2009 Chevrolet Malibu Consumer Reviews

Love it!

Written by: BP on 10/31/2008

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)

Review

Have only had the car a week, but so far I am very pleased. This is my first American car in 30 years. In interest of full discclosure, I did begin the decison process wanting to "buy American" this time, as long as I did not have to make too many concessions to quality, drive experience etc. that I have come to expcet from European and Japanese cars. No compromise in this vehicle I can detect so far! Thanks for getting this vehicle right GM!

Favorite Features

6 speed automatic transmission- allows for reasonable performance by the 4 cylinder engine while providing good fuel economy. Execution- whole vehicle just seems well conceived and well executed. Bluetooth

Suggested Improvements

Connection for iPOD that controls iPOD thru radio in addition to simply having audio in port that supports any device. Need either a standard USB port on audio system or available accessory for dealer to add at reasonable price

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Exceptional Mid-Size Sedan

Written by: Alan on 10/27/2008

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Malibu LT2 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)

Review

I was an import owner for 20+ years before purchasing a Malibu. I was skeptical, even after a lot of research. But after 1500 miles, I'm really amazed. GM has done a great job. The interior is incredibly quiet. The interior styling is wonderful, especially in beige with suede seats. There's wonderful attention to detail everywhere inside. I especially like the ambient lighting. Controls and switches feel great, better than most imports I've driven. Performance is surprisingly good given the fuel economy. The suspension is a bit soft but ride is great. The engine is as refined as any 4 cylinder I've driven. The Malibu feels more like a luxury car than a family sedan.

Favorite Features

Quietness, especially interior sound insulation and engine refinement. Sound quality and features of stereo system (XM, MP3 input jack, built-in bluetooth) 6 speed transmission with paddle shifting. Fuel economy (getting 33 MPG + on hwy)

Suggested Improvements

Some interior materials are not up to import standards especially the shiny plastic on the lower portion of dash/doors. Would like to see firmer suspension option for 2LT w/ 4 cyl. Front seat styling/shape is really bland, especially for such a stylish interior.

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This is the nicest car I have ever owned

Written by: dizz on 10/15/2008

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Malibu LT1 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 4A)

Review

Great on gas, quiet, great looking, handles like a dream. Very nice car. Looks like a BMW.

Favorite Features

Interior design

Suggested Improvements

None

1 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Great Car....almost

Written by: Chandra on 10/14/2008

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 4A)

Review

I was a die hard fan of Japanese cars. And after working at GM, my guilt took over and I bought this car. It's been a month, and I drove about 1500 miles on the car, and I don't regret my decision. The car runs real smooth on the freeway with minimal noise. It has a feel of luxury sedans inside - quite roomy. If flying on the freeway is not what you intend, you won't regret owning this car.

Favorite Features

Ride. It is real smooth. I get about 27 to 28 mpg (combined). Night light focused on the drive stick was a great idea - you know exactly what your car will do when you press that gas pedal.

Suggested Improvements

The car struggles to keep up on hilly roads when in cruise. Speed keeps dropping and picking up, and when it picks up the speed, it is as if someone is pressing the gas pedal real hard. And maintain safe distance when driving over 70 mph. Car does not slow down immediately; I almost crashed once.

5 out 8 people found this review helpful

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Outstanding car made in the US

Written by: John on 10/03/2008

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)

Review

Purchased car about a month ago and enjoy every thing about it. The car ride and handles as good as my BMW. The leg room in front and rear is outstanding. The only thing that I would like to see added is a arm rest in the rear seat area.

Favorite Features

4-cylinder with 6-speed automatic transmission is a great match for performance and fuel economy

Suggested Improvements

Rear seat arm rest

3 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Camry and Accord killer

Written by: sesmalibu on 10/01/2008

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 4A)

Review

We leased the all new 2009 Malibu. I have nothing but praise for GM for delivering this vehicle. The interiors are so nicely done and the car so silent on the highway that you feel like you are in a luxury sedan. The 4 cyclinder engine has ample power for interstate passing and gives excellent gas mileage. We averaged 33 on the highway and 26 in the city. Priced at just around 20K Malibu is an excellent choice for those bored with Japanese cars.

Favorite Features

Cabin silence, nice engine.

Suggested Improvements

None.

12 out 12 people found this review helpful

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GM finally gets it right this time

Written by: Les on 09/21/2008

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Malibu LT2 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)

Review

Purchased this vehicle about a month ago and now have 1300 miles on the odometer. Fuel economy in combined city/highway driving has so far been below expectations at about 24 MPG. - the same as on my 6-cylinder BMW which is much more powerful. The car handles well and is very quiet. The black suede cloth interior is attractive and comfortable. The faux wood trim is tastefully done and understated. The dashboard controls are easy to use but I would have preferred to have the trip computer information made accessable and cleared by pushing and holding in the headlight stalk instead of looking for the right buttons to push.

Favorite Features

6-speed automatic transmission. Good that GM finally replaced their outmoded and less efficient 4-speed. This new transmission is smooth and always seems to know the right gear. Confidently merging and getting up to speed on a freeway ramp with the 4- cylinder/6- speed powertrain is easy and safe.

Suggested Improvements

Need to improve actual fuel economy on the 4-cylinder engine irregardless of how good the EPA numbers look on paper. Maybe direct fuel injection would help performance and economy. Fold-down seat back on rear passenger side will not latch. Replacement part is on order.

11 out 12 people found this review helpful

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Really nice car!

Written by: Dave NJ on 09/16/2008

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Malibu LT2 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)

Review

We traded in our '03 Malibu LS with 104,000 miles on it. No problems with the car, just miles. Our 09 Malibu 2LT is really nice. I can't get over how much better it handles and how quiet it is. I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a well built fun to drive car. Chevy has really put together a nice vehicle!

Favorite Features

I really like the driver information telling me oil life, tire pressure, gas mileage etc. seats are comfortable, remote start, sun roof everything!

Suggested Improvements

None.

11 out 11 people found this review helpful

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Luxury Car and Fun to Drive

Written by: Tony on 09/11/2008

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Malibu LT2 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)

Review

The 6 speed 2.4L v4 is definitely the way to go. It has great fuel economy and is built as good as a BMW in my opinion. It is great to see that you do not need the v6 (which I had in my last car) to get the quiet ride and good acceleration. I was looking for a good family 4-door sedan that would also be fun to drive back and forth on my long commute to work (on the congested roads of NJ). Based on my budget of 20-25K, I had considered many new cars and also a low mileage BMW used car. After test driving, the Malibu was the clear winner. My wife and I were actually shocked at how smooth and quiet the ride was (though tried to keep the smiles off our faces before negotiating the price).

Favorite Features

Very smooth quiet ride. Great power in a small fuel efficient engine. Interior is really sharp (like a luxury car) and comfortable (despite me being 6'6").

Suggested Improvements

Warranty requires you go back to dealer - like a Japanese car - but I can live with that

7 out 8 people found this review helpful

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Camry Can't Touch This

Written by: Evan on 09/02/2008

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)

Review

We purchased a Camry last year for my wife because I thought they were supposed to be reliable. Well the warranty was over in one year for us because we drive alot, then we had the interior panels falling apart and the thrash engine noises and slow downshifts. Since the reliability rumors obviously wernt true, we decided to go with the facts and choose GM because they had a warranty to back it, and we couldnt have made a better choice. The interior is gorgeous and very sturdy and soft feeling. The 4 cylinder is so smooth that at 70 you can hardly hear it. Our black one with factory 19's looks very cool and you really stand out. Its a sharp contrast to the very common and boring camry we had.

Favorite Features

Brick on black interior, sound system, seats very comfortable, responsiveness, smooth ride, gas mileage, rims, looks, stands out from the crowd in a good way

Suggested Improvements

OnStar nav is really nice and surprisingly simple, but I should've waited until the screen version came out, because that is always nice to have

15 out 15 people found this review helpful

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