economy. An increasingly distinctive 4-wheel independent suspension that's very well sorted delivers a great ride, and crisp handling. Moreover, the steering feels right. The brakes feel right. It's the opposite of the old numbers-only GM. The Malibu drives much better than its numbers. State of the art electronics help when I run out of talent or attention - ABS, stability control, traction control, lane keeping assistance that turns the wheel instead of just vibrating like in my old BMW, and automatic braking for obstacles -including pedestrians - in case I don't see them. The seats are comfortable. The tilting and telescoping wheel dials in a just-right driving position. For convenience and entertainment I have Android Auto (and Apple Car Play) on an 8-inch user-friendly touch screen. Yes 8 inches is good enough and it's all about how they use it. It's intuitive and just works. OnStar brings WiFi to every phone and tablet on board. This Malibu is not for setting lap times. For transporting my crew over the California streets and freeways, it's truly excellent. What a steal.
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Premier get up & gi
Love the 2.0 Turbi engine, the heated steering wheel & seat. Live the Bose speakers. I feel safer with the lane departure, blind spot, & sensors in the front,side & back of the Malibu Premier. The radio controls are a bit confusing. Also not easy to remember which radio voice recognition is compatible with Siri & Alexa. UPDATE: The 9 speed tranny is smooth & has ample pick up. Some materials used in the interior are cheap considering the car’s price tag. Love the exterior paint color. Enjoy the speakers although I added a subwoofer. The infotainment system isn’t consistent and is frustrating at times. Overall, I am pleased, however, I have under 5k miles so I expect to not have mechanical issues.
Love my Malibu
Still Getting to know my new Malibu but I am completely in love with it everyone compliments me. Love the white on black ♥️ so far it’s a great car!!! This is my 1st Chevy ever so I am really enjoying an American made car.
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Skeptical at first, but now pleased.
This is my first new car since 1978. I'm 70 now and in the past purchased cars from my brother or parents after a disastrous experience with a new Datsun 210 after college. My older Trailblazer was having mechanical issues and was not worth it to rebuild the front end and 4 wheel system. Originally we were seeking an EV but I can't wait for the delivery cycle. Our neighbors have a 10 year old Malibu and they are happy. Frankly I was scared to spend nearly 30k, but getting over 30 mpg in town and 35 for a long trip is better than the 16 we got with the Trailblazer. Interior is quiet. It is taking some time for me to adjust to the automation, but after three weeks and 500 miles, I gave finally figured it out. So all is great 👍 Nice looking car too!
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21 Malibu RS review
Great car for the price!!!! Love the sport tuned suspension and CVT transmission. Ride quality is on par with my 2020 Malibu Premier. With a mix of city and highway driving the fuel efficiency is amazing. I average 50-55 plus mpg and get about 14 days on a full tank of gas. If you buy one do yourself a favor and spend $4k to have exiled ecm tuning software from the south Korean spec Malibu 1.5 . You'll love the full customization and remapping of the cars ecm. Along with being able to fully disable emissions control software in the ecm which will grant you extra power and even greater fuel efficiency. Can't say enough good things about the Malibu RS. This car is legit THE BEST car chevy makes for the U.S market!!!!!!!!
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Great car - far better than I expected.
I rented a 2023 Malibu LT for a one way, 800 mile, rental from Raleigh, NC to Venice, FL. I was impressed with this car and I was far more impressed than I thought I would be. The tiny 1.5 liter turbo had enough power and it was great on gas. I got 34 mpg while traveling at an average of 75-79 MPH - yeah, that means it was just two tanks of regular fuel for the 800 mile trip. The car is quiet on all but the roughest pavement and the seats were comfortable. Oh, and just like most GM vehicles, the A/C is second to none. Overall, this is a fine vehicle.
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Rented an LT for a week
This is definitely a car built for a rental fleet. It had space inside, reasonable MPG, and a decent trunk. It’s all downhill after that The car has no acceleration yet can somehow spin its tires from a stop. The suspension is lousy, rattles were everywhere, and there is in no sound deadening whatsoever. I’m sure any other mid-size sedan is better and more refined in every way.
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Obsessed
I love my car so much the inside is beautiful. Very comfortable. Im just amazed.
Rough ride, no rear window wiper, poor storage
I had the misfortune of renting a Chevy Malibu 2023 recently, boy do I dislike that car! It’s really long, but doesn’t feel large inside. In fact the trunk area sticks out almost a foot beyond where a “normal” sedan does. I guess this gives you a larger trunk, but it makes parking on city streets a non-starter. Further, there’s no rear-window wiper, and it really needs one. In a gentle rain yesterday visibility out the back window was non-existent and there was nothing I could do about it. Then there’s the radio/entertainment system. Sure, it connects to my cell phone decently well, but (like many cars) there’s no place to put the phone except in the very sparse storage holes in front of the center armrest. Why bother working with my phone if there’s no provision for the physical phone itself. Finally we get to the ride/suspension. The springs and shocks are surprisingly stiff, we felt every pebble and bump in the road, and even small pot holes caused the tires to flatten enough for the rims to get the shock, which went right to our posteriors. So uncomfortable! I will never buy this car, and am a bit surprised how shoddy this offering from GM is considering how many years they’ve had to perfect it. Stay away!
Perfect in Every Way
Strong Crash Numbers, Light Weight (3100 lbs.), responsive 1.5 L. Engine, Great Basic Sedan with flexibility to meet every Driver's Demands.
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sweet ride
good so far UPDATE: fun driving car with power and the features of the premier model
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Malibu Priemer
Very nice Buick in Chevrolet sheetmetal. No complaints except trunk release should be in cabin. Paid too much at stealership, but a car was a must! Edmunds is correct: too much hard plastic. Now one year old. Not a single problem. No Premier edition in 2023. So glad I have this Premier. More horses than Cadillac 2.0 T. Pleasure to drive, but better to be a passenger.
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Love it
So far so good it's a really good car .
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Malibu's Are The Best
Some kid had hit my car, and totaled it, and I had to rent vehicles so I could get around for a while. But when I do get ready to buy another vehicle, a Malibu would be my choice, I had the privilege to drive one for a whole month without any problems, and I haven't had NO complaints about it 😍
No, Just No
Of the dozen or so mid-sized sedans that still exist for less than $40K, this has got to be the most pathetic. I rented one for a week (after praying I wouldn’t be saddled with a Malibu) and despite having fewer than 18,000 miles on it, it was already falling apart (paint chips, uneven door gaps, carpet pulling away from door sills, rubber jams pulling out). It could just have been that rentals are abused but that still doesn’t make up for weak performance from an engine (1.5 liter) that’s fitted to an otherwise larger car. Easily the least responsive pickup of any car I’ve driven when you hit the gas. If you have a family of 4 in the car, forget it! The seats are also terrible—basically thin padding on a hard base. Just a sad vehicle relegated to the bottom of the heap of mid-sized sedans. I guess if you couldn’t afford or find something better (ie Charger, Accord, Camry, Passat, K5, Sonata, Altima, Maxima, Avalon, 6, or Legacy), a Malibu beats walking (provided it still runs given Chevy’s spotty track record for reliability).
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Black mamba Malibu 2022
Outstanding fit and finish, I got LT version and the gas mpg comes right to spec.
SEARCH MALIBU
Very comfortable car we love it. I saw something wrong with the front bumper but they fixed very quick before the sale. I’m very grateful. Thanks
Love my Malibbu
Great gas mileage, very comfortable, a joy to drive. Trunk is very large the back seat lays down and gives you additional room for larger items. One of the best cars I have owned.
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A rental car feel
I don't know what I was thinking when I leased this car! After living with this car for a couple of months its lack of power, and handling really feels terrible. The cars interior is full of hard plastics and excessive plastic chrome. The car lacks standard safety features like blind spot warning etc. i cannot wait until my lease is up!
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The Malibu is all grown up
Love the body of the Malibu, the pull off is amazing. Real nice car for my daughter
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