Highway cruiser
The Platinum Malibu we tried isn’t for speed freaks, let’s put it that way. A car that “leaps” from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds certainly isn’t anything to write home about, at least not for those drivers. But more and more motorists are keeping an eye on their fuel consumption. At 100 km/h, this Malibu sips less than 8 litres per 100 kilometres, so it definitely qualifies as a highway cruiser.
Throw in a quiet cabin, precise, though somewhat light, power steering, a flexible suspension that offers a nice compromise between comfort and stiffness, and easily modulated four wheel disc brakes, and you have all the makings for an eminently enjoyable ride for the long haul.
Two nuisances
First nuisance: the limited rear visibility, courtesy of body design. This car features a small rear window, massive rear pillars and a high trunk lid, the perfect ingredients for less-than-perfect rear visibility. Parking is often a hit and miss affair where the unwary is in danger of hitting obstacles – or people. Plus, the Malibu is one of the few sedans in its class not to offer a rear parking camera, such an important feature in compensating for this irritant.
The Malibu suffers from another major nuisance: its trunk. A short, narrow opening, high sill and tight confines make for an unpractical cargo area.
Competitive pricing
Introduced in 2008, the Malibu has barely aged a day. The profile of its voluminous body is just as attractive. Ditto for the layout of its cabin, sporting a dash board copied off that of a 1958 Corvette. It’s a nice homogenous mix that highlights a meticulous assembly and high-quality materials.
The front seats are large, but would benefit from more pronounced contours to ensure better side support when cornering. There’s ample space in back, and two adults will be extremely comfortably catered two back there.
However, the current popularity of the Ford Fusion and Hyundai Sonata, two models that have seen their third-trimester Canadian sales take off by 25 and 66%, respectively, confirms that it’s time for GM to update its mid-size offer. Until the replacements arrive, at the very least the competitive pricing of the various Malibu variants, particularly the Platinum, remains attractive.
The Platinum Malibu we tried isn’t for speed freaks, let’s put it that way. A car that “leaps” from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds certainly isn’t anything to write home about, at least not for those drivers. But more and more motorists are keeping an eye on their fuel consumption. At 100 km/h, this Malibu sips less than 8 litres per 100 kilometres, so it definitely qualifies as a highway cruiser.
Throw in a quiet cabin, precise, though somewhat light, power steering, a flexible suspension that offers a nice compromise between comfort and stiffness, and easily modulated four wheel disc brakes, and you have all the makings for an eminently enjoyable ride for the long haul.
Two nuisances
First nuisance: the limited rear visibility, courtesy of body design. This car features a small rear window, massive rear pillars and a high trunk lid, the perfect ingredients for less-than-perfect rear visibility. Parking is often a hit and miss affair where the unwary is in danger of hitting obstacles – or people. Plus, the Malibu is one of the few sedans in its class not to offer a rear parking camera, such an important feature in compensating for this irritant.
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| The Malibu’s trunk is one of its main downsides, its very tight opening making it difficult to load things. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com) |
The Malibu suffers from another major nuisance: its trunk. A short, narrow opening, high sill and tight confines make for an unpractical cargo area.
Competitive pricing
Introduced in 2008, the Malibu has barely aged a day. The profile of its voluminous body is just as attractive. Ditto for the layout of its cabin, sporting a dash board copied off that of a 1958 Corvette. It’s a nice homogenous mix that highlights a meticulous assembly and high-quality materials.
The front seats are large, but would benefit from more pronounced contours to ensure better side support when cornering. There’s ample space in back, and two adults will be extremely comfortably catered two back there.
However, the current popularity of the Ford Fusion and Hyundai Sonata, two models that have seen their third-trimester Canadian sales take off by 25 and 66%, respectively, confirms that it’s time for GM to update its mid-size offer. Until the replacements arrive, at the very least the competitive pricing of the various Malibu variants, particularly the Platinum, remains attractive.
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